A:AnswerHello,
It's pre-applied and we do use a high quality compound. No need to replace.
If you have anything else we can help with, please reach out: support.corsair.com
-Art
A:AnswerThe Z490 chipset has nothing to do with the AIOs compatibility. The Z490 chipset motherboards (along with a few other motherboard) use the LGA 1200 cpu socket. This AIO does not have the LGA 1200 socket listed as being compatible with it.
A:AnswerHi,
Here's all that info and more: https://www.corsair.com/ww/en/Categories/Products/Liquid-Cooling/iCUE-RGB-PRO-XT-Coolers/p/CW-9060045-WW#tab-tech-specs
If you have anything else we can help with, please reach out: support.corsair.com
-Art