The Z690 AORUS Ultra comes with numerous USB and storage interfaces. There is also a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for a dedicated graphics card and two mechanical PCIe 3.0 x16 slots. There is also Wi-Fi 6, 2.5 GBit/s LAN and some onboard comfort. Realtek’s 4080 codec takes care of the sound and Gigabyte has also left a lot of headers for the cooling. All in all, the Gigabyte Z690 AORUS Ultra sounds like a pretty well-rounded package.
Read more @ Hardwareluxx (German)
This is not your father’s Asus front-panel connector: While similar in shape to the one used on older boards, its divided into a now-standard Intel-style 9-pin group on the left, and a legacy PC Speaker /Chassis Intrusion / 3-pin Power LED group on the right. Above and to the left of this front-panel group are four SATA ports, two that point outward from the bottom edge and two that point forward from the front edge.
Read more @ PC Inquisitor
Much like the Asus Hero lineup of motherboards, the Gigabyte Master aims to please the enthusiast crowd without breaking the bank. Sure, the company’s Xtreme variants pack more features, but they’re often overkill. Do note that most MSRPs have increased since the previous generation, but the Master still comes in at a reasonable $469 (especially considering the feature set, as you’ll find out below).
Read more @ PCWorld
Little on the hardware side to differentiates the $480 ProArt Z690 Creator WiFi from a $600 gaming motherboard such as ASRock’s previously-reviewed Taichi, but even minor interface changes are as important as the difference in price. We still start off with three x16-length slots on the surface, and the I/O panel still filled with dual networking plus Bluetooth-equipped WiFi 6E, six USB3 Type A ports, and two USB Type-C ports that are fed by Intel’s JHL8540 Thunderbolt 4 controller . The Creator’s additional Displayport throughputs for connecting discrete graphics to Thunderbolt 4 outputs merely reduces the number of cables that a few users would otherwise have strung across their desks.
Read more @ PC Inquisitor
Asus ROG Strix B660-A Gaming WiFi D4 is aimed at those who do not need the most powerful “hardware”, but for whom standard modern support for peripherals is important. From the use of the B660 chipset, it is clear that the board is more designed for mid-range processors. However, it works perfectly even with top-end Intel Core processors of the 12th generation. It has 15 USB ports, including 2 USB 3.2 Gen2 and one USB 3.2 Gen2×2, plus 5 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports. The board has two “long” slots – PCIe x16 and PCIe x4 – as well as two PCIe x1, 3 M.2 slots, 4 SATA ports and 6 fan connectors.
Read more @ iXBT (Russian)
We are coming to the end of this test, and it will not have been all rosy between the chaotic beginnings and the 7 memory kits tested on it. But ultimately, this Aorus Z690 Tachyon turns out to be a good vintage that gets better with time. We’ve got a motherboard that’s just as good for daily use as it is for competitive overclocking . And, unlike its competitors, it offers an HDMI socket. It will therefore be possible to test the overclocking of Intel IGP under DDR5 with a motherboard cut to reach high frequencies. However, we are aware of the price. But for less than €600, you’ll have the opportunity to fully enjoy Alderlake.
Read more @ Overclocking (French)
We are back with another Z690 motherboard review and this one comes from MSI and might be one of the best Z690 boards we’ve seen yet! It is the MEG Z690 ACE and it has everything that you would expect to find on the Alder Lake platform plus much more! You are going to get a 22-phase (19+1+2) power design, DDR5 and PCI-Express 5.0 support, Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 gen 2×2, five M.2 slots, WiFi 6E, dual 2.5G LAN, and lets not forget a very sleek and sexy look with mainly a black design with gold accents.
Read more @ ThinkComputers
This time the release of the new platform was much better prepared, but the global situation will still affect the supply and assortment. We have already seen the most budget board based on the Intel H610 chipset, on the Z690 too, but on the B660 it was only for the corporate segment. One could already imagine what we would expect for normal home use, and I thought that there would be no difference. It will be a heatsinkless model, reminiscent of the inexpensive H610 board, and with the functionality of the B660 board I was looking at.
Read more @ Overclockers Russia (Russian)
The release of the Alder-Lake CPUs was only 6 months ago and ASUS already released the ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 APEX, a high-end mainboard of the ROG series that was already the most well-known overclocking mainboard on the market at the time of the Z590. We are of course all the more pleased that we can test this high-end mainboard. With its 24+2 phase VRMs with 105 A power levels, it makes the heart of enthusiasts beat faster and is equipped with five M.2 slots, which will please memory fetishists. The list of equipment and features of the APEX is cubits long. In the following we don’t want to withhold the numerous features, the temperatures and the overclocking potential from you, you can read everything else in the following test. ASUS provided us with the test sample for our test.
Read more @ HardwareInside (German)
Hardware-wise, both the Extreme and Extreme Glacial are the same. Both have the overbuilt 25-phase VRM, a PCIe 5.0 M.2 socket (plus four others), Wi-Fi 6E and 10 GbE connectivity, flagship-class audio, AniMe Matrix and LiveDash displays, and too many other features to list here. Although the E-ATX-size boards look different due to the water block, they both exude a premium appearance and style that works with most builds. If you’re into RGB LED lighting, both boards have you covered, with the Glacial using a lot more.
Read more @ Tom’s Hardware