Intel® Z490 AORUS Motherboard with 16+1 Phases Digital VRM, AORUS All-In-One Monoblock ,NanoCarbon Baseplate, Intel® Thunderbolt 3, ESSential USB DAC, Intel® WiFi 6 802.11ax, AQUANTIA® 10GbE LAN, Intel® 2.5GbE LAN, RGB FAN COMMANDER

  • Supports 10th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors and 11th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors*
  • Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs
  • Intel® Optane™ Memory Ready
  • 16+1 Phases Digital VRM Solution with 90A Smart Power Stage and Tantalum Polymer Capacitors Array
  • XTREME MEMORY with SMT DIMM and Shielded Memory Routing
  • AORUS All-In-One Monoblock for CPU, VRM, SSD and PCH
  • Intel® Thunderbolt™ 3 Onboard
  • Exclusive ESSential USB DAC
  • Exclusive RGB FAN COMMANDER for Professional Casemodders
  • Onboard Intel® WiFi 6 802.11ax 2T2R & BT 5 with 2X AORUS Antenna
  • 127dB SNR AMP-UP Audio with High-End ESS SABRE 9018K2M DAC, LME 49720 and OPA1622 OP-AMP, WIMA Audio Capacitors
  • AQUANTIA® 10GbE BASE-T LAN and Intel® 2.5GbE LAN with cFosSpeed
  • Triple Ultra-Fast NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 with Thermal Guards II
  • USB TurboCharger for Mobile Device Fast Charge Support
  • RGB FUSION 2.0 with Multi-Zone Addressable LED Light Show Design, Support Addressable LED & RGB LED Strips
  • Smart Fan 5 Features Multiple Temperature Sensors , Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP and Noise Detection
  • Q-Flash Plus Update BIOS without Installing the CPU, Memory and Graphics Card

  • * Updated BIOS is required for compatibility.
EXTREME THERMAL DESIGN
EXTREME POWER DESIGN
Unparalleled Performance
Next Generation Connectivity
Definitive Aesthetics
Hi-Fi Audio System
Ultra Durable
GIGABYTE BIOS & APP CENTER
EXTREME THERMAL DESIGN
EXTREME POWER DESIGN
Unparalleled Performance
Next Generation Connectivity
Definitive Aesthetics
Hi-Fi Audio System
Ultra Durable
GIGABYTE BIOS & APP CENTER
Z490 AORUS MASTER Z490 AORUS PRO AX Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE Z490 AORUS XTREME Z490 AORUS ULTRA Z490I AORUS ULTRA
Showcasing a state-of-the-art design, excellent functionality, an impressive thermal design, next generation network connectivity, a Hi-Fi level audio system, and AORUS aesthetics, the flagship Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE motherboard dominates the competition.
1
True 16+1 Phases Digital VRM
  1. 90A Smart Power Stage
  2. 8 Layer PCB
  3. PCIe 4.0 Ready Low Loss PCB
  4. 2X Cooper PCB
2
Intel® WiFi 6 802.11ax 2T2R & BT 5 with 2X AORUS Antenna
3
Intel® 2.5GbE LAN
4
AQUANTIA® 10GbE BASE-T LAN
5
Intel® Thunderbolt 3
6
Watercooling Thermal Design
  1. AORUS All-In-One Monoblock
  2. 7.5 W/mK LAIRD Thermal Conductivity Pad
  3. NanoCarbon Baseplate
  4. Right-Angled Connectors
7
3* M.2 Connectors
  1. NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4
  2. Thermal Guards II
8
AMP-UP Audio
  1. ALC 1220-VB Audio Codec
  2. ESS 9018K2M SABRE DAC
  3. TI Burr-Brown™ OPA
  4. Auto Impedance Sensing
  5. Audiophile Grade Capacitors
  6. Anti-pop Relay
  7. Gold Plated Audio Jacks
  8. Front Audio with ESS 9218 DAC
09
Supports 10th Gen. Intel Core™ Processors
  1. Dual Channel DDR4, 4 DIMMs with Ultra Durable Memory Armor
10
Solid Pin Power Connectors
  1. 24 pin ATX Power Connector
  2. 8+8 Pin CPU Power Connector
11
RGB FUSION 2.0
  1. Addressable LED Header*2
  2. RGB LED Header*2
12
Front USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C™
13
USB TurboCharger
14
DualBIOS with Q-Flash Plus
EXTREME THERMAL DESIGN
Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE uses exclusive CPU/VRM/PCH watercooling monoblock to ensure stability and low temperature under full loading application and gaming.
All-In-One
Monoblock
NanoCarbon
Baseplate
Right-Angled
Connectors
M.2
Thermal Guard II
Noise
Detection
8X
Hybrid Fan Header
NanoCarbon Baseplate
  1. Base plate made of aluminum instead of traditional iron ensures 3X thermal conductivity.
  2. A thin layer of NanoCarbon is coated on the base plate through electrostatic adhesion to enhance thermal radiation capability.
  3. Transfer heat from the back side PCB to the base plate so the NanoCarbon base plate can dissipate heat passively.
  4. Effectively lowers backside PWM component temperature by 10%.
NanoCarbon Coating
This specialized nanostructure of carbon molecules has extraordinary thermal conductivity.
Right-Angled Connectors
Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE uses revolutionary Right-Angled Connectors design, 90% of pin headers and connectors on motherboard are right-angled and relocated to one side of PCB. The never-seen-before design help easier cable management and better in-chassis air-flow when installing great amount of devices.
*Photo for reference only.
AORUS M.2 Thermal Guard II
With durability in mind, GIGABYTE provides a new thermal solution for large capacity M.2 SSD devices with double side flash. The M.2 Thermal Guard II uses a double-sided heatsink design and prevents throttling and bottlenecks on high speed M.2 SSDs by dissipating heat before it becomes an issue.
Thermal Throttling As Temperature Rises
Noise Detection
With the new Noise Detection function, you can monitor noise level of all devices including fans, CPU coolers, graphics card, etc. in real time, and you can determine how fast your fan speed needs to be. Our bundled Noise Detection cable doesn’t include any sound recording function, it simply detects sound pressure while protecting your privacy.
Extreme Power Design
To unleash the full potential of the new Intel 10-core CPU, the motherboard requires the best CPU power design. With the best quality components and GIGABYTE R&D design capability, Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE is a true beast among motherboards.
16+1 Phases
Digital Power Design
Power
Architecture
2X
Copper PCB
  • 90A Smart Power Stage for Each vCore Phase
  • High Current Capacity MOSFET
  • Tantalum Polymer Capacitors Array
  • Lower Temperatures
  • Improved Transient
Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE motherboard uses an pure digital CPU power design which includes a digital PWM Controller with Smart Power Stages and is capable of providing 90A of power from each phase for a total of 1440A. This 100% digital controller, new Tantalum Polymer Capacitors array, and additional 8+8 Solid-pin CPU Power Connectors offer incredible precision and stability in delivering power to the motherboard's most power-hungry and energy-sensitive components, allowing enthusiasts to get the absolute maximum overclocking performance from the new 10-core 10th Gen. Intel® Core™ processors.

* Doubled from 8 phases with current balancing.

Due to the lower resistance of the polymer materials, tantalum polymer caps generally have better ESR and ripple current specifications, as well as better performance at high frequency.
GIGABYTE's exclusive 2X Copper PCBs design provides sufficient power trace paths between components to handle greater than normal power loads and to remove heat from the critical CPU power delivery area. This is essential to ensure the motherboard is able to handle the increased power loading that is necessary when overclocking.
Unparalleled Performance
Hungry for better performance? Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE has a full PCIe 4.0 design, supports high frequency memory, and comes with full SSD thermal guards to make sure you get the maximum full system performance.
XTREME MEMORY
XMP 5000+
PCIe 4.0
Hardware Design
3X
PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2
PCIe 4.0
Like SSD
1. 2X PCIe 4.0 Slot
Reinforced PCIe 4.0 x16 or x8/x8 with lower impedance.
2. M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slot
M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 slot with lower impedance.
3. PCIe 4.0 Turbo B-Clock
External clock generator for PCIe 4.0 overclocking.
4. PCIe 4.0 Switches
Switch PCIe 4.0 x16 into PCIe 4.0 x8/x8.
5. PCIe 4.0 Re-driver
Boost & strengthen PCIe 4.0 signals to longer lengths.
M.2 + M.2 + M.2

Extreme sequential Read 3551 MB/s, Sequential Write 3410 MB/s speed
Triple NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs in RAID 0 Support
Extreme Performance with Gen3 x4 NVMe PCIe SSDs

Z490 AORUS motherboards offer the industry's best compatibility in terms of NVMe storage for users who demand high capacity and seek the best performance. AORUS' unique design can be configured in RAID for record speeds of up to 3551 MB/s (Sequential Read), making AORUS the obvious choice for the ultimate PC.
Triple PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2
AORUS Gaming Motherboards are focused on delivering M.2 technology to enthusiasts who want to maximize their system's potential.
Next Generation Connectivity
A Flagship product needs to be future-proofed so your system stays up-to-date with the latest technology. Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE provides all next generation network, storage, and WIFI connectivity to keep you up to speed.
10 GbE LAN
Intel® Thunderbolt™ 3
WIFI 6
802.11ax
AORUS Antenna
USB TurboCharger
AQUANTIA® 10GbE BASE-T Networking
Next Generation Multi-Gig Gaming
The AQUANTIA ® AQC107 is a high-performance, backward compatible with 10GBASE-T/ 5GBASE-T/ 2.5GBASE-T/ 1000BASE-T/ 100BASE-TX Ethernet Controller which is able to provide up to 10 GbE network connectivity, with 10 times faster transfer speeds compared to general 1GbE networking and is perfectly designed for media centers, workstations and gamers.
Multi-Gigabit Support
• Ultimate online gaming experience with faster connection speed
• Backward compatible with 5/2.5/1Gbps network
• No re-wiring needed
Next Generation 40 Gb/s Thunderbolt™ 3
Dual Thunderbolt™ 3 – The fastest 40Gb/s single-wire connection

Powered by Intel's own Thunderbolt controller the new Thunderbolt™ 3 protocol, which is available over two USB Type-C™ connectors on the back I/O of the GIGABYTE Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE, brings an unprecedented single-wire bandwidth of up to 40 Gb/s -- twice more than the previous generation of Thunderbolt! This incredible increase in bandwidth is also accompanied with support for different protocols such as DisplayPort 1.2 and USB 3.2 Gen2, which is backwards compatible with USB 3.2 Gen1 and USB 2.0, opening up a world of new possibilities.



Daisy-chain Multiple Devices

Support for DisplayPort 1.2 makes Thunderbolt™ 3 a must have for any enthusiast. The Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE is able to support two displays in 4K resolution at 60 FPS or one display in 5K resolution. In addition, Thunderbolt™ 3 over USB Type-C™ has revolutionary industry-first features such as Power Delivery 2.0, and the ability to daisy-chain up to 12 devices thanks to the Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE's dual USB Type-C™ ports.


Compatibility may vary according to system configuration and device specifications.
New Introduce Intel® WiFi 6 802.11ax + BT 5 Module
Intel Wireless solution supports 802.11ax, enables gigabit wireless performance, provides smooth video streaming, better gaming experience, few dropped connections and speeds up to 2.4Gbps*. Moreover, Bluetooth 5 provides 4X range over BT 4.2 and with faster transmission.
Benefit of WiFi 6:
  1. 5.5X throughput than 802.11ac 1x1*
  2. 4X better network capacity, no traffic jams especially in those dense area with lots of devices
  3. Network efficiency increase for better user experience
AORUS Antenna
  1. All new antenna supported 802.11ac 2.4GHz & 5GHz, 4dBi signal gain
  2. 2x signal strength compared to traditional antenna design
  3. Two antenna with smart antenna function for the best WIFI signal transmitting
  4. Multiple angle tilt and magnetic base for the best signal strength direction and location
USB TurboCharger
GIGABYTE patent pending USB TurboCharger technology allows users to recharge their mobile devices with stunning speed, up to 50% in less than 30 minutes*. By connecting Front USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A cable of chassis to our motherboard, USB TurboCharger can recharge both Android devices with QC 3.0 and Apple devices with Apple Fast-Charge function.
*Charge time varies with devices' hardware design, battery size, front USB 3.2 Gen1 cable quality of chassis and environmental factors, actual results will vary.
Definitive Aesthetics
GIGABYTE ID team designs Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE from the drawing board. After countless hours of conceptualizing ideas, fine tuning details, and engaging in discussion, GIGABYTE has produced a board that is equal parts beast and beauty.
RGB FUSION 2.0
RGB FUSION Software
AORUS RGB FAN COMMANDER
Multi-Zone Light Show Design
Now offering more LED customizations than ever, users can truly adapt their PC to represent their lifestyle. With full RGB support and a redesigned RGB Fusion 2.0 application, the user has complete control over the LEDs which surround the motherboard.
Note: Lighting effects depicted are for demonstration purposes only. Actual lighting effects may vary by model.
With an integrated intuitive user interface, the RGB Fusion 2.0 provides you a better solution for customizing the lighting effects across all supported devices. From motherboards, graphics cards to the peripheral products, you can personalize your gaming rig with your own style and show off your build by sharing the profiles. In addition, the new gaming mode makes the lighting effects interactive with selected games to bring you the most immersive gaming experience.
Sync with one click
Individual control as you wish

  1. Exclusive bundled accessory for professional casemodders
  2. 8 Hybrid Fan Headers
  3. 8 RGB LED Headers
  4. 8 Addressable LED Headers
  5. 2 external temperature sensors
  6. 2 USB 2.0 header for additional USB RGB devices
  7. All Hybrid Fan Headers and RGB/Addressable LED Headers have independently controlled speed and lighting patterns
  8. Easy to install inside the chassis with its compact size and magnetic base
Hi-Fi Audio
Still think motherboard audio is just "basic sound output" ? We put a 100% full Hi-Fi sound card and all audio-grade components into the Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE to ensure the best, crystal clear sound quality. Furthermore, an exclusive bundled ESSential USB DAC means users not longer have to endure bad audio quality from ancient Front Audio interfaces.
ESSential USB DAC
ESS Sabre HiFi
DTX X ULTRA
DTS :X® Ultra
Recreates an authentic, spatially accurate 3D audio experience for gaming over any headphones or speakers. Supports channel-based, scene based and object-based audio. Provides out-of-the-box calibration for a range of headphones and speakers. Provides post-processing enhancements and device level tuning for DTS® codecs.
DTS Sound Unbound* leverage Microsoft Spatial, enabling the the most believable, 3D audio experience for games. Immersion through DTS Headphone:X means in the sonic landscape, stationary and moving sounds can be heard from above, below or around the listener. Sounds pass around the listener with amazing externalization and accurate localization.

Learn more about the immersive gaming sound experience powered by DTS Sound Unbound at https://dts.com/sound-unbound
*DTS Sound Unbound needs the latest Windows fixes in the Windows 10, please upgrade your Windows 10 OS to Win10 Build 18898 or later versions.


DTS:X Ultra Technology Video
DTS:X Ultra Experience Video
Ultra Durable
GIGABYTE is reputable for its product durability and high quality manufacturing process. Needless to say, we use the best components we can find for the Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE and reinforce every slot to make each of them solid and durable.
3X PCIe Armor
4X Memory Armor
Solid Pin
Q-Flash Plus
Ultra Durable™ PCIe Armor
Industry Leading Ultra Durable™ PCIe Armor
The innovative one piece stainless steel shielding design from GIGABYTE reinforces the PCIe connectors to provide the extra strength required to support heavy graphics cards.
Ultra Durable™ Memory Armor
AORUS' exclusive one piece stainless steel shielding design prevents against PCB distortion/twisting and plate bending, in addition to preventing any possible ESD interference.
Solid Pin Power Connectors
Z490 AORUS motherboards feature solid plated ATX 24pin & ATX 12V 8pin + 8pin power connectors to offer a stable power supply during CPU overloading.
Solid Pin Power connector advantages
  1. Larger contact area for electricity
  2. More metal quantity to sustain higher power and generated heat
  3. Ultra durable and longer lifespan
Q-Flash Plus
Update the BIOS easily without installing the CPU, memory and graphics card.
GIGABYTE BIOS & APP CENTER
Good software goes hand in hand with perfect hardware. Z490 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE bundled several useful and intuitive software to help users to control every aspect of motherboard.
BIOS
APP Center
Easy Tune
System Information Viewer
BIOS
New User Interface
All new EASY MODE shows important hardware information in one page including CPU clock, Memory, Storage, Fan.
My Favorites
Add constantly used items into the favorite menu for quick access.
Storage Information
Show all kinds of storage information including SATA, PCIE and M.2 interface.
Changelog
List all changes before saving and exiting bios. Quickly review overall settings modification.
Intuitive Load Line Curve
Clearly show each loadline calibration setting in an intuitive curve graph.
APP CENTER
GIGABYTE APP CENTER is a useful portal of all GIGABYTE MB utilities and drivers, you can choose any utility you want to install from APP CENTER and keep updated with the latest utilities and drivers version.
EasyTune™
GIGABYTE's EasyTune™ is a simple and easy-to-use interface that allows users to fine-tune their system settings or adjust system and memory clocks and voltages in a Windows environment. With Smart Quick Boost, one click is all it takes to automatically overclock your system, giving an added performance boost when you need it the most.
System Information Viewer
GIGABYTE System Information Viewer is a central location that gives you access to your current system status. Monitor components such as the clocks and processor, set your preferred fan speed profile, create alerts when temperatures get too high or record your system's behavior; these are the possibilities of the System Information Viewer.

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* Product specifications and product appearance may differ from country to country. We recommend that you check with your local dealers for the specifications and appearance of the products available in your country. Colors of products may not be perfectly accurate due to variations caused by photographic variables and monitor settings so it may vary from images shown on this site. Although we endeavor to present the most accurate and comprehensive information at the time of publication, we reserve the right to make changes without prior notice.