October 8th was the release date for some embargos for the new Z390 chipset. And with this date coming and going we saw the major board partners show off most/all of their new lineups. With this brings new naming conventions, new looks, and new features on the motherboards. We’ll list the boards from each partner along with any high-level features.
Z390 is the second generation high-end chipset for Intel’s 300-series platform used with Coffee Lake desktop CPUs. It looks to improve upon Z370 in two key aspects, chipset support for up to six USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) ports, as well as built-in wireless networking MAC for dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
The Z390 chipset itself isn’t so much of a generational update, regardless if it was designed for 9th generation CPUs. The chipset, outside of supporting the 9th gen CPUs, has also brought with it a few features which are now integrated as opposed to being supported by 3rd party chips. Features just as the integrated 2T2R 802.11ac Wi-Fi (Wave 2 with up to 160 MHz wireless bands), native USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) ports, as well as other features including Modern Standby/Smart Connect, and ambient computing (wake-on-voice in low powered mode…think how a smartphone behaves or Cortana and Alexa with the screen off or Modern standby).
The takeaway here is the integration of existing features and functionality along with 9th gen CPU support. There is a possibility that this integration brings with it a slight amount of power savings due to not using 3rd party chips to drive the features, and perhaps the cost may be a bit lower. Unless these features are used, about the only real difference on the chipset will be additional CPU support. These additions allude to the fact that Z390 will be the real high-end chipset on Intel’s mainstream platform.
A Couple of Details
The chipset integrated Wi-Fi depends on its integrated connectivity feature, CNVi, which first made an appearance in Gemini Lake as well as the latest 8th generations CPUs. This integration replaces the 3rd party Wi-Fi module and integrates it into the PCH (items such as memory, MAC, and logic) leaving PHY and antenna on the companion RF module. These then connect through the CNVio interface through a specialized M.2. Intel’s website says there are three different companion modules possible. The AC-9560 (2T2R, vPro enabled), AC-9462 (1T1E with FIPS9 support), and AC-9461 (low-end 1T1R).
The other major feature is the native USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps). The integration means motherboard partners will have to use the HSIO lanes to enable the ports. A total of four are supported on Z390, Q470, and H370/B360. It will be up to the motherboard partner to determine how many 10 Gbps ports are on each motherboard.
Audio selections will be the same ranging from Realtek ALC887 to ALC1220 codecs. Each manufacturer will put their own op-amp parts and capacitors to make their own twist, but the codecs do remain the same.
Below is a list for each motherboard manufacturer. We have also compiled a list of chipset features from Z390 and Z370 for a quick comparison before we dive into each board partner’s offerings.
| Intel Z370 and Z390 Chipset (PCH) Comparison | ||
| Chipset | Z390 | Z370 |
| Release Date | October 2018 | October 2017 |
| ME Firmware | 12 | 11 |
| HSIO Lanes | 30 | |
| Total USB | 14 | |
| USB 3.1 G2 (Max) | 6 | – |
| USB 3.1 G1 (Max) | 10 | |
| SATA 6 Gbps | 6 | |
| PCH PCIe 3.0 Lanes | 24 | |
| RST PCIe Storage (Max) | 3 | |
| Optane Support | Y | |
| Integrated 802.11ac | Y | N |
| Intel Smart Sounds | Y | |
| Intel vPro | N | |
| TDP | ? | 6W |
Chipset Diagrams
Pictured below are the chipset diagrams for Z370 and Z390 to show the (two) differences.
z390 Chipset Diagram (Intel)
z370 Chipset Diagram (Intel)
ASRock
ASRock has announced a total of 12 motherboards at this time. Boards will range from Mini-ITX to ATX with the Z390 Phantom Gaming 9 in the flagship position. ASRock’s naming convention is a bit different here compared to Z370 or previous generations with the use of the Phantom Gaming lineup of boards (six) which spreads across a wide variety of features, size, and pricing instead of the ‘Extreme’ lineup. What we do not see, yet, is an OC Formula which was absent on Z370 as well, perhaps to make an appearance here.
- Z390 Phantom Gaming 9 – $269 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 Taichi Ultimate – $300 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 Taichi – $240 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 Phantom Gaming 6 – $196 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 Extreme4 – $180 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 Phantom Gaming SLI/ac – $168 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 Phantom Gaming SLI – $N/A MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 Phantom Gaming 4 – $140 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 Phantom Gaming-ITX/ac – $190 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 Pro4 – $135 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390M ITX/ac – $150 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390M Pro4 – $135 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
| ASRock Z390 Motherboard Specifications | |||||||||
| Memory Capacity | Memory Support (Max) | SATA 6 Gbps Ports | M.2 / Type | LAN | WiFi | USB 3.1 G2 | USB 3.1 G1 / 2.0 | PCIe Slots (Full-Length) | |
| Z390 Phantom Gaming 9 | 64 GB (4x DRAM Slots) |
4266+ | 8 | 3 – SATA + PCIe | 1x 2.5 Gigabit 2x Gigabit |
Y | 4 | 4 / 0 | 3 |
| Z390 Taichi Ultimate | 4200+ | 8 | 3 – SATA + PCIe | 1x 10 Gigabit 2x Gigabit |
Y | 4 | 4 / 0 | 3 | |
| Z390 Taichi | 4200+ | 8 | 3 – SATA + PCIe | 2x Gigabit | Y | 4 | 4 / 0 | 3 | |
| Z390 Phantom Gaming 6 | 4300+ | 8 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x 2.5 Gigabit 2x Gigabit |
N | 2 | 4 / 0 | 3 | |
| Z390 Extreme4 | 4300+ | 8 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | N | 2 | 4 / 0 | 3 | |
| Z390 Phantom Gaming SLI/ac | 4300+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x 2.5 Gigabit | Y | 2 | 4 / 0 | 2 | |
| Z390 Phantom Gaming SLI | 4300+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x 2.5 Gigabit | N | 2 | 4 / 0 | 2 | |
| Z390 Phantom Gaming 4 | 4300+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | N | 2 | 2 / 2 | 2 | |
| Z390 Pro4 | 4300+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | N | 2 | 2 / 2 | 2 | |
| Z390 Phantom Gaming-ITX/ac | 32 GB (2x DRAM Slots) | 4500+ | 4 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | Y | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Z390M ITX/ac | 4000+ | 6 | 1 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | Y | 6 | 0 / 2 | 2 | |
| Z390M Pro4 | 64 GB (4x DRAM slots) | 4300+ | 6 | 1 – PCIe + SATA, 1 PCIe only | 1x Gigabit | N | 2 | 4 / 0 | 2 |
ASUS
ASUS has brought the house with their Z390 motherboards giving users a total of 17 boards to choose from. Within the product stack is a workstation class board (WS Z390 Pro), The Prime series (three boards) aimed more at entry-level, the Strix and TUF Gaming series for gaming oriented boards as well as a refresh of the premium Maximus motherboards which include the full lineup from the Extreme to the Gene. Prices on the ASUS offerings will range from $150 to $500.
- Maximus XI Extreme – $500 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Maximus XI Formula – $450 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Maximus XI Code – $350 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Maximus XI Hero COD – $340 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Maximus XI Hero – $290 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Maximus X Gene – $N/A MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Strix Z390-E Gaming – $245 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Strix Z390-F Gaming – $N/A MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Strix Z390-I Gaming – $210 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Strix Z390-H Gaming – $190 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- TUF Z390 Pro Gaming – $170 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- TUF Z390M-Pro Gaming – $180 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- TUF Z390-PLUS Gaming – $170 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Prime Z390-A – $190 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Prime Z390-P – $150 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Prime Z390M-PLUS – $N/A MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- WS Z390 Pro – $400 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
| ASUS Z390 Motherboard Specifications | |||||||||
| Memory Capacity | Memory Support (Max) | SATA 6 Gbps Ports | M.2 / Type | LAN | WiFi | USB 3.1 G2 | USB 3.1 G1 / 2.0 | PCIe Slots (Full-Length) | |
| Maximus XI Extreme | 64 GB (4x DRAM Slots) |
4400+ | 6 | 4 / ? | 1x 5 Gigabit 1x Gigabit |
Y | 4 | ? | 3 |
| Maximus XI Formula | 4400+ | 6 | 2 / ? | 1x 5 Gigabit 1x Gigabit |
Y | 4 | ? | 3 | |
| Maximus XI Code | 4400+ | 6 | 2 / ? | 1x Gigabit | Y | 4 | ? | 3 | |
| Maximus XI Hero (Wi-Fi) | 4400+ | 6 | 2 / ? | 1x Gigabit | Y (optional) | 4 | ? | 3 | |
| Maximus X Gene | 32 GB (2x DRAM slots) | 4600+ | 4 | 4 / ? | 1x Gigabit | Y | 4 | ? | 1 |
| Strix Z390-E Gaming | 64 GB (4x DRAM Slots) |
4266+ | 6 | 2 / ? | 1x Gigabit | N | 4 | ? | 3 |
| Strix Z390-I Gaming | 4600+ | 4 | 2 / ? | 1x Gigabit | Y | 2 | ? | 1 | |
| Strix Z390-H Gaming | 4266+ | 6 | 2 / ? | 1x Gigabit | N | 4 | ? | 3 | |
| TUF Z390 Pro Gaming | 4266+ | 6 | 2 / ? | 1x Gigabit | N | 2 | ? | 3 | |
| TUF Z390M-Pro Gaming (Wi-Fi) | 4266+ | 6 | 2 / ? | 1x Gigabit | Y (optional) |
1 | ? | 2 | |
| TUF Z390-PLUS Gaming (Wi-Fi) | 4266+ | 6 | 2 / ? | 1x Gigabit | Y (optional) |
2 | ? | 2 | |
| Prime Z390-A | 4266+ | 6 | 2 / ? | 1x Gigabit | N | 4 | ? | 3 | |
| Prime Z390-P | 4266+ | 4 | 2 / ? | 1x Gigabit | N | 2 | ? | 2 | |
| Prime Z390M-PLUS | 4266+ | 4 | 2 / ? | 1x Gigabit | N | 2 | ? | 2 | |
| WS Z390 Pro | 4266+ | 6 | 2 / ? | 2x Gigabit | N | 3 | ? | 4 |
EVGA
EVGA comes to the Z390 party with two motherboards around launch time with the Z390 Dark with its rotated CPU slot, two DRAM slots above the CPU (as opposed to sitting on the right) as well as a uniquely colored board with its black base color and gold highlights. The other board is the Z390 FTW which is more of a standard piece compared to the Dark. No mention of a small form factor option, such as the Stinger, so far.
- Z390 Dark – $N/A MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 FTW – $N/A MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
| EVGA Z390 Motherboard Specifications | |||||||||
| Memory Capacity | Memory Support (Max) | SATA 6 Gbps Ports | M.2 / Type | LAN | WiFi | USB 3.1 G2 | USB 3.1 G1 / 2.0 | PCIe Slots (Full-Length) | |
| Z390 Dark | 32 GB (2x DRAM Slots) |
4133+ | 8 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 2x Gigabit | Y | 6 | 2 / 0 | 3 |
| Z390 FTW | 64 GB(4x DRAM Slots) | 4133+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | N | 5 | 4 / 2 | 2 |
GIGABYTE
GIGABYTE brings to the table 10 motherboards as well, with offerings from Mini-ITX to eATX with the yet to be announced Aorus Extreme. Pricing is said to range from $130 up to $290 with the Aorus Extreme likely to fetch more.
- Z390 Aorus Master – $290 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 Aorus Ultra – $250 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z290 Aorus Pro Wi-Fi – $200 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 Aorus Elite – $180 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 Aorus Pro – $190 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 Gaming SLI – $160 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 M Gaming – $145 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 Gaming X – $150 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 UD – $130 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390 I Aorus Pro – $165 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
| Gigabyte Z390 Motherboard Specifications | |||||||||
| Memory Capacity | Memory Support (Max) | SATA 6 Gbps Ports | M.2 / Type | LAN | WiFi | USB 3.1 G2 | USB 3.1 G1 / 2.0 | PCIe Slots (Full-Length) | |
| Z390 Aorus Master | 64 GB (4x DRAM Slots) |
4133+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe, 1 – PCIe | 1x Gigabit | Y | 4 | 4 / 4 | 3 |
| Z390 Aorus Ultra | 4133+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe, 1 – PCIe | 1x Gigabit | Y | 4 | 4 / 4 | 3 | |
| Z390 Aorus Pro Wi-Fi | 4200+ | 8 | 3 – SATA + PCIe | 2x Gigabit | Y | 4 | 4 / 0 | 3 | |
| Z390 Aorus Elite | 2666+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | N | 2 | 4 / 0 | 2 | |
| Z390 Aorus Pro | 4133+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | N | 3 | 3 / 0 | 3 | |
| Z390 Gaming SLI | 2666+ | 6 | 1 – SATA + PCIe 1 – PCIe |
1x Gigabit | N | 2 | 6 / 0 | 3 | |
| Z390 M Gaming | 2666+ | 6 | 1 – SATA + PCIe 1 – PCIe |
1x Gigabit | N | 2 | 4 / 0 | 2 | |
| Z390 Gaming X | 2666+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | N | 1 | 5 / 2 | 2 | |
| Z390 UD | 2666+ | 6 | 1 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | N | 0 | 6 / 0 | 3 | |
| Z390 I Aorus Pro Wi-Fi | 32 GB (2x DRAM Slots) | 2666+ | 4 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | Y | 2 | 4 / 0 | 1 |
MSI
MSI brings 12 total motherboards to the party with eight listed on the website. Like the other major board partners, there is seemingly a board and a price point for everyone with features differing from board to board.
- MEG Z390 Godlike – $600 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- MEG Z390 ACE – $290 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon AC – $230 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon – $200 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC – $190 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- MPG Z390M Gaming Edge AC – $180 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- MPG Z390I Gaming Edge AC – $165 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- MPG Z390 Gaming Plus – $150 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- MAG Z390 Tomahawk – $160 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- MAG Z390M Tomahawk – $160 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- MAG Z390M Mortar – $N/A MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
- Z390-A Pro – $140 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
| MSI Z390 Motherboard Specifications | |||||||||
| Memory Capacity | Memory Support (Max) | SATA 6 Gbps Ports | M.2 / Type | LAN | WiFi | USB 3.1 G2 | USB 3.1 G1 / 2.0 | PCIe Slots (Full-Length) | |
| MEG Z390 Godlike | 64 GB (4x DRAM Slots) |
4600+ | 6 | 3 – SATA + PCIe | 2x Killer E2500 Gigabit | Y | 4 | 2 / 0 | 4 |
| MEG Z390 ACE | 4500+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe, 1 – PCIe | 1x Killer E2500 Gigabit | Y | 6 | 0 / 4 | 3 | |
| MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon AC | 4400+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | Y | 4 | 0 / 2 | 3 | |
| MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon | 4400+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | N | 4 | 0 / 2 | 3 | |
| MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC | 4400+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | Y | 2 | 2 / 2 | 3 | |
| MPG Z390M Gaming Edge AC | |||||||||
| MPG Z390I Gaming Edge AC | 32 GB (2x DRAM Slots) | 4600+ | 4 | 1 – SATA + PCIe, 1 – PCIe | 1x Gigabit | Y | 2 | 2 / 2 | 1 |
| MPG Z390 Gaming Plus | 64 GB (4x DRAM slots) | 4400+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | N | 2 | 2 / 2 | 2 |
| MAG Z390 Tomahawk | 4400+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 2x Gigabit | N | 4 | 0 / 2 | 3 | |
| MAG Z390M Tomahawk | 4400+ | 6 | 2 – SATA + PCIe | 2x Gigabit | N | 4 | 0 / 4 | 3 | |
| MAG Z390M Mortar | |||||||||
| Z390-A Pro | 4400+ | 6 | 1 – SATA + PCIe | 1x Gigabit | N | 2 | 2 / 2 | 2 |
NZXT
NZXT joins the fray with a single entry, just as they did with their first motherboard with the N7 Z370. The new board is the N7 Z390. It comes in black or white and has the same design aesthetic using the shrouding on the majority of the board giving it a really clean appearance.
- N7 Z390 – $280 MSRP – Amazon – Newegg
| NZXT Z390 Motherboard Specifications | |||||||||
| Memory Capacity | Memory Support (Max) | SATA 6 Gbps Ports | M.2 / Type | LAN | WiFi | USB 3.1 G2 | USB 3.1 G1 / 2.0 | PCIe Slots (Full-Length) | |
| N7 Z390 | 32 GB (2x DRAM Slots) | NA | 4 | 1 PCIe, 1 PCIe + SATA | 1 Gigabit | Y | 4 | 2 / 0 | 2 |
Well, there we have it, a listing of over 50 motherboards that are out or will be released in the coming months. While we won’t get to review the majority of them, we are certain to see many of them which should give users an idea of their performance and look at their feature sets in a lot more detail. We will be updating this article with links to Newegg, Amazon, and our reviews for any of the boards to make it easier to get the board you are looking for. Keep an eye out on the front page for our i9 9900K review and new Z390 motherboard reviews in the coming weeks and months!
Z390 Motherboard Roundup: 50+ New Releases from ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI, and more is a post from: Overclockers – The Performance Computing Community