The mini-ITX kind issue is as in style as ever, with a handful of choices already obtainable for Intel’s new LGA1200 socket. Over the years motherboard distributors have been perfecting their small kind issue fashions designed to supply all the efficiency of the larger-sized fashions, however with a smaller desktop footprint. Of these, two of essentially the most fascinating fashions based mostly on options and pricing from all of the mini-ITX fashions on the Z490 chipset are the GIGABYTE Z490I Aorus Ultra and MSI MEG Z490I Unify. Offering twin PCIe 3.zero x4 M.2 slots, 2.5 GbE Ethernet ports, and built-in Wi-Fi 6 radios, each GIGABYTE and MSI’s motherboards are designed to deal with the excessive finish of the market. And with each boards going for a similar worth as nicely, it is simple to see why these Z490 boards have turn into such worthy adversaries.
Two of the Best – $270 Mini-ITX Shoot-out
Focusing on the 2 motherboards in our evaluate, each fashions have related characteristic units and the identical MSRP of $270. There is just a handful of Z490 mini-ITX boards at the moment obtainable, with a few entry-level fashions, in addition to some mid to high-end fashions just like the pair now we have for evaluate at present. Overall, the six mini-ITX Z490 boards which might be available on the market at present vary in worth from $160 to $300, with each the GIGABYTE Z490I Aorus Ultra and MSI MEG Z490I Unify coming with an MSRP of $270.
On paper, each fashions are fairly related in specs, with a 10-layer PCB featured on each, and near-identical energy supply techniques based mostly on Intersil 90 An influence phases. The most important distinction, apart from aesthetics and minor particulars, are that the MSI MEG Z490I Unify additionally contains an Intel Thunderbolt Three controller, which is likely one of the options extra generally related to flagship Z490 boards. So with two very succesful and really related Z490 boards in hand, we’ll be reviewing the finer particulars of those two motherboards, together with efficiency, energy supply thermals, and common variations in a superb quaint mini-ITX showdown.
GIGABYTE Z490I Aorus Ultra Overview
Opening up this face to face mini-ITX Z490 evaluate, now we have the GIGABYTE Z490I Aorus Ultra motherboard. Clad within the firm’s typical Aorus-inspired design with a black PCB with white patterning, it features a black brushed energy supply heatsink which doubles up as a cultured wanting rear panel cowl, in addition to a contrasting silver and black chipset heatsink which additionally doubles as an M.2 heatsink to save lots of house. This means one of many PCIe 3.zero x4 M.2 slots is on the entrance of the board, whereas the second is positioned on the rear, with each slots providing help for each PCIe 3.zero x4 and SATA drives. Offering a component of customization to the aesthetics, GIGABYTE provides an RGB LED strip which creates an underglow impact on the right-hand aspect of the board, with an additional pair of RGB LED headers that enable customers so as to add some extra pizazz to a system.
Coming from the previous-generation Z390 boards to the brand new Z490 fashions, there is not that a lot distinction when it comes to the chipsets themselves, however one notable enchancment throughout the vast majority of fashions is reminiscence help. The GIGABYTE Z490I Aorus Ultra provides help for as much as DDR4-5000 which can, in flip, require the built-in reminiscence controller on the CPU to be sturdy sufficient to help this. In addition to this, Z490 helps the 32 GB reminiscence modules like Z390 does, which implies the Aorus Ultra ITX mannequin helps as much as 64 GB throughout its two reminiscence slots.
For a small kind issue mannequin it has a plethora of options with a stable controller set, which incorporates an Intel I225-V 2.5 GbE Ethernet controller, an Intel AX201 Wi-Fi 6 interface, in addition to a Realtek ALC1220-VB HD audio codec. On the rear panel is loads of connectivity, though the Realtek ALC1220-VB HD audio codec…
