The Intel Z690 Motherboard Overview (DDR5): Over 50+ New Models
by Gavin Bonshor on November 9, 2021 9:00 AM ESTASUS Prime Z690-P WIFI (DDR5) & Z690-P (DDR5)
Sitting at the entry-level of the Z690 models from ASUS for the launch of Intel's 12th generation of desktop processors are the ASUS Prime Z690-P WIFI and Prime Z690-P. Both of these models share an identical PCB and aesthetic, with all the same features except one. The Z690-P WIFI includes an Intel Wi-Fi 6 CNVi, while the Z690-P does not. Focusing on the design, the Prime Z690-P WIFI and Z690-P include a black and white patterned PCB, with simplistic silver heatsinks with diagonal lines that fit and match with the rest of the PCB. There is no fancy RGB LED lighting integrated into any section of the board, but ASUS does include three addressable RGB headers and two Aura RGB headers for users to add their own.
Included for PCIe support is a total of five slots that consists of one full-length PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, one full-length PCIe 4.0 x4 slot, two full-length PCIe 3.0 x4 slots, and one smaller PCIe 3.0 x1 slot. For storage, there's three PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots, with one of these supporting SATA drives too. Both the ASUS Prime Z690-P WIFI and Z690-P also include four straight-angled SATA ports that can support RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 arrays. ASUS has also provided four memory slots that are capable of supporting up to DDR5-6000, with a combined capacity of up to 128 GB.
The ASUS Prime Z690-P (without the Wi-Fi 6 CNVi that the Z690-P WIFI includes)
The only difference between both the Prime Z690-P WIFI and Z690-P is that the WIFI version includes an Intel Wi-Fi 6 CNVi, while the other does not. Everything else is the same, including one USB 3.2 G2x2 Type-C, one USB 3.2 G2 Type-A, two USB 3.2 G1 Type-A, and two USB 2.0 ports. There's also one Realtek RTL8125 2.5 GbE port, a PS/2 combo port, and five 3.5 mm audio jacks and S/PDIF optical output powered by an unspecified Realtek ALC HD audio codec.
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GeoffreyA - Saturday, November 13, 2021 - link
Certainly, there are tradeoffs, keeping a socket; but, as Mr. Tuvok would say, "Ryzen, you are an unending source of astonishment." There was a time when sockets even took CPUs from different manufacturers. I remember my Socket 7 motherboard, though I never tried it, could take a K5 and some Cyrix CPUs as well. Those 5x something, something. How things have changed.A short-lived socket can be a pain in the behind too. I was one of those unlucky folk who ended up with Socket 754 and missed out on dual-channel DDR and a long upgrade path. In any case, that computer went kaput after four years.
Oxford Guy - Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - link
Overclocking is for employees of motherboard companies.ECC RAM support should have been a standard feature from the beginning. Apple offered it on the Lisa in ‘83 and consumer computing has gone backward since.
Doublers, though... aren’t a bad thing as long as they’re implemented well — as I understand it. Better to have a good doubler implementation than a weak individual phase system. The main thing is to have a board meet the minimum spec for reliable (i.e. not overheating and/or failing) long-term support of its supported CPUs. Anything beyond that is unnecessary.
GeoffreyA - Saturday, November 13, 2021 - link
The problem with doublers is, they over-use it as a marketing technique to give the impression that a certain board has a large amount of phases.Oxford Guy - Saturday, November 13, 2021 - link
Weak phases with a mediocre/poor regulator aren’t necessarily better than ‘marketing phases’ via the use of doublers. That’s the case when the doublers are used a correctly.There are a lot of shenanigans, though — like not even utilizing the doubler fully but counting it as the doubling of phases. I also recall that one of the big tricks was putting extra chokes on the board to make it look like there are more phases.
GeoffreyA - Sunday, November 14, 2021 - link
Quite right, and one of the reasons why people have got to read a proper analysis of the VRM, or take a look at the lists on hardwareluxx for example.t.s - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
Wish Intel go with their atv12vo. Or like business lines from HP, Dell, Lenovo, etc. 6 or 8 pin.shabby - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
Mobo prices will go up even more, screw that.meacupla - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
In the long term, I think the cost for ATX12VO will be cheaper.ATX12VO PSU will be cheaper than a comparable quality ATX PSU.
The BoM for 12V to 5V and 12V to 3.3V converters would go down, if mobo makers decide to stick to a single, standardized design.
With the way things are looking, electricity prices are unlikely to go down and continue to go up.
DigitalFreak - Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - link
All ATX12VO is doing is shifting the cost from the PSU to the motherboard.Wrs - Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - link
If mobo makers can stick to one design why can't PSU makers? They already conform to ATX.ATX 12 VO increases costs for piecemeal upgraders because of the simple observation that PSUs outlive motherboards. The question would be whether the power savings are worth it. For prebuilts they're comparing power savings to 0 net component cost so 12VO is already the norm.