GIGABYTE Z390 DESIGNARE Gigabyte
Bottom line: The GIGABYTE Z390 DESIGNARE Gigabyte ($370.93 on Amazon as of 2026-10-07): 12+1 phase digital VRM with DrMOS for stable 9th Gen overclocking; main trade-off: LGA1151 only, no 10th Gen or newer Intel CPUs.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-07. Price and availability subject to change.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ 12+1 phase digital VRM with DrMOS for stable 9th Gen overclocking
- ✓ Dual Thunderbolt 3 USB-C, rare on Z390 boards
- ✓ Two PCIe Gen3 x4 NVMe M.2 slots with thermal guards
- ✓ Dual Intel Gigabit LAN plus 2x2 802.11ac Wi-Fi onboard
Cons
- ✗ LGA1151 only, no 10th Gen or newer Intel CPUs
- ✗ DDR4 only, no DDR5 upgrade path
- ✗ PCIe Gen3 lanes only, no Gen4 storage or GPUs
- ✗ Non-ECC unbuffered DDR4, unsuitable for ECC workstations
Manufacturer description
Supports 9th and 8th Gen Intel Core processors Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs 12+1 phases digital VRM solution with DrMOS advanced thermal design with direct touch heat pipe Intel Thunderbolt 3 - The USB-C that does it all CPU attached PCIe 3.0 x4/x4 NVMe RAID dual ultra-fast M.2 with PCIe Gen3 x4 interface with thermal guards Multi-Way graphics Support with Dual Armor and Ultra Durable Design Dual Intel Gigabit LAN with cFosSpeed onboard Intel CNVi 160MHz 802.11AC 2x2 Wi-Fi front USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C Header ALC1220-VB enhance 114dB(Rear)/110dB(Front) SNR in microphone with…
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored GIGABYTE Z390 DESIGNARE Gigabyte using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the motherboards category. Compare with similarly-priced alternatives in the motherboards category before committing. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.
Common buyer scenarios for motherboards of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.
Key Features
- Supports 9th and 8th Gen Intel Core processors
- Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs
- 12+1 Phases digital VRM solution with DrMOS
- Advanced thermal design with direct touch heat pipe
- Intel Thunderbolt 3 - the USB-C that does it all
Full Specifications
| Brand | GIGABYTE |
|---|---|
| Platform | Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8 Pro, Windows 8.1 |
| CPU Model | Core i9 |
| CPU Socket | LGA 1151 |
| Model Name | Z390 DESIGNARE |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Chipset Type | Intel Z390 |
| Connectivity | USB-C, WiFi |
| Model Number | Z390 DESIGNARE |
| Built-In Media | motherboard, users manual |
| Chipset Family | Intel Z390 |
| Item Type Name | GIGABYTE Z390 DESIGNARE (Intel LGA1151/Z390/ATX/2xM.2/Thunderbolt 3/Onboard AC WiFi/12+1 Phases Digital VRM/Motherboard) |
| Mfr Part Number | Z390 DESIGNARE |
| Number of Ports | 22 |
| Total Usb Ports | 10 |
| Processor Socket | LGA 1151 |
| Total PCIe Ports | 3 |
| Total SATA Ports | 6 |
| Compatible Devices | Personal Computer |
| Memory Clock Speed | 4400 MHz |
| Full listing title | GIGABYTE Z390 DESIGNARE Gigabyte (Intel LGA1151/Z390/ATX/2xM.2/Thunderbolt 3/Onboard AC Wifi/12+1 Phases Digital Vrm/Motherboard) |
Ready to buy?
GIGABYTE Z390 DESIGNARE Gigabyte (Intel LGA1151/Z390/ATX/2xM.2/Thunderbolt 3/Onboard AC Wifi/12+1 Phases Digital Vrm/Motherboard) is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-07. Price and availability subject to change.
Related Motherboards
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- AI-Driven Win98 Voodoo3 Driver Recovery on a Raspberry Pi 5 Companion
- Host a Quake 3 + UT99 LAN Server on a Raspberry Pi 4 in 2026
- Self-Host Immich on a Raspberry Pi 4 8GB: SSD Boot, Power Draw, and Real Performance
- Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Hits #2 — But Local Video Gen on an RTX 3060 Is Still Free
- Best Budget Gaming Monitor in 2026: 5 Picks From 1440p to 4K
- Vision LLMs Driving Win98 Driver Installs: Inside Our 4-PC Retro Fleet
- Modder Runs a Counter-Strike Clone at 60 FPS on the Original PSP
- Replace a Dying IDE Drive With CompactFlash in a Win98 Retro PC
- Best SATA SSD to Revive an Old Gaming PC in 2026
- Best SATA SSD for Gaming and Console Upgrades in 2026
- Best SSD for Steam Deck and Handheld Emulation in 2026
- Best SSD for a Steam Deck or ROG Ally Upgrade (2026)
- Microsoft Mirage Adds Persistent Spatial Memory: Can a 12GB GPU Run Local Video Gen?
- Best Controller for Retro Emulation and Indie Gaming in 2026
- Best Monitor for Color Grading Under $500 in 2026
- Build Your Own Gaming PC in 2026: The 5 Components That Actually Matter
- Build a Period-Correct Windows XP Gaming PC in 2026: The CompactFlash Boot-Drive Trick
- Build a Jellyfin Media Server on a Raspberry Pi 4 8GB in 2026
- Acer Nitro 65 Review: Solid Gaming, Connectivity Caveats
- Chrome Using Too Much RAM? Fixes + Hardware Upgrades
- Best Parts for a Multi-User Local LLM Server in 2026
- Best Retro Gaming Console to Buy in 2026
- G4-Meromero 31B: Running the Uncensored Gemma 4 Finetune on a 12GB RTX 3060
- Is 12GB VRAM Still Enough for Local LLMs in 2026?
Earliest SpecPicks reviews
Browse full archive →- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 8B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 14B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Best GPU for DeepSeek-R1 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 405B (2026)
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090