The Intel Z690 Motherboard Overview (DDR4): Over 30+ New Models
by Gavin Bonshor on November 24, 2021 2:00 PM ESTASRock Z690 Pro RS (DDR4)
The Pro RS series is a completely new model from ASRock which is debuting on Intel's Z690 platform. It is one of its simplest models in terms of aesthetics and features and targets users on a budget looking to make the most of Alder Lakes big P and little E cores. Focusing on the aesthetic, the ASRock Z690 Pro RS has a black and grey patterned PCB, with black heatsinks, and an RGB enabled chipset heatsink.
The ASRock Z690 Pro RS has three full-length slots, including one operating at PCIe 5.0 x16, one at PCIe 4.0 x4, and one at PCIe 3.0 x4, with one smaller PCIe 3.0 x1 slot. The Pro RS, the Steel Legend, and Extreme Z690 DDR4 models share pretty much the same feature set, with eight SATA ports, and three M.2 slots. The M.2 slot array includes two with support for PCIe 4.0 x4 drives, with one operating at PCIe 3.0 x4 with support for SATA too. For memory, there are four memory slots capable of supporting DDR4-5000, with a combined capacity of up to 128 GB.
The rear panel has no Type-C connectivity, but ASRock does include a front panel USB 3.2 G2x2 Type-C header. In terms of what is on the rear panel, there are two USB 3.2 G2 Type-A, two USB 3.2 G1 Type-A, and two USB 2.0 ports. ASRock includes a pair of video outputs for integrated graphics users including an HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 output, with a Realtek ALC897 HD audio codec powering three 3.5 mm audio jacks. Networking is handled by a single Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5 GbE controller, while the Z690 Pro RS also includes a PS/2 combo port and a small BIOS Flashback button.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
42 Comments
View All Comments
ikjadoon - Wednesday, November 24, 2021 - link
Gigabyte has done a better job this time around with mini-ITX DDR4. $290 for a very well-rounded board—shame HiCookie lied so blatantly in all their 8 GHz marketing.ASRock mini-ITX: people still use type-A ports. 5x ports only?!
Windows 11, DDR5 availability & perf-price, and hybrid quirks make ADL a much better 2022 purchase for me. DDR4 price-perf + availability are nice, but not enough to overcome Panos’ major missteps on his first (and hopefully last) Windows launch.
DigitalFreak - Wednesday, November 24, 2021 - link
Why does anyone pay attention to these "extreme overclockers"? He hit (or didn't in this case) 8Ghz. Big deal. You can't actually do anything with the CPU at that speed aside from run an e-peen benchmark.ikjadoon - Wednesday, November 24, 2021 - link
Nobody paid attention until.... Gigabyte plastered his faked validations all over their Z690 marketing material. Nobody cares what any "overclocker" does these days and that's why they got jobs with motherboard vendors: the only people that can still sell a motherboard for $$$ with exaggerated hardware.https://www.techradar.com/news/no-gigabyte-didnt-s...
0ldman79 - Tuesday, December 14, 2021 - link
5 ports is a bad idea but type-A?Yeah, like 99% of USB accessories use type-A. That is still the *primary* interface for USB devices.
StormyParis - Wednesday, November 24, 2021 - link
That last page is very useful, thank you. Wish I had a table to sum up the info ;-pFordGT550 - Wednesday, November 24, 2021 - link
I can't find the Z690 Aorus Pro DDR4 in stock anywhere.bug77 - Friday, November 26, 2021 - link
I don't think it's available yet. Notice there's no price listed for it either (yeah, I've got my eyes on the same board).HLuna52180 - Friday, November 26, 2021 - link
Agreed! This is the model mobo that I want. It best fits my needs yet it's currently only available in Australia. Hope they make it into the states. I have all the other parts on order or with me already to make my Alder Lake build. Frustrating!MatarM0 - Saturday, November 27, 2021 - link
i see it in stock but it seems like it cant run any memory with 1.42v or higher depending on what newegg reviewer said and some others in the internet so hopefully they can fix it and it will be a good dealmeacupla - Wednesday, November 24, 2021 - link
I can understand mobo makers not wanting to allocate too many resources into the dead end DDR4 platform, but these lineups seem excessively weak to me.Like, really? there's not a single Z690 DDR4 mobo with thunderbolt?
And then with Z690 DDR5 mobos, there's way too much overlap in features and functionalities.