It can’t really handle multi-GPU and it doesn’t have wireless internet, for instance. However, you do get two M.2 connectors and six SATA ports. It looks attractive, too, with dark metal heatsinks, RGB LEDs on the board itself and plenty of options for connecting RGB LEDs elsewhere around the rig.

SNR AMP-UP Audio with High-End ESS SABRE 9018K2M DAC, LME 49720 and OPA1622 OP-AMP, WIMA audio capacitors You get good on-board USB connectivity, too, and this board’s higher price means there are also on-board buttons and a POST display for diagnosing problems.Few other boards at this price offer so many features and so much balance, and the Gigabyte also delivered great performance. It’s better than all of its affordable rivals in application tests, proved speedy in application and memory benchmarks, and finished off with gaming results that outpaced the competition. The motherboards are put through a demanding suite of benchmark tests. We run Geekbench 4 to test single- and multi-core application speed, and Maxon’s Cinebench R15 to test CPU and OpenGL GPU performance. We use CrystalDiskMark to test NVMe and SATA storage speeds, and SiSoft Sandra to evaluate memory performance and processor arithmetic speeds.

Intel classifications are for general, educational and planning purposes only and consist of Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCN) and Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) numbers. Any use made of Intel classifications are without recourse to Intel and shall not be construed as a representation or warranty regarding the proper ECCN or HTS. Your company as an importer and/or exporter is responsible for determining the correct classification of your transaction. The various extra durability features included and shown off on this board can often be found elsewhere, though, and rival products feature USB 3.1 Type-C connectors, better audio kit and improved support for dual-graphics protocols. MSI’s board returned excellent application results that outpaced the Gigabyte, and the MSI board was frugal. However, it was inconsistent in gaming, and often behind the Gigabyte. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ve sifted through the market to find the best eight boards, which have been tested for performance, features and value, so you can come to a conclusion over which could take pride of place in your next rig, regardless of your budget, or what you want to accomplish. 1. MSI MEG Z390 Godlike Intel Z390 AORUS Motherboard with 6 Phases Digital VRM solutions, Extended Heatsink, HDMI 2.0 & DisplayPort onboard, 802.11ac Wireless, RGB Fusion 2.0, Dual M.2 with Single Thermal Guard, Front USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, Intel ® GbE LAN with cFosSpeedIntel Z390 AORUS Motherboard with 12 Phases Digital VRM Solutions, Multi-cuts Heatsinks with Heatpipe, RGB Fusion 2.0, 802.11ac Wireless, Dual M.2 with Thermal Guards, Intel ® GbE LAN with cFosSpeed Intel Z390 AORUS Motherboard with 12+1 Phases Digital VRM, Direct Touch Heatpipe, RGB Fusion 2.0, 802.11ac Wireless, Triple M.2 with Thermal Guards, Intel ® GbE LAN with cFosSpeed, Front & Rear USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C Since Z390 is a revision of Z370, a lot of the chipset’s upgrades are minor or evolutionary. You still get DDR4 support, for instance, but Z370’s maximum allocation of 64GB has been doubled to 128GB. In addition, while Z370 supported 10 USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, Z390 supports those 10 along with up to six faster USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports. The MSI did deliver poor application performance in most of the benchmarks, and its gaming results were mediocre. ROG DIMM.2: Vertically-installed dual-M.2 expansion card with heatsink for maximum cooling and performance.

The MSI MAG Z390 Tomahawk is the cheapest board in this Z390 group, and it has a specification that’s capable of handling decent single-GPU gaming rigs – but not much more than that. It’s worth thinking about the chipset when buying a new motherboard, but it isn’t the only area that needs important consideration. System and Maximum TDP is based on worst case scenarios. Actual TDP may be lower if not all I/Os for chipsets are used.

Make your memory go faster

Motherboards that use the older Z370 chipset support 8th-generation chips, but they’ll need firmware updates to support 9th-generation hardware. Similarly, you’ll need to use a BIOS update if you want to run an eight-generation CPU on a Z390 board. So, what can this chipset handle – and what’s changed since Z370?

Cutting-edge Thermal Design with Fins-Array Heatsink, Direct Touch Heatpipe and NanoCarbon Baseplate It’s a reasonable performer in application benchmarks, with solid pace in Cinebench and Geekbench, but the board still couldn’t match the Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro for application performance. The entry-level specification gives way to disappointing benchmark performance. The TUF board was a little better than rivals in single-threaded tests, and a little slower in more complex, multi-threaded workloads. It was often slower in gaming, too. Motherboards also tend to be covered by tiny connectors. These handle CPU cooling, USB connectivity, all of your PC’s front-panel connections, and your system’s lighting and case fans.It’s a revision to Intel’s high-end consumer chipset, so it’s no surprise that this platform is well-served by beefy processors. That won’t prove too much of a hindrance at this end of the market, though. You can certainly get more features and speed if you pay extra elsewhere, but this MSI is a fine, well-rounded option if you want Z390 without spending lots of cash. Read the full review As usual, there’s support for 64GB of DDR4 memory, a solid Realtek ALC1220 audio codec and entirely normal wired networking. On board you get reasonable USB connectivity, and average allocations of fan connectors and CPU power plugs. Intel Z390 Ultra Durable motherboard with 12+1 Phases Digital VRM, Direct Touch Heatpipe, Thunderbolt™ 3, CPU attached RAID, 802.11ac Wireless, Dual M.2 with Thermal Guards, Dual Intel ® GbE LAN with cFosSpeed, Front & Rear USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C