Asus ROG Strix Z490-I Gaming Mini-ATX - motherboard

ROG Strix Z490-I Gaming

• Intel® LGA 1200 socket: Ready for 10th Gen Intel® Core™ processors
• Optimal Power Solution: 8+2 power stages with ProCool II power connector, high-quality alloy chokes and durable capacitors to support multi-core processors
• Optimized Thermal Design: Embedded custom Delta superflo fan, MOS heatsink with L-shaped heatpipe, and Triple-decker Heatsink for improved cooling
• High-performance Networking: On-board Intel® Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (802.11 ax) and Intel® 2.5 Gb Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard
• Best Gaming Connectivity: Supports HDMI™ 2.0a and DisplayPort 1.4, and featuring USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A and Type-C® connectors
• Intelligent Control: ASUS-exclusive tools including AI Overclocking, AI Cooling and AI Networking, helping you configure your gaming build easily
• DIY Friendly Design: Pre-mounted I/O shield, BIOS FlashBack™, Q-LEDs and SafeSlot.
• Unmatched Personalization: ASUS-exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting, including RGB header and Gen 2 addressable header
• Industry-leading Gaming Audio: High fidelity audio with SupremeFX S1220A, DTS® Sound Unbound and Sonic Studio III to draw you deeper into the action

Digital power control and an array of power stages ensure ROG Strix Z490-I Gaming has the muscle to control the latest Intel CPUs.

1. The ProCool II socket is built to tight specifications to ensure flush contact with the PSU power lines and have a metal armour for improved heat dissipation. The connector's lower impedance helps prevent hotspots and improves reliability.
2. ROG Strix Z490-I Gaming utilizes 8+2 DrMOS power stages to combine high-side and low-side MOSFETs and drivers into a single package, delivering the power and efficiency that the latest Intel processors demand.
3. Superior chokes and durable capacitors are engineered to resist extreme temperatures and provide up to 110% better performance than the industry standard.

1. Custom Delta Superflo Fan: A custom-made low-noise fan efficiently cools the area around the VRM by up to 12°C to give you more overclocking headroom, and it can also now be turned on or off via the UEFI BIOS. To ensure longevity, the fan utilizes durable bearings with an impressive 60,000-hour L10* lifespan.
2. MOS Heatsink with L-shaped Heatpipe: An L-shaped heatpipe allows for rapid and even heat transfer, while the MOS heatsink provides a large contact area for the MOSFETs and chokes. Together with the metal I/O shroud, it covers a third of ROG Strix Z490-I motherboard, giving you effective cooling within the confines of a cramped mini-ITX chassis.
3. Triple-decker Heatsink: The innovative Triple-decker Heatsink comprises of three heatsinks in a single module, with two M.2 heatsinks stacked on top of a PCH heatsink. The Triple-decker Heatsink cleverly maximizes motherboard space, and improves airflow to bring M.2 SSD temperatures down by up to 25°C for better stability and performance.
4. Thermal Pads: High-quality thermal pads transfer heat from the inductor and phase array to the heatsink.

ROG Strix Z490 series features the most comprehensive cooling options ever, configurable via Fan Xpert 4 or the UEFI BIOS

Multiple temperature sources: Each header can be set to monitor and react to three user-configurable thermal sensors for workload-based cooling. And all settings can be easily managed by Fan Xpert 4 or UEFI.

4-pin PWM/DC Fan Header: Every onboard header supports auto-detection of PWM or DC fans.

AIO Pump Fan Header: A dedicated PWM/DC header for self-contained water-cooling setups.

CPU Fan Header: A dedicated pair of PWM/DC fan headers for CPU coolers.

Our ROG engineers developed and extensively-tested intelligent software solutions to ensure your system stays in optimal condition.

AI Overclocking: Tuning is now faster and smarter than ever before. AI Overclocking profiles the CPU and cooling to predict the optimal configuration for each system.

AI Cooling: AI Cooling automatically manages and controls motherboard connected fans, ensuring the most efficient settings depending on the current system load and temperature.

AI Networking: GameFirst VI optimizes and organizes network bandwidth, effectively reducing jitter and eliminating spike lag to ensure smooth online gameplay.

ROG Strix Z490-I Gaming has a unique memory-trace design that supports up to 32 GB per DIMM slot to give you a total memory capacity of 64 GB. With double‑capacity DDR4 DIMM modules, the compact ROG Strix Z490-I matches the memory capacity of four-DIMM motherboard designs.

Two M.2 slots are available, with both supporting SATA and PCIe 3.0 x4 modes. Together, they give you the fastest and most-flexible M.2 interface available.

WiFi 6 (802.11 ax): Onboard WiFi 6 (802.11ax) supports ultrafast wireless-networking speeds, improved capacity and better performance in dense wireless environments, providing exceptional online gaming experiences. Pair your motherboard with ASUS WiFi 6 routers to fully experience the networking potential of WiFi 6.

Intel 2.5G Ethernet: Onboard 2.5G Ethernet gives your wired connection a boost, with up to a 2.5X improvement over standard Ethernet connections for faster file transfers, smoother lag-free gaming and high-res video streaming.

Sonic Studio supports HRTF-based (head-related transfer function*) virtual surround for VR headsets, casting an immersive aural landscape that draws you deeper into the action. The intuitive Sonic Studio interface also offers a range of EQ options and one-click presets, allowing you to tailor acoustics to suit personal preferences or the characteristics of your headset.

The new Sonic Studio Link now allows you to apply Sonic Studio effects on all playback devices. Simply press the Sonic Studio Link button to enjoy the effect on any playback devices.

A virtual audio device that lets streamers combine sound output and output from different apps. This allows you to mix your voice and video game audio within streaming software. A variety of adjustment and monitoring tools provide a high level of digital control.

ROG Strix Z490-I Gaming is unmistakably ROG, it features a mirror-like stainless steel finish, complete with diagonal lines across the I/O shield and futuristic cyber-text

1. Pre-mounted I/O shield: ROG’s patented I/O shield is finished in sleek matte black and comes pre-mounted to make it easy to install the motherboard.
2. Q-LEDs: Onboard LEDs to indicate the power status, and problems with the CPU, memory, graphics card or boot device for quick diagnosis.
3. SafeSlot: The reinforced ASUS SafeSlot provides stronger PCIe device retention and greater shearing resistance.
4. BIOS FlashBack™: BIOS FlashBack™ is the simplest and safest (UEFI) BIOS update method. Simply drop the (UEFI) BIOS file onto a FAT32 formatted USB stick, plug it into the USB BIOS FlashBack™ port and press the button. Updates can even be performed without having memory or a CPU installed.