EVGA Z490 FTW WiFi Review: Looks Can Be Deceiving

The EVGA Z490 FTW offers solid performance, plus a speedy USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port.

EVGA Z490 FTW WiFi
(Image: © EVGA)

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Software

On the software side, EVGA has a single application, EVGA ELeet X1, with a new UI and codebase and a simple-to-use interface. The software is able to monitor your system, including temperatures and voltages as well as detailed system information. The new-look Eleet X1 was easy to use with all the options you need right in front of you.

Firmware

To give you a sense of the Firmware, we’ve gathered screenshots showing a majority of the BIOS screens.

EVGA also updated its BIOS, which now boots to a screen giving you four options, Default (to run with default settings), Advanced (to enter BIOS w/o default settings), Gamer Mode (conservative overclock), and the EVGA OC Robot to automatically overclock your PC. The same black and light-green/blue theme is still a staple of EVGA firmware. Displayed across the stop is monitoring/status information, while any editing of system settings occurs in the bottom three quarters of the screen.

The majority of options for overclocking are found in the OC section, with Memory in… you guessed it, the Memory section. This configuration is logical, though some may find it more convenient to have these under one heading. Regardless, the majority of the selections used for overclocking and other board functionality are easily found without digging deep into submenus. Overall, the BIOS is configured well and easy to work with.

Test System / Comparison Products

Our test system uses Windows 10 64-bit OS (1909) with all threat mitigations applied. The motherboard BIOS used is the latest non-beta available to the public, unless otherwise noted. The hardware used is as follows:

Swipe to scroll horizontally
CPUIntel i9-10900KRow 0 - Cell 2
MemoryG.Skill Trident Z Neo 2x8GB DDR4 3600 (F4-3600C16D-16GTZNC)Row 1 - Cell 2
Memory 2G.Skill Trident Z Royale 4x8GB DDR4 4000 (F4-4000C18Q-32GTRS)Row 2 - Cell 2
GPUAsus ROG Strix RTX 2070Row 3 - Cell 2
CPU CoolerCorsair H150iRow 4 - Cell 2
PSUCorsair AX1200iRow 5 - Cell 2
SoftwareWindows 10 64-bit 1909Row 6 - Cell 2
Graphics DriverNvidia Driver 445.75Row 7 - Cell 2
SoundIntegrated HD audioRow 8 - Cell 2
NetworkIntegrated Networking (GbE or 2.5 GbE)Row 9 - Cell 2
Graphics DriverGeForce 445.74Row 10 - Cell 2

For this review, we’ll be directly comparing the EVGA Z490 FTW ($329.99 @ EVGA store) to the Asus ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming ($299.99) and the ASRock Z490 PG Velocita ($259.99).

Benchmark Settings

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Synthetic Benchmarks and SettingsRow 0 - Cell 1
PCMark 10Version 2.1.2177 64
Row 2 - Cell 0 Essentials, Productivity, Digital Content Creation, MS Office
3DMarkVersion 2.11.6866 64
Row 4 - Cell 0 Firestrike Extreme and Time Spy Default Presets
Cinebench R20Version RBBENCHMARK271150
Row 6 - Cell 0 Open GL Benchmark - Single and Multi-threaded
Application Tests and SettingsRow 7 - Cell 1
LAME MP3Version SSE2_2019
Row 9 - Cell 0 Mixed 271MB WAV to mp3: Command: -b 160 --nores (160Kb/s)
HandBrake CLIVersion: 1.2.2
Row 11 - Cell 0 Sintel Open Movie Project: 4.19GB 4K mkv to x264 (light AVX) and x265 (heavy AVX)
Corona 1.4Version 1.4
Row 13 - Cell 0 Custom benchmark
7-ZipVersion 19.00
Row 15 - Cell 0 Integrated benchmark
Game Tests and SettingsRow 16 - Cell 1
The Division 2Ultra Preset - 1920 x 1080
Forza Horizon 4Ultra Preset - 1920 x 1080

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Joe Shields
Motherboard Reviewer

Joe Shields is a Freelance writer for Tom’s Hardware US. He reviews motherboards.

  • LordVile
    Why would you spend 330 on a dead end platform?
    Reply
  • ThatMouse
    LordVile said:
    Why would you spend 330 on a dead end platform?

    You're correct on two points. AMD Zen3 and Intel Rocket Lake + Z590. It seems Zen3 with PCIe 4 might be the way to go if you want a PC that will last you the next 6+ years. The next Intel upgrade won't be on shelves for quite awhile.
    Reply
  • eye4bear
    LordVile said:
    Why would you spend 330 on a dead end platform?
    True, didn't I read just this morning that Intel announced they were going to have yet another delay in new processor deliveries.
    Reply
  • LordVile
    eye4bear said:
    True, didn't I read just this morning that Intel announced they were going to have yet another delay in new processor deliveries.
    Intel haven’t had a new processor in years it’s the same but with a more mature process meaning higher clocks. They haven’t been worth buying since the 9th gen
    Reply