At the moment Intel has not released all the details of the Z690 chipset, which is designed to house Intel CPUs that require the LGA 1700-pin socket, a jump of 500 interconnections compared to the previous generation, but which at the same time makes only compatible with 12th generation Intel processors. Although it will not be the only chipset compatible with the new socket, but we will also see the H670, B660 and H610 that will have lower specifications. In other words, the Z690 is the top of the range for Intel’s 600 series.
Intel’s approach to I / O interfaces is the same as in the previous generation, with 20 PCI Express lanes, 16 of the fifth generation and four of the fourth, being provided by the same CPU, but the rest of the interfaces for peripherals and components being provided by the Z690 chipset on the motherboard, such as USB, SATA and PCI Express interfaces at a lower speed.
The other novelty that the Z690 brings is the support of the new DDR5 standard, but not on all motherboards, since some models are compatible with DDR4.
ASUS motherboards
We start with ASUS and the first thing we find is a series of boards based on Intel’s Z690 chipset and with support in all of them for both DDR5 and DDR4 memory, so there are two different models of each motherboard.
The most spectacular of them is the Z690 MAXIMUS GLACIAL Extreme, which comes with a pre-installed liquid cooling block. Among the rest of the manufacturer’s motherboards for Z690 we can report that the differences between the G and E models are small, such as the placement of the PCI Express slots, since the Z690-G is a micro-ATX motherboard. As for the F model, it has more 16-line PCIe slots and of those we have seen in the list, the A model.
The vast majority of ASUS motherboards, with the exception of the MAXIMUS GLACIAL, will have two versions: one for DDR5 and the other with DDR4, not to forget those that have a built-in WiFi radio. So the range of ASUS motherboards is quite complete and they are an excellent option for those who want to continue using the still current DDR4 memory.
GIGABYTE Z690 motherboards
Another one that cannot be absent from the launch of the Intel Core 12 and the motherboards with the Z690 chipset is GIGABYTE, the manufacturer has presented neither more nor less than 12 motherboards of its AORUS Z60 series, including the Xtreme, Master models, Ultra, Pro and Elite. Of which the Xtreme will have the Waterforce variant with integrated liquid cooling, from which we hope it will inherit all the features of the Z590-based model.
This without forgetting the AERO, Gaming-X and Tachyon models, the latter designed for overclocking enthusiasts. And if you plan to build a PC with a somewhat smaller case, we also have the Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX versions of the AORUS Elite as potential options.
ASRock motherboards
ASRock has presented a complete range of motherboards that make use of the Z690 chipset that occupy all the ranges of the market and needs, and that stand out for their ability to update the BIOS through a USB port and a pendrive for greater capacity. .
ASRock Z690 Taichi
ASRock’s motherboards with the Z690 chipset are presided over by its impressive Z690 Taichi, a motherboard with 20 Dr. Mos phases and Smart Power Stage technology that make it an excellent option if you want to take the Intel Core 12 to the maximum expression . In addition, the DDR5 memory slots that it incorporates are reinforced to avoid signal losses when overclocking them.
Another of the functions that ASRock has included in this impressive Z690 chipset motherboard is the addition of a USB and a SATA port that have the particularity of working independently from the rest, preventing access by malicious programs to the content they may store the internal or external hard drives that we connect to it.
Nor can we forget the USB 4.0 type C port with Thunderbolt 4 technology, which will deliver to your external storage units a speed of 40 Gb / s, giving transfer speeds worthy of NVMe SSDs to your external drives.
ASRock Z690 Phantom range
If we go to the gaming range we find the Phantom motherboards and with the Z690 PG Velocita we find the first motherboard with an M.2 slot with PCI Express 5.0 support, so it is already ready for the fifth generation of NVMe SSD that we will see appear next year. As for the Z690 PG Riptide brings improved network capabilities and VRM Dr. MOS with large heat sinks, which make it ideal for overclocking.
In case you need to mount a compact size PC then the Z690 Phantom Gaming-ITX / TB4 are your choice, they are small, but highly powerful, since they come with a Thunderbolt 4 connection of type C, Ethernet at 2.5 Gbps from Killer , WiFi 6E and 11 phases 105 SPS DR. MOS, apart from support for DDR5 memory and PCI Express 5.0 interface.
ASRock Steel Legend and Extreme
Moving down the range, we find the Z690 Steel Legend and Z690 motherboards built with a six-layer PCB with two copper plates inside. Both designed to reduce the temperature and have a more efficient distribution of energy in the face of overclocking. The main difference between the two? The color and the design, but are otherwise even in specs.
Regarding the I / O interfaces, all designs have a front panel connector for USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 that provide a bandwidth of 20 Gbps and a LAN or Ethernet interface of 2.5 GB / s.
ASRock Pro RS
To finish we have the Z690 Pro RS motherboards, but not for that lack of features, since they have been equipped with 13 phases VRM Dr. Mos and like the Z690 Steel Legends they are built with a 6-layer and 2-layer PCB. ounces of copper.
EVGA motherboards
One of the greats for PC gaming enthusiasts such as EVGA has also just launched its first motherboards with a Z690 chipset that stand out not only for their fifth generation DDR5 and PCI Express memory support, but for adopting VRM technologies and BIOS for which the company is already famous for breaking world records in clock speed.
EVGA Z690 DARK KINGPIN
The already established range of motherboards makes the leap to the Z690 chipset with an impressive motherboard comprised of a 10-layer PCB and 21-phase VRM. In addition, it integrates the following elements
- 8 SATA-III 6 Gb / s ports.
- Nor can we forget its two 2.5 Gbps Ethernet interfaces through an integrated network controller to free up the processor.
- WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connectivity,
- 7.1 Audio Codec
- 3 M.2 slots
- Two pump heads to mount a liquid cooling system.
EVGA Z690 CLASSIFIED
The second of EVGA’s motherboards is the Z690 CLASSIFIED which stands out for its 19 VRM phases on a 10-layer PCB. In the rest of the characteristics it is the same as the Z690 KINGPIN, so we can really consider it a minor version of it.
