ASRock Rack ROME2D16-2T – Phoronix

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The ASRock Rack ROME2D16-2T is available from retail Internet channels like NewEgg currently for a price of $719 USD, which is on the more cost effective side for an AMD EPYC 2P motherboard in today’s economic conditions. Supermicro EPYC 2P motherboards at NewEgg meanwhile are $800~1080 with similar feature-sets. There isn’t a whole lot of different retail motherboards currently available for EPYC Milan 2P so if looking to assemble a cost effective EPYC Milan server, the ROME2D16-2T will likely be among the more affordable options.

Read more @ Phoronix

GIGABYTE’s Intel 12th Gen DRM Fix Tool for Z690 Motherboards

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Nov. 19th, 2021 –Gigabyte Technology, one of the top global manufacturers of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, announced today the GIGABYTE DRM Fix Tool to greatly improve the performance on certain game titles when using an 12th gen Intel processor and avoid possible issues when running those games.

Earlier this month, Intel® just released the latest 12th generation processors with the advantages of new architecture and high performance to the market. However, users are aware that the E-cores in processors may trigger the DRM software to incorrectly recognize them as another system. GIGABYTE releases the new GIGABYTE DRM Fix Tool on 600 series platform in response to this issue. By this Windows-based utility, users can easily switch on and off the E-Cores on the fly to avoid abnormal game operation due to the DRM issue.

GIGABYTE’s DRM Fix Tool requires the latest BIOS version in order to have impact. Users can easily control the status of the E-cores through the UI of this utility without any complicated installation. GIGABYTE’s DRM Fix Tool provides a much easier solution to the DRM issue compared to other solutions which require adjusted BIOS settings, PS/2 keyboard connection, or even exclusive button on the chassis and keyboard.

GIGABYTE DRM Fix Tool and its related BIOS are ready on the GIGABYTE official site. Please visit GIGABYTE’s website and download for the latest BIOS version and the GIGABYTE DRM Fix Tool.
https://download.gigabyte.com/FileList/Utility/mb_utility_drm-fix-tool.zip

For more product information, please visit GIGABYTE official website: http://www.gigabyte.com

Full motherboard compatibility list @ GIGABYTE

EK LAUNCHES A STAND-ALONE MOMENTUM MONOBLOCK FOR THE MPG Z590 GAMING CARBON MOTHERBOARD

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EK®, the premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer, releases a stand-alone Momentum Monoblock for the MSI® MPG Z590 Gaming Carbon – a motherboard based on the Intel® Z590 chipset. The EK-Quantum Momentum MPG Z590 Gaming Carbon monoblock is made available in transparent Plexi version and features addressable D-RGB LEDs compatible with MSI Mystic Light software enabling full lighting customization for every single diode, at any given time.

EK-Quantum Momentum MPG Z590 Gaming Carbon – EK X Edition

This is a complete all-in-one (CPU and motherboard) liquid cooling solution for Intel Socket 1200 Series Processors. The monoblock covers the entire VRM section of the MSI MPG Z590 Gaming Carbon motherboard. It also has an integrated flow indicator that provides an instant overview of loop operation and coolant flow.

This monoblock boasts the latest generation Velocity cooling engine, used in the EK Quantum Lineup to ensure the best possible CPU and MOSFET cooling without reducing flow to other components.  Liquid flows directly over all critical areas providing enthusiasts with an excellent solution for high and stable overclocks. Like every EK monoblock, this one also features a high flow design easily used in systems with weaker water pumps or lower pump speed settings. TIt comes with sophisticated addressable D-RGB lightning, which connects to a standard 3-pin 5V D-RGB addressable header on the MSI MPG Z590 Gaming Carbon motherboard.

The monoblock is made is sporting a nickel-plated electrolytic copper base, while the top is CNC-machined out of high-quality cast acrylic. The nickel-plated brass screw-in standoffs are all pre-installed and allow for easy and fast installation of the monoblock.

A Digital (addressable) 3-pin 5V D-RGB LED strip is installed in the monoblock. It connects to the motherboard’s D-RGB header, or it can be connected to any other supported 5V 3-pin LED controller. This product is compatible with MSI Mystic Light software. The arrow marking on the 3-pin D-RGB connector is to be aligned with the +5V marking on the D-RGB header. EK makes sure that there are no LED hotspots by employing an acetal cover for the LEDs as proper LED implementation is one of the key principles in EK design.

Read more @ EK

ASRock Z690 Taichi – Tom’s Hardware

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On the performance front, the Z690 Taichi did well in most tests, landing in between the other boards we’ve reviewed so far. Gaming and power consumption also tell us the same story, yielding average results. Overclocking the CPU on this board was straightforward, with just a few simple tweaks to run at our 5.1/4.1 GHz clocks. On the memory side of things, we set XMP and tested without issue. Read on for more details covering features, overclocking, and our opinion from testing and use. First, here’s a complete list of the ASRock Z690 specifications from the ASRock website.

Read more @ Tom’s Hardware

MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 – Hardware-Inside

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The MSI PRO 690-A DDR4 comes in a dark box with blue accents and white lettering. The front is kept very simple, the name of the mainboard is in the center, the corners contain the most necessary information about the processor and other features. We are informed that the product is compatible with Windows 11, is equipped with TPM 2.0 and MSI’s own RGB software. On the back we see for the first time a picture of the mainboard and a much larger range of information about the performance of the hardware.

Read more @ Hardware-Inside (German)

ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-E GAMING WIFI – HardwareCooking

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On a standard ATX format, this motherboard uses, as its name suggests, the Intel Z690 chipset on an LGA 1700 socket. It will therefore accept 12th generation Intel Alder Lake-S processors. As for several generations in the mainstream sector, this motherboard is able to manage 128 GB of memory at most, but this is done here in DDR5. This memory can go up to a frequency of 6400 MHz. For the power supply stage, it’s very strong. Indeed, we have no less than 18 + 1 Renesas ISL99390 90 A power supply phases. Everything is controlled via a Renesas RAA229131 controller.

Read more @ HardwareCooking (French)

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO – ITHardware

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In terms of the power section, as for most of the boards on the Z690 chipset, there was a strengthening of the VRM compared to the predecessor on the Z590. And so we have as many as 20 phases with 90 A transistors from Intersil, which provides a load capacity that goes far beyond what you can get from the top Intel Core i9-12900K at home. The specification is similar to the above-mentioned MSI MEG Z690 UNIFY, providing two PCIe x16 slots with the option to work in x8 / x8 mode, as many as five M.2 connectors, a lot of high-speed USB 3.2 Gen 2 sockets and a Wi-Fi 6 network card.

Read more @ ITHardware (Polish)

MSI MEG Z690 UNIFY – ITHardware

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In the visual sphere, MSI MEG Z690 UNIFY, like its predecessor, MEG Z590 UNIFY, is based on a subdued color palette with a dominant share of black and no LEDs (except for diagnostic ones). The lack of multi-colored illumination, present in almost every design, is the hallmark of this line and it is undoubtedly good that such products still appear – after all, not all are fans of RGB lighting. Moving on, the board invariably has a powerful and well-cooled power section, which this time is even more powerful, because instead of 16 phases with 90 A transistors, MSI applied 19 phases with MOSFETs with a load capacity of 105 A – all using Renesas components.

Read more @ ITHardware (Polish)

MSI MEG X570S ACE MAX – Professional Review

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With the premiere of the Alder Lake platform, MSI still has time to launch real gems like this MSI MEG X570S ACE MAX . It is the best board optimized for Ryzen 5000 with permission from the GODLIKE, with important improvements such as its VRM of 16 + 9 phases of 90A , 4 integrated M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots along with an expansion card with two M.2 Additional features. The external appearance has been considerably refined, more elegant and with better heatsinks especially in the Chipset and VRM section without giving up lighting areas .

Read more @ Professional Review (Spanish)