Gigabyte Z390 UD (Socket 1151/Z390 Express/DDR4/S-ATA 600/ATX)

Product Information

Intel Z390 Gaming motherboard with 16 Phases IR Digital VRM, Fins-Array Heatsink, RGB Fusion 2.0, 802.11ac Wireless, Intel Thunderbolt 3, ESS SABRE 9018K2M DAC, AQUANTIA ® 10GbE LAN, RGB FAN COMMANDER, OC Touch

The motherboards are put through a demanding suite of benchmark tests. We run Geekbench 4 to test single- and multi-core application speed, and Maxon’s Cinebench R15 to test CPU and OpenGL GPU performance. We use CrystalDiskMark to test NVMe and SATA storage speeds, and SiSoft Sandra to evaluate memory performance and processor arithmetic speeds.Gaming connectivity: Intel Gigabit Ethernet, four M.2, USB 3.1 Gen 2, and CNVi 2x2 802.11ac Intel integrated Wi-Fi with MU-MIMO support for lightning-fast data transfers. All motherboards will have enough connections for basic front-panel USB connectivity, basic fan arrays and basic cooling. However, if you want to have synchronised RGB LEDs, complex water-cooling, plenty of USB ports or more fans in your machine, then this is an area where it’s worth paying attention. It’s no good buying a case or a load of water-cooling gear, only to find out that it isn’t compatible with your new motherboard.

That won’t prove too much of a hindrance at this end of the market, though. You can certainly get more features and speed if you pay extra elsewhere, but this MSI is a fine, well-rounded option if you want Z390 without spending lots of cash. Read the full review The Asus TUF Z390-Plus Gaming motherboard is quite literally a solid entry level board. TUF-branded motherboards have durable components, which should improve this board’s lifespan compared to rivals. The Asus ROG Maximus XI Hero (Wi-Fi) has a good core specification for single and dual-GPU rigs, with reasonable PCI connectivity, two M.2 connectors and six SATA ports. Improved Audio Algorithm The new Sonic Radar III audio algorithm offers improved accuracy that helps

Supports Overclocking

This board has reasonable features, with PCI connectivity and storage being particular highlights. Other boards do sometimes offer more, though, and it couldn’t outpace rivals in either application or gaming benchmarks. This subdued board isn’t awful, especially for storage or work, but the Gigabyte is a better all-rounder. Read the full review

Few other boards at this price offer so many features and so much balance, and the Gigabyte also delivered great performance. It’s better than all of its affordable rivals in application tests, proved speedy in application and memory benchmarks, and finished off with gaming results that outpaced the competition.System and Maximum TDP is based on worst case scenarios. Actual TDP may be lower if not all I/Os for chipsets are used. Intel has added native support for 802.11ac wireless internet for Z390, but many motherboard manufacturers will add their own, better wireless chips, especially on more expensive boards. Synchronized RGB lighting technology: Works with a vast portfolio of Aura Sync-capable PC gear and includes support for Philips Hue. The board is almost all-metal, although it’s dark and brooding – nothing like the competing Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Xtreme. This board is louder and has more lights, and its features are skewed more towards gaming and tweaking than work and creativity. Motherboards also tend to be covered by tiny connectors. These handle CPU cooling, USB connectivity, all of your PC’s front-panel connections, and your system’s lighting and case fans.

MSI’s board returned excellent application results that outpaced the Gigabyte, and the MSI board was frugal. However, it was inconsistent in gaming, and often behind the Gigabyte. Every motherboard will have the ability to run a single graphics card, but you’ll have to pay closer attention if you want to run two GPUs, or if you want to use a lot of M.2 or PCI-based SSDs in your machine. Some motherboards won’t have sufficient bandwidth to go around all of these components. That means their performance will be reduced. Its networking and audio are suitably entry-level, but that’s still absolutely fine for most mainstream builds. The MSI did deliver poor application performance in most of the benchmarks, and its gaming results were mediocre.

DUAL-RTX2080-8G-EVO

You get good on-board USB connectivity, too, and this board’s higher price means there are also on-board buttons and a POST display for diagnosing problems.