One interesting point to note about GIGABYTE's Z490 product stack is that it includes PCIe 4.0 support from compatible processors, with Intel's future release of Rocket Lake seemingly equipped with PCIe 4.0 lanes. Some models include PCIe 4.0 slot support with a PCIe 4.0 clock generator, PCIe 4.0 switches, and PCIe 4.0 re-drivers. All of GIGABYTE's Z490 models natively support PCIe 3.0, with Intel's Z490 chipset operating with PCIe 3.0; future PCIe 4.0 support on Z490 will come directly from the CPU and not the chipset. GIGABYTE is also the first vendor to utilize Intel's 2.5 G Ethernet controller, the I225-V. Other vendors have opted for Realtek 2.5 G controllers for point of reference.

GIGABYTE Z490 Aorus Xtreme & Xtreme WaterForce

We've seen some Aorus Xtreme branded models such as the AMD based GIGBYTE X570 Aorus Xtreme which was impressive in our testing, to say the least. Something of note to consider is that GIGABYTE didn't launch an Xtreme WaterForce model for X570, but it makes a reappearance for Z490. Both the GIGABYTE Z490 Aorus Xtreme and Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce models share the same high-end feature set which includes an Intel Thunderbolt 3 controller, a solid 16-phase power delivery, support for 128 GB of up to DDR4-4800, and an Aquantia 10 G and an Intel 2.5 G Ethernet controller pairing. 


GIGABYTE Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce (left) and Z490 Aorus Xtreme (right)

The only difference between the GIGABYTE Z490 Aorus Xtreme and the Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce is the latter comes with a custom-designed water block. This allows users to create a custom water-cooled system which is something enthusiasts looking to push Intel's 10th generation Comet Lake processors further than can be done on conventional air cooling. The water block not only cools the CPU but the Z490 chipset and the power delivery too, making this the go-to board for enthusiasts looking to create a fully water-cooled based system.

Some of the new design features across both models is memory shielding and improved memory routing designed to help improve memory performance, with high-end 90 A power stages for the power delivery, and Tantalum Capacitors. Cooling the large 16-phase power delivery is a large heatsink using a nanocarbon fin array. Power delivery cooling is something GIGABYTE has been taking seriously over the last year or so. On the board's core design, it has a right-angled 24-pin 12 V ATX motherboard power input, as well as right-angled SATA ports and board headers which blends into the boards sleek full cover design. 

Both models include three full-length PCIe 3.0 slots which operate at x16, x8/x8, and x8/x8/+4, with three integrated PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots, each with its own individual Thermal Guard 2 heat sink. In addition to the Realtek ALC1220-VB HD audio codec and ESS ES9018K2M Sabre DAC for the rear panel audio, GIGABYTE has equipped both models with an ES9218 Sabre DAC for the front panel audio.

A total of four memory slots include support for up to DDR4-4800, with a maximum capacity of up to 128 GB, with official support for 32 GB UDIMMs being pushed as a primary feature by GIGABYTE. This is something all major vendors is doing on its Z490 models. 

On both the Z490 Xtreme WaterForce and Z490 Xtreme rear panels are two Thunderbolt 3.0 Type-C ports, four USB 3.2 G2 10 Gbps Type-A, and two USB 3.2 G1 Type-A ports. It includes two Ethernet ports with one controlled by an Aquantia AQC107 10 G controller, with the other by an Intel I225-V 2.5 G controller. For users looking for wireless connectivity, the rear panel has two antenna ports for Intel's AX201 Wi-Fi 6 wireless interface with BT 5.1 support, with the five 3.5 mm audio jacks and S/PDIF optical output powered by a Realtek ALC1220 HD audio codec, with a supporting ESS Sabre DAC for USB audio devices. Allowing leveraging of Intel's integrated graphics, there's also a single HDMI video output, with a clear CMOS button and BIOS Flashback button.

Over the last couple of years vendors flagship models have been consistently raising the bar in terms of quality, feature, and unfortunately, price. The GIGABYTE Z490 Aorus Xtreme has an MSRP of $799 which is typical flagship pricing in today's current market.

The GIGABYTE Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce completely flips the script with an MSRP of $1299, which means the custom waterblock comes at a premium of $500. GIGABYTE has gone all out with both Z490 Xtreme models with 10 G and 2.5 G Ethernet controllers, triple M.2, and dual Thunderbolt 3 Type-C ports on the rear panel, but the GIGABYTE Z490 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce will either whet the appetite or have enthusiasts crying into their wallets.

EVGA Z490 FTW WiFi GIGABYTE Z490 Aorus Master
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  • stevenfindley - Monday, June 8, 2020 - link

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  • Shinkiro - Friday, May 1, 2020 - link

    A lot of people don't upgrade every consecutive generation. My 3570k and 980ti have been serving me well for half a decade, but now that it's time to get new gear I'm happy to see higher maximum speeds and lower temperatures than the previous generation. The fact that gen10 requires a different socket than Gen 9 is completely irrelevant to me, aside from choosing a compatible board.
  • Orange_Swan - Friday, May 1, 2020 - link

    Exactly, my i5-4690k has served me well for just under 6 years (brought Nov. 14), I tend to buy a new CPU and Mobo every 5ish years.
  • althaz - Saturday, May 2, 2020 - link

    The point is though, that you need to buy a new motherboard, which means you'll probably consider AMD's Ryzen 3000 line-up (generally, AMD will give you better productivity performance, upgradability and lower power, but worse gaming performance, which is why I went Intel last year). If Intel weren't such dicks in forcing people to buy new motherboards, maybe you would be able to just drop in a new CPU (actually in your case it really is irrelevant, a new motherboard was *actually* needed for 6th gen, everything since then would work on the same boards if Intel weren't dicks, but the point stands in general).
  • Tabalan - Sunday, May 3, 2020 - link

    Intel i5 3570k was released 8 years ago, while i5 4690k is 6 years old. Wanting to upgrade build after 6 years with 3 years of mobo backward compatibility (like with AMD, Ryzen 1000 to 4000) means that you either buy 3 years old CPU or buy new mobo + new CPU. In latter case, it doesn't matter if you go with Intel or AMD, because it's down to same thing.
  • bronan - Saturday, May 16, 2020 - link

    Indeed my point exactly every year new stuff gets launched and loads of people jump onto the newest toys just because the cpu is maybe 0.1 Ghz faster if your lucky.
    Because that boost does not work constant at all, i saw that with several friends who bought the 8700k which claims to boost to 4.7 Ghz. Reality is that only 3 out of 28 of these cpu did boost up to 4.7 the rest only gets between 4.4 and 4.6 at the highest and to be honest only in certain tasks.
    So if you follow the baseline of the cpu usage you see during some tasks a few spikes but most of the time it hangs around the baseclock speed.
    I actually still was using my 6700k till 2 months ago on a z170 motherboard then i saw somebody selling his 8700k for a nice price and i switch over.
    The performance increase is close to 0 in almost every task besides when i am packing and unpacking rar and zip files. In the games i do i see hardly any performance gains as well.
    The only thing i am planning to update now is my graphics card, so i am kinda waiting for a very cheap AMD VII or if AMD releases the new big navy.
    But the people who own the AMD VII tend to want to keep them because there had not been one for sale in many months for a reasonable price. The only one i saw was sold at a price above the release price when they came to market.....
    So those who bought the cards seem to be content enough to not sell them at all.
    So i am still stuck at my gtx 1070 and have no plans to pay a premium price for a next gen GPU.
    @Orange_Swan i tend to buy only when i see a huge improvement for the tasks i do, if its below 3% increase i will not buy anything at all. So i sometimes keep running the same stuff sometimes even up to 12 years.
    I got a huge amount of people who i help with their pc hardware and problems and almost everyone of them relies on my expertise to give them proper advise when they want some kinda upgrade.
    Often i can asure them that even though the bragging bonus can be fun, they often will see no improvement at all if they buy a new system. So they wait till i tell them their system can be upgraded or replaced. In almost any case its the gpu which gets replaced by a second hand one in very rare situations i have to ask them to order a new one.
    What i am saying is that even though they keep releasing new stuff, most people do not have a need to upgrade/update anything.
    Actually for now there is absolute no need to have something faster at all for any game at all in the near future, because all will run fine with your current stuff.
    I actually have several who have at least a titan from recent generation and still can not run their games at highest settings in 4K.
  • RealBeast - Friday, May 1, 2020 - link

    All of my builds since my Athlon have been Intel, but no way they'll suck me in on this Z490 1200 pin build, when their next decent CPUs will require something like a Z491 with 1201 pins. ;)
  • Andrew LB - Saturday, May 9, 2020 - link

    Intel has already said the next gen will still use LGA 1200 socket.
  • WaltC - Friday, May 1, 2020 - link

    Can't see much "exciting" about this...;)
  • Oxford Guy - Tuesday, May 5, 2020 - link

    It seems like a poster child for a Powerpoint on the inefficiencies of capitalism.

    Literally making another iteration of products "just because".

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