ASRock is back with another rendition of their ultra premium AQUA motherboards, this time for Z490! The ASRock Z490 AQUA has it all: a powerful VRM, a monoblock to cool it, and stylish looks to boot. Is this what peak performance looks like?
The Vision line from Gigabyte is targeted at content creators with a focus on connectivity, performance, and durability. Well-featured and targeted squarely at the mainstream US$200 price point, the Vision G could be an attractive option for those looking for something a little different.
Featuring 90 amp power stages and a trademark finned heat sink alongside Dual BIOS and Q-Flash, the Z490 AORUS Master from Gigabyte promises a feature-rich overclocking experience without compromising creature comforts. Let's see how it stacks up against the competition!
Developed in partnership with and distributed by EKWB, the MSI MPG Z490 Carbon EK X features a monoblock for CPU and VRM cooling. EKWB and MSI are aiming to bring back watercooled boards at an attainable price. Let's see how the MSI MPG Z490 Carbon EK X stacks up!
Our first look at Intel's new B460 chipset is the BIOSTAR Racing B460GTA. Featuring dual M.2 slots, each with their own full coverage heatsink, RGB lighting, a large VRM heatsink, and even an integrated rear I/O cover, the BIOSTAR Racing B460GTA could be a good budget option for those with locked Intel CPUs.
ASRock is back once again with another successor to their Phantom Gaming line. The ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming ITX/TB3 features Thunderbolt 3, dual M.2 slots, 90 A power stages, and a finned heatsink design in a tiny ITX form factor package.
The ASUS ROG STRIX B550-F Gaming (WiFi) is the successor to the brand's best-selling B450 motherboard, featuring a powerful VRM, dual M.2 slots with full coverage heatsinks, and even 2.5 Gb/s LAN. Has B550 gone mainstream? Let's find out!
At long last, B550 has arrived! The B550 AORUS Pro from Gigabyte features a 12+2 phase VRM, Gigabyte's famed finned VRM cooling solution, 2.5 Gb/s LAN from Realtek, and a full set of mainstream features.
The B550I AORUS Pro AX from Gigabyte comes with a lot of hardware packed into a small package. Among the features are 2.5 Gb/s Ethernet, WiFi 6, dual M.2 slots, and top-tier 90 A power stages. Let's see just how good this new SFF option from Gigabyte really is!
ASUS once again delivers with their Maximus line of high-end motherboards. The Maximus XII Hero (WiFi) has premium looks, premium features, a powerful VRM and broad overclocking support. It terms of connectivity, everything is there, too: WiFi 6, 5 Gb/s LAN, triple M.2 slots.
The Godlike from MSI is back, and for Z490 it is more feature packed than ever. With top of the line VRM, cooling, and storage, along a host of extras, the MSI MEG Z490 Godlike promises to do it all. Just how far can you get with a US$750 motherboard?
ASRock's award winning Taichi line is back, and aiming for the top of ASRock's Z490 stack. The cog and gear theme returns, along with a new VRM thermal solution that features a finned heat sink and active cooling. What other new tricks has ASRock included in the ASRock Z490 Taichi?
Focused on VRM power and thermals, as well as a sleek and stealthy aesthetic, the MSI MEG Z490 Unify is shaping up to be a serious contender for the best value enthusiast board. With sixteen 90 A power stages from Intersil and active VRM cooling, no CPU is too power hungry for the Unify.
Our first look at ASUS's Z490 lineup, the ASUS ROG STRIX Z490-E Gaming features a powerful VRM, optional active VRM cooling, lots of connectivity, and of course some killer good looks. If you are searching for a board that can do it all, the ASUS ROG STRIX Z490-E Gaming is a good place to start.
The ASRock Z490 PG Velocita is ready for Comet Lake with Socket LGA 1200. "Velocita" is ASRock's latest addition to the award-winning Phantom Gaming motherboard line and features 2.5 Gb/s LAN, PCIe 4.0 readiness, and an uncompromising VRM thermal solution with three fans.
MSI has stuffed a lot of power into a small package with the MSI MEG Z490I Unify. Featuring a stealthy black aesthetic and a VRM configuration with 90 A power stages, the MSI MEG Z490I Unify could be a top choice for overclockers. Just how much can MSI pack into the Mini-ITX footprint?
Focused on VRM power and thermals, as well as a sleek and stealthy aesthetic, the MSI MEG Z490 Unify is shaping up to be a serious contender for the best value enthusiast board. With sixteen 90 A power stages from Intersil and active VRM cooling, no CPU is too power hungry for the Unify.
MSI has packed a lot of power into a small package with the MSI MEG Z490I Unify. Featuring a stealthy black aesthetic and a VRM config with 90 A power stages, the MSI MEG Z490I Unify could be a top choice for overclockers. Just how much can MSI stuff into a Mini-ITX footprint?
ASRock's award winning Taichi line is back, and aiming for the top of ASRock's Z490 stack. The cog and gear theme returns, along with a new VRM thermal solution with a finned heat sink and active cooling. What other new tricks has ASRock included in the ASRock Z490 Taichi?
Our first look at ASUS's Z490 lineup, the ASUS ROG STRIX Z490-E Gaming features a powerful VRM, optional active VRM cooling, lots of connectivity, and of course some killer good looks. If you are looking for a board that can do it all, the ASUS ROG STRIX Z490-E Gaming is a good place to start.
The ASRock Z490 PG Velocita is ready for Comet Lake with Socket LGA 1200. "Velocita" is ASRock's latest edition to the award-winning Phantom Gaming motherboard line and features 2.5 Gb/s LAN, PCIe 4.0 readiness, and an uncompromising VRM thermal solution with three fans.
The ASUS Prime X299 Edition 30 is a celebration of 30 years of design innovation by one of the world's most prominent hardware manufacturers. Featuring active VRM cooling, 16 Vcore power stages, an OLED display, and a new Smart Control Console, can this flagship stand up to 30 years of high expectations?
ASUS aims to deliver the ultimate flagship Threadripper motherboard with the ASUS ROG Zenith II Extreme. Every bit of their design expertise has been condensed into this E-ATX package. Twenty 70 A power stages? Check. Five M.2 slots, including two on a DIMM.2 expansion card? Check. Full color OLED display? Check. Performance? Let's find out!
The first TRX40 board to reach my test bench, and also the first motherboard to boast 90 A power stages from Intersil (16 of them!), the ASRock TRX40 Taichi promises serious overclocking potential for the new Ryzen Threadripper processors without resorting to an E-ATX form factor.
The small form factor market has gained a lot of traction over the past decade, and hardware vendors have engaged in an arms race to cram as many features as possible into SFF motherboards. ASUS has landed a decisive blow in that fight with the ROG Crosshair VIII Impact. ALL the features of a full ATX board have been put into a package slightly larger than Mini-ITX.
