GenjoKoan
I was ready to get interested.  I had read Internet fu instead of data sheets.  So here fresh from Intel's site, a comparison of Z490, Z390 and X299.
 
 
And I weep.  I had much higher hopes for Z4-- series.  I have a shiny, new X299 mATX 2, still looking for a CPU.  I bought it for the quad channel memory and extra lanes.  Specs wise, for what I want right now, the Z490 offers nothing new.  To be totally honest, I do want a new game system.  Z390 stock seems to be rapidly disappearing.  Decisions decisions ...

X299 is still the best thing out there if you need more PCIe, I'm still on X99 due to the lane distro. 
 
If Intel doesn't pull back into place fairly soon, I'm going to cross over to AMD. Intel is stale for way to long. 
16 lanes of PCie 3.0 in 2020 is so... so.... lame. Content creators gotta spend tripple K cash to get anything worth while.. 
So sick of all this shared connectivity, It's like a motherboard is just an expensive USB Hub.
 
In fact I'm about to go back to the 90's of analog music recording, or even stand alone digital, (No PC required) it's getting to be Cliche 
Porta Studio FTW. 

I really wish you offered some mITX form factors since EVGA is always my first choice for new hardware. I haven't built an ATX PC in over a decade; all that wasted space, inside AND out. :-(

Veraxus
I really wish you offered some mITX form factors since EVGA is always my first choice for new hardware. I haven't built an ATX PC in over a decade; all that wasted space, inside AND out. :-(

Agreed, I hope there is a z490 mitx or matx. I don't want the B or H series motherboard, I only dabble in overclocking but I don't want to give that up. If they do sell a Z490 micro, please include a IO shield/Cover for the internal side, and 2 m.2 slots for SSD's.

 

nyichiban
Anyone else notice the Dark is a z490 ATX board with just 2 dimm slots? Are they saying people should use 2 x 8gb stick and stay at a max of 16gb or spend more for 16gb and 32gb sticks? And if they want to put 2 dimms why not make it micro or mini-itx? seems like a waste to only have 2 dimms on an atx board. 

cant wait to get this. im buying the second it becomes available.
 
it has two dimm slots and the rotated orientation to aid in the best and fastest memory overclocks possible. it supports up to 64gb. 2x32gb sticks.
i got a 64gb (2x32gb) teamgroup kit last week for 235$. memory is super cheap right now.
this is an overclocking board first and foremost. that is its job, that is its purpose. 
if you look at some of the competitions boards they also have 2dimm ATX offerings specifically for overclocking memory. and historically since ITX boards are so size limited they can only handle 2dimm at most, they end up being great for memory overclocking. 
 
saw someone asking about the NU audio onboard. its not the same as the dedicated NU sound cards. i think onboard NU audio on my x299dark and z390dark both sounded FANTASTIC. this wont be any different. i not a big sound guy, but i felt it sounded better than the onboard audio on flagship ROG boards ive owned. to each their own tho.
glad to see that EVGA kept an onboard U.2 slot. thats fantastic, there are some amazing deals on 2nd hand enterprise drives right now and i definitely recommend checking out U.2. ive gotten a few 4tb u.2 ssds for less than 400$ with 100% drive life. 
 
 
anyways if anyone wants to save a few bucks when these come out use ASSOCIATE CODE EMSB4K6IEQOIA46 to save at checkout from EVGAs website. 
 
THANK YOU to everyone who does and ever has used my code! you guys ROCK!
 
 
 
 

Can we pleeeeeaaaase get a water-cooling setup option a la SR3 Dark (i.e. chipset/VRM) for Z490 Dark.  Would be a great add-on option like the GPU waterblocks; with the extra power phases this board has and the big heat that will be coming off of it, water cooling would seem like a natural fit.  Also can you make the CLC CPU cooler available in a non-AIO form to plug in to a water cooling setup with the EVGA light fx/swag.

When are these motherboards going for pre-order? Looks like many others are available starting today.

GrobiKenobi
When are these motherboards going for pre-order? Looks like many others are available starting today.

sorry for delay
 
your post got stuck in filter

ShadyMilkman
Anandtech has an article stating that the z490 Dark is 900+ dollars. Please tell me that this is incorrect!

That's not true. I read that article and the price links to a 3rd party seller for a Z390 board, not Z490.

That article gave me a heart attack lol

Anywho, is the Z490/10900k something worth upgrading to? I currently have a Z68 FTW with a 2600k lol or continue to hold out for next gen tech. While my rig doesn't struggle, it still be nice to upgrade someday.

Edit: I revisted the article and looked at the other boards, they are linked to the correct 490s... With the high prices. Kinda feel like evga price listed might be true.

to moderator **** is not vulgar language lol,,,
qvl will come on official launch , another joke , evga doesn't sell memory modules we have to get them through another vender , which can be ordered now if we KNEW what was good to go or not good to go ,,,, and I see the z490 are Intel optane approved , have not found any where that they are intel XMP approved would have to think that they would be ,but again the lack of info ,
Just KEEP US Hanging , I for one don't like the little stunts evga has been pulling on their marketing , almost temped to go spend 800 on a Asus or Gigabyte Mobo , although Asus has gone down hill in the past 7 yrs as well
What ever happen to the days that company bent over backwards to get new consumers and or treat current consumer with respect answer question not toy around with the consumers   

dmz0427
to moderator **** is not vulgar language lol,,,
qvl will come on official launch , another joke , evga doesn't sell memory modules we have to get them through another vender , which can be ordered now if we KNEW what was good to go or not good to go ,,,, and I see the z490 are Intel optane approved , have not found any where that they are intel XMP approved would have to think that they would be ,but again the lack of info ,
Just KEEP US Hanging , I for one don't like the little stunts evga has been pulling on their marketing , almost temped to go spend 800 on a Asus or Gigabyte Mobo , although Asus has gone down hill in the past 7 yrs as well
What ever happen to the days that company bent over backwards to get new consumers and or treat current consumer with respect answer question not toy around with the consumers   

Anytime we can see a word that is clear to make out and would be vulgar we will remove it even if some of the letters have been changed to characters. 

AzN-SoLjA
That article gave me a heart attack lol

Anywho, is the Z490/10900k something worth upgrading to? I currently have a Z68 FTW with a 2600k lol or continue to hold out for next gen tech. While my rig doesn't struggle, it still be nice to upgrade someday.

Edit: I revisted the article and looked at the other boards, they are linked to the correct 490s... With the high prices. Kinda feel like evga price listed might be true.

I think Dark will be $500-600 since current one is $500.  The FTW is a nice board too though, I think a 10900K or 10700K would be a killer upgrade from your 2600K. 

DEJ915

AzN-SoLjA
That article gave me a heart attack lol

Anywho, is the Z490/10900k something worth upgrading to? I currently have a Z68 FTW with a 2600k lol or continue to hold out for next gen tech. While my rig doesn't struggle, it still be nice to upgrade someday.

Edit: I revisted the article and looked at the other boards, they are linked to the correct 490s... With the high prices. Kinda feel like evga price listed might be true.

I think Dark will be $500-600 since current one is $500.  The FTW is a nice board too though, I think a 10900K or 10700K would be a killer upgrade from your 2600K. 

Hopefully the pricing is competitively lower, maybe these other mobo prices will go down soon too lol get some reasonable prices. Unless its a pandemic price inflation t.t
Would be nice to see what these new cpus can do lol my trusty 2600k still kickin quick almost a decade later.

ty_ger07

kcwilsonii
I need this feature explained 
 
Realtek 7.1 Channel HD Audio + EVGA NU Audio
 
I own a EVGA NU Audio. 
is this on the Motherboard?
or works with the EVGA NU Audio Card?

It's a gimmick. It's NOT anywhere close to the same as a standalone NU Audio card. It's just onboard realtek audio with a couple extra capacitors or something. Total marketing gimmick.

Is it realtek audio chip with NU Audio software?
 
Intel Z490 is garbage.
No PCIE 4.0 on current CPU's for it
Same amount of PCIE lanes as previous generation
Same old 14nm++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Only supports 2 M.2 slots
 
Maybe Z590 or Z690 Intel will give us a reason to upgrade.
 
 
 
 

He is on AMD’s wagon. Doesn’t change the interest of those that still watch the clock hoping that intel didn’t forget to set their alarm.

Is intel saying that a bios update will enable PCIe4.0? Or is that 3rd party saying it and everyone taking it as intel said so? From what I have seen so far, it’s only been 3rd party saying it, because the chipset doesn’t advertise 4.0 ready, and intel definitely loves putting out things like that to garner interest in their fans to pull them on board for an upgrade.

Currently, this is a minor incremental upgrade for more cores and a little speed bump, but this CPU launch isn’t as special as it could have been.