Z590 is the top chipset for Intel's LGA1200 socket. It launched in early 2021 for 11th generation Core (Rocket Lake), also runs 10th generation chips, uses DDR4 memory and allows CPU overclocking. LGA1200 has been a closed platform since Intel moved to LGA1700 in late 2021, so this guide is mainly for people who already own a 10th or 11th generation processor. Boards still on sale are listed on the Z590 deals page.
Cheapest Z590 boards right now
What Z590 is and who it is for
Z590 led Intel's 500-series, above H570, B560 and H510. It replaced Z490, which had launched LGA1200 a year earlier with 10th generation Core. The socket lasted only those two processor generations before Intel replaced it.
Buy a Z590 board now for one of two reasons: the board in your 10th or 11th generation PC has failed and you want to keep the processor, memory and cooler, or you have an LGA1200 processor spare and want to build a second PC around it. Z590 specifically makes sense if that processor is an unlocked K-series chip you want to overclock, or a Core i9 that needs stronger power delivery than most B560 boards provide. It does not make sense as the start of a new build.
Key specifications
| Feature | Z590 |
|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1200 |
| Processors | 10th and 11th gen Intel Core |
| Memory | DDR4, dual channel |
| CPU overclocking | Yes, with a K-series processor |
| Memory overclocking (XMP) | Yes |
| PCIe from the CPU | PCIe 4.0 with 11th gen (graphics and one M.2 slot); PCIe 3.0 with 10th gen |
| PCIe from the chipset | PCIe 3.0 |
| Launched | Early 2021 |
Compatible CPUs: 10th gen and 11th gen behave differently
Z590 supports both LGA1200 generations, but what the board can do depends on which you fit. An 11th generation Core i5, i7 or i9 provides PCIe 4.0 for the graphics slot plus four more PCIe 4.0 lanes for an M.2 SSD. A 10th generation chip has fewer lanes and they are PCIe 3.0, so with one fitted the graphics slot runs at PCIe 3.0 and, on many Z590 boards, the M.2 slot wired to the CPU does not work at all. If you own a 10th generation chip, plan to use the other M.2 slots.
Note too that Intel's 11th generation desktop range ran from Core i5 upwards. The Core i3 and Pentium chips sold alongside it were refreshed 10th generation parts, so they behave as 10th generation here and do not enable PCIe 4.0.
With an 11th generation processor, Z590 also runs a wider link between the processor and the chipset than B560 or H510, which helps when several chipset-attached drives and ports are busy at once.
Memory
All LGA1200 boards use DDR4, so there is no memory type to check. Z590 supports XMP and memory overclocking, and most boards have four slots, with two on mini-ITX models. If you are replacing a failed board, your existing DDR4 will carry straight over. It will not carry over to LGA1851 or AM5, which are DDR5 only; DDR4 vs DDR5 motherboards explains the split.
PCIe and connectivity
There is no PCIe 5.0 on this platform. The best case is PCIe 4.0 from an 11th generation processor for the graphics card and one SSD; everything attached to the chipset runs at PCIe 3.0. For gaming and general use that is still perfectly adequate, as PCIe 5.0 motherboards: do you need it? explains.
Z590 added native support for 20Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, and many Z590 boards include 2.5Gb Ethernet, WiFi 6 or 6E, and in some cases Thunderbolt 4. All of those are board features: check the listing for each.
How Z590 compares with its neighbours
| Z590 | B560 | H510 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU overclocking | Yes | No | No |
| Memory overclocking | Yes | Yes | No |
| Memory slots | Usually four | Two or four | Typically two |
| Chipset PCIe | 3.0, most lanes | 3.0, fewer lanes | 3.0, fewest lanes |
| Typical use | K-series and Core i9 chips | Non-K Core i5 and i7 | Basic and office PCs |
If your processor is not a K-series chip, a B560 board gives you XMP and PCIe 4.0 for less. The H510 guide covers the most basic option.
What to check on the listing
- That it really is LGA1200. Intel board names look alike across generations. Z590 will not take 12th generation or later chips, and Z690 or Z790 boards will not take yours.
- Power delivery. The Core i9-11900K and i9-10900K draw a lot of power under load. See motherboard VRM explained.
- M.2 slots. Which are wired to the CPU and which to the chipset, especially if you have a 10th generation processor.
- Size. Mostly ATX, with some micro-ATX and mini-ITX models.
- Cooler fit. LGA1200 uses the same cooler mounting as the LGA115x sockets before it, so your current cooler will fit.
Buying into an old platform: the honest view
LGA1200 is a dead-end socket. No new processors will be made for it, new boards are no longer being produced in any number, and the best chip it can take is an 11th generation Core i9 from 2021. Spending money on a Z590 board as the foundation of a new PC would be a mistake: a current platform uses parts that carry forward and can be upgraded later. How to choose a motherboard is the place to start in that case.
As a repair, though, it can be excellent value. A replacement board lets you keep a processor, memory and cooler that still work, and an open-box unit is often the only sensible way to find one. Read are Amazon Warehouse motherboards worth it?, check the socket pins on arrival with the used motherboard checklist, and watch the Z590 deal list and the Warehouse offers.
Questions people ask
Does Z590 support 10th gen Intel processors?
Yes. 10th generation Core chips work in Z590 boards, but everything then runs at PCIe 3.0, and on many boards the M.2 slot wired to the CPU is disabled. PCIe 4.0 needs an 11th generation Core i5, i7 or i9.
Can a Z590 board take 12th gen or newer processors?
No. 12th generation Core and later use different sockets. Z590 is limited to 10th and 11th generation chips on LGA1200.
Does Z590 use DDR4 or DDR5?
DDR4. Every LGA1200 board is DDR4 only.
Is it worth buying a Z590 motherboard now?
Only to replace a failed board or to reuse an LGA1200 processor you already own. For a new build, a current platform is the better use of the money because LGA1200 has no upgrade path.