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Today we will look at a motherboard that has a twin. We have already studied one model – MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk WIFI . If the name says nothing about memory, then this is a clear sign that the device supports DDR5. And the MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk WIFI DDR4 turned out to be tested, and here it is already clear that it is for DDR4 memory.
Read more @ Overclockers Russia (Russian)
The MSI MEG Z690 ACE supports the twelfth generation Intel processors using the LGA 1700 socket. The board boasts a 22-phase (19+1+2) VRMS to handle the power requirements of the flagship 24-thread Intel Core i9-12900K. To cool the VRM, MSI uses two large milled aluminum heat sinks connected with a heat pipe. We have 7 W/mK thermal pads on the MOSFETs and the chokes to ensure good contact and heat dissipation.
Read more @ Overclockers
Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Xtreme Waterforce is the most that is the top representative of the Aorus series with the appropriate price. It offers 21 USB ports, including 12 USB 3.2 Gen2, including two Thunderbolt 4, as well as one USB 3.2 Gen2×2. There are also 3 PCIe x16 slots. For drives there are 4 slots M.2 and 4 SATA ports. This model is equipped with 10 fan connectors, as well as a huge waterblock connected to a custom water supply, while the waterblock covers every potentially heated element, including the CPU VRM, drives in M.2 slots and a high-speed Marvel network controller.
Read more @ iXBT (Russian)
The Z690A Valkyrie from BIOSTAR has impressed us in terms of performance, even when running with the memory at a lower speed of 3600MHz. The UEFI BIOS is well optimized and we can obtain good results with top CPUs from Intel’s Alder Lake generation, while the VRM hardware implementation with 20 phases ensures and a beefy cooling system will keep the temperatures at bay, even while overclocking. The connectivity options are top-notch and besides a lot of USBs on the I/O, we can install more thanks to the internal headers, up to 4 M.2 SSDs and also slower drives such as HDDs or 2.5’’ via the eight SATA ports.
Read more @ [M]adShrimps
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.
Read more @ HardwareCooking (French)
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.
Read more @ Chiphell (Chinese)
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.
Read more @ NewEsc (Spanish)
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.
Read more @ ITHardware (Polish)
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.
Read more @ iXBT
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.
Read more @ Guru3D