The Intel Z690 Motherboard Overview (DDR4): Over 30+ New Models

ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WIFI D4 & Z690-Plus D4 (DDR4)

As it currently stands at the time of writing, ASUS's more wallet-friendly TUF Gaming series is limited to support for DDR4 memory. Whether ASUS intends to launch TUF Gaming models in the future with DDR5 support remains to be seen, however. The ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WIFI D4 and Z690-Plus D4 share the same core feature set, PCB, aesthetic, and layout, with the only difference being that the Wi-Fi model is using an Intel Wi-Fi 6 CNVi. For the aesthetic, ASUS has gone with a black and grey patterned PCB, black and grey alternating memory slots, with black brushed aluminum power delivery heatsinks, and a matte black rear panel cover and chipset heatsink. There's limited RGB LED lighting with a set of LEDs built-in underneath the chipset heatsink.

Looking at expansion support, the TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WIFI and Z690-Plus include one full-length PCIe 5.0 x16, one full-length PCIe 3.0 x4, one half-length PCIe 3.0 x4, and two smaller PCIe 3.0 x1 slots. Storage options include four PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots, with four SATA ports with support for RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 arrays. In the top right-hand corner is a total of four memory slots, with support for DDR4-5333 and a maximum capacity of up to 128 GB.

The ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus Gaming WIFI includes an Intel Wi-Fi 6 CNVI, which is the only difference between both models. Aside from that, both Z690 TUF Gaming models share the same connectivity on the rear panel including one USB 3.2 G2x2 Type-C, one USB 3.2 G2 Type-C, two USB 3.2 G2 Type-A, and four USB 3.2 G1 Type-A ports. Powering the audio is an unspecified Realtek HD audio codec which includes five 3.5 mm audio jacks and S/PDIF optical output, while ASUS also includes a DisplayPort and HDMI video output pairing. Wired networking capability comes via a single Intel I225-V 2.5 GbE controller.