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

Product Information

There’s a lot to like about the specification of the Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro. A mid-range Z390 motherboard, it has solid PCI options that match its rivals, and few others at this price have steel supports around both PCI and memory slots. The Gigabyte’s gaming performance was mid-table in the wider Z390 group, but it did consistently outpace its expensive rival in gaming tests – the MSI MEG Z390 Godlike was slower here. The various extra durability features included and shown off on this board can often be found elsewhere, though, and rival products feature USB 3.1 Type-C connectors, better audio kit and improved support for dual-graphics protocols. 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 board does ensure better stability and is fine for affordable builds – but its rivals are often faster, cheaper and include similar features. The Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro is a better option for speed, while the MSI MAG Z390 Tomahawk is better value. Read the full review The MSI did deliver poor application performance in most of the benchmarks, and its gaming results were mediocre. 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 Since Z390 is a revision of Z370, a lot of the chipset’s upgrades are minor or evolutionary. You still get DDR4 support, for instance, but Z370’s maximum allocation of 64GB has been doubled to 128GB. In addition, while Z370 supported 10 USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, Z390 supports those 10 along with up to six faster USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports.Many motherboards have been audio chipsets that are enhanced with DACs, and a lot of them have wireless internet. Plenty also have beefed-up wired networking connections that prioritise gaming traffic or allow for higher speeds. Intel Z390 Ultra Durable motherboard with 12+1 Phases Digital VRM, Direct Touch Heatpipe, Thunderbolt™ 3, CPU attached RAID, 802.11ac Wireless, Dual M.2 with Thermal Guards, Dual Intel ® GbE LAN with cFosSpeed, Front & Rear USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C 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 It’s a revision to Intel’s high-end consumer chipset, so it’s no surprise that this platform is well-served by beefy processors.

And then, finally, think about form factor. Most of the boards in this Z390 group test use the standard ATX form factor, which means that they’ll fit inside mid- and full-sized tower cases without issue. Intel Z390 AORUS Motherboard with 12+1 Phases Digital VRM, Direct Touch Heatpipe, RGB Fusion 2.0, 802.11ac Wireless, Triple M.2 with Thermal Guards, Intel ® GbE LAN with cFosSpeed, Front & Rear USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-CIt’s worth thinking about the chipset when buying a new motherboard, but it isn’t the only area that needs important consideration.