GIGABYTE Z490 Aorus Pro AX DDR4 Intel Motherboard

The Gigabyte Z490 Aorus Pro AX is an ATX-form-factor motherboard built on the Intel Z490 Express Chipset, designed for 10th Generation Intel Core processors (i9, i7, i5, i3, Pentium, and Celeron) in the LGA1200 socket. A BIOS update also enables compatibility with select 11th Generation Intel Core processors. At the heart of its power delivery sits a 12+1 phase digital VRM solution using DrMOS components rated at 55A per phase. Dual 8+4 solid-pin ATX 12V power connectors supply the CPU, while Fins-Array II heatsinks and a Direct Touch Heatpipe II draw heat away from the VRM and PCH areas. Both M.2 slots are protected by Thermal Guard covers to keep NVMe drives operating within their thermal limits. The board accommodates four DDR4 DIMM slots with a maximum capacity of 128 GB (32 GB per slot) in dual-channel configuration. Memory speeds range from 2133 MHz at JEDEC defaults up to DDR4 5000 MHz in XMP over-clock mode. Shielded memory routing traces are included to improve signal integrity during high-frequency operation. Networking is handled by an Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 module — supporting 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, 160 MHz channel width, and up to 2.4 Gbps theoretical throughput — alongside Bluetooth 5.1. Wired connectivity comes via an Intel 2.5GbE LAN controller supporting 2.5 Gbit, 1 Gbit, and 100 Mbit speeds with cFosSpeed traffic-shaping software included. Storage options include two M.2 Socket 3 (M-key) connectors supporting 2242, 2260, 2280, and 22110 form factors in both SATA and PCIe x4/x2 NVMe configurations, plus six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 are supported. Intel Optane Memory acceleration is also compatible. The back panel provides 10 USB ports in total: one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (red), three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, and four USB 2.0/1.1 ports. Audio is managed by a Realtek ALC1220-VB codec delivering up to 120 dB SNR on the rear line-out and 7.1-channel HD audio with S/PDIF optical output. RGB Fusion 2.0 controls onboard multi-zone LEDs plus two addressable LED headers and two standard RGB headers. Smart Fan 5 manages up to six fan/pump headers with independent speed curves and a FAN STOP feature. Q-Flash Plus allows BIOS updates without installing a CPU, memory, or GPU. Key Specifications: - Chipset: Intel Z490 Express - Socket: LGA1200 - Form Factor: ATX, 30.5 cm × 24.4 cm - Memory: 4 × DDR4 DIMM, up to 128 GB, DDR4 2133–5000 (O.C.) MHz, XMP supported - Expansion: 1× PCIe 3.0 x16, 1× PCIe 3.0 x8, 1× PCIe 3.0 x4, 2× PCIe 3.0 x1 - Storage: 2× M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe with Thermal Guards, 6× SATA 6 Gb/s, RAID 0/1/5/10 - LAN: Intel 2.5GbE (2.5G/1G/100M) - Wireless: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.1 - Audio: Realtek ALC1220-VB, 7.1-channel, 120 dB SNR rear out, S/PDIF Out - USB (back panel): 1× USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 2× USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 3× USB 3.2 Gen 1, 4× USB 2.0 - BIOS: AMI UEFI, 256 Mbit flash, Q-Flash Plus - Warranty: 3 Years