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?

 

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAXSUN uses a large box to ship their Z890 iCraft Vertex motherboard the front of which is taken by their logos, CPU compatibility and the model name.

 

 

At the rear of the box, we find the specifications table and many product pictures used to showcase the main features.

 

 

As expected, the motherboard is wrapped inside a static-free bag and placed between two pieces of foam.

 

 

Along with the motherboard the bundle also includes a large plastic plate, screwdriver, WiFi Antenna, 4 SATA cables, M.2 screws, standoffs, motherboard mounting screws, several stickers and a product paper.

 

 

 

THE Z890 ICRAFT VERTEX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the Z890 iCraft VERTEX MAXSUN has chosen a black and silver color theme.

 

 

There seems to be sufficient cooling for the VRMs so nothing new here.

 

 

What steals the show with this particular model is the real time information color display placed just over the rear I/O.

 

 

Using just two UDIMM slots improves compatibility and performance, so it does make sense MAXSUN took this route (even though total RAM is reduced to 128GB from 256GB).

 

 

Typically, the two 8-pin motherboard/CPU power ports are located on the top left.

 

 

The debug port along with the power on/off and reset buttons are placed on the top right.

 

 

The primary PCIe 5.0 M.2 port is located next to the DIMM slots.

 

 

MAXSUN has also used a quick-release button for the primary PCIe 5.0 x16 slot.

 

 

SAS ports are not something we see a lot, so it was nice to see that MAXSUN has placed two here.

 

 

At the bottom we find a button from where you can quickly switch between ARGB effects.

 

 

All three PCIe slots are reinforced and shielded (again something we don't see a lot).

 

 

Removing the large heatsink reveals three M.2 PCIe slots.

 

 

Most of the rear of the motherboard is protected by a metal plate.

 

 

Moving to the I/O we find a single HDMI v2.1 video out, DP v1.4 video out, BIOS flash button, clear CMOS button, two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, nine USB-A 10Gbps ports, two quick release Antenna ports, 5Gbps RJ45 port and the Realtek ALC1220 High Definition onboard audio ports.

 

 

Just like with previous Z890 reviews I'll be using the Intel Core Ultra 285k, Kingston FURY Renegade Limited Edition 48GB 8GHz CL36 dual-channel kit and the Gainward GeForce RTX 4080 Phantom (short clip is available on YouTube and TikTok).

 

Z890 ICRAFT VERTEX 1.3D BIOS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instead of EZ and advanced menus the Z890 iCraft VERTEX has a preview tab and everything else in separate ones.

 

 

Everything related to the CPU and all peripherals is placed inside the advanced tab.

 

 

 

From the overclock tab you can access clocks, ratios, voltages, XMP profile for the RAM and RAM timings.

 

 

The status tab is a system monitoring tab.

 

 

Full screen logo, fast boot and detect CPU or RAM change are all inside the boot tab.

 

 

From the tools tab you can save profiles, launch the EzUpdate tool and exit the BIOS.

 

SOFTWARE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAXSUN has two software suites available online, view and sync.

The view software allows you to change what is shown on the color information display on the motherboard.

 

 

Here you can see how the display looks.

 

 

On the other hand, the sync software is what MAXSUN uses for A/RGB compatible devices (7 effects).

 

TEST BED

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   Exactly like used to do in the past each mainboard to arrive in the lab will get mounted on an open-air test bench and will be used for no less than two full weeks (daily tasks and gaming) with a fresh Windows 10 Pro installation. All motherboards arriving here will be tested with the top CPU of that line available to me at the time of each review (I9-9900K for Z390/I9-10900K for Z490/I9-11900K for Z590/I9-12900K for the Z690/Ryzen 9 5900X for X570 and B550/Ryzen 9 7900X for X670E and B650E/i9-13900K for Z790/Core Ultra 9 285K for Z890) together with 32/48GB of RAM (different models for different motherboards/CPUs). Needless to say, I’ll be clocking CPUs at the same speeds between same chipset models (unless a motherboard is not capable of getting the same speeds) for a more accurate performance comparison.

   To measure performance, I’ll be using several benchmarking programs (6 repeats after which the average numbers will get recorded in the charts) like AIDA64, CINEBENCH R20, CPUZ, Passmark Performance Test, RealBench, 3Dmark, GeekBench AI and the Sisoftware Sandra Titanium version. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 (Phantom Liberty), Dying Light 2 and Forza Horizon 5 were also added for people who care about FPS*.

* Since October 2024 I added more benchmarking suites and even game titles.

 

 

 

TEST RESULTS – 3DMARK / CINEBENCH R20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEST RESULTS - CPUZ / PASSMARK PERFORMANCE TEST / GEEKBENCH AI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEST RESULTS - REALBENCH / SISOFTWARE SANDRA TITANIUM / AIDA64

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEST RESULTS - CYBERPUNK 2077 / DYING LIGHT 2 / FORZA HORIZON 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    MAXSUN is certainly not as established as for example MSI or ASRock but if their Z890 iCraft VERTEX is any indication they should grow quite fast in the years to come. Build quality is very good across the board, there are more features available compared to even the top models by other manufacturers (with the information screen leading) and as for performance, well, whether it’s due to the motherboard itself or the new 114 microcode this is the fastest model in my charts currently. That’s not to say that everything Is perfect and so where the Z890 iCraft VERTEX falls back is product support. Last BIOS release was in late December and even though I did wait for a new one until a few days ago that didn’t happen. Overall, the BIOS is easy to navigate but it tends to send more voltage to the CPU than needed, whether that’s on auto or manual. This has happened with other motherboard models of course but usually not to this extend and well, I hope MAXSUN comes forward to resolve this. Needless to say, I don’t expect any issues from this but again, MAXSUN should optimize voltage delivery more. Another issue is the lack of USB-C ports. Yes, two USB-C TB4 ports at the rear I/O and another USB-C 20G port via internal header should be enough for most people but some require more and well, they won’t find them here.

    No matter how much a product stands out if it’s not available anywhere that’s a serious problem and this seems to be the case with the Z890 iCraft VERTEX by MAXSUN. I was able to find it around Asia for around USD350/320Euros but nothing in the USA or the EU, at least none that I could find. At the end of the day even though availability issues will make it very hard for someone to get their hands onto the Z890 iCraft VERTEX it’s still a very good motherboard deserving of our Golden Award.

PROS

- Good OC Potential (20+1+1 Phase Digital VRM / Sufficient Cooling)
- Overall Performance
- Reinforced & EMI Shielded PCIe x16 Slots
- 2 UDIMM DDR5 Slots (Up To 9200MHz+ / 128GB Total / CUDIMM Support)
- 4 M.2 PCIe Slots (1x5.0 / 3x4.0)
- Two Thunderbolt 4 Ports
- HDMI v2.1 & DP v1.4 Video Outputs
- 5GbE RJ45 Port
- WiFi 7 / Bluetooth v5.4
- Available BIOS Settings

CONS

- Availability (USA/EU)
- Only 3 USB Type C Ports
- CPU Voltage Delivery