MSI MEG Z690 UNIFY – Overclockers Russia

In front of us is an ATX motherboard. Its dimensions do not differ from the classic and are 305 x 244 mm. Externally, the device looks unusual and looks like a warrior in blued armor. Aluminum alloy is used, but with a coating. The appearance is simple, but at the same time unusual and interesting. Also, oddly enough, there is no RGB backlight at all.

Read more @ Overclockers Russia (Russian)

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 FORMULA – Professional Review

One of the distinguishing features of the Formula series is the VRM’s cooling system, since its two EK CrossChill III blocks are really integral chambers with Custom liquid cooling systems. On the surface we see that it is built by EK, although the mouths provided with aluminum plugs are compatible with other systems such as Corsair’s HydroX and 1/2 ”, 1/4” and 3/8 ”fittings. But the surface will not be the blocks as such, but a matte white aluminum cover with a smooth finish and a lighting area above the port cover.

Read more @ Professional Review (Spanish)

GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G – Noticias3D

That is, the AERO G can be an optimal board for a gamer at any given time if you want a configuration with a single mid-range graphics card without reaching the flagship, or if you are not interested in overclocking, Gigabyte differentiates this model from others more ambitious in sections such as connectivity. Although we are not very clear if eliminating Thunderbolt 4 on this board is a consistent choice: many content creators benefit from advanced connectivity to use external devices such as monitors or storage units, for example. 

Read more @ Noticias3D (Spanish)

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

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

ASRock Z690 Taichi – Tom’s Hardware

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

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

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

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

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 MPG Z690 CARBON WIFI – MMORPG

The Z690 Carbon WiFi is one of MSI’s launch motherboards and comes equipped with a rich feature set, plenty of I/O, and enough connectivity for even thorough power users. What it won’t have is advanced support for extreme overclocking but at its midrange price of $399, that’s understandable, expected, and not something most users will attempt anyway. It features a sleek, RGB-enabled design that should work well in most PC cases.

Read more @ MMORPG