ASUS ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming Z490- WiFi 6
Bottom line: The ASUS ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming Z490- WiFi 6: 14+2 power stages with ProCool II connector handle i9-10900K overclocking; main trade-off: LGA 1200 10th Gen platform is now several Intel generations behind.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ 14+2 power stages with ProCool II connector handle i9-10900K overclocking
- ✓ Intel WiFi 6 AX201 plus Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet with LANGuard surge protection
- ✓ Dual M.2 slots and front-panel USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C header
- ✓ Low-noise AI cooling holds a 5 Celsius delta while cutting fan speed
Cons
- ✗ LGA 1200 10th Gen platform is now several Intel generations behind
- ✗ DDR4 4600 only, with no DDR5 upgrade path on this socket
- ✗ No PCIe 4.0 support on the Z490/10th Gen combination
- ✗ WiFi 6 AX201 predates WiFi 6E, so no 6 GHz band
Manufacturer description
A 14+2 power stage design fed by the ProCool II connector, alloy chokes and durable capacitors keeps voltage steady when you push an i9-10900K past stock, while the comprehensive heatsink and heatpipe array spreads heat across more surface area than a stock Z490 board. ASUS layers low-noise AI cooling on top, trimming fan RPM while holding a 5 Celsius delta so your rig stays quiet under load. Networking is where this ROG Strix board separates itself: onboard Intel WiFi 6 AX201 (802.11ax) plus Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard surge protection, so wired and wireless both run ahead of…
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored ASUS ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming Z490- WiFi 6 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What CPUs work with the ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming?
It uses the Intel LGA 1200 socket and is designed to unleash the maximum performance of 10th Gen Intel Core processors. Confirm your exact CPU model against ASUS's CPU support list before buying.
Does this motherboard have built-in WiFi?
Yes. It has onboard Intel WiFi 6 AX201 (802.11ax), plus Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard for wired connections.
How many M.2 slots does the Z490-E Gaming have?
Dual M.2 slots, alongside a front-panel USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C connector, HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.4 video outputs.
Is it good for overclocking a 10th Gen Core i9?
The 14+2 power stage design with ProCool II power connector, alloy chokes and durable capacitors is built to hold power delivery steady at the limits of CPU performance, and ASUS layers AI enhancements and dashboard tools over the tuning process.
Key Features
- Intel LGA 1200 socket: Designed to unleash the maximum performance of 10th Gen Intel Core processors
- Robust Power Solution: 14+2 power stages with ProCool II power connector, high-quality alloy chokes and durable capacitors to provide reliable power even when push the CPU performance to the limit
- Optimized Thermal Design: Except comprehensive heatsink, heatpipe and fan headers, features low-noise AI cooling to balance thermals and acoustics by reducing fan speeds and maintaining a 5 Celsius delta
- High-performance Gaming Networking: On-board Intel WiFi 6 AX201 (802. 11 ax) and Intel 2. 5 Gb Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard
- Best Gaming Connectivity: Supports HDMI 1. 4 and DisplayPort 1. 4 output, and featuring dual M. 2 , front panel USB 3. 2 Gen 2 Type-C connector
Full Specifications
| Brand | ASUS |
|---|---|
| USB 2.0 | 4 |
| Platform | Windows 10 |
| CPU Model | Core i5 |
| CPU Socket | LGA 1200 |
| Model Name | ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming |
| Chipset Type | Intel Z490 |
| Connectivity | USB, WiFi |
| Model Number | ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming |
| Chipset Family | Z490 |
| Item Type Name | ASUS ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming Z490 (WiFi 6) LGA 1200 (Intel® 10th Gen) ATX Gaming Motherboard (14+2 power stages, DDR4 4600, Intel® 2.5 Gb Ethernet, Bluetooth v5.1, dual M.2 and AURA Sync) |
| Mfr Part Number | ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Number of Ports | 40 |
| Total Usb Ports | 17 |
| Processor Socket | LGA 1200 |
| Total PCIe Ports | 16 |
| Total SATA Ports | 6 |
| Compatible Devices | Gaming Console, Personal Computer |
| Memory Clock Speed | 4600 MHz |
| Full listing title | ASUS ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming Z490- WiFi 6, LGA 1200 (Intel 10th Gen) ATX Gaming Motherboard, 14+2 Power Stages, DDR4 4600, Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet |
Benchmark data for other processors
Ready to buy?
ASUS ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming Z490- WiFi 6, LGA 1200 (Intel 10th Gen) ATX Gaming Motherboard, 14+2 Power Stages, DDR4 4600, Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet 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.
Related Motherboards
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 Parts List
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Best Motherboard for Ryzen 7 9800X3D in 2026
- LM Studio on an RTX 3060 12GB: A Zero-Terminal Local LLM Setup
- Cooling a 24/7 Local LLM Rig: Air vs 120mm AIO vs 240mm AIO
- Best CPU Cooler for the Ryzen 7 5800X: Air vs 240mm AIO
- 2002 GeForce 4 Ti Win98 Build: CompactFlash Storage Done Right
- Anthropic Shutdown Reignites the AI-Sovereignty Debate — and the Case for Local Inference
- Qwen3 4B on Raspberry Pi 4 8GB vs Ryzen 5 5600G: Which Cheap Always-On Box Wins?
- Voodoo5 5500 AGP Won't POST: Complete Troubleshooting Guide for 2026 Restorations
- Best SSD for a Retro PC Build: SATA, CompactFlash, or IDE Bridge?
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
- Automated Cabinet Lighting With a Raspberry Pi: Build Guide
- Voodoo 5 6000 Stability: Hangs, Wedges and a Bricked Board
- Qwen 3.8 vs Kimi K3: Which Open-Weight Model Fits a 12GB Rig?
- Are We the Last Generation of PC Builders?
- Build a Raspberry Pi 4 NVMe Jellyfin Homelab Box in 2026
- Build a RetroPie Arcade on a Raspberry Pi 4 8GB in 2026
- AMD RX 9070 XT Hits All-Time Low $629 in Amazon Lightning Sale
- Qwen3.8 Max vs Claude Opus 4.8: What the Cost-Per-Task Gap Means for Local Rigs
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on Apple M4 Max
- Best Capture Device for Recording Retro Consoles and Old PCs in 2026
- MTP in llama.cpp: The Regression, the Fix, and the KV-Cache Free Lunch
- Ryzen 7 5800X vs 5700X for 1080p Gaming: Which AM4 Chip Wins in 2026?
- Qwen3.6-35B-A3B on an 8GB Laptop: What the Krasis Benchmark Means for Local Inference
- Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Brings a 65K-DPI Sensor — and a Gold Price Tag
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