Chinese motherboard manufacturer Zeal-All has recently released a brand new LGA1151 Intel B150 motherboard with integrated GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. The bizarre motherboard supports 6th and 7th generation Intel core processors (Skylake and Kaby Lake chips). The unusual form factor of 235 x 197.5 mm is likely aimed at custom enterprise uses such as AI algorithms as noted on Zeal-All's site. Besides the uncommon form factor, the motherboard also uses laptop SODIMMs and features no typical power connections, only a barrel connector for an external 19 V power source.

In terms of I/O the motherboard comes with an interesting arrangement including HDMI, LAN, 4x USB 3.0, and Mic-in/Line-out. Internal connectors include 3x USB 2.0 Pin, 2x USB2.0 Pin, CPU Fan, System Fan, 2x LVDS Pin (support dual Channel 10 Bit), 4x SATA, Front panel Pin and Audio Pin Port. The motherboard is fitted with a Realtek 8111E LAN controller for gigabit Ethernet and a Mini-PCIe slot for a Wi-Fi expansion card.

Server motherboard specialist Supermicro has been taking steps into the client-segment for a couple of years now under its SUPERO brand. Its latest creation is a socket LGA1200 motherboard based on the Intel Z490 chipset, the Pro Gaming C9Z490-PGW. There isn't too much bling or color, except some contemporary design cues such as the rear I/O shroud, and diagonal accents on the PCH and M.2 heatsinks. The feature-set of this board looks like it's been drawn up by people who design enterprise boards. The board pulls power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, conditioning it with a 12-phase "server grade" VRM. Its BIOS ROM chip is socketed. There's equal focus on U.2 as M.2.

The star attraction is the PCIe setup. The board uses a PLX PEX8747 PCI-Express gen 3.0 x48 bridge chip to drive two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots at full x16 bandwidth, which can split between four slots in x8/x8/x8/x8 configuration when all of them are populated. Storage connectivity includes one each of M.2-2280 and M.2-22110 slots; two U.2 ports with 32 Gbps wiring; and four SATA 6 Gbps ports. Networking options include a 10 GbE interface pulled by an Aquantia AQC107 controller, a second Intel i219-V PHY handling a 1 GbE port, and 802.11ax + Bluetooth 5 wireless connectivity provided by an Intel AX201 module. USB connectivity includes four 10 Gbps USB 3.2 gen 2 ports, and six 5 Gbps gen 1 ports. The onboard audio setup features a high-grade Realtek ALC1220 codec. The company didn't reveal pricing.

MSI, the world-leading motherboard manufacturer, proudly introduces the latest MEG Z490 UNIFY and MEG Z490I UNIFY into MSI Z490 motherboards. Appearance wise, it is dedicated to users who prefer something other than RGB, the black design with embossed dragon mylar symbolizing a mysterious and high-quality image without the redundant LEDs. Performance wise, it is tailored for hardcore gamers and enthusiasts, emphasizing the true value of the motherboard and enhancing not only the thermal but also power solution, combines MSI's premium layout, digital power design and exclusive Mirrored Power Arrangement, MEG UNIFY series is ready for the challenge of high-end processors.

All MSI Z490 series including UNIFY motherboards are PCI-E Gen 4 ready. Adopting tons of components, enhanced layout placement and PCB design dedicated for PCI-E Gen 4 solution, the MSI Z490 series motherboards ensure higher bandwidth and faster transfer speeds stability. It is ready 4 the future.

In their briefing leading up to today's Ryzen 3 3100 and 3300X review embargo, AMD disclosed that its upcoming "Zen 3" 4th generation Ryzen desktop processors will only support AMD 500-series (or later) chipsets. The next-gen processors will not work with older 400-series or 300-series chipsets. This comes as a blow to those who bought premium X470 motherboards hoping for latest CPU compatibility running into 2020. At this time only B550 is available, but we expect more news on enthusiast chipsets as the Zen 3 launch date comes closer. AMD B550 is a fascinating new mid-range chipset by AMD. Launching today as a successor to the popular B450 chipset, B550 is a low-power silicon with roughly the same 5-7 W TDP as the older 400-series chipset. Although AMD won't confirm it, it's likely that the chipset is sourced from ASMedia. It brings a lot to the table that could draw buyers away from B450, but it also takes some away.

The AMD B550 currently only supports 3rd generation Ryzen "Matisse" processors. Ryzen 3000 "Picasso" APU are not supported. What's more, older Ryzen 2000 "Pinnacle Ridge," "Raven Ridge," and first gen Ryzen 1000 "Summit Ridge" aren't supported, either. The Athlon 200 and 3000 "Zen" based chips miss out, too. AMD argues that it ran into ROM size limitations when trying to cram AGESA microcode for all the older processors. We find that hard to believe because B450 motherboards with the latest ComboAM4 AGESA support 2nd gen and 3rd gen processors, including APUs and Athlon SKUs based on the two. On the bright side, AMD assured us (within its marketing slides for the B550), that the chipset will support upcoming processors based on the "Zen 3" microarchitecture. The company also came up with a new motherboard packaging label that clarifies that the processors won't work with the 3400G and 3200G.

Here are the first pictures of an assortment of five premium AMD B550 chipset motherboards by five different manufacturers. With PCI-Express gen 4.0 (where it matters), CPU+memory overclocking, and multi-GPU being enabled for the B550, and more importantly, the chipset not needing any fan-heatsink, the B550 could be an important chipset for AMD in the battle to come against the 10th generation Core processor and Intel B460 chipset.

We begin with the MSI MPG B550 Gaming Pro Carbon WiFi, the company's most premium B550 offering, picking up the mantle from the immensely successful B450-based predecessor. The MSI board offers a single PCI-Express 4.0 x16 slot, that's reinforced, one M.2 PCIe gen 4.0 x4 slot, a second M.2 slot that's gen 3.0 x4; and a number of x1 slots. The board uses a 14-phase CPU VRM to support CPU overclocking. Connectivity includes 802.11ax WLAN, 1 GbE wired networking, a premium ALC1220-based AudioBoost solution, and heatsinks over both M.2 slots. As a Carbon, it features plenty of RGB LED embellishments.

The H410 chipset denotes the entry-level for the upcoming LGA1200 platform. This chipset will go into the vast bulk of low-cost desktops powered by Pentium, Celeron, and Core i3 processors, which [usually] don't game, and make do with integrated graphics. The lineup consists of mostly Micro-ATX boards, including the H410M-HDVP, H410M-HDVP2, H410M-HVS, H410M-HDV, and the H410M-HDV/M.2. These boards differ with a few differentiators such as HDMI, WLAN, and PCIe slots. The lineup also includes a Mini-ITX board in the H410M-ITX/ac, and a DTX board in the form of the H410M-HVS. All boards feature simple 5+2 phase VRM setups (a step up from the previous generation that used 3+1), which could slightly step up board costs.More pictures follow.

ASUS has apparently begun listing motherboards on the as-of-yet-unreleased, as-of-yet-undetailed AMD A520 chipset. Lower in the chipset rung than AMD's X570 and B550 chipsets, the A520 is expected to not offer any dedicated PCIe 4.0 lanes by itself - at most, motherboards will support the same 20 PCIe 4.0 lanes offered by AMD's CPUs, with the rest I/O being PCIe 3.0-based in order to further cut platform and chipset costs.

All of the A520 chipset motherboards listed by ASUS seem to be in the mATX form-factor - which again makes sense, as having the most basic chipset in order to cut costs and then using the same PCB real-estate as more expensive chipset solutions doesn't seem like a wise choice. The listed motherboards are the
PRIME A520M-A; PRIME A520M-E; PRIME A520M-K; TUF GAMING A520M-A; and TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS. As you can see, these motherboards are set in the ASUS TUF and Prime product lines - there's no mention of any Strix-branded products.

MSI has announced that it is running an upgrade program for its Z490 motherboards. The program is valid for motherboards purchased from May 6th through June 15th. This program will essentially see you being rewarded with a Steam wallet code worth $50 should you purchase a new MSI Z490 motherboard to replace the old (or maybe just last-generation) motherboard you own from Intel. To this effect, MSI is requiring users to register their new motherboard online, take a picture of the boards' serial number, and upload another picture with your new motherboard and old one side by side - the ultimate shame towards your old, trusty piece of hardware.

The promotion applies to select MSI motherboards, with rewards being tiered according to the expense you had on the new MSI board. As such, users who acquired MSI's MEG Z490 GODLIKE or MEG Z490 ACE will be rewarded with $50 back. Users who purchased the cheapest Z490 motherboard, the MPG Z490
GAMING PLUS, however, will only see a $10 credit. Interestingly, MSI has included both its own, pre-Z490 motherboards as eligible for the upgrade program... As well as ASUS'. And that's it. No other manufacturers' boards are being accepted. Make of that what you will.

Various online retailers have started taking pre-orders for new socket LGA1200 motherboards based on the Intel Z490 chipset. Prices of these motherboards appear on average 20-25% higher than older-generation Z390 motherboards at launch, and in many cases, pricier than even AMD X570 chipset ones. The cheapest Z490 motherboard on U.S. retailer Newegg is priced at $149. Mid-range boards such as the MSI Tomahawk, are priced around $190. The next segment begins bang at the $200-mark, including the Gigabyte AORUS Elite, MSI MPG Gaming Edge, and the ASRock Extreme4.

The next tier appears to be priced between $230-250, including the ASUS Prime-A, the cheapest ROG Strix-H, and the ASRock Phantom Gaming Velocita. A notch further up, around the $270-290, you'll find the MSI Gaming Pro Carbon, Gigabyte AORUS Pro, ASUS ROG Strix-F. The $290-350 band includes the ROG Strix-E, Gigabyte Vision-D, etc. The high-end segment begins at $390, with the ROG Maximus XII Hero, Gigabyte AORUS Master, MSI MPG ACE, etc. The priciest boards on offer are the ASRock AQUA at $1,099, and Gigabyte AORUS Xtreme Waterforce at $1,299. Newegg states that the boards will begin shipping from its warehouses on the 20th of May, 2020.

BIOSTAR, a leading brand of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices, today announces the launch of the latest RACING Z490GTA EVO motherboard made to run Intel's 10th generation processors.

Built on Intel's Z490 platform, the RACING Z490GTA EVO motherboard is BIOSTAR's premium flagship motherboard ready to blaze past all competition with the new 10th Gen processor range from Intel. Styled with BIOSTAR's signature RACING themed design language, the RACING Z490GTA EVO motherboard has some of the most sought after features in the market like the new 16 Phase power design for a highly precise hardware power regulation, tested, optimized and manufactured to be the best in the market providing an extremely safe and long lasting product life and combined with many more lucrative functions, the RACING Z490GTA EVO motherboard brings users the extra edge and reliability familiar in a premium BIOSTAR product.

Leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, proudly announces its latest flagship motherboard, the Z490 AQUA to the delight of gamers and power hungry users alike. And to highlight our launch we are limiting the Z490 AQUA to only 999 units making it extremely valuable. Using the latest 16 Phase 90 A Dr.MOS & 2 oz copper PCBs, it delivers up to 95% VRM efficiency. To keep VRM's and 10-core processors cool even during sustained heavy loads or even overclocking, the Z490 AQUA features an advanced water cooling system that decreases heat on the CPU VRMs to reduce VRM temps dramatically.

Decked in a matte black undershell, the Z490 complements what young gamers want in a machine these days, simple, refined edges encased with a metallic armor which highlights the vibrant, techno LED lighting which screams I'm a water cooling aficionado and a PC mod enthusiast. "Be Aqua, Be Cool" highlights ASRock's determination to be the frontrunner in water-cooled gaming motherboard manufacturers and the PCIe 4.0 ready means it's prepped and the hardware is ready with PCI-Express Gen-4 support. By uniquely adding an external base clock generator, PCIe 4.0 components such as extra slots and an M.2 socket we're assured the motherboard is ready to accommodate the next generation of CPUs.

AMD's upcoming B550 desktop chipset, which plays second-fiddle to the premium X570, could bring relief to gaming PC builders wanting to put together 3rd gen Ryzen desktops with PCI-Express gen 4.0 graphics and M.2 SSD connectivity on the cheap. Pricing of a handful ASUS B550 motherboards was leaked to the web by Australian retailer ICIT.net.au, who listed the somewhat premium ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming for AUD $262.90, including GST (converts to USD $167 including all taxes). The retailer also lists TUF B550-Plus Gaming and Prime B550M-A at the same exact price, which could be pre-launch inflation (so we're going by the price of what could be the best-endowed SKUs among the three).

If this pricing holds up, B550 based boards could launch at prices close to those of B450 boards at launch. The B550 is AMD's mid-range desktop chipset that is expected to enable PCI-Express gen 4.0, at least where it matters the most (the main x16 slot and the M.2 slot that's wired to the AM4 SoC). Much like its predecessors, the B450 and B350, it could enable CPU- and memory overclocking. Reports dating back to Q3-2019 point to the B550 being ASMedia-sourced, and having a far lower chipset TDP than the X570 (making do with passive heatsinks like the AMD 400-series).

Historically, Intel has separated its processors and chipsets that accompany them to overclockable and non-overclockable ones. That means that only the "K" CPUs can be overclocked. With the latest generation, only some parts of the lineup are K CPUs, like the Core i9-10900K, i7-10700K, i5-10600K, etc. Those processors could only be overclocked one put in motherboards based on "Z" chipset, like Z390 and Z490. However, it seems like ASRock has developed a new technology that will overclock non-K CPUs on non-Z motherboards, which is quite impressive.

Called the Base Frequency Boost (BFB) technology, it will allow for overclocking the non-K processors on chipsets like B460 and H470. How will that work you might wonder? Well, ASRock will take the TDP of the CPUs and make it run in the PL1 mode, which increases the processor TDP form 65 W and turns it into a 125 W TDP beast. This will, of course, be user selective and case dependent, meaning that if your cooling system can not handle that much heat coming out from the overclocked processors, it is unlikely that they will reach the peak clocks ASRock can target. You can check out the slide below:

The winds of change are beginning. The ATX12VO PC power-supply standard, earlier thought to be an OEM-mainstay with later introduction in the DIY retail channel, has already reached it. The ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4SR is the first board. Gone is the 24-pin ATX power connector, a smaller 5-pin pure-12 V input takes its place. A 6-pin PCIe connector takes in additional 12 V input. The 8-pin EPS connector (another pure-12 V input) is right where it should be, near the CPU VRM area. There are two small 4-pin connectors, which could be 5 V and 3.3 V outputs from the motherboard, to SATA power connectors.

The part of the PCB next to the memory area is bustling with a few more power phases than vDIMM. These convert 12 V to 5 V and 3.3 V (essentially what a PSU with DC-to-DC switching does). The rest of the board's I/O feature-set is fairly standard: four SATA ports, a single M.2-22110 slot, an M.2 E-Key slot holding an 802.11ac WLAN card, 6-channel audio, and 1 GbE wired networking driven by an Intel i219-V controller. The company didn't reveal pricing or availability.

ASRock, proudly announces its latest range of motherboards featuring Intel 400-series chipsets and supporting the latest Intel 10th Generation processors with up to 10-cores using the LGA1200 socket.

Whatever the build requirements, with over 30 models available, ASRock has the right motherboard to meet your needs. This includes the flagship Z490 Taichi and Z490 PG Velocita for performance and overclocking enthusiasts, and extreme gamers; popular Z490 Steel Legend, Pro and Phantom Gaming series'; comprehensive mini-ITX options for SFF builds; plus H470, B460 mainstream and H410 entry options.

Intel today launched its 10th generation Core desktop processor family and its companion Intel 400-series chipsets. Based on the 14 nm++ silicon fabrication process and built in the new LGA1200 package, the processors are based on the "Comet Lake" microarchitecture. The core design of "Comet Lake" and its IPC are identical to those of "Skylake," however Intel brought significant enhancements to the processor's clock-speed boosting algorithm, increased core- or thread counts across the board, and introduced new features that could interest enthusiasts and overclockers. The uncore component remains largely unchanged from the previous-generation, with support for DDR4 memory and PCI-Express gen 3.0. Use of these processors requires a new socket LGA1200 motherboard, they won't work on older LGA1151 motherboards. You can install any LGA115x-compatible cooler on LGA1200, provided it meets the thermal requirements of the processor you're using.

At the heart of the 10th generation Core processor family is a new 10-core monolithic processor die, which retains the same basic structure as the previous-generation 8-core "Coffee Lake Refresh" die, and 4-core "Skylake." The cores are arranged in two rows, sandwiched by the processor's uncore and iGPU blocks. A ring-bus interconnect binds the various components. The cache hierarchy is unchanged from previous generations as well, with 32 KB each of L1I and L1D caches; 256 KB of dedicated L2 cache per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The iGPU is the same Gen 9.5 based UHD 630 graphics. As we mentioned earlier, much of Intel's innovation for the 10th generation is with the processor's microcode (boosting algorithms).

ASUS recently posted a teaser collage of its upcoming motherboards, in which a motherboard with ProArt branding stood out. ASUS targets products from its ProArt brand at serious content creators, engineers, and professionals. The lineup includes notebooks, monitors, desktops, and other components related to creators. VideoCardz scored the first clear picture of the latest entry to the series, the ProArt Z490 Creator 10G. The board tosses out all "gaming" bling in favor of sober product design and premium components that go into reliable quasi-workstation builds. The ProArt brand is picking up the mantle from the coveted Pro WS brand.

Chunky, stall heatsinks with straight ridged lines cool the CPU VRM and two of the the board's three M.2 slots. Connectivity includes a 10 GbE interface through an included add-on card; a 1 GbE / 2.5 GbE onboard Ethernet interface, at least four USB 3.2 x2 ports (from which two are type-C), and display connectors that include a pair of DisplayPorts and a HDMI.

MSI, a world-leading motherboard manufacturer, proudly introduces the all new X570 motherboard, MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WIFI. For the 3rd Gen Ryzen processors, the new MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WIFI motherboard is optimized with best performance in every aspects. Military totem style coupled with a rugged and powerful heat dissipation design, the MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WIFI successfully subverts all other key players in the mainstream market. The 12X60A SPS Power Stages design, can stably supply the performance needs of multi-core CPUs, supports up to AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16-core processors.

Coupled with MSI's exclusive heat dissipation technology, Extended Heatsink design, MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WIFI can maintain a stable processing frequency under severe conditions with high loads. The exclusive Frozr Heatsink design has Zero Frozr Technology that stops the fan when the temperature of the chip is at low power, reducing the generated system fan.

Here are some of the first pictures of an Intel B460 chipset motherboard, the B460M iCraft by Chinese company MAXSUN, which is mostly available around the Greater China region. What caught our eye are the board's various features geared toward CPU overclocking, including buttons on the rear I/O that apparently give you CPU overclocking (cycling through presets). This makes us wonder if Intel is giving the B460 some form of CPU overclocking capability, even if not to the level of the Z490. Intel's rival AMD, has been offering full CPU overclocking capability on its middle-of-the-market B350, B450, and possibly its upcoming B550 motherboards, which, coupled with AMD enabling unlocked multiplier across its Ryzen desktop processor family, brings tremendous value to the table. The MAXSUN B460M iCraft is equipped with elaborate shrouds over the PCH and VRM heatsinks. It also offers two reinforced PCI-Express x16 slots, from which the top one is gen 3.0 x16, and the bottom one likely gen 3.0 x4. We also find two M.2 NVMe slots, both with heatsinks.

Turkish tech publication PC Hocasi posted marketing pictures of the entire lineup of GIGABYTE's Intel Z490 chipset motherboards. These include the four recently leaked to web. The vast selection of boards includes the Z490 Vision G and Z490 Vision D targeted at creators. The company's mainline Ultra Durable (UD) and Gaming series includes the likes of the Z490 Gaming X and Z490M Gaming X, and of course the company's AORUS Gaming lineup we detailed in the older article.

An interesting trend with these boards is that GIGABYTE appears to have indeed given them PCI-Express gen 4.0 preparation, which extends across most SKU, including the entry-level UD series. These boards will not provide gen 4.0 with 10th gen "Comet Lake" processors, but the gen 4.0 preparation is reserved for its successor, the 11th gen "Rocket Lake," whenever it comes out. This is a costly design choice which rides on the assumption that "Rocket Lake" will introduce gen 4.0 to the LGA1200 socket (and not the fabled future LGA1700 socket). "Rocket Lake" is expected to come out towards the end of 2020 or early 2021, and will be Intel's response to Ryzen 4000 "Vermeer" processors based on the "Zen 3" microarchitecture.

ASUS posted a teaser collage of its upcoming socket LGA1200 motherboard lineup based on the Intel Z490 chipset, touching upon its various motherboard families, and there are a few interesting finds. In response to various other companies launching creator-focused motherboards, ASUS is preparing to bring its coveted ProArt brand over to its motherboard family. ASUS ProArt brand includes the company's ultra-premium monitors meant for serious content-creation work, which later extended to notebooks and desktops targeting creators. ASUS has so far used the "Pro WS" brand to include its quasi-workstation grade motherboards based on both enterprise and client chipsets. The company recently listed all these Pro WS boards under the ProArt mini-site. ASUS's Z490 motherboard series will see the first physical appearance of the ProArt brand on the motherboard.

The next big find is white ROG Strix motherboards. The PCBs of these boards are still black, but white makes up the rear I/O shield, I/O shroud, chipset heatsink outer shroud, and silver/chrome replaces black on the board's various heatsinks. This is probably aimed at catering to the white-themed gaming PC builders, who were until now picking up the company's Prime family of motherboards for their builds owing to their splattering of white. The collage also shows off the quirky 45° angled orientation of the SATA ports on the ROG Maximus XII Apex.

Here are some of the first pictures of GIGABYTE's AORUS Gaming series socket LGA1200 motherboard lineup based on Intel Z490 chipset. The biggest feature with some of these boards is forwards-compatibility for PCI-Express gen 4.0 on 11th generation Core "Rocket Lake" processors. These boards will not run PCIe gen 4.0 with a "Comet Lake" processor in place, but rather feature all the physical and electrical preparation to enable PCIe gen 4.0 when processors with gen 4.0 root-complexes do come out on this socket. These include slots that meet gen 4.0 requirements, gen 4.0-rated re-drivers, lane switches, M.2 NVMe slots, and other PCB-level enhancements to support PCIe gen 4.0 signal integrity.

GIGABYTE's Z490 motherboard lineup is vast, with 14 SKUs, from which 8 are in the coveted AORUS Gaming series. The Z490 Xtreme WaterForce leads the pack, with its included CPU+VRM monoblock, followed by its air-cooled twin, the Z490 Xtreme. The AORUS Z490 Master is next in line, with a firm footing in the enthusiast segment, thanks to its elaborate CPU VRM solutions, and PCB heatsink assembly. This board is closely followed by the AORUS Z490 Ultra, with a similar appearance to Master, but a toned down CPU VRM solution. The AORUS Z490 PRO series sits in the middle of this lineup, with a fairly well-endowed feature set. The AORUS Z490 Elite is where the lineup begins. There are several other models from GIGABYTE's Gaming and Ultra Durable families, listed int he feature-set slide below.

Earlier this week, a small selection of MSI's upcoming socket LGA1200 motherboards based on Intel Z490 chipset were leaked to the web, along with pricing for the entire series. The company posted teaser pictures of one of the motherboard models that was missing from that picture leak - the Z490 Gaming Pro Carbon, which MSI refers to as the "next Carbon." The pictures suggest a premium-looking ATX motherboard with an elaborate PCH heatsink that extends into heatsinks for 2-3 M.2 slots; studded with RGB LEDs, and an elaborate rear I/O shroud that extends into the CPU VRM heatsink, with more LED embellishments. The Gaming Pro Carbon is still slotted in the company's MPG (MSI Performance Gaming) family, and positioned a notch above the MPG Z490 Gaming Edge WiFi, and below the MEG Z490 Unify.

Earlier today we brought you pictures and specs sheets of ASUS' top-tier ROG Maximus XII family of socket LGA1200 motherboards based on the Intel Z490 chipset. The rest of that slide-deck was leaked to the web by VideoCardz, revealing some fascinating specs common across the series. Apparently, a 6 PCB layers is the bare minimum for ASUS' lineup, which probably contributes to the elevated prices across the board. Some of the cheaper 300-series chipset motherboards make do with just 4 PCB layers.

The CPU VRM solutions are a definitely step up from the previous generations, designed to cope with rising electrical requirements of the 14 nm 10th gen Core processors. For the ATX and M-ATX models, 12+2 phase solutions appear to be the bare minimum for the ROG Strix Z490 series, and 9-phase for the cheapest Prime Z490 series. The ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming, which leads the ROG Strix Z490 series, tops the chart with a 16-phase solution that's probably similar to the one on the Maximus XII Hero. There's also a big innovation with memory optimization, series-wide. With its Z490 motherboard series, ASUS is transitioning from T-topology to daisy-chain, across the board. This is combined with the company's Optimem III automated memory optimization feature on select models, which enables you to populate all four slots on your motherboard with dual-rank DIMMs, and yet achieve frequencies as high as DDR4-3600, with timings as tight as CL16.

Here are some of the first pictures of the ASUS' high-end Republic of Gamers (ROG) Maximus XII family of socket LGA1200 motherboards based on Intel Z490 chipset. The lineup consists of an impressive 5 SKUs: ROG Maximus XII Extreme and Extreme Glacial (M12E); ROG Maximus XII Formula (M12F), ROG Maximus XII Hero WiFi (M12H), and the ROG Maximus XII Apex (M12A). The Maximus XII Extreme leads the pack with its 16-phase VRM that probably uses 90 A power stages. It includes Thunderbolt 3 and 10 GbE support. The Glacial version is possibly a combination of cosmetic- and functional changes (such as preparation for sub-zero cooling).

The Maximus XII Formula is the go-to board for overclockers with elaborate liquid-cooling setups. The board comes with liquid-cooling ready VRM heatsinks. Compared to the Extreme, the Formula loses out on Thunderbolt, but retains 10 GbE. The Maximus XII Hero (WiFi) is next in line, and somehow better endowed than the Maximus XII Apex, in featuring an 8-layer PCB like the Extreme and the Formula; and a combination of 5 GbE and 1 GbE networking. The Maximus XII Apex comes with a 6-layer PCB, a single 2.5 GbE connection, but somehow a similar CPU VRM configuration to the Extreme. This is probably how the Apex could end up pricier than the Hero. Find specific details in the specs sheet below.