ASUS plans innovations for Z890 motherboards with rear connectors

ASUS is not planning to release a Z890 motherboard with the so-called “backside connector” design in the near future, but is still working on corresponding products for the future. The BTF (Back-to-Front) design moves the connectors of a motherboard to the rear, which creates a tidy appearance in computer cases. Despite this innovation, the upcoming Z890 series from ASUS will not support this feature at launch.

The idea of the BTF design is not new. ASUS already introduced the TUF Gaming B760M-BTF last year, which was the first motherboard with rear-mounted connectors on the market. These connections are normally located on the front of the motherboard and often cause a confusing cable routing. Placing them on the rear makes cable management much easier. ASUS later expanded the range to include other products, including not only motherboards but also graphics cards with a similar design. However, this concept is not implemented in the new Z890 motherboards.

In an ASUS North America livestream, Juan Jose Guerrero, a manager at the company, was asked about the plans for a Z890 BTF motherboard. He explained that such a design would not be available at the launch of the Z890 series. However, he emphasized that ASUS is still working on the development and production of BTF products. This indicates that the company is still developing the technology and may offer it in future generations.

One reason for the delay could be the complex nature of the BTF design. Compared to conventional motherboards, the rear connection system requires more extensive planning and development. In addition, ASUS may currently be focusing on the production of mainstream products that appeal to a larger target group, while BTF motherboards are still considered more of a niche product. It is likely that ASUS will initially test the BTF design in smaller quantities and later, depending on market response, produce larger quantities.

At Computex 2024, ASUS nevertheless presented a concept for a Z890 BTF motherboard based on the ROG Maximus Z890 HERO. A CAMM II motherboard based on the ROG Maximus Z790 HERO was also presented. This shows that the company is still pursuing the idea, but needs time to optimize the designs for future product generations.

In addition to motherboards, ASUS has also extended the BTF design to GPUs, including the ROG Strix RTX 4090 BTF. However, due to the larger number of connectors on motherboards compared to graphics cards, implementation on motherboards requires more complex development. Some users, especially those who are looking for a clean PC aesthetic, are therefore eagerly awaiting the introduction of a Z890 BTF motherboard. The main advantage of the BTF design is that all connections are invisible on the back of the motherboard, which enables a particularly clean appearance in the finished PC.

There are already several case manufacturers that support BTF motherboards, so the basis for using this technology is already in place. Apart from ASUS, other manufacturers such as MSI and Gigabyte also have rear connection systems in the works for their products. It is therefore expected that this design innovation could find wider application in the coming years.

Source: ASUS North America YT, ASUSTechMKTJJ