INTRODUCTION

    Regardless of whether or not you like Intel ever since their X-series of chipsets were discontinued (I do hope they bring them back again) their Z-series have led the market both in terms of features and available connectivity. Needless to say, the same holds true for the latest Z890 chipset and even though the Core Ultra  200S CPUs by Intel didn't exactly win the market by storm this combination has won over many consumers and professionals. MAXSUN may not be among the leading motherboard manufacturers but last October they did unveil several interesting models with the Z890 iCraft Vertex standing at the very top.

    Founded in 2002, MAXSUN is committed to delivering high-performance PC components that empower users with cutting-edge technology. With a focus on innovation and user experience, MAXSUN continues to provide top-quality motherboards, graphics cards, and more.

    The Z890 iCraft Vertex by MAXSUN is an ATX sized motherboard based on the LGA1851 socket by Intel (Core Ultra 200S CPU support) featuring an 20+1+1 power system (60A SPS), 8-layer server-grade PCB (back-drilling technology and electromagnetic shielding and isolation) and a real time information color display. MAXSUN has equipped the Z890 iCraft Vertex model with two UDIMM DDR5 RAM slots (up to 128GB in capacity and speeds up to 9200MHz+), three PCIe x16 slots (2xPCie 5.0 / 1xPCIe x16 @ x4), four M.2 slots complete with heatsinks (1xPCIe 5.0 / 3xPCIe 4.0), four native SATA 6G ports (RAID 0/1/5/10 supported both for M.2 and SATA ports), two SFF-8654 4i SAS ports, Realtek RTL8126 5Gbps LAN and Killer BE200 Wi-Fi 7 (with Bluetooth 5.4, MLO, 4KQAM), Realtek ALC1220 7.1 channel HD audio codec, debug display and finally a BIOS update, clear CMOS and ARGB lighting effect buttons. As for I/O connectivity her we find a single HDMI v2.1 video out (FRL / 4K@120Hz maximum resolution), DP v1.4 video out, two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports (support DisplayPort v2.1 with UHBR20 for a maximum resolution of 4K@120Hz / 8K@60Hz), USB-C 20Gbps port (front via internal header), nine USB-A 10Gbps ports, two USB-A 5Gbps ports (via internal header), four USB 2.0 ports (via internal header), two quick release Antenna ports, 5Gbps RJ45 port and the Realtek ALC1220 High Definition onboard audio ports. On paper the Z890 iCraft Vertex by MAXSUN certainly doesn't fall behind compared to what we see by the leading manufacturers, what about performance, however?