GIGABYTE Z490 AORUS Elite (Intel LGA1200/Z490/ATX/2xM.2/Realtek ALC1200/SATA 6Gb/s/USB 3.2 Gen 2/2.5 GbE LAN/RGB Fusion/Gaming Motherboard)

Let me start by saying that this is NOT a "High End" motherboard. It is, however, a fantastic board in its price range. It has a really good VRM and will overclock a 10900K to 5ghz+ stably and without overheating. It has a true 12-phase VRM with 50A power stages (In laymans terms, its a sub-$200 board with a VRM that belongs on a $300-400 board. That all said, here are the pros and cons of this board:Pros:Good VRMwide memory supportGood I/O variety & integrated I/O shield2.5GB Ethernetsubjectively, the board looks decentUSB Flashback (BIOS update without CPU installed)Cons:no POST code readout (not a big deal for most, but I find them very useful at times)out of all the major brands, worst overall BIOS layoutGigabyte support has been very, very bad in the past... but I suppose thats not relevant to the board itselfHonestly, this is a good choice for a board if you're getting an intel system. It outperforms most motherboards in this price category and does so with very few real drawbacks. I recommend buying this board if it fits your system both physically and in terms of aesthetics.

This is an updated review as my previous board had a faulty M.2 slot and required an exchange through Amazon which resolved my issue. Delivered to me the following day.I learned this the hard way on the initial board sent to me. If you are planning on using M.2 slots, be sure your storage partitions are GPT and not MBR. Google search, "how to convert MBR to GPT using Windows command prompt" and "how to look up MBR partition on my disk drives", if you are unsure of your partition format. In addition, you will have to Q-Flash your BIOS to the current version or your boot-able M.2 device will loop into a, "Device repair" screen or BSOD with the note, "BOOTABLE DEVICE NOT DETECTED".Once you Q-flash this motherboard and confirm your M.2 storage device is GPT partition format, it will boot up.I migrated from my previous Z390 gigabyte board. Once I was got past the hurdles of converting my cloned M.2 drives into GPT, Q-Flashed the BIOS, and swapped the previous faulty board, I was back in action. I won't drop a star due to these circumstances. Board has been performing well.

GREAT BOARD! no issues, posted first attempt. Holds vcore very stable with LLC set to turbo. 10700k @5ghz no problem, x48 ring. VRM doesn't seem to break a sweat, rarely hitting 64c. Plenty of usb ports, love the built in I/O shield, very happy with the included m.2 heatsinks. Bios lay out is good. The included features at this price point are great and the board has been very stable and easy to work with even during memory overclocking. easy to add a clear cmos switch, even though I've only had to use it once lol. I initially felt I was taking a gamble on choosing the elite z490 instead of the extreme or master variants, but I know now I made the right call for my needs, this board does what I was hoping for and at a good price! TY Aorus for providing a enthusiast level vrm to a lower cost board!

It was obviously new when it came and worked perfect with 10th gen chip. I did have trouble getting it to boot up with everything plugged into it. I just took out GPU completely and it started right up. Then just put in GPU and it read it nicely and no problems yet. As far as the power cord issue some are having.... I put mine in on vacation at my moms (500 miles away). Got home started up like a charm.