#and this does not mean bringing back ultra c elements or quads but like

[leahthedreamer]

My hope for next season and leading into the Olympic season is that the ISU somehow revives womens skating cause yes it’s beautiful yes it’s lovely but is it exciting? Ehhhh.

In my personal opinion it’s the discipline that’s stagnated the most post Covid. You can argue that the crown goes to ice dance in that regard but even though the judging is shitty and the ISU insists on ridiculous themes for the rhythm dance we’re still getting quality and creativity through the bouts of corruption.

I just feel like women’s choreography has plateaued, it’s become uninteresting, very little memorable programs. Same elements same ordering same music like it’s becoming a by bland to watch. And my honest wish for the future is to reignite the spark it once had.

[kichanzo]

Realme 6 Pro Review – One of The Best Mid Ranged Smartphone?

There are plenty of phones being released in the market nowadays, but if you are strapped on cash, you shouldn’t have to miss out on some of the best features that a flagship phone can provide.

That is where Realme comes in. They give you the best specs at half the price as other phones such as the Samsung Galaxy A50.

nepalitelecom.com

In this review, I have highlighted some of the best features of Realme 6 Pro and the things I did not like about the phone. Read till the end to find out if it’s worth buying this Realme6 pro.

What You Will Read

Things to Consider Before Buying a Midrange Smartphone

The company’s reputation

Build and Display

Realme 6 Pro Specifications

Chipset & Performance of Realme 6 Pro   

Realme 6 Pro Display

Battery Capacity & Charging

Camera Capability   

Extra Features of Realme 6 Pro

What others Are Saying

How Much is Realme 6 Pro in Kenya?

Accessories

Alternatives of Realme6 Pro

Samsung Galaxy A50

The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max

Which Phone is better Realme 6 or Realme 6 pro?

Is Realme 6 Pro a good phone?

Things to Consider Before Buying a Midrange Smartphone

Smartphone manufacturers try to do fantastic work in producing a new device. That way they serve its users with the best budget phone with great specs. Here are two things you should consider before buying a budget smartphone.

The company’s reputation

We’ve seen a lot of new phone manufacturers creating affordable smartphone products for middle-class people. If the smartphone you are considering buying does not come from household names such as LG, Samsung, or Apple then you should do a little background research on the manufacture.

medium.com

We’ve seen companies that produce affordable smartphones such as OnePlus, Huawei, and Blue come under fire for various reasons.

Huawei is not allowed to do business with any United States’ companies, like Google, that raises eyebrows, cause how you supposed to survive with a smartphone that isn’t connected to your Google account. On the other hand, OnePlus and Blu have been exposed to export private data back to headquarters.

Build and Display

It is important to ensure that your phone is not too big for your hands. Not too small, that you will have a hard time viewing the content on the display. The right screen display should be above 5.5 inches.

businessinsider.com

One area that smartphone manufacturers compromise on when creating a good smartphone with high specs in the body.

Most of the time, they will use plastic to cover the smartphone, making it weak. If they covered the plastic with glass, then that’s a good thing since it gives you double protection. But that isn’t the case, as most manufacturers want to cut down their costs and maximize their profits.

Realme 6 Pro Specifications

Display:  16.76 cm (6.6 inch) inches 1080 x 24000 pixels | CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G | RAM: 8 GB | Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB / Yes | Rear camera: 64 MP, (f/1.8) (wide) + 12 MP, (f/2.3) (ultrawide) + 8 MP, (f/2.5) (macro) + 2 MP, (f/2.4) (depth) | Front camera: 16 MP, (f/2.0) + 8 MP , f/2.2, (wide) | Platform: Android 10 | Battery life: Li-Po 4300 mAh, non-removable.

Chipset & Performance of Realme 6 Pro   

zeebiz.com

One of the apparent differences the regular Realme 6 has from the Realme 6 Pro version is the chipset. This device uses the new Qualcomm SM7125 Snapdragon 720G.

However, even though many people are fans of the snapdragon, the pro version doesn’t show any significant difference over the vanilla in either CPU Octa-core or GPU Aderno test.

You have either 6GB RAM 64 Gb or 8 GB RAM 124 Gb of storage expandable with a micro SD card.

The Realme 6 series was among the first phones to include the latest Realme UI on the operating system, Android 10. The menu, notification change, and app drawers felt simple and clutter-free as any android devices. Navigation is a little different from what you might cause the Realme UI.

With that said, the performance of the Realme 6 Pro is great for a mid-range smartphone. You won’t have any issues with the phone, even if you are operating large file applications.

The audio’s performance is average because of the mono speaker found at the bottom of the device. When you compared this phone to the Realme 6, the Realme 6 Pro has a richer sound quality.

Realme 6 Pro Display

techlekh.com

We know Realme phones to look flashy, and the Realme 6 Pro isn’t any different. This is one of the most flashy phones to be released by Realme.

The design is breathtaking with the neon zigzag effect at the back that changes color when you flip the phone. Like many other midrange phones, they make the body of the 6 Pro of plastic, the design at the back will make you feel as if you are using an expensive smartphone.

On the front, we have a 6.6-inches IPS LCD screen with a 1080p by 2400p screen resolution. You will notice the wide camera punch out on the end, accommodating for taking selfies. The display has a corning gorilla glass 5 and a pre-installed screen protector to give it a little extra protection when you are using your phone.

lowyat.net

According to Realme, the device has a triple layer of water-resistance around the port and inside the phone to protect the phone against moisture. Even though it doesn’t come with official IP certification. I would advise that you protect when your phone against water bodies or rain.

The newest trends for flagships is they must have a high refresh rate, and Realme 6 Pro jumped on that boat. It has a refresh rate of 90 Hz and this means that moving elements will appear smoother for your eyes. Also, saving you on the battery while giving you a sleeky smooth experience.

The screen looks sharply at about 480 nits typ. brightness and the colors are accurate when you tweak them in the setting.

The Realme 6 Pro has a side fingerprint reader, which is built to the power button. The sensors on the fingerprint are super responsive, just a light touch is enough to wake up the phone.

Battery Capacity & Charging

 The Realme 6 Pro is powered by a 4300 mAh non-removable battery capacity. The battery life is excellent in both the Realme 6 and the Pro version since they have the same capacity.

lowyat.net

This battery size can last you up to 107 hours when in continuous use, impressive for a mid-range budget phone, I would say. They will impress you with the fast charging speed of 30 watts. Allowing you to charge the phone 100% in less than 57 minutes.

Camera Capability   

The Realme 6 Pro has an impressive quad camera set up for a midranges phone.

It has a 64 MP, f/1.8, 26 mm wide main camera will give you fantastic photos with great detail in the right conditions. Though you might have a bit of noise in the quality of photos.

In low light the main camera takes wonderful photos, preserving the color while still gives you significant details in the shot you are taking. Night mode brings a boost in the shadows and it improves in the highlight retention, even though you lose on the sharpness.

Shots from the 8 MP, f/2.3, 13mm ultra-wide cameras are nice. You will notice good detail and a wide dynamic range. If you shoot with the Ultra-wide camera at night, you cannot get great photos. Their exposure is dark, even though the detail is okay.

In pleasant light, you will love the photos that you can take with the 12 MP, f/2.5, 54mm telephoto camera with plenty of detail, wider dynamic range, and lovelier colors.

The dedicated 2 MP f/2.4 macro camera doesn’t take great photos, there is plenty of noise, limited dynamic range. It seems more like an excuse for Realme to have a quad camera. Must be good for marketing.

You can shoot with the telephoto at night, and the performance is alright. The zoom-in this device has trouble focusing at night.

The Realme 6 Pro has a dual selfie, comprising a 60 MP and an 8MP ultra-wide camera. You will love capturing selfies with the ultra-wide. The HDR effect gives you smoother photos with more color rendition.

You can shoot videos of up to ultra-high definition 4k@30fps and 1080p @30/60/120fps. The video content has saturated colors and with a good dynamic range. But the sharpening is a little much, and the overall video is grainy.

As far as stabilization goes, the 4k doesn’t have any. Use a tripod if you want to get stable videos.

Extra Features of Realme 6 Pro

Here are other features about the Realme 6 Pro:

Face recognition

Fingerprint sensors

Accelerometer

Gyro

NFC support

WIFI

Blue tooth 5.1 connectivity

USB port 2.0, Type-C

Dual Sim

3.5 mm headphone jack

What others Are Saying

Here is what some verified purchases from Amazon had to say about the Realme 6 Pro

Christopher was very unhappy with the phone, he left a 1-star review and said: “Mediocre phone, very basic, I’m disappointed, Pixelated, the screen is nothing compared with an AMOLED, sideways the colors they vanish, 8gb of ram but it freezes when you try to play games like Call Of Duty Mobile, very fragile!”

Henry Cepeda left a 5-star review and said:

This phone is amazing! For this price, you can’t beat it! UI is clean and easy to use, it has great high-end value features like a crisp 90 Hz frame rate lock option making the phone move supper smooth, and beautiful, detailed images. Not to mention the style of the back of the phone is appealing.

Linda W. left a 5-star review and said:

This is worth the money! It’s slimmer than most phones, but a little longer. I feel it fits in the hand better. Nice looking. I’ve had it for a month and no complaints!

  How Much is Realme 6 Pro in Kenya?

They released the Realme 6 Pro in March 2020. The price of Realme 6 in Kenya is 28,500 shillings. It was released in March 2020 and it comes in 3 colors: lighting blue, lighting orange, and lightning red.

Accessories

Simple case

USB Type C cable

30 watts fast charger

Alternatives of Realme6 Pro

Other great alternatives smartphones that are competing with the Realme 6 Pro and in the same price tag includes

Samsung Galaxy A50

This is also a viable alternative. They are competing in the same price range as the Realme 6 Pro. The Samsung galaxy A50 has an AMOLED display, which is significantly better than the IPS LCD screen used in Realme 6 Pro.

It makes sense for Samsung to produce the best screens since it’s one of their key area of specialty. Including making screens for Apple. Almost impossible for Realme to come to compete with them for the screen. Apart from the display, Realme has a higher refresh rate than the Samsung Galaxy A50.

It is important to note that the Samsung Galaxy A50 lacks a telephoto and a selfie cam also lacks an ultra-wide camera, all of which Realme 6 Pro provides and the chipset used in Realme6 Pro is more powerful compared to the one is on Samsung Galaxy A50.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max

This phone is in the same price range as the Realme 6 Pro, both have the same chipset Qualcomm SM7125 Snapdragon 720G, though the battery life in Redmi Note 9 Pro Max is bigger at a 5020mAh Li-on battery that can last you up to 120 hours. Both phones support fast charging at 30 watts.

One of the enormous advantage that Realme 6 Pro has over the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max is the refresh rate, the Redmi has a 60 Hz refresh rate, while the Realme has a 90 Hz refresh rate.

Which Phone is better Realme 6 or Realme 6 pro?

If you want to save extra thousands of shillings and still have a great phone, I would recommend that you select the Realme 6. Both phones have the same battery capacity, built almost the same with the Realme 6 Pro being 6.6 inches while the Realme 6 is 6.5 inches. Not such an enormous difference.

androidpolice.com

You will feel the difference when you go to the camera section. Realme 6 has a quad camera with 16MP + 2 MP + 2 MP+ 2 MP. And to be honest, the photos you take aren’t so great compared to the ones taken with Realme 6 Pro camera that has a higher megapixel count.

Decide what’s more important to you, saving a few thousands of shilling and getting a good phone with a crappy camera or investing the extra thousands and getting a great phone with a great camera.

Is Realme 6 Pro a good phone?

Yes, it is, and I would recommend that you buy this device. You get a flashy design with a big 6.6-inch screen and a high 90Hz refresh rate. Realme 6 Pro offers great mid-range performance with excellent battery life and a fast charger of 30watts.

If you looked beyond the minor fact that they build part of the phone with plastic, then you will get yourself a fantastic smartphone that offering you value for your money.

The Review

Realme 6 Pro

3.9 Score

Realme 6 Pro has high-tech specifications such as a Pro screen display, 6 sets of cameras, a 90 Hz refresh rate, and a competent Snapdragon 720G processor. It is one of the best mid-range smartphones we've reviewed.

PROS

Breathtaking design

Color accurate with a high refresh rate

Color accurate with a high refresh rate

Long battery life with fast charging

CONS

Lacks video stabilization in 4k

Body built of plastic

Review Breakdown

Battery

Display

Camera

Performance

Value

[tech-battery]

Best Intel Z490 motherboards

The best Intel Z490 motherboard is a must If you’ve made the decision to jump onto the Intel 10th Gen Comet Lake train and want to get the most out of your new CPU. Intel's Z490 boards are equipped with the new LGA 1200 socket, and even the more affordable B460 options feature improved connectivity, networking, power delivery components and (take this with a grain of salt) future 11th Gen Rocket Lake compatibility.

So while you need a whole new motherboard platform for Intel's new chips, there's a strong chance it will last for a few CPU generations to come. Especially given Intel's propensity for 14nm silicon… While 10th Generation CPUs may not have shaken the foundations of the tech world, they are the fastest gaming chips around. If your current gaming machine is several years old then upgrading right now will get you a faster system in every way. Faster cores and more of them, faster networking, faster and higher capacity memory, faster storage, and faster USB amongst other things. Upgrading from the 7th, 8th or 9th to 10th generation might not be a big leap, but 2nd to 10th Gen sure is!

The K-series CPUs have 125W TDPs, though the higher core count models will actually pull a lot more power than that. This means even budget Z490 motherboards are built with robust power delivery circuitry. One of the areas the Intel Z490 chipset might be seen as lacking in is official PCIe 4.0 support, something which is present on AMD’s competing X570 platform. Some manufacturers, such as MSI, are claiming PCIe 4.0 support on their Z490 motherboards, even though it is not supported by 10th generation CPUs and hence cannot be validated. Intel won’t confirm any details one way or the other about its future products, so for now PCIe 4.0 support on Z490 seems sketchy at best and shouldn’t factor into a purchase decision at this point in time.

While the specs have improved, we’re still not impressed with the upward trend in pricing. Just a year or so ago we were shocked to see $1,000 high-end desktop motherboards for Threadripper or the X-series chips, but now manufacturers are clearly happy to push the envelope with most of them offering boards getting on for $800 even though Z490 is still a mainstream chipset. We’re not dealing with quad channel memory or a ton of PCIe lanes, but these monstrous ~$800 motherboards have everything else thrown at them. They might seem crazy, but people are buying them… and if you want the best Z490 motherboard experience that's what you're aiming for.

1. Asus ROG Maximus XII Extreme

The best Z490 motherboard, for the price of a full gaming PC...

Size : E-ATX | Memory support: 4x DIMM, up to 128GB, DDR4-4700 (OC) | Expansion slots: 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 (or x8/x8), 1x PCIe 3.0 x4 | Storage: 2x M.2, 2x M.2 (DIMM.2 board), 8x SATA 6Gbps | Rear USB: 10x USB 3.2, 2x USB 2.0 | Video ports: 2x Thunderbolt 3 ports on extension card (DP1.4) | Network : 1x 10Gb Marvell ethernet, 1x 2.5Gb Intel ethernet, Intel WiFi 6 wireless

OC performance

Stunning bundle

Incredible build quality

I cannot pretend that this makes any sense from a rational standpoint, y'know, one where money actually exists and comes in finite amounts. But if we're talking about the best Z490 motherboard, for me, this is it. The Asus ROG boards have always been high-end offerings—though there are lower-spec options here in this guide too—but I do feel that MSI has been the enabler. Its Godlike boards have really cemented the idea of the ultra-enthusiast motherboard which cost, if you'll pardon the redacted expletive, f*** you money. After the arbitrarily priced £777 X570 Godlike, Asus has obviously decided it has carte blanche to charge whatever it likes.

But if you want a features list as long as the Dead Sea Scrolls then you're going to have to pay for it. What I will say is that features list isn't just stuffed with makeweight extras, things just stuffed into the package to fill it out and try and justify that price. Everything you get with the Maximus XII Extreme is useful for a super high-end Comet Lake build, from the extra fan controller, DIMM.2 storage expansion, to the Thunderbolt card. But I would like to make special mention of two of my favourite things in the package: the multi-head screwdriver and the braided SATA cables. Mmm.

You also get great performance. On the whole, the MSI Z490 Godlike does just about have the edge in straight speeds, but if I'm buying a Core i9 10900K I want to overclock the hell out of it, and I got a result I would be happy running at consistently from the Asus, where the Godlike just got a little too toasty for my taste at 5.3GHz all-core. Both are great high-end boards, but I'm going to side with the Asus for now.

2. MSI MEG Z490 Godlike

The best Z490 motherboard if you want to sell that other kidney too

Size: E-ATX | Memory support: 4x DIMM, up to 128GB, DDR4-5000 (OC) | Expansion slots: 3x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16/x0/x4 or x8/x8/x4), 1x PCIe 3.0 x1 | Storage : 3x M.2, 6x SATA 6Gbps, 2x M.2 Xpander-Z | Rear USB: 8x USB 3.2, 2x USB 2.0 | Video ports: 2x Thunderbolt 3 | Network : 1x 10Gb Aquantia, 1x 2.5Gb Realtek LAN, Intel WiFi 6 wireless

Top CPU performance

Great bundle

PCIe 4.0 support. Kinda

The latest MSI Godlike is a fantastic high-end Z490 motherboard. I might still struggle with the naming scheme, and the similarly offensive price tag, but it's tough to argue with the technology that it offers. The power delivery system is something that's going to get seriously stretched by the Comet Lake architecture, and with 16 phases and 90A Smart Power Stage the Godlike has been designed to maintain a steady supply no matter what the Core i9 10900K wants to draw through it.

And it does an incredible job with the power you give it too. The performance I got out of the Godlike put it a shade ahead of the Maximus XII Extreme in gaming terms, though only by a couple of frames per second at best, but it did stretch that lead a touch when it came to video encoding. At stock speeds it's a touch cooler too, though that didn't translate into the overclocked performance as it peaked at 99°C when running at the 5.3GHz all-core peak I hit with the i9. Still, it wasn't throttling even so, but I wouldn't be happy running at that level consistently.

But the Godlike does offer PCIe 4.0 support. In a fashion. Just not with Comet Lake. The M.2 Xpander-Z will support up to PCI 4.0 bandwidth, though there is a sticker on it which adds the caveat that transfer speed might be limited by the chipset and processor. There is the promise of Rocket Lake bringing PCIe 4.0 support to the Intel ecosystem, and the Z490 is supposedly compatible, so there's a chance a Gen4 NVMe SSD might be able to take advantage down the line.

The overall bundle, build quality, and OC performance have me siding with the ROG board in the head-to-head, but it's a close run thing, and you could also make a convincing argument for the MSI Godlike being the best Z490 motherboard around.

MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon WiFi

A vaguely affordable Z490 motherboard with competitive performance

Size : ATX | Memory support: 4x DIMM, up to 128GB, DDR4-4800 (OC) | Expansion slots: 3x PCIe 3.0 (x16/x0/x4 or x8/x8/x4), 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 | Storage: 2x M.2, 6x SATA 6Gbps | Rear USB: 5x USB 3.2, 2x USB 2.0 | Video ports: 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI | Network : 1x 2.5Gb LAN, Intel WiFi 6 wireless

More reasonably priced Z490

Still competitive performance

The sparse back panel and missing OLED displays will tell you we're back into normal motherboard territory again. The rarified air of the ultra-enthusiast pairing at the top of the test might make one giddy, but the Z490 Gaming Carbon will bring us back down to earth without a bump. Sure, you're never going to get the same level of luxury feature list as you'll find with either the Godlike or Maximus XII boards, but when it comes to the nuts and bolts of pure performance it's right up there.

Where it matters, in the gaming performance stakes, there's practically nothing between any of the Z490 boards we've tested, and it's only ever a little behind when it comes to the actual CPU performance in productivity apps. When it comes to overclocking, however, the MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon WiFi inevitably can't compare to the big boys with our 10900K running at its peak.

The power componentry and cooling isn't enough to stop the thirsty CPU from throttling when it's pushed to its 5.3GHz all-core maximum. But, while that might mean it's not the board you'd choose for an overclocked i9 machine, that's a tiny niche of gamers, and for either i5 or i7 CPUs the MSI Gaming Carbon is still a quality home for your Comet Lake CPU.

4. MSI MEG Z490 Ace

MSI's Z490 ace in the hole.

Size : ATX | Memory support : 4x DIMM, up to 128GB, DDR4-4800 (OC) | Expansion slots: 3x PCIe 3.0 (x16/x0/x4 or x8/x8/x4), 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 | Storage: 3x M.2, 6x SATA 6Gbps | Rear USB: 6x USB 3.2, 2x USB 2.0 | Video ports: N/A | Network : 1x Realtek 2.5Gb, 1x Intel 1GB LAN, Intel WiFi 6 wireless

Subtle looks

Strong VRM design

High-end performance

Another top board from MSI, the Z490 Ace looks great with its subtle gold highlights and metallic elements. It’s good to have the primary M.2 slot above the GPU rather than cooking away underneath it. Other little things like the white post code display, fast booting and excellent fan control makes the Ace a really refined and polished product. Even the M.2 installation is easy, with no need to remove a heap of screws and half of the entire heatsink.

MSI has knocked it out of the park with the Ace’s strong VRM design. Dual 8-pin power connectors feed a 16+1 phase 90A design that’s cooled by big chunks of heatsink. It’s got a small fan that only spins up when it’s required. There’s also rear mosfet baseplates, which all told means you can overclock to your heart’s content. Does any Z490 motherboard have a genuinely better VRM?

Its excellent finish, well laid out BIOS, feature set, top class VRM design, performance efficiency and capable overclocking means all boxes are ticked, as it should be if you’re going to drop nearly $400 on a motherboard. Ace by name, Ace by nature.

5. Gigabyte Z490 Aorus Master

Gigabyte's best Z490 motherboard is a luxurious Aorus.

Size : ATX | Memory support: 4x DIMM, up to 128GB, DDR4-5000 (OC) | Expansion slots: 3x PCIe 3.0 (x16/x0/x4 or x8/x8/x4) | Storage : 3x M.2, 6x SATA 6Gbps | Rear USB: 6x USB 3.2, 4x USB 2.0 | Video ports: 1x HDMI | Network : Intel 2.5Gb LAN, Intel WiFi 6 wireless

Built to last

Huge number of USB on backplate

Quality audio

The first thing we noticed when taking the Z490 Aorus Master out of its box was its weight. This is a board gives the impression that it’s built to last, and at $390 we’d certainly hope it does! For the money, it’s clear the Master is a lot of motherboard. Interestingly, where some Aorus boards tend to light up like a laser light show, the Master really dials down the RGB with just a little bit of subtle lighting over the rear I/O and the chipset heatsink. The overall look is very understated, modern and mature.

The Master has no less than 10 USB ports on the back panel, which is impressive, although it’s also the only board to have a single LAN port, though it is a quality Intel 2.5G controller. It does have Wi-Fi 6, but if dual LAN is important to you, you’ll have to look elsewhere. We’re usually impressed with Gigabyte’s audio and that’s also the case here, with an ESS Sabre DAC and quality component choices. You also get the fairly standard 6 SATA ports and triple M.2 slots which distinctively feature thermal padding for both sides of the drive. A nice touch. Note that Gigabyte is also touting its PCIe 4.0 support, though as we said in the intro, it’s not something that should factor into a purchase decision.

Perhaps the only drawback, and honestly it’s hard to even call it that when the differences are so small, was that performance tended to trail the pack in many cases. It’s nothing to worry about, but when you’re comparing motherboards that are all genuinely strong contenders, you have to look for some differentiation, and for the Aorus, this is it. Don't necessarily let that put you off, it’s still a board we’d be proud to own. Heck if it was $50 cheaper, it might have been a winner.

6. ASRock Z490 Taichi

ASRock has moved up to the premium tier.

Size : ATX | Memory support: 4x DIMM, up to 128GB, DDR4-4666 (OC) | Expansion slots: 3x PCIe 3.0 (x16/x0/x4 or x8/x8/x4), 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 | Storage : 3x M.2, 6x SATA 6Gbps | Rear USB: 8x USB 3.2 | Video ports: 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI | Network : Dragon 2.5Gb, 1x Intel 1Gb LAN, Intel WiFi 6 wireless

Great-looking board

Decent overclocker

The Z490 Taichi doesn’t deviate too much from its recent siblings in terms of its looks. I mean, why would you though with its lovely retro, almost analogue theme. It looks terrific. You get a nice splash of RGB lighting too of course.

The Taichi has a beefed up 15-phase VRM system fed by dual 8-pin power connectors designed to cope with the demands of 10th Gen processors. Each choke is rated for 60A, which is less than the 90A the MSI, Asus, and Gigabyte offer. The Taichi incorporates no less than three small fans into the heatsink, though thankfully they are all but silent and couldn’t be heard above the sound of our AIO CPU cooler and pump. When the board is presented with a light load, they don’t spin at all.

Asrock is also touting its PCIe 4.0 readiness, though again that’s jumping the gun a bit with Intel not commenting on future compatibility or support at this time. The performance of the Taichi was interesting. It scored very well in bandwidth sensitive applications, indicating that it sets aggressive memory sub timings. Our DDR4-4000 C16 test required a voltage bump in order to achieve stability too. The board didn’t miss a beat when pushing our 10900K to 5.2GHz on all cores, 5.3 is possible, though the heat from the CPU made it unstable, not exactly a fault of the board.

The ASRock Z490 ticks almost all the boxes. It’s got an intuitive, easy to navigate BIOS and a typically strong Taichi feature set. Its VRM isn’t as strong as the other boards in the test and it’s perhaps a BIOS update away from feeling really polished. Saying that is being tough on it, though; the Taichi is a strong offering.

7. Asus ROG Maximus XII Hero Wi-Fi

Typical ROG refinement for a typically high price

Size : ATX | Memory support: 4x DIMM, up to 128GB, DDR4-4800 (OC) | Expansion slots: 3x PCIe 3.0 (x16/x0/x4 or x8/x8/x4), 3x PCIe x1 | Storage : 3x M.2, 6x SATA 6Gbps | Rear USB: 8x USB 3.2, 2x USB 2.0 | Video ports: 1x HDMI | Network : 1x Marvell 5Gb, 1x Intel 1Gb LAN, Intel WiFi 6 wireless

Fantastic Asus BIOS

High build-quality

Good overclocking

It says a lot about Z490 motherboard pricing when the Hero – usually a value offering in the Asus Maximus range – sells for an eye watering $400. When compared to the Maximus XII Extreme though, the Hero feels like a bargain. The Hero comes with a 14+2 phase VRM design with each stage rated for 60A. It’s not inferior so to speak, but the Max XII Extreme, MSI, and Gigabyte boards have a better VRM spec along with dual 8-pin power vs the 8+4 pin of the Hero. There’s a bundled small cooling fan that you should install if you wish to push the board hard.

Asus really goes the extra mile when it comes to BIOS features, though perhaps it can be overwhelming for novice users. If you want to tweak, and then tweak some more, then Asus has you covered. The Hero was effortlessly able to overclock our 10900K to 5.2GHz and our memory to DDR4-4000. Try as we might, 5.3 GHz is a step too far for our cooling. If you’ve got top shelf cooling, then the Hero will handle it. Our memory took exactly one try to get to DDR4-4000 16-16-16 which is a nice performance sweet spot. Don’t forget that Asus offers the Maximus XII Apex if OC is your main game.

We can’t escape from the fact that the Maximus XII Hero is $400. Economic woes notwithstanding, that’s a lot of money, particularly when the equally strong MSI and Gigabyte Z490 motherboards are a bit cheaper. Having said that, Asus rarely missteps with its ROG boards and the company has rightly earned itself a loyal band of followers who will hardly consider another board. If you choose the Hero you get the advantage of impressive 5G networking, excellent build quality and you’ll have a capable and refined motherboard. Its VRM isn’t class leading though, but that really only applies to extreme overclockers. We wish is was a few dollars cheaper but if you do go for the Maximus XII Hero, it will do your system justice.