The new Z490 motherboards are out now together with the latest 10th gen Intel Core processors. If you are wondering what’s the most expensive Z490 motherboard that is available on the market; then look no further – meet the Gigabyte Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce. This is currently the most expensive Z490 motherboard in the market, currently with a retail price of $1,300 USD. This is followed by the limited edition ASRock Z490 Aqua at $1,100 USD. The Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce is loaded with features that are uncommon to most motherboards in the market. It comes with a dedicated all-in-one monoblock for the CPU, VRM, M.2 SSD and Chipset. Check our more details below.
Gigabyte’s Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce Is “Extremely” Cool!
The new Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce motherboard is designed for the latest 10th Gen Intel Core processors; featuring an all-in-one monoblock to cool most of the heat generating parts of the motherboard. Unlike a typical motherboard, this one is meant to be used and connected to a custom water-cooling system. You can’t simply use it with a typical air cooler or AIO closed loop cooling solution.
Its all-in-one monoblock covers the CPU, VRM and even the M.2 SSD and Chipset area. Gigabyte is using high density copper fins for “extreme” heat dissipation; and they have included a leak detention circuit around the whole monoblock. This means that if ever a leak is detected, the system will automatically shut down.
There is only one pair of inlet/outlet on the monoblock. It features a G1/4 thread for high compatibility of other water-cooling parts. There are also addressable RGB LED lighting that illuminates through the transparent portion of the water block. Meanwhile, on the other side of the motherboard is a baseplate with a NanoCarbon coating. Heat coming from the back side of the motherboard is absorb and can be dissipated passively.
The Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce features a True 16-Phase Digital VRM with 90A smart power stage. Gigabyte also designed this motherboard with 8 layer PCB, twice the cooper and with PCIe 4.0 ready low loss PCB. It can also support for DDR4 memory speeds of up to 5000MHz (OC). Another interesting feature on this motherboard is that 90% of the connectors are right-angled in design. This will make cable management easier and cables will not stick out or protrude from the motherboard.
Gigabyte’s Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce also features the latest and fastest connectivity options. It is built with Aquantia 10Gbe BASE-T LAN + and Intel 2.5GbE LAN port with cFosSeed. It also features Intel Thunderbolt 3.0 and USB ports up to USB 3.2 Gen 2. For wireless connectivity, it features the new Intel WiFi 6 802.11ax with Bluetooth 5 module.
For those who demand high quality audio, the Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce features an ESS Sabre HiFI DAC. Its audio section is composed of Realtek ALC 1220-VB, ESS9018K2M DAC and TI-Burr-Brown OP AMPs. There is also an anti-pop circuit design, auto impedance sensor, TXC oscillator and WIMA capacitors. Gigabyte also included an ESSential USB DAC that has an ESS 9218 DAC chip for the front audio. The external USB DAC with USB Type-C connector can be used on a desktop, laptop or even a smartphone.
Gigabyte also included an RGB Fan Commander, an accessory with similar function to Corsair’s Commander Pro. It’s like a central (RGB) fan hub to be used together with this motherboard. For the rest of the features and specifications, you can check it on the table below.
Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce Finish Build
If you are wondering how a finish custom build with the Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce motherboard would look like; KillR_MODZ built an awesome system called the IndominAORUS Bench. You can check out more photos of the build here.
Price and Where to Buy
The Gigabyte Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce motherboard is now available. It comes with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,299.99. Gigabyte is also offering a 3-year limited warranty period for the said motherboard.
Gigabyte Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce Specifications
| CPU Support | Support for 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i9 processors/Intel® Core™ i7 processors/ Intel® Core™ i5 processors/Intel® Core™ i3 processors/Intel® Pentium® processors/ Intel® Celeron® processors in the LGA1200 package L3 cache varies with CPU |
| Chipset | Intel® Z490 Express Chipset |
| Memory | Intel® Core™ i9/i7 processors: Support for DDR4 5000(O.C.)/4933(O.C.)/4800(O.C.)/ 4700(O.C.)/ 4600(O.C.)/ 4500(O.C.)/ 4400(O.C.)/ 4300(O.C.)/4266(O.C.) / 4133(O.C.) / 4000(O.C.) / 3866(O.C.) / 3800(O.C.) / 3733(O.C.) / 3666(O.C.) / 3600(O.C.) / 3466(O.C.) / 3400(O.C.) / 3333(O.C.) / 3300(O.C.) / 3200(O.C.) / 3000(O.C.) / 2933 / 2800 / 2666 / 2400 / 2133 MHz Intel® Core™ i5/i3/Pentium®/Celeron® processors: Support for DDR4 2666/2400/2133 MHz 4 x DDR4 DIMM sockets supporting up to 128 GB (32 GB single DIMM capacity) of system memory Dual channel memory architecture Support for ECC Un-buffered DIMM 1Rx8/2Rx8 memory modules (operate in non-ECC mode) Support for non-ECC Un-buffered DIMM 1Rx8/2Rx8/1Rx16 memory modules Support for Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory modules |
| Onboard Graphics | Integrated Graphics Processor+Intel® Thunderbolt™ 3 Controller: 2 x Intel® Thunderbolt™ 3 connectors (USB Type-C™ ports), supporting DisplayPort and Thunderbolt™ video outputs and a maximum resolution of 5120 x 2880@60 Hz with 24 bpp * Because of the limited I/O resources of the PC architecture, the number of Thunderbolt™ devices that can be used is dependent on the number of the PCI Express devices being installed. (Refer to Chapter 1-7, "Back Panel Connectors," for more information.) * Support for DisplayPort 1.4 version, HDCP 2.3, and HDR. Integrated Graphics Processor-Intel® HD Graphics support: 1 x HDMI port, supporting a maximum resolution of 4096x2160@30 Hz * Support for HDMI 1.4 version and HDCP 2.3. Maximum shared memory of 512 MB |
| Audio | Realtek® ALC1220-VB codec+ESS ES9218P DAC (front panel audio) Realtek® ALC1220-VB codec+ESS ES9018K2M DAC+TI OPA1622 operational amplifier (rear panel audio) Support for DTS:X® Ultra High Definition Audio 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel Support for S/PDIF Out |
| LAN | 1 x Aquantia 10GbE LAN chip (10 Gbit/5 Gbit/2.5 Gbit//1 Gbit/100 Mbit) (LAN1) 1 x Intel® 2.5GbE LAN chip (2.5 Gbit/1 Gbit/100 Mbit) (LAN2) |
| Wireless Communication module | Intel® Wi-Fi 6 AX201 WIFI a, b, g, n, ac with wave 2 features, ax, supporting 2.4/5 GHz Dual-Band BLUETOOTH 5.1 Support for 11ax 160MHz wireless standard and up to 2.4 Gbps data rate |
| Expansion Slots | 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x16 (PCIEX16) * For optimum performance, if only one PCI Express graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIEX16 slot. 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x8 (PCIEX8) * The PCIEX8 slot shares bandwidth with the PCIEX16 slot. When the PCIEX8 slot is populated, the PCIEX16 slot operates at up to x8 mode. 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x4 (PCIEX4) * The PCIEX4 slot shares bandwidth with the M2P_PCH connector. The PCIEX4 slot operates at up to x2 mode when an M.2 SSD is installed in the M2P_PCH connector. |
| Multi-Graphics Technology | Support for NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ and 2-Way NVIDIA® SLI™ technologies Support for AMD Quad-GPU CrossFire™ and 2-Way AMD CrossFire™ technologies |
| Storage Interface | 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 2242/2280/22110 SATA and PCIe x4/x2 SSD support)(M2A_CPU) 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 2242/2280/22110 SATA and PCIe x4/x2 SSD support)(M2M_PCH) 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 PCIe x4/x2 SSD support) (M2P_PCH) 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors Support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 * Refer to "1-9 Internal Connectors," for the installation notices for the PCIEX4, M.2, and SATA connectors. Intel® Optane™ Memory Ready |
| USB | Chipset+Intel® Thunderbolt™ 3 Controller: 2 x USB Type-C™ ports on the back panel, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support Chipset: 1 x USB Type-C™ port with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support, available through the internal USB header 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red) on the back panel Chipset+USB 3.2 Gen 1 Hub: 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (2 ports on the back panel, 2 ports available through the internal USB header) Chipset+2 USB 2.0 Hubs: 6 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports (2 ports on the back panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB headers with the included front USB header extension cable) |
| Internal I/O Connectors | 1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector 2 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connectors 1 x CPU fan header 1 x water cooling CPU fan header 1 x water cooling kit CPU LED header (LED_CPU) 1 x water cooling kit Chipset LED header (LED_PCH) 4 x system fan headers 2 x system fan/water cooling pump headers 1 x noise detection header 2 x addressable LED strip headers 2 x RGB LED strip headers 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors 3 x M.2 Socket 3 connectors 1 x front panel header 1 x front panel audio header 1 x USB Type-C™ header, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 header 1 x USB 2.0/1.1 header 2 x temperature sensor headers 1 x power button 1 x reset button 1 x OC button 2 x BIOS switches Voltage Measurement Points |
| Back Panel Connectors | 1 x Q-Flash Plus button 1 x Clear CMOS button 2 x SMA antenna connectors (2T2R) 2 x Thunderbolt™ 3 connectors (USB Type-C™ ports, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support) 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red) 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports 1 x HDMI port 2 x RJ-45 ports 1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector 5 x audio jacks |
| I/O Controller | iTE® I/O Controller Chip |
| H/W Monitoring | Voltage detection Temperature detection Fan speed detection Water cooling flow rate detection Overheating warning Fan fail warning Fan speed control * Whether the fan (pump) speed control function is supported will depend on the fan (pump) you install. Noise detection |
| BIOS | 2 x 256 Mbit flash Use of licensed AMI UEFI BIOS Support for DualBIOS™ PnP 1.0a, DMI 2.7, WfM 2.0, SM BIOS 2.7, ACPI 5.0 |
| Unique Features | Support for APP Center * Available applications in APP Center may vary by motherboard model. Supported functions of each application may also vary depending on motherboard specifications. @BIOS EasyTune Fast Boot Game Boost RGB Fusion Smart Backup System Information Viewer USB TurboCharger Support for Q-Flash Plus Support for Q-Flash Support for Xpress Install |
| Bundled Software | Norton® Internet Security (OEM version) cFosSpeed XSplit Gamecaster + Broadcaster (12 months license) |
| Operating System | Support for Windows 10 64-bit |
| Form Factor | E-ATX Form Factor; 30.5cm x 27.1cm |
