ASROCK Z790 PG-ITX/TB4 User manual

Contact Information
If you need to contact ASRock or want to know more about ASRock, you’re
welcome to visit ASRock’s website at http://www.asrock.com; or you may contact
your dealer for further information. For technical questions, please submit a
support request form at https://event.asrock.com/tsd.asp
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e-mail: [e-mail]
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e-mail: [e-mail]
ASRock America, Inc.
e-mail: [e-mail]
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Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
1.1 Package Contents 1
1.2 Specications 2
1.3 Motherboard Layout 6
1.4 I/O Panel 9
1.5 Block Diagram 11
1.6 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E Module and ASRock WiFi 2.4/5/6 GHz
Antenna 12
Chapter 2 Installation 13
2.1 Installing the CPU 14
2.2 Installing the CPU Fan and Heatsink 16
2.3 Installing Memory Modules (DIMM) 17
2.4 Connecting the Front Panel Header 19
2.5 Installing the Motherboard 20
2.6 Installing SATA Drives 21
2.7 Installing a Graphics Card 23
2.8 Connecting Peripheral Devices 25
2.9 Connecting the Power Connectors 26
2.10 Power On 27
2.11 Onboard Headers and Connectors 28
2.12 Smart Switches 37
2.13 Post Status Checker 38

2.14 M.2 SSD Module Installation Guide (M2_1) 39
2.15 M.2 SSD Module Installation Guide (M2_2 and M2_3) 42

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Z790 PG-ITX/TB4
Chapter 1 Introduction
ank you for purchasing ASRock Z790 PG-ITX/TB4 motherboard, a reliable
motherboard produced under ASRock’s consistently stringent quality control.
It delivers excellent performance with robust design conforming to ASRock’s
commitment to quality and endurance.
1.1 Package Contents
• ASRock Z790 PG-ITX/TB4 Motherboard (Mini-ITX Form Factor)
• ASRock Z790 PG-ITX/TB4 User Manual
• 2 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cables (Optional)
• 1 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5/6 GHz Antenna (Optional)
• 2 x ermal Pads for M.2 SSD (Optional)
• 3 x Screws for M.2 Sockets (Optional)
Because the motherboard specications and the BIOS soware might be updated, the
content of this documentation will be subject to change without notice. In case any
modications of this documentation occur, the updated version will be available on
ASRock’s website without further notice. If you require technical support related to
this motherboard, please visit our website for specic information about the model
you are using. You may nd the latest VGA cards and CPU support list on ASRock’s
website as well. ASRock website http://www.asrock.com.

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1.2 Specications
Platform • Mini-ITX Form Factor
• 10 Layer PCB
CPU • Supports 13th Gen & 12th Gen Intel® CoreTM Processors
(LGA1700)
• Supports Intel® Hybrid Technology
• Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Max 3.0 Technology
• Supports Intel® ermal Velocity Boost (TVB)
• Supports Intel® Adaptive Boost Technology (ABT)
Chipset • Intel® Z790
Memory • Dual Channel DDR5 Memory Technology
• 2 x DDR5 DIMM Slots
• Supports DDR5 non-ECC, un-buered memory up to
6800+(OC)*
• Max. capacity of system memory: 64GB
• Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Prole (XMP) 3.0
* Please refer to Memory Support List on ASRock's website for
more information. (http://www.asrock.com/)
Expansion
Slot
CPU:
• 1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot (PCIE1), supports x16 mode*
Chipset:
• 1 x Vertical M.2 Socket (Key E), supports type 2230 WiFi/BT
PCIe WiFi module and Intel® CNVio/CNVio2 (Integrated
WiFi/BT)
* Supports PCIe riser cards to extend one x16 slot to two x8
slots
* Supports NVMe SSD as boot disks
• 15μ Gold Contact in VGA PCIe Slot (PCIE1)
Graphics • Intel® UHD Graphics Built-in Visuals and the VGA outputs
can be supported only with processors which are GPU
integrated.
• Intel® XeGraphics Architecture (Gen 12)

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Z790 PG-ITX/TB4
• 1 x HDMI 2.1 TMDS Compatible, supports HDCP 2.3 and
max. resolution up to 4K 60Hz
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC (compressed), supports HDCP
2.3 and max. resolution up to 8K 60Hz / 5K 120Hz
• 2 x Intel® underboltTM 4, supports HDCP 2.3 and max.
resolution up to 8K 60Hz*
* Supports two 4K displays or one 8K display
* Only the CPU's embedded graphics can be displayed through
underbolt ports. If you want to display to a underbolt
monitor, please use CPU models with embedded graphics.
* underbolt graphics output may not be compatible with
certain Type-C monitors. Please use graphics card outputs
instead.
Audio • 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek
ALC4082 Audio Codec)
• Individual PCB Layers for R/L Audio Channel
• Impedance Sensing on Rear Out port
• Nahimic Audio
LAN • 2.5 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000/2500 Mb/s
• Killer® E3100X
• Supports Killer LAN Soware
• Supports Killer DoubleShotTM Pro
Wireless
LAN
• 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E Module
• Supports IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
• Supports Dual-Band 2x2 160MHz with extended 6GHz
band* support
* Wi-Fi 6E (6GHz band) will be supported by Microso® Win-
dows® 11. e availability will depend on the dierent regula-
tion status of each country and region. It will be activated (for
supported countries) through Windows Update and soware
updates once available.
* A 6GHz compatible router is required for 6E functionality.
• 2 antennas to support 2 (Transmit) x 2 (Receive) diversity
technology
• Supports Bluetooth + High speed class II
• Supports MU-MIMO
• Supports Killer LAN Soware
• Supports Killer DoubleShotTM Pro

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USB • 2 x USB4 underboltTM 4 Type-C (Rear)
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C (Front)
• 6 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (Rear)
• 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 (Front)
• 2 x USB 2.0 (Front)
* All USB ports support ESD Protection
Rear Panel
I/O
• 2 x Antenna Ports
• 1 x HDMI Port
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.4
• 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
• 2 x USB4 underboltTM 4 Type-C Ports (40 Gb/s for USB4
protocol; 40Gb/s for underbolt protocol)*
• 6 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Ports (10 Gb/s)
• 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port
• 1 x Line Out Jack (Gold Audio Jack)
• 1 x Microphone Input Jack (Gold Audio Jack)
* Supports USB PD 3.0 up to 9V@3A (27W) / 5V@3A (15W)
charging
Storage CPU:
• 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_1, Key M), supports type 2280
PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode*
Chipset:
• 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_2, Key M), supports type 2280
SATA3 6.0 Gb/s & PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) modes*
• 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_3, Key M), supports type 2280
PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode*
• 3 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors
* Supports Intel® Volume Management Device (VMD)
* Supports NVMe SSD as boot disks
RAID • Supports RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 5 for SATA storage
devices
• Supports RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 5 for M.2 NVMe stor-
age devices

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Z790 PG-ITX/TB4
Connector • 1 x RGB LED Header*
• 1 x Addressable LED Header**
• 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)***
• 1 x CPU/Water Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan
Speed Control)****
• 1 x Chassis Fan Connector (4-pin)*****
• 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Con-
nector)
• 1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connec-
tor)
• 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector (15μ Gold Audio Connec-
tor)
• 1 x USB 2.0 Header (Supports 2 USB 2.0 ports)
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Header (Supports 2 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports)
• 1 x Front Panel Type C USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Header (20 Gb/s)
• 1 x Clear CMOS Button
* Supports in total up to 12V/3A, 36W LED Strip
** Supports in total up to 5V/3A, 15W LED Strip
*** CPU_FAN1 supports the fan power up to 1A (12W).
**** CPU_FAN2/WP supports the fan power up to 2A (24W).
**** CPU_FAN2/WP can auto detect if 3-pin or 4-pin fan is in
use.
***** CHA_FAN1 supports the fan power up to 1A (12W).
BIOS
Feature
• AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with GUI support
OS • Microso® Windows® 11 64-bit
Certica-
tions
• FCC, CE
• ErP/EuP ready (ErP/EuP ready power supply is required)
Please realize that there is a certain risk involved with overclocking, including
adjusting the setting in the BIOS, applying Untied Overclocking Technology, or using
third-party overclocking tools. Overclocking may aect your system’s stability, or
even cause damage to the components and devices of your system. It should be done
at your own risk and expense. We are not responsible for possible damage caused by
overclocking.
* For detailed product information, please visit our website: http://www.asrock.com

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1.3 Motherboard Layout
Top Side View

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Z790 PG-ITX/TB4
Back Side View

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No. Description
1 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1)
2 Addressable LED Header (ADDR_LED1)
3 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1)
4 CPU/Water Pump Fan Connector (CPU_FAN2/WP)
5 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)
6 2 x 288-pin DDR5 DIMM Slots (DDR5_A1, DDR5_B1)
7 Post Status Checker (PSC)
8 Clear CMOS Button (CLRCBTN1)
9 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1)
10 RGB LED Header (RGB_LED1)
11 System Panel Header (PANEL1)
12 USB 3.2 Gen1 Header (USB32_7_8)
13 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_1)
14 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_2)
15 Front Panel Type C USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Header (USB32_TC1)
16 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_0)
17 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER1)
18 USB 2.0 Header (USB1_2)
19 Front Panel Audio Header (HD_AUDIO1)

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Z790 PG-ITX/TB4
1.4 I/O Panel
No. Description No. Description
1 DisplayPort 1.4 7 Antenna Ports
2 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Ports (USB32_1234) 8 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Port (USB32_6)
3 2.5G LAN RJ-45 Port* 9 USB 4.0 underboltTM 4 Type-C Port (TB_2)
4 Microphone Input Jack** 10 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Port (USB32_5)
5 Line Out Jack** 11 USB 4.0 underboltTM 4 Type-C Port (TB_1)
6 Optical SPDIF Out Port 12 HDMI Port
ACT/LINK LED
SPEED LED
LAN Port
* ere are two LEDs on each LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED indications.
Activity / Link LED Speed LED
Status Description Status Description
O No Link O 10Mbps connection
Blinking Data Activity Orange 100Mbps/1Gbps connection
On Link Green 2.5Gbps connection
13
7
12 10
11
2
8
9
4
5
6

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** Function of the Audio Ports in 2, 4, 5.1 or 7.1-channel Conguration:
Channel Port Function
2ch Line Out Jack
(Rear Panel) Front speaker out
4ch Pink-Mic
(Front Panel) Rear speaker out
5.1ch Microphone Input Jack
(Rear Panel) Central/Subwoofer speaker out
7.1ch Lime-Headphone
(Front Panel) Side Speaker out

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Z790 PG-ITX/TB4
1.5 Block Diagram
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
D D C C B B A A
Z790
LGA1700 CPU
SATA 3 port SATA 6Gb
10Gb/s Channel B Channel A
DDR5 Slot x1
SIO NCT6686D
PCIE1 ( GEN5 x16 Slot )
DMI Gen4 x8
Rear USB 3.2 Gen2 Type A
Gen5 x16 5Gb/s
Front USB 3.2 Gen1 type A Front USB 2.0 2 port 480Mb/s
eSPI
H/W Monitor
SPI
Flash ROM 128Mb
M2_1(PCIe Gen4 x4) Gen4 x4
Gen3 x1 E3100X 2.5G LAN
Gen4 x4 M2_2(PCIe Gen4 x4/SATA)
6 port 2 port Front USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type C 20Gb/s
1 port
CNVi
M2_WiFi
+Gen3 x1
480Mb/s
Display Port1
DDIA DDIB HDMI2 DDID
Gen3 x4 MAPLERIDGE DP
TB1 Thunderbolt 4.0
DDIC
CHA FAN 4pin MOS FAN 3pin(3C) CPU FAN 4pin
NCT3947
CPU FAN 4pin(3C) UART debug header
Port80
480Mb/s
RGB LED header MCU
NUC121ZC2AE
Addressable LED header
Gen4 x4 M2_3(PCIe Gen4 x4)
480Mb/s
ALC4082 (2+1 jack Audio) USB interface
TB2 Thunderbolt 4.0
DDR5 Slot x1

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1.6 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E Module and ASRock WiFi 2.4/5/6 GHz
Antenna
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E + BT Module
is motherboard comes with an exclusive 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi 6E + BT
module that oers support for 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi 6E connectivity standards
and Bluetooth. Wi-Fi 6E + BT module is an easy-to-use wireless local area network
(WLAN) adapter to support Wi-Fi 6E + BT. Bluetooth standard features Smart Ready
technology that adds a whole new class of functionality into the mobile devices.
BT also includes Low Energy Technology and ensures extraordinary low power
consumption for PCs.
* e transmission speed may vary according to the environment.
* Wi-Fi 6E (6GHz band) will be supported by Microso® Windows® 11. e availability
will depend on the dierent regulation status of each country and region. It will be
activated (for supported countries) through Windows Update and soware updates
once available.
* A 6GHz compatible router is required for 6E functionality.
ASRock WiFi 2.4/5/6 GHz Antenna

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Z790 PG-ITX/TB4
is is a Mini-ITX form factor motherboard. Before you install the motherboard,
study the conguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard ts into it.
Pre-installation Precautions
Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components
or change any motherboard settings.
• Make sure to unplug the power cord before installing or removing the motherboard
components. Failure to do so may cause physical injuries and damages to motherboard
components.
• In order to avoid damage from static electricity to the motherboard’s components,
NEVER place your motherboard directly on a carpet. Also remember to use a
grounded wrist strap or touch a safety grounded object before you handle the
components.
• Hold components by the edges and do not touch the ICs.
• Whenever you uninstall any components, place them on a grounded anti-static pad or
in the bag that comes with the components.
• When placing screws to secure the motherboard to the chassis, please do not over-
tighten the screws! Doing so may damage the motherboard.
Chapter 2 Installation

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2.1 Installing the CPU
1. Before you insert the 1700-Pin CPU into the socket, please check if the PnP cap
is on the socket, if the CPU surface is unclean, or if there are any bent pins in the
socket. Do not force to insert the CPU into the socket if above situation is found.
Otherwise, the CPU will be seriously damaged.
2. Unplug all power cables before installing the CPU.
1
A
B
2 3

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Z790 PG-ITX/TB4
5
76
4
Please save and replace the cover if the processor is removed. e cover must be
placed if you wish to return the motherboard for aer service.

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2.2 Installing the CPU Fan and Heatsink
1 2
CPU_FAN