The Intel Z490 Overview: 44+ Motherboards Examined
by Gavin Bonshor on April 30, 2020 10:00 AM ESTASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming ITX/TB3
For the launch of Intel's Comet Lake desktop processors and the LGA1200 socket, ASRock has just one mini-ITX model in its arsenal in the way of the ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming ITX/TB3. With official support for Thunderbolt 3 via a Type-C port on the back panel, it also includes an 8-phase power delivery, has two PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots, as well as four SATA ports. Also featured is an Intel Wi-Fi 6 wireless interface with BT 5.1 support, and a Realtek based 2.5 G Ethernet controller. It represents a premium small form factor offering on the Z490 chipset, which is one of just a small handful of mini-ITX models on the LGA1200 socket at present.
Due to the limitations of a small form factor such as mini-ITX, the ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming ITX/TB3 has a single PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, with two PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots, one on the front underneath a heatsink, and another located on the rear of the board. There are also four SATA ports which support RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 arrays. Memory support is usually strong on mini-ITX models, and the Z490 Phantom Gaming ITX/TB3 has support for up to 64 GB of DDR4-4666 memory in dual channel. The power delivery is also high-end with a 6-phase power delivery with the CPU controlled by an ISL69269 PWM controller and consists of six Intersil 90 A power stages. Cooling both the 6-phase CPU power delivery is a heatsink which doubles up as a rear panel cover, with a single heat pipe connecting it to the chipset and M.2 slot heatsink.
The rear panel of the Z490 Phantom Gaming ITX/TB3 is solid for a mini-ITX motherboard and includes a single Thunderbolt 3 compliant Type-C port. Also included are three USB 3.2 G2 10 Gbps Type-A, and two USB 3.2 G1 Type-A ports. The networking support includes a single Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5 G Ethernet port, antenna ports for the Intel AX201 Wi-Fi 6 wireless interface with BT 5.1 device support, as well as five 3.5 mm audio jacks and S/PDIF optical output powered by a Realtek ALC1220 HD audio codec. Finishing off what's on the rear panel is a PS/2 keyboard and mouse combo port, as well as a small clear CMOS button.
Typically well-known for its solid mini-ITX desktop-based models, the ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming ITX/TB3 delivers once again when compared to previous versions such as the AMD ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming ITX/TB3 which we previously reviewed. Combining Thunderbolt 3 support in a small frame, with dual PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots and four SATA ports does offer plenty of support for users building a mini-ITX Z490 based system. Content creators will appreciate Thunderbolt 3, while gamers and enthusiasts will also appreciate the 90 A DrMOS power stages and the large power delivery heatsink. Currently, there is no set price for the Z490 Phantom Gaming-ITX/TB3 but we will update this as more information is available.
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Andrew LB - Saturday, May 9, 2020 - link
So these boards bring Wifi6, PCI-Express 4.0, gigabit 2.5, and for people like myself who are upgrading from a Z87 board.... just about everything is a huge leap.... yet you think there is just 'more of the same'? I guess if you're one of those idiots who buys a new CPU every year, then clearly this is not the release for you. Nor would AMD's latest offerings if that same metric is applied.So what's your problem with Capitalism? Do incremental design improvements offend you? Or is it profit that does? Hate to break it to you, but its profit motive that fuels innovation. Collectivism is a cancer and by its very nature hinders progress due to it not rewarding exceptionalism. It's why countries like China don't innovate. Otherwise they wouldn't need forced technology transfers from those who manufacture goods in their country.
Zenzdeluxe - Wednesday, September 2, 2020 - link
Thanks for that. The hypocrisy of these people. Imagine imbibing in the fruits of the capitalist system which besides continuing innovation, provides more spoils at lower price points for everyone than ever before. The audacity of such entitlement and seemingly collectivist / marxist based criticism is mind boggling. Cognitive dissonance off the scale indeed.ilkhan - Friday, May 1, 2020 - link
Details page for GIGABYTE Z490 Aorus Pro AX (copy and paste because who can keep them straight otherwise) makes a big deal of no usb-C, but it's there in the picture...ecjp - Friday, May 1, 2020 - link
Yeah, I noticed that too. Gigabytes site shows same picture and lists "1 x USB Type-C™ port on the back panel, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support" in the specs, so I assume its an error in the article.gavbon - Friday, May 1, 2020 - link
Thanks for picking that up. I must have been writing about the wrong board. Apologies, it's updatedregsEx - Friday, May 1, 2020 - link
"Integrated into the Z490 chipset is an Intel Wi-Fi 6 CNVi which allows motherboard vendors to integrate its AX200 wireless solutions directly from the chipset with a CRF module."CNVi is an old generation 802.11ac controller. Here it is CNVio2. CRF module is AX201. AX200 is a standalone controller that can work on any system. X570 motherboards with 802.11ax support, for example, packs with AX200 card.
lunaticbunny - Friday, May 1, 2020 - link
There are no boards under $200. Seems like this Z490 chipset got the X570 inflation treatment as well.drexnx - Friday, May 1, 2020 - link
just like the X570 boards, they've all got seriously beefed up VRMsand maybe the pcie4 tax wasn't just a cash grab? we'll really see when AMD B550 comes out, where those board prices land
Andrew LB - Saturday, May 9, 2020 - link
Plenty of boards under $200.ASUS Prime Z490M-PLUS
GIGABYTE Z490 AORUS Elite
ASUS TUF Gaming Z490-Plus
ASUS TUF Gaming Z490-Plus wifi
GIGABYTE Z490 UD
MSI Z490-A PRO ProSeries
A bunch of Asrock boards will be under $200 as well. You can see many prices already on Amazon.
dgingeri - Friday, May 1, 2020 - link
It looks like, potentially, at least Gigabyte has decided to include a decent number of USB ports. I can't tell with the Asus board, but all the rest look to have only 6 USB ports, an annoyingly small number. I have been really annoyed with the lack of USB ports on boards for the last 5 years. Heck, with the old 440BX boards, we had 2 ps2, 4 or 6 USB, 1 or 2 serial, and a parallel port. We've lost the other ports, and internal drives in most computers, and not gained USB ports to compensate for it. External hubs aren't going to do it, either, as those stupid things keep dying in a matter of months.