[PLUS] Comparison: Four cheaper Z690 mainboards in the new test course

LGA1700 without luxury?

In the last issue, we specifically tested four mainboards from the absolute high-end range for Intel’s new Alder Lake processors, matching the position of the Core i9-12900K as the new top CPU. The configuration of the test candidates was correspondingly luxurious, but so were the prices at 440 to 640 euros, and you would hardly need expensive DDR5 RAM for that. But the socket 1700 can also be different; this time we are deliberately looking one floor down in the luxury class.

All boards again use the Z690 platform controller hub (PCH) and thus have the necessary releases for overclocking “K” CPUs. However, we no longer pay attention to the fact that the possibilities of this I/O hub are fully exploited, but rather to a low price and support for DDR4 memory.

In three out of four cases, the OC suitability is once again underlined ex works with suitable framework parameters: Although our test Core i9-12900K is specified by Intel with a maximum turbo power of 241 W, Gigabyte achieves one with the default settings Boost power of 280W, Asus 300W and MSI 305W.

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You will find the following products in the test:

• Asrock Z690 Extreme
• Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Hero
• Asus TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi D4
• Biostar Z690 Valkyrie
• Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Master
• Gigabyte Z690 Gaming X DDR4
• MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4
• MSI MEG Z690 Unify

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