Pushing Alder Lake’s flagship processors to their limits will require more than just a bit of luck, you’ll also need efficient cooling and, of course, a high-end motherboard. A reinforced 22-phase power subsystem, a serious cooling system, readiness to work at low temperatures, as well as a huge body kit that the EATX form factor required for itself. And all this in MSI MEG Z690 Ace.
Read more @ Overclockers Ukraine (Russian)
In close cooperation with EKWB, MSI has now included the MPG Z690 CARBON EK X in its range in addition to the MAG Z690 TORPEDO EK X, which is particularly suitable if the interested party has planned custom water cooling. However, the addition of the water cooler also increases the price again: MSI gave us a price of 699 euros as an RRP, in retail this is at least 660 euros a little below that. With the MSI MPG Z590 CARBON EK X (Hardwareluxx test) , we already had a problem with the predecessor, so we’re excited to see what the new edition has to offer.
Read more @ Hardwareluxx (German)
The ROG Maximus Z690 Formula is designed for enthusiasts and modders who want to achieve maximum results through a combination of innovations and their competent implementation. ASUS developers provide a reinforced power subsystem with a water block in the VRM power zone, improved organization for connecting external equipment and cooling systems, POST indication of controls, not to mention a rethought snow-white design.
Read more @ Overclockers Russia (Russian)
ASRock Z690 Extreme offers quite good USB connectivity with 4 USB 3.2 Gen1 connectors and a pair of USB 3.2 Gen2 connectors in A/B format . In addition, it has DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1 video outputs for integrated graphics and 7.1 analog and SPDIF audio outputs . In the networking section, it offers a combo of a Dragon RTL8125BG 2.5 GbE card and an Intel I219V GbE , perhaps missing the factory Wi-Fi.
Read more @ El Chapuzas Informatico (Spanish)
The Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Master hits our test bench with a statement from Gigabyte calling it “the new king of gaming.” Along with the title, the new Aorus Master gets an updated features list and includes one of the most capable VRMs, all from a $469.99 (MSRP) motherboard. The Z690 Master boasts a whopping five M.2 sockets, 10 GbE and Wi-Fi 6E, along with an updated appearance. This mid-range board not only has the look to be an excellent base for your new Alder Lake build, but the hardware to support it too.
Read more @ Tom’s Hardware
Aesthetically, the Z690 Taichi is an attractive board with a black PCB, black heatsinks, and metallic copper highlights. Decorative LEDs are set over the chipset and the rear I/O shroud, as well as down the right side of the board, adding extra flair whenever the board is powered up. Much of the rear of the PCB is braced in metal plating for a sturdy, stiff feel.
Read more @ PC Magazine
Everything that you would actually want from a solid, mainstream gaming PC is present and correct here. There’s a full, reinforced x16 PCIe 4.0 slot for the GPU, another full length slot running at x4, and then a final, short x1 PCIe 3.0 slot. Few of us overclock, so that’s not really a miss here, and few have more than one M.2 SSD either. The fact you get a pair of PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots for your drives (one from the chipset and one from your Alder Lake CPU) will be plenty for most users.
Read more @ PC Gamer
ASRock have been busy releasing new motherboard series for the latest Intel Alder Lake-S processors. Their extensive product range and SKUs already includes many motherboards based on the Z690 and B660 chipsets. Before we move to the options with B660, we still have to present some of the Z690 motherboards. This time it will be Z690 PG Riptide – a motherboard from a well-known Phantom Gaming series designed for gamers and other demanding users.
Read more @ FunkyKit
The motherboard is based on a 6-layer black PCB in standard ATX format. The design mainly uses black and gray elements, but there are also colored electronic elements. Formally, the board has no predecessor – the Intel B660 chipset and 12th generation processors offer completely different functionality, so just taking and slightly changing any existing product just won’t work. Moreover, Aorus has an almost identical board in its arsenal, but with support for DDR5 memory – B660 Aorus Master.
Read more @ GreenTech_Reviews (Russian)
The printed circuit board is black, the surface is matte. The manufacturer reports six layers of plating and two ounces of copper per layer. The board is rigid, does not bend and is still quite heavy. It is clear that it has several heatsinks, but it is not light in itself because thick layers of copper are used in the production of printed circuit boards.
Read more @ Overclockers Russia (Russian)