ASUS ROG Z690 Motherboards

Without a doubt, many of you most likely skipped straight to this page as ASUS ROG motherboards are very popular, of which some is earned and some is simply marketing, but no matter how you look at it, it's hard to deny that ASUS ROG motherboards have made a name for themselves. So far, ASUS has released details of 10 different ROG boards, but there might be as many as 16 different SKUs in total. It's getting hard to figure out some of the differences here, as ASUS has too many similar boards and some are even sold at exactly the same price point. Before we delve into the new boards, let's take a look at a couple of new features some of the ROG boards have been equipped with.

Possibly the most discussed of ASUS's new features is the Q-Release button, a mechanical means of releasing the graphics card latch by pressing a button located in a more convenient position. Note that the Strix Z690-G Gaming and Strix Z690-I Gaming don't feature the Q-Release button. Another feature ASUS is promoting is the ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile, or AEMP, which is an additional memory-tuning feature on top of Intel's XMP, and ASUS claims to have worked closely with ADATA, Corsair, Crucial, GEiL, G.Skill, Kingston, Klevv, and Teamgroup to get the most out of their DRAM modules. It's not clear how this works, so we're going to have to wait for some reviews to see if it makes a difference or not, but it's said to help overclock non-XMP modules even if not that familiar with overclocking. ASUS has also implemented support for LGA1200 coolers on their boards, although the company states that you might need a special bracket to use those mounting holes due to the lower Z-height of the LGA1700 socket, so make sure you pay attention if you decide to use a cooler with older mounting hardware as it might not provide optimal fit and cooling performance.

ASUS ROG Strix Z690-G Gaming WiFi

Going by cost, the ROG Strix Z690-G Gaming WiFi, which is a mATX board, is one of two ROG models that will retail for around $350, which seems like a lot of money for what you get. Although we're looking at something a lot more feature-packed than the Prime Z690M-Plus D4, it feels rather ordinary overall. The slot configuration consists of a single PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, PCIe 4.0 x16 slot with four lanes, PCIe 3.0 x1 slot, and three PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe slots. The board also has six SATA ports, single USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) port, another USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) port, and a front panel connector for a second USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) port. As you'll see with many of the ROG boards, ASUS has moved to using the Realtek ALC4080 USB audio codec and Savitech SV3H712 amp as their new premium audio solution, which provides support for 32-Bit/384 kHz audio. Finally, there's support for DDR5 WiFi 6E and 2.5 Gbps, although none of these are standout features when it comes to Z690 motherboards. At least you get a rear-mounted BIOS FlashBack button and a Clear CMOS button, but ASUS has made some changes here, and we're looking at tiny, hard to reach buttons. That said, you at least won't press them by mistake. Overall, we expected more, especially as this is ASUS's only mATX entry in the ROG family.

ASUS ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming D4

At least the next entry is a little bit more interesting, as the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming D4, once again with or without WiFi, brings things up a notch over the Prime and TUF series of boards. As the model name suggests, this is a DDR4 board, so it should be suitable for anyone wanting to keep their high-end DDR4 memory for a new build. What caught our eye aside from the silver/white/black aesthetics was the little tab attached to the heatsink. It doesn't seem to have a functional purpose, rather something ASUS has evolved from their previous Z590 boards, and hopefully removing it won't void the warranty. Despite being a full ATX motherboard, we're looking at almost the same slot configuration as on the ROG Strix Z690-G Gaming, with the secondary x16 slot only being PCIe 3.0 x4 as the PCIe 4.0 lanes have been used for a fourth M.2 NVMe slot. We once again have a rear USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) port, as well as a front header for another one. The audio is similar as on the ROG Strix Z690-G Gaming as well, but the optical S/PDIF is oddly enough missing. We once again find the new, smaller BIOS FlashBack and CMOS reset buttons around the back, and this is also the first board with the Q-Release button for the GPU latch. At a slightly lower price point, this could be a good board for anyone looking to keep their DDR4 memory from an older system as they're upgrading, but it feels a bit weak for a ROG board, especially at the $350 price point.

ASUS ROG Strix Z690-F Gaming WiFi

Stepping up to the $400 price bracket, we find the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-F Gaming WiFi, which at first glance looks like a black version of the Strix Z690-A Gaming D4, although with DDR5 support. The only real visual difference otherwise is the return of the optical S/PDIF out, and this being the first board ASUS claims supports DDR5 memory speeds of over 6000 MHz, or 6400 MHz to be precise. Even ASUS appears to have a hard time telling the two SKUs apart based on their own comparison of the two models, which makes this a bit of an odd product in the stack. At the current $50 price premium, you're really going to have to care about the color scheme, potentially better memory overclocking, and the S/PDIF out for this to be a sensible purchase.

ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WiFi

At $440, we find what in many ways is the most interesting Z690 motherboard from ASUS, the ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WiFi. It is a Mini-ITX board packed to the brim with features for its size. This is obviously a DDR5 board, and due to its diminutive size, ASUS decided to add a stacked layer of boards just above the x16 PCIe 5.0 slot which not only houses the onboard audio, but also a pair of PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe slots. We're a bit concerned about the cooling of the M.2 drive that has to sit in the middle of this sandwich, but have seen similar designs from ASUS in the past, although this is a first where we see them use a ribbon cable to connect the top SSD to the main PCB. The motherboard itself features a 10-layer PCB, which is something of a must on such a tiny board considering it also sports two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a rather interesting solution for adding the SATA ports. At the front of the PCB is a pair of vertically mounted USB-C ports to which a small PCI housing four SATA connectors, case front panel connectors, and an ARGB header connects. This is very much a first and makes clever use of what little space is available, although it technically goes against the "allowed" usage of USB-C ports and could potentially cause some confusion. Once again, ASUS has gone with the same audio chip setup as on previous boards, but this time around, you only get three audio outputs around the back, though an S/PDIF connector is also present. There are no additional USB-C ports around the back, but the two Thunderbolt 4 ports should hopefully be enough even if they don't seem to do double duty as DisplayPort outputs for some reason. However, the board has a single HDMI 2.1 port. Overall an interesting board, if somewhat on the pricey side for what you get.

ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi

The fifth and final Strix board is the ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi, and we're now moving into high-end territory, at least price-wise, as it'll set you back around $470. What we're looking at is a refined Strix Z690-F Gaming with more of everything, but we're not sure that any of it justifies the higher price point. For starters, we're looking at more slots, which consists of a single PCIe 5.0 x16/x8 slot, single PCIe 4.0 x16 slot at x4 or x4/x4—we'll explain the latter later—a single PCIe 3.0 x16 at x4, and single PCIe 3.0 x1 slot. The somewhat interesting thing from ASUS here is that the top M.2 slot shares bandwidth with the x16 PCIe 5.0 slot, thus making this one of few motherboards with the ability to use an as of yet unavailable PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD; as such, ASUS has added an extra-fancy heatsink with a built-in heatpipe here. The other two M.2 NVMe slots all connect via PCIe 4.0. As far as the USB-C ports, display connectivity, networking, and audio goes, we're looking at the same features as the other boards in the Strix sub-family of boards. However, ASUS also bundles a Hyper M.2 card for an additional two SSDs that slots into the PCIe 4.0 slot, which is why the slot can operate in x4/x4, as each SSD gets a dedicated four lanes of PCIe bandwidth rather than sharing eight lanes from a x8 slot owing to chipset limitations that don't allow more than four lanes from Intel's HSIO standard. If you're planning on getting a lot of fast storage, this is likely the board for you, but for most other users, it might be a bit overkill.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero

We're now moving into "real" ROG territory, and this is also where pricing starts to get a bit ridiculous as it's time for us to take a look at the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero, a $600 "entry level" Maximus board. Considering the extra $130 asking price, we're surprised that this is more of a sidegrade than a big upgrade over the ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi, as we're looking at the same peculiar x4/x4 PCIe 4.0 slot and a bundled ROG Hyper M.2 for two SSDs, plus two PCIe 5.0 slots that would operate at x8 if both slot are used. The board has a further three M.2 slots, with two being PCIe 4.0 and one using the older PCIe 3.0 standard for a total of five NVMe drives being supported. The "big" upgrade is the inclusion of two Thunderbolt 4 ports around the back, but you also still get one case connector for a front-mounted USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) port. ASUS has also upgraded the audio solution with a Realtek ALC4082 codec and an ESS Sabre 9018Q2C DAC. This is also the first board with full-sized BIOS FlashBack and Clear CMOS buttons around the back, and there's a POST80 debug LED and an onboard power and Flex key button. This board is even bundled with an ROG USB drive loaded with the drivers for the board. If Thunderbolt is something you need, the ProArt Z690-Creator is by far the cheapest route to go, although you do get more high-speed storage options here, but you're clearly paying a premium for the branding. That said, there are at least a few differentiators that might make it a worthwhile purchase.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Apex

This is territory where the motherboard costs more than a Core i9-12900K, as ASUS is asking for around $720 for the ROG Maximus Z690 Apex and we still have three more SKUs to go. This is ASUS's two-DIMM motherboard for the best-possible memory performance and overclocking, at least according to Intel documentation claiming that two DIMMs will allow for higher memory clocks. That said, ASUS seems to be "limiting" itself to 6600 MHz for the time being, but this might change with future UEFI updates. The slot configuration is getting quite complex at this stage, with a pair of PCIe 5.0 slots operating in x16/x0 or x8/x8 mode and a PCIe 3.0 x4 slot and a PCIe 3.0 x1 slot. This is also the first board to feature ASUS's DIMM.2 slot, which houses a pair of PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSDs in addition to the two on the motherboard itself. However, ASUS has also bundled a PCIe 5.0-capable Hyper M.2 card, although there's only support for a single SSD this time around, for a total of five. ASUS also bundles what it calls the "Voltician" with this board, which is a hardware-based USB oscilloscope for monitoring the Voltage rails and more of the motherboard. The audio is the same Realtek ALC4080 and Savitech SV3H712 amp as on so many other ASUS motherboards, and there's no Thunderbolt 4 or 10 Gbps Ethernet to be found here, so unless you're an overclocker, this board is most likely not for you.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Formula

Although ASUS is trying to sell the ROG Maximus Z690 Formula as the motherboard for white builds, it's very obviously using a black PCB—there's just a lot of white and silver plastic with metal attached to it. At $800, this is the price point where we used to find flagship motherboards, but no longer so, although ASUS has at least squeezed in a few extra features. The most obvious one based on a casual glance is that the VRM cooling can be liquid cooled courtesy of the CrossChill EK III VRM block. The board has a pair of PCIe 5.0 slots, once again operating in x16/x0 or x8/x8 mode, as well as a PCIe 4.0 slot that is operating in the same odd x4 or x4/x4 configuration as some of the other models from ASUS. Once again, we're looking at a maximum of five M.2 drives, but this time around, ASUS has thrown in yet another twist on the subject as the Hyper M.2 card can either support two PCIe 4.0 NVMe drives or a single PCIe 5.0 NVMe drive. The board-mounted slots consist of one PCIe 3.0 and two PCIe 4.0 slots, and the heatsink on the top slot features a 2-inch Livedash OLED display that can help diagnose any boot-up problems with the board. We also get a fully loaded board with support for 10 Gbps Ethernet, Thunderbolt 4, and the ALC4082 codec with an ESS Sabre 9018Q2C DAC. Even so, justifying the asking price is getting really tough, but this is likely going to be the flagship board to go for from ASUS unless you've just won the lottery.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme

This brings us to the ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme, which used to be ASUS flagship ROG model, but now comes in two SKUs, with the ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme Glacial sitting one notch higher. As most of the features are the same, we'll cover both boards together for simplicity's sake. Let's get the painful part out of the way since there's no doubt that for most people, these motherboards are simply unobtainable since the Maximus Z690 Extreme starts at $1,100 and the Glacial version goes for an insane $2,000, although we've seen even higher prices outside of the US. So what do you get for your money? Well, surprisingly, not a lot of extras compared to some of the much cheaper Maximus boards from ASUS, and we're frankly not quite sure how ASUS can ask for this kind of money here. The Extreme should be seen as something of a cross between the Apex and Formula, although the M.2 Hyper card is missing, but you get a DIMM.2 module for two PCIe 4.0 SSDs, with the top board-mounted M.2 slot being PCIe 5.0 compliant as it's shared with the PCIe x16 slot, which can also be configured as x8/x8, although not at the same time as a PCIe 5.0 SSD is being used. There are a further two PCIe 4.0 NVMe slots on the board for a total of five, and you'll also find a PCIe 3.0 x1 slot, 10 Gbps Ethernet, and Thunderbolt 4, with a front- mounted Thunderbolt 4 port for some reason, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps), same high-end audio solution, and LiveDash OLED, as on the Formula. You also get the Voltician bundled, a fan controller, USB-C audio DAC, screwdriver, and some other goodies, such as the USB drive. However, you're paying for things like ASUS's AniMe Matrix LED display that sits just behind the VRM, extra backplates for both SSDs, and the motherboard itself, and, in the case of the Glacial, the monoblock for liquid cooling. Yes, this motherboard is loaded to the brim with features, but the retail price is higher than the MSRP of a GeForce RTX 3080, which in all fairness costs a lot more in retail, but since when did motherboards cost as much or more than a high-end graphics card? However, it there might be an even more expensive Z690 coming from one of ASUS's competitors, but more on that later. But hey, if money is no object, this is the board for you.