GIGABYTE Z490I Aorus Ultra DDR4 Intel Motherboard

The Gigabyte Z490I Aorus Ultra is a Mini-ITX form factor motherboard built on the Intel Z490 Express Chipset and designed for Intel 10th Generation LGA1200 processors — from Celeron and Pentium up through Core i9. Despite its compact 17 cm × 17 cm footprint, it delivers a feature set that rivals much larger boards, making it a strong platform for space-conscious builds that refuse to compromise on capability. Power delivery is handled by a direct 8-phase digital VRM rated at 90 A per vCore phase, supported by Tantalum Polymer capacitors and an extended MOSFET heatsink. This topology is designed to provide stable, clean power when running demanding 10-core processors under sustained loads. Memory support covers two DDR4 DIMM slots in dual-channel configuration, accommodating up to 64 GB (32 GB per slot). With i9 or i7 processors, XMP profiles up to DDR4 5000 MHz (O.C.) are supported; i5, i3, Pentium, and Celeron processors are rated at up to DDR4 2666 MHz. Storage options include two M.2 slots — one CPU-connected (top side) and one chipset-connected (rear of PCB), both supporting PCIe x4 and SATA in the 2260/2280 form factor — plus four SATA 6 Gb/s ports with RAID 0/1/5/10 support. Thermal Guards are fitted on the M.2 slots to manage SSD temperatures. Connectivity is a clear strength: onboard Intel Wi-Fi 6 (AX201, 802.11ax, 2.4/5 GHz dual-band, up to 2.4 Gbps theoretical, 160 MHz channel support) pairs with Bluetooth 5.1, while wired networking is handled by an Intel 2.5 GbE LAN controller. Video output covers HDMI 2.0 (up to 4096×2160 @ 60 Hz) and DisplayPort 1.4 (up to 4096×2304 @ 60 Hz) via integrated graphics. Audio uses the Realtek ALC1220-VB codec with DTS:X Ultra support and up to 7.1-channel output. The single PCIe 3.0 x16 slot accommodates a full-size discrete graphics card. RGB Fusion 2.0 controls the onboard addressable and standard RGB headers. Q-Flash Plus allows BIOS updates without a CPU, memory, or GPU installed. Key Verified Specifications: – Form Factor: Mini-ITX, 17.0 cm × 17.0 cm – CPU Socket: LGA1200 (Intel 10th Gen) – Chipset: Intel Z490 Express – Memory: 2 × DDR4 DIMM, max 64 GB, XMP up to 5000 MHz O.C. (i9/i7) – VRM: 8-phase digital, 90 A per phase – Storage: 2 × M.2 (PCIe x4/SATA, 2260/2280) + 4 × SATA 6 Gb/s, RAID 0/1/5/10 – Wireless: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201, Bluetooth 5.1 – LAN: Intel 2.5 GbE – Display: 1 × HDMI 2.0, 1 × DisplayPort 1.4 – USB (rear): 1 × USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1 × USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 4 × USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 2 × USB 2.0 – Audio: Realtek ALC1220-VB, DTS:X Ultra, up to 7.1-channel – BIOS: AMI UEFI, 256 Mbit flash, Q-Flash Plus – Warranty: 3 Years