Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme review: A luxury motherboard glut

Intel has finally rejoined the competitive landscape with AMD with its Z690 platform, matching high-end muscle to the ferocious Core i9-12900K CPU. However, with great power comes not-so-great pricing. The $1,099 price of the Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme surpasses the $649 price of motherboards that used to dominate motherboards like the X299 Asus Rampage VI Extreme, reshaping the cost of high-end motherboards.

We’ll discuss the specs, features, and performance you should expect from a motherboard of this caliber, and whether it offers enough to justify your purchase.

Specification

The Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme is packed with features and an impressive spec list, including DDR5 memory support and Thunderbolt 4. Keep in mind that it’s an extended form factor or E-ATX, which means it’s larger than a typical ATX motherboard and may not fit in all situations. You also get an integrated I/O shield – don’t worry about forgetting this step of the build process!

You’ll find Wi-Fi 6E and 10GB Ethernet. Thunderbolt 4 features a number of USB Gen 2 ports on the back. You’ll have five M.2 slots, two of which are on the included ROG Dimn2 card, which is attached next to the RAM.

Here are some important specs to note:

• E-ATX 12×13 inches, or 305x330mm (wider than ATX motherboards)
• Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake CPUs support 24+1 power level (LGA 1700)
• DDR5 RAM only, 4 slots
• PCI-E 5.0
• Five M.2 slots
• Thunderbolt 4
• USB-C Gen 2
• Wi-Fi 6E
• 10GB LAN (Marvel AQtion and Intel 2.5GB LAN)
• ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 with ESS ES9018QC2 DAC
• 2″ OLED Live Dash and AniMe Matrix display
• 3-pin and 4-pin RGB headers
• Clear CMOS and BIOS Flashback button
• ROG Dimn2 M.2 Riser Card
• Multiple fans and water cooling headers
• HDMI port for integrated graphics (when GPU is not available)
• Six SATA 6GB/S ports
• M.2 latch and PCI-E button to release GPU
• CPU cooler is backward compatible with LGA 1200 or 1700

design

extreme. That word describes why a lot of people would love this motherboard, right? Minimalist, RGB-agnostic hobbyists don’t need to apply; the board includes some serious “Times Square-quality” lights. With a 2-inch OLED and animation matrix display, it can be configured to display anything from CPU stats to animations. When you pay for extra features, that includes compelling features.

Also, it’s heavy. Like, really heavy, but in a good way. Weighing over six pounds, it’s powerful to hold. Build quality is impressive, with armored back panels and plenty of covering in the front area. The VRM heatsink is also huge, and of course you get plenty of M.2 cooling and a cover plate.

Overall, this is a very attractive board, and the RGB lighting is well controlled through the Asus Aura software, so it can be customized to suit your needs.

The important thing to remember is that the top M.2 cover does remain slightly raised, so if you’re using a water-cooled graphics card with a thicker back, such as one with active cooling, be aware of clearance issues. Likewise, if you’re using the GPU on the bottom PCI-E slot, the thicker GPU cooler might interfere with some cables, preventing a solid connection. (This happened when I was using an Asus Strix GPU cooler and the RGB and USB ports on the bottom of the motherboard.)

unique features

Many motherboards have unique features, but at this level and price, what sets a motherboard apart is the number and combination of features. Let’s break down some of the most tempting:

1. Powerful networking options with 10GB, 2.5GB LAN and Wi-Fi 6E for maximum flexibility
2. Connectivity options continue to be impressive, with Thunderbolt 4 and many USB ports, including Type-C and 60W charging capability
3. Excellent M.2 SSD support, though keep in mind that only the top M.2 is PCI-E Gen 5, but this comes with some limitations
4. DDR5 is here, but keep in mind that it’s more expensive than DDR4 with minimal performance gains.There’s also a big problem with running four sticks of RAM – they don’t enforce XMP profiles – so you might want to stick with two larger sticks of RAM
5. The M.2 latch and PCI-E slot are easy to release/access – we hope to see this on more motherboards in the future!
6. Great VRM and CPU performance, but you can get similar or better performance with some cheaper motherboards like the Asus Z690 Apex (but it won’t be as feature rich)
7. Want to do two GPUs to get better spacing when creating content for improved cooling, or even…pant…defunct SLI/NV link? You can do this here, supports 4-slot NVlink
8. The OLED display is pretty cool (PC lovers will love it!)
9. ASUS Software has an impressive Armory Crate suite with support for fan control, Ai overclocking and RGB customization
10. The LGA 1700 will require a new bracket for most coolers, but the Asus motherboard is also compatible with the LGA 1200 out of the box
11. You’ll get some neat items in the box, like an RGB controller that can prove useful in modern builds

Performance and BIOS

With a powerful CPU like the Intel Core i9-12900K, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the most out of a motherboard like this.

The ASUS BIOS remains one of the most enjoyable and intuitive ways to use, and if you do any overclocking, you’re sure to spend a lot of time here. There are many CPU settings you can tweak, and your RAM has a huge potential too.

Let’s tackle the DDR5 issue – if you want to use the XMP profile and get the maximum rated speed, you need to stick with two RAM modules. It might be a good idea to get a higher capacity if you need it, as using four RAM sticks will limit your DDR5 speed to the base 4800Mhz. It’s…not extreme, but that’s what it is for now. Of course, memory is always dual channel.

Even with a powerful, hot-running 12900K, the VRM temperature of the power stage components is more than adequate.

It seems that the bulk of modern overclocking is CPU-bound because they run very hot from the factory – so any small improvement in manual tinkering yields diminishing returns.

Asus also has an excellent set of AI overclocking and optimization tools. You can find these in the BIOS as well as in the Armory Crate software.

Clear CMOS and BIOS flashback are also provided, making overclocking attempts easier to resume. You can even get an LN2 mode switch for users who want to push it even further with liquid nitrogen; plus a retry button, thermal junctions, etc. (don’t feel overlooked; we’re not doing any liquid nitrogen cooling either!)

bottom line

Are there cheaper alternatives on the market for the Z690, such as the Asus ROG Strix or the Gigabyte Aorus Master? Of course, they even include many of the same features as the ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme. However, if you can live with the price, the magic is in the details. Here, you’ll be putting all the features together – not to mention a quality design that’s truly impressive. You might also want to check out Asus ROG Apex or Formula motherboards, which have most of the features at a lower price premium. (Check out Alaina Yee’s tips on what to look for in a motherboard with a 12th Gen CPU.)

It’s not even the most expensive option on the market. If you want a water-cooled solution, you can find a liquid-cooled-focused Glacial version of this board for even more advantages—MSI’s luxurious Godlike also recently appeared on the Z690.

This motherboard is for anyone who wants an extremely high-end build with all the performance and aesthetic options ticked. With the price of PC components skyrocketing over the past few years, it’s only a matter of time before motherboards get more expensive.

It will suit content creators and their massive connectivity suites, as well as avid PC builders and gamers, with a plethora of performance and aesthetic details.

Small quirks and high price tag keep it from being a 5-star product and a highly recommended motherboard, especially considering some others have similar (but not all) features are hundreds of dollars less. But if you love the design and must have all its features, it’s an amazing product for discerning high-end enthusiasts who don’t mind spending a fortune.

Editor’s Note: This article was published on March 22, but has been updated to add video commentary.