Best Z690 motherboard in 2022 – (Overclocking & Budget)
We look at the best Z690 motherboards from all major manufacturers, so you've got a reliable base for your Intel Core i9-12900K, Core i7-12700K, & Core i5-12600K processor
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Z690 motherboards are finally being released today, 4th November 2021 alongside Intel 12th gen CPUs and DDR5 RAM. You can find out which is the best z690 motherboard below.
The next generation is finally here, with Intels Alder Lake, the Z690 chipset, and DDR5 RAM all launching simultaneously, giving the enthusiast a lot to think about. For the first time in years, we are getting Intel processors that can potentially compete with AMD but it doesn’t stop there, the Z690 chipset brings about support for PCIe 5.0 and, more importantly, DDR5 memory.
This is truly an exciting time in the hardware world, so to celebrate, we are going to be finding the best Z690 motherboard, whether it’s for overclocking, or a new budget 12th gen system, ensuring you’re well prepared for the shiny-new tech along the way too.
The Z690 is the new flagship board for 12th gen processors, with amazing features and unparalleled performance, let’s take a closer look.
Our Top Picks
Best Z690 motherboards
In-depth Review
ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero WiFi
ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero WiFi
The ASUS ROG Maximus Hero is one of the best Z690 motherboards on the market. While it may lack the extra power stages and 10Gb we see in ASUS top SKUs, this is still an incredible option.
The design of the new Z690 Hero is slightly different from the previous generation, now featuring some lovely personalization with the Polymo Lighting I/O cover and accompanying RGB lighting. On to the important stuff, this Z690 comes with 20+1 power stages, Intelligent Control, which is ASUS’ AI overclocking, networking, and two-way noise cancellation tools. Taking care of cooling, we have a large VRM heatsink and integrated aluminium I/O cover, with a high-conductivity thermal pad. There are also three M.2 heatsinks, two M.2 backplates, plus a ROG water cooling zone.
Aside from the above, we obviously have fast DDR5 RAM and PCIe 5.0 support, along with Dual Thunderbolt 4 USB-C and a ROG Hyper M.2 card with Gen 5 M.2 support, giving you some serious connectivity.
GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Master
GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Master
Gigabyte’s line of Aorus Master motherboards are to be marveled at, they are amazing. Sure most of us will never even consider buying one of these but the Z690 Aorus Master is a sublime option for the enthusiast.
The design of this new chipset looks even nicer than the previous-gen with an incredible-looking I/O cover and matching M.2 sink. This board features a commanding 20+1+2 Direct Digital VRM Design, tantalum polymer capacitors, and cutting-edge thermal design. The thermal reactive ‘armor’ uses NanoCarbon fins-array III and we also see a direct touch heat pipe II and NanoCarbon baseplate too.
With the Z690 chipset comes DDR5 support and what is most impressive from the Master board is the face you can drive your RAM kit up to 6600MHz. This obviously depends on your memory modules but that is some going.
ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi
ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi
The ASUS TUF Gaming motherboard is a fan favorite, offering incredible price to performance and solid value for those on tighter budgets.
The TUF Gaming Z690 features an enhanced power solution, with 14+2 DrMOS power stages and Digi+ VRM for maximum durability and performance. As expected the cooling solution is more than sufficient, with a VRM heatsink, PCH fanless heatsink, M.2 heatsink, hybrid fan headers and Fan Xpert 4 utility.
Unfortunately, this is a DDR4 model, so no advantages of the latest blistering DDR5 memory speeds here, however, it can go up to 5333MHz, which is not too bad.
ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WiFi
ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WiFi
The ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I is easily one of the best Mini-ITX motherboards for this chipset, it’s feature-packed, designed to perfection, and incredibly reliable.
This board obviously has DDR5 RAM and PCIe support but also comes with two Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports. We see 10+1 power stages with a ProCool II power connector and durable capacitors to support multi-core CPUs. The thermal design has been optimized, with an Integrated I/O cover and VRM heatsinks that feature high-conductivity thermal pads.
This board supports HDMI 2.1 and industry-leading gaming audio, giving your next small form factor system everything it needs.
ASUS Prime Z690-P
ASUS Prime Z690-P
Our budget pick is about as low as we would recommend for this chipset (DDR5 compatible) and yes, it’s another ASUS board. The ASUS Prime Z690-p is an updated version of a very affordable and reliable option.
With PCIe 5.0, DDR5, and Thunderbolt 4 support, we have the makings of a quality board here and it doesn’t stop there. This features 14+1 Power Stages, Wi-Fi6, and 2.5Gb Ethernet, giving enthusiasts everything they need on a budget.
Final Word
Intel’s 12th generation of processors coinciding with a new chipset and DDR5 memory is a very exciting time for the PC community. It is still early days but if Intel can show impressive performance over their AMD counterparts, we may finally start to see a shift back in the blue direction. Finding the best Z690 is fairly easy, they come with incredible features and support the latest and greatest the hardware world has to offer.