Preview GIGABYTE Z490 AORUS MASTER [LGA-1200]

Worldwide today, May 20, Intel releases this new generation, the 10th generation or Comet Lake.

It has been possible to see in many media the potential that this new generation based on the already squeezed 14nm can achieve, although this time Intel makes some fixes in some models increasing their potential in each range, many of them improved with HT and others increasing their cores, especially for the Intel Core i9 10900K (and its derivatives) that would be the first 10-core Intel processor for this enthusiastic platform, which has given much to talk about, even before official reviews of it were available.

But for all these changes and new standards that Intel is engineering, it is necessary to have a motherboard that can withstand all these changes. Intel for this tenth generation also makes a socket change to the LGA-1200 as well as with it a new chipset the Intel Z490, it is in this change that GIGABYTE delivers to the market a new member to its AORUS family, the GIGABYTE Z490 AORUS MASTER, a model that brings an arsenal of improvements and tools that will be able to cope with all these changes that Intel would be delivering in this 10th, especially in consumption and temperature generation, it is based on these factors where GIGABYTE has emphasized the development of these models , we leave you one of the strongest points of this model.

The GIGABYTE Z490 AOURUS MASTER is designed to support all the models of the tenth generation of Intel, for this at electric level it has an intelligent digital PWM controller, which is capable of delivering 90A of energy in each phase, which for the 14 phases of power that this model brings would be delivering a total of 1260A. The capacitors are built of tantalum polymer, together with these 8 + 8 connectors are added to manage all the necessary energy, in this way it is not only capable of supporting all the models that Intel delivers in this new generation but will also be trained to cope with overclocking in these.

1. Digital Controller, 2. 14 power phases (90A each), 3. Tantalum polymer capacitors, 4. 8 + 8 metal foil coated power connectors.

Thermal solutions.

Direct-Touch Heatpipe II

By increasing the heat dissipation in the electrical zone around the processor, GIGABYTE is committed to increasing the diameter of the heatpipes to 8mm, 2mm more than a traditional heatpipe design, by being in direct contact with the mosfet and VRM of the area, this encourages directly the amount of temperature that is able to mobilize within the path covered by this heatpipe, providing greater efficiency in dissipating temperature.

AORUS M.2 Thermal Guard II.

Delivering more tools in temperature improvements, GIGABYTE designs a more efficient cooling system for M.2 units. We all know what the temperature that M.2 SSDs can generate is, even more so if we are dealing with robust video cards on the platform that practically prevent fresh air from reaching the area where M spaces are normally located. .2, this is where GIGABYTE seeks through double-sided heat sinks to lower the temperature of these units. As we see we have the upper cover that in contact through a thermal pad dissipates the temperature to the outside, to this is added a second thermal pad on the back side to provide a reinforcement in the dissipation from another angle.

AUDIO.

HI-FI AUDIO SYSTEM

As every motherboard gamer, high-fidelity audio is necessary so that our video games can sound in great detail at each level, this helps us deliver a more immersive experience, which is why GIGABYTE is a sound system superior to the conventional one. GIGABYTE implements a DAC ESS SABER (DAC ES9118) with Hypertream Dynamic Range (SNR 125dB), High-Res Music (32bit, 192KHz PCM) and Super low THD + N (THD + N -112dB). The Codec used in this system is the already known Realtek ALC1220-VB, which is supported by Nichicon capacitors and industrial WIMA capacitors. Further increasing the quality of the final sound, this GIGABYTE model features a TXC oscillator.

Specifications.

First look.

With its great eagle taking the eye away, the Z490 AORUS MASTER presents itself from its packaging as an attractive motherboard.

As usual by later we can see the main characteristics with which this Z490 model is presented.

In the stationery section of the contents of the box, we find a driver disk, user manual, AORUS sticker and a set of stickers to personalize your computer.

At the accessories level we find 2 pairs of SATA cables, WI-Fi antenna, temperature sensors, aRGB cables.

On its front face the GIGABYTE Z490 AORUS MASTER shows all its charms, a motherboard with a few sectors that shine, a motherboard that is very visually pleasing and harmonious with that “PUNKGAMING” style that AORUS implements.

For later a great backplate, very robust and very resistant, we see how this all the periphery of the socket, seeing how the rear contact areas of the power and VRM phases make direct contact with this backplate.

Probably the area that most attracts the attention of the motherboard is precisely in the cover of the rear panel, an acrylic well finished with the model of the motherboard.

As is common with many motherboards, the M.2 slot comes with its own heatsink, which hides it from the PCB.

Very complete rear panel, 1x RJ45, 7.1 audio jack, 1x HDMI, Wi-fi connectors, clear CMOS button and Q-Flash, in addition to a large number of USB (4x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 and 4x USB 3.2 Gen2 ( 1x USB Type-C)).

Lower right edge, it has 6x SATA, we see how little by little this storage interface begins to decrease, giving space to the M.2 as the main option.

As we mentioned in the technologies that GIGABYTE used in the design of this motherboard, M.2 units are provided with their own cooling.

This dissipation of the M.2 units is in all the connectors in both their upper and lower dissipation.

Review

We will soon see how this attractive specimen of GIGABYTE Aorus behaves in conjunction with the new Intel Core i9 10900K.