In addition, a steel-steel-reinforced expansion slot “Ultra Durable SMD PCIe Armor” that can safely operate heavy-duty graphics cards , a stainless-steel-reinforced memory slot “Ultra Durable Memory Armor” , and a high-speed M.2 SSD thermal slot. It is equipped with unique functions such as “M.2 Thermal Guard” that eliminates the ring and “integrated I / O panel” that does not have to be lost .
Read more @ GDM (Japanese)
Adopting a calm design based on black, which is the mainstream in recent motherboards, the power supply circuit is equipped with a 16 + 1 phase digital power supply circuit by “Smart Power Stage” which has higher output than DrMOS . Furthermore, by sticking to a cooling system such as a large heat sink connected by a heat pipe and a 6-layer board that quickly dissipates heat around the VRM, “Maximum Turbo Power” is set to a maximum of 241 W 12th generation Intel Core It is a reason to maximize the performance of the processor.
Read more @ GDM (Japanese)
In addition, it is equipped with a large M.2 heat sink that is mounted so as to cover the motherboard, and a large back plate that can be expected to have a cooling effect while suppressing distortion of the motherboard when a heavy-duty graphics card is installed. In addition, the chipset heat sink is engraved with a gold-colored logo with Valkyrie’s wings as a motif, and the entire motherboard has a unique design with geometric lines drawn in gray or pink color.
Read more @ GDM (Japanese)
With very solid performance wrapped in a flexible memory choice structure and on a motherboard that might be all-black, but uses many different textures and types of black to still be attractive to the eye, the MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk is a great option for those of you who want to move to the 12th Generation of Intel CPUs and all their features, but without busting the budget. VRM temperatures are excellent too, showing that MSI haven’t compromised the build quality to reach the affordability target.
Read more @ OC3D
The ASUS ROG Z690 Strix-A D4 isn’t a motherboard that you’ll get the best from if you plan to just build your rig and leave it alone. It won’t disappoint by any measure, but you owe it to yourself to delve into the easy-to-use UEFI and manually fettle it. You could use the AI Overclocking but right now we dont really see the benefits of using this.. For gamers though the Strix-A is a magnificent option and wins our OC3D Gamers Choice Award.
Read more @ OC3D
So talking about the new changes, first of all, there’s a new CPU microcode and ME (Management Engine) which will optimize the performance for Intel’s 12th Gen Alder Lake Desktop CPUs. There are also performance enhancements specific to the BIOS features so you can get better OC & other tweaking capabilities run better with the new BIOS compared to the older versions. One of the key updates is further optimization for DRAM compatibility and this will definitely help improve DDR5 support on MSI Z690 motherboards as there are several kits that still have issues running at their XMP profiles on the new motherboards.
Read more @ Wccftech
So if you really want to make sure that the Z690 motherboard you buy is not hot garbage — as we found with the previous generation Z590 motherboards, yup that happened — here comes our VRM testing. On that note, there are no Asrock motherboards featured in this roundup and that’s not because we’re ignoring Asrock, but rather because we’re still blacklisted by the company for accurate and honest reporting on the performance of their products.
Read more @ TechSpot
MSI has clearly targeted a cleaner look with the MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk WiFi, and I would say they largely succeeded. The darker color scheme and understated aesthetic reminds me of the MEG UNIFY series of motherboards, instead of the more striking design of the MAG Z590 Tomahawk WiFi. I definitely commend MSI for offering a premium look at a more value-oriented lineup.
Read more @ Pokde
ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WIFI D4 is a powerful and functional motherboard with nice bonuses (we mean the updated Wi-Fi module and the presence of a PCI-E x4 connector), but with an impressive baggage of optimization problems. These are difficulties with overclocking memory, and a periodically flickering screen when starting a PC, and mediocre work of automation, which usually saves user time in the process of setting up / overclocking the system. We believe that the developers will solve these issues with the help of the latest firmware.
Read more @ itndaily (Russian)
The MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi features a dedicated VRM design with 18 power stages, five M.2 sockets, and an additional BIOS flashback function to get you out of unwanted situations. To round out the experience, the MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi also offers great connectivity with the newest WiFi 6E technology and 2.5G LAN for those who need to transfer data quickly. There is a lot to cover in this review, so let’s take a closer look at what the MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi has to offer.
Read more @ TechPowerUp