Intel Z690 Motherboard and Chipset Overview – Tom’s Hardware

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Outside of the new socket, one of the most significant differences in the new Z690 chipset is native PCIe 5.0 support, which doubles the available bandwidth to 64 GBps. While we’re a ways away from PCIe 5.0 hardware, and even further from when that type of throughput is needed, the bandwidth is here. AMD was first to market with PCIe 4.0; now it’s Intel’s turn to lead the bleeding edge with PCIe 5.0. With all of this available bandwidth, you can run more devices (M.2 slots, for example) off the CPU-connected PCIe lanes and not lose performance from your graphics card. There are also faster lanes on the chipset, allowing devices to use fewer lanes to achieve their full performance, increasing board makers’ flexibility with where to attach items.

Read more @ Tom’s Hardware

Intel Unveils 12th Gen Intel Core, Launches World’s Best Gaming Processor, i9-12900K

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SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 27, 2021 – Today at Intel Innovation, Intel unveiled the 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processor family with the launch of six new unlocked desktop processors, including the world’s best gaming processor, the 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900K. With a max turbo boost of up to 5.2 GHz and as many as 16 cores and 24 threads, the new desktop processors reach new heights of multi-threaded performance for enthusiast gamers and professional creators.

The full 12th Gen Intel Core family will include 60 processors, set to power more than 500 designs from a broad set of partners. As detailed during Intel Architecture Day 2021, the new performance hybrid architecture, the first built on Intel 7 process, delivers scalable performance from 9 to 125 watts to enable every PC segment from ultra-thin-and-light laptops to enthusiast desktops and out to the edge. 

“The performance hybrid architecture of 12th Gen Intel Core processors is an architectural shift made possible by close co-engineering of software and hardware that will deliver new levels of leadership performance for generations,” said Gregory Bryant, Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group. “This begins with the arrival of our flagship Core i9-12900K – the world’s best gaming processor – and you will see even more incredible experiences as we ship the rest of the 12th Gen family and beyond.”PauseMuteLoaded: 80.03%Remaining Time -0:53SharePicture-in-PictureFullscreen

Game, Create and Overclock with Unlocked 12th Gen Desktop Processors

The six unlocked desktop processors launched today are the first based on Intel’s performance hybrid architecture featuring a combination of Performance-cores (P-cores), the highest performing CPU core Intel has built, and Efficient-cores (E-cores), designed for scalable multi-threaded workload performance.

Intel® Thread Director enables the two new core microarchitectures to work seamlessly together by guiding the operating system (OS) to place the right thread on the right core at the right time. Intel has worked with the ecosystem on extensive testing to optimize performance and compatibility, and as part of the company’s reinforced investments in the developer community, has published white papers for developers with guidance on how independent software vendors can optimize applications for performance hybrid platforms.

“We’re at the beginning of a new era for the PC led by the introduction of Windows 11,” said Panos Panay, executive vice president and chief product officer, Microsoft. “With Windows 11 and Intel’s new Thread Director technology, users will see their PC performance reach new heights on the new 12th Gen Intel Core family of processors.”

The combination of Intel’s new performance hybrid architecture and new Intel 7 process technology delivers improved single-threaded and multi-threaded performance to enable:

  • The World’s Best Gaming Processor: Available with up to 16 cores and 24 threads, the new 12th Gen Intel Core processor family includes the world’s best gaming processor, the Core i9-12900K, unleashing gaming experiences across top titles. The Core i9-12900K provides amazing gen-over-gen performance increases, including up to 25% more FPS on Troy: A Total War Saga, up to 28% more FPS on Hitman 3, and up to 23% more FPS on Far Cry 63. Enhanced by Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6E for up to 75% less latency while gaming when multitasking4, high-frequency P-cores paired with E-cores for offloading parallel tasks enable up to 84% more frames per second for simultaneous gaming, streaming, and recording5.
  • A Leap in Content Creation Performance: Advancements in multi-threaded performance, the responsive performance of the P-cores and the ability to move data at incredible speeds with DDR5 enable leadership across all types of content creation experiences, including:
    • Up to 36% faster photo editing performance6
    • Up to 32% faster video editing performance7
    • Up to 37% faster 3D modeling performance8
    • Up to 100% faster multi-frame rendering9
  • ​The Best Overclocking Experience10: The new processors offer industry-leading overclocking tools for the ultimate performance customization, including the ability to overclock Efficient-cores and DDR5 memory. Enthusiasts and gamers can try these new platform overclocking features as part of the latest Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU) 7.5. Starting with the Core i9-12900K, XTU will also support one-click overclocking with Intel Speed Optimizer for unlocked 12th Gen processors. Further, Intel introduced the latest Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) 3.0 with support for DDR5, offering additional profiles, including new rewriteable custom profiles and flexible tuning for memory overclocking.

Enabling Desktop Platforms with Industry-Leading Features

12th Gen Intel Core desktop processors empower people with the performance and industry-leading features for exceptional experiences across gaming, content, and play for today and tomorrow.

Key platform advancements include:

  • The first processors in the industry to offer DDR5 memory for up to 4800MT/s.
  •  The first processors in the industry to offer PCIe 5.0 (up to 16 lanes), which offers up to 2X I/O throughput over PCIe 4.0, with up to an additional four lanes of PCIe 4.0 support.
  • Up to 30MB Intel® Smart Cache (L3) and 14MB L2 cache for increased memory capacity with reduced latency.
  • Integrated high-speed wireless with Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E, which combines industry-leading Wi-Fi 6E connectivity with powerful gaming network technology to minimize lag, latency, and packet loss10.
  • Discrete Thunderbolt 4 universal cable connectivity for external device expansion.

All–New Intel 600 Series Chipset

Alongside the 12th Gen Intel Core desktop processors, Intel is launching the new Intel 600 Series Chipset with advanced features for increased reliability and performance. New PCIe Gen 4.0 lanes make for 28 total lanes off the chipset, integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 provides up to double the bandwidth, DMI Gen 4.0 increases the chipset to CPU throughput for fast access to peripheral devices and networking.

For the first time, Intel is bringing Intel® Volume Management Device (VMD) to PC chipsets to simplify storage control by allowing direct control and management of NVMe-based SSDs from the PCIe bus without additional RAID controllers or other hardware adaptors.

Availability

Unlocked 12th Gen Intel Core desktop processors are available now for pre-order from participating OEMs, channel partners, and retailers. Broad availability will start Nov. 4 with more than 140 customers in more than 30 countries expected to add the new processors to their lineups by the end of the year. Pricing starts at $264 to $589 for the unlocked desktop processors.

Intel expects to ship hundreds of thousands of 12th Gen Intel Core desktop “K” processors by end of year and more than 2 million by the end of March 2022. To enable the expanded offerings for desktop, mobile and commercial segments expected in early 2022, Intel is also shipping 28 of the processor SKUs in the 12th Gen Intel Core processor family to OEM partners. 

Read more @ Intel

GIGABYTE Releases the Latest Z690 AORUS Motherboards

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October 28th, 2021 – GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, today announced the Z690 AORUS gaming motherboards which perfectly support the latest 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors. Featuring up to 20+1+2 phases digital power VRM design with each phase holding up to 105 amps and an improved Fins-Array III heatsink design, GIGABYTE’s Z690 AORUS lineup is geared with the best power design and thermal management to unleash the extreme performance and optimized overclocking ability on the new generation multi-core K series Intel® Core™ processors. The PCIe® 5.0 PCBs, slots, and components are also implemented in GIGABYTE’s Z690 AORUS motherboards for enhanced performance and stability. The exclusive SMD memory slots with metal shielding mask for anti- interference and the BIOS setting of DDR5 memory overclocking offer more stable signals to memory, which enable users to boost XMP and overclocking performance with stability. Select GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS motherboards offer feature-rich I/O with an integrated I/O shield as well as the newest Thermal Guard III design, Smart Fan 6 and much more. Performance, power management, thermals, audio, GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS motherboards check all the boxes for users seeking to take their computing firepower to the next level.

“With the advent of the new generation Intel® Z690 platform and the 12th generation Core™ processor, GIGABYTE also launched the latest motherboards to provide users ultra durable products with premium compatibility, breakthrough performance, and low temperature through optimized power supply, heat dissipation and expansions.” said Jackson Hsu, Director of the GIGABYTE Channel Solutions Product Development Division. “GIGABYTE Z690 motherboards are designed for professional designers and power users who pursue performance. Featuring the maximum 20+1+2 phases digital power supply, high-end VRM heat dissipation, 2Oz PCB, nano-carbon backplane heat dissipation design, premium components and exclusive tuning function, GIGABYTE Z690 motherboards boost the overall and overclocking performance of CPU and memories. Moreover, enhanced by the support of PCIe® 5.0 graphics card, the configuration of multiple PCIe® 4.0 M.2 disk arrays, the ultra-high-speed networking of 2.5G and above, etc., and the professional tuning of R&D, GIGABYTE Z690 motherboards provide impressive performance, stability and definitely is the perfect choice for high-end users who pursue extreme performance on Intel® Z690 platform.”

20+1+2 phases power design improves the overclocking stability of processors The 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors mark a shift in the process design on both the architecture and the new LGA1700 socket, which means users cannot stay with previous processors by modify firmware or hardware details due to incompatible socket. The new architecture features Intel® 7 stepping and the “hybrid” design of P-Core and E-Core, which not only raise up the theoretical performance, but also enable the processors to dynamically switch between high performance operation and low loading energy saving mode. This allows users to take full advantages from the processors flexibly by the demands of system operation. With up to 20+1+2 phases which each of Vcore and Vcc GT can hold up to 105 amps by its Smart Power Stage design, while Vcc AUX can hold 70 amps by two sets of DrMOS design, The flagship of GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS gaming motherboards unlock the full potential of the new processors and enhance the extreme overclocking performance on all-core multi cores. Meanwhile, the diverse top quality components with the solid pin sockets can provide more stable power and dissipate the heat more efficiently from heavy loading operation or overclocking to prevent CPU throttling by overheating, as well as to deliver up to 2300 Amps to provide the best power balance. Furthermore, the addition of Tantalum Polymer capacitors improves the transient response of the VRM between high and low loads, increasing the stability and purity of the power for processors so that users won’t have to worry about overlocking failures caused by unstable power. During extreme overclocking, Intel® Core™ i9-12900k achieved the frequency of 8 GHz.

Advanced layout design, remarkable memory overclocking
GIGABYTE introduces DDR5 memory starting from Intel® Z690 consumer motherboards with downward support of DDR4, and prepares various Z690 motherboards for users according to the market demand and positioning differences. The DDR4 models perform impressively as last generation, while DDR5 models benefit from the new memory architecture which enables speed from 4800 MHz with high power efficiency, low latency, and low power consumption. Besides the well-reputed Shielded Memory Routing, GIGABYTE Z690 motherboards also adopt the latest SMD memory DIMMs and dual metal armor for users to enjoy premium memory overclocking performance with more durability and more stability. The real test also affirms the boost of LN2 overclocking performance up to 8000 MHz and above.

In order to provide users a striking memory overclocking performance with ease, GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS motherboards pack numerous enhanced technologies. Enhanced by exclusive layout design, the “DDR5 Unlocked Voltage” feature can unlock the adjustment range of DDR5 memory native voltage, which allows users to reach higher memory clock with more stability. Moreover, the BIOS setting is correspondingly optimized to a new level, which “DDR5 Auto Booster” can boost native frequency of DDR5 from 4800 MHz to 5000 MHz with a simple click and automatically boost your memories after Windows loaded. This allows the performance improvements exert in real computing usage. “DDR5 XMP Booster” allows users to choose quickly from multiple built-in and pre-tuned memory overclocking profiles. “XMP 3.0 User Profile” enables users to create and burn in XMP profiles on their own to unleash the extreme performance of memories.

The Fins-Array III technology supplemented with high coefficient thermal pad
To enhance the overall heat dissipation, GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS MASTER and above motherboards feature the new generation Fins-Array III technology to further enlarge the surface area of the thermal fin to 9 times than a traditional heatsink, which takes away more heat when cool air passes by for advanced heat dissipation. The Direct-Touch Heatpipe II design features 8mm direct touch heatpipe with shortened distance and increased contact area between the heatpipe and the heatsink to lower the temperatures more rapidly. Meanwhile, select GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS motherboards implement a new generation LAIRD 9W/mK thermal pad in VRM area which offers significantly improved heat dissipation compared to traditional thermal pads.

Furthermore, selected AORUS motherboards feature metal back plate with nano-carbon coating for stylish thermal design, while several Z690 AORUS models continue the full-covered one-piece metal plate on MOS area from previous design to provide more efficient heat dissipation. The multiple skived fins and grooved surface provides two times larger dissipation area than traditional design that improves dramatically the heat convection and conduction by allowing more airflow pass through the heatsink. GIGABYTE Z690 motherboards adopt 6-layer PCB and above, even up to 10 layers on high end models. The power layer and ground layer both use 2OZ copper for enhanced heat dissipation under the high speed operation of CPU to avoid throttling by overheating. Besides the hardware thermal design on VRM, GIGABYTE Z690 motherboards continue to implement Smart Fan 6 technology and EZ Tuning function for a more flexible fan allocation, easier setting on fine tuning, and advanced manually setting mode. Now users can further control the gaming system temperature setting for the optimal balance among silent, cool, and high performance.

Get ready for the future with new generation PCIe® and M.2 design
The 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors with Z690 chipset support the latest PCIe® 5.0 specifications. To meet the high-speed bandwidth required by the next generation of graphics cards, GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS motherboards comprehensively adopt PCIe® 5.0 design and selected components from PCBs, PCIe® slots, and even controllers to provide optimized signal quality and prepare for future technology. The brand new armor design for PCIe® 5.0 slot further enhances the strength for a better durability. Besides, all Z690 AORUS ATX motherboards equip four PCIe® 4.0 M.2 slots. Through the VMD support on Z690 platform, RAID configurations are enabled through the layout integration from CPU and chipset to provide access rate of more than 20000 MB/s. When it comes to high speed operation, the heat dissipation design becomes crucial to SSDs. The enlarged heatsink of select Z690 AORUS motherboards and GIGABYTE’s patent Thermal Guard XTREME, which is enhanced by heighten, widen, enlarged heatsink with heatpipe, providing optimal cooling for the PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSDs to prevent thermal throttling under high-speed operation.

Lightning-fast network, extraordinary sound effects, powerful expansion capabilities
GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS lineup is equipped with 2.5Gb Ethernet, to even 10Gbit on flagship models, and Intel® WiFi 6E 802.11ax network for the most complete and flexible network options. Besides GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS motherboards fully pack the latest technologies to meet the needs, including USB 3.2 Gen2x2, 3.2 Gen2 slots, and Thunderbolt™ 4 / USB 4 expansions. The addition of QFLASH+ and Clear CMOS buttons makes it much easier and more convenient for users to troubleshoot their systems or update their BIOS without installing a processor.

The top of GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS lineup utilizes a high SNR audio engine and pairs it with the WIMA FKP2 studio-grade audio capacitors, and integrates ESS SABRE DAC with DTS：X® Ultra to deliver high fidelity audio for the most abundant sound experience whether it’s for gaming or entertaining. The flagship Z690 AORUS XTREME motherboard introduces the ESSential HEX USB DAC, which is built-in ESS SABRE HiFi ES9280A audio codec with ESS ES9080A to process the left and right channel audio separately, it perfectly presents the Linear Apodizing filter effect, reduces the distortion of the pure Linear mode, and further increases the depth and openness of the reverberation of the soundstage. Users can enjoy more immersive audio experience without degrading the sound quality caused by the audio layout design within the chassis. ESSential HEX USB DAC also provides audio output up to 40 KHz, allowing players to sense the most realistic sound experience and enjoyable entertainment effects beyond physiological limitations.

In addition to above exclusive designs, GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS motherboards continue the noted support of the digital LED lightening and graphical BIOS setting interface that displays key information such as clock speeds, memory, storage devices, fan status settings, and other important hardware information in a more intuitive and user friendly manner. Meanwhile, Q-Flash technology allows users to flash a BIOS file without installing a CPU, RAM, GPU, and other peripherals.

In addition to the AORUS models, Gigabyte also launches three of Z690 AERO-series motherboards for creators. The latest Z690 AERO series perfectly unleash the extreme performance of the new generation processors, and provide remarkable thermal performance to ensure a stable system operation. With the support of the latest PCIe® 5.0, Z690 AERO lineup satisfies the high-speed bandwidth requirement of the next generation of graphics cards on one hand, and delivers optimized signal transferring quality on the other hand. The lineup equips four PCIe® 4.0 M.2 slots with armor design to offer creators sufficient storage capacity with optimal cooling without worrying for thermal throttling under high-speed operation.

Z690 AERO G and Z690 AERO G DDR4 feature the noted VisionLINK technology, which allows for data and video transmission based on USB Type-C® Interface and provides power delivery up to 60W for high-end pen displays. VisionLINK technology enables performance sharing from high-end graphics card to the pen displays through DP_IN interface, which promise creators a smoother working environment avoiding cable clutter and saving more time, space, and effort on content creation. The VisionLINK TB on Z690 AERO D is an advanced version of VisionLINK technology, which supports all Thunderbolt™ 4 features and 60W power supply as well. In addition, the features of 2.5Gbit Ethernet, Intel® WiFi 6E 802.11ax network, USB 3.2 Gen2x2 and front Type-C® interface also help creators significantly improve their work efficiency.

GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS motherboards offer a diverse range of enticing features to be the best choice for high-end computing and gaming platform. They are now available in the market. For more information and news, please visit the GIGABYTE AORUS website: https://aorus.com

For more information and news on GIGABYTE products, please visit the official GIGABYTE website: http://www.gigabyte.com

ASRock Launches Full Range of Intel® Z690 Motherboards

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TAIPEI, Taiwan, October 27th, 2021 – The leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, proudly announces its comprehensive new range of motherboards featuring Intel® Z690 chipset, a brand new LGA1700 socket platform to pair with latest 12th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors, opening endless possibility with PCI Express 5.0 and DDR5 high speed memory.

Z690 Taichi

Designed for premium user who is looking for uncompromised performance, ASRock Z690 Taichi is definitely the way to go, this motherboard has been given 20 phase Dr.MOS design featuring the latest SPS (Smart Power Stage) technology for a smoother and neater power to the CPU with enhanced performance and OC capability. To pair with the latest and greatest performance from the 12th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors, the Z690 Taichi is also capable of supporting the newest DDR5 DRAM module, the reinforced DIMM slot is surfaced mounted onto the motherboard to give better physical strength as well as a more stable memory signal, with this superior revolutionary design, it is able to dramatically overclock DRAM module up to insane frequency.

Protect your valuable data from hackers! The Z690 Taichi has uniquely added one SATA & USB port that is independent from others, once this feature is activated from BIOS setting, the independent SATA & USB port is cutoff from other ports to prevent malwares and ransomware from accessing. USB4 Type-C with Thunderbolt 4 technology is also available on the rear I/O of this motherboard, providing an incredible 40Gb/s transfer rate that is perfect for ultra-high speed external storage devices.

The Phantom Gaming Series

To give Z690 PG Velocita the ultimate gaming weapon, ASRock has specially designed a PCIe Gen5 x4 blazing M.2 Key-M slot that accommodates the latest PCI Express 5.0 standard to perform twice the bandwidth compared to previous generation, with a breathtaking 128Gb/s transfer speed, it is ready to unleash the full potential of future ultrafast SSDs.

For the mainstream gamer who requires a reliable yet powerful companion, Z690 PG Riptide is definitely the only choice for you, the carefully picked gaming essentials such as Lightning Gaming Ports and Killer networking enables you to game with the best gear, also the support of latest PCIe 5.0 as well as the sturdy Dr.MOS CPU VRM design with its large heatsinks gives you the confidence to game as hard as you desire.

As for the small form factor fanatics, the Z690 Phantom Gaming-ITX/TB4 is definitely the only motherboard for you, ASRock has crammed every luxury spec you can imagine into this little beast such as Thunderbolt 4 Type-C, Killer 2.5Gbps LAN and WiFi 6E, 11 phase 105A SPS Dr.MOS and also the support of DDR5 & PCIe 5.0, bringing innovative technology and high quality products to the mITX market.

ASRock Steel Legend and Extreme Series

All ASRock Z690 motherboards received serval upgrades to improve CPU performance as well as better thermal efficiency, The Z690 Extreme and Z690 Steel Legend motherboard series were designed around 6 Layer PCB and 2 ounce copper inner layers, delivering lower temperature and higher energy efficiency for overclocking!

Bios Flashback feature is added on all ASRock Z690 motherboard to give maximum future proof capability, users can easily update BIOS via “BIOS Flashback” button located on the rear IO with a USB flash drive and power supply, No CPU, RAM or other components required.

Every motherboard in this series is equipped with 2.5Gb/s LAN and a front panel USB 3.2 Gen-2×2 header. 2.5Gb/s LAN boosts networking performance 2.5X over typical home ethernet speeds. It is ideal for home NAS streaming and backups, content creators, online gamers, and the demands of enthusiasts for lower-latency gaming, faster file transfers and performance that keeps up with modern SSDs. Similarly, USB 3.2 Gen-2×2 is capable of 20Gbps throughput, providing the most convenient access for USB storage devices in need of extreme speeds.

Pro RS for Mainstream Builders

Pro series has always been the most promising choice for every PC builders, the brand new Z690 Pro RS comes with a new stylish black and grey design, to match with this new subtle look, the Z690 Pro RS has been given 6 layer 2 OZ PCB and 13 phase Dr.MOS VRM, Dr.MOS operates more efficiently than alternative solutions, enabling lower temperatures and improved sustained performance, bringing performance and overclocking potential to the masses.

Graphics card holder is also bundled with all ASRock Z690 mainstream to high-end motherboards. Its universal design ensures heavy graphics cards can be held securely in the chassis. Simply attach it to your motherboard and chassis with the provided screws, and then slide the holder to the required height of your graphics card.

With a wide range of options available including everything from entry to premium, mini-ITX, mATX and ATX, look no further because the ASRock Z690 motherboard series brings incredible performance, best-in-class features, and stylish designs throughout its comprehensive range.

Check out the full product line here.

GIGABYTE Z690 Motherboards – Two Audio Jacks Only?

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Although we’re going to try and cover all the newly launched Intel Z690 based motherboards more thoroughly before the retail availability date, we had a quick look already on what’s on offer and we were struck by something rather odd when it comes to Gigabyte, most of their new boards only have two 3.5 mm audio jacks around the back. This is not limited to their cheaper SKUs, but is found through the entire product stack.

We’re not entirely sure what’s going on here and will check with Gigabyte once someone is awake that we can talk to about it, but we’re fairly certain that this is going to cause a bit of a backlash from their customers. This was actually something we kind of saw in the leaked image of one of the Aero boards, as it didn’t look like it had any audio jacks at all, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, it seems to have something to do with Gigabyte’s move away from the Realtek ALC1220 Intel HD audio based codecs that the company have been using for the past few generations of boards.

Read more @ TechPowerUp

ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR VIII EXTREME – PCTestBench

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Tons of water-cooling and Extreme overclocking features can be found onboard from the integrated water block, temp probe, and flow meter connectors to the Safe Boot and Retry Buttons to ASUS’s Q-Code and Q-LED displays for rapid problem-solving. The massive 2” LiveDash display can walk you through POST and Boot issues, and then can switch over to display important system information or even your own animations. If you are looking for the very best performance, Asus includes their Dynamic OC Switcher so you can have the best Single Thread manual overclock, as well as PBO-powered multi-threaded performance.

Read more @ PCTestBench

GIGABYTE A320 Motherboards Add Zen 3 Support

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Last week, owners of one of Gigabyte’s motherboards based on AMD’s A320 chipset had a limited CPU upgrade path, if they didn’t want to overhaul their platform. And now? Gigabyte is dishing up beta BIOS updates that enable support for both Zen 2 (Ryzen 4000) and the latest Zen 3 (Ryzen 5000) processor from AMD.

This is potentially great news for budget builders who want to extend the life of their platform. As Intel’s Alder Lake processors come into view, retailers have been dropping prices on some of AMD’s latest generation Ryzen 5000 series chips. Take for example the Ryzen 7 5800X. It debuted at $449, and is now selling on Amazon for $393.99.

Read more @ Hot Hardware

ASUS Z690 Motherboards Feature Q-Release for Video Cards

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Asus is delivering an excellent quality of life improvement with its upcoming Z690 motherboards with what it calls PCIe Slot Q-Release. As spotted by @momomo_us, this feature will allow users to easily remove a graphics card installed in the primary PCIe 5.0 slot on a Z690-based motherboard. 

Removing a modern graphics card from a motherboard shouldn’t be too much of a hassle in most cases. However, the heatsink design of some cards coupled with motherboards becoming increasingly crammed with components around the PCIe slot, can sometimes make removal a bit more cumbersome. The Q-Release aims to alleviate this by pressing a button mounted near the DDR4/DDR5 memory slots.

Read more @ Tom’s Hardware / @momomo_us

MSI MAG B560M MORTAR WIFI – itndaily

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The MSI MAG B560M Mortar WIFI is also worth praising for the competent layout of the elements (there is enough space for installing even a dimensional cooler of the Noctua NH-D15S chromax.black level ), a large number of USB of different versions on the rear panel and light indicators that notify the user about problems with starting ( CPU, DRAM, Boot and VGA). There are no hot buttons for turning on / restarting the PC on the board.

Read more @ itndaily (Russian)

ASRock X570S PG Riptide – AnandTech

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The ASRock X570S PG Riptide represents a new entry in ASRock’s gaming-themed Phantom Gaming series, but at the more entry to a mid-level market segment, which for an X570 board might be most people’s mid-range or even high-end for cost. Designed primarily for AMD’s latest Ryzen 5000 processors, it is also compatible with both the Ryzen 3000 and 2000 series of desktop processors, but it also supports Ryzen 5000, 4000, and 3000 APUs. It also has four memory slots with support for fast DDR4-5000 memory, with a maximum combined capacity of up to 128 GB.

Read more @ AnandTech