Matching the 10850K with an Asus Z490-P is a good fit for performance and compatibility.
Matching the 10850K with an Asus Z490-P is a good fit for performance and compatibility.
Hey everyone, wondering if I should choose the Z490-P or the Z490-A Strix Gaming. The price gap is around $100 in my country, and I read a review saying the Z490-P works well at 5.1 GHz with a 10900k chip and strong VRM, passing all tests. Could the Strix model be more of a marketing item or does it really offer something better worth that amount? Any thoughts would be great! Thanks!
The Prime Z490-P works well for a basic setup, just like the Z490-A Pro from MSI. Both can manage 10850K/10900K without power limits. Compared to the Strix Z490-A, the Z490 Gaming Edge WIFI or Vision G would be better unless you really care about the appearance of the Strix board.
You're suggesting the $100 discount is worth it because you're not concerned about color choices, making the Z490-P a solid value regardless of appearance.
You still receive improved VRMs on the two boards I referenced, along with additional features such as enhanced onboard audio and a 2.5G LAN connection. If those aren't important to you, the Prime board will suffice.
The 4900 or 4950x (keeping the same name) is expected to start this year.
It's a solid board for VRM and can manage an overclocked 10900k well. It's a basic build with few nice features, but you might want to consider a Vision G, a gaming edge, or the Tomahawk for better performance.