It’s pretty well equipped, offering just enough features for your typical PC build. However, we’re a little unsure why it only has Gen 3.0 PCIe, not Gen 4.0, so it’s not quite future proof for some upcoming Intel CPUs. However, beyond that, there’s the usual mixture of USB headers, a pair of M.2 mounts, addressable and 4-pin RGB headers, etc.
Read more @ eTeknix
It’s been nearly two years to the day since NZXT last released a motherboard, which was the Z370 N7. NZXT initially used ECS as its motherboard OEM, but has opted to use ASRock this time round for a new N7 model. This has the same N7 infused armor, albeit using a combined metal and plastic instead of just metal which does reduce the overall cost.
Read more @ AnandTech
The NZXT N7 Z490 has what you need to build a solid Z490 rig at a reasonable price. The VRMs are more than capable, and for the most part performance landed in line with competition. If you like the shroud-covered look or want to go all-in on NZXT’s ecosystem, the N7 Z490 is a good option at $229.99.
Read more @ Tom’s Hardware
Intel’s John Bonini penned a blog today, “Intel’s Commitment to Gaming, and a Sneak Peek at Intel Technology to Come”. One interesting tidbit, clearly dropped due to the AMD Zen 3 event tomorrow, is on Rocket Lake:
Our 10th Gen Intel Core processors continue to provide excellent performance and a stable platform for even the most demanding games. Ultimately, I believe there’s a great 10th Gen option that addresses the needs for every type of gamer — from casual players, to the most dedicated and passionate enthusiasts.
Though as you’d expect, we’re constantly looking ahead at what’s next and how we can make our desktop CPUs even better. With that said, I’m also happy to confirm that the next generation 11th Gen Intel Core desktop processors (codenamed “Rocket Lake”) is coming in the first quarter of 2021 and will provide support for PCIe 4.0. It’ll be another fantastic processor for gaming, and we’re excited to disclose more details in the near future. There’s a lot more to come, so stay tuned!
Read more @ Intel’s Blog
This is a compact mATX motherboard that makes the most of AMD’s budget chipset. Although there is no PCIe 4.0 support, this is hardly necessary for low-end motherboards. But we have all the main features at our disposal – support for many processors (including older models), an M.2 connector with the ability to install both types of drives, a USB 3.2 Gen2 port and even a connector for RGB devices.
Read more @ Green Tech Reviews (Russian)
The name does tell you quite a lot, even if it could be done in a more truncated format. The ASUS TUF GAMING X570 PLUS (WI-FI) is an AMD X570 chipset based motherboard with a built-in Wi-Fi adapter. There is a non-WI-FI version of the motherboard. Functionally, they are identical in quality and design aside from this one change.
Read more @ The FPS Review
So far when it comes to Z490 motherboards we’ve taken a look at a few boards from ASUS Republic of Gamers line, but today we are checking out the PRIME Z490-A. I’ve always been a fan of PRIME series boards, mainly for the fact that they appeal to pretty much everyone. They give you all of the features you would want on your given chipset without all of the extras you are more than likely not going to use.
Read more @ ThinkComputers
The VRM for the ACE is the same as the Godlike with sixteen 90A power stages doubled from the same Intersil controller. The only difference is that the ACE does not have any VCCGT phases, which means your iGPU will not be powered, which can be a detriment if you need the iGPU for things such as quick sync.
Read more @ TweakTown
The MSI MEG Z490 Unify could be described as the simpler and above all cheaper MSI MEG Z490 ACE . In a direct comparison, it is not only visual similarities that are noticeable, but also technical ones. The two boards use exactly the same layout and are equipped almost identically. Differences? Yes, of course there are.
Read more @ Hardware Journal (German)
In light of the release of the next generation AMD Ryzen processors, motherboards based on the AMD B550 chipset are gaining popularity. This is a good reason to talk about the ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming (Wi-Fi) , which we managed to get for testing. This board is very similar to the top-end ASUS ROG Strix B550-E Gaming recently reviewed by us , but has a number of distinctive features.
Read more @ i2Hard (Russian)