ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XII, STRIX, and PRIME Z490 Motherboard Specs Include 10 Gb Ethernet and OptiMem III

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Image: ASUS

Courtesy of VideoCardz, we have an elaborate look at ASUS’s upcoming lineup of Z490 motherboards for Intel’s Comet Lake-S processors, which comprise the ROG MAXIMUS XII, ROG STRIX, and PRIME series.

At the very top is the ROG MAXIMUS XII EXTREME (and GLACIAL variant), ROG MAXIMUS FORMULA, ROG MAXIMUS XII HERO (Wi-Fi), and ROG MAXIMUS XII APEX. All of these flaunt a 16 power-stage design (aside from the HERO) and support DDR4-4800 OCed memory. The EXTREME and FORMULA also feature 10 Gb Ethernet, by way of Marvell’s AQtion AQC107 controller.

Additionally, ASUS’s Z490 motherboards include OptiMem III for maximum RAM performance, regardless of capacity. “To perform excellent stability, with 32 GB memory kits fully populated, OptiMem III enables you to run at maximum frequency, 3600 MHz, and low latency C16, whereas other motherboards will trade off frequency for capacity,” writes ASUS.

ROG Maximus XII Z490 boards have also adopted a new memory design methodology. The traditional T-topology has been replaced with a daisy chain design, which is supposed to improve the potential for DDR4 overclocking.

And here are some specifications for ASUS’s ROG STRIX, PRIME, and TUF Z490 lineup. It appears that the ROG STRIX Z490-I is the only motherboard with an HDMI 2.0a port; the rest feature HDMI 1.4.

Tsing Mui
News poster at The FPS Review.

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