Intel has come a long way with its mainstream desktop processor platform. The platform has largely seen stagnation in terms of core and thread count over many generations since the first Core series CPU that launched back in 2010 but in 2017 brought a big change to Intel's desktop strategy. What seemed to be a generational core clock bump has now turned into a generational core count bump while still delivering incremental clock speed improvements.
The main reason for this stagnation has been Intel's reliance on its 14nm process node and Skylake architecture which has served the desktop space since 2015 and still live on. Intel's 10nm process dilemmas and inefficient architecture which couldn't keep up with Skylake in mainstream desktop space only made things worse for Intel along with a re-emerged AMD who went guns blazing in the desktop market with its Ryzen CPUs, delivering advanced architectures while utilizing bleeding-edge process nodes.
The 9th Generation lineup, while good in its own perspective, has been facing two major issues since launch. One of the issue and an ongoing one is the competitive threat from AMD's Ryzen processors which aren't only tackling Intel in terms of pure core count but also in terms of IPC which has exceeded Skylake levels and also pricing in which AMD has simply made Intel's once iconic Core i5 and Core i7 lineups disappear from the game. One of the key backlashes that Intel CPUs received from the tech community was the lack of multi-threading support on several 9th Generation CPUs where they faced severe performance degradation against Ryzen parts when compared in multi-threading workloads.
There's one key department however where Intel still holds the lead which is due to the process maturation of the 14nm node over the years. In terms of clock speeds, Intel has taken the battle to AMD which makes sense in a way since while their remerged rival can beat them in terms of price, cores, they can surely flex their muscles in terms of clock speeds but even that wasn't a big savior for Intel with 9th Generation CPUs.
Intel 10th Gen vs AMD Ryzen 3000 Desktop CPU Prices:
| Intel CPU | Cores / Threads | Clocks (Max) | Price (MSRP) | Prices (Newegg) | Clocks (Max) | Cores / Threads | AMD CPU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $737.99 US | 4.7 GHz (105W) | 16/32 | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X |
| Intel Core i9-10900K | 10/20 | 5.3 GHz (125W) | $488 US (K) $472 US (KF) |
$489.99 US | 4.6 GHz (105W) | 12/24 | AMD Ryzen 9 3900X |
| Intel Core i7-10700K | 8/16 | 5.1 GHz (125W) | $374 US (K) $349 US (KF) |
$344.99 US | 4.5 GHz (105W) | 8/16 | AMD Ryzen 7 3800X |
| Intel Core i7-10700 | 8/16 | 4.8 GHz (65W) | $323 US $298 US (F) |
$298.99 US | 4.4 GHz (65W) | 8/16 | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X |
| Intel Core i5-10600K | 6/12 | 4.8 GHz (125W) | $262 US (K) $237 US (KF) |
$204.99 US | 4.4 GHz (95W) | 6/12 | AMD Ryzen 5 3600X |
| Intel Core i5-10500 | 6/12 | 4.5 GHz (65W) | $192 US | $189.99 US | 4.2 GHz (65W) | 6/12 | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 |
| Intel Core i5-10400 | 6/12 | 4.3 GHz (65W) | $182 US $157 US (F) |
$179.99 US | 4.1 GHz (65W) | 6/6 | AMD Ryzen 5 3500X |
| Intel Core i3-10300 | 4/8 | 4.4 GHz (65W) | $143 US | $119.99 US | 4.3 GHz (65W) | 4/8 | AMD Ryzen 3 3300X |
| Intel Core i3-10100 | 4/8 | 4.3 GHz (65W) | $122 US | $99.99 US | 3.9 GHz (65W) | 4/8 | AMD Ryzen 3 3100 |
So this year, Intel has decided to go all out with its last Skylake architecture-based 14nm family. Offering the highest clock speeds, the highest number of cores/threads with SMT enabled across all Core CPUs and better cores/$, perf/$ values than the previous generation. So for this review, I will be taking a look at three 10th Gen Comet Lake-S processors.
The processors include the Core i9-10900K 8 Core, Core i7-10700K 8 Core, and the Core i5-10600K 6 core chips. The processors will be tested on three of the latest Z490 motherboards, the ASRock Z490 Taichi, the ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO, and the Gigabyte Z490 Vision G.
Intel Z490 Express Chipset - The Top 400-Series PCH
The introduction of Z490 marks the end of the Z390 and Z370 series. While those chipsets featured inter-compatibility with 8th and 9th Generation CPUs, the Z490 chipset only supports the 10th Gen lineup for now. The new chipset adds in a range of features that expand upon from the Z390 PCH and can also handle increased I/O. So it isn't just a new chipset follow up for a new line of CPUs but its actually slightly more, something that I'd personally call an evolution of the Z490 platform in all the best ways possible.
Intel Z490 Platform Features:
The 10th gen desktop platform has a range of new features that mainly include:
- Support for LGA 1200 Intel Core / Pentium Gold / Celeron Processors
- First Intel Core i9 Desktop Processor With 10 Cores / 20 Threads
- First Intel Core i9 Desktop Processor With Up To 5.30 GHz Clocks (TVB)
- TDP Support Up To 125W
- DDR4-2933 Support For Core i9 & Core i7 Desktop Processors
- Support For Intel Wireless (CNVi)
- 10 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
- 6 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
- IRST 17 for PCIe storage RAID on CPU & PCH Support
- Hardware-Level PCIe Gen 4 Integration from various board vendors
- Up To 6 SATA III ports
- Optane Memory Ready
- Thunderbolt 3.0
Intel Desktop Platform Chipset Comparison
| Chipset Name | Coffee Lake S (KBL-R) PCH / Z370 Platform | Coffee Lake S (CNL-H) PCH / 300 Series (Z390/H370, B360, Q370, H310) | Comet Lake-S (CML-S) PCH / 400 Series (Z490) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process Node | 22nm | 14nm | 14nm |
| Processor | 8C, 6C, 4C (6 Consumer SKUs at Launch) Enhanced IA and Memory Overclocking Gen 9 Intel Graphics GT2 (Up To 24 EUs) Consumer Only |
8C, 6C, 4C, 2C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) Enhanced IA and Memory Overclocking Gen 9 Intel Graphics GT2 (Up To 24 EUs) Corporate/vPro & Consumer |
10C, 8C, 6C, 4C, 2C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) Enhanced IA and Memory Overclocking Gen 9 Intel Graphics GT2 (Up To 24 EUs) Corporate/vPro & Consumer |
| Memory | Up To DDR4-2666 (Native) | Up To DDR4-2666 (Native) | Up To DDR4-2933(Native) |
| Media, Display & Audio | DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP |
DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP SoundWire Digital Audio Interface |
DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP SoundWire Digital Audio Interface |
| I/O & Connectivity | Integrated USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Thunderbolt 3.0 (Alpine Ridge) |
Integrated USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi / BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 3.0 (Titan Ridge) w/ DP 1.4 |
Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2 Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi / BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 3.0 (Titan Ridge) w/ DP 1.4 |
| Storage | Next Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 3.0, SATA 3.0 |
Next Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 3.0, SATA 3.0 |
Next-Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 3.0, SATA 3.0 |
| Security | Intel SGX 1.0 | Intel SGX 1.0 | Intel SGX 1.0 |
| Power Management | C8 Support | C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby | C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby |
| Launch | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
Meet The LGA 1200 Socket - 10th Generation Support & Onwards
As mentioned earlier, LGA 1151's reign is finally over and the LGA 1200 socket is here now. The new socket definitely adds more pins to the socket but the dimensions and most of the physical looks of the socket remain unchanged. The new LGA 1200 socket does offer more pin connections to the CPU, allowing for more communication channels with the board itself and accommodate electrical pin configurations that are required to support 10th Gen CPUs.
While the LGA 1200 socket has the same dimensions as the LGA 1151 socket (37.5mm x 37.5mm), the socket keying has shifted to the left side and Comet Lake is no longer electrically or mechanically compatible with Coffee Lake motherboards. So this is some bad news for those who may try to put an LGA 1151 CPU on the LGA 1200 socket for science! Some details of the new LGA 1200 package and socket for Comet Lake:
- Comet Lake will transition to a higher pin-count package
- Comet Lake LGA will not have backward compatibility with legacy platforms
- No changes to ILM dimensions or thermal solution retention
- Comet Lake LGA improves power delivery and support for future incremental I/O features
- Pin 1 orientation remains the same, but socket keying has shifted left
Cooler Compatibility With LGA 1200 Socket
Keeping the same dimensions has some advantages in the form of cooler compatibility. All users who are running the LGA 1151 socket or even LGA 1150 boards can use the same cooler on the Z490 boards without any hassle. The socket has the same dimensions and no changes are made aside from the ones I just mentioned above which don't affect cooler compatibility. The socket assembly and mounting remain the same.
Intel does offer a separate boxed cooler but it will be a much better choice to get an AIB cooling solution since those offer better cooling performance. It is recommended for the unlocked SKUs that users run them on a high-end air cooler or liquid cooling solution. Custom loop cooling will deliver even better results.
The Intel Comet Lake-S or the 10th Generation Core Family is expected to be the last CPU lineup to reuse the 14nm Skylake architecture. The Skylake architecture has been with us since 2015 and Intel has yet to replace it for desktop consumers. The architecture has seen several optimizations and key refinements that have led to an increase from 4 cores and 8 threads to 10 cores and 20 threads. The same 14nm process has also been improved to the point that the flagship CPU speeds have seen a massive jump from 4.20 GHz boosts to 5.30 GHz boosts.
The Intel 10th Gen Comet Lake Desktop CPU Lineup
There are a total of 32 SKUs planned for Intel's 10th Gen Desktop family which include six unlocked SKUs. There's the flagship Core i9-10900K which is followed by the Core i7-10700K and the Core i5-10600K. The Core i3 variant is missing but it's such a crucial SKU that would be targetting a very competitive market and it would be a bad decision for Intel to not launch an unlocked quad-core part in the budget tier segment.
Intel Core i9-10900K - 10 Cores, Up To 5.3 GHz Single-Core, 4.9 GHz All-Core at $488 US
The Intel Core i9-10900K will be the flagship part of the 10th Generation Desktop CPU family. Intel has a few tricks up their sleeves to offer even better performance than the Core i9-9900KS. The i9-10900K features 10 cores, 20 threads a total cache of 20 MB, and a 125W TDP. The chip has a base frequency of 3.7 GHz and a boost frequency of 5.1 GHz. However, using Intel's Turbo Boost Max 3.0 technology, the chip can boost up to 5.2 GHz on a single-core and what's even better is the 4.9 GHz all-core boost. Some of the features of this particular chip include:
- Up to 4.8 GHz All-Core Turbo
- Up to 5.3 / 4.0 GHz Thermal Velocity Boost Singe / All-core Turbo
- Up to 5.2 GHz Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0
- Up to 10C and 20T
- Up to DDR4-2933 MHz dual-channel
- Enhanced Core & Memory Overclocking
- Active Core Group Tuning
Here's the interesting part, the chip would also get Thermal Velocity Boost, similar to the current flagship parts. CPUs that support this algorithm, like the Core i9-10900K, would feature even faster boost frequencies of 5.3 GHz (single-core) and 4.9 GHz (all-core). However, as the name suggests, only top-tier cooling solutions would be able to allow full utilization of the Thermal Velocity Boost feature.
So unless you rock a high-end AIO liquid cooler or a closed-loop setup, don't expect a sustained velocity boost but rather short bursts until the threshold is hit. It will be interesting to know the full extent of the features that this function has to offer and what kind of cooling would the Core i9-10900K requires in general.
Intel Core i7-10700K - 8 Cores, Up To 5.1 GHz Single-Core, 4.7 GHz All-Core at $374 US
The Intel Core i7-10700K would be featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. The chip would house 16 MB of total cache and a TDP of 125W. The chip would feature a base clock of 3.8 GHz, a boost clock of 5.0 GHz (single-core), and 5.1 GHz (single-core) with Turbo Boost Max 3.0. The chip will be 100 MHz faster in single-core but slower across all-cores by 100 MHz than the Core i9-9900K which retails for over $500 US. Since this is an i7 part, expect pricing to fall around $350-$400 US.
Intel Core i5-10600K - 6 Cores, Up To 4.8 GHz Single-Core, 4.5 GHz All-Core at $262 US
The Intel Core i7-10600K would be featuring 6 cores and 12 threads. The chip would house 12 MB of total cache and a TDP of 125W. The chip would feature a base clock of 4.1 GHz, a boost clock of 4.8 GHz (single-core), and 4.5 GHz (all-core). The chip would be faster than the 8th Gen flagship, the Core i7-8700K, featuring a higher base and boost clock across a single and all-cores. The Core i5 should be retailing in the $220-$270 US segment which is a decent price for a fast 6 core and multi-threaded chip.
Intel 10th Gen vs AMD Ryzen 3000 Desktop CPU Prices:
| Intel CPU | Cores / Threads | Clocks (Max) | Price (MSRP) | Prices (Newegg) | Clocks (Max) | Cores / Threads | AMD CPU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $737.99 US | 4.7 GHz (105W) | 16/32 | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X |
| Intel Core i9-10900K | 10/20 | 5.3 GHz (125W) | $488 US (K) $472 US (KF) |
$489.99 US | 4.6 GHz (105W) | 12/24 | AMD Ryzen 9 3900X |
| Intel Core i7-10700K | 8/16 | 5.1 GHz (125W) | $374 US (K) $349 US (KF) |
$344.99 US | 4.5 GHz (105W) | 8/16 | AMD Ryzen 7 3800X |
| Intel Core i7-10700 | 8/16 | 4.8 GHz (65W) | $323 US $298 US (F) |
$298.99 US | 4.4 GHz (65W) | 8/16 | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X |
| Intel Core i5-10600K | 6/12 | 4.8 GHz (125W) | $262 US (K) $237 US (KF) |
$204.99 US | 4.4 GHz (95W) | 6/12 | AMD Ryzen 5 3600X |
| Intel Core i5-10500 | 6/12 | 4.5 GHz (65W) | $192 US | $189.99 US | 4.2 GHz (65W) | 6/12 | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 |
| Intel Core i5-10400 | 6/12 | 4.3 GHz (65W) | $182 US $157 US (F) |
$179.99 US | 4.1 GHz (65W) | 6/6 | AMD Ryzen 5 3500X |
| Intel Core i3-10300 | 4/8 | 4.4 GHz (65W) | $143 US | $119.99 US | 4.3 GHz (65W) | 4/8 | AMD Ryzen 3 3300X |
| Intel Core i3-10100 | 4/8 | 4.3 GHz (65W) | $122 US | $99.99 US | 3.9 GHz (65W) | 4/8 | AMD Ryzen 3 3100 |
10th Gen Comet Lake-S 65W/35W Desktop CPU Family
The rest of the lineup is made up of the 65W SKUs which come in Core i9, Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3 flavors. Having a 65W Core i9-10900 with 10 cores and 20 threads which still boosts up to 4.5GHz across all cores and 4.6 GHz if you include the Thermal Velocity boost is pretty good plus 5.2 GHz on a single-core doesn't sound that bad at all, considering this is a 65W chip (at its base frequency).
The Intel Core i3 lineup is also worth pointing out as it is made up of 3 SKUs which seem to be part of the initial launch family. The Core i3-10320 would be leading with 4 cores, 8 threads at 65W. 8MB of cache, clocks of up to 4.6 GHz with a single-core, and 4.4 GHz on all-cores sound decent enough for what is supposed to be a budget chip retailing under $150US. The full list of SKUs along with their specs can be seen in the table below.
Intel 10th Gen Core Comet Lake Desktop CPU Family:
| CPU Name | Cores / Threads | Base Clock | Single-Core Boost Clock | Turbo Boost Max 3.0 (Single-Core) | All Core Boost Clock | Cache | TDP | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i9-10900K | 10/20 | 3.7 GHz | 5.1 GHz 5.3 GHz (Velocity) |
5.2 GHz | 4.8 GHz 4.9 GHz (Velocity) |
20 MB | 125W | $488 US |
| Intel Core i9-10900KF | 10/20 | 3.7 GHz | 5.1 GHz 5.3 GHz (Velocity) |
5.2 GHz | 4.8 GHz 4.9 GHz (Velocity) |
20 MB | 125W | $472 US |
| Intel Core i9-10900 | 10/20 | 2.8 GHz | 5.0 GHz 5.2 GHz (Velocity) |
5.1 GHz | 4.5 GHz 4.6 GHz (Velocity) |
20 MB | 65W | $439 US |
| Intel Core i9-10900F | 10/20 | 2.8 GHz | 5.0 GHz 5.2 GHz (Velocity) |
5.1 GHz | 4.5 GHz 4.6 GHz (Velocity) |
20 MB | 65W | $422 US |
| Intel Core i9-10900T | 10/20 | 1.9 GHz | 4.5 GHz | 4.6 GHz | 3.7 GHz | 20 MB | 35W | $439 US |
| Intel Core i7-10700K | 8/16 | 3.8 GHz | 5.0 GHz | 5.1 GHz | 4.7 GHz | 16 MB | 125W | $374 US |
| Intel Core i7-10700KF | 8/16 | 3.8 GHz | 5.0 GHz | 5.1 GHz | 4.7 GHz | 16 MB | 125W | $349 US |
| Intel Core i7-10700 | 8/16 | 2.9 GHz | 4.7 GHz | 4.8 GHz | 4.6 GHz | 16 MB | 65W | $323 US |
| Intel Core i7-10700F | 8/16 | 2.9 GHz | 4.7 GHz | 4.8 GHz | 4.6 GHz | 16 MB | 65W | $298 US |
| Intel Core i7-10700T | 8/16 | 2.0 GHz | 4.4 GHz | 4.5 GHz | 3.7 GHz | 16 MB | 35W | $325 US |
| Intel Core i5-10600K | 6/12 | 4.1 GHz | 4.8 GHz | N/A | 4.5 GHz | 12 MB | 125W | $262 US |
| Intel Core i5-10600KF | 6/12 | 4.1 GHz | 4.8 GHz | N/A | 4.5 GHz | 12 MB | 125W | $237 US |
| Intel Core i5-10600 | 6/12 | 3.3 GHz | 4.8 GHz | N/A | 4.5 GHz | 12 MB | 65W | $213 US |
| Intel Core i5-10600T | 6/12 | 2.4 GHz | 4.0 GHz | N/A | 3.7 GHz | 12 MB | 35W | $213 US |
| Intel Core i5-10500 | 6/12 | 3.1 GHz | 4.5 GHz | N/A | 4.2 GHz | 12 MB | 65W | $192 US |
| Intel Core i5-10500T | 6/12 | 2.3 GHz | 3.8 GHz | N/A | 3.5 GHz | 12 MB | 35W | $192 US |
| Intel Core i5-10400 | 6/12 | 2.9 GHz | 4.3 GHz | N/A | 4.0 GHz | 12 MB | 65W | $182 US |
| Intel Core i5-10400F | 6/12 | 2.9 GHz | 4.3 GHz | N/A | 4.0 GHz | 12 MB | 65W | $157 US |
| Intel Core i5-10400T | 6/12 | 2.0 GHz | 3.6 GHz | N/A | 3.2 GHz | 12 MB | 35W | $182 US |
| Intel Core i3-10320 | 4/8 | 3.8 GHz | 4.6 GHz | N/A | 4.4 GHz | 8 MB | 65W | $154 US |
| Intel Core i3-10300 | 4/8 | 3.7 GHz | 4.4 GHz | N/A | 4.2 GHz | 8 MB | 65W | $143 US |
| Intel Core i3-10300T | 4/8 | 3.0 GHz | 3.9 GHz | N/A | 3.6 GHz | 8 MB | 35W | $143 US |
| Intel Core i3-10100 | 4/8 | 3.6 GHz | 4.3 GHz | N/A | 4.1 GHz | 8 MB | 65W | $122 US |
| Intel Core i3-10100T | 4/8 | 3.0 GHz | 3.8 GHz | N/A | 3.5 GHz | 8 MB | 35W | $122 US |
| Intel Pentium G6600 | 2/4 | 4.2 GHz | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4 MB | 58W | $86 US |
| Intel Pentium G6500 | 2/4 | 4.1 GHz | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4 MB | 58W | $75 US |
| Intel Pentium G6400 | 2/4 | 3.8 GHz | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4 MB | 58W | $64 US |
| Intel Pentium G6400T | 2/4 | 3.4 GHz | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4 MB | 58W | $64 US |
| Intel Celeron G5920 | 2/2 | 3.5 GHz | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2 MB | 58W | $52 US |
| Intel Celeron G5900 | 2/2 | 3.2 GHz | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2 MB | 58W | $42 US |
| Intel Celeron G5900T | 2/2 | 3.2 GHz | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2 MB | 58W | $42 US |
The ASRock Z490 Taichi is a high-end motherboard and continuation of the Taichi family. The latest version features an updated design and supports a much bigger variety of features that make this Taichi the best one yet! ASRock is going all out with a 14 Phase Dr.MOS Power Design which is given power through dual 8-pin connectors. The ASRock Z490 Taichi features four DDR4 DIMM slots that can support up to 4666 MHz (OC+) frequencies and up to 128 GB of capacity. The board has large heatsinks over the VRMs and a Taichi logo embedded real panel I/O plate which looks great.
While the VRM heatsinks are massive with aluminum fin design, there are interconnected with heat pipes to dissipate heat. There's also active cooling in the form of three PWM controlled fans which come with 0dB Silent cooling technology. This means that the fans would only operate under heavy workloads and stay silent under idle scenarios. The entire cooling is part of the XXL Aluminum Alloy design that ASRock has taken years to perfect. With the cooling solution, ASRock claims up to 15C lower temperatures than when the fans are not operating. There are Power and Reset buttons at the bottom next to the Debug LED which is always a great addition to high-end boards.
ASRock Z490 Taichi Features:
- Supports 10th Gen and future generation Intel Core Processors (Socket 1200)
- 15 Phase Dr.MOS Power Design
- Supports DDR4 4666MHz+ (OC)
- 3 PCIe 3.0 x16, 2 PCIe 3.0 x1
- Supports NVIDIA SLI, AMD 3-Way CrossFireX
- Graphics Output Options: HDMI, DisplayPort
- 7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec), Nahimic Audio
- 8 SATA3, 2 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA3), 1 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4)
- 1 USB 3.2 Gen2x2 20Gb/s Rear Type-C
- 3 USB 3.2 Gen2 10Gb/s (2 Rear Type-A, 1 Front Type-C)
- 9 USB 3.2 Gen1 (4 Front, 5 Rear)
- Dragon 2.5 Gigabit LAN, Intel Gigabit LAN
- Intel Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax (2.4Gbps) + BT 5.1
Storage options include 8 SATA III ports while expansion includes three PCIe 3.0 x16, two PCIe 3.0 x1, and four M.2 (32 Gb/s) ports. ASRock is also confirming support for PCIe Gen 4.0 on the entirety of its Z490 motherboard lineup which will be available with the launch of Intel's Future 12 Gen CPUs codenamed Rocket Lake. They are expected to launch in late 2020. All four M.2 slots come with heatsinks that are part of the PCB armor which covers the lower half of the motherboard. The PCH heatsink is made up of a brushed aluminum design, same as the I/O cover and features the ASRock Gear logo design etched into it along with a great display of ASRock's Polychrome Sync RGB effects. Underneath the side of the PCB, there's an RGB strip lighting it up which also looks great.
For I/O, ASRock features 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (Type-C), 3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (2 Type-A Rear + 1 Type-C Front), 9 USB 3.2 Gen 1 (4 front, 5 Rear) ports, Dragon 2.5 Gb / Intel 1Gb Ethernet LAN ports, WiFi 6 (2x antenna ports), 1 HDMI, 1 Display Port 1.4, 1 PS/2 port, 1 SPDIF port, 1 BIOS flashback switch and an HD audio jack that is powered by the Realtek ALC1220 codec plus an ESS SABRE 9218 DAC with WIMA Audio caps (NAHIMIC Audio). The Z490 Taichi will retain at $369.99 US.
The ASRock Z490 Taichi comes in the standard cardboard package. The front is themed in black and silver which has been part of the Taichi lineup for a while now. You can also note the ASRock Gear logo for their Taichi motherboards on the front which looks great.
The front side also lists down support for Intel's 10th generation Core processors. There's also support for Intel Optane memory along with Polychrome Sync, and HDMI support mentioned.
The backside of the package lists down the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as the 50A Dr.MOS design, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) ports, WiFi 6 802.11ax, & other features mentioned.
The front side also comes with a full cover which gives us another preview of the feature set that the motherboard has to offer.
Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories in the top and motherboard at the bottom. It is very easy to access although the accessories are a bit scattered and things could get messy sorting out the various additions.
There are several accessories included in the package such as a Wi-Fi antenna module, four SATA III cables, screws for the M.2 storage devices, a high-bandwidth SLI bridge, a driver disk, a manual for the board and a Taichi postcard. Following is the full list of accessories in the package.
- Quick Installation Guide, Support CD
- 4 x SATA Data Cables
- 1 x ASRock SLI_HB_Bridge_2S Card
- 1 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antenna
- 1 x ASRock Screwdriver
- 3 x Screws for M.2 Sockets
- 2 x Standoffs for M.2 Sockets
The motherboard is housed underneath the accessories and has anti-static wrapping to protect it from any built-up electrical resistance that can affect the board.
The ASRock Z490 Taichi has a very aggressive design scheme that screams high-end. The design itself is an upgraded variation of the X570 Taichi which we had a look in our AMD Ryzen 3000 CPU review over here. It is an even bigger upgrade over the Z390 Taichi Ultimate in terms of design that I reviewed here.
The ASRock Z490 Taichi is styled in black and silver accents. This is a top-tier product that retails at $369.99 US, making this the most expensive mainstream Taichi motherboard to date so expect lots of features packed inside this motherboard. The motherboard comes in the standard ATX form factor.
The board uses the LGA 1200 socket to support Intel Core processors. The socket is compatible only with Intel's 10th Generation core family but is expected to support future generation CPUs too. The socket has a protective cover on top of it that points out the exclusivity with Comet Lake 10th Gen CPUs and refrains users from running an older 8th or 9th generation CPUs as they won't fit in the socket at all and forcing them in the socket is only going to cause permanent damage to your motherboard.
Next to the socket are four DDR4 DIMM slots which can support up to 128 GB dual-channel memory. These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 4666 MHz (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation.
The ASRock Z490 Taichi packs a 15 phase Dr.MOS power design. The design is packed with 2 phase power for the DRAM and uses 50A power chokes, Premium Memory Alloy Chokes, Dual-Stack MOSFET (DSM), Combo Caps, and Nichicon 12K capacitors that deliver un-precedented stability and overclocking capabilities.
As you can see, the VRMs are getting ample cooling from the XXL Aluminum heatsinks that are both beefy in terms of size and also feature active cooling technology. This motherboard is designed for overclocking so expect a smooth & stable operation of the electrical circuitry when this board is running.
If you look in closely, the heatsink solution comes with Heatpipe cooling that runs across the entire length of the dual heatsinks. ASRock is also using an aluminum-based heatsink under the IO cover which can provide even better thermal operation under load. The active cooling solution comes in the form of three PWM controlled fans, two of which are featured in the topmost heatsink and one featured underneath the second heatsink's cover.
All three fans come with 0dB silent cooling tech and will ensure that the VRMs stay cool under intense workloads, offering up to 15C reduction in temperatures.
The CPU is supplied power through dual 8 pin power connectors. This will feed the CPU with up to 300 Watts of power. The Intel 10th Gen Unlocked CPUs are very power-hungry, consuming 125W at the base and up to 250W at boost frequencies while overclocking them would require even more power so the extra power input is a necessity rather than a feature on the high-end Z490 boards.
Getting a closer look at the VRM heatsinks reveals an aluminum fin design underneath the baseplate for the topmost heatsink. Each heatsink has thermal pads located underneath for efficient transfer of heat.
Below, you can see the second heatsink which includes the third fan. This heatsink is connected with the topmost heatsink and has exhaust vents on the top baseplate to deliver cool air to the VRMs.
Expansion slots include three PCI Express 3.0 x16, two PCI Express 3.0 x1 and three M.2 slots. The board can support three-way multi-GPU (CrossFireX / SLI). The M.2 slots are rated to support NVMe PCIe gen3 x4 and Intel Optane series memory.
ASRock is using a metallic cover on the sides of the expansion slots which provides protection to some extent. It adds more retention and shearing resistance by reinforcing the slots with metal plates. Aside from adding more protection, they do look really sweet.
ASRock is also confirming support for PCIe Gen 4.0 on the entirety of its Z490 motherboard lineup which will be available with the launch of Intel's Future 12 Gen CPUs codenamed Rocket Lake. For this purpose, the motherboard features key technologies such as PCIe Gen 4 Re-Drivers, slots, and clock generators which enable PCIe Gen 4.0 on the top Hyper M.2 and top two PCIe x16 slots which are also clearly labeled with Gen 4 support.
The trio of M.2 slots is cooled off by the thermal pad and aluminum baseplate cooling. This will ensure stable operation for M.2 storage devices. The thermal adhesive has a plastic cover over them which needs to be removed before using them with the storage devices.
The Z490 PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink with a set of metal gears embedded within it for aesthetics. The PCH comes also utilizes Polychrome Sync RGB which is fully user-customizable. It also comes with an active fan solution that runs all the time to keep the PCH cool.
The PCH heat sink has embedded RGB LEDs and provides a good light show for those that are interested in RGBs trend. You can also turn off the LEDs entirely through ASRock's bundled software if you are not a fan of such LEDs.
Storage options include eight SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support eight different storage devices at once. There are also two USB 3.0 front panel connectors of which one is right-angled. Many fan headers and jumpers can be found beneath the storage ports.
ASRock is using its Purity Sound4 system for audio which is a combination of hardware, software audio solutions. 7.1 CH HD audio with the latest Realtek ALC1220 audio codec plus an ESS SABRE 9218 DAC with WIMA Audio caps (NAHIMIC Audio), individual PCB layers for R/L audio channel. In addition to that, there's also a NE5532 headset amplifier for front panel audio connector that supports up to 600 Ohm headsets.
ASRock has placed two buttons at the bottom right-hand corner of the board. The purpose of these switches is to allow users to easily Power or Reset the board in overclocking and system tuning cases. A bunch of other connectors for chassis power, DEBUG LED, RGB, and fan headers can be spotted next to them.
The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.
- 1 x SPI TPM Header
- 1 x Power LED and Speaker Header
- 2 x RGB LED Headers
- 2 x Addressable LED Headers
- 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)
- 1 x CPU/Water Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 6 x Chassis/Water Pump Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
- 2 x 8 pin 12V Power Connectors (Hi-Density Power Connector)
- 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector (15μ Gold Audio Connector)
- 1 x Thunderbolt AIC Connector (5-pin) (Supports ASRock Thunderbolt 3 AIC R2.0 Card only)
- 2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 USB 2.0 ports) (Intel Z490) (Supports ESD Protection)
- 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Headers (Support 4 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports) (ASMedia ASM1074 hub)
- 1 x Front Panel Type C USB 3.2 Gen2 Header (Intel Z490) (Supports ESD Protection)
- 1 x Clear CMOS Button
- 1 x Dr. Debug with LED
- 1 x Power Button with LED
- 1 x Reset Button with LED
ASRock is using the Intel's WiFi 6 802.11ax WiFi Module to power wireless connectivity such as 802.11ax WiFi (2.4G WiFi) and Bluetooth 5.1. In terms of Ethernet, there are dual Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports which include a 1GbE Intel & 2.5GbE Killer LAN which means networking on this board is going to be really good, however, the Z390 Taichi Ultimate did come with 10GbE and dual Intel GbE LAN ports at a lower price point.
For I/O, ASRock features 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (Type-C), 3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (2 Type-A Rear + 1 Type-C Front), 9 USB 3.2 Gen 1 (4 front, 5 Rear) ports, Dragon 2.5 Gb / Intel 1Gb Ethernet LAN ports, WiFi 6 (2x antenna ports), 1 HDMI, 1 Display Port 1.4, 1 PS/2 port, 1 SPDIF port, 1 BIOS flashback switch and an HD audio jack.
ASRock Z490 Taichi Polychrome RGB:
ASRock is using its Polychrome RGB and Polychrome Sync technologies to power the lighting system on the Z490 Taichi. There's a range of customization available through the app which can be downloaded directly from ASRock's official webpage.
In addition to the built-in RGB illumination, it also features onboard RGB headers and an addressable RGB header that allow the motherboard to be connected to compatible LED devices such as strip, CPU fans, coolers, chassis and so on. Users may also synchronize RGB LED devices across the Polychrome RGB Sync-certified accessories to create their own unique lighting effects.
ASRock Z490 Taichi Tear-Down Shots:
The top-chain of the ASUS Gaming lineup is made up of four powerful ROG Maximus XII series Z490 motherboards. The Republic of Gamers lineup has always attracted high-end gaming enthusiasts & this year would be no exception. The ROG Maximus XII lineup features the following motherboards:
- ASUS ROG Maximus XII Extreme Glacial
- ASUS ROG Maximus XII Extreme
- ASUS ROG Maximus XII Formula
- ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO (Wi-Fi)
- ASUS ROG Maximus XII APEX
Each motherboard has different features to talk, some of them really cool in their own respectful manner and carry different price points for different market tiers. We received both, the Maximus XII HERO WiFI and the Maximus XII Extreme but we will first be taking a look at the Maximus XII HERO for this review.
The ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO (Wi-Fi) is the most cost-optimized Maximus variant, coming in at around $399 US price. This motherboard would feature the same design hierarchy as the rest of the Maximus motherboards but in a more effective manner to reduce costs. The HERO supports a 14+2 phase VRM configuration rated at 60A and is powered by an 8+4 pin connector config. There are 6 SATA III ports while the expansion configuration includes 3 PCIe 3.0 x16, 3 PCIe 3.0 x1, and 3 M.2 ports.
In terms of I/O, you get a 5G (Aquantia AQC111C) ethernet port and a 1G Intel I219-V Ethernet port. There are a total of 17 USB ports to be found on the board with a single front panel USB 3.2 Gen 2 x2 port. You also get SupremeFX S1220 audio and a TB header on the motherboard. All three M.2 slots are cooled by heatsinks and you can find ROG specific features such as the power, reset, clear CMOS, and BIOS flashback buttons. Overall, this seems to be a solid board for most people who will be upgrading to the 10th Gen platform. The ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO WiFi will hit retail at $399.99 US.
The ROG Maximus XII HERO (Wi-Fi) comes in the standard cardboard package. The front is themed in black and red, a color scheme which has been part of ROG products for a while now. You can also note the ASUS ROG logo on the front which looks great and is the first indication that this is the gaming slash enthusiast aimed product.
The front side also lists down support for Intel's 10th generation Core processors, Optane Memory, NVIDIA SLI, AMD Crossfire, and ASUS AURA Sync technologies.
The backside of the package lists down the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as Optimemem III, Triple M.2 slots, Dual Ethernet, and a Robust power solution that has been featured on the motherboard.
Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories at the bottom and motherboard at the top. It is very easy to access although the accessories are a bit scattered and things could get messy sorting out the various additions.
There are several accessories included in the package. Following is the full list of accessories in the package.
- User's manual
- Addressable LED extension cable
- 1 x ROG logo plate sticker
- 4 x SATA 6Gb/s cable(s)
- 1 x Supporting DVD
- 1 x MOS Cooling kit (fan bracket and 40mm x 40mm fan)
- 1 x ROG big sticker
- 1 x Q-Connector
- 1 x Wi-Fi Antenna(s)
- 1 x Extension Cable for RGB strips (80 cm)
- 1 x ROG Thank you card
- 2 x M.2 SSD screw package(s)
- 2 x M.2 Rubber Package(s)
- 1 ROG key chain
The motherboard is housed on the top section, over the accessories, and has a plastic cover to protect it.
The ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO (Wi-Fi) motherboard features a very aggressive design scheme compared to the ROG Maximus XI HERO (Wi-Fi) which I reviewed here. The first glace reveals a much more solid design overall with bigger heatsinks and a full black color design which looks super impressive this time around.
The ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO is styled in complete black with slight glossy hints on the I/O and PCH covers. This is a top-tier product that retails at $399.99 US so expect lots of features packed inside this motherboard. The motherboard comes in the standard ATX form factor. You can note the aggressive design language of this motherboard all the way from top to bottom and while it is something that ASUS ROG Maximus series motherboards are known for, it wasn't seen in this form or shape on the entry-level ROG HERO ever before!
The board uses the LGA 1200 socket to support Intel Core processors. The socket is compatible only with Intel's 10th Generation core family but is expected to support future generation CPUs too. The socket has a protective cover on top of it that points out the exclusivity with Comet Lake 10th Gen CPUs and refrains users from running an older 8th or 9th generation CPUs as they won't fit in the socket at all and forcing them in the socket is only going to cause permanent damage to your motherboard.
Next to the socket are four DDR4 DIMM slots which can support up to 128 GB dual-channel memory. These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 4800 MHz (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation.
The motherboard packs a 14+2 (60A) Phase Extreme Engine Digi+ VRM supply with 45A micro-fine alloy chokes. The board also uses Micro-Fine Alloy Chokes and 10,000 hours rated black metallic capacitors. ASUS states that they don't rely on doublers like other manufacturers for its ROG Maximus XII VRM hierarchy, offering better support for Intel's mainstream high-core count platform.
As you can see, the VRMs are getting ample cooling from the three metallic heatsinks that are beefy in terms of overall size. This motherboard is designed for overclocking so expect a stable operation of the electrical circuitry when this board is running.
If you look in closely, the heatsink solution comes with heat pipe cooling that runs across the entire length of the dual heatsinks. The heat pipe forms a U-shape across the three heatsinks and features a large diameter to ensure more thermal coverage. This ensures that heat is dissipated faster across the three blocks to offer extra cooling.
ASUS is also using Digital RGB LEDs within the top I/O cover that gives a nice effect, emitting light through the I/O panel and front of the heatsinks when the motherboard is operational.
The CPU is supplied power through an 8+4 pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with over 250W of power. The Intel 10th Gen Unlocked CPUs are very power-hungry, consuming 125W at the base and up to 250W at boost frequencies while overclocking them would require even more power so the extra power input is a necessity rather than a feature on the high-end Z490 boards.
Expansion slots include three PCI Express 3.0 x16 (x16/x16/x4 electrical), three PCI Express 3.0 x1, and triple M.2 slots. The board can support 2-way multi-GPU (CrossFireX /SLI/NVLINK). The M.2 slots are rated to support NVMe PCIe gen3 x4 and Intel Optane series memory. ASUS is so far the only manufacturer that hasn't explicitly stated support for PCIe Gen 4.0 with the future generation of Intel CPUs.
ASUS is using their PCI-E Safe Slots on the sides of the expansion slots which provides protection to some extent. It adds more retention and shearing resistance by reinforcing the slots with metal plates. Aside from adding more protection, they do look really sweet. You can also note that the top two PCIe slots have CPU labels underneath them which shows that they are directly accessing PCIe lanes through the CPU rather than the PCH, making them the most ideal choice for your new GPU.
All three M.2 slots feature the M.2 heatsink that comes with a large metallic plate, acting as a heatsink and further includes a thermal pad that can sustain higher temperatures when storage devices (M.2 SSDs) are stressed for long durations. Once again, two of the M.2 slots are full-length while the one in the middle is a half-length slot.
The PCH is cooled off by a large metallic heatsink which runs next to the SATA ports. The PCH heatsink has embedded Digital LEDs and provides a good light show for those that are interested in RGBs trend. You can also turn off the LEDs entirely through ASUS's bundled software if you are not a fan of such LEDs.
The PCH heatsink is themed to represent the ASUS ROG Eye logo which offers a nice touch on the motherboard.
Storage options include six SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support a total of six different storage devices at once. Many fan headers and jumpers can be found beneath the storage ports.
ASUS is using the latest high-end SupremeFX S1220 CODEC which makes use of the ESS ES9023P DAC, Impedance sense for front and rear channels, 120dB SNR stereo playback output, 113dB SNR recording input, Sonic Studio III and Sonic Radar III, to deliver the most high-end, onboard sound system, a motherboard can offer.
The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.
- 1 x CPU Fan connector(s)
- 1 x CPU OPT Fan connector(s)
- 3 x Chassis Fan connector(s)
- 1 x AIO_PUMP connector
- 1 x H_AMP fan connector
- 1 x W_PUMP+ connector
- 1 x W_IN header
- 1 x W_OUT header
- 1 x W_FLOW header
- 1 x AAFP connector
- 2 x Aura RGB Strip Headers
- 2 x Addressable Gen 2 header(s)
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1(up to 5Gbps) connector(s) support(s) additional 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 port(s)
- 2 x USB 2.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 2.0 port(s)
- 3 x M.2 Socket 3
- 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(s)
- 1 x Thunderbolt header(s)
- 1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector(s)
- 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector(s)
- 1 x 4-pin ATX 12V Power connector(s)
- 1 x Thermal sensor connector(s)
- 1 x ReTry button
- 1 x System panel connector
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 front-panel connector
- 1 x Speaker connector
- 1 x Start button
- 1 x FlexKey button
ASUS is using the Intel WiFI 6 AX201 controller that offers wireless capabilities along with Bluetooth 5.1. In terms of I/O, you get a 5G (Aquantia AQC111C) ethernet port and a 1G Intel I219-V Ethernet port. There are a total of 17 USB ports to be found on the board with a single front panel USB 3.2 Gen 2 x2 port. You also get SupremeFX S1220 audio and a TB header on the motherboard. All three M.2 slots are cooled by heatsinks and you can find ROG specific features such as the power, reset, clear CMOS, and BIOS flashback buttons. Following is the full list of I/O:
- 1 x Marvell AQtion AQC111C 5Gb Ethernet
- 1 x Intel I219-V 1Gb Ethernet
- 1 x HDMI
- 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 2
- 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1
- 2 x USB 2.0
- 1 x Optical S/PDIF out
- 1 x Clear CMOS button(s)
- 1 x USB BIOS FlashBack Button(s)
- 1 x ASUS Wi-Fi Module
- 5 x Gold-plated audio jacks
As you can see, the rear panel comes with a pre-mounted I/O shield that additionally uses ASUS's ESD Guard technology for protection against electrostatic charges and also the TrueVolt USB tech that offers 5V to all USB ports stability, minimizing the risk of power fluctuations.
ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO AURA SYNC RGB System:
ASUS is using its AURA SYNC RGB technology to power the lighting system on the ROG Maximus XII series motherboards. There's a range of customization options available through the ROG app that can be downloaded directly from ASUS's official webpage.
In addition to the built-in RGB illumination, it also features onboard RGB headers and an addressable RGB header that allow the motherboard to be connected to compatible LED devices such as strip, CPU fans, coolers, chassis and so on. Users may also synchronize RGB LED devices across the AURA Sync-certified accessories to create their own unique lighting effects.
ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO Tear Down Shots:
The Gigabyte Z490 motherboard lineup features two products that are designed specifically for content creators. The first of these motherboards is Z490 VIsion D (Designare). The second board in Gigabyte's content creators lineup is the Z490 Vision G. This motherboard packs a 12 Phase VRM too which is powered by an 8+4 pin connector configuration. The board offers the same memory support of 128 GB capacities and DDR4-4666 MHz. Storage options on this board include 6 SATA III ports.
Gigabyte Z490 Vision G Features:
- Supports 10th Gen Intel Core Series Processors
- Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs with Ultra Durable Memory Armor
- Intel Optane Memory Ready
- Direct 12 Phases Digital VRM Solution with DrMOS
- Micro-Block Thermal Design with Direct Touch Heatpipe II
- Lightning-Fast Intel Thunderbolt 3 AIC Support
- Intel 2.5GbE LAN with cFosSpeed Internet Accelerator Software
- Multi-Way Graphics Support with Dual Armor and Ultra Durable Design
- ALC1220-VB Enhance 114dB(Rear)/110dB(Front) SNR in Microphone with High-End Audio Capacitors
- Dual Ultra-Fast M.2 with PCIe Gen3 x4 interface with Thermal Guards
- Front USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Header
- RGB FUSION 2.0 Support Addressable LED & RGB LED Strips
- Smart Fan 5 Features Multiple Temperature Sensors, Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP
- Q-Flash Plus Updates BIOS without Installing the CPU, Memory and Graphics Card
- CEC 2019 Ready, Save the Power as Easy as One Click
Expansion slots include three PCIe 3.0 x16, two PCIe 3.0 x1, and triple M.2 slots of which two feature Thermal Guard heatsinks. The motherboard feature a very pleasing white color scheme and also makes use of RGB Fusion to light up the LEDs under the PCH and I/O cover. The VRM heatsinks are made of aluminum metal and feature a brushed silver coating which looks great.
I/O on the motherboard includes three USB 3.2 Gen 2 (1 Type-C + 2 Type-A), five USB 3.2 Gen 1, 2 USB 2.0 ports, a 2.5Gb (Intel I225-V) Ethernet LAN port and a 7.1 channel HD audio jack. This one will be priced at $199.99 US.
The Gigabyte Z490 Vision G also comes in a standard cardboard package. The front is themed in white and orange with a very neat layout since this motherboard is aimed at content creators & professionals. The front side also lists down support for Intel's 10th generation Core processors.
The backside of the package lists down the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as the 12 Phase Digital VRM solution, Next-Gen PCIe slot design and Intel 2.5 GbE LAN ports.
Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories at the bottom and motherboard at the top. It is very easy to access although the accessories are a bit scattered and things could get messy sorting out the various additions.
There are a few accessories included in the package. Following is the full list of accessories in the package.
- User's manual
- Driver Disk
- 4 x SATA III Cables
The motherboard is housed on the top section, over the accessories, and has a plastic cover to protect it. First impression of the motherboard reveals a product, unlike anything Gigabyte, has designed so far. It has a very neat look to it and looks rather impressive which I couldn't say will hold true for other $200 US motherboards in the Z490 segment.
The Gigabyte Z490 Vision G is styled in black and white accents. The motherboard looks like a top-tier product which is impressive considering it costs $200 US. It is also unlike anything Gigabyte has done with its creator series before. The motherboard comes in the standard ATX form factor.
The board uses the LGA 1200 socket to support Intel Core processors. The socket is compatible only with Intel's 10th Generation core family but is expected to support future generation CPUs too. The socket has a protective cover on top of it that points out the exclusivity with Comet Lake 10th Gen CPUs and refrains users from running an older 8th or 9th generation CPUs as they won't fit in the socket at all and forcing them in the socket is only going to cause permanent damage to your motherboard.
Next to the socket are four DDR4 DIMM slots which can support up to 128 GB dual-channel memory. These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 5000 MHz (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation.
The Gigabyte Z490 Vision G packs a 12 phase Dr.MOS VRM. The design is packed with 2 phase power for the DRAM and uses 50A power chokes, Premium Memory Alloy Chokes, Tantalum Polymer Capacitors array, and Nichicon 12K capacitors that deliver un-precedented stability and overclocking capabilities.
As you can see, the VRMs are getting ample cooling from the two Aluminum heatsinks that are just the right fit for this motherboard.
While there is no active cooling, the boar does come with a heat pipe solution that interconnects the two sets of heatsinks featured on the Z490 Vision G, one of which is a pure aluminum block and the other which has an aluminum fin-array based micro-block. These heatsinks feature a highly conductive thermal pad to dissipate heat away from the VRMs effectively.
The CPU is supplied power through an 8+4 pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 250 Watts of power. The Intel 10th Gen Unlocked CPUs are very power-hungry, consuming 125W at the base and up to 250W at boost frequencies while overclocking them would require even more power so the extra power input is a necessity rather than a feature on the high-end Z490 boards.
Expansion slots include three PCI Express 3.0 x16, two PCI Express 3.0 x1 and two M.2 slots. The board can support three-way multi-GPU (CrossFireX / SLI). The M.2 slots are rated to support NVMe PCIe gen3 x4 and Intel Optane series memory.
Gigabyte is using a metallic cover on the sides of the expansion slots as part of its Ultra Durable Armor which provides protection to some extent. It adds more retention and shearing resistance by reinforcing the slots with metal plates. Aside from adding more protection, they do look really sweet.
ASUS is also confirming support for PCIe Gen 4.0 on the entirety of its Z490 motherboard lineup which will be available with the launch of Intel's Future 12 Gen CPUs codenamed Rocket Lake. For this purpose, the motherboard features key technologies such as PCIe Gen 4 Re-Drivers, slots, and clock generators which enable PCIe Gen 4.0 on the top Hyper M.2 and top two PCIe x16 slots which are also clearly labeled with Gen 4 support.
The two M.2 slots are cooled off by the thermal pad and aluminum baseplate cooling. This will ensure stable operation for M.2 storage devices. The thermal adhesive has a plastic cover over them which needs to be removed before using them with the storage devices.
The Z490 PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink which also features a micro-fine block made out of aluminum alloy. The heatsink features the same neat aesthetics as the motherboards and looks great in white colors and an Iridescent panel on the side.
The PCH heatsink doesn't come with RGB LEDs but that's not a huge deal as there are RGB ports for those who want to use the flashy features inside their PCs.
Storage options include six SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support eight different storage devices at once. There is also a single USB 3.0 and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C front panel header on the motherboard.
Gigabyte is using the ALC1220 Audio Codec for sound enthusiasts. There is a range of audio technologies available on the board which include 120dB SNR Rear HD audio with smart head-phone AMP.
The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.
- 1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector
- 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
- 1 x 4-pin ATX 12V power connector
- 1 x CPU fan header
- 1 x water cooling CPU fan header
- 3 x system fan headers
- 2 x addressable LED strip headers
- 2 x RGB LED strip headers
- 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
- 2 x M.2 Socket 3 connectors
- 1 x front panel header
- 1 x front panel audio header
- 1 x S/PDIF Out header
- 1 x USB Type-C port, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 header
- 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
- 1 x Trusted Platform Module header (For the GC-TPM2.0 SPI / GC-TPM2.0 SPI 2.0 module only)
- 2 x Thunderbolt add-in card connectors
- 1 x serial port header
- 1 x Clear CMOS jumper
Gigabyte is using the Intel's WiFi 6 802.11ax WiFi Module to power wireless connectivity such as 802.11ax WiFi (2.4G WiFi) and Bluetooth 5.1. In terms of Ethernet, there is a single Intel I225-V powered 2.5GbE LAN port on the motherboard.
I/O on the motherboard includes three USB 3.2 Gen 2 (1 Type-C + 2 Type-A), five USB 3.2 Gen 1, 2 USB 2.0 ports, a 2.5Gb (Intel I225-V) Ethernet LAN port and a 7.1 channel HD audio jack.
Gigabyte Z490 Vision G RGB Fusion 2.0:
Gigabyte is using its RGB Fusion 2.0 technology to power the lighting system on the Z490 Vision G. There's a range of customization available through the app which can be downloaded directly from AORUS's official webpage.
In addition to the built-in RGB illumination, it also features two onboard RGB headers and two RGB LED strip headers that allows the motherboard to be connected to compatible LED devices such as strip, CPU fans, coolers, chassis and so on. Users may also synchronize RGB LED devices across the RGB Fusion Sync-certified accessories to create their own unique lighting effects.
Gigabyte Z490 Vision G Tear-Down Shots:
For testing, we used the latest Intel 10th Gen CPUs which were sent to us by Intel. The Intel 10th Gen Comet Lake family comes with a higher core count on the mainstream platform but prices are close to the predecessors in the same segment. We were also sent three Z490 motherboards from ASUS, ASRock, and Gigabyte which will be featured in this review.
Intel 10th Gen Comet Lake Test Setup:
| Processors | Intel Core i9-10900K (Retail Chip) Intel Core i7-10700K (ES Chip) Intel Core i5-10600K (Retail Chip) Intel Core i9-10980XE Intel Core i9-9900KS Intel Core i9-9900K Intel Core i7-8700K Intel Core i5-8600K AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3900X AMD Ryzen 7 3700X AMD Ryzen 5 3600X AMD Ryzen 7 2700X |
|---|---|
| Motherboard | ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO WIFI (Intel 10th Gen) ASRock Z490 Taichi (Intel 10th Gen) Gigabyte Z490 Vision G (Intel 10th Gen) MSI X299 Creator (Intel 10th Gen X Series) Z390 AORUS Master (Intel 8th/9th Gen) MSI MEG X570 Unify (AMD Ryzen 3000) ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate (AMD Ryzen 2000) |
| Power Supply | ASUS ROG THOR 1200W |
| Solid State Drive | Samsung SSD 960 EVO M.2 (512 GB) |
| Memory | G.SKILL Trident Z RGB Series 32 GB (4 x 8GB) CL16 3600 MHz |
| Video Cards | MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Lightning Z |
| Cooling Solutions | ASUS ROG Ryujin 240 |
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit |
Our test rig includes the Samsung 960 EVO 512 GB SSD that boots up our main OS while a 2 TB Seagate HDD is used for demonstration purposes for the Intel Optane memory. In addition to these, we are running an MSI GeForce GTX 2080 Ti Lightning Z graphics card, an ASUS ROG Thor 1200W power supply and 16 GB of G.Skill provided Trident Z Royal series memory which runs with a clock speed of DDR4-4000 MHz. For cooling, we used the ASUS Ryujin 240.
We won't be focusing on Intel 14m architecture in this review since it is entirely the same chip as Skylake along with minor improvements. The Skylake / Kaby Lake architecture analysis can be seen in detail here. For overclocking, I made the following tweaks to the CPUs on the respective boards:
Intel Core i9-10900K 10 Core CPU:
- ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO: 52 x 100 at 1.41V
- ASRock Z490 Taichi: 52 x 100 at 1.41V
- Gigabyte Z490 Vision G: 52 x 100 at 1.41V
Intel Core i7-10700K 8 Core CPU:
- ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO: 52 x 100 at 1.35V
- ASRock Z490 Taichi: 52 x 100 at 1.35V
- Gigabyte Z490 Vision G: 52 x 100 at 1.35V
Intel Core i5-10600K 6 Core CPU:
- ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO: 52 x 100 at 1.22V
- ASRock Z490 Taichi: 52 x 100 at 1.22V
- Gigabyte Z490 Vision G: 52 x 100 at 1.22V
3DMark Time Spy CPU Performance
3DMark Firestrike is the widely popular video card benchmark test for Windows that is designed to measure your PC’s gaming performance. While the overall benchmark is great, the utility also provides a good indication of the CPU performance.
Blender
Blender is the free and open-source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation.
Cinebench R20
Cinebench is a real-world cross-platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s hardware capabilities. Improvements to Cinebench Release 20 reflect the overall advancements to CPU and rendering technology in recent years, providing a more accurate measurement of Cinema 4D’s ability to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and modern processor features available to the average user.
Cinebench R15
CINEBENCH is a real-world cross-platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON’s award-winning animation software CINEMA 4D, which is used extensively by studios and production houses worldwide for 3D content creation. MAXON software has been used in blockbuster movies such as Iron Man 3, Oblivion, Life of Pi or Prometheus, and many more.
Geekbench 5
Geekbench 5, the latest major upgrade to Primate Labs’ easy-to-use cross-platform benchmark, is now available for download. Geekbench 5 allows you to measure your system’s power more accurately than ever before.
HandBrake
HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.
PCMark 10
PCMark 10 is a complete PC benchmarking solution for Windows 10. It includes several tests that combine individual workloads covering storage, computation, image and video manipulation, web browsing and gaming. Specifically designed for the full range of PC hardware from netbooks and tablets to notebooks and desktops, PCMark 10 offers complete Windows PC performance testing for home and business use.
POV-Ray
The POV-Ray package includes detailed instructions on using the ray-tracer and creating scenes. Many stunning scenes are included with POV-Ray so you can start creating images immediately when you get the package.
SuperPI
Super PI is used by many overclockers to test the performance and stability of their computers. In the overclocking community, the standard program provides a benchmark for enthusiasts to compare “world record” pi calculation times and demonstrate their overclocking abilities. The program can also be used to test the stability of a certain overclock speed.
WinRAR
WinRAR is a powerful archive manager. It can backup your data and reduce the size of email attachments, decompresses RAR, ZIP, and other files downloaded from the Internet and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file format.
X264 HD Encode Benchmark
This benchmark measures the encoding performance of the processor. It offers a standardized benchmark for the clip as well as the encoder used is uniform.
y-Cruncher Compute Benchmark
y-cruncher is a program that can compute Pi and other constants to trillions of digits. It is the first of its kind that is multi-threaded and scalable to multi-core systems. Ever since its launch in 2009, it has become a common benchmarking and stress-testing application for overclockers and hardware enthusiasts.
3DMark Time Spy CPU Performance
3DMark Firestrike is the widely popular video card benchmark test for Windows that is designed to measure your PC’s gaming performance. While the overall benchmark is great, the utility also provides a good indication of the CPU performance.
Blender
Blender is the free and open-source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation.
Cinebench R20
Cinebench is a real-world cross-platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s hardware capabilities. Improvements to Cinebench Release 20 reflect the overall advancements to CPU and rendering technology in recent years, providing a more accurate measurement of Cinema 4D’s ability to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and modern processor features available to the average user.
Cinebench R15
CINEBENCH is a real-world cross-platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON’s award-winning animation software CINEMA 4D, which is used extensively by studios and production houses worldwide for 3D content creation. MAXON software has been used in blockbuster movies such as Iron Man 3, Oblivion, Life of Pi or Prometheus, and many more.
Geekbench 5
Geekbench 5, the latest major upgrade to Primate Labs’ easy-to-use cross-platform benchmark, is now available for download. Geekbench 5 allows you to measure your system’s power more accurately than ever before.
HandBrake
HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.
PCMark 10
PCMark 10 is a complete PC benchmarking solution for Windows 10. It includes several tests that combine individual workloads covering storage, computation, image and video manipulation, web browsing and gaming. Specifically designed for the full range of PC hardware from netbooks and tablets to notebooks and desktops, PCMark 10 offers complete Windows PC performance testing for home and business use.
POV-Ray
The POV-Ray package includes detailed instructions on using the ray-tracer and creating scenes. Many stunning scenes are included with POV-Ray so you can start creating images immediately when you get the package.
SuperPI
Super PI is used by many overclockers to test the performance and stability of their computers. In the overclocking community, the standard program provides a benchmark for enthusiasts to compare “world record” pi calculation times and demonstrate their overclocking abilities. The program can also be used to test the stability of a certain overclock speed.
WinRAR
WinRAR is a powerful archive manager. It can backup your data and reduce the size of email attachments, decompresses RAR, ZIP, and other files downloaded from the Internet and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file format.
X264 HD Encode Benchmark
This benchmark measures the encoding performance of the processor. It offers a standardized benchmark for the clip as well as the encoder used is uniform.
Ashes of The Singularity
Stardock's Ashes of the Singularity RTS title is a new take on the historical genre. The game incorporates several things that many pc gamers have been curious about and anxious to try for themselves such as Explicit Multi-Adapter Support and full Asynchronous Compute under DirectX 12 API. We tested the game at 1440P with 4x MSAA on Crazy Settings under DirectX 12.
Battlefield V
Battlefield V brings back the action of the World War 2 shooter genre. Using the latest Frostbite tech, the game does a good job of looking gorgeous in all ways possible. From the open-world environments to the intense and gun-blazing action, this multiplayer and single-player FPS title is one of the best looking Battlefields to date. The game was tested at max settings at 1440p.
DOOM
In 2016, Id finally released Doom. My testing wouldn’t be complete without including this title. It's a hell fest featuring fast-paced FPS action and tons of demons to kill. The latest title is based on both Vulkan and OpenGL APIs that take advantage of the latest multi-core and multi-GPU upgrades.
GTA V
GTA V is one handsomely optimized title for the PC audience. It's scalable across various PC configurations and delivers an impressive frame rate. Rockstar did an amazing job with the PC build of GTA V and it comes with a large array of settings that can be configured by PC gamers. We tested the title at 1440P with everything set to Ultra and 4x MSAA.
Mass Effect Andromeda
Being a huge fan of the Mass Effect series, I was highly anticipating the arrival of Andromeda to store shelves. Now that it’s here, I put the fastest gaming card to the test. Using Frostbite, the latest Mass Effect title looks incredibly gorgeous and the open-world settings on the different planets immerses you a lot.
Metro Exodus
Metro Exodus continues the journey of Artyom through the nuclear wasteland of Russia and its surroundings. This time, you are set over the Metro, going through various regions and different environments. The game is one of the premier titles to feature NVIDIA’s RTX technology and does well in showcasing the ray-tracing effects in all corners. The game was tested at Ultra setting with RTX settings turned off at 1440p.
Shadow of The Tomb Raider
Sequel to The Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow of The Tomb Raider is visually enhanced with an updated Foundation Engine that delivers realistic facial animations and the most gorgeous environments ever seen in a Tomb Raider Game. The game is a technical marvel and really shows the power of its graphics engine in the latest title.
Sid Meir's Civilization VI
Civilization VI is the pinnacle of the series. It's featured huge, sweeping changes, and nothing was left out. Everything has found a purpose, they all work together in tandem but also have a reason to stand alone. It uses a more fleshed out engine that now supports DirectX 12 capabilities. We tested the game with every setting maxed out (4x MSAA, 4096x4096 shadow textures) at 1440P in DirectX 12.
Watch Dogs 2
Watch Dogs 2 once again takes us on a hacking tour, but this time in the city of San Francisco. Using a very evolved version of the OPUS engine the developers should have a better grasp of things this go around than they did with Watch Dogs. The new engine incorporates several NVIDIA Gameworks technologies and is seen as one of the most graphics-intensive titles to launch this year. We tested the game on a mix of Ultra and high settings at 1440P (Temporal Filtering Disabled).
The Intel Comet Lake CPUs reuse the Skylake architecture and the 14nm process node. The higher clock speeds and increased core counts on the existing process node would result in a drastic level of increase in overall power consumption as can be seen in the charts below.
The Intel Comet Lake processors feature higher clock speeds and more cores, this means that the temperatures can directly be affected by the updated design. In terms of packaging, the CPUs ship with the same STIM or Soldered Thermal Interface Material as the 9th Gen Unlocked chips.
In short, Intel has gone back to the soldered design with higher quality thermal interface material between the die and IHS so that should technically lead to better temperatures under overclocking and stress situations. The results were carried out with the ASUS Ryujin 240 AIO liquid cooler:
Intel's 10th Generation Desktop CPUs are finally here and their main competitor, the AMD Ryzen 3000 series has been out for almost a year now. The Intel 10th Gen Desktop CPUs remain largely similar to the 9th Generation Desktop CPUs in terms of process and architecture but Intel tried to give its best with its last Skylake revision.
Aside from the nominal clock speed improvements, consumers should expect simultaneous multi-threading enabled across all desktop 'Core' parts and each Core series segment now offering more performance value than its predecessor. Intel tried to market its 9th Generation Desktop CPUs as the best gaming chips but in everything aside from games, the Ryzen 3000 CPUs simply dominated them with better multi-threading performance. Intel only released the Core i9 SKUs with SMT and while they were deemed as great gaming chips, the lead isn't worth an upgrade for users who are running a Gen, or two, older CPU.
Intel has also released its first 10 core and 20 thread mainstream desktop CPU, the Core i9-10900K which we had a taste of in this review so let's talk about how each Intel CPU fared against its older predecessor and AMD Ryzen 3000 competitor.
Intel Core i9-10900K vs AMD Ryzen 9 3900X (The Enthusiast $450-$500 US Segment Battle)
The Intel Core i9-10900K is the flagship of the lineup but despite its upgrade to 10 cores and 20 threads, it still couldn't best AMD's Ryzen 9 mainstream chips in terms of core count. The AMD Ryzen 3000 CPUs scale up to 16 cores and 32 threads with the Core i9-10900K's competitor, the Ryzen 9 3900X, offering 12 cores and 24 threads at a similar price point. The issue is once again with an aging 14nm architecture and Intel's reliance on monolithic designs for mainstream parts rather than a chiplet infrastructure that AMD has gone with.
With that said, Intel's Core i9-10900K blazes past the competition with up to 5.3 GHz (single) and 4.9 GHz (all-core boost clocks). The way these frequencies operate is very dependent on the cooling & the type of motherboard you're running. The TVB (Thermal Velocity Boost) implementation will only come in to play when the chip is operating under 70C at load and well keeping this beast of a chip is a really hard job which is only possible with high-end AIO liquid coolers or custom-loop solutions.
In terms of performance, the Intel Core i9-10900K is the new dominant force in gaming benchmarks, leading all performance metrics, but while this statement is true of it being the world's fastest gaming CPU, it seems like its competitors or even the rest of the 10th Gen processors that I got to test were not that far behind. In multi-threaded workloads, I saw a definite increase over the Core i9-9900K/KS & you do get close to a Ryzen 9 3900X but ultimately, in a majority of tests, the Ryzen 9 3900X does fair much better due to its higher core and thread count.
Intel's Core i9-10900K is hands down the fastest gaming processor on the planet.
Now we have to talk about the elephant in the room, the thermals, and power numbers. Just like the increase in clock speeds, the TDP scales up to 125W (PL1) & 250W (PL2) and so does the total power consumption which peaks at around 400W, almost 60W higher than the Ryzen 9 3900X. It looks like the thermals aren't that great either which, as explained earlier, need much better AIO coolers to stay under optimal running frequencies. You have to keep that in mind especially if you plan on overclocking the 10900K which does yield some good results when pushed to 5.2 GHz all-core frequencies but you'd see some heavy throttling at stock configuration if you aren't keeping this chip properly cooled.
Over the Core i9-9900K, the Core i9-10900K offers a great upgrade with more cores, more threads, even faster clock speeds, and impressive gaming performance. The additional cores & threads do translate into better multi-threading performance, outperforming the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12 core CPU in many workloads. But as Intel's reliance on 14nm increases, so do the thermals which are at their worst since the first Skylake CPU back in 2015 and power consumption figures that are going to cause a huge surplus of watts in your power bills. The Core i9-10900K, especially the KF variant, offers slightly better value than the Ryzen 9 3900X in terms of overall performance so if you are in the market for a fast gaming setup with lots of cores/threads on a mainstream platform, the Core i9-10900K is the chip for you.
Intel Core i7-10700K vs AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (The High-End $300-$350 US Segment Battle)
Next up, we have the Core i7-10700K which is essentially a slightly faster Core i9-9900Ks for around $350 US (KF variant). The Intel Core i7-10700K is not much different than its Coffee Lake sibling but costs $150 US less which is great considering the Core i9-9900KS was the fastest gaming processor after the Core i9-10900K. Now the Core i9-9900KS is replaced by the Core i7-10700K for a cheaper price point and if you take a closer look, you'd see some key differences which might impact its use in a normal gaming workload scenario.
The Core i7-10700K has an increase of 44% in its PL2 wattage rating, all the way up from 159W (i9-9900K) to 229W (10700K). It has an increase Tau of 56 seconds which means that the CPU will be able to retain its PL2 rated boost clocks for a longer duration compared to 28 seconds on the Core i9-9900KS. If you take only these two things into consideration, the Core i7-10700K is an impressive processor, more so due to the fact that it is priced quite reasonably against the Ryzen 7 series line.
The Intel Core i7-10700K is the best 8 core processor for gamers and productivity usage. With clock speeds exceeding 5 GHz, the 10700K is one of the best 8 core chips for under $400 US.
The Intel Core i7-10700K scales well ahead of the Ryzen 7 3700X, almost reaching AMD Ryzen 9 3900X caliber performance which is impressive for this $350 US chip. The gaming performance keeps up with the much faster Core i9-10900K. For those who have been running an older 6 core part, the 8 core Core i7-10700K would offer a decent upgrade path now that the configuration is well below $400 US. AMD still offers the cheapest 8 core offerings with much better thermals and power numbers but Intel has the faster chip this time around.
Even overclocking the i7-10700K was a total breeze as I hit 5.2 GHz across all cores without a hiccup. That said, a good cooler will make you go long ways with the Core i7-10700K which is currently Intel's best 10th Gen CPU option to look out for.
Intel Core i5-10600K vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X (The Mainstream $200-$250 US Segment Battle)
The Core i5-10600K is the cheapest unlocked SKU that Intel is offering this time around. The Core i5-10600K blows away its predecessor simply due to the fact that it has both higher clock speeds out of the box and an SMT enabled design which the 9th Gen Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs lacked.
It won't be a surprise if the Core i5-10600K comes close to the Core i7-9700K in many benchmarks but unfortunately, I didn't have these two 9th Gen CPUs at the time of conducting this review. I did have the Core i7-8700K which makes more of a sense for comparison since this chip hit retail at around $400 US and featured similar specs with SMT enabled.
Blazing past the competing 6 core processors, the Core i5-10600K offers incredible performance for under $300 US with gaming capabilities on par with the Core i9-9900KS.
AMD should be thanked once again for bringing the price of Intel's 6 core CPU down from $400+ to around $250 and the main reason has been the remarkable sales figures of the Ryzen 5 series that have nearly disrupted the Core i5 segment. So the main battle here is between the Core i5-10600K and the AMD Ryzen 5 3600X. I am pleased to say that after benchmarking through various tests, the Core i5-10600K is the faster chip of the two, even displacing the once flagship Core i7-8700K at a much lower price point.
The Z490 motherboards deserve their own breakdown. Following is my verdict on the three Z490 boards that I initially received for testing. Do note that we will have more Z490 board reviews in the coming weeks so stay tuned for them too.
ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO WiFI ($399.99 US)
The latest Maximus XII HERO from ASUS ROG brings a lot of brand new features. Compared to the previous generation, the latest ROG is a definite improvement in all possible ways, with a better & more high-end design than ever.
The M12H has a 14+2 phase power delivery rated at 60A (each) while the M11H had a 6 phase and 50A (each) design. You get better heatsinks with more heat pipe coverage, four DDR4 slots that can support up to 128 GB capacities at speeds of 4800 MHz versus 4400 MHz on its predecessor. There are also triple M.2 slots compared to just two on the M11H and all three are covered by their heat sink blocks. Expansion slots configuration remains the same but you do go support for PCIe Gen 4 which will be enabled with future processors that only the LGA 1200 socket can support, not the LGA 1151 socket.
I/O is also strong with dual networking ports (1GbE/5GbE) compared to a single 1GbE LAN port on the M11H. There's also WiFI 6 onboard which is faster than the solution featured on the M11H. In terms of USB connectivity, you get four USB 3.2 Gen 2, four USB 3.2 Gen 1, and two USB 2.0 ports which are a definite improvement over the 4/2/2 configuration on the M11H. You also get 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1, and four USB 2.0 front panel connectors compared to 1/2/2 config for the M11H.
Overclocking on the board is a breeze if you consider the extra VRM cooling that the heatsinks provide and the overall design is more in-line with the higher-end ROG motherboards & is truly impressive to see that on a ROG HERO series motherboard. The BIOS for ASUS ROG series is fine-tuned for enthusiasts however, a general user might get overburdened by the excessive options that the BIOS provides.
Finally, we have the price which has seen a massive increase over the previous model. The ROG Maximus XI HERO WiFI costs $299.99 US whereas the ROG Maximus XII HERO WiFI costs $399.99 US. It looks like ASUS has revised both, the price segment and the specifications of its ROG HERO motherboards for both Intel and AMD platforms. Currently, the ROG Crosshair VIII HERO WiFi for AMD Ryzen 3000 CPUs costs anywhere around $360 US which is a fairly decent price over its MSRP of $379.99 US but the pricing is solely based on availability with some retailers having it listed for over $500 US which is a huge markup. The ROG Maximus XII HERO is definitely more feature-rich than its Crosshair brother but is slightly more expensive.
Overall, the ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO is one of the most solid ROG HERO offerings by ASUS in a long time. It offers all the necessary features that are required to gamers and enthusiasts, offering best-in-class overclocking than the rest of the Z490 $300 US motherboards.
ASRock Z490 Taichi ($369.99 US)
ASRock seems to have gone all out with its latest Taichi offering based on the Z490 chipset. The Z490 series drops the look from the Z390 series and goes with the one introduced on the X570 Taichi motherboards which are by far the best Taichi design so far. You get an updated 15 phase (50A) VRM vs a 12 phase (50A) power delivery, four DDR4 slots that support up to 4666 MHz vs 4200 MHz, and a heavily improved XXL Aluminum heatsink design. The LGA 1200 socketed CPUs require more power and for this purpose, the Z490 Taichi is outfitted with a dual 8 pin connector configuration vs an 8+4 on the Z390 Taichi. The motherboard has an even better power delivery than the X570 Taichi which is impressive to see.
An overclock of 5.2 GHz across all the 10th Gen CPUs wasn't hard to come by on the Z490 Taichi. The new and subtle BIOS side enhancements are always a warm welcome. Once again, the VRM cooling provides great results if you can get used to RPM shooting up randomly.
Coming back to the heatsink design which I mentioned, while the X570 Taichi features active PCH cooling, the Z490 Taichi features active VRM cooling. The Z490 Taichi integrates three fans on the VRM heatsinks, two vertical on the top heatsink, and one horizontal on the side heatsink. In my tests, the Z490 Taichi VRMs actually produced lower heat due to extra cooling but at the cost of higher noise output and unusual RPM shoot when the CPU was stressed at random intervals. This did cause some annoyance but most of the time, the fans were off thanks to the implementation of 0dB technology. You can definitely turn the active fans off through the BIOS but if you're going to overclock, then it might become necessary to keep them up and running.
The I/O on the Z490 Taichi is better than the X570 Taichi and Z390 Taichi. Featuring 3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 and 5 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports compared to just 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports on the X570 Taichi & Z390 Taichi but both motherboards do come with an additional USB 3.2 Gen 1 port. There are also more front-panel USB 3.2 ports on the motherboard which include 6 on the Z490 Taichi, 5 on the X570 Tachi & 3 on the X570 Taichi. All three motherboards have WiFi capabilities but its only the Z490 Taichi that takes advantage of the Intel WiFi 6 technology. LAN options include a 1GbE and 2.5GbE port on the Z490 Taichi which is better than the X570's single 1GbE LAN port but slightly inferior to the Z390 Taichi Ultimate's triple LAN port config, offering two Gigabit and a single 10GbE LAN connector. The Z390 Taichi Ultimate lacks a pre-installed rear-panel I/O which is a standard on the X570 and Z490 series motherboards.
With that said, the Z490 Taichi is definitely the most expensive Taichi motherboard produced for the mainstream segment. Retailing at $369 US, this is a $169 US price increase over the $299.99 US Z390 Taichi Ultimate and the X570 Taichi. However, there's a certain supply issue going on for X570 motherboards which have led to retailers selling the said boards with a huge markup. The ASRock X570 Taichi is currently out of stock at Newegg and the 3rd party sellers have listed it for $599.99 US.
So as an alternative, the Z490 Taichi is definitely the more reasonable option to go for if you're into the market for a Taichi board although I would select some other option in this price range as the Taichi Z490 is simply put a very expensive motherboard and ASRock has various options for under $300 US such as the Phantom Gaming Velocita and Extreme 4 that offer similar specs. The ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO in comparison is a more impressive option for slightly more or if you're looking for something more affordable, then ASRock's Z490 Extreme4 is a solid 10th Gen option for under $200 US. The ASRock Z490 Taichi is superior to the Z390 Taichi in all aspects, even outclassing the X570 Taichi but the $170 US premium is just a bit too much for this motherboard.
Gigabyte Z490 Vision G ($199.99 US)
The Gigabyte Z490 Vision G is the lowest priced Z490 motherboard I got to test, retailing at $199.99 US which makes it a far more compelling option for the mainstream audience. The board carries a good VRM with 12 phases rated at 50A along with the use of premium components. You get DDR4 DIMM slots that can support up to 128 GB capacities at speeds of up to 5000 MHz which is super impressive for a $200 US board.
I/O is solid with four USB 3.2 Gen 2, 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1, and 2 USB 2.0 on the rear and 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 / 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 front panel headers. You also get four additional USB 2.0 front panel headers on the motherboard. The rear panel comes with a pre-installed I/O shield and has additional ports such as 2.5GbE Networking switch, HD audio jacks, HDMI, DisplayPort, and support for Thunderbolt 3.
The most impressive thing about the Gigabyte Z490 Vision G is the new creator aesthetic, featuring a white and black design with a subtle RGB implementation. The VRM heatsinks are made up of all aluminum alloy and use a brushed 'SLIVER' (misprinted Silver) colors. Two of the M.2 slots feature full-length heatsinks with the top-most featuring Gen 4 tier hardware which will be available with Intel's future core processors on the LGA 1200 socket.
Even when it comes to overclocking, I had no issue running all three chips at 5.2 GHz, making the Z490 Vision G a great board for those who want some extra performance out of their chips. When it comes to pricing and features, the Gigabyte Z490 Vision G goes easy on the wallet while providing you with all the necessary features that you'd ever need in your PC.
The post Intel Comet Lake Core i9-10900K, Core i7-10700K, Core i5-10600K CPU Review Ft. ASRock Z490 Taichi, ASUS ROG Maximus XII HERO & Gigabyte Z490 Vision G by Hassan Mujtaba appeared first on Wccftech.
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