SuperMicro C9Z390-PGW Z390 Motherboard Review

Peter Donnell / 6 years ago

Final Thoughts

How Much Does it Cost?

The SuperMicro C9Z390-PGW launches today (time of publication), but unfortunately, we didn’t have any pricing information. We’ll update this as soon as it becomes available to us.

Overview

The latest motherboard from SuperMicro is full of surprises. It’s packing all the high-end features we’ve come to expect from a premium Z390 motherboard, but it manages to go a little bit beyond also. The only main comparison we have for it would be the ASUS WS Pro Z390. Both these motherboards feature similar PCIe lane configurations. While this isn’t going to benefit most gamers, those building a workstation or rendering rig may reap the rewards.

Connectivity

Storage options are plentiful on this motherboard, with six SATA 6Gbps ports catering for all your day-to-day needs. However, if you’re investing in super fast M.2 storage and Optane drives, it supports two full-size modules under its large heatsinks. Furthermore, you can expand with two U.2 mounts and a huge assortment of USB Gen 1 and Gen 2 connections.

Networking

Easily the big selling point of this motherboard, albeit one that isn’t needed by many. However, if you’re in need of 10G networking, the Aquantia AQC107 10G Ethernet Controller will more than fit your needs. Of course, you also have the Intel Ethernet PHY i219V chipset as a backup too. If that wasn’t enough, an 802.1ac WiFi+BT5.0 module gives you three networking options to choose from.

Build Quality and Performance

Despite only using a single 8-pin header, the motherboard had no issues pushing our 9th Gen CPU to 5 GHz. Quality components have been used throughout, and we’d have expected no less give SuperMicros server building experience. The end result is a durable and reliable motherboard, with performance that can keep up with the best Z390 has to offer.

Should I Buy One?

If you’re after a gaming motherboard, there may be better options out there. However, if you’re building a more professional workstation style system, the network and storage capabilities of this motherboard should be reason enough to consider it. That being said, it’s no slouch for gaming, and those who need a versatile and capable motherboard will find a lot to love about the C9Z390-PGW.