Introduction
ASUS’ entry-level line-up has never stopped being entry-level by the turn of the last decade. At this point-in-time, what used to be the DELUXE line, an offshoot of their mainstream P-series boards from the older 2000’s has evolved to a sort of entry line for ASUS. With the debut of their PRIME line, ASUS has create a sub-series of boards dedicated for their entry model motherboards and following their mantra of making everything premium, the PRIME board series became a respectable product family eventually evolving to what is today.
With the Z690 release, the ASUS PRIME motherboards will follow the status elevation of the entire product stack. With ROG, ROG STRIX, TUF GAMING and PROART all receiving a price tier increment, the ASUS PRIME actually breaks out as the entry-series, now sharing that distinction with the TUF GAMING line sub-series.
The ASUS PRIME Z690 will consist of five motherboards on launch and they are as follows:
PRIME Z690-A | PHP 15,630 |
PRIME Z690-P WIFI | PHP 13,540 |
PRIME Z690-P | PHP 12,510 |
PRIME Z690-P WIFI D4 | PHP 13,200 |
PRIME Z690-P D4 | PHP 12,160 |
This article will be our formal review of the ASUS PRIME Z690-A, the top-shelf board of the PRIME family. Contents from our preview has been lifted for this review so contents prior to the benchmarks are reflective of the same content of that article. Back to our review, ASUS has deemed it time to really dress out the PRIME boards and with this release, we’re not getting any slim board with a light PCB, ASUS is now decking out the PRIME to look its price. With this generation inspired by an astro theme, we finally now get a themed look for the PRIME boards but is the new look just for show or is ASUS bringing the good stuff? Find out more as we take a closer look at the ASUS PRIME Z690-A.
ASUS PRIME Z690-A Specifications | |
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CPU Support | Intel 12th-generation Core CPU (LGA1700) |
Power Delivery Design | 16+1 |
Chipset | Intel Z690 |
Memory Support | 4 x DIMM, Max. 128GB, DDR5-6000 (OC) |
Expansion Slots | 1x PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU) 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 1x PCIe 3.0 x4 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 |
Storage Interface/s | 4x M.2 4x SATA |
Networking | Intel 2.5GbE |
Audio | Realtek S1220A |
Fan Headers | 7x 4-pin 1x pump header |
Dimensions | ATX 30.5cm x 24.4cm |
Rear I/O Ports | 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port(s) (1 x USB Type-C) 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port(s) (2 x Type-A, 1 x Type-C) 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port(s) (4 x Type-A) 1 x DisplayPort 1 x HDMI port 1 x Intel 2.5Gb Ethernet port 5 x Audio jacks 1 x Optical S/PDIF out port |
Features | ASUS 5X PROTECTION III
ASUS Q-Design
ASUS Thermal Solution
ASUS EZ DIY
AURA Sync
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PRIME Z690-A Packaging and Box Contents
The ASUS PRIME Z690-A’s retail box includes a user manual, an installation disc, the Q-connector for the front panel header, spare M.2 Q-latch screw, M.2 support pads and a single pair of SATA cables.
This will be a trend going forward as you will see even in the highest end motherboard, albeit with some inclusions but still, its going to be quite polarizing to see people’s reaction on the reduction on the inclusions as the increased cost would probably have people think the deserve the extra coddling while others may feel satisfied of the reduced box content waste.
I will take this time an make a statement and I will do this for every review I make going forward for motherboards: THERE IS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO STILL HAVE CD-ROM DRIVES. Please provide software and drivers via USB flash drive.
PRIME Z690-A Design and Layout
The ASUS PRIME Z690-A is a standard ATX size motherboard and will feature designs inspired by space elements primarily by space shuttles and the International Space Station or ISS. Most of these elements are infused into PRIME Z690-A, the flagship entry into the PRIME family. The rest of the family isn’t so inspired. Quite honestly, they lack the space theme that the Z690-A has.
The overall board design retains much of the traditional board layout we’ve seen so far but the most common change is the increase to 4 M.2 slots on most boards. The PRIME Z690-A subscribes to this same design element, infusing a long M.2 slot combo cover along the second PCIe x16 slot on the bottom while leaving a single M.2 slot exposed.
The rest of the design features a black PCB adorned with sandblasted silver heatsinks white shrouds. The PCH and I/O shroud have smoked acrylic integrated into the design, a callback to cockpit designs and their solar-filtering viewports.
The ASUS PRIME Z690-A features an RGB light bar on the PRIME print just between where the plastic and metal meet at the I/O shroud. This lighting is AURA SYNC and is controlled through ASUS’ software and can be synced with the rest of the board or completely disabled. ASUS does not have BIOS RGB control.
ASUS makes good use of the CPU socket area here and despite looking quite busy, has ample space. There are quite some key things here to observe namely the dual-mount support for both LGA1200 and LGA1700 brackets. This means you can extend the life of your current cooler without asking your cooler manufacturer for a custom bracket. ASUS also added padded covers on the CPU slot release lever. This protects the VRM heatsink from getting scratched up by the level when releasing the CPU.
The VRM heatsinks are wide but shallow, enough to give the impression of heft. The PRIME Z690-A does bulk up more than previous -A motherboards. The power delivery design for this board features 16-power phases in teamed arrangement with 60 amp driver MOSFETs.
The PRIME Z690-A features the most traditional expansion slot array for most ASUS boards for Z690 for the best compatibility it seems. The PRIME Z690-A has two x16 slots, the upper slot is a PCIe Gen5 x16 slot while the lower x16 slot can do x4 when populated and runs off PCIe Gen3. The pair of 1x slots are PCIe Gen3 and the single x4 slot is a Gen3 as well. The PCIe Gen5 x16 slot is steel reinforced using ASUS SafeSlot design.
The PRIME Z690-A supports up to 4x M.2 slots. The first slot on top is wired directly to the CPU while the lower ones are from the chipset. The lower right one (M.2_4) supports SATA M.2 devices.
The board welcomes some of the most welcome improves for Z690 namely the rich array of USB3.2 gen2 ports allowing this board to support at least 4 10Gbps devices with the 4-pair on besides the video displays still supporting 5Gbps USB3.2 Gen1.
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port(s) (1 x USB Type-C)
- 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port(s) (2 x Type-A, 1 x Type-C)
- 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port(s) (4 x Type-A)
- 1 x DisplayPort
- 1 x HDMI port
- 1 x Intel 2.5Gb Ethernet port
- 5 x Audio jacks
- 1 x Optical S/PDIF out port
BIOS Walkthrough
ASUS’ UEFI BIOS for their PRIME line features both Advanced and Easy mode interfaces for new and advanced users. Easy mode shows key features that show clear the toggles you can change to change various settings like XMP or Fan Control. Shifting to advance, the interface presents a larger menu drien system, something familiar to many ASUS users for many years now. This interface is the one they use in all their modern boards, with the looks and amount of features varying between motherboard line.
The ASUS PRIME line is a basic motherboard line and is aimed at general users and system builders but the BIOS options are quite rich allowing fine control with a wide array of options for fine control. OC options are actually quite rich, with ASUS actually positioning the majority of the Z690 boards for enthusiasts this makes a lot of sense. For controlling further board options, advance menu options allow changing various features on the board as well.
This motherboard was tested using BIOS version 0403. ASUS did not make any update available prior to launch, if any was available.
Test Setup and Methodology
All tests are performed in the latest version of Windows 11. For earlier reports of AMD suffering performance issues, please refer to this update published by AMD which notes that the issue has been resolved.
All systems tested use the same version of the application and no data from previous reviews are used for this test. All games are updated to their latest version and are set to details indicated in their charts. Back2Gaming prefers running games in max details with motion blur off.
Resizable BAR is enabled for all testing, when applicable.
Test System: Intel (10th/11th) | |
CPU | Intel Core i9-11900K, Intel Core i9-10900K |
Motherboard | ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XIII EXTREME |
RAM | G.Skill TridentZ Royal DDR4-4000 C17 16GBx2 |
GPU | ZOTAC RTX 3080 Ti AMP EXTREME |
Storage | KLEVV CRAS 920 2TB M.2 NVMe |
Cooling | NZXT Kraken X73 RGB |
Power Supply | FSP HydroG Pro 1000w |
Test System: Intel 12th | |
CPU | Intel Core i9-12900K |
Motherboard | ASUS PRIME Z690-A |
RAM | Kingston FURY Beast DDR5-5200 CL40 |
GPU | ZOTAC RTX 3080 Ti AMP EXTREME |
Storage | KLEVV CRAS 920 2TB M.2 NVMe |
Cooling | NZXT Kraken X73 RGB |
Power Supply | FSPÂ HydroG Pro 1000w |
Test System: AMD | |
CPU | AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, AMD Ryzen 7 5800X |
Motherboard | ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Formula |
RAM | G.Skill TridentZ Royal DDR4-4000 C17 16GBx2 |
GPU | ZOTAC RTX 3080 Ti AMP EXTREME |
Storage | KLEVV CRAS 920 2TB M.2 NVMe |
Cooling | NZXT Kraken X73 RGB |
Power Supply | FSP HydroG Pro 1000w |
Special thanks to ASUS, GIGABYTE, Kingston, FSP and ZOTAC for the hardware used in this test. Special thanks to Cybenetics Labs, NVIDIA, PassMark ,OCCT and CapFrameX for the testing equipment and software we use in this review.
All testing for motherboards are done with XMP enabled (DDR5-5200).
Storage and Network Interface Testing
As of this moment, I am still sourcing USB 3.2 Gen2x2 enclosures for testing so I have to forego testing on that port as well as Thunderbolt4. We do test the Intel 2.5GbE and USB3.2 Gen2 headers on this board.
We test the throughput of the primary I/O of our tested motherboard using various devices as follows:
- M.2 NVMe: KLEVV CRAS 920 2TB
- USB 3.2 Gen2: ROG STRIX Arion USB Enclosure + Kingston KC2000 1TB M.2 SSD
- SATA: SAMSUNG 870 QVO 1TB
- LAN: QNAP TS-932PX 10GbE NAS + WD Blue SSD 1TB x2 RAID0
All tests are done in Crystal DiskMark v8.
NOTE: These charts do not show data in decreasing/increasing values.
Performance Testing – Synthetic
SuperPI
wPrime
Cinebench R23
Blender Benchmark
AIDA64 Memory Benchmark
3DMark
Performance Testing – Gaming
All games tested with an RTX 3080 Ti.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO)
DOTA 2
Rainbow Six: Siege
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Overclocking Experience
Overclocking the 12900K on any Z690 board will be quite a straightforward affair just like any Intel CPUs before but the balance of maintaining temperatures would be the challenge. That said, it will be very challenging to cool this CPU regardless of any solution and that means that the majority of motherboards around will not really add anything to change that. ASUS does arm the PRIME Z690-A with the lot of OC knobs found commonly in their higher-end boards like precise per-core control and the hybrid CPU architecture means its sometimes beneficial to just disable E-cores. Intel does allow this and this board has options to do that. Still, on all cores, getting a stable OC would be purely based on luck on the silicon lottery and how cool your CPU is. ASUS’ AI OC keeps recommending 5.4Ghz on this CPU on the P-cores but due to the temp wall, we’re forced to reduce the CPU multiplier to 5.2Ghz. E-cores are stable at 4.1Ghz but AI OC also sets it to 4.3Ghz. I tried disabling all but one P-Core to see if I can push the E-cores further but BSOD already starts at 4.2Ghz.
The screenshot above is a wPrime load on a 5.2Ghz OC but the CPU drops to 4.9Ghz shortly after it starts as throttling kicks in.
Power Draw & Temperature
For temperature testing, we use a thermal logger that capture per second readings from our VRM. Our logger captures the temperature of the VRM arrays with the left array as VRM1 and upper array as VRM2. Our 15-minute split load puts continuous load on our CPU with 5-minute in-between.
User Experience & Conclusion
This review assumes you are looking at this motherboard for a general function build. That means possibly anything you might want to build a personal computer for so it will also assume your range of options isn’t limited to the current crop of K/KF CPUs. I point this out because down the line, Intel will release non-K CPUs for Alder Lake but for those who may be looking at this board in the future as an entry board before they decide to jump to a possible K-series, I’d like to point that this may not be that board as that should be the DDR4-equipped boards. But this puts us into the discussion of what actually comprises a starter board for this generation?
Intel definitely wants a lot of IO and boards do have the option of using all of those. With the likes of the PRIME Z690-A, ASUS decided to make use of 4x M.2 slots which is a strong argument for those that want to build a storage infused workstation with a couple of PCIe devices also equipped in it. One of the rare occasions that a board has an healthy PCIe slot offering, the PRIME Z690-A skips the secondary 16x length PCIe slot and goes for more x1 slot plus an x2 and x4 options for capture cards and audio cards. While this limits its flexibility when using multi-GPU solutions, its rare nowadays to actually multi-GPUs in modern systems for both gaming and multimedia use.
Talking about overall, quality this is where it actually takes off. Given the higher asking price of the Z690-A, which is significant jump from the PRIME Z590-A but if there’s anything to go by from that previous generation, you will know that ASUS was already intent in positioning their top PRIME board in a more mainstream position compared to its more pedestrian PRIME models. The PRIME Z390-A was arguably the last sub-$200 PRIME as later models so an increase in functionality as well as design. That reaches full speed for the Z690 as the PRIME Z690-A is certainly a competitor one of the best looking mainstream “white” motherboards around despite being a more black-and-silver color scheme.
Perhaps one of the strongest argument against the PRIME Z690-A is its lack of anything specialized. Its not a gaming board nor a creator board and personally, I feel that is fine. At this price range, we’re not talking about a budget board here but a flexible one. Single GPU gaming builds are the norm and fast storage options for either USB3.2 Gen2 or internal ones via M.2 are also common so multimedia work is also rich in the PRIME Z690-A. With that in mind, the primary function of this board will be a position wherein you just want a flexible motherboard that can expand for storage but still be robust enough to handle the higher CPUs on the 12th-gen stack. With no promise of Intel sticking with the LGA1700 socket, the sole upgradeability promise here would be in the same stack and the PRIME Z690-A definitely can handle a Core i9-12900K as well as DDR5. All of that, wrapped in this very presentable design that I actually feel bad isn’t present in the lower PRIME boards. Its a rare design and something I’d like to see more of being done in future releases.
In closing, ASUS raises the bar here for their top PRIME motherboard and the PRIME Z690-A ticks all the right boxes for a professional-tier motherboard for Intel’s 12th-gen platform. Its flexibility is a nice breathe of fresh air rather than the more generic slot options of most entry-series motherboards. Its tough to really say anything bad about the PRIME Z690-A but it’d be just nitpicking at this point. Ultimately, the ASUS PRIME Z690-A would appeal more to those looking for slightly cheaper option versus the ASUS ProArt Z690-Creator. If you’re looking for a get-up and go platform for the Intel 12th-gen CPUs, then the PRIME Z690-A is a very decent option thanks to its good, all-rounder approach. An easy recommendation for work-oriented builds based on the new Alder Lake CPUs.
ASUS backs the PRIME Z690-A with a 3-year warranty. I give it my B2G Recommended Seal and a B2G Silver Award!
2 Comments
What does it mean that this is not gaming board? What does it miss?
It states that it “not a gaming or creator motherboard… and that is fine” which means its not particularly geared for both BUT honestly, it works well for either. Board makers tune gaming boards for higher performance e.g. higher boosts versus Intel stock but that’s pretty marginal. Other than that, not so much in “gamer”-ey features like a ton of RGB connectors and boosted audio or LAN.