{"id":1243022,"date":"2026-02-28T02:32:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T02:32:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sJXr3qgJQgmLwexmyhMiUJ"},"modified":"2026-02-28T02:32:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T02:32:04","slug":"nzxt-n7-z890-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/nzxt-n7-z890-review\/","title":{"rendered":"NZXT N7 Z890 review"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It might be late to the party, but NZXT\u2019s trio of new motherboards bring a refreshing new look to both Intel and AMD platforms that\u2019s sure to appeal to those wanting to color-match their motherboard to the rest of their hardware. The N7 Z890 looks a lot like the N9 Z890, which is NZXT\u2019s flagship Intel motherboard for Core Ultra 200 processors, but if the thought of hitting your wallet up for $500 isn\u2019t your idea of fun, then the N7 Z890 is much cheaper at $350.<\/p>\n

Aesthetically the two boards seem very similar at first glance with large shrouds and heatsinks covering most of the PCB and like the flagship, the N7 Z890 is available in black or white too. Both also support overclocking. However, on closer inspection there are some significant differences. Those covers over the lower M.2 SSD slots are plastic and unlike it\u2019s more expensive sibling, there\u2019s no RGB lighting here at all.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, though, if you\u2019re sold on the aesthetics, the hardware underneath offers nearly everything the more expensive N9 Z890 does including decent audio, Thunderbolt 4, plenty of USB ports and some useful overclocking and testing tools. There are one or two other things missing though.<\/p>\n

First and foremost, it\u2019s worth pointing out that ASRock actually makes the motherboard, as is evident by the EFI, which features the familiar style, layout and somewhat dated feel of other ASRock boards we\u2019ve looked at. It\u2019s simple and functional, but lacks the pizzazz of Asus and MSI\u2019s latest high definition EFIs that are dripping with features. One feature they have that NZXT\u2019s boards lack is the ability to adjust fan speeds with an easy-to-use fan curve interface.<\/p>\n

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NZXT N9 Z890 specs<\/div>\n
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Socket:<\/strong> LGA1851
Chipset<\/strong>: Intel Z890
CPU compatibility:<\/strong> Intel Core Ultra 200 desktop
Form factor<\/strong>: ATX
Memory support:<\/strong> DDR5-4800 to DDR5-8600+(OC), up to 256 GB
Storage:<\/strong> 4x M.2, 4x SATA
USB (rear)<\/strong>: 2x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C 40 Gbps, 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2×2 Type-C 20Gbps, 4x USB 3.1 Type-A 10 Gbps, 3x USB 3.0 Type-A 5 Gbps
Display:<\/strong> 2 x Thunderbolt 4, 1x HDMI
Networking:<\/strong> Realtek 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 6E
Audio:<\/strong> Realtek ALC1220
Price:<\/strong> Will be $350, not yet available at time of writing<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This is instead available using NZXT\u2019s CAM software, which provides simple control over the board\u2019s lighting and fan speeds, but if you prefer not to use software and use the EFI instead, you\u2019ll be left dealing with the text input for fan speeds there, which could be very time consuming.<\/p>\n

The CAM software also gives you the ability to control NZXT 8-pin RGB devices using the connectors on the motherboard, which can also be split up into 4-pin fan headers and 4-pin NZXT connectors using adaptors in the box.<\/p>\n

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Switching to the M.2 ports and we have four to play with, all PCIe 4.0 except for the top one that offers PCIe 5.0 support and is the only port that is cooled by a heatsink. The lower covers over the M.2 ports are plastic and for aesthetic purposes only. The top slot also doesn\u2019t cool the underside of your SSD, but that\u2019s somewhat rare at this price anyway.<\/p>\n

If you like having overclocking and testing tools, then most are here too including CMOS clear and USB BIOS Flashback buttons as well as power and reset buttons. The rear I\/O panel has seven Type-A USB ports, all of which are USB 3.0 or faster a USB 3.1 Gen 2×2 Type-C port and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. This brings us on to perhaps the only feature you\u2019d expect to see here that\u2019s absent, which is Wi-Fi 7, with NZXT instead opting for Wi-Fi 6E while the board also has decent audio in the form of Realtek\u2019s ALC1220 codec.<\/p>\n