Looking at MSI's entry-level Z490 model, the MSI Z490-A Pro which is designed for more professional users and content creators, it's interesting to see that MSI has included a single Realtek 2.5 G NIC.Also included are two PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots, six SATA ports, and support for up to 128 GB of DDR4-4800 memory across four slots.

MSI Z490-A PRO ProSeries ATX Motherboard (10th Gen Intel Core

The Vision G also offers two extra USB 3.2 ports on the I/O panel, though it drops Gigabit networking while retaining 2.5 Gbit LAN. In terms of VRM performance the Vision G is roughly on par with the Tomahawk.MSI has gone with a dozen powerstages for the vcore VRM on the Tomahawk, using a dozen 55A powerstages for a combined 660A capacity. MSI also includes massive heatsinks which weigh a combined 393 grams. For comparison, the MSI Z490-A Pro comes with 237 grams worth of heatsinks. You also get some nice features such as 2.5 Gbit LAN, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 for 20 Gbps support and a few extra USB ports when compared to the cheaper boards.

Z490-A PRO - MSI Deutschland Z490-A PRO - MSI Deutschland

In terms of storage support, there aretwo PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots, with four right-angled SATA, and two straight angled SATA ports bringing the total of SATA portsto six. Only the top M.2 slothasa heat sink included, with the six SATA ports garnering support for RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10 arrays. There are four boards worth considering, but our two top choices are the Gigabyte Z490i Aorus Ultra or MSI Z490i Unify. Between those two, it's one of those situations where they're so evenly matched that you can't go wrong. The Gigabyte board offers extra USB ports on the I/O panel and has the slightly better board layout that doesn't see some of the SATA ports oddly positioned. It's minor stuff, but that's what gets the Z490i Aorus Ultra over the line for me.

This buying guide is intended to simplify the process of choosing a new of Z490 motherboard, but in doing so we've had to overlook a huge swath of boards inevitably. The primary goal is to help you avoid any bad boards which are often found at the entry-level, Mini-ITX, and Micro ATX segments.