MSI MPG Z690 CARBON WIFI – eTeknix

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The MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi motherboard is here at last, and while I brought you a preview last week, today is the full review, with those oh-so-important performance figures! Of course, it’s a bigger deal than just a new motherboard, as this is the launch of the new Z690 motherboards, which feature the latest LGA1700 socket for the new 12th Gen Intel Core processors (Alder Lake). These new CPUs and the new Z6690 chipset bring a suite of new options too, such as the latest DDR5 memory, PCIe 5.0, M.2 PCIe 4.0 storage, Thunderbolt 4, Intel WiFi 6 and more!

Read more @ eTeknix

ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-I GAMING WIFI – eTeknix

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The ASUS ROG Z690-I Gaming WiFi comes equipped with the latest Intel LGA1700 socket, ready for the new 12th Gen Intel Core processors. It’s certainly not backwards compatible with anything, as the CPU is more rectangular on these new models. Power comes from an impressive 10+1 Power Stage design, backed up with high-quality alloy chokes and durable capacitors. While their flagships may have double the Power Stages, that’s still a mighty set up for this form factor. Networking comes from both the WiFi 6E and a 2.5 GbE LAN option, and even more impressive, there are two Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C (USB 4.0) connectors! 

Read more @ eTeknix

ASUS TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 – eTeknix

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The ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi D4 is one of the boards I’ve been most excited to actually test for this launch. Sure, the more extreme models are cool, but realistically, I’m more likely to buy the TUF Gaming version myself. It’s well enough equipped, with a 14+1 DrMOS Power Stage 80A design, which should be more than enough to hit big boost clocks on the new CPUs from Intel. You get the latest PCIe 5.0 interface, four PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, the latest Intel WiFi 6 and Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet, a good mixture of the latest USB technologies, and a Thunderbolt 4 header (on the motherboard, not the rear I/O).

Read more @ eTeknix

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO – eTeknix

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It comes with an impressive 20+1 90A Power Stage design, easily one of the more robust in the Z690 lineup. Plus, everything from the VRM to all the M.2 mounts is heavily armoured with huge heatsinks and various cooling technologies to ensure maximum performance at all times. Connectivity is taken very seriously here too, with PCIe 5.0, onboard M.2 Gen 4.0, as well as a ROG Hyper M.2 PCIe Card. You get USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, and (20Gbps), and a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports (40Gbps, DisplayPort 1.4, and Thunderbolt Video supported).

Read more @ eTeknix

MSI MPG Z590 GAMING EDGE WIFI – Professional Review

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Like the Carbon series, this MSI MPG Z590 Gaming Edge WiFi is one of the boards that knocks on the doors of the high-end range with a slightly more accessible price without giving up a striking aesthetic with RGB and a wide connectivity kit . In it we find 3 M.2 slots, one of them PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E , an ALC4080 sound card and a 20 Gbps USB Gen2x2 port. To support the more powerful Rocket Lake CPU and OC a good VRM of 14 + 1 + 1 phases of 75A in Double Rail has been equipped that works wonderfully.

Read more @ Professional Review (Spanish)

BIOSTAR Announces RACING Z690GTA Motherboard

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November 15th, 2021, Taipei, Taiwan – BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today, announces the brand-new RACING Z690GTA motherboard.

Enter the battlefield in confidence with BIOSTAR’s renowned RACING series Z690GTA motherboard. Designed based on the Intel Z690 chipset with the latest LGA1700 socket, the new RACING Z690GTA motherboard is the best choice to run the latest Intel 12th gen Alder Lake processors.

Carrying forward the legacy of its predecessors the new RACING Z690GTA motherboard looks and feels otherworldly. Style, power, and grace packed in an exciting new armor design; the motherboard is tastefully designed to make any PC build stand out from the rest.

eaturing a 17phase power design and Active cooling armor gear with fins heat sink, BIOSTAR has actively focused on stable power management and heat dissipation this year, greatly enhancing the performance and durability of its components.

PCIe-5.0 is another big feature added to the motherboard by BIOSTAR, enabling an unrivaled performance boost to any latest AMD and NVIDIA graphic cards.

The new RACING Z690GTA motherboard handles up to 128GB of DDR4 rams across 4 DIMMs capable of supporting up to 5000+ Mhz overclocking numbers.

Efficient storage technology like PCIe M.2 4.0 (64Gb/s) is readily available in all the latest BIOSTAR motherboards, and the RACING Z690GTA is no exception. Featuring ports ranging from PCIe M.2 3.0 (32Gb/s), M.2 4.0 (64Gb/s), and 8 x SATA III (6Gb/s), BIOSTAR enables fast efficient storage for any use.

Packed to the brim, the RACING Z69GTA has a full-fledged REAR I/O panel. A layout of 8 USB ports, with 5 of them being USB 3.2 (Gen2) Ports, 2 x USB 2.0 ports, and 1 USB 3.2 (Gen2) TYPE C Port is available in the RACING Z690GTA motherboard.

The RTL8125B LAN chipset from Realtek powers the network operations of the motherboard, enabling lightning-fast network connectivity for faster online gaming and live streaming experience. 2 WiFi antenna ports with WiFi 6 & 6E capability are also available in the rear I/O panel for a hassle-free, fast internet connection.

Enjoy extraordinary audio and video output with the RACING Z690GTA motherboard. 3 available video output ports consisting of 1x HDMI 2.0 port, 1x DisplayPort, and a single DVI-D port provides an excellent video output capability. Combined with 3x audio ports controlled by an ALC1220 audio chipset that provides 7.1 Channels, High-Definition Audio, users can experience an unprecedented immersive audio-visual experience like no other.

To conclude, the RACING Z690GTA motherboard from BIOSTAR is everything you dreamed of and more. designed with precision engineering and functionality it is perfect for gamers and content creators for all their regular needs with excellent power delivery, heat dissipation, component support, and stylish design.

Read more about BIOSTAR RACING Z690GTA:
https://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=1038

ASUS TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 – OC Club

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ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi D4 is based on a 6-layer PCB made in the standard ATX format (305 x 244 mm). “Standard” is a praise. Recently, board builders have come to love making unusual board geometries. And all would be fine, but sometimes the attachment points are cut off, and sometimes in critical places in the area of ​​the RAM slots. In this regard, the model in question is ok. The board is mounted on 9 points, there are no weak points.

Read more @ OC Club (Russian)

MSI MEG Z690 UNIFY – TweakTown

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With the MEG Unify, MSI has deployed a rather robust solution that is packed with high-end features that include PCIe Gen 5 on the top two PCIe Slots, USB 3.2 Gen2x2 both on the rear I/O and internally via header. It also manages to host four m.2 slots, dual 2.5Gbe, Wi-Fi 6e, and support for 128GB of 6600MHz+ memory.

Read more @ TweakTown

Alder Lake – Which Motherboard Setting Impact Power? Temps?

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And this is where things get interesting. After studying various reviews and changing several BIOS settings (which, by the way, also influence each other), I have found that there can actually be several factors that the VCCIA (i.e. what is displayed as Vcore in most tools) can influence. If, in my own tests, I can write about a CPU that can be cooled well, and thus a slightly lower power consumption, and others cannot, then in the end only the substructure used remains the cause of the differences. And that’s why today we will (have to) deal with voltage regulation and generation and also consider a few experiments that are extremely interesting.

Read more @ Igor’s Lab (German)

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO – OC3D

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In our mind this makes the Strix almost impossible to buy, and the Hero a bargain. Part of this is based upon the aesthetic considerations. The Strix looks, dare we say it, a little cheap. Or, rather, cheaper than we’d expect a Strix to look. Normally that is the ROG range that has all the lighting bells and whistles and plenty of features, but in Z690 guise the Strix E is bordering on average. The ROG Maximus Hero on the other hand looks like a premium product, and has all the features and tricks up its sleeve that we’d expect to find on anything carrying that Republic of Gamers logo.

Read more @ OC3D