The Intel Z690 Motherboard Overview (DDR5): Over 50+ New Models
by Gavin Bonshor on November 9, 2021 9:00 AM ESTMSI MPG Z690 Carbon WIFI, Carbon EK X & Z690 Force WIFI
A part of MSI's MPG (MSI Performance Gaming) series, its Carbon WIFI model returns for Z690, with a strong feature set for gamers, content creators, and everyday users. The MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WIF combines a fancy all-black aesthetic with plenty of integrated RGB LED lighting built into the rear panel cover and chipset heatsink area.
The only difference between the Carbon and the Force opts for a lighter aesthetic with a wave of silver heatsinks throughout. Both models also boast a solid networking configuration, plenty of storage options, and lots of USB connectivity. There's also an MSI MPG Z690 Carbon EK X model which includes a custom EKWB monoblock and cools the power delivery, the top PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slot, and the processor too. The rest of the controllers and features are shared across all three models.
The MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WIFI (left) and MPG Z690 Force WIFI (right) motherboards
Looking at PCIe support, the MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WIFI and MSI MPG Z690 Force WIFI include two full-length PCIe 5.0 slots that can operate at x16 or x8/x8, with a full-length PCIe 3.0 x4 slot. Surrounding the PCIe slots and fully covered by M.2 heatsinks, there's four PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots, with a fifth PCI 3.0 x4/SATA slot for good measure. Other storage options include six SATA ports with support for RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 arrays. In terms of memory, the board includes four memory slots capable of supporting up to DDR5-6666, with a maximum combined capacity of up to 128 GB.
The MSI MPG Z690 Carbon EK X motherboard
The MSI MPG Z690 Carbon EK X shares the exact same PCB, features, and controller set as the Carbon WIFI and Force WIFI, but it has the added benefit of a custom EKWB monoblock with integrated RGB. This is designed to offer a cheaper alternative to users looking to use custom water cooling to keep the processor cool, but the EK X monoblock also keeps the power delivery and the top PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slot cool too.
On the rear panel of all three models is an impressive selection of input and output, including one USB 3.2 G2x2 Type-C, five USB 3.2 G2 Type-A, and four USB 2.0 ports. A pair of video outputs including one HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 allows users to leverage Intel's integrated graphics, while a Realtek ALC4080 HD audio codec powers five 3.5 mm and S/PDIF optical output. For networking, MSI includes one Intel I225-V 2.5 GbE controller, as well as an Intel AX210 Wi-Fi 6E CNVi. Finishing off the rear panel is a small clear CMOS button. The only difference between both models is the Carbon/Carbon EK X has a black preattached rear I/O shield, and the Force has a silver one.
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Flying Aardvark - Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - link
"essentially any board with "Thunderbolt 3" along with USB 3.2 2x2 basically get "USB4" status for free."TB3 can run USB 4.0 devices, while USB 3.2 2x2 should be able to, it would be capped at its 20Gbit/sec and run over the backwards compatibility protocol for USB. USB4 ports can be either 20 or 40Gb.
I wouldn't want just USB 4.0 ports as Apple has, capped at 20Gbps. We'll probably see some of that on the AMD side. The best thing is just to have TB3 or TB4 to be sure you have fullspeed 40Gbps ports.
KarlKastor - Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - link
Just optional. If you have Thunderbolt and 10 Gbit USB, you can call it USB 4. See Apple.OFelix - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
I agree. How come there are so few boards with USB4 or TB4 ?And how come the article doesn't mention them at all before it starts listing specific features of individual boards?
DigitalFreak - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
The only way to get USB4 on a PC was by using Intel's Thunderbolt 4 chipset (or having it built into Tiger Lake). Since Thunderbolt is kind of a niche thing on desktop PCs, motherboard makers aren't interested int spending the money on Intel's TB4 chip except in high end or specialty boards. I would assume there will be some third-party USB4 chips coming soon.OFelix - Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - link
Thanks for your reply.So USB4 was built in to Tiger Lake but its not built in to Alder Lake / Z690????
That would explain somethings but not explain why on earth Intel would do that or AnandTech would not think this major regression worth mentioning!!!
The main reason I want to upgrade from my Sky Lake system (which i purchased to get built in USB3) is to get USB4/TB4.
KarlKastor - Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - link
TB is only integrated in the mobile Dies. The Desktop Die has no TB.Alistair - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
DDR5 is not faster in almost every case, and there are no PCIe 5 devices (unlike when PCIe4 was launched at least you got video cards and storage immediately). Not really an advantage. Prices are too high also. Frankly I like PCIe 3.0 boards when they are under $100 USD.DigitalFreak - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
It's the same thing that happened during the DDR3 to DDR4 transition. The first DDR4 products weren't really any faster than the best DDR3. Eventually DDR4 speeds got faster and left DDR3 behind. Same thing will happen with DDR4 to DDR5.Kevin G - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
PCIe 4.0 support was significantly delayed on the desktop but it arrived in servers in 2017 (IBM Power9). AMD was planning on adopting PCIe 4.0 after Intel on the desktop but Intel's train wreck of their 10 nm manufacturing node derailed the chips what were going to add it (Ice Lake on desktop).I would expect both PCIe 5.0 graphics and storage by the end of 2022 on the desktop, though their benefits will be marginal outside of a few niches. (Single lane PCIe 5.0 chips for USB4/Thunderbolt 4 and 10 Gbit Ethernet vs. using four PCI 3.0 lanes are cost driven examples.)
Samus - Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - link
Kevin G - I agree, I think in a year there will be PCIe 5.0 devices, but the performance advantages, much like initial PCIe 4.0 devices (RTX 30xx, NVMe SSD's, etc) won't be there until 2023-2024, by which time this platform will already be replaced or significantly less expensive.I don't think Intel is looking to drive a lot of sales with this platform. Not many people are buying $3000 desktop PC's at the moment (and when you consider the platform alone is $500, with a $500 CPU on top of it, $3000 is pretty conservative considering most people buying something like this will want a $1000+ GPU, so that's $2000 for three components.)
Put in perspective, the last launch like this that had a lot of tech that you couldn't take advantage of right away was probably X58. PCIe 2.0 at a time no PCIe 2.0 products existed, and 36 lanes no less, left a ton of room to expand a platform that was already stacked to the gills with embedded tech. In fact it would be years before applications were fully optimized for the bandwidth offered by triple channel memory, let alone quad channel memory that Intel introduced on later HEDT platforms.
The difference though is X690 isn't even HEDT.