The Intel Z590 Motherboard Overview: 50+ Motherboards Detailed
by Gavin Bonshor on January 19, 2021 10:15 AM ESTChoosing The Right Z590 Motherboard
It has become typical for any new processor launch from Intel or AMD to release a series of new chipsets. What the new chipsets do (for the most part) is allow users to access new features, new controllers (sometimes), and use any new refinements made. Intel's new Z590 chipset is designed for its Rocket Lake (11th generation) processors, which are set to launch later in Q1 2021. One of the biggest factors to consider when upgrading or building a new Intel-based system is that Z590 is backwards compatiblity with Intel's 10th gen Comet Lake processors. This allows users planning to move to Rocket Lake upon release to use the current processors until then.
One of the most notable features of Intel's Z590, which a lot of vendors have applied, is USB 3.2 G2x2 Type-C connectivity. It is even found on some vendor's lower-end options, including the MSI MAG Z590 Tomahawk WiFi ($239). The USB 3.2 G2x2 Type-C connectivity is now native to the chipset, whereas, on Z490, vendors had to implement additional ASMedia controllers (ASM3242) to accommodate this.
This is the same case for networking, with most models including 2.5 GbE (both Intel and/or Realtek, a couple Aquantia) as standard. We expect this to be a common trend for motherboards in the future. With this in mind, we've also seen the prices shift higher, which is a mixture of better controllers, features, PCIe 4.0, COVID-19, tariff relief ending, shipping charges, and perhaps a small uptick from Intel as well. All these push up the price. It's worth noting that ASUS, GIGABYTE, and MSI include Aquantia 10 GbE networking on its flagship models, with ASRock's Z590 Taichi the only model to include 5 GbE.
Many vendor's Z590 models also include three PCIe M.2 slots, with every Z590 model supporting PCIe 4.0 x4 in at least one of these ports, and some with two. A couple of the more mid-range models include four M.2 slots, including MSI's MEG Z590 Godlike flagship. Only one board includes U.2, which is the EVGA Z590 Dark, and four models include eight SATA ports.
Regardless of needs and requirements, whether that's specific features including storage, networking, connectivity, or audio, we have a handy table that specifies which model includes what feature.
Choosing the Right Z590 Motherboard | |||
If You Need | Then The Options Are | Size | Price |
10 Gigabit Ethernet | ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Extreme Glacial | E-ATX | $1843 |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Extreme | E-ATX | $1166 | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce | E-ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Xtreme | E-ATX | - | |
MSI MEG Z590 Godlike | E-ATX | $1019 | |
Supermicro C9Z590-CGW | ATX | - | |
Supermicro C9Z590-CG | ATX | - | |
4 or more M.2 Slots | ASUS ROG Strix Z590-E Gaming WIFI | ATX | $380 |
ASUS ROG Strix Z590-F Gaming WIFI | ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Pro AX | ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Vision G | ATX | - | |
MSI MEG Z590 Godlike | E-ATX | $1019 | |
MSI MEG Z590 Ace | ATX | $489 | |
MSI MEG Z590 Ace Gold Edition | ATX | - | |
8 or more SATA Ports | ASRock Z590 Taichi | ATX | - |
EVGA Z590 Dark | E-ATX | - | |
5 or more USB 3.2 G2 Type-A | ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Extreme Glacial | E-ATX | $1843 |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Extreme | E-ATX | $1166 | |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero | ATX | $500 | |
Biostar Z590 Valkyrie | ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce | E-ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Xtreme | E-ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Master | ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Elite AX | ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Elite | ATX | - | |
Thunderbolt 4 | ASRock Z590 Taichi | ATX | |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Extreme Glacial | E-ATX | $1843 | |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Extreme | E-ATX | $1166 | |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero | ATX | $500 | |
ASUS ROG Strix Z590-I Gaming WIFI | ITX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce | E-ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Xtreme | E-ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Vision D | ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590I Vision D | ITX | - | |
MSI MEG Z590 Godlike | E-ATX | $1019 | |
MSI MEG Z590 Ace | ATX | $489 | |
MSI MEG Z590 Ace Gold Edition | ATX | - | |
MSI MEG Z590I Unify | ITX | - | |
BIOS Flashback Button | ASRock Z590 Taichi | ATX | - |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Extreme Glacial | E-ATX | $1843 | |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Extreme | E-ATX | $1166 | |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero | ATX | $500 | |
ASUS ROG Strix Z590-F Gaming WIFI | ATX | - | |
ASUS ROG Strix Z590-A Gaming WIFI | ATX | - | |
ASUS ROG Strix Z590-I Gaming WIFI | ITX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce | E-ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Xtreme | E-ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Master | ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590I Aorus Ultra | ITX | - | |
MSI MEG Z590 Godlike | E-ATX | $1019 | |
MSI MEG Z590 Ace | ATX | $489 | |
MSI MEG Z590 Ace Gold Edition | ATX | - | |
MSI MEG Z590I Unify | ITX | ||
MSI MPG Z590 Gaming Carbon WiFi | ATX | $324 | |
MSI MPG Z590 Gaming Force | ATX | $314 | |
MSI MAG Z590 Tomahawk WiFi | ATX | $239 | |
MSI MAG Z590 Torpedo | ATX | - | |
E-ATX | ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Extreme Glacial | E-ATX | $1843 |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Extreme | E-ATX | $1166 | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce | E-ATX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Xtreme | E-ATX | - | |
MSI MEG Z590 Godlike | E-ATX | $1019 | |
Micro-ATX | ASUS Prime Z590M-Plus | M-ATX | $229 |
ASRock Z590M Pro4 | M-ATX | - | |
Colorful CVN Z590M Gaming Pro V20 | M-ATX | - | |
Colorful CVN Z590M Frozen V20 | M-ATX | - | |
MSI MPG Z590M Gaming Edge WiFi | M-ATX | - | |
Mini-ITX | ASRock Z590M-ITX/ac | ITX | - |
ASUS ROG Strix Z590-I Gaming WiFi | ITX | $459 | |
Biostar Z590I Valkyrie | ITX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590I Aorus Ultra | ITX | - | |
GIGABYTE Z590I Vision D | ITX | - | |
MSI MEG Z590I Unify | ITX | $329 |
Usually, we would also note which boards include a Realtek ALC1220 HD audio codec and its variants, including ASUS SupremeFX in the table. Still, it's quicker and easier to list which boards don't have it, as it's now a regular feature across Z590 boards. A few of the models are using the new Realtek 4000 series HD codecs, but at this time, Realtek hasn't officially unveiled the specifications.
Only a minimal selection of models in the entry-level segment feature a non-ALC1220 codec.
Z490 Motherboard Audio | |
Codec | Boards |
Realtek ALC1220 | Almost Everything, Except The Following |
Realtek ALC4082 | ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Extreme Glacial |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Extreme | |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero | |
Realtek ALC4080 | ASUS ROG Strix Z590-E Gaming WIFI |
ASUS ROG Strix Z590-F Gaming WIFI | |
ASUS ROG Strix Z590-F Gaming WIFI | |
ASUS ROG Strix Z590-I Gaming WIFI | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Ultra | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Vision G | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Vision D | |
MSI MAG Z590 Torpedo | |
Realtek S1200A | ASUS TUF Gaming Z590-Plus WIFI |
ASUS TUF Gaming Z590-Plus | |
Realtek ALC897 | ASRock Z590 Steel Legend Wi-Fi 6E |
ASRock Z590 Steel Legend | |
ASRock Z590 Pro4 | |
ASRock Z590M Pro4 | |
ASRock Z590M-ITX/ac |
Wi-Fi 6E: New 6 GHz Band on Most Models
Not only have vendors capitalized on the need for uprated 2.5 GbE wired networking support across the vast majority of its models, but some vendors also have added Intel's latest AX210 Wi-Fi 6E CNVi into the mix. This is designed to allow users to use the new 6 GHz Wi-Fi band with non-overlapping channels. This is only available on routers with 6 GHz band capability; otherwise, it's nearly identical to Wi-Fi 6 with the aforementioned benefit to reduce congestion with multiple devices connected to a router. Below is a list of models that include the latest Intel AX210 or Killer Gaming variant, which an AX210 with additional Killer functionality.
Z590 Wi-Fi 6E Support | |
Wireless Interface | Boards |
Wi-Fi 6E | ASRock Z590 Taichi |
ASRock Z590 PG Velocita | |
ASRock Z590 Extreme Wi-Fi 6E | |
ASRock Z590 Steel Legend Wi-Fi 6E | |
ASRock Z590M-ITX/ac | |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Extreme Glacial | |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Extreme | |
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero | |
ASUS ROG Strix Z590-E Gaming WIFI | |
ASUS ROG Strix Z590-F Gaming WIFI | |
ASUS ROG Strix Z590-I Gaming WIFI | |
Colorful iGame Z590 Vulcan X | |
Colorful iGame Z590 Vulcan W | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Xtreme WaterForce | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Xtreme | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Master | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus Pro AX | |
GIGABYTE Z590 Vision D | |
GIGABYTE Z590I Vision D | |
MSI MEG Z590 Godlike | |
MSI MEG Z590 Ace | |
MSI MEG Z590 Ace Gold Edition | |
MSI MEG Z590I Unify | |
MSI MPG Z590 Gaming Carbon WiFi | |
MSI MAG Z590 Tomahawk WiFi | |
MSI Z590 Pro WiFi |
As we receive updates from vendors with more information, we will endeavor to keep this Z590 overview updated and as often as possible.
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worldnewsnow - Friday, March 12, 2021 - link
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itr75 - Friday, March 19, 2021 - link
There is an VERY IMPORTANT ERROR in this article about the Asus Z590 gaming series motherboards - one that has potentially just cost me a chunk of the £320 i paid for one!In the article above, it states that the Z590-F Gaming WiFi motherboard will run in either x16, x8/x8 or x8/x4/x4 modes. THIS IS WRONG! The board will actually only run x16 for PCIe slot 1, if you have a card in slot 2, it drops to x8/x4 not x8/x8. for me this is a complete deal breaker as I have an RTX3070 and an LSI SAS RAID card which runs at PCIex8 - and is now running at x4 :(
fizzbuzzbang - Monday, March 22, 2021 - link
Are there any Z590 mobos that do not have a PCIe switch between the socket and the gen4-capable slots?If not, what motherboard has the best throughput @ Gen4?
Looking to plug in something like a Mellanox ConnectX-6DX which can do 1x200GbE / 2x100GbE, and want best possible bandwidth.
gsuburban - Wednesday, April 14, 2021 - link
Only one PCIe slot is 4th gen on all of these current motherboards. The other one or two M.2 slots are 3rd gen so you don't need to bother spending more money on your other NVMe storage devices.Exotica - Wednesday, April 14, 2021 - link
Regarding your z590 Vision D description:“ Finishing off the rear panel is a pair of Intel I225-V 2.5 GbE controllers, with Intel's latest AX210 Wi-Fi 6E CNVi, which also includes support for BT 5.2 devices.”
The article is in need of a correction: this board comes with the AX200 chip, not the ax210.
Lapajgo - Saturday, June 19, 2021 - link
Yeww ... a PS/2 port? I didn't know we still live in the 90s. Every time I start shopping for desktop upgrade, my search gets halted when I see PS/2 ports, VGA port, HDMI port or USB 2.0 port - it just makes me want to puke. And what's up with the motherboards that have 5 different video outputs? Pick a standard and stick with it! If I need to switch connectors I will use an adapter.P.S. Can we for ONCE see a motherboard with a decent amount of PCIe slots(I would like to see mATX with two x16 and two x4, none of that useless x1), no old USB ports but only the latest USB-C(we know how to use USB adapters and hubs), same type of video output(preferably something that supports the latest video standards), and NO legacy ports !!! Oh and if possible at least 3 M.2 NVMe ports, to allow for a decent RAID.
Lapajgo - Saturday, June 19, 2021 - link
Ah crap, I forgot - and a dual 2.5Gb LAN please. Some of us can no longer have their workloads on legacy 1Gb connections.rosarian0007 - Saturday, August 6, 2022 - link
Does the Asus Prime Z590-A Motherboard have a Third-Party USB Controller? Gensys Logic? I have an Asus Prime Z590-A it has a Gensys Logic USB Controller. Why would they not use the Intel Z590 Chipset USB controller.