Previews

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 EXTREME Motherboard Preview

The Intel Alder Lake CPUs are almost here, and that means new LGA1700 socket and the new Z690 chipset motherboards are coming too. While around 90 motherboards are hitting the global market for this launch, it’s unlikely that many of them will be able to keep up with the one in my hands today. ASUS is well known for its high-end gaming products, especially under its Republic of Gamers brand. However, when it comes to flagship performance, the ROG MAXIMUM Z690 EXTREME is sure to turn heads. It’s one of their most advanced and features packed motherboards to date, and while I can’t confirm the price just yet, I’m sure it’ll turn out to be one of the most expensive motherboards on the market too.

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 EXTREME

The feature list is extensive on this motherboard, but I guess that comes as little surprise to long-time ROG fans. It’s got one of the most robust VRM configurations we’re likely to see in the Z690 lineup and will no doubt prove a popular choice for overclocking and extreme-performance enthusiasts. There are four DDR5 DIMMS, offering the latest memory technology, dual PCIe 5.0 lanes for extremely high-bandwidth expansion cards, and some future-proofing. Connectivity is off the charts, and even the documentation I have with me today is pages long. However, a plethora of USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports throughout, some with the ability to charge devices up at 60W! There’s Dual Thunderbolt 4, loads of Gen4 M.2 mounts, and much more. However, for connectivity, you’ve got class-leading WiFi 6E 2×2, and both 2.5 GbE and 10GbE LAN! Finally, class-leading audio processing that can deliver 120 dB SNR, running 32-bit/384 kHz playback, so it’s unlikely you’ll ever need a separate soundcard here.

Features

Intel Z690 Chipset
24 Stage 105A VRM
4 x DDR4 6400+ OC DIMMS
Intel XMP 3.0 Support with OptiMem III
Dual Thunderbolt 4 with DisplayPort 1.4 and Thunderbolt Video
2 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots (supports x16 or x8/x8 modes) + 1 x PCIe 3.0 x1 slot
5 x M.2 slots (Gen 4.0) and 6 x SATA 6Gb/s ports*
Intel 2.5 GbE + Marvell AQtion 10 GbE LAN
WiFi 6E 2×2 801.11ax
SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound (ALC 4082)
ESS SABRE9018Q2C DAC/AMP

Check out the official ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 EXTREME Motherboard product page here for more information.

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Peter Donnell

As a child still in my 30's, I spend my day combining my love of music and movies with a life-long passion for gaming, from arcade classics and retro consoles to the latest high-end PC and console games. So it's no wonder I write about tech and test the latest hardware while I enjoy my hobbies!