Here are the ASUS Z490 boards with beefed up VRMs to support the 10th Gen Intel Core CPUs!
The 10th Gen Intel Core processors has just been launched, and as you might have realized, you will need a new motherboard to go with them. Well, fret not, as ASUS already has a full lineup of Intel Z490 motherboards with full support for everything up to the 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10900K. Take a look at the ASUS Z490 boards that ASUS Malaysia will be bringing in to Malaysia soon.
ASUS ROG Maximus XII Series
As we enter the 12th generation of ASUS’ stellar ROG Maximus motherboards, we are looking at an absolutely overkill set of features. That includes up to 16 90A power stages and MicroFine Alloy chocks to deliver stable power to the 10th Gen Intel Core processors. ASUS also implemented ASUS OptiMem III and its daisy-chain topology to deliver higher memory clocks of 4800 MHz and above.
ASUS Malaysia will be bringing in the ASUS ROG Maximus XII Extreme, ROG Maximus XII Hero and ROG Maximus XII Hero (WiFi).
ASUS ROG Maximus XII Extreme
As the flagship of the ROG Maximus XII family, it comes with the aforementioned 16 90A power stages. All of that feeds the CPU cores, as there is no support for the integrated graphics on the ROG Maximus XII Extreme. There are also a slew of on-board buttons, allowing you to overclock without breaking a sweat.
For connectivity, you get a nice assortment of ports including a next-gen USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port that can deliver up to 20 Gbps of bandwidth. There is also a Marvell 10 GbE LAN controller along with an Intel Ethernet I225-V for 2.5 Gb Ethernet. The ROG Maximus XII Extreme will also be bundled with a ThunderboltEX 3-TR card to enable you to take advantage of Thunderbolt 3 devices.
ROG Maximus XII Formula
For those who want to setup a custom liquid cooling system, well the ROG Maximus XII Formula is the board to get. It offers a CrossChill EK III waterblock over its VRM developed in partnership with EK Water Blocks. This allows the 16 70A power stages on the ROG Maximus XII Formula to be cooled a lot more effectively than on regular air-cooled designs.
Most of the overclocking features are similar to the ROG Maximus XII Extreme, and the connectivity options are similar too. You don’t get the Thunderbolt 3 add-in card though, which might be a bummer for those who just prefer the aesthetic of the ROG Maximus XII Formula.
ROG Maximus XII Hero (WiFi)
The “baby” of the ROG Maximus XII family, the ROG Maximus XII Hero (WiFi) is the entry-level ROG board for this generation. Of course, an entry-level ROG board is equivalent to many premium boards from the competition, so don’t overlook this one just yet. Power delivery is courtesy of 14 +2 power stages, with the two going to the integrated graphics. Yes, the ROG Maximus XII Hero (WiFi) also stands out as the only ROG board to support the integrated graphics on the 10th Gen Intel Core processors.
Connectivity is pared back a little, with a 1GbE Intel I219-V controller paired with a Marvell AQC111C 5GbE controller. You still get WiFi 6 with an Intel WiFi 6 AX201, so I guess all is well?
ASUS ROG Strix Z490 Series
Moving further down the stack we see the ROG Strix boards. ASUS Malaysia will be bringing in a total of four boards from the ROG Strix Z490 family, namely the ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming, ROG Strix Z490-I Gaming, ROG Strix Z490-A Gaming and the ROG Strix Z490-G Gaming.
All the ROG Strix Z490 boards offer support for integrated graphics, but the standout features being the ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming’s 14+2 power delivery system, the ROG Strix Z490-A Gaming’s white bits, the ROG Strix Z490-G Gaming’s mATX form factor and the ROG Strix Z490-I Gaming offering a 8+2 power stage configuration in a mITX form factor.
ASUS TUF Gaming Z490-Plus (WiFi)
Designed for endurance, the ASUS TUF Gaming Z490-Plus (WiFi) features 12+2 teamed power stages with DrMOS components, TUF capacitors and ProCool solid-core power connectors. The LAN port comes with TUF LanGuard too to protect it from surges damaging it over the LAN connection. You can also use WiFi with WiFi 6 built into the ASUS TUF Gaming Z490-Plus (WiFi).
ASUS ProArt Z490-Creator 10G
The ASUS ProArt Z490-Creator 10G is a creator’s dream motherboard, with additional connectivity features baked into the motherboard. Two Thunderbolt 3 Type-C are integrated into the rear I/O, powered by Intel’s latest “Titan Ridge” controller. Each port is capable of handling 40 Gbps speeds, which lets you connect all kinds of peripherals including external GPUs and high resolution displays.
Then there’s the LAN connectivity. One 2.5 GbE is integrated into the board, with a 10 GbE add-in card included with the ASUS ProArt Z490-Creator 10G. Unfortunately WiFi 6 is not a part of this package.
ASUS Prime Z490M-Plus
ASUS’ most affordable Intel Z490 board yet, the ASUS Prime Z490M-Plus makes do with an 8+1 DrMOS power delivery system. But make no mistake, ASUS made sure that this is sufficient to power the latest 10th Gen Intel Core processors. Optimem trace allows you to push memory speeds up to 4400 MHz, letting you take full advantage of the improved memory speed support on the 10th Gen processors. The rear I/O offers DisplayPort, HDMI and DVI outputs, letting you connect almost any modern display directly to the motherboard.
Which of these boards are for you? Well, I guess you will need the pricing to decide, so stay tuned as we will share the pricing as soon as we find out!
Pokdepinion: I am really quite digging the ROG Maximus XII Formula’s chunky design, but the ROG Strix Z490-I Gaming is quite a looker as well…
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