ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme (WiFi 6E) LGA 1700 EATX gaming motherboard

The Maximus Z690 Extreme motherboard, part of ASUS’s prestigious ROG (Republic of Gamers) lineup, is designed to cater to the needs of high-performance gamers, content creators, and enthusiasts who demand the best in terms of power, cooling, and connectivity. This flagship motherboard supports Intel’s 12th generation Alder Lake processors and is engineered with cutting-edge technology to handle the most demanding workloads, including overclocking, high-speed memory, and next-gen graphics.

Key Features

1. Socket and Chipset

• Socket LGA 1700: The Maximus Z690 Extreme is designed to support Intel’s 12th Gen Alder Lake CPUs (i.e., i9, i7, i5, and i3), which offer enhanced multi-core performance, hybrid architecture (P-cores and E-cores), and support for PCIe 5.0.
• Intel Z690 Chipset: This chipset provides the backbone for high-speed data transfer, enhanced overclocking capabilities, and support for cutting-edge connectivity standards like PCIe 5.0, DDR5, and Thunderbolt 4.

2. Memory Support

• DDR5 & DDR4 Compatibility: The motherboard is one of the early adopters of DDR5 memory, supporting speeds of up to 6400 MHz (OC) and higher, offering a significant bandwidth increase over previous generations. For users with legacy DDR4 kits, it also supports DDR4 memory, offering flexibility depending on the builder’s needs.
• Quad-Channel Memory Support: The Z690 Extreme offers four DIMM slots for memory, providing up to 128 GB of memory capacity, ideal for memory-intensive tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and gaming.

3. PCIe Expansion

• PCIe 5.0 x16 Slots: The Z690 Extreme is fully equipped with PCIe 5.0 support, allowing for two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, offering twice the bandwidth compared to PCIe 4.0. This results in an outstanding ability to support next-gen GPUs, such as the latest Nvidia RTX 40-series and AMD RDNA3 GPUs, as well as future devices that require large amounts of data throughput.
• PCIe 4.0 Support: The motherboard also supports PCIe 4.0, which is ideal for NVMe storage devices, delivering blazing-fast read and write speeds.

4. Storage Solutions

• M.2 Slots with PCIe 4.0 & 3.0: The Maximus Z690 Extreme offers four M.2 slots (three PCIe 4.0 x4 and one PCIe 3.0 x4), allowing users to install multiple high-performance NVMe drives for ultra-fast storage configurations. This setup is ideal for enthusiasts looking to create blazing-fast storage arrays for gaming, video editing, or data-intensive applications.
• SATA III Ports: Additionally, the motherboard includes six SATA III ports for traditional 2.5″ SSDs or 3.5″ hard drives, offering flexibility for large storage needs.

5. Power Delivery and VRMs

• 16+1 Phase Power Design: The Z690 Extreme features an advanced 16+1 power stage VRM (Voltage Regulator Module) setup, equipped with premium capacitors and alloy chokes for efficient power delivery. This design ensures optimal performance, even under heavy overclocking, while maintaining system stability and lower temperatures.
• High-End MOSFETs and Thermal Solution: The high-end MOSFETs are paired with advanced heatsinks, including a VRM heatsink with an integrated heatpipe, ensuring consistent power delivery even during intense gaming sessions or heavy workloads.

6. Connectivity & I/O

• Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2: The Z690 Extreme comes with Wi-Fi 6E support, offering ultra-fast wireless connectivity with the addition of the 6 GHz band, alongside Bluetooth 5.2 for connecting peripherals, including wireless audio devices, game controllers, and other Bluetooth-enabled products.
• Thunderbolt 4: The motherboard supports Thunderbolt 4 via USB-C, allowing for lightning-fast data transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps. This feature is ideal for connecting high-performance external storage devices, displays, and other peripherals.
• 10Gb Ethernet: For wired networking, the Maximus Z690 Extreme is equipped with 10Gb Ethernet (10GbE), offering exceptional bandwidth for data-intensive tasks such as video streaming, large file transfers, and online gaming.

7. Audio

• SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound: The motherboard features SupremeFX audio technology, powered by a S1220A codec, delivering high-fidelity 7.1 surround sound with capacitors and op-amps that ensure crystal-clear audio for both gaming and content creation. The onboard audio also features high-definition audio jacks and support for DTS Sound Unbound for enhanced immersive audio experiences.

8. RGB and Aesthetics

• Dynamic Lighting & Aura Sync: ASUS’s Aura Sync RGB lighting is integrated into the motherboard, allowing users to customize lighting effects and synchronize it with compatible peripherals. The Z690 Extreme features built-in RGB headers, ensuring the entire system can be illuminated in a cohesive and dynamic fashion.
• Premium Design & Build: The Z690 Extreme boasts a striking and premium design, featuring a high-quality PCB with sleek armor, custom heatsinks, and attention-grabbing aesthetics that make this motherboard perfect for high-end PC builds.