With Intel's Alder Lake processor generation launch, the platform merges support of two different DDR memory standards: DDR4 and DDR5. While there are motherboards that offer the latest DDR5 standard, there are boards that provide users to use the cheaper DDR4 memory option in their builds as we transition to the newer standard and newer memory becomes more available. The DDR5 products are currently on the expensive side, and DDR4 represents a good choice for creating a PC build in the following years, at least in the transition to DDR5 standard's better availability and lower prices.

According to Moore's Law is Dead Twitter account, the DDR4 support may reside for a little longer on Intel's platforms. As per their sources, Intel's 13th generation Core processors, codenamed Raptor Lake, will carry over DDR4 platform support and possibly retain compatibility with the 12th generation Alder Lake platform. That means that the Z690 and future H670/B660/H610 boards could be compatible with Raptor Lake-S and also carry support for the DDR4 memory protocol for it. This could indicate that Alder Lake-S buyers that build PCs with DDR4 memory could have a viable processor upgrade path without upgrading the memory. Of course, information like this should be taken with a grain of salt.

GIGABYTE Technology, one of the top global manufacturers of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, announces today Z690 AORUS TACHYON motherboard with the latest 12th generation Intel Core i9 12900K processor and LN2 liquid nitrogen heat dissipation set the world-leading overclocking records of dual 8 GHz, which is 8000 MHz on i9-12900K CPU and 8300 MHz on DDR5 memories. GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS TACHYON motherboard designed by world-famous overclocker equips with plenty functions exclusively for extreme overclockers, which promise overclockers higher scores with easier operation, establishing GIGABYTE's leading role in overclocking on the Z690 motherboards.

"GIGABYTE demonstrate its determination of returning to the overclocking glory with the launch of the Z590 AORUS TACHYON motherboard, and the release of the Z690 AORUS TACHYON further verified the continuation of GIGABYTE's overclocking pedigree on motherboards." said Jackson Hsu, Director of the GIGABYTE Channel Solutions Product Development Division. "Z690 AORUS TACHYON proves GIGABYTE's strong R&D strength on LN2 overclocking by the world records it created. We will definitely use Z690 AORUS TACHYON to create better overclocking performance, and can't wait to see that overclockers around the world use this motherboard to break more world records.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, is excited to claim yet another world record, in close partnership with the ASUS ROG motherboard team, for the fastest memory frequency of an incredible DDR5-8704. This incredible feat was achieved with the G.SKILL Trident Z5 DDR5 memory on the latest Intel Core i7-12700KF processor and ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 APEX motherboard.

Laying claim to the world record for the fastest memory frequency with the latest DDR5 memory, G.SKILL and ASUS worked closely together to achieve an incredible DDR5-8704, using liquid nitrogen to cool the system to subzero temperatures. Solidifying DDR5 memory as the new extreme performance standard, this memory frequency world record was achieved with the new Trident Z5 RGB memory on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 APEX motherboard. See below for a screenshot of the world record, achieved by the extreme overclocker "hocayu":

The launch of Intel's Alder Lake processsors has opened an exciting chapter for team blue and motherboard makers who are finally transitioning to new technologies like DDR5 and PCIe Gen5 standards. Today, GIGABYTE AORUS has prepared a complete lineup of motherboards designed to satisfy all kinds of workloads powered by Alder Lake processors as these AORUS Z690 motherboards are about to hit the market. These new boards include an upgraded feature set like 16+ phases power delivery on all boards, upgraded heatsinks to keep VRM temperatures under control, and built-in DDR5 overclocking features.

The event will be live-streamed on YouTube, so tune in to the First Look Event as the AORUS team gives an in-depth overview and cover the performance increase you can experience with Intel 12th gen CPU and DDR5 memory on the AORUS Z690 platform. They will be going over the new platform's entire lineup and feature set, so make sure you get to the event on time. It will start at 18:00 UTC zone, and you can tune in to watch here: AORUS Z690 First Look Event.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, is thrilled to announce the achievement of DDR5-7000 CL40-40-40-76 32 GB (2x16 GB) extreme speed, passing the Memtest stability test. 7000MT/s memory speed is an exciting milestone, as it was only seen under liquid nitrogen sub-zero temperature cooling not long ago in overclocking records. Accomplished with high-performance Samsung DDR5 components, this extreme speed memory is truly worthy of the G.SKILL flagship Trident Z5 family classification.

G.SKILL has been dedicated to develop the fastest possible DDR5 memory on the latest 12th Gen Intel Core desktop processors and Intel Z690 chipset motherboards. Today, G.SKILL is proud to announce the feat of reaching DDR5-7000 extreme speed, while maintaining an ultra-low CAS latency timing of CL40-40-40-76. The memory modules that reached this monumental achievement is built with high-performance Samsung DDR5 components, and has shown to be stable under Memtest. Please refer to the screenshot below.

The EK-Quantum Ultrablock for the ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme Glacial is the apogee of PC hardware and liquid cooling engineering. A custom-engineered EK cooling solution for the 12th generation of Intel Core processor, power delivery system, network controller, all onboard M.2 drives, and the all-new Z690 chipset. With the release of the latest Intel Z690 chipset-based motherboards, came also the ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme Glacial, the most advanced and sophisticated motherboard available on the market today.

Compared to a standard Monoblock cooling solution that covers the CPU and the VRM, the Ultrablock spreads across the entire motherboard and has several sensors that provide measurements of key system parameters. The custom-engineered EK Ultrablock cooling solution offers optimal cooling for the CPU, power delivery system (VRM), network controller, M.2 drive, and Z690 chipset. Each key component is cooled by the intricate water block design for maximum stability and performance. This smart, full motherboard Ultrablock has built-in leak detection sensors on the connection ports, an OLED screen to display the key parameters of the system, an integrated temperature sensor, and a sensor for real-time measurement of coolant flow.

BIOSTAR, today announces the brand-new Intel Z690 series motherboards. Stylish new designs with cutting-edge technology-infused Intel Z690 series motherboards from BIOSTAR are finally here. Engineered to run the latest Intel 12th gen processors, BIOSTAR's new motherboards are ideal for gamers looking to play the best AAA games and for PC enthusiasts that settle for nothing but the best.

With three new exciting ATX motherboard models, BIOSTAR plans to deliver the best technology to the masses. BIOSTAR's latest flagship motherboards, the Z690 VALKYRIE, Z690A VALKYRIE are the stars of the show, built with exciting new features and functionality, and the RACING Z690GTA motherboard is robust, designed towards casual games and content creators geared with style for any occasion.

G.SKILL, is delighted to announce yet another extreme speed DDR5 memory kit at DDR5-6800 32 GB (2x 16 GB), designed for the latest 12th Gen Intel Core desktop processors and Intel Z690 chipset motherboards. Thus far, this is the world's fastest DDR5 memory kit to reach such a high frequency speed and raise DDR5-enabled system performance to new heights.

In the never-ending quest for memory performance, G.SKILL is excited to reveal the latest additions of ultra-high frequency DDR5 memory to the flagship Trident Z5 family. Reaching an astonishing memory frequency of DDR5-6800, these two upper echelon memory specifications are the ultimate memory choice for gamers, enthusiast, and overclockers.

Today, PC system integrator MAINGEAR announced that all-new 12th Gen Intel Core processors are available for pre-order across its product line of award-winning custom gaming desktop PCs and workstations — including the recently launched MAINGEAR R1 | RAZER Edition. 12th Gen Intel Core (Alder Lake-S) processors are built for the next generation of gaming, featuring Intel's new performance hybrid architecture on unlocked processors. Performance-cores and Efficient-cores (P-cores & E-cores) combined into a single CPU divide and conquer workloads, for multitasking that does not compromise on performance in gaming or productivity tasks. MAINGEAR will offer the following 12th Gen Intel Core processors as a configuration option across their stable of gaming desktops and workstations: the Intel Core i9-12900K, Intel Core i7-12700K, and Intel Core i5-12600K.

12th Gen Intel Core series CPUs are now available for pre-order as a configuration option across multiple custom MAINGEAR gaming desktops and workstations — including PC Mag's Editor's Choice award-winning VYBE, RUSH, MAINGEAR Pro Max workstations, and the newest MAINGEAR R1 | RAZER Edition. The purchase of any MAINGEAR Intel-based system additionally includes a game bundle featuring the Crysis Remastered Trilogy and Humankind. MAINGEAR PCs featuring new 12th Gen Intel CPUs can be equipped with a selection of Z690 Motherboards from MSI and ASUS, DDR4 memory, and paired with MAINGEAR's exclusive APEX hand-crafted water cooling solution that unlocks the top performance potential of any PC.

Kingston Technology, revealed today it has unleashed its cutting-edge Kingston FURY Beast DDR5. Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 arrives in sync with the launch of the Intel Z690 Chipset and 12th Gen Intel Core processors (code-named "Alder Lake-S"). This marks the first platform to utilize the new memory standard, bringing the performance and data integrity advancements of DDR5 to a global audience.

Taking speed, capacity, and reliability even further, Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 delivers an arsenal of enhanced features like on-die ECC (ODECC) for improved stability at extreme speeds, dual 32-bit subchannels for increased efficiency, and on-module power management integrated circuit (PMIC) to provide juice where it's needed most. When gaming at the most extreme settings, live streaming at 4K+ or pushing large animation and 3D rendering, Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 is the level-up needed while seamlessly linking style and performance.

The latest 12th Gen Core processor is the first to incorporate Intel 7 process technology and Hybrid Architecture. To match the performance of the 12th Gen Core processors, all MSI Z690 Series motherboards are upgraded. The highlight of the new platform is the latest PCIe 5.0 and DDR5. All MSI Z690 motherboards support PCIe 5.0 solution which provides 128 GB/s of transfer bandwidth. MSI has Z690 DDR5 and DDR4 motherboards to meet different needs. Excitingly, MSI OC LAB tuning boosts the memory frequency performance by over 30% based on MSI's exclusive Memory Boost technology. With the optimized layout, MSI uses the SMT process for both PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 to maintain the stability of high-speed transfer.

The newest core processors need mighty power phases. The MSI Z690 Gaming Series motherboards have at least 16 DrMOS with Duet Rail Power System and dual 8-pin CPU connectors, which guarantee stable and strong current delivered to the core processor. Moreover, the MSI Z690 Series motherboards have Server Grade PCB with 2oz thickened copper, which allows for higher transfer speed. (*1) The upgraded power phases typically have higher temperatures. However, heat dissipation isn't an issue for us. Our Z690 motherboards feature an Extended Heatsink, 7 W/mK thermal pad, and M.2 Shield Frozr. The MEG and MPG Series motherboards, which are popular among gamers all over the world, have Heat-pipe Design and double-side M.2 thermal that can drive maximum performance.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions today announced AORUS DDR5 5200 MHz 32 GB Memory Kit to support the latest Intel Z690 platform for the brand new level performance. AORUS Memory DDR5 32 GB 5200 MHz features two 16 GB DDR5 XMP 5200 MHz design to provide higher frequency and performance than native DDR5 memories. With GIGABYTE Z690 motherboards, it can further unlock the limitation of memory clock to enhance performance by DDR5 XMP Booster and XMP 3.0 User Profile. The new On-Die ECC feature of DDR5 highlights error correction which can detect and correct most common memory data damage to improve the stability of data. In addition, the copper-aluminium heatspreader with the nano-carbon coating can effectively reduce the heat generated by the memories under high-speed operation, offering excellent performance and avoiding instability from overheating.

AORUS DDR5 5200 MHz 32 GB Memory Kit features two 16 GB DDR5 XMP 5200 MHz dual-channel design, and just fit the support of DDR5 memory on Intel Z690 platform. The brand new memory architecture features high memory clock speed, low power consumption, which enable DDR5 XMP Booster function on AORUS DDR5 5200 MHz 32 GB Memory Kit with GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS motherboards. "DDR5 XMP Booster" can detect the brand of memory IC in the BIOS setting to allow users chose quickly from multiple built-in and pre-tuned memory overclocking profiles, boosting the native DDR or XMP DDR memory speed. Furthermore, "XMP 3.0 User Profile" enable users to create and store XMP profile on their own to unleash the extreme performance of memories.

EK, the premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer, and MSI, a world-leading gaming brand, have partnered up once again to launch the next-gen MSI CARBON motherboard and EK-Quantum monoblock combo. The brand new EK-Quantum MSI MPG Z690 CARBON EK X D-RGB is based on the latest Z690 chipset and supports Intel 12th gen Alder Lake CPUs, this motherboard offers unparalleled cooling for the CPU, VRM section, and the first slot m.2 SSD thanks to the purpose-designed monoblock.

MSI's world-class engineering team and EK's industry-leading thermal engineers worked together to improve the previous-gen solution and bring even more benefits to the newest Intel Alder Lake platform. The MPG Z690 Carbon EK X allows maximum performance without the noisy environment, providing you with countless hours of uninterrupted gameplay while monitoring the flow in your loop via the integrated flow indicator. And to make sure your first assembly goes without a hitch, an EK-Leak Tester was included in the package.

EVGA Z690 motherboards paired with 12th Gen Intel Core Series processors bring unprecedented overclocking performance and an unparalleled experience to PC gaming. The Intel Z690 Chipset supports the latest DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen5 standards, making these motherboards ready for the next generation of hardware. EVGA Z690 motherboards further elevate your system with a powerful digital-VRM design, multiple PCIe Gen4 M.2 NVMe options, right-angle power connectors, an award-winning BIOS, and overclocking world-records.

EVGA DARK motherboards blaze the trail for other boards to follow, and the Z690 DARK K|NGP|N is no exception. The ability to destroy world records is insignificant next to the power of a 21-phase VRM and a 10-layer PCB - capable of driving the most powerful 12th Gen Intel Core processors. With DDR5, PCIe Gen5, and PCIe Gen4 M.2 NVMe support, a new DARK age of overclocking will rise as quickly as new hardware becomes available. Multiple USB options, 8x SATA 6 Gb/s ports, 2x 2.5 Gbps NICs + Wi-Fi 6E / BT 5.1, 7.1 HD audio, 3x M.2 Key-M slots, and 2x pump headers exclusively built for CPU AIO cooling help round out everything else you need in a premium motherboard. The Z690 DARK K|NGP|N is today's choice for the future of overclocking and gaming.

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.

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 CoreTM 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 CoreTM 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.

ASUS' upcoming Z690 motherboards have been revealed and the company has put its product pages as well as posted additional details of most of its upcoming boards, which gives us a good look at where they're heading with the Z690-series. As mentioned before, ASUS has something like 30 different SKUs, so expect to spend some time to go over all the different models.

We're not going to spend too much time on the details right now and we suggest you head over to the source links and read up on the nitty gritty bits there. A few things to point out though is that ASUS appears to have worked on its own memory overclocking standard called AEMP, which is said to handle memory that lacks XMP profiles, which implies that Intel might not have had time to work with memory manufacturers to get XMP ready for DDR5. ASUS' ROG Maximus and ProArt motherboards feature dual PCIe 5.0 slots, whereas all other models only feature one, albeit obviously a single x16 or dual x8 slots. Some boards will feature Thunderbolt 4 and ASUS has even put a front connector on some of those, although we're not sure how that will work in terms of case compatibility.

Newegg has been on a roll this week when it comes to leaking pricing of upcoming motherboards and this time they've managed to out no less than seven upcoming models from Gigabyte. Unfortunately we didn't get a first hand view of the leaks, so we have to make do with what little information is available for now.

The pricing of the seven leaked boards ranges from US$199.99 to US$469.99, which is less painful than what we've seen so far from other brands. The base model is the Gigabyte Z690 UD DDR4, which even at US$199.99 is almost $50 more than the current Z590 UD board from the same retailer. Moving up a step, we have the Z690 Gaming X DDR4 at US$229.99, followed by the Z690 Aorus Elite AX DDR4 at US$269.99 and the Z690 Aero G DDR4 at US$289.99.

For those tired of Intel leaks, please look away now, as this is likely to be one of the last leaks before the official reveal later today. The final specifications, as well as pricing for the first six of Intel's 12th Gen Core CPUs has made an appearance online and the good news is that the official pricing isn't as bad as we've been led to believe, based on earlier leaks and it'll at least make up some of the cost increase of the Z690 motherboards over the Z590 models.

Spec wise, we're not looking at anything unexpected here, it simply verifies what has leaked so far, with one exception, maximum turbo power. Although the base TDP of all six CPUs is 125 W, it seems like Intel is using the maximum turbo power as yet another product differentiator, at least more so than it has previously. The Core i9 CPUs get a maximum turbo power of 241 W, whereas the Core i7's top out at 190 W and the Core i5's at 150 W. At least Intel is being open about it and the question is if it will have any affect on overclocking or not. Obviously having fewer CPUs cores would result in a lower power draw overall, but then the question is why the Core i5's have a base TDP of 125 W.

As we're getting closer to the reveal of Intel's 12-series of CPUs and the Z690 chipset, we're seeing more and more retailers leak pricing information about the various products and today pricing of some upcoming ASRock Z690 has leaked courtesy of Amazon UK. We're looking at a good spread of boards here, from the high-end Z690 Taichi to entry level Phantom Gaming 4, which should give a good idea on what to expect to pay based on where in the range the board is located.

The cheapest board of the eight is the Z690M Phantom Gaming 4 which is a DDR4 board and this mATX board comes in at £172.50, or about $238. Keep in mind that UK VAT is at 20 percent, so the pricing might not be directly comparable to US pricing. Next up we have the full-sized Z690 Phantom Gaming 4 which comes in at £213.50 or US$295, with the DDR5 version actually being slightly cheaper at £207.15 or US$286.

If you act quickly and live in Canada, you might be able to score an MSI Pro Z690-A DDR4 motherboard from Newegg Canada, as they currently have the board listed for sale. This gives us an official price for the MSI board, which also gives us a rough indication of what to expect in terms of a price bump over the Z590 boards.

Newegg Canada has the board listed for C$279.99 (US$227), which should be compared to the MSI Z590-A Pro, which is listed at C$234.99, or a price premium of C$45 or US$37. Considering that the boards are almost identical in terms of features as per our earlier look at the leaked image of the board, bar an extra M.2 slot and an additional PCIe x16 slot, it seems like we can expect a fairly steep price hike across the board (no pun intended) when it comes to Z690 motherboards, as these physical connectors are worth the additional hike in price.

Update: It would appear that Newegg has realised their mistake and the board is no longer listed for sale.

GIGABYTE is ready with its first AORUS-branded DDR5 memory kits. Pictured below is the first of its kind, which should give you an idea of the design for the series. The one pictured below is a DDR5-5200 two-module kit with 16 GB DIMMs, making up 32 GB, which is this generation's mainstream memory amount, as 16 GB (2x 8 GB) was for DDR4, and 8 GB for DDR3 (2x 4 GB). It features XMP 3.0, letting you effortlessly enable the advertised frequencies on a Z690 chipset motherboard. It's likely that the company designs other models with 8 GB DIMMs that have higher frequencies, or even 64 GB kits using "dual-rank" 32 GB DIMMs.

So far, all of the leaked Intel Z690 based motherboards have been void of anything from MSI, but now we get a look at some of their upcoming models courtesy of a couple of different leaks.This gives us a pretty good look at several different market segments from MSI, although none of its really high-end models have leaked yet.

MSI's product stack is a bit cryptic, as we have a pair of MEG boards, one MPG board, one MAG board and a more entry level Pro board. Starting from the bottom working our way up, the Pro Z690-A WiFi appears to be a slightly beefier version of its current Z590-A Pro, with DDR5 support, a pair of 8-pin 12 V EPS connectors, as well as a fourth M.2 slot for NVMe SSDs. We don't spot any real stand-out features on this board, but it looks fairly competent for the market segment.

GIGABYTE's AERO line of motherboards and notebooks target creators who like to game. The company is ready with a premium motherboard based on the Intel Z690 chipset, the Z690 AERO D. This has to be the prettiest looking motherboard we've come across in a long time, and it appears to have the chops to match this beauty. The Socket LGA1700 motherboard uses large ridged-aluminium heatsinks over the chipset, M.2 NVMe slots, and a portion of the rear I/O shroud. Aluminium fin-stack heatsinks fed by heat-pipes, cool the CPU VRM. You get two PCI-Express 5.0 x16 slots (x8/x8 with both populated). As an AERO series product, the board is expected to be loaded with connectivity relevant to content creators, although the box is missing a Thunderbolt logo. We expect at least 20 Gbps USB 3.2x2 ports, and 10 GbE networking, Wi-Fi 6E.

With only about two weeks until Intel's official launch of its Alder Lake CPUs and the Z690 chipset, it would appear that the leaks are getting kicked up a notch and the latest leak is a rather intriguing one to say the least. Gigabytes Z690 Aorus Xtreme is a rather unusual looking motherboard, in as much as you can make a motherboard that look unusual, least not with regards to the slot placement, but also for the peculiar cover over the DRAM slots.

It's not quite clear what the function of the memory cover is beyond aesthetics, if any, but it seems unlikely that it has an integrated LCD screen, although not unthinkable. Pretty much the entire board is covered in either metal or plastic, which makes this look like a real chore to build, at least if you're planning on using M.2 SSDs. The standout feature here is that the board features a pair of PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, although as per current consumer boards, the bandwidth would be shared between the slots if the second one is used, so both slots end up as x8 slots. There's also a third PCIe x16 slot, but no indication of the bandwidth available to it.