ASUS PRIME Z490-A Motherboard 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. This way ASUS is able to keep the price of these boards fairly reasonable. You still get the quality you would expect from ASUS and a solid feature-set. The ASUS PRIME Z490-A features 14 DrMOS power stages, USB 3.2 gen 2, dual M.2 slots, 2.5G LAN and more! Read on as we take a look!

Special thanks to ASUS for providing us with the PRIME Z490-A Motherboard to review.

Features

Intel® LGA 1200 Socket: Ready for 10th Gen Intel® Core™ processors
Enhanced power solution: 12+2 DrMOS power stages, 6-layer PCB, ProCool sockets, alloy chokes and durable capacitors for stable power delivery
AI Overclocking: Quickly optimizes CPU performance based on the CPU and cooler, achieving results that are extremely close to manual tuning by experts
AI Cooling: Manages and controls all motherboard fans, automatically optimizing settings based on current system load and temperature
5-Way Optimization: One-click, system-wide tuning delivers optimized overclocking and intelligent cooling for CPU or GPU-intensive tasks
Comprehensive cooling: VRM heatsink, M.2 heatsink, hybrid fan headers and Fan Xpert 4
Next-gen connectivity: Intel® 2.5 Gb Ethernet, front USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C® and Thunderbolt™ 3 header support

Check out the full list of specifications here.

Packaging

The PRIME Z490-A comes in ASUS’s typical retail box we’ve seen from their PRIME series. On the front we have a picture of the board and some of the features are listed.

ASUS PRIME Z490-A Motherboard

Flipping over to the back we have another picture of the board. Many of the features are detailed and we have a full list of specifications.

ASUS PRIME Z490-A Motherboard

As far as accessories that come with the board we have 3 SATA cables, Q-connector, screws for the M.2 slots, driver and utility CD, and a user’s guide.

ASUS PRIME Z490-A Motherboard

About Author