Asus shares its Intel Z690 motherboard guide – Mainboard – News

You may have read the launch news about the first six Intel Alder Lake processors for desktops. HEXUS editors take a deep dive into the new processor options, providing insights into the architecture and Initial available configurationWednesday night.

If you are even interested in the new 12^th What you’ve seen so far for the gen Core processor platform (from 4 third-party reviews and availability)^th November), then you’ll be interested in picking up the motherboard options now announced by Intel’s partners. There will be plenty of options to choose from, as evidenced by the initial splurge on Z690 motherboards from companies like Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and EVGA. Where to start? Well, ASUS has one of the best reports on its new products, so I’m going to take a look at its Z690 series today and find links to Z690 promotional material for other players at the end of the article.

ASUS has no fewer than 19 new Intel Z690 motherboards for you to consider, some of which are now familiar ROG, ROG Strix, ProArt, TUF Gaming and Prime series. Since Z690 is a high-end enthusiast chipset, it is represented by the ROG and ROG Strix series. There are five Maximus models of ROG motherboards, all in EATX and ATX form factors, but the released ROG Strix quintet covers ATX, Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX form factors. The single ProArt and two TUF Gaming models are ATX sized, and the six Prime models are made up of five ATX plus one Micro-ATX model.

You can find the full product matrix PDF, which contains all 19 Asus Z690 motherboards, listing and comparing their technical specifications here.

Important new features you’ll see on these new motherboards include: PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, DDR5 slots, large VRM heatsinks, and ultra-high-performance M.2 heatsinks, WIFi6e, and 10Gb/2.5Gb Ethernet. Fast networking technology, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 front-panel connectors with Quick Charge 4+, and Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C provide up to 40Gbps bidirectional bandwidth and additional display options. Of course, motherboards of various sizes/series will have more or less of these features, depending on form factor and budget. For example, the only Mini ITX motherboard launched has only 1 PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, two DDR5 DIMM slots, and 2 M.2 slots. Please note that one ROG Strix motherboard, two TUF Gaming motherboards, and three of the six Prime motherboards only support DDR4. If you want better onboard sound (the latest Realtek ALC 4080 with USB audio option) you should also stick with the ROG and ROG Strix series, but you can also find the ALC1220 in other, mostly ALC897 motherboards.

Another set of interesting features Asus wants to draw your attention to are the improvements it’s made to make DIY easier. Claiming that its new motherboards are “DIY easier than ever”, there are many Q-features (Quick Functions) on these motherboards, and the PCIe slot Q-release button is said to “significantly simplify the process of removing PCIe cards from the motherboard “. ”.

In addition to the new hardware features, Asus is also promoting its AI OC one-click overclocking, but has not yet specified which Z690 motherboards support this feature.

Other brands

I’ve received emails from MSI and Biostar About their new Z690 motherboard. ASRock, Electronic VGAand Gigabyte Aorus Not contacted yet, but please click on these links to view their latest Z690 press release. Additionally, MSI is planning a special event in February^ND In November, more new motherboard products and functions will be displayed.

You should check prices and availability at your local online or brick-and-mortar store. In the UK, scanning The new ASUS Z690 motherboards are on sale, with prices ranging from £186 (Prime Z690M-Plus D4) to £1,669 (ROG Maximum Z690 Extreme Glacial – but the non-Glacial version is £934). These are pre-orders and will be sent out on the 4th^th November, release date for Intel processors.

HEXUS will select the best Intel Z690 motherboards from different brands in due course.