NZXT N7 Z590 review: The best-looking Intel motherboard receives a few upgrades

NZXT N7 Z590 Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

If I were to ask you what NZXT was responsible for, I wouldn't be surprised if the response would be PC cases, AIO coolers, and the BLD system integrator service. The company also makes some other computer components, including power supplies and motherboards.

While NZXT isn't renowned in either segment, the company does enter partnerships with brands that are, and the latest NZXT N7 Z590 is a motherboard for tenth and 11th Gen Intel PC builds.

Much like the outgoing NZXT N7 Z490 (featured in our all-time motherboards collection), the NZXT N7 Z590 is a premium motherboard aimed at system builders who desire a clean, unique expect likewise as potentially dab into modding.

NZXT N7 Z490

NZXT N7 Z590

Bottom line: NZXT gave the premium Intel N7 motherboard a refresh with a new chipset, which unlocks PCIe 4.0 support, equally well as a host of other improvements. It'due south ane of the best boards y'all can utilise for an Intel PC.

The Good

Interchangeable metal shroud
Amazing blueprint
Rock-solid performance
Hefty VRM passive cooling
Intel Wi-Fi K.2 carte du jour

The Bad

Just four SATA ports
Chipset incompatible with older Intel CPUs
No M.2 slot heat pads

NZXT N7 Z590: Price and availability

Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

NZXT launched the N7 Z590 on June iii, which means it's nevertheless fairly new, and equally such y'all won't be able to locate any good deals that bring the price downwards. Still, it's e'er worth keeping tabs on NZXT's official channels, as well as Prime Day and other promotions for potential savings.

Compared to other motherboards, the toll is in line with what one tin await to pay for a Z590 motherboard with features like Wi-Fi 6E, plenty of USB ports, and a unique design. If yous don't demand all the features introduced with the Z590 chipset upgrade and motherboard refresh, you could go with the NZXT N7 Z490.

NZXT N7 Z590: What's skillful

NZXT N7 Z590 Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

Compared to the NZXT N7 Z490 motherboard, there's not a whole lot that has changed with the NZXT N7 Z590, but it does — as the proper noun implies — come up with the Z590 chipset from Intel. This unlocks PCIe iv.0 support for GPUs and SSD storage, assuasive you to install drives that tin hit read speeds of upward to seven,000MB/s.

NZXT did a stellar job designing the N7 Z590 motherboard.

The core specification listing has largely gone unaltered. There'due south still support for 10th and 11th Gen processors, every bit well as four DDR4 DIMM slots that can concord up to 128GB RAM with speeds of upwards to 4266MHz. At that place are two M.2 slots, four SATA ports, ii total-size PCIe x16 expansion slots, and a further three PCIe x1 slots.

Just like the N7 Z490, there's even a pre-installed Wi-Fi K.two carte, which tin later on exist upgraded if you want faster wireless, and information technology'due south at present Bluetooth five.2 and Wi-Fi 6E. Other than that, you can look to see a few more USB iii.x ports on the rear I/O, every bit well as a few more layers to the PCB, allowing for more complex circuitry for all the additional functionality.

Category	NZXT N7 Z590	NZXT N7 Z490
Size	ATX	ATX
PCB layers	6	iv
CPU	10th and 11th Gen Intel	10th and 11th Gen Intel
Socket	LGA1200	LGA1200
RAM	4x DDR4 DIMM (up to DDR4-4266MHz)	4x DDR4 DIMM (up to DDR4-4266MHz)
Chipset	Intel Z590	Intel Z490
Expansion	2x PCIe x16 slot (dual at x16/x4) 3x PCIe x1 slot	2x PCIe x16 slot (dual at x16/x4) 3x PCIe x1 slot
Storage	4x SATA (6Gbps) 1x PCIe four.0 M.2 (x4/x2 SSD support) 1x SATA G.2 (x4/x2 SSD support)	4x SATA (6Gbps) 1x PCIe 3.0 Thou.ii (x4/x2 SSD support) 1x SATA Thou.ii (x4/x2 SSD support)
Audio	Realtek ALC1220	Realtek ALC1220
Rear ports	1x HDMI 2x SMA antenna connectors (2T2R) 2x USB two.0 3x USB-A iii.2 Gen 2 port 1x USB-C 3.2x2 Gen 2 port 4x USB-A iii.two Gen ane ports 1x 2.5Gb 1x S/PDIF 5x audio jacks	1x HDMI 2x SMA antenna connectors (2T2R) 2x USB ii.0 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen ii port 1x USB-C iii.two Gen ii port 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports 1x two.5Gb 1x Southward/PDIF 5x sound jacks
Networking	Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.2	Wi-Fi vi Bluetooth 5.1
NVIDIA SLI	—	—
AMD CrossFire	✓	✓
Launch price	$280	$230

NZXT did a stellar job when designing its motherboards. The entire N7 range, regardless of whether you're after an Intel or AMD chipset, comes rocking a detachable metal shroud that covers most of the PCB. This hides the majority of surface components, without hampering access to all the important parts.

Speaking of accessible areas, the header placement is also a little different. You won't find random system fan headers dotted across the PCB. Instead, NZXT bundles them together up top and downwardly the bottom for better cable management. And all connected fans and lighting equipment tin be controlled using NZXT CAM software, which has improved profoundly.

ASRock'south UEFI BIOS is rock solid too. You tin can easily work your way through and alter a plethora of settings, every bit well as manage fan controls and the like through Windows 10. In terms of performance, y'all're looking at similar figures to the N7 Z490. I was able to go the Intel Cadre i7-10700K at v.0GHz with ane.35V of power.

In synthetic benchmarks, we saw a PCMark 10 score of six,994 (vs. 6,979 for the N7 Z490), and five,704 (vs. five,698) and 584 (vs. 581) for CPU-Z on single- and multi-core tests, respectively. These are some solid figures, peculiarly when compared to other (more expensive) last-gen Z490 motherboards like the Gigabyte Z490 AORUS ULTRA.

To examination the configuration in gaming, I fired upwards Path of Exile, Tomb Raider, GTA Five, and Ashes of a Singularity. Results were in line with other motherboards using the same processor and GPU (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Productivity was likewise excellent, and I encountered no stability issues using some photo and video editing suites.

NZXT N7 Z590: What's not proficient

NZXT N7 Z590 Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

NZXT got far more right than wrong with the N7 Z490, simply there were nonetheless areas for improvement. I commented on the lack of PCIe four.0 support, which was addressed here with the Z590 chipset from Intel. I also noted how the lack of any G.2 oestrus pads and passive cooling could hamper performance with drives that run seriously hot.

Unfortunately, that latter issue hasn't been fixed with the Z590, which leads me to remain hopeful that information technology'll exist included with the adjacent revision of the Intel N7 motherboard. Most SSDs won't crave additional cooling, but when you lot motility into PCIe 4.0 territory and college-capacity drives with vii,000MB/southward transfer speeds, you may encounter some thermal throttling.

There are all the same merely four SATA ports. This isn't a major issue, but I will keep noting information technology just in example you haven't made the move to G.ii drives for all storage. Other motherboards practise come with six or more and then it'south a shame NZXT hasn't quite worked in additional ports, but perhaps I'm in the minority here.

A final "con" for the N7 Z590 goes to Intel and not NZXT or ASRock here. If you have a ninth Gen Intel processor that'south still working just fine, yous're out of luck as Z590 chipset motherboards support only tenth and 11th Gen processors. AMD still offers meliorate backward compatibility with the AM4 socket.

NZXT N7 Z590: Contest

NZXT N7 Z590 Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

NZXT's N7 Z590 is a competitive motherboard in a crowded market.

There are countless Z490 and Z590 motherboards out there. If you're wanting to put together a 10th or 11th Gen Intel system, y'all should consider the NZXT N7 Z590 confronting competitor boards from ASUS, ASRock, Gigabyte, among others. This motherboard has a very capable feature set up with a striking pattern.

It's a no-brainer if you plan to practice some modding too. There's no other motherboard available right now that offers this level of customization, which tin brand the white or blackness shroud-sporting board fit in with most PC build themes. It punches above its weight and with the electric current state of component pricing, it's also a proficient bargain.

NZXT N7 Z590: Should you purchase it?

NZXT N7 Z590 Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Fundamental

You should buy this if ...

Yous need a gorgeous-looking Intel motherboard
You program on using a tenth or 11th Gen Intel CPU
You want a motherboard that can handle overclocking
You plan on using PCIe iv.0 storage or GPU

You shouldn't buy this if ...

Yous want a platform with the everyman ability consumption
You lot want to continue using an older Intel CPU
Yous want to apply a loftier-chapters PCIe 4.0 One thousand.ii SSD that won't thermal throttle

Similar the NZXT N7 Z490, this is another slap-up motherboard from the NZXT and ASRock partnership. The gorgeous design is unique to what's bachelor on the market and thanks to the removable shrouds, you can paint or modernistic them hands. It's hard to fault this motherboard since it gets most of the of import stuff right.

The design is uncomplicated but attractive and that'due south with well-nigh PC cases, not only NZXT'due south offerings. NZXT didn't focus on the expect of the board alone as conscientious planning went into the placement of all the fan headers, besides as the port selection on the rear, which was given a welcome boost with the Z590 chipset upgrade.

The VRM cooling is good enough to handle more than powerful Intel processors, including Core i7 and Core i9. There's even space for some overclocking, which tin can be hands accomplished with the ASRock UEFI BIOS. Performance-wise, it's right up there with premium mid-range motherboards from established brands. Information technology's just a shame we haven't got any passive cooling for the Thousand.two drives.

There's always the Z690, correct? For tenth and 11th Gen Intel processors, y'all won't go wrong with the NZXT N7 Z590.

NZXT N7 Z490

NZXT N7 Z590

Bottom line: At that place are endless motherboards out at that place that could be recommended for an Intel PC build, just if y'all want something a little different, NZXT's N7 Z590 is a solid foundation for a unique look. It has plenty of useful features that volition improve your overall build.

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