Z490 UNWRAPPED

What marvels does Intel’s’ new chipset hold?

THE Z490 INTEL CHIPSET is finally here, supporting the new 10th-generation Intel Core i9 through to i3 processors. These are the Comet Lake-S chips, boasting improved performance and hyperthreading in every chip, and at better value per core than previous generational pricing. Of course, we needed a new chipset—Intel’s answer to the high-end X570 boards AMD has been pushing. The Z490 chipset brings a bunch of changes, most notably a new CPU socket. It signifies a big step forward for Intel, as the new socket will support future Intel chips.

This is a big shift and might annoy some Intel users looking to upgrade their systems, but there are plenty of more subtle improvements too. Maximum memory speed support is up, from DDR4 2666 to 2993. Some highend features from previous mobos are more common now, such as Wi-Fi 6 support and 2.5Gb Ethernet.

The Z490 Aorus Pro AX from Gigabyte has all the bells and whistles the new chipset brings, and then some. Dual USB-C support, high-quality Realtek audio, and up to 128GB of system memory capacity makes for a powerful centerpiece to any system.

Thermal design is a key focus too, with numerous dedicated component heat sinks and temperature sensors. The heat sink fins are no longer flat; a textured design with holes to route warm air ensures that heat is dissipated faster, while an extra-large 8mm heat pipe at the top edge of the board keeps the MOSFETs from overheating. It’s a very polished product—with only a little tasteful RGB lighting, thankfully.