Are you interested in the best Z490 motherboard for your gaming rig?

The 10th Generation Intel Core processors are an excellent choice for high-end gaming PCs, but they need a solid motherboard platform to fully spread their wings.

Motherboards with the Z490 chipset offer a lot of improvements over previous generation chipsets, including the support of the PCIe Gen 4 protocol. Z490 chipset also supports the 11th Generation Intel Core processors, so you have a solid upgrade path as well.

The new chipset also has a brand new LGA 1200 socket which means that it is exclusive to the 10th and 11th Generation processors. On a related note we have also curated a selection of the best motherboards for i9 10900K.

In order to take full advantage of the 10th Gen Intel processors, you need an excellent Z490 motherboard to complement it. Our selection of the best Z490 motherboards can be helpful in this regard. Let’s jump right in.

Before moving on make sure you check the following detailed tutorial on how to choose the best motherboard for you: How To Choose The Right Motherboard For Your Needs: A Comprehensive Guide

Top 3 Best Z490 Motherboards Comparison

Why Should You Trust Us?

As a seasoned tech enthusiast and an avid gamer, Konstantinos Chiotis brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. His passion for technology and gaming has fueled his dedication to understanding the intricacies of components like motherboards, GPUs, and processors.

Having been in the tech industry for over a decade and a PC builder since the tender age of 14, Konstantinos has a deep understanding of the hardware landscape.

When it comes to Z490 motherboards, he has spent countless hours researching, testing, and comparing different models to bring you the very best. His meticulous approach ensures that every recommendation is backed by solid evidence and thorough testing.

So, when we say these are the best Z490 motherboards, you can trust that it’s not just a claim, but a conclusion drawn from rigorous analysis and hands-on experience. Trust us to guide you in your quest for the perfect motherboard for your gaming rig.

How We Choose the Best Z490 Motherboards

While making our shortlist for the best Z490 motherboards, we had to keep several factors in mind.

As always, our top priority was the motherboard’s VRM design. The 10th Generation Core CPUs are quite power-hungry and need a lot of clean, stable power for high overclocks.

We also prioritized the feature set that the motherboard offered. Connectivity features such as Wi Fi 6 and Dual LAN, 2.5 GbE LAN were identified as a baseline, with preference being given to the extraordinary motherboards with 10 GbE LAN, etc.

In terms of storage, premium boards that offered more M.2 slots or features such as DIMM.2 were given priority.

Aesthetics are a subjective matter, but we still kept an eye out for any unwanted design choices or unusual features present on the board that may affect the purchase decision.

Finally, the price tag and value proposition of the motherboards were crucial in our final ranking.

Considering all these factors, we have curated a list of the very best Z490 motherboards on the market currently. Let’s dive in.

Top 7 Best Z490 Motherboards Reviews

1. MSI MEG Z490 UNIFY – Editor’s Choice

Form Factor: ATX | Chipset: Z490 | Memory: 4x DIMM, 128GB, DDR4-4800 | Video Outputs: None | USB Ports: 8x rear IO, 7x internal | Network: 1x 2.5GbE LAN, 1x Wi-Fi 6 | Storage: 3x M.2, 6x SATA

The MSI MEG line of motherboards combines excellent CPU power delivery and a host of premium features, and that trend continues with the MSI MEG Z490 UNIFY.

Not only is it one of the best high-end options for the Z490 chipset, but it might just be the best overall Z490 motherboard on the market.

The MSI MEG Z490 UNIFY provides an extraordinary VRM setup that should be able to handle any Intel Core 10th Generation CPU at overclocked settings.

A similar MSI motherboard was also selected in our roundup for the best motherboard for i5 10600K.

VRM cooling also seems to be a priority for MSI as there are some hefty VRM heatsinks over the power delivery system that are also finned to improve heat dissipation by increasing the surface area.

When it comes to features, the Z490 UNIFY is reasonably well-equipped. MSI has provided a 2.5 GbE LAN port along with WiFi 6 functionality in terms of connectivity, which is a really solid combination.

The board also has 3 M.2 slots for high-speed NVMe SSDs, and the 6 SATA ports combine with these slots to complete an excellent storage suite for the motherboard.

MSI has also provided 8 rear USB ports including a USB 3.2 Type-C port with 20Gbps of bandwidth. This is a really nice addition if you have high-speed peripherals.

There is no display output on the rear I/O, however, which is a bit of a disadvantage as that motherboard display port can sometimes come in handy during troubleshooting.

The MEG Z490 UNIFY is an aggressive-looking motherboard with angular lines and sharp design language.

The MSI Dragon logo over the I/O cover might be a bit too much for you if you plan to build a neutral, stealthy workstation PC, but the overall aesthetic is still really attractive, even with the lack of RGB lighting.

All in all, the MSI MEG Z490 UNIFY is not a cheap board by any means, but the overall package that it offers might be worth the initial investment in the long run.

The MSI MEG Z490 UNIFY is our Editor’s Choice for the best overall Z490 motherboard.

RATINGS:

• VRM Design: 9/10
• Features: 9/10
• Aesthetics: 8/10
• Value for Money: 6/10
• Overall Rating: 8.5/10

2. ASUS ROG Maximus XII Extreme – Best Premium Z490 Motherboard

Form Factor: ATX | Chipset: Z490 | Memory: 4x DIMM, 128GB, DDR4-4700 | Video Outputs: DisplayPort 1.4 | USB Ports: 12x rear IO, 8x internal | Network: 1x 10GbE LAN, 1x 2.5GbE LAN, 1x Wi-Fi 6 | Storage: 4x M.2, 8x SATA

ASUS has pulled out all the stops with the ASUS ROG Maximus XII Extreme as it is an unbelievably expensive motherboard that is just aimed squarely at the ultimate PC enthusiasts.

It does not make any sense from a financial standpoint, but if you want the best premium Z490 motherboard, this is the one.

Where do we even start with the Maximus XII Extreme? The VRM design of this board is utterly ridiculous and it won’t be a stretch to say that this is the most powerful and robust VRM found on any Z490 motherboard.

The massive VRM heatsinks are finned to further improve the thermal performance of the power delivery system so you can hit those extreme overclocks. In fact, this motherboard is probably aimed at competitive CPU overclocking.

On a related note, we have also curated a list of the best motherboards for i9 10850K.

Staying true to its name, the feature set on the Maximus XII is quite “extreme” as well. Not only does it have a 2.5 GbE LAN port with Wi Fi 6 (already a premium combination), but it also has a 10 GbE Marvell Ethernet port which is an utterly ridiculous addition.

ASUS has also provided a DIMM.2 board which expands the M.2 slot count of the board by providing 2 additional slots. There are 2 M.2 slots directly on the PCB, while the DIMM.2 upgrades that count to 4. This is also a really unique feature that is not present on a lot of mainstream motherboards.

ASUS also provides a Thunderbolt 3 expansion card which can be installed to get two Thunderbolt 3 ports, another unique addition.

The looks of the ASUS ROG Maximus XII Extreme match the name of the product quite nicely. The chipset heatsink sports a massive RGB ASUS eye logo, and a diagonal strip of lighting bisects the entire board.

It is an unapologetically ASUS design and we expect nothing less from a product with “Extreme” in its name.

Even though the Maximus XII Extreme is an extraordinary motherboard with an unbelievable feature set and extraordinary VRM, you probably still shouldn’t buy one due to its insane price tag.

However, if you ignore the value proposition, it’s very hard to find any faults in it.

RATINGS:

• VRM Design: 9.5/10
• Features: 10/10
• Aesthetics: 8.5/10
• Value for Money: 3/10
• Overall Rating: 8/10

3. MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk – Best Budget Z490 Motherboard – BEST SELLER

Form Factor: ATX | Chipset: Z490 | Memory: 4x DIMM, 128GB, DDR4-4800 | Video Outputs: HDMI | USB Ports: 8x rear IO, 7x internal | Network: 1x 2.5GbE LAN, 1x 1GbE LAN, 1x Wi-Fi 6 | Storage: 2x M.2, 6x SATA

The Tomahawk name has been popular among PC hardware enthusiasts over the past few years thanks to the excellent value offerings MSI has provided under this banner. The MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk follows the same blueprint.

Under the hefty VRM heatsinks is a robust power delivery system that punches way above its weight. The Z490 Tomahawk can absolutely handle overclocking on top-tier Intel CPUs such as the Core i9 10900K.

This motherboard may also be the best motherboard for i7 10700K if you are interested in overclocking.

One of the highlight features of the Tomahawk is its sizable VRM heatsinks. These heatsinks are also finned which improves the heat dissipation, and they are also quite large so that maximum surface area can be provided for this purpose.

The MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk offers an admirable feature set especially considering the price point. Connectivity is handled by the two LAN ports of 2.5GbE and 1GbE, while WiFi 6 is also present for Wi Fi connectivity. Offering both LAN options is a nice touch by MSI in a value-oriented motherboard.

In terms of storage, there are two M.2 drive slots on the board which might be a bit of a disadvantage as more and more users are shifting to SSD storage as time goes on.

The Tomahawk features a rugged, industrial design with gray and white accents, but the overall PCB is just too cluttered and does not look very clean.

There is a bit of RGB lighting on the board but it is under the chipset heatsink which is a really unusual place to put it.

The Z490 Tomahawk might just be the best budget Z490 motherboard on the market, but it does have a few shortcomings. However, those minor shortcomings are not significant enough to detract from the board’s overall excellent VRM performance and versatile feature-set.

RATINGS:

• VRM Design: 8.5/10
• Features: 7.5/10
• Aesthetics: 7/10
• Value for Money: 8.5/10
• Overall Rating: 8/10

4. Gigabyte Z490 AORUS Elite AC – Best Overclocking Z490 Motherboard

Form Factor: ATX Form Factor | Chipset: Z490 | Memory: 4x DIMM, 128GB, DDR4-5000 | Video Outputs: HDMI | USB Ports: 10x rear IO, 7x internal | Network: 1x 2.5GbE LAN, 1x Wi-Fi | Storage: 2x M.2, 6x SATA

The Gigabyte Z490 AORUS Elite AC falls in the upper mid-range and competes with the likes of the MSI MPG Gaming Pro Carbon WiFi or the ASUS ROG Maximus Z490 Hero.

First thing’s first, the power delivery of this motherboard is quite exquisite. It is certainly nothing like the aforementioned Z490 UNIFY or Maximus XII Extreme motherboards, but it is an excellent bit of kit considering the price bracket it falls in.

The board also supports up to 5000 MHz DDR4 memory, which is more than the competitors in this category. The Gigabyte Z490 AORUS Elite AC might just be the best overclocking Z490 motherboard on our list.

The VRM heatsinks are adequate, but they are smaller than what some competitors are offering, like the MSI Z490 Tomahawk.

We used a similar Gigabyte motherboard in our roundup of the best motherboards for Ryzen 9 3950X.

The feature-set offered on the Z490 AORUS Elite is quite competitive as well. In terms of connectivity, Gigabyte has included a 2.5 GbE LAN port coupled with 802.11ac dual-band Wi Fi. Now, it doesn’t make a lot of difference in the user experience, but the inclusion of Wi Fi 6 would have been a nice touch as the competitors at this price point do offer it.

The board also has 2 M.2 slots and 6 SATA ports for your storage needs. It would have been nice to see at least 3 M.2 slots, as modern gaming computers are shifting towards SSD storage.

It has more aggressive power settings than the B550 Vision D line, and has a lot of reader supported reviews for the ease of which the BIOS can be updated.

The Z490 AORUS Elite AC carries the same aggressive and stylish design philosophy that is seen across the AORUS lineup, with silver and orange accents. There is a stark lack of RGB lighting, but that might play to your favor if you want to build a stealthy, no-frills gaming PC or even a workstation.

The price tag of the Gigabyte Z490 AORUS Elite AC is a bit inflated when you compare it to the other offerings in the market. However, if you are into CPU overclocking and like the looks of the board, then there is certainly no harm in going for it.

RATINGS:

• VRM Design: 9/10
• Features: 7.5/10
• Aesthetics: 8/10
• Value for Money: 5/10
• Overall Rating: 7.5/10

5. ASUS ROG Strix Z490-G Gaming – Best Micro-ATX Form Factor Z490 Motherboard

Form Factor: Micro-ATX Form Factor | Chipset: Z490 | Memory: 4x DIMM, 128GB, DDR4-4800 | Video Outputs: HDMI | USB Ports: 8x rear IO, 7x internal | Network: 1x 2.5GbE LAN | Storage: 2x M.2, 6x SATA

Compact gaming PCs are all the rage right now and there has been a big trend of mini-ITX and micro-ATX gaming rigs over the past few years.

If you are in the market for a small form factor motherboard, then the ASUS ROG Strix Z490-G is the best micro-ATX Z490 motherboard you can buy.

The power delivery system of the Z490-G is decent enough, but you should avoid pairing this board with a Core i9 10900K, or an overclocked Core i7 10700K CPU as it can lead to VRM throttling.

The VRM thermal management of the board is good thanks to sizable heatsinks, but it is nothing extraordinary so you have to be a bit restrained with your overclocks.

As it is a micro-ATX motherboard, there are certainly some corners to be cut when it comes to a few features. The biggest disappointment in the feature set is the lack of Wi Fi. ASUS should have absolutely paired a Wi Fi option with the 2.5 GbE LAN port to complete the connectivity suite.

Furthermore, the board only has 2 M.2 slots which is fine for a micro-ATX board, but it may become a hindrance for upgradability and additional graphics card options down the line.

Aesthetically, the ASUS ROG Strix Z490-G is an attractive-looking board. The I/O cover is particularly impressive as it has a huge ROG logo paired with the Strix script in a stylized manner, both of which light up in all colors of the rainbow.

The ASUS Aura Sync lighting is an impressive part of the Strix Z490-G that may appeal to some buyers. Where it may be lacking on the ASUS Tuf Gaming options, or the ASUS Prime, here it is an excellent addition.

Overall, the ASUS ROG Strix Z490-G is an impressive all-around package and should be on your priority list if you are looking to build a compact gaming rig on the Z490 platform.

RATINGS:

• VRM Design: 7.5/10
• Features: 6.5/10
• Aesthetics: 8/10
• Value for Money: 7.5/10
• Overall Rating: 7/10

6. MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon WiFi – Best All Around Z490 Motherboard

Form Factor: ATX | Chipset: Z490 | Memory: 4x DIMM, 128GB, DDR4-5000 | Video Outputs: HDMI, DisplayPort | USB Ports: 7x rear IO, 6x internal | Network: 1x 2.5GbE LAN, 1x WiFi 6 | Storage: 2x M.2, 6x SATA

The mid-range MPG offering from MSI in the Z490 chipset is the Z490 Gaming Carbon WiFi, which has received acclaim from both users and reviewers. It is a more well-rounded choice than the premium motherboards we have mentioned before.

MSI has provided a really robust VRM setup for the MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon and you can expect his board to be reliable when it comes to CPU overclocking.

The two metal heatsinks are quite large and have adequate finning to improve heat dissipation. The board should be able to keep the VRM modules under operable temperature for extended periods.

The Z490 Gaming Carbon WiFi is quite impressive in terms of features as well. MSI has provided a 2.5 GbE LAN port and WiFi 6 capability for the connectivity suite, and there are 2 M.2 slots for storage as well. It would have been nice to see a third M.2 slot like competitors are offering, however.

The rear I/O, although impressive in its configuration, does lack in quantity of USB ports. There are only 7 USB ports on the back with 2 of them being USB 2.0 ports. MSI should have increased the port count for an MSI board at this price point.

MSI’s design language is somewhat of a mystery, especially in motherboards, but that does not mean that the MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon is a bad-looking motherboard. It actually looks quite decent thanks to the fake carbon fiber accents and the angular RGB strips.

The RGB Lighting is a highlight of the board’s design, but there is very little usable lighting on the board. We would have liked to see a larger RGB strip over the I/O cover.

A similar MSI offering also makes an appearance in our roundup of the best budget motherboards for Ryzen 5 3600.

MSI has priced the MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon WiFi a little higher than competing motherboards with similar specs, but the power of the MPG Z490 is quite impressive for the price. In the current market, this might be the best all rounder Z490 motherboard on the market.

RATINGS:

• VRM Design: 7.5/10
• Features: 7/10
• Aesthetics: 7.5/10
• Value for Money: 6.5/10
• Overall Rating: 7/10

7. ASUS ROG Strix Z490-I Gaming – Best Mini-ITX Z490 Motherboard

Form Factor: Mini-ITX | Chipset: Z490 | Memory: 2x DIMM, 64GB, DDR4-4800+ | Video Outputs: HDMI, DisplayPort | USB Ports: 8x rear IO, 5x internal | Network: 1x 2.5GbE LAN, 1x WiFi 6 | Storage: 2x M.2, 4x SATA

It comes as no surprise that even premium chipsets such as Z490 do have a high demand for compact motherboards. If you are in the market for a small form factor motherboard, the ASUS ROG Strix Z490-I is the best mini-ITX Z490 motherboard you can buy right now.

ASUS has packed a lot of great features into a tiny package, but the power is a bit lacking. The 8+2 phase VRM design isn’t ideal for a premium chipset such as Z490, but that is somewhat of a limitation of the mini-ITX form factor.

The VRM cooling is another aspect that is quite disappointing. The tiny VRM heatsinks and small fan sometimes struggle with active cooling to keep the temperatures of the modules under control.

Moving over to features, the ASUS ROG Strix Z490-I is pretty well-equipped in this department. The combination of 2.5 GbE LAN and WiFi 6 is always nice to see and coupled with 2 M.2 slots, there is not a lot to complain about.

Being a mini-ITX motherboard, you do only get two DIMM slots which will limit your memory upgrade path down the line. However, that is not down to ASUS but just to the mini-ITX form factor.

The board also has a nice design to go along with the impressive feature list. The traditional ASUS ROG styling is immediately recognizable, however, the RGB implementation is quite subtle and sophisticated, unlike most other boards and ROG products.

The price tag of the ROG Strix Z490-I makes it quite a poor value for money, but it is a decent motherboard designed to fit a specific use case. There are only a few products on the market competing with the ROG Strix Z490-I in the mini-ITX space, and this is arguably the best of the bunch.

RATINGS:

• VRM Design: 7.5/10
• Features: 8/10
• Aesthetics: 7.5/10
• Value for Money: 5.5/10
• Overall Rating: 7/10

Honorable Mentions For the Best z490 Motherboards

• Gigabyte z490 Aorus master
• MSI MEG z490 Godlike
• Gigabyte z490 Vision G
• ASRock z490 Phantom Gaming 4
• ASUS Prime z490-A

Best Z490 Motherboard – Buyer’s Guide

While browsing the market for a Z490 motherboard, there is a lot to consider. If you are into PC gaming, then you need to look for something with great gaming performance, as well as a feature rich option.

If you are looking for a build for work, or content creation, you need great performance with room for graphics cards, and easy BIOS update options..

In order to find the right board out of all the motherboards listed here, we’ve created this buyer’s guide to walk you through the choices!

Chipset Differences

If you are considering a Z490 motherboard for your 10th Gen Intel CPU, then you might be faced with the choice of a B460 or H470 motherboard as well. All of these motherboard chipsets do support Intel’s 10th Gen CPUs but they have quite a lot of differences.

Z490

The Z490 chipset is the premium flagship platform that supports full overclocking capabilities. You should go with this platform if you have a K-series Intel CPU like the Core i9 10900K and you want to experience overclocking. Furthermore, the Z490 platform has 24 PCIe lanes + SLI Support which is a unique feature you only get in the flagship chipset.

This is an excellent chipset for high-end motherboard brands. The best motherboard brands for this chipset will have prices powered by features and things like high-end audio solution options and motherboard components.

You also get support for RAID and Intel Optane for storage services. For I/O, the Z490 platform supports 6 USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports and 10 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports.

H470

The second-best chipset you can get for a 10th Gen Intel CPU is called H470. These motherboards have no overclocking support so you should pair them with CPUs that have a locked multiplier. The H470 chipset provides 20 PCIe lanes.

The platform maintains support for Intel Optane and RAID services but it does not have SLI support. You also only get 4 USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports and 8 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Ports.

B460

This is the mid-range or budget offering for the 10th Gen Intel CPUs and it also has no overclocking support. So no extreme overclocking with this option. The number of PCIe 3.0 lanes are also reduced to 16, and you get no USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports.

You do, however, get support for RAID, Optane, and 8x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports. Expansion slots, USB Type C port and things like ATX memory support are a bit lacking.

Networking

Many Z490 motherboards offer only a 1 GbE LAN port, but most motherboards in the premium category can have 2.5 GbE LAN and 10 GbE LAN as well. Wi Fi is also commonly found, but some motherboards skip that feature, so be sure to double-check its availability beforehand.

Storage and PCIe slots

M.2 slots are extremely important in the modern ecosystem as NVMe SSDs are all the rage right now. Many Z490 boards are now offering 3 or 4 expansion slots as well, which is a really nice feature to have. Be sure to check which of those slots offer PCIe Gen 4 functionality as well.

Some premium boards offer a DIMM.2 support as well which is quite a unique feature. The ASUS ROG Maximus XII Extreme offers this feature in our roundup.

Rear I/O

Finally, you should check the number and type of USB ports that the particular Z590 motherboard might offer. They can vary from board to board.

Keep a lookout for unique features such as Thunderbolt 4 support that is only present on select boards in the Z490 family.

Two boards can have remarkably similar features, but if one has USB Type C ports and the other doesn’t, you will probably want more connectivity options.

Price and Value

Z490 motherboards come in a variety of price brackets, and being more expensive does not necessarily mean that a board is better than a cheaper option. Generally, the sweet spot lies in the mid-range when it comes to the Z490 platform.

Be sure to check out reviews of the motherboards by independent third-party reviewers as well as by users to get an idea of the value proposition.

Prices ranging from high to low are typically due to extra features like Dynamic Dashboard II, ATX Memory Support, large heatsinks, and more. You want to find the best value for what you need!

FAQs:

What CPU Does the Z490 Use?

The Z490 platform can use the 10th Generation and 11th Generation Intel Core CPUs. The Z490 motherboards have an LGA 1200 socket which is supported by these two generations of processors and new CPU options.

Is Z490 Future Proof?

Z490 motherboards are future-proof for only one generation. This means that if you buy a Z490 motherboard with a 10th Gen Intel processor, you can only upgrade that processor to the 11th Gen down the line.

Is 11900K Compatible with Z490?

The Intel Core i9 11900K is compatible with Z490 motherboards. In fact, it is the most powerful CPU that is supported by the Z490 chipset. The 12th Gen Alder Lake CPUs use a completely different socket.

What is the Difference Between B460 and Z490?

The difference between B460 and Z490 is that B460 does not support overclocking, while Z490 does support overclocking. You should buy a Z490 motherboard for K-series CPUs such as the Core i9 10900K.

Which is Better H470 or B460?

H470 is slightly better than B460 because it has 4 more PCI-express lanes and support for up to 4 USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, whereas the B460 chipset does not natively support USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports at all. Both chipsets do not have any overclocking support, which means neither are options for serious overclockers.