March 2022 – Page 6 – Motherboard Review

GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE – HardwareCooking

March 28, 2022March 8, 2022 by Stephen

This card offers four slots for SSDs in M.2 format. All are plugged in PCIe 4.0, unfortunately, no PCIe 5.0 here since this standard will only be found on the two PCie x16 slots. In terms of connectivity , we can count on the presence of two Thunderbolt 4 ports. For the network part, we have a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port and a second 10 Gigabit via an Aquantia controller. We also have WiFi 6E 802.11ax. For the power stage , we have no less than 20+1+2 Renesas RAA22010540 105A phases with a Renesas RAA229131 controller configured in 20+0 (Direct mode). Obviously we have 8 PCB layers.

ASRock X570S PG Riptide – TweakTown

March 28, 2022March 8, 2022 by Stephen

The X570S PG Riptide offers support for Ryzen 3000,4000 and 5000 series CPUs all on the AM4 socket. Memory support includes DDR4, 2133MHz to 5000MHz across four slots at a max capacity of 128GB. CPU power design is 10-phase 50A, Dr Mos; plenty for overclocking the likes of the 5600X and possibly 5800X as well.
For connectivity, we have one PCIe 4.0 slot shielded at the top, followed by two additional slots coming off the chipset at Gen4 as well. Storage connectivity includes six SATA III connections and two Hyper M.2 slots for Gen4 NVMe drives. Audio has had corners cut with the ALC897 being deployed on this motherboard. However, LAN has been upgraded to the Killer E3100G platform with 2.5Gbe capability.

ASUS ROG STRIX B660-A GAMING WIFI D4 – FunkyKit

March 28, 2022March 7, 2022 by Stephen

Today we will be presenting the ASUS ROG Strix B660-A Gaming WiFi D4! Oh, the joys of a new socket type. We all are all too familiar with that. Yep, that means if you want the shiny new CPU then you are going to have to upgrade that mobo! This is probably the worst news you could get if you just upgraded, and the next CPU coming out has a new socket type. It’s going to happen, and I don’t see it changing anytime soon. So, if you are and early adopter and want the newest hardware then this is the road you are going to have to follow.

MSI MEG X570S ACE MAX – TweakTown

March 28, 2022March 7, 2022 by Stephen

A few of the key ingredients in this refreshed motherboard come in the form of its thermal capabilities. This includes an enlarged chipset heat sink, full thermal armor for the m.2 slots, and improved heat pipe design for the VRMs. While discussing increased cooling for the VRM, we should also note the new 16+2 power design, an all-digital direct design that uses 90A smart power stages.
On the hardware front, the MEG ACE Max is an AM4 socket, X570 chipset design. This offers a wide range of compatibility with 3000,4000 and 5000 series CPUs. Memory is supported from 2133MHz through 5400 MHz, DDR4, with four slots available.

ASRock Z690 Taichi – Chiphell

May 22, 2022March 5, 2022 by Stephen

Compared with competing products of the same generation, the expansion configuration of the Z690 Taichi can be described as unique. For example, the onboard 2.5GbE LAN and Wi-Fi 6E network cards are the latest styles of the once-popular Killer brand, and supplemented with a classic I219V thousand Mega LAN. And the ratio of the storage interface is also “heavy SATA, light M.2”. In terms of audio, it still sticks to the classic ALC 1220 Codec configuration, and has not transitioned to the latest ALC 408x series.

MSI MPG Z690 EDGE WIFI – NewEsc

May 22, 2022March 5, 2022 by Stephen

The pcb arrives in ATX format with dimensions of 305 x 240 mm being the base color black with white serigraphy. The heatsinks arrive in complete black except for the decorative details in white. Instead, the protector of external connections receives illumination in the Dragon that is incorporated. We can also see more lighting near the chipset protector although with a graphics card installed we will not be able to appreciate it.

ASRock Z690 Taichi Razer Edition – ITHardware

May 22, 2022March 5, 2022 by Stephen

Visually, the ASRock Z690 Taichi Razer Edition looks almost identical to the model from this series tested a year ago for AMD processors on the B550 bridge. This means that, compared to the basic version, the modifications simply replace the standard Taichi line decorations with themes related to the Razer brand. The color scheme is subdued, using mainly blacks and shades of gray, and when it comes to LED backlighting, it is very rich, including the right edge of the PCB, the chipset cooling area, the I / O panel cover and the outputs of the integrated sound card.

ASUS TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 – iXBT

May 22, 2022March 4, 2022 by Stephen

Asus TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi D4 is a gaming solution from the middle line of the company, but the price tag of such models was too high even before the February events. TUF Gaming is a series, rather, without frills and with an emphasis on a very high-quality circuitry and improved protection. The board differs in that it works not with the newfangled DDR5 memory, but with the good old DDR4, providing good continuity when upgrading the PC. This model has 15 USB ports of different kinds (including 1 USB 3.2 Gen2×2 and 3 USB 3.2 Gen2), 2 PCIe x16 slots, 2 PCIe x1 slots, 1 PCIe x4 slot, 4 M.2 slots, 4 SATA ports and 7 fan connectors.

ASUS ProArt B660-CREATOR D4 – APH Networks

March 28, 2022March 4, 2022 by Stephen

Our review unit of the ASUS ProArt B660-Creator D4 came in a medium-sized, brown corrugated cardboard box from ASUS’ American offices in Fremont, California, USA. Using FedEx International 2day, the motherboard arrived safely to us here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for our review today. It was the only thing inside the box, but we have many other ASUS product reviews coming up for all of you, as they were shipped in separate packages.

EK-Mana MSI MAG Z690 TORPEDO EK X D-RGB – Guru3D

March 28, 2022March 4, 2022 by Stephen

MSI and EK teamed up in an effort to bring something really nice to the audience. Meet the EK-Mana MSI MAG Z690 TORPEDO EK X D-RGB a Z690 motherboard at around 399 USD this motherboard with a monoblock and a motherboard loaded with premium features. The board houses four M.2 slots and there are a plethora of speedy USB ports on the board and the most luxurious Realtek ALC4080 audio codec.