The Intel Z690 Motherboard Overview (DDR5): Over 50+ New Models
by Gavin Bonshor on November 9, 2021 9:00 AM ESTBiostar Z690 Valkyrie (DDR5)
Despite not having a large stack at the moment, Biostar has launched three Z690 models for Intel's Alder Lake desktop platform. The most premium of these and subsequently the only one of the three that has support for DDR5 memory is the Z690 Valkyrie. The Biostar Z690 Valkyrie has a sort of 'anime' look to it, with a primarily black theme and colorful elements with RGB enabled backlighting in the rear panel cover and chipset heatsink. The Z690 Valkyrie combines a decent controller set, along with all the typical Z690 and 12th gen features such as PCIe 5.0, and of course support for the latest DDR5 memory.
The Biostar Z690 Valkyrie has plenty of PCIe slot expansion slot real estate, including two full-length PCIe 5.0 slots that can operate at x16 and x8/x8, with a third full-length PCIe 4.0 x4 slot. Storage options include a total of four PCIe M.2 slots, including three PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots, one PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slot, and eight SATA ports. Biostar also includes four memory slots which can be found in the top right-hand corner, with support for DDR5-6000 and a maximum capacity of up to 128 GB.
On the rear panel is a high-speed USB 3.2 G2x2 Type-C port and a total of seven USB 3.2 G2 Type-A, with plenty of options for integrated graphics. For those users, Biostar includes two DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.0 video outputs which shows lots of potential integrated GPU support. On the networking front, there's one Realtek RTL8125B 2.5 GbE port, and although it has the connectors for a Wi-Fi 6E CNVi, Biostar isn't clear on whether the Z690 Valkyrie actually includes the CNVi; the rear panel says yes, but the specifications say no Wi-Fi 6E card is included. Finishing off the rear panel are five 3.5 mm audio jacks and S/PDIF optical output powered by a Realtek ALC1220 HD audio codec, as well as a PS/2 combo port.
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meacupla - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
I think it's because PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 require better quality traces, and shielding to maintain signal quality.AM4 X570 boards had quite a sticker shock when they came out too. The price increase was thanks to PCIe 4.0 requiring higher quality traces. This price increase was also reflected in B550 boards, so you can expect the same.
DanNeely - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
Better quality PCBs and/or a lot more signal boosters. A few years ago there was speculation that PCIe5 might be too expensive to implement to show up on consumer boards at all. I'll be really interested in seeing if/how much future generations extend it to all the other locations; because CPU-slot 1 slot1-slot 3/4 for bifurcated are the shortest runs.DigitalFreak - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
I'm guessing that's one of the reasons that Intel only did PCIe 5 for the x16 GPU slot and not the NVMe drive or the chipset.KarlKastor - Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - link
5 cm to the first slot can't cost much. There are no active components used. In the past almost every Z-board had X8/x8 option. Now most don't have.Silver5urfer - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
Looks - DARK #1, XTREME #2, APEX #3 this time ASUS really ruined their design, insane gamerboy trash look too much bling. Their Z590 Apex was superb, shame.Features - MSI and ASRock only are giving TB4 ports on the Top end range - Ace / Taichi. Nobody else, for that Gigabyte gives them on Xtreme, same for ASUS on Extreme as well. EVGA as usual, and 10G LAN is still not common.
Also none of the boards have PLX chips, I mean the Z690 has a lot of bandwidth esp those PCIe5.0 lanes, we could have got 4xPCIe x8 full lanes with more circuitry to enable more. All they give is basic x16 GPU lanes like always and a PCIe NVMe Slot from CPU. Utter shame.
Plus only MSI and ASRock are giving PCIe4.0x4 lanes on the PCIe slots nobody else is doing which is even more a bummer, I think the reasoning is probably since the board has ton of I/O on NVMe side they do not give it. But boy that DARK has Horrible laning, wtf is that ? Single slot for PCIe5.0 and not even having reinforced slots for the 2nd slot look at GB they give full steel armor and many others do. Too much greed. They also have Post code LED issues since Z490 can you beleive it ? Z490, Z590 and even their rip off X570 has LED failures, just check their forum. ASUS and MSI on the other hand use that garbage ALC4080 series again, it has horrible trash issues, pop ins, nonsensical EMI issues, insane driver problems all over the place. ASRock and GB use ALC1200 which is much better but this time GB is saving money on the Audio I/O by no 7.1 and other options not even on Master. Utter shame from all these companies. ASUS ROG series Z690 has Noctua clearance issues, they never had that but now they have, I bet it's all for that extra crappy bling.
Finally the price, EVGA will rip off, their X570 is too damn expensive at $700+ with tax, that's a LOT and the USB I/O is pathetic on them just 6 ports, also unlike Z590 of their they removed NVMe to just 2 slots, and even the bifurcation on the X570 board will cut the GPU lanes. DARK will be at same APEX cost over $800. MSI ACE and GB Master / Tachyon (last time with Z590 it had poor DIMM tuning no 11900K could get 3866MHz G1, I hope they improved here) might be better options tbh. Also the VRM cooling Z590 had 2 boards with that awfulness, Z590 DARK and OC Formula, idk why they want to ruin the board with such crappy decisions of adding failure prone components for no reason. Lastly I hope EVGA is not going with doublers BS on DARK, even ASUS dropped it from Z590 Apex.
Now the last aspect, is this platform worth ? Nope. From my analysis the only reason to buy Alder Lake is for those who are stuck on 2600K or even more relaxing 7th gen since it's 4C era and 300 series chipsets gets at-least 9900K option. That too if they are starving for some uplift and I/O. All the folks on X470, X570, B550 or Z390, Z490/Z590 do not need this at all you know already as a fact for this by now.
You get improved DMI sure, more NVMe sure without cutting GPU lanes, yep fantastic. But you want to play into Intel's 1511 debacle ? NBR forum and other places had people modifying the MLC capacitors on the Socket back to make a damn Z170 run 9700K, that's from 6th to 9th gen btw, yeah that's how Intel is. And you are paying a top premium here. A DDR5 is worthless today, a few SMT workloads only you will see that too production with limited set. So a DDR4 is sane right ? Yep but as I said the socket longevity is unknown, it's up in the air for Intel, LGA1700 has physically 1800pin support, so Raptor Lake might be a direct slot in, but what about after that ? Meteor Lake and Lunar Lake they hint even more crappy E cores but it's a new P core too. So you will not only be relegated to a DDR4 locked system but also a premature expensive DDR5 system.
If anyone is waiting for the DDR5 era, they should wait more. Once Zen 4 comes with AM5, we will see how DDR5 shapes up. I didn't even mention the cost because it's already known. And buying a DDR4 board pairing it with an i7 12700K is bad. So that's what I feel like. On top E cores do not do anything it's all P cores that are carrying Alder Lake processors.
Finally the OC, 12900K is too hot, the density is very high heat and it pulls ton of current. The proof is 200W-240 on 10900K will be 75C, this ADL it will be more than 80C, once you get 300W it will shoot to 100C easily, hotter than Rocket Lake. And Intel binning very tight, all core OC 5.2GHz is max, you can go high but 360mm MSI latest AIO is peaking at 90C when you run a high load, yes this is not gaming. But that's the state of 10nmESF which is why Intel put only 8 P cores. 12700K may have a bit more but it's just losing the E cores and lower P bins, so you won't even get more, i5 12600K sure but it's again a mid range CPU, running on an Apex with that on an AIO is even more stupid just because you can clock high that also bin dependent.
Anyways that's all for now, hope this helps someone.
Silver5urfer - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
I forgot SATA ports, Intel Z690 has 8xSATA but nobody except EVGA is offering those, WTH ? I thought finally Intel is adding more on top they are adding some RAID features too. AMD RAID as per Level1techs was jank. Now Intel gives more SATA and more NVMe OEMs simply drop SATA. Unfortunate. Plus look how they are gimping the x4 length slot with Gen3 and not Gen4 offerings, HBA SAS Expansion is the option there without cutting GPU lanes, but natively they should have for such a damn I/O beast chipset.KarlKastor - Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - link
They use the IO-Lanes for PCIe instead SATA.Gen3 instead Gen4 I saw just with ASRock. Most Boards have 4 Gen4 M.2 or a Gen4 x4 Slot.
DigitalFreak - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
TLDRIf you buy into the Intel ecosystem, you already know that you're only going to get 1 or 2 CPU generations out of a motherboard. Even AMD, who have been using AM4 for 5 generations now don't have backward compatibility back to the beginning of the socket. They don't support sticking a 5000 series CPU in an X370 motherboard, for example.
Silver5urfer - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
Throw everything out and stick with what makes Intel Intel lol. X370 hmm, that was a pile of junk because nobody trusted AMD. And even still that can run R9 3900X, can any Z170 officially run 8700K or 9900K ? Nope so there goes your omg Ryzen 5000 doesn't support so does Intel pathetic.. Same pins on LGA151x still they shafted everyone out proof is the notebooks which modded the socket and BIOS and made them work.How long people will excuse BS that Intel pulls off ? Well we have dumb bovine consumers who just jump into shiny new toys like Alder Lake which serves no purpose except to create the hype for Intel.
Wrs - Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - link
I've only ever used the AMD platform 3 times in my life. K7 Thunderbird, K8 Athlon64 x2 on s939, and Ryzen 5000 on AM4. But all three times, I haven't/don't expect to upgrade the CPU on the same motherboard. It's just not worth the hassle for marginal clock gains or to bump one generation, if I even get that. So I don't view what Intel does as evil. They start with a cleaner slate than if they carry the baggage of socket compatibility. Intel and AMD carry enough x86 baggage as it is. I can feel the weight of the aging AM4. Limited socket current. Limited chipset aggregate throughput. A fan just to support PCIe 4 on secondary slots. Stuff that could be easily fixed by adding more socket pins relative to 5 years ago.