For a few generations now, the mid-range ROG Strix ZXXX-A Gaming boards hit the market with a black and silver theme vastly totally different from Asus’ black-and-red ROG-themed boards. The Asus ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming WiFi D4 continues that custom and provides high quality {hardware} on prime it. At a present worth of round $320, it’s the least costly entry level to Asus’ premium ROG line. The motherboard comes stocked with 4 M.2 sockets, high-quality audio bits, quick networking and Wi-Fi, succesful energy supply, and is prepared for any Alder Lake processor.
With the newest BIOS (1601), our Z690-A Gaming WIFI D4 carried out very nicely in our testing suite. The Procyon Workplace check outcomes are a few of the quickest we’ve seen, and the board was above common throughout many of the relaxation. Gaming efficiency was additionally spot on in comparison with the opposite Z690- and B660-based motherboards. The Strix additionally overclocked our Intel Core i9-12900K with out concern. Total, this can be a well-performing motherboard throughout all kinds of benchmarks, and it doesn’t use a lot energy within the course of.
We’ll take a deep dive into the options to see what makes this board tick and see if this mid-range possibility finds a house on our greatest motherboards listing or is even a worthwhile Z690 DDR4 possibility. However earlier than that, listed below are the board’s detailed specs, direct from the Asus web site.
Specs: Asus ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming WIFI D4
| Socket | LGA1700 |
| Chipset | Z690 |
| Type Issue | ATX |
| Voltage Regulator | 17 Section (16+1 80A DrMOS MOSFETs for Vcore) |
| Video Ports | HDMI (v2.1) |
| DisplayPort (v1.4 – 8K@60Hz) | |
| USB Ports | (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, Sort-C (20 Gbps) |
| (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2, Sort-C (10 Gbps) | |
| (2) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) | |
| (4) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) | |
| (2) USB 2.0 (480 Mbps) | |
| Community Jacks | (1) 2.5 GbE |
| Audio Jacks | (5) Analog |
| Legacy Ports/Jacks | ✗ |
| Different Ports/Jack | ✗ |
| PCIe x16 | (1) v5.0 (x16) |
| (1) v3.0 (x4) | |
| PCIe x8 | ✗ |
| PCIe x4 | ✗ |
| PCIe x1 | (2) v.3.0 (x1) |
| CrossFire/SLI | AMD 2-Method CrossFireX |
| DIMM Slots | (4) DDR4 5333+(OC), 128GB Capability |
| M.2 Sockets | (1) PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) / PCIe (as much as 110mm) |
| (1) PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) / PCIe (as much as 80mm) | |
| (1) PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) / PCIe + SATA (as much as 110mm) | |
| (1) PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) / PCIe + SATA (as much as 80mm) | |
| Helps RAID 0/1/5 | |
| U.2 Ports | ✗ |
| SATA Ports | (6) SATA3 6 Gbps (Helps RAID 0/1/5/10) |
| USB Headers | (1) USB v3.2 Gen 2×2, Sort-C (20 Gbps) |
| (1) USB v3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) | |
| (2) USB v2.0 (480 Mbps) | |
| Fan/Pump Headers | (8) 4-Pin (CPU, CPU OPT, AIO Pump, Chassis) |
| RGB Headers | (3) AURA aRGB (3-pin) |
| (1) RGB (4-pin) | |
| Diagnostics Panel | (4) POST LEDs |
| Inner Button/Change | ✗ |
| SATA Controllers | ✗ |
| Ethernet Controller(s) | Intel I225-V (2.5 GbE) |
| Wi-Fi / Bluetooth | Intel AX201 Wi-Fi 6 (2×2 ax, MU-MIMO, 2.4/5/6 GHz, 160 MHz, BT 5.2) |
| USB Controllers | ASMedia ASM1074 |
| HD Audio Codec | Realtek ALC4080 (w/ Savitech SV3H712 Amp) |
| DDL/DTS | ✗ / DTS Sound Unbound |
| Guarantee | 3 Years |
Contained in the Field of the Asus ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming WIFI D4
Contained in the motherboard field are a number of equipment supposed to get your system up and operating with no journey to the shop. Whereas there’s nothing that stands out on this accent stack, you’ll discover SATA cables, Q-latch for M.2, the driving force DVD, and extra. Under is a whole listing of the included equipment.
- (4) SATA cables
- Wi-Fi antenna
- Cable ties pack
- M.2 rubber bundle
- M.2 Q-Latch
- ROG Key chain/stickers
- Help DVD
- Person Information
Design of the Z690-A Gaming
The ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming WIFI D4 and it’s black and silver design are what I wish to name an Asus one-off. All the different ROG and ROG Strix boards sport the signature black-on-black/crimson theme, whereas this one appears extra like their Prime sequence, however on steroids. Above the VRMs and rear IO space is a big heatsink with a cool-looking RGB characteristic on prime with the ROG Strix branding shining by.
The remainder of the 6-layer PCB, together with the PCIe and DRAM slots, is black though the first PCIe slot does use reinforcement and is silver. The heatsink overlaying the chipset additionally has a singular design with a velcro strip looping by the heatsink as an alternative of your commonplace heatsink design. For these trying to purchase a premium ROG-class motherboard however want a contrasting black-on-silver aesthetic, it’s an excellent various to the opposite ROG/Strix boards (which might be additionally dearer).
Beginning on the prime on the left facet, we run into the 2 8-pin EPS connectors (one required) that energy the processor. The primary characteristic is the big VRM heatsink with the distinctive RGB characteristic on prime sporting a brushed aluminum end round it. The heatsink has a variety of mass and floor space and is greater than enough to maintain the ability bits beneath operating in spec.
Above the highest VRM heatsink are the primary two (of eight) 4-pin fan headers. Right here we discover the CPU_FAN and CPU_OPT headers, with the remaining scattered strategically across the board. All fan headers are Q-Fan managed, minus the AIO_PUMP (full-speed) and output as much as 1A/12W. There are many headers to go round, however I wish to see at the very least one with elevated output to piggyback some followers or energy a extra strong pump for customized water cooling.
Transferring to the appropriate, previous the socket, we stumble upon 4 unreinforced DRAM slots that lock on each ends. The board helps as much as 128GB of RAM, with speeds listed as much as DDR4-5333(OC) – one of many larger values we’ve seen. Utilizing our DDR4-4000 package, we didn’t run into any points, however reaching these speeds requires the appropriate package and an excellent IMC, in order at all times, your mileage could range.
In white, simply above the DRAM slots, are the primary two (of 4) RGB headers. Right here we discover spy a 3-pin Aura ARGB header and a 4-pin RGB header. Wanting down the appropriate edge, we run into the Q-LED characteristic that tells you if there’s a drawback throughout POST. Under that’s the 24-pin ATX connector to energy the board, a entrance panel USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps) connector and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) header.
One other characteristic price noting is the helpful Q-Launch button to unlock the PCIe slot. Typically, there’s little or no house to push the usual PCIe locking mechanism down, and that’s the case right here. Grandet, most individuals don’t swap graphics playing cards or take away them with any frequency, however the buttom mechanism right here remains to be useful whenever you do.
Energy supply on the Z690-A Gaming WIFI D4 consists of 17-phases, with 16 devoted to Vcore. Energy comes from the EPS connectors to Asus’ DIGI+ VRM (ASP2100 10-channel controller) after which on to the 16 80A Vishsay SIC659 DrMOS MOSFETs. The 1,280 Amps out there to the processor are lots to overclock the flagship Intel Core i9-12900KS and we had zero points overclocking our equally power-hungry i9-12900K. As has been the case with Alder Lake, more often than not you’re restricted by the cooling answer, not energy supply.
On the underside half of the board, left, is the audio part, remoted from the remainder of the board by the audio line shielding most boards have today. Hidden beneath the chrome Faraday cage is the SupremeFX chip that’s primarily based on the premium Realtek ALC4080 codec. Entrance panel output is dealt with by a Savitech SV3H712 amplifier, designed to drive all kinds of headphones. This is likely one of the higher audio implementations at this worth level.
In the midst of the board are three PCIe slots and 4 M.2 sockets, every with heatsinks. Beginning with the PCIe slots, there are two full-length slots on the board, with the bolstered prime slot designated as the first for graphics playing cards. The highest slot connects to the CPU and runs at PCIe 5.0 x16 speeds, whereas the underside full-length slot connects by the chipset and runs at PCIe 3.0 x4. The x1 slot within the center additionally connects by the chipset and runs at PCIe 3.0 x1. This configuration helps AMD Crossfire expertise.
Unfold round and between the PCIe slots are 4 M.2 sockets, all of which have a heatsink to maintain the warm-running units cool. The highest socket connects by the CPU and runs as much as PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps), holding as much as 110mm modules. The remainder of the sockets join by the chipset and run at a most of PCIe 4.0 x4. Moreover, all of them maintain as much as 80mm modules. M.2_4 helps PCIe and SATA storage. We like that flexibility, as a result of many boards solely assist PCIe M.2 modules. If you wish to RAID the NVMe, the Z690-A Gaming WIFI D4 helps RAID0/1/5 modes. Alongside the appropriate edge are six SATA connectors that may run in RAID0/1/5/10 modes on the 4 native ports. The opposite two, SATA6G_E1-2 are supported by an ASMedia controller.
Throughout the underside of the board are a number of uncovered headers. You’ll discover the standard, together with extra USB ports and RGB headers right here. Under is a whole listing of headers, from left to proper.
- Entrance panel audio
- 4-pin chassis fan header
- (2) 3-pin AURA ARGB headers
- Thunderbolt header
- (2) USB 2.0 headers
- 2-pin temperature sensor
- TPM header (above CHA followers)
- (2) 4-pin chassis followers
- Entrance Panel
The rear IO space comes with a pre-installed IO plate sporting a white background. The ports and branding are in black or gray, so they’re simple to learn. In complete, there are 10 USB ports: a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps) Sort-C and Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Sort-C ports, 4 blue USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) ports, two (crimson) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) ports and two USB 2.0 ports (the underside is used for BIOS Flashback performance. On the left are the video outputs, Displayport and HDMI. To the appropriate and beneath the USB 2.0 ports are the BIOS Flashback and Clear CMOS buttons. Further ports embody the two.5 GbE, the Wi-Fi 6 antenna connectors, and the 5-plug analog audio stack.
MORE: Finest Motherboards
