The Intel Z590 Motherboard Overview: 50+ Motherboards Detailed
by Gavin Bonshor on January 19, 2021 10:15 AM ESTASRock Z590 Steel Legend & SL Wi-Fi 6E
One of ASRock's more recent ranges comes via the Steel Legend series, represented by the ASRock Z590 Steel Legend Wi-Fi 6E. It marks a much different design from its other Z590 models with an urban camouflaged PCB and silver and white accented heatsinks. It includes an illuminated Steel Legend logo in the rear panel cover and chipset heatsink, with more RGB LEDs, integrated on the right-hand side. ASRock also has a non-Wi-Fi 6E variant, the same board, but without the CNVi.
The ASRock Z590 Steel Legend WiFi 6E includes two full-length PCIe slots, including a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot up top, while the second slot is locked down at PCIe 3.0 x4, with three PCIe 3.0 x1 slots. There are four memory slots with support for DDR4-4800 memory and the capability for users to install up to 128 GB. Storage options include three M.2 slots, one operating at PCIe 4.0 x4, and the other two restricted to PCIe 3.0 x4/SATA. ASRock includes six SATA ports with support for RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 arrays for more conventional storage. ASRock also advertises a large 14-phase power delivery with DR. MOS power stages.
ASRock includes one USB 3.2 G2 Type-C on the rear panel, one USB 3.2 G2 Type-A, two USB 3.2 G1 Type-A, and two USB 2.0 ports. There's a pair of video outputs, including one HDMI and one DisplayPort, with the board's five 3.5 mm audio jacks and S/PDIF optical output driven by an older Realtek ALC897 HD audio codec. The networking array includes one Realtek RTL8125 2.5 GbE controller, with an undisclosed Wi-Fi 6E CNVi providing both wireless and BT 5.2 connectivity. The ASRock Z590 Steel Legend omits the Wi-Fi 6E, but everything else is the same.
At the time of writing, ASRock hasn't shared details on its Z590 pricing.
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WaltC - Wednesday, January 20, 2021 - link
If my x570 Aorus Master fan is "active", it has sure fooled me...;) It is not audible.Makaveli - Wednesday, January 20, 2021 - link
I'm on a Asus Prime X570-Pro for just over a year now and I've not heard the chipset fan once totally overblown issue. Drama queens!Samus - Thursday, January 21, 2021 - link
I think it's impressive Intel kept a PCIe4.0 chipset down to 6w TDP. Definitely doesn't need active cooling.Slash3 - Sunday, January 24, 2021 - link
The chipset isn't Gen4.Spunjji - Wednesday, January 20, 2021 - link
Not surprised if they're expecting users to overclock chips that will exceed 200W at stock settings. 😬YB1064 - Thursday, January 21, 2021 - link
Is it just me or are the MSRPs listed utterly insane? Intel has been relegated to a poor man's AMD, yet these crazy prices? As they say, a fool and his money are soon parted.Samus - Saturday, January 23, 2021 - link
I don't think it's actually the chipset costs that are inflating the price of the boards, but the ridiculous power circuit and components required to deliver over 200w of power to the CPU's in order for these board makers to take advantage of PL2.fundead - Wednesday, August 4, 2021 - link
I thought the active fan is for the 10 gig networking chip. It is facing that heatsink which is right next to the vrm heatsink.damianrobertjones - Tuesday, January 19, 2021 - link
Looking at the prices, I'm really, REALLY glad that I bought an AORUS Z490 Elite (£154, new) from eBay. I just don't understand the prices.aidan - Wednesday, January 20, 2021 - link
I've just done exactly the same, no regrets whatsoever