Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Coarse overview: Superb, luxurious motherboard excess

Simplest Prices On the unusual time

Intel has at closing rejoined the competitive panorama towards AMD with its Z690 platform, matching high-end muscle with the ferocious Core i9-12900Okay CPU. With substantial vitality comes now not-so-substantial pricing, nonetheless. The Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Coarse’s $1,099 note label eclipses the $649 note of past juggernaut motherboards be pleased the X299 Asus Rampage VI Coarse, recasting what a high-end motherboard could well mute cost.

We’ll focus on about the specs, functions, and efficiency that you would be succesful to well well per chance also mute build a question to from a motherboard of this caliber, and whether it delivers enough to define your capture.

The specs

The Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Coarse is stuffed with varied functions and a plucky spec record, alongside side DDR5 memory fortify and Thunderbolt 4. Help in mind that it’s an extended dimension, or E-ATX, that intention it’s greater than a conventional ATX motherboard and could well now not slot in all circumstances. You’ll salvage an integrated I/O protect, too—no worries about forgetting this step of the have task!

You’ll procure Wi-Fi 6E alongside with 10GB ethernet. Thunderbolt 4 accompanies the a immense quantity of USB Gen 2 ports on the aid. You’ll have five slots for M.2, and two of them are on the incorporated ROG Dimn2 card that attaches next to the RAM.

Listed below are some major specs to be awake of:

• E-ATX 12×13 inches, or 305x330mm (wider than an ATX motherboard)
• Intel 12th-gen Alder Lake CPU fortify with 24+1 vitality phases  (LGA 1700)
• DDR5 RAM only, 4 slots
• PCI-E 5.0
• Five M.2 slots
• Thunderbolt 4
• USB-C Gen 2
• Wi-Fi 6E
• 10GB LAN (Marvel AQtion and an Intel 2.5GB LAN)
• ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 With ESS ES9018QC2 DAC
• 2-slump OLED Live Tear, and AniMe Matrix repeat
• 3- and 4-pin RGB headers
• Clear CMOS and BIOS flashbacks buttons
• ROG Dimn2 M.2 adapter card
• More than one fan and water cooling headers
• HDMI port for integrated graphics (when GPU now not on hand)
• Six SATA 6GB/S ports
• M.2 latch, and PCI-E button for releasing GPUs
• CPU cooler backwards compatibility with LGA 1200 or 1700

Thiago Trevisan / IDG

Create

Coarse. That be conscious describes why many would be pleased this motherboard, precise? Minimalist, RGB-agnostic afficionados need now not prepare; this motherboard packs some serious “Times-Sq.-Level” lights. With a 2-slump OLED and energetic Matrix repeat, it will also furthermore be configured to repeat one thing from CPU stats to animations. Ought to you’re paying for additonal functions, that entails sight candy.

Thiago Trevisan / IDG

Moreover, it’s heavy. Fancy, truly heavy, but in a unbiased appropriate system. Weighing in at over six pounds, it’s mighty to preserve. The have quality is spectacular, with an armor aid plate and many of veil for the entrance areas. The VRM heatsinks are enormous too, and needless to order you’ll salvage a range of M.2 cooling with the covered plates a well.

It’s a extraordinarily aesthetic motherboard overall, with substantial control over the RGB lighting fixtures via Asus Air of mystery instrument, so it will also furthermore be personalized nonetheless you’d be pleased.

One major element to exhaust in mind is that the tip M.2 veil does preserve a diminutive bit raised, so while you’re doing a water-cooled graphics card with a thick backplate, equivalent to these with active cooling, consider of clearance disorders. Likewise, while you’re doing a GPU on the bottom PCI-E slot, a thick GPU cooler can intrude with one of the most cables, scuffling with a trusty connection. (This took deliver to me with an Asus Strix GPU cooler and the RGB and USB ports on the bottom of the motherboard.)

Thiago Trevisan / IDG

Uncommon functions

Many motherboards have irregular functions, but what sets apart a board at this stage, and price, is the sheer quantity and aggregate of functions. Let’s shatter down one of the most most attention-grabbing:

1. Solid networking alternatives with 10GB, 2.5GB LAN, and Wi-Fi 6E for optimum flexibility
2. Connectivity alternatives continue to galvanize, with Thunderbolt 4 and many USB ports, alongside side form C, and 60W charging capacity
3. Fabulous M.2 SSD fortify, even supposing exhaust in mind only the tip M.2 is PCI-E Gen 5, but that will reach with some restrictions
4. DDR5 is here, but exhaust in mind it’s extra costly than DDR4 for minimal efficiency good points. There’s also a spacious location with working quad RAM sticks—they won’t attain XMP profiles—so that that you would be succesful to well well per chance would prefer to persist with two RAM sticks of greater ability
5. M.2 latch and PCI-E slot easy release/access—we hope to stare this on even extra motherboards in due route!
6. Grand VRM and CPU efficiency, but that you would be succesful to well be succesful to salvage the same or better with some more inexpensive motherboards equivalent to the Asus Z690 Apex (it won’t be as characteristic packed, nonetheless)
7. Are wanting to attain two GPUs, for both better spacing to beef up thermals when doing swear creation, or even…gasp…the already defunct SLI/NV Link? You will attain that here, with 4-slot NVlink fortify
8. OLED repeat is terribly frosty (PC fans will likely be pleased it!)
9. Asus instrument has a plucky suite with Armoury Crate, permitting fan control, Ai overclocking, and RGB customization
10. LGA 1700 would require a brand new bracket for most coolers, but Asus motherboards have compatibility with LGA 1200 out of the box, too
11. You’ll salvage some dapper objects in the box, be pleased an RGB controller that can repeat priceless in fashionable builds

Efficiency and BIOS

With a sturdy CPU equivalent to the Intel Core i9-12900Okay, you’ll would prefer to salvage obvious you’re maximizing its attainable with a board be pleased this.

The Asus BIOS continues to be one in every of the most gratifying and intuitive to exhaust, and while you’re doing any overclocking, you’ll surely utilize a quantity of time here. You will tweak many CPU settings, and your RAM has huge attainable as well.

Let’s salvage the DDR5 location out of the system—you’ll would prefer to persist with 2 RAM modules while you will must exhaust the XMP profile and salvage the most rated flee. It will likely be a unbiased appropriate belief to salvage greater ability while you will need it, as going to four RAM sticks will limit your DDR5 speeds to the nefarious 4800Mhz. That is…now not grievous, nonetheless it’s the intention in which it is miles at the moment. Reminiscence is repeatedly Twin Channel, needless to order.

Asus

VRM temperatures with the vitality stage parts are greater than satisfactory for even a sturdy, scorching-working 12900Okay.

It appears to be like be pleased grand of fashionable overclocking is extra CPU miniature, as they reach working somewhat scorching from the factory as is—so any minor enhancements with handbook tinkering will have diminishing returns.

Asus has an unheard of suite of AI overclocking and optimization tools, as well. It is probably you’ll well well also procure these each and each in the BIOS, in addition to the Armoury Crate Instrument.

Clear CMOS and BIOS flashback will more than likely be on hand, making overclocking makes an try less difficult to enhance from. You’ll even salvage LN2 Mode swap for users wanting to push it further with liquid nitrogen; plus a retry button, thermal headers, etc. (Don’t feel skipped over; we’re now not doing any liquid-nitrogen cooling both!)

Base line

Are there more inexpensive that you will need the selection to deem of decisions on the market for Z690, equivalent to the Asus ROG Strix or Gigabyte Aorus Grasp? Definite, and they even pack many of the the same functions as the ROG Maximus Z690 Coarse. The magic is in the particulars while that you would be succesful to well be succesful to belly the price, nonetheless. Here, you’ll salvage all of the functions packed together—now to now not repeat a of route spectacular and top price make. It is probably you’ll well well also furthermore would prefer to have a look on the Asus ROG Apex or Design motherboards, which have many of the functions, but less of a note top price. (Test out Alaina Yee’s pointers on what to stare in a motherboard for your 12th-gen CPU.)

It’s now not even the most costly option on the market, both. Whenever you will want a water-cooled solution, yow will detect the liquid cooling-centered Glacial version of this motherboard for a ways extra—and MSI’s luxurious Godlike lately made an appearance for Z690 as well.

This motherboard is for the actual particular person who wants an especially high-end have and to tick all of the efficiency and dazzling alternatives. With PC parts all skyrocketing in note the previous couple of years, it changed into only a topic of time ahead of motherboards got increasingly costly, too.

This can suit each and each swear creators, with its huge connectivity suite, in addition to enthusiast PC builders and avid gamers, with a plethora of efficiency and dazzling niceties.

Minute quirks and the high note label exhaust it from being a 5-critical particular person product and highly urged motherboard, especially when animated on that some numerous motherboards with the same (but now not all) functions reach in at a entire bunch of bucks less. Whenever you worship the make and can have to have all of its many functions, nonetheless, it’s an unheard of product for the discerning high-end enthusiast who doesn’t mind dispensing the cash.

Editor’s repeat: This article changed into revealed on March 22, but changed into updated so as to add the video overview.