Top 5 Z490 Motherboards: A Complete Buyer’s Guide

(Image credit: ASUS)

Intel has finally released its Comet Lake 10th Gen CPUs. These new CPUs require a motherboard with an LGA 1200 Socket type. And today, we are going to discuss the best high-end motherboards for the 10th gen Intel CPUs, which are the z490 motherboards.

With the z490 motherboards, there are many new features that were implemented that can improve the user experience. And if you want to push your 10th gen intel CPU beyond its limit, you will need one of these motherboards because, on top of offering the best features, they also have a better cooling system that will help you to reach your overclocking’s goal.

The following list has the 5 best z490 motherboards that will offer you both the best features and performance:

1-ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero Z490 (WiFi 6)

The Asus Rog Maximum XII Z490 comes with an Intel LGA 1200 socket. It is specially designed to give you maximum performance through the 10th Gen Intel core processors. With this motherboard, you will get 14 + 2-Power stages, which come with the ProCool II power connector. It also has high-quality alloy chokes, which are quite durable. With the long-lasting capacitors, you will get reliable power even when you are trying to push the CPU to its maximum strength.

With the perfect combination of its fan headers, heat sink, and heat pipe, you will easily manage the temperature in it. It also comes with low noise cooling to help you reduce the speed of the fan and maintain the optimum temperature inside it.

For gamers, you will get the quickest connectivity. It comes with gigabit Ethernet USB 3.0 Intel Wi-Fi 6, LANGuard, and various other helpful features for gaming. You will also get high-quality audio with the motherboard with its DTS sound unbound and sonic studio 3. It will help you to get enhanced audio while playing the games.

The ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero also offers some personalization features like Asus exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting. You can also find some brilliant 2nd Gen addressable headers. It also comes with a pre-mounted I/O shield.

This motherboard covers both the aesthetics and the performance, which means that if you are looking for one of the best high-end motherboards, then you must give the ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero some of your attention.

Specifications:

  • Industry-leading Gaming Audio
  • Unmatched Personalization
  • Robust Power Solution
  • Intel LGA 1200 socket
  • Optimized Thermal Design
  • Fastest Gaming Connectivity

Check it Out Here on Amazon.

2-ASUS Prime Z490-A

The ASUS Prime Z490-A is another high-end motherboard from Asus, which comes with a unique design and features that will help improve the performance of the 10th gen Intel core processors.

It comes with 12 + 2 DrMOS power stages, along with the ProCool sockets, capacitors, alloy chokes, and six-layer PCB. You will get a power boost on the motherboard. Not only that, but it also provides a unique cooling facility, which ensures that you can get an adequate temperature.

This motherboard has a special routing of traces and wires. It will also provide you with ground layer optimization to ensure that the signal remains stable.

With the ASUS Prime Z490, You will get personalization features like RGB headers, aura sync RGB lighting, which is exclusive for Asus devices. It also offers you premium audio quality.

This motherboard is built to provide you maximum output in which you will get USB 3.2 gen two type-c, dual M.2 slots, and Thunderbolt 3 header support. With its AI overclocking, you will get advanced features to ensure that your CPU works at an optimum temperature.

On top of these amazing features, the ASUS Prime Z490 comes at an affordable price, which is hard to find especially when it comes to z490 motherboards. So if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a motherboard, but you want the features of the z490 chipset, then the ASUS Prime Z490 is the best choice for you.

Specifications:

  • Intel LGA 1200 Socket
  • Enhanced Power Solution
  • Comprehensive Cooling
  • Boosted Memory Performance
  • Built for Productivity
  • Personalization
  • Immersive Gaming Audio

Check it Out Here on Amazon.

3-MSI MEG Z490 ACE Gaming Motherboard

The MSI MEG Z490 ACE Gaming Motherboard supports the 10th generation Intel Core, Celeron processor, and Pentium gold for the LG 1200 socket. You will get additional support for dual-channel DDR4 memory up to 128 GB in total at 4800MHz speed.

This motherboard has a Frozr heatsink along with an active cooling feature due to its unique design. The MSI MEG Z490 ACE also contains a double ball bearing along with the MOSFET Backplates. These backplates will help in improving the performance and dissipate the heat evenly. This means that you can overclock your CPU on this motherboard without facing any heat issues.

You will also get a triple turbo M.2. The M.2 shield will help you to enhance the speed of up to 32 GB per second, and it will also ensure that your SSD will remain under good temps. It is perfect for the SSD to ensure that you get the maximum performance out of it. This motherboard has an advanced Wi-Fi 6.

The MSI MEG Z490 ACE comes with pre-installed input/output shielding, so at least you know that you don’t need to pay attention to it once you start building your PC. It also helps you to protect the motherboard and the device from electrostatic discharge during a power cut. So, you can enjoy a complete gaming experience when you get your hands on this latest motherboard, which is perfect for gamers and tech enthusiasts.

In terms of cooling, this motherboard offers a good cooling system, so you shouldn’t worry about any heating issues.

Specifications:

  • On-board 2.5G LAN
  • Supports 10th Generation Intel Core
  • Triple Turbo M.2
  • Supports dual-channel DDR4 memory
  • Frozr Heatsink

Check it Out Here on Amazon.

4-GIGABYTE Z490M Gaming X

The next on the list is the Gigabyte Z490M Gaming X. This motherboard offers good performance along with many amazing features at a lower cost.

The GIGABYTE Z490M comes with the USB 3.2 Gen 2 to the host controller with a speed of 10gbps. The USB type-c is a new connector, which will give you a fast-charging capability for different devices. It also comes with a perfect heat sink along with better airflow to ensure that the heat is adequately dissipated.

The GIGABYTE Z490M is a great choice for any person looking to build a Micro ATX Gaming PC without compromising performance. Also, this motherboard’s price is really affordable compared to the one that is listed on this list. So, if you have a limited budget or you simply don’t want to spend a big amount of money on a motherboard, then the GIGABYTE Z490M is a great choice for you.

Specifications:

  • 1x M.2 Thermal Guard
  • Supports 10th Gen Intel Core processors
  • Intel GbE LAN
  • Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4
  • Direct 11+1 Phase Digital VRMs
  • Extended MOS Heatsink VRM Cooling

Check it Out Here on Amazon.

5-MSI MEG Z490 GODLIKE Gaming Motherboard

If you want to get the maximum performance out of your motherboard, then you cannot find anything better than the MSI MEG Z490 GODLIKE. It comes with the support for the 10th Generation Intel Core, Celeron processor, and Pentium Gold for the LGA 1200 socket. It also supports dual-channel DDR4 memory, with a total of 128GB that can reach up to 5000MHz, which is clearly impressive. There are not many motherboards that offer you the ability to reach this performance.

The MSI MEG Z490 GODLIKE also comes with the Triple Turbo M.2. With the double side M.2 Shield Frozr transfer speed, it offers transfer speed up to 32 GB per second bandwidth. Also, this motherboard comes with the M.2 XPANDER-Z GEN4 S accessory card that gives you the ability to add two additional M.2 slots, which leads to a total of 5 M.2 slots for your system.

The MSI MEG Z490 GODLIKE also offers 2x thunderbolt three ports on the back panel. It will help you to get a speed of 40 GB per second. This motherboard also supports Daisy chain configurations along with the 4K displays.

On the MSI MEG Z490 GODLIKE, you will get a 10G super LAN plus along with the Wi-Fi 6. It offers you are Frozr Heatsink so that you can get active cooling inside the motherboard. The heat dissipation of the MOSFET backplates helps you to get high performance.

If you are looking for the best z490 motherboard for your 10th gen intel processor, regardless of the cost, then the MSI MEG Z490 GODLIKE is a perfect choice. This motherboard has an astonishing design with some amazing customizable RGB colors, along with the best features of the z490 chipsets.

Specifications:

  • On-board 10G super LAN
  • Frozr Heatsink
  • 2x Thunderbolt 3 ports on the rear panel
  • Supports 10th Generation Intel Core
  • Triple Turbo M.2
  • Supports dual-channel DDR4 memory

Check it Out Here on Amazon.

Conclusion

Every motherboard mentioned in the list contains some unique features, ensuring that you get a seamless performance. By getting such an advanced motherboard for your system, you will ensure that you get high performance along with an appealing design.

All the z490 motherboards that are mentioned above perform incredibly well with Intel Core 10th gen processors. Also, the price range of these motherboards is different according to the extra features that they possess.

If you decide to buy one of the z490 motherboards that are mentioned above or if you already have one of these, please leave a comment sharing with us your experience with it.

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