GIGABYTE Z490

There are a LOT of motherboards hitting the market for Z490, but few come with the hardware to rival the Gigabyte Z490 AORUS XTREME. This is one of their high-end motherboards to date, with only the XTREME Waterforce motherboard matching the features in the AORUS range. Bigger heatsinks, bigger VRM, bigger armour, bigger performance and overclocking potential, and as you might expect, a bigger price. So, it seems that in just about every respect, the XTREME really is EXTREME!

I really enjoyed reviewing the Z490 AORUS Master. This motherboard worked perfectly with the new 11th gen 11900K. No need in upgrading to a new motherboard. Just update your bios and you are ready to go!

Intel has already announced that its next generation Rocket Lake processors will launch sometime in Q1. While the GIGABYTE Z490 Aorus Master ($390) should eventually support the 11th generation processors, GIGABYTE also mentions PCIe 4.0 support, but only in the animations on its product web page. They have said that the design conforms to PCIe 4.0 specifications, which will be enabled when appropriate hardware is released. We expect some vendors to announce that their 400-series does support PCIe 4.0 with a BIOS update in that regard, as it does require some advance planning in the design phase.

The Gigabyte Z490 AORUS Master is a great looking motherboard. The AORUS theme of black and gray is not as flashy as some designs, but there is excellent attention to detail. Additionally, the neutral color tones will make the Master a great platform for a wide variety of builds. Premium features like double-sided M.2 heatsinks and DUAL BIOS are rare inclusions and a welcome addition. The RGB LEDs are the best I have seen on a Gigabyte board, with great brightness and diffusion. While the implementation lags behind some other boards in terms of complexity and customization, it is a big step forward.

Das Z490I Aorus Ultra von Gigabyte stellt als Mainboard mit Z490-Chipsatz und Sockel LGA 1200 sowie der Verwendung des Mini-ITX-Standards ein Highend-Nischenkonzept dar. Gigabyte schafft es dabei trotz des geringen Platzangebot bei hervorragender Verarbeitung ein beeindruckendes Repertoire an Funktionen und Features zu realisieren. Die doch eher geringfügigen Einschränkungen, mit denen man Leben muss, wie eben nur zwei RAM-Slots, lassen sich auf die Größe zurückführen.

Intels Comet Lake-S steht in den Startlöchern und natürlich braucht man auch (mal wieder) einen neuen Sockel. Merke: Pins kann man nie genug haben und mit den Features sieht es wohl ähnlich aus. Was also erwartet den potentiellen Käufer genau? Zunächst einmal werden die Z490-Platinen auf den neuen Sockel 1200 setzen. Außerdem gibt es eine I/O-Erweiterung, insbesondere die Unterstützung von PCI Express 4.0, die man auf dem Z390 so nicht findet. Bei den meisten der Unterschiede zwischen Z390 und Z490 handelt es sich aber lediglich um Upgrades und nicht um zusätzliche Funktionen. Genau das gieslt es jetzt einmal zu hinterfragen, auch wenn der Z490-Chipsatz fast schon interessanter ist die als Comet Lake-S-CPU, die ich heute separat im Artikel Intels Comet Lake-S CPUs der 10.Generation zeigen sich – vorerst aber nur auf dem Papier vorstelle.

The Gigabyte Z490I AORUS Ultra is a well built, practical board with great features, including 2.5 Gb/s LAN, a top-shelf VRM, and an integrated I/O shield. When it comes to looks, the Gigabyte Z490I AORUS Ultra may not turn heads like some more flashy designs, but the neutral gray and black theme of the B550 AORUS Pro has an appeal all of its own that easily fits almost any build.

It seems with every generation we see fewer and fewer mini-ITX motherboards, which is a real shame, as I absolutely love them. Then again we see even fewer mATX motherboards now, which is also a real shame. Thankfully, AORUS has a heck of an answer with their Z490I Ultra motherboard, which comes packed with incredible features for such a compact motherboard. Not least the ability to handle the new flagship CPUs from Intel and deal with their increased overclocking requirements.

I know many of our readers will want to see the performance of the AORUS XTREME or even the flagships from ASUS, MSI and others. However, in the real world, very few people actually buy those motherboards. They’re epic, but they’re expensive and overkill for most. The Z490 AORUS Pro is like the entry-level model of a supercar. The cheapest Ferrari is still a Ferrari. It gives you 90%+ of the thrills of the most extreme motherboard at a much more sensible price point. With that in mind, the Pro AX is one of the boards I’m looking forward to the most.

Last year, AMD released the Ryzen 3000 series desktop processors in one of the most monumental hardware launches of the modern era. This final step completed the Red brand's ascent back into the forefront of the desktop processor market that began with the launch of the first generation of Ryzen CPUs. Now, Intel is finally firing back with the launch of the 10th Generation Intel Core processors, along with a new motherboard standard to drive them. As should be no surprise, the focus will remain on the new motherboards. While the 10th Gen Intel Core processors will not support PCIe 4.0 connectivity due to signal integrity issues, many of the Z490 motherboards are designed to support the PCIe 4.0 specification. This is accomplished by adding clock generators to help clean up the signal. Generally speaking, when it comes to long-term platform support, AMD has been the trendsetter. Has AMD's long support of the AM4 socket on its newer generation processors inspired Intel to take similar steps? So what is Z490 offering right now? For starters, there has been a large focus on VRM and VRM cooling design. With the top-level Intel Core i9-10900K featuring 10 cores along with HyperThreading, the ability to deliver clean, continuous power is going to be one of the primary factors that separates a good Z490 board from the competition. With the introduction of HyperThreading on Intel's mid-range line-up, power delivery is going to be vital in all segments. The Vision line from Gigabyte is targeted at content creators with a focus on connectivity, performance, and durability. The Gigabyte Z490 Vision G features a direct 12 phase VRM for clean power delivery, as well as a direct touch heatpipe for optimal cooling. An ample helping of USB ports as well as 2.5 Gb/s Ethernet promote superior connectivity while the white aesthetic lends visual flare. On paper, the Vision G lines up well as an affordable, well-featured motherboard, so let's see how the Gigabyte Z490 Vision G stacks up against the competition.