ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO Motherboard Preview

Intel is set to launch their new LGA1700 Alder Lake CPUs, and with that comes the new Z690 chipset on a range of new motherboards. Right at the front of the pack, ASUS has a broad range of new motherboards hitting the market, ranging from their more affordable models, right up to their flagships that are likely to cost terrifying amounts of money. While not the most expensive in their range, the ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO is certainly into the extreme gaming and enthusiast territory, brimming with high-end features and hardware that will allow you to squeeze the best out of the next generation of processors, storage and graphics card.

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO Motherboard

While I hold the product in my hand today, I actually know very little about the ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO beyond what our eyes can tell us. Of course, I’ll know more in the coming days as the NDAs lift and I’m able to test these out properly. However, with a 20+1 Power Stage, and massive VRM heatsinks, overclocking the life out of the new Intel CPUs should be a breeze. Beyond that though, the board is packed with the latest connectivity options, offering two Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Intel 2.5 GbE Ethernet, Intel WiFi 6, and PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots. Furthermore, while some Z690 boards still use DDR4, this model is more high-end and opts for the newer DDR5 memory, just remember, they’re not backwards compatible, so you will need new RAM.

Features

• 20+1 Phases
• 90A Power Stages#
• LGA 1700 Socket
• Intel Z690 Chipset
• 4 x DDR4 64005 (OC) DIMMS
• HDMI Port
• WiFi Module
• Intel 2.5 GbE LAN
• Optical S/.PDIF Out
• 5 x Gold Plated Audio Jacks
• ASUS ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound (ALC4082)
• ESS SABRE9018Q2C DAC/Amp
• 2 x Thunderbolt 4
• 7 x USB 3.2 Gen 2
• 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1
• 6 x USB 2.0
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Front Panel Connector
• ASUS RoG Hyper M.2 PCIe Card Included
• Polymo Lighting RGB

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