ASUS has unveiled its latest workstation motherboard, tailored for professional workloads that demand significant processing power. The new board, based on the W890 chipset, is engineered to accommodate Intel's Granite Rapids-WS Xeon CPU family, which will be housed in an LGA 4710 socket. This platform is positioned as a successor to ASUS's previous Pro WS W790-SAGE SE model, with substantial upgrades in both capacity and performance.
The motherboard is offered in two configurations: a Mainstream version supporting up to 80 PCIe Gen5 lanes and four-channel DDR5 memory, and an Expert variant that pushes these limits further with support for up to 96 PCIe Gen5 lanes and eight-channel DDR5 memory. The latter configuration is the one ASUS has chosen for its flagship workstation board, which includes eight DDR5 DIMM slots capable of handling up to 2 TB of RAM. This setup is complemented by seven PCIe x16 slots, all reinforced with steel construction to ensure durability and stability when accommodating high-performance GPUs or AI accelerators.
Storage options are equally robust, featuring four dedicated M.2 Gen5 x4 slots, each equipped with its own heatsink for thermal management. Additionally, the motherboard includes four SATA III ports and two SlimSAS ports to cater to a variety of storage needs. The Intel W890 chipset itself is cooled by an active fan, ensuring reliable operation under heavy workloads.
Power delivery is a key focus, with four 8-pin connectors, two 4-pin connectors, and a substantial 24-pin ATX connector designed to handle the demands of high-end components. The board also includes practical debugging features such as power on/off buttons and a DEBUG LED, alongside a comprehensive I/O section that includes six USB Type-A ports, two USB Type-C ports, and three LAN ports for robust connectivity.
Additional cooling is provided through active VRM heatsinks and a solid heatsink design, ensuring that the board can maintain performance even under prolonged or intensive workloads. ASUS has not yet disclosed an exact price point, but industry estimates suggest it will fall within the range of $1500 to $2000, reflecting its position as a high-end workstation component.
This motherboard is expected to be a cornerstone for professional and enterprise applications, particularly those requiring significant computational power, such as AI development, data analysis, or high-performance computing. Its introduction at CES 2026 underscores ASUS's commitment to pushing the boundaries of workstation hardware, catering to users who demand both performance and reliability.
