ROG Maximus Z790 Hero SSD Slots: 2026 Guide

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero offers five M.2 SSD slots with PCIe 5.0 support, ideal for extreme storage arrays in 2026. This list details each slot's specs and optimal usage.

M.2_1: PCIe 5.0 x4 (CPU)

Primary boot drive.

  • Up to 14GB/s speeds
  • Supreme heatsink
  • 2280 size

M.2_2: PCIe 5.0 x4 (CPU)

Second ultra-fast.

  • ROG M.2 Power Boost
  • Vertical option

M.2_3: PCIe 4.0 x4 (Chipset)

Gaming cache.

  • Shared SATA lanes
  • Frozr heatsink

M.2_4: PCIe 4.0 x4 (Chipset)

Additional NVMe.

  • Horizontal mount

M.2_5: PCIe 4.0 x4 + WiFi

Combo slot.

  • Key E for WiFi or M.2 SSD
  • Prioritize WiFi 7

SATA Ports (4x)

Backup storage.

  • 6Gb/s, RAID capable
  • Disabled by some M.2

RAID and Tips

Max performance.

  • PCIe 5.0 RAID 0
  • Thermal throttling watch
  • Q-Release Slim

Recommended SSDs

Top 2026 drives.

  • Corsair MP700 Pro
  • Seagate FireCuda 540

Frequently Asked Questions

How many M.2 slots on Z790 Hero?

Five total M.2 slots.

PCIe 5.0 SSD support?

Yes, first two slots fully PCIe 5.0 x4.

Does WiFi disable SSD slot?

No, M.2_5 supports both or either.

Max RAID capacity?

Over 100TB with PCIe 5.0 drives.

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