Asus Z890 motherboard launch lineup lacked a back-connector model, but firm commits to 'design, development, and production of BTF solutions' | Tom's Hardware

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Asus launched thirteen Z890 motherboards, in sync with Intel’s release of the next-gen Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200S processors. However, the BTF board it showed off at CES and Computex this year is notable for its absence. The company confirmed this in a YouTube livestream (h/t @unikoshardware) when a viewer asked if a Z890 BTF board would be coming in the near future. The host answered, “Right now, no. We have no immediate plans for a Z890 BTF. We are under design and development consideration for BTF, but right now, nothing to discuss, nothing to confirm.”

This probably disappointed several PC DIYers excited with the prospect of building a desktop with minimal visible cable clutter. That’s because BTF, which means “Back-to-the-Future,” will have all its power connectors hidden at the back of the motherboard, so you won’t see many power cables snaking their way around your case. However, since this is an all-new setup, you need support components compatible with BTF motherboards.

This means a new compatible chassis - but modified AIO and fan designs, and even BTF GPUs are desirable for the ultimate BTF build. While we already have a few BTF motherboard and GPU options from Asus and other manufacturers, these are older Z790 and B760 chipsets. So, those who use BTF boards and want to upgrade to Intel Core Ultra 200S chips will have to wait for Asus or another motherboard manufacturer to launch a Z890 BTF model.

Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that Asus is losing interest in BTF technology. In fact, the Asus BTF microsite is showing off Advanced BTF, which routes the GPU’s 12VHPWR connector through the board itself via a slot. This means you don’t need the extra power connectors at the front of the GPU, which are prone to bending or breaking and adding a little bit of clutter to your PC build.

The livestream host also added, “If you’re interested, just make sure to keep in tune to our streams, our social media channels, our PC DIY group, and we’ll definitely keep you in the loop as kind of bring those things together,” which likely means that Asus has something in the works, but it’s not ready to release any information about it yet. Juan Jose Guerrero, PR and Partnerships Manager for Asus North America, also replied to @unikoshardware, saying that community response towards the BTF has been extremely positive and that the company is working on some exciting updates.

BTF at computex was just for demo to show our commitment to BTF design alongside other BTF products we highlighted including next gen AIO design and chassis. We also showed a CAMM II board but do not have a model we are launching. While we do not have a launch BTF Z890…October 13, 2024

While nothing has been confirmed yet, it seems that Asus is working on a few major releases that will feature BTF technologies. This whole new ecosystem could trigger a new wave of ultra-clean PC builds, but since building up a new product line and all its supporting ecosystems are expensive, Asus is likely taking its time. That way, it could avoid costly missteps and bad PR that would kill BTF tech before it had time to shine.

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Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.

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