Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Uncouth overview: Beautiful, luxurious motherboard extra

Supreme Prices Nowadays

Intel has in the end rejoined the competitive panorama in opposition to AMD with its Z690 platform, matching high-slay muscle with the ferocious Core i9-12900K CPU. With mammoth energy comes no longer-so-mammoth pricing, nevertheless. The Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Uncouth’s $1,099 label eclipses the $649 mark of previous juggernaut motherboards cherish the X299 Asus Rampage VI Uncouth, recasting what a high-slay motherboard can have to serene cost.

We’ll discuss the specs, aspects, and efficiency that you just can have to serene demand from a motherboard of this caliber, and whether or no longer it delivers enough to define your rob.

The specs

The Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Uncouth is packed with a amount of aspects and an spectacular spec checklist, including DDR5 reminiscence enhance and Thunderbolt 4. Put off in mind that it’s a protracted measurement, or E-ATX, that suggests it’s higher than a conventional ATX motherboard and won’t slot in all cases. You’ll bag an integrated I/O protect, too—no worries about forgetting this step of the invent direction of!

You’ll catch Wi-Fi 6E along with 10GB ethernet. Thunderbolt 4 accompanies the many USB Gen 2 ports on the support. You’ll have five slots for M.2, and two of them are on the incorporated ROG Dimn2 card that attaches subsequent to the RAM.

Listed below are some most main specs to be attentive to:

• E-ATX 12×13 inches, or 305x330mm (wider than an ATX motherboard)
• Intel 12th-gen Alder Lake CPU enhance with 24+1 energy phases  (LGA 1700)
• DDR5 RAM easiest, 4 slots
• PCI-E 5.0
• 5 M.2 slots
• Thunderbolt 4
• USB-C Gen 2
• Wi-Fi 6E
• 10GB LAN (Shock AQtion and an Intel 2.5GB LAN)
• ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 With ESS ES9018QC2 DAC
• 2-inch OLED Are residing Dawdle, and AniMe Matrix repeat
• 3- and 4-pin RGB headers
• Dash CMOS and BIOS flashbacks buttons
• ROG Dimn2 M.2 adapter card
• More than one fan and water cooling headers
• HDMI port for integrated graphics (when GPU no longer on hand)
• Six SATA 6GB/S ports
• M.2 latch, and PCI-E button for releasing GPUs
• CPU cooler backwards compatibility with LGA 1200 or 1700

Thiago Trevisan / IDG

Have

Uncouth. That note describes why many would cherish this motherboard, simply? Minimalist, RGB-agnostic afficionados needn’t apply; this motherboard packs some excessive “Times-Sq.-Level” lights. With a 2-inch OLED and tantalizing Matrix repeat, it could per chance perchance be configured to indicate the rest from CPU stats to animations. For those who’re paying for additonal aspects, that involves glimpse sweet.

Thiago Trevisan / IDG

Also, it’s heavy. Love, in point of fact heavy, but in a valid skill. Weighing in at over six pounds, it’s mighty to retain. The invent quality is spectacular, with an armor support plate and loads of cloak for the entrance areas. The VRM heatsinks are mammoth too, and naturally you’ll bag loads of M.2 cooling with the covered plates a neatly.

It’s a in point of fact racy motherboard overall, with mammoth control over the RGB lighting fixtures through Asus Charisma design, so it could per chance perchance be custom-made nevertheless you’d cherish.

One most main thing to help in mind is that the head M.2 cloak does set moderately raised, so at the same time as you happen to’re doing a water-cooled graphics card with a thick backplate, equivalent to those with full of life cooling, be conscious of clearance points. Likewise, at the same time as you happen to’re doing a GPU on the backside PCI-E slot, a thick GPU cooler can intervene with some of the most cables, combating a solid connection. (This came about to me with an Asus Strix GPU cooler and the RGB and USB ports on the backside of the motherboard.)

Thiago Trevisan / IDG

Unfamiliar aspects

Many motherboards have bizarre aspects, but what items aside a board at this stage, and cost, is the sheer amount and mixture of aspects. Let’s spoil down some of the most most racy:

1. Stable networking alternatives with 10GB, 2.5GB LAN, and Wi-Fi 6E for most flexibility
2. Connectivity alternatives proceed to provoke, with Thunderbolt 4 and loads of USB ports, including form C, and 60W charging skill
3. Unbelievable M.2 SSD enhance, although support in mind easiest the head M.2 is PCI-E Gen 5, but that will comprise some restrictions
4. DDR5 is right here, but support in mind it’s more costly than DDR4 for minimal efficiency positive aspects. There’s also a necessary arena with operating quad RAM sticks—they gained’t attain XMP profiles—so it’s your choice to follow two RAM sticks of greater skill
5. M.2 latch and PCI-E slot easy originate/entry—we hope to compare this on even more motherboards in the end!
6. Big VRM and CPU efficiency, but you are going to bag the same or greater with some cheaper motherboards equivalent to the Asus Z690 Apex (it gained’t be as characteristic packed, nevertheless)
7. Are searching out for to realize two GPUs, for both greater spacing to toughen thermals when doing suppose material advent, or even…gasp…the already defunct SLI/NV Hyperlink? Possibilities are you’ll perchance per chance also attain that right here, with 4-slot NVlink enhance
8. OLED repeat is terribly wintry (PC followers will indulge in it!)
9. Asus design has an spectacular suite with Armoury Crate, allowing fan control, Ai overclocking, and RGB customization
10. LGA 1700 would require a brand recent bracket for most coolers, but Asus motherboards match with LGA 1200 out of the box, too
11. You’ll bag some clear items within the box, cherish an RGB controller that could indicate precious in unique builds

Efficiency and BIOS

With a sturdy CPU equivalent to the Intel Core i9-12900K, you’ll desire to be obvious you’re maximizing its possible with a board cherish this.

The Asus BIOS remains to be one of many most satisfying and intuitive to utilize, and at the same time as you happen to’re doing any overclocking, you’ll definitely exercise loads of time right here. Possibilities are you’ll perchance per chance also tweak many CPU settings, and your RAM has huge possible as neatly.

Let’s bag the DDR5 arena out of the skill—you’ll desire to follow two RAM modules at the same time as you happen to fetch to have to utilize the XMP profile and bag the most rated dawdle. It could perchance be a valid conception to bag greater skill at the same time as you happen to’d cherish it, as going to four RAM sticks will restrict your DDR5 speeds to the injurious 4800Mhz. Right here is…no longer gross, nevertheless it’s one of many easiest ways it’s miles presently. Memory is steadily Twin Channel, for certain.

Asus

VRM temperatures with the energy stage elements are bigger than sufficient for even a sturdy, sizzling-operating 12900K.

It appears cherish notable of in vogue overclocking is more CPU restricted, as they arrive operating comely sizzling from the manufacturing facility as is—so any minor enhancements with manual tinkering can have diminishing returns.

Asus has an finest suite of AI overclocking and optimization instruments, as neatly. Yow will stumble on these both within the BIOS, as well to the Armoury Crate Plan.

Dash CMOS and BIOS flashback shall be on hand, making overclocking makes an strive less complicated to recuperate from. You’ll even bag LN2 Mode switch for customers searching out for to push it extra with liquid nitrogen; plus a retry button, thermal headers, etc. (Don’t in point of fact feel left out; we’re no longer doing any liquid-nitrogen cooling both!)

Bottom line

Are there cheaper selections on the marketplace for Z690, equivalent to the Asus ROG Strix or Gigabyte Aorus Master? Obvious, and they even pack so a lot of the identical aspects as the ROG Maximus Z690 Uncouth. The magic is within the particulars at the same time as you happen to per chance can abdominal the value, nevertheless. Right here, you’ll bag the entire aspects packed together—to no longer indicate a in point of fact spectacular and premium construct. Possibilities are you’ll perchance per chance also additionally desire to compare out the Asus ROG Apex or Formulation motherboards, which have so a lot of the aspects, but less of a mark premium. (Strive Alaina Yee’s pointers on what to glimpse in a motherboard to your 12th-gen CPU.)

It’s no longer even the costliest option within the marketplace, both. While you happen to fetch to have a water-cooled reply, you could catch the liquid cooling-focused Glacial model of this motherboard for notable more—and MSI’s luxurious Godlike lately made an appearance for Z690 as neatly.

This motherboard is for the actual person who wants a specifically high-slay invent and to tick the entire efficiency and honest alternatives. With PC elements all skyrocketing in mark the old couple of years, it used to be easiest a topic of time before motherboards bought an increasing selection of costly, too.

It could perchance suit both suppose material creators, with its huge connectivity suite, as well to fanatic PC builders and gamers, with a plethora of efficiency and honest niceties.

Little quirks and the high label support it from being a 5-significant person product and highly urged motherboard, especially when pondering that another motherboards with the same (but no longer all) aspects shall be found in in at hundreds of greenbacks less. While you happen to cherish the construct and have to have all of its many aspects, nevertheless, it’s an astounding product for the discerning high-slay fanatic who doesn’t mind meting out the cash.

Editor’s repeat: This text used to be printed on March 22, but used to be updated to add the video overview.