Asus Rog Strix Z690 E Gaming Wifi Review

Alright, let’s cut to the chase on the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi. Is it the ultimate platform for your high-performance Intel 12th or 13th Gen build? In short, yes, it’s an absolute beast, offering a robust power delivery system, exceptional connectivity, and a feature set that caters directly to enthusiasts and serious gamers. This board isn’t just about flashy RGB.

It’s engineered for stability, speed, and future-proofing, providing a solid foundation that can handle even the most demanding components, from power-hungry CPUs to next-gen GPUs and NVMe storage.

This board serves as a central nervous system for your high-end gaming PC, delivering stable power, enabling lightning-fast data transfers, and ensuring seamless network performance.

It’s designed to extract every ounce of performance from Intel’s LGA 1700 processors, making it a prime choice for those looking to push boundaries.

0.0 0.0 out of 5 stars (based on 0 reviews) Excellent0% Very good0% Average0% Poor0% Terrible0% There are no reviews yet. Be the first one to write one. Your review Your overall rating Select a Rating5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star Title of your review Your review Your name Your email This review is based on my own experience and is my genuine opinion. ​ Submit Review

Amazon.com: Check Amazon for Asus Rog Strix Latest Discussions & Reviews:

Think of it as the high-performance chassis for your digital race car, where every component needs to perform flawlessly.

For anyone serious about their build, this motherboard is a cornerstone.

Here’s a quick look at some key components you might consider pairing with or in relation to the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi:

• Intel Core i9-13900K Processor

  • Key Features: 24 Cores 8 P-cores + 16 E-cores, 32 Threads, up to 5.8 GHz max turbo frequency, Intel UHD Graphics 770.
  • Average Price: $550-$600
  • Pros: Unmatched multi-threaded performance, excellent single-core speed for gaming, great for content creation and heavy multitasking.
  • Cons: High power consumption, requires robust cooling solution, premium price point.

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Graphics Card

  • Key Features: Ada Lovelace architecture, 16GB GDDR6X VRAM, DLSS 3, Ray Tracing Cores.
  • Average Price: $1000-$1200
  • Pros: Exceptional 4K gaming performance, excellent ray tracing capabilities, great for high refresh rate monitors.
  • Cons: Very expensive, large card design requiring good case clearance.

• Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 RAM 32GB Kit

  • Key Features: DDR5 form factor, typically 5600MHz to 6400MHz speeds, RGB lighting, XMP 3.0 support.
  • Average Price: $120-$180
  • Pros: High bandwidth and low latency for gaming and productivity, aesthetic RGB lighting, reliable brand.
  • Cons: DDR5 still more expensive than DDR4, some motherboards might require BIOS updates for optimal compatibility.

• Samsung 990 Pro NVMe SSD 2TB

  • Key Features: PCIe Gen 4.0 x4 interface, up to 7,450 MB/s sequential read, 6,900 MB/s sequential write, DRAM cache.
  • Average Price: $180-$220
  • Pros: Blazing fast load times for games and applications, excellent for large file transfers, highly durable.
  • Cons: Can run warm under sustained heavy loads, price premium over PCIe Gen 3 drives.

• NZXT Kraken Z73 RGB 360mm AIO Liquid Cooler

  • Key Features: 360mm radiator, three 120mm RGB fans, customizable LCD display on pump, CAM software control.
  • Average Price: $250-$280
  • Pros: Excellent cooling performance for high-end CPUs, customizable aesthetics, quiet operation under normal loads.
  • Cons: Large radiator requires compatible case, higher price point for AIOs, software can be resource-intensive.

• Seasonic Focus Plus Gold 1000W Power Supply

  • Key Features: 80 PLUS Gold certified, fully modular design, 10-year warranty, quiet fan.
  • Pros: High efficiency, ample wattage for powerful components, modular cables for cleaner builds, trusted brand for reliability.
  • Cons: Can be overkill for some mid-range builds, physical size might be an issue in smaller cases.

• Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO Case

  • Key Features: Dual-chamber design, reversible layout, excellent airflow, tempered glass panels, supports multiple radiators.
  • Average Price: $170-$200
  • Pros: Fantastic aesthetics, superb thermal performance, easy to build in, highly modular for customization.
  • Cons: Large footprint, fans not included, can be heavy once fully built.

Power Delivery and VRM Design: The Unsung Hero

When you’re pushing a high-end Intel 12th or 13th Gen processor, especially for overclocking, the power delivery system, or VRM Voltage Regulator Module, isn’t just important—it’s critical. The Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi truly shines here, featuring a robust 18+1 power stage design. Each stage is rated for 90 amps, meaning it can deliver an immense amount of stable current to your CPU.

Why VRM Matters for Z690

Think of the VRM as the heart of your motherboard, pumping clean, stable power to your CPU.

Without a robust VRM, your high-performance CPU, like an i9-13900K, simply can’t reach its full potential. You’d see:

• Thermal Throttling: Insufficient power delivery means the VRMs themselves get too hot, forcing the CPU to slow down to prevent damage.
• Instability: Inconsistent power can lead to system crashes, especially during heavy loads or overclocking.
• Reduced Performance: Your CPU won’t be able to maintain its boost clocks, leaving performance on the table.

The Z690 platform, particularly with Intel’s hungry Alder Lake and Raptor Lake chips, demands serious power.

Asus designed the Strix Z690-E with this in mind, ensuring it can handle not just stock performance but also significant overclocking headroom without breaking a sweat. Lenovo Thinkvision M14D Review

Components and Cooling

The quality of components in the VRM is paramount.

Asus employs high-quality chokes and capacitors that are designed for durability and efficiency.

But even the best components need effective cooling. The Strix Z690-E features:

• Massive VRM Heatsinks: These aren’t just decorative. They are large, finned aluminum blocks designed to maximize surface area for heat dissipation.
• High-Conductivity Thermal Pads: These ensure efficient heat transfer from the MOSFETs which generate most of the heat to the heatsinks.
• Integrated I/O Shroud: Often, this shroud also acts as part of the VRM heatsink assembly, further improving cooling.

This comprehensive cooling solution means the VRMs can stay cool even under extreme load, translating directly to stable CPU performance and greater overclocking potential. For enthusiasts, this means you can extract more frames per second, render faster, and crunch data quicker without worrying about system instability.

Connectivity and Expansion: Ready for Anything

A modern high-end motherboard isn’t just about raw power. V Moda S 80 Review

It’s about how well it connects you to the rest of your ecosystem.

The Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi offers an exceptional array of connectivity options, ensuring you’re ready for current and future peripherals, storage, and networking demands.

PCIe 5.0 and M.2 Storage

The Z690 platform introduces PCIe 5.0, and the Strix Z690-E fully embraces it:

• PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot: This primary slot is dedicated to your graphics card, offering double the bandwidth of PCIe 4.0. While current GPUs don’t fully saturate PCIe 4.0, this provides excellent future-proofing for next-generation graphics cards.
• Multiple M.2 Slots: The board boasts four M.2 slots, all supporting PCIe 4.0 x4, with one even supporting PCIe 5.0 x4. This is a huge win for storage:
  • Blazing Fast Storage: PCIe 5.0 SSDs are hitting speeds of 10,000 MB/s or more, significantly reducing game load times and speeding up large file transfers for content creators.
  • Ample Capacity: With four slots, you can install multiple NVMe SSDs, allowing for massive storage configurations without resorting to slower SATA drives.
  • Dedicated M.2 Heatsinks: Each M.2 slot comes with its own heatsink to prevent thermal throttling of high-speed NVMe drives, which is crucial for sustained performance.

USB Ports and Thunderbolt Header

Peripheral connectivity is robust, covering a wide range of devices:

• USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C 20Gbps: This is the fastest USB standard currently available, perfect for external SSDs or high-bandwidth docking stations. The Strix Z690-E features one on the rear I/O and one internal header for front panel connectivity.
• Numerous USB 3.2 Gen 2 and Gen 1 Ports: A plentiful supply of both Type-A and Type-C ports on the rear I/O and internal headers ensures you can connect all your gaming peripherals, external drives, and VR headsets.
• Thunderbolt 4 Header: While it doesn’t have integrated Thunderbolt ports, the inclusion of a Thunderbolt 4 header means you can add a compatible ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 expansion card. This opens up possibilities for high-speed external storage, professional audio interfaces, and external GPUs with unprecedented bandwidth.

Networking: Wireless and Wired

Lag is the enemy of any serious gamer, and Asus has equipped this board to fight it: Google Nest Wifi Pro Review

• Intel WiFi 6E: This is the latest Wi-Fi standard, leveraging the 6GHz band for less interference and higher speeds up to 2.4 Gbps. If you have a compatible router, this provides a low-latency, high-bandwidth wireless connection that rivals wired Ethernet for many users.
• Intel 2.5Gb Ethernet: For those who prefer a wired connection, the 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port offers 2.5 times the speed of standard Gigabit Ethernet. This is fantastic for large game downloads, streaming high-quality content, or transferring files over a local network.

This comprehensive connectivity ensures that your gaming experience is smooth, your data transfers are fast, and your system is prepared for the demands of tomorrow.

Audio Quality: Sonic Supremacy

A truly immersive gaming experience isn’t just about stunning visuals. it’s also about pristine audio. The Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi takes audio seriously, integrating high-fidelity components and thoughtful design to deliver an exceptional sound experience. This isn’t just about making noise. it’s about spatial awareness, clear communication, and rich soundscapes.

ROG SupremeFX ALC4080 Codec

At the heart of the audio system is the ROG SupremeFX ALC4080 audio codec. This is a premium solution, offering:

• High-Resolution Audio: Capable of delivering 120dB SNR Signal-to-Noise Ratio stereo playback output and 113dB SNR recording input, meaning your audio will be clearer with less background noise and your voice will be crisp for teammates.
• Improved DAC: The ALC4080 is a step up from typical integrated audio solutions, designed to handle high-fidelity audio streams with greater precision.

Savitech SV3H712 AMP

To further enhance the audio output, particularly for high-impedance headphones, the board incorporates a Savitech SV3H712 AMP. This dedicated headphone amplifier ensures:

• Drives High-End Headphones: If you’re using audiophile-grade gaming headsets or studio headphones e.g., 250-ohm Sennheisers, this amplifier will provide the necessary power to drive them effectively, delivering fuller bass, clearer highs, and a wider soundstage.
• Cleaner Sound: A dedicated amp helps reduce distortion and noise, resulting in a cleaner, more dynamic audio signal.

Audio Shielding and Capacitors

Asus doesn’t stop at the codec and amp. Asus Zenbook Pro 15 Flip Oled Q529Za Review

They employ several techniques to minimize interference and improve audio quality:

• Audio Line Shielding: The audio components are physically separated from the rest of the motherboard’s circuitry to prevent electromagnetic interference EMI from degrading the sound. This is like putting a soundproof barrier around your audio signals.
• Premium Japanese Capacitors: Specifically, Nichicon capacitors are used in the audio circuitry. These are known for their high-quality, warm sound characteristics, and long-term reliability, ensuring consistent audio performance over time.
• De-pop Circuit: This prevents the annoying popping sound that sometimes occurs when plugging in or unplugging headphones or speakers.

AI Noise-Canceling Microphone Technology

For gamers and streamers, clear communication is paramount. The Strix Z690-E features AI Noise-Canceling Microphone technology. This is a must:

• Filters Out Background Noise: Using a massive deep-learning database, it identifies and eliminates distracting background noises from your microphone input and even your incoming audio. This means keyboard clicks, mouse clicks, fan noise, and even chatter from your environment won’t be heard by your teammates.
• Clearer Communication: Your voice will come through crystal clear, leading to better teamwork and less frustration in online games. This technology is a significant advantage for competitive gaming and streaming.

In essence, the audio subsystem on the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi is engineered to provide a competitive edge in gaming through superior sound positioning and clear comms, while also delivering an enjoyable, high-fidelity experience for podcast and movies.

Aesthetics and RGB Lighting: Personalizing Your Rig

Let’s be honest, performance isn’t the only thing that matters in a high-end build.

Aesthetics play a huge role, especially in custom PCs. Hasselblad X2D 100C Review

The Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi strikes a fantastic balance between functionality and visual flair, offering a sleek design with intelligent RGB lighting that enhances, rather than overwhelms, your system.

Striking Design Language

The Strix series has a distinctive design, and the Z690-E continues this tradition:

• Dark and Stealthy: The board primarily features a dark, matte black PCB with contrasting grey and silver accents on the heatsinks. This provides a clean, professional backdrop that allows other components like your GPU or RAM to stand out.
• Integrated I/O Shield: This isn’t just convenient for installation. it also contributes to the motherboard’s clean lines and premium feel. It integrates seamlessly with the VRM heatsinks.
• Subtle Branding: ROG branding is present but not overly aggressive, usually integrated into the heatsink designs, giving it a sophisticated, gamer-centric look without being gaudy.

Customizable RGB Lighting Aura Sync

The RGB lighting on the Strix Z690-E is strategically placed and highly customizable via Asus’s Aura Sync software:

• ROG Logo on I/O Shroud: A prominent ROG logo on the integrated I/O shroud is illuminated, providing a focal point for the motherboard’s lighting.
• Strix Graphics on Chipset Heatsink: The chipset heatsink often features subtle Strix-themed patterns or lines that light up, adding another layer of visual interest.
• Addressable RGB Headers: The board includes both standard 4-pin RGB headers and 3-pin addressable Gen 2 RGB headers. These are crucial for:
  • Synchronized Lighting: Aura Sync allows you to synchronize the lighting effects across all compatible components in your system, including RAM, fans, CPU coolers, and even external peripherals.
  • Advanced Effects: Addressable headers offer much more granular control, allowing for complex, dynamic lighting effects where individual LEDs can be controlled independently. Imagine wave effects, rainbows, or custom patterns flowing across your entire build.

Practicality Meets Style

Asus understands that aesthetics shouldn’t compromise functionality:

• M.2 Heatsinks: While looking good, these are primarily functional, dissipating heat from your high-speed NVMe SSDs. Their design seamlessly integrates with the overall aesthetic.
• Debug Q-LEDs: These are small, non-intrusive LEDs that indicate the boot status CPU, DRAM, VGA, BOOT. While not part of the RGB scheme, they add a practical element to the visual layout, helping diagnose issues quickly.

Ultimately, the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi offers an aesthetic that is both visually appealing and highly functional. 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Review

It allows users to personalize their build with sophisticated RGB lighting while maintaining a premium and performance-oriented look.

It’s about setting the stage for your powerful components.

User-Friendly Features and BIOS: Streamlined Experience

Building and tuning a high-performance PC can be complex, but the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi goes a long way in simplifying the process through its user-friendly features and intuitive BIOS.

This board is designed to empower both seasoned enthusiasts and those new to the high-end PC building scene.

Q-Design Innovations

Asus has implemented several “Q-Design” features aimed at making installation and troubleshooting easier: Thermaltake The Tower 500 Review

• PCIe Slot Q-Release: This is a small, but incredibly useful innovation. A button on the motherboard allows you to easily unlock your graphics card from the PCIe slot without fumbling with the tiny, often stiff, traditional retention clip. This is a godsend, especially when installing or removing large GPUs.
• M.2 Q-Latch: Say goodbye to tiny, easily lost M.2 screws. The Q-Latch uses a simple, tool-less twist-to-lock mechanism to secure your NVMe SSDs. This drastically simplifies M.2 installation, especially in tight spaces.
• Q-LEDs Boot Status Indicator: As mentioned, these small LEDs on the motherboard light up to indicate the status of key components during boot CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device. If your system fails to boot, a lit Q-LED quickly tells you where the problem lies, saving significant troubleshooting time.
• SafeBoot Button and ReTry Button: These physical buttons on the motherboard allow for quick recovery from failed overclocks or boot issues without clearing CMOS entirely. The SafeBoot button boots into a safe mode, while ReTry simply reboots the system.

UEFI BIOS: EZ Mode and Advanced Mode

The UEFI Unified Extensible Firmware Interface BIOS is the control center for your motherboard, and Asus’s ROG UEFI is renowned for its comprehensive features and user-friendly interface:

• EZ Mode: This is the default view upon entering the BIOS, offering a simplified dashboard that displays critical system information at a glance CPU temp, fan speeds, boot priority, XMP status. It also allows for one-click XMP profile activation for your RAM and easy fan curve adjustments. This is perfect for beginners who want to get their system up and running quickly.
• Advanced Mode: For power users and overclockers, the Advanced Mode unlocks a wealth of granular control:
  • AI Overclocking: Asus’s intelligent overclocking feature uses a proprietary algorithm to assess your CPU and cooling, then suggests optimized overclocking settings. This can be a great starting point for those new to overclocking.
  • Fan Control: Extensive fan control options allow you to create custom fan curves based on various temperature sensors, ensuring optimal cooling and noise levels.
  • RAM Tuning: Detailed settings for DRAM timing, voltage, and frequency, allowing for advanced memory overclocking and stability adjustments.
  • Per-Core Overclocking: Fine-tune individual P-cores and E-cores for maximum performance.
  • Save/Load Profiles: Save your custom BIOS settings as profiles, making it easy to switch between different configurations or revert to a known good state.
  • BIOS FlashBack: This incredibly useful feature allows you to update the BIOS without a CPU, RAM, or GPU installed. You simply need the motherboard, a USB flash drive with the BIOS file, and power. This is a lifesaver if you’re installing a newer generation CPU that requires a BIOS update out of the box.

The combination of thoughtful hardware design and a powerful, intuitive BIOS makes the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi a joy to build with and fine-tune.

It streamlines the typically complex aspects of PC building, allowing users to focus on enjoying their high-performance system.

Software Ecosystem: Armory Crate and AI Suite 3

Beyond the hardware, the software ecosystem provided by ASUS significantly enhances the user experience for the ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi.

While some users might have strong opinions about software suites, ASUS’s offerings, primarily Armory Crate and AI Suite 3, provide comprehensive control and optimization tools. Canon Imageclass Lbp236Dw Review

Armory Crate: The Central Hub

Armory Crate is ASUS’s unified software utility designed to manage various aspects of your ROG system.

It aims to be a one-stop shop for drivers, utilities, and customization.

• Driver & Utility Downloads: Upon initial setup, Armory Crate can automatically detect your hardware and offer to download and install all necessary drivers and ASUS utilities. This streamlines the setup process, ensuring you have the latest software without manually hunting for each file.
• Aura Sync Control: This is where you’ll spend a lot of time if you’re into RGB. Armory Crate is the control center for Aura Sync, allowing you to:
  • Synchronize lighting: Control all compatible ASUS and third-party RGB components motherboard, GPU, RAM, fans, peripherals to display synchronized effects.
  • Customize effects: Choose from a wide array of static colors, dynamic effects breathing, strobing, rainbow, star, podcast sync, or create custom lighting profiles.
• Fan Xpert 4: Integrated within Armory Crate, Fan Xpert 4 provides advanced fan control. You can:
  • Auto-tune fans: The software can analyze your installed fans and cooling system to create optimized fan curves.
  • Manual control: Create custom fan curves based on various temperature sensors CPU, GPU, VRM, M.2 to balance cooling performance and noise levels precisely. This is crucial for maintaining optimal temperatures under load.
• GameFirst VI: This network optimization tool prioritizes game traffic, ensuring lower latency and smoother online gaming experiences. It can:
  • Intelligent Prioritization: Automatically detect and prioritize network packets for online games.
  • Manual Control: Allow users to manually set priority for specific applications.
  • Bandwidth Monitoring: Provide real-time monitoring of network usage.
• Sonic Studio III / Sonic Radar III: These audio utilities enhance your sound experience.
  • Sonic Studio III: Provides advanced audio customization options, including virtual surround sound, equalizer settings, and audio effects profiles for different content types gaming, movie, podcast.
  • Sonic Radar III: For competitive gamers, this visual overlay helps pinpoint the direction of in-game sounds like footsteps or gunshots, offering a controversial but undeniable advantage.

AI Suite 3: Deep System Monitoring and Tuning

While some functionalities overlap with Armory Crate, AI Suite 3 offers a more granular level of system tuning and monitoring, especially for power users focused on stability and performance.

• Dual Intelligent Processors 5 DIP5: This module brings together various optimization tools:
  • TPU TurboV Processing Unit: Provides fine-grained voltage control and advanced CPU overclocking options within Windows, allowing for real-time adjustments.
  • EPU Energy Processing Unit: Optimizes power consumption for the entire system, helping save energy when not under heavy load.
  • DIGI+ VRM: Allows for precise digital control over the VRM, enabling better stability for overclocking and improved power efficiency.
  • Fan Xpert 4: Also in Armory Crate offers the same advanced fan control capabilities.
• EZ Update: Simplifies the process of updating your motherboard’s BIOS and drivers directly from within Windows.
• System Information: Provides detailed real-time data on CPU, memory, temperatures, and fan speeds, which is invaluable for monitoring system health and identifying potential bottlenecks.

While some users might find having multiple software suites slightly cumbersome, the depth of control and optimization offered by Armory Crate and AI Suite 3 for the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi allows users to extract maximum performance and tailor their system to their specific needs.

It’s about empowering the user to truly command their hardware. Fitbit Inspire 3 Review

Thermal Performance: Keeping Things Cool Under Pressure

When you’re running a high-end system with an overclocked Intel K-series CPU and a powerful RTX 40-series GPU, heat management isn’t just a suggestion—it’s a requirement.

The Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi is engineered with a comprehensive thermal design to ensure that key components remain cool, preventing throttling and maximizing performance.

VRM Cooling: The Foundation

As highlighted earlier, the VRM cooling is paramount, and the Strix Z690-E excels here:

• Enlarged VRM Heatsinks: These aren’t just big. they’re designed with a high surface area to effectively dissipate heat generated by the power delivery stages. They are typically made of high-quality aluminum and are robust.
• High-Conductivity Thermal Pads: The quality of the thermal pads connecting the MOSFETs to the heatsinks is crucial. Asus uses high-performance pads to ensure efficient heat transfer.
• L-Shaped Heatpipe: Often, high-end Strix boards utilize an L-shaped heatpipe to connect two VRM heatsinks, further distributing heat and enhancing overall dissipation. This ensures no hot spots develop.

Why this matters: When VRMs get too hot, they become less efficient and can even throttle the CPU. Keeping them cool ensures stable power delivery, crucial for maintaining boost clocks and successful overclocking. In stress tests with powerful CPUs like the i9-13900K, the VRM temperatures on the Z690-E typically remain well within safe operating limits, often staying below 60-70°C even under sustained heavy load.

M.2 SSD Cooling: Sustained Speeds

High-speed PCIe Gen 4 and Gen 5 NVMe SSDs generate significant heat, especially during sustained read/write operations. Mackie Mp 20Tws Review

Without proper cooling, these drives can quickly thermal throttle, leading to a drastic drop in performance.

• Dedicated M.2 Heatsinks: Every M.2 slot on the Z690-E comes with its own robust heatsink, usually with pre-applied thermal pads. These heatsinks are designed to absorb and dissipate heat from the SSD controllers and NAND chips.
• Strategic Placement: The M.2 slots are often placed strategically on the motherboard to benefit from case airflow, further aiding heat dissipation.

Impact: This ensures that your blazing-fast NVMe drives can maintain their peak speeds during large file transfers, game loading, and content creation tasks, providing consistent, high-performance storage. For example, a Samsung 990 Pro operating without a heatsink could see its speed drop by 50% or more under heavy load, but with the Strix Z690-E’s cooling, it maintains performance.

Chipset Heatsink and Fan Headers

• PCH Platform Controller Hub Heatsink: The chipset, while not as hot as the VRMs or CPU, still requires cooling. The Z690-E features a dedicated, often aesthetically integrated, heatsink for the PCH.
• Comprehensive Fan Headers: The board provides numerous fan headers typically 8-10 with intelligent control, including:
  • Dedicated AIO Pump Header: For liquid coolers.
  • CPU Fan Header: For CPU air coolers.
  • Chassis Fan Headers: For case fans.
  • High-Amp Headers: Some headers are rated for higher amperage, allowing them to power multiple fans via splitters or more powerful industrial fans.
  • Thermal Probe Headers: Allows you to connect external thermal sensors to monitor temperatures in specific areas of your case and adjust fan curves accordingly.

Overall Thermal Strategy: The Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi’s thermal design is not an afterthought. It’s an integral part of its high-performance philosophy, ensuring that all critical components run optimally, even during intense gaming sessions or demanding workloads. This robust thermal management directly translates to greater system stability and higher sustained performance.

Overclocking Potential: Pushing the Limits

For many enthusiasts and competitive gamers, a motherboard’s true test lies in its ability to facilitate stable and high overclocks.

The Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi is explicitly designed for this, providing the necessary hardware and software tools to extract every last MHz from your Intel 12th or 13th Gen K-series processor and DDR5 memory. Pentax Hd D Fa Macro 100Mm F28 Ed Aw Review

CPU Overclocking: Unleashing the Cores

The robust VRM design 18+1 power stages, 90A each is the cornerstone of its CPU overclocking prowess.

• Stable Power Delivery: This high-quality power delivery ensures that the CPU receives consistent, clean power even when pushing high voltages and frequencies. This minimizes Vdroop voltage drop under load and ripple, which are critical for maintaining stability.
• Excellent VRM Thermals: As discussed, the massive heatsinks keep the VRMs cool, preventing thermal throttling of the power delivery system itself. Cooler VRMs mean more stable power and higher sustained overclocks.
• AI Overclocking: Asus’s proprietary AI Overclocking feature is a standout. It analyzes your CPU’s silicon lottery, your cooling solution, and system load, then intelligently suggests optimized voltage and frequency settings. This isn’t just a basic auto-overclock. it’s a sophisticated algorithm that aims for optimal performance without manual trial-and-error, making it accessible even for those new to overclocking. For seasoned tuners, it provides a solid starting point for further manual refinement.
• Extensive BIOS Options: The UEFI BIOS offers granular control over CPU voltage Vcore, VCCSA, VCCIO, VCCAUX, multipliers, BCLK frequency, load-line calibration LLC, and core-specific overclocking. This level of detail allows experienced overclockers to fine-tune every aspect for maximum stability and performance.

Real-world impact: Users routinely report being able to achieve stable overclocks of 5.5GHz+ on P-cores and 4.3GHz+ on E-cores with Intel i9-12900K/13900K processors on this board, provided they have adequate cooling e.g., a 360mm AIO or custom loop. The board handles the increased power draw and thermal load with grace.

DDR5 Memory Overclocking: Beyond XMP

DDR5 memory has significant overclocking headroom, and the Strix Z690-E is built to exploit it:

• Optimized Trace Layout OptiMem III: Asus uses a proprietary memory trace layout that minimizes signal interference and allows for cleaner signal transmission. This enables higher memory frequencies and tighter timings.
• XMP 3.0 Support: Fully supports Intel Extreme Memory Profile 3.0, allowing for one-click activation of pre-tuned memory profiles. Many kits rated for 6000MHz or higher will run flawlessly by simply enabling XMP.
• Extensive Memory Timing Controls: For extreme memory overclockers, the BIOS provides detailed control over primary, secondary, and tertiary timings, as well as various voltages VDDQ, VDD, VCCSA, VCCIO. This allows for pushing memory beyond its rated XMP speeds, potentially reaching 7000MHz+ or even 7600MHz+ with high-binned kits and careful tuning.

Benefits: Higher memory frequencies and tighter timings directly translate to improved gaming performance especially in CPU-bound scenarios, faster content creation tasks, and more responsive overall system performance. A well-tuned DDR5 kit can significantly impact minimum frame rates and application responsiveness.

PCI Express and Storage Overclocking

While not traditional “overclocking,” the board’s design ensures optimal performance for PCIe devices: Samsung Smartthings Station Review

• Robust PCIe 5.0 Slot: The reinforced PCIe 5.0 x16 slot ensures stable power and signal integrity for high-end GPUs, even under heavy load or liquid nitrogen cooling for extreme benchmarking.
• Dedicated M.2 Lanes: Direct CPU lanes for some M.2 slots, along with robust PCIe 4.0/5.0 implementations, ensure that NVMe SSDs always perform at their peak, without bottlenecking.

In essence, the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi provides the necessary foundation—premium components, intelligent design, and comprehensive software tools—to unlock the full overclocking potential of your high-end Intel 12th/13th Gen CPU and DDR5 memory.

It’s a board built for those who want to wring every bit of performance out of their hardware.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi compatible with Intel 13th Gen CPUs?

Yes, the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi is fully compatible with Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs.

You might need to update the BIOS to the latest version to ensure optimal support, but the board features BIOS FlashBack for easy updates without a CPU installed.

Does the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi support DDR5 RAM?

Yes, this motherboard exclusively supports DDR5 RAM. Leica M11 Monochrom Review

It features four DDR5 DIMM slots, allowing for high-speed memory configurations.

How many M.2 slots does the Z690-E Gaming WiFi have?

The Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi has four M.2 slots, including one PCIe 5.0 x4 slot and three PCIe 4.0 x4 slots, all equipped with dedicated heatsinks.

Does the Z690-E Gaming WiFi come with WiFi 6E?

Yes, it comes with integrated Intel WiFi 6E, supporting the 6GHz band for less interference and higher wireless speeds.

What Ethernet port does the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E have?

It features an Intel 2.5Gb Ethernet port, providing faster wired network speeds compared to standard Gigabit Ethernet.

Is the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E good for overclocking?

Yes, it is excellent for overclocking. 2023 Nissan Ariya Review

It features a robust 18+1 power stage VRM design with 90A stages and extensive cooling, making it ideal for pushing high-end Intel K-series CPUs and DDR5 memory.

Does the Z690-E Gaming WiFi have a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port?

Yes, it has one USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 20Gbps Type-C port on the rear I/O and an internal header for front panel connectivity.

What audio codec does the ROG Strix Z690-E use?

It uses the ROG SupremeFX ALC4080 audio codec, complemented by a Savitech SV3H712 AMP for high-fidelity audio.

Does the motherboard support PCIe 5.0?

Yes, it features one primary PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for graphics cards and one PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slot for future high-speed SSDs.

What is the purpose of AI Noise-Canceling Microphone technology on this board?

AI Noise-Canceling Microphone technology filters out distracting background noises from both your microphone input and incoming audio, ensuring clearer communication during gaming or streaming. Asus Tuf Gaming Z790 Plus Wi Fi Review

Does the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E have a BIOS FlashBack button?

Yes, it has a dedicated BIOS FlashBack button, allowing you to update the BIOS without needing a CPU, RAM, or graphics card installed.

What is PCIe Slot Q-Release?

PCIe Slot Q-Release is an ASUS feature that provides an easy-to-press button to unlock the graphics card from its slot, making GPU removal much simpler.

How does the M.2 Q-Latch work?

The M.2 Q-Latch is a tool-less retention mechanism that secures your NVMe SSDs with a simple twist, eliminating the need for tiny M.2 screws.

What are Q-LEDs used for?

Q-LEDs are diagnostic LEDs that light up during boot to indicate if there’s an issue with the CPU, DRAM, VGA, or boot device, helping with quick troubleshooting.

Can I control RGB lighting with this motherboard?

Yes, you can control the integrated RGB lighting and connect external RGB devices via the standard and addressable Gen 2 RGB headers using ASUS Aura Sync software.

Is the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E good for gaming?

Yes, it is an excellent motherboard for gaming due to its robust power delivery, high-speed connectivity PCIe 5.0, WiFi 6E, 2.5Gb Ethernet, premium audio, and dedicated gaming features.

Does this motherboard require a specific cooler for the CPU?

While it doesn’t require a specific cooler, for high-end Intel K-series CPUs, especially if you plan to overclock, a robust cooling solution like a 280mm or 360mm AIO liquid cooler or a high-performance air cooler is highly recommended.

What power connectors does the Z690-E Gaming WiFi use for the CPU?

It typically uses dual 8-pin EPS 12V power connectors for the CPU, indicating its capability to deliver substantial power for high-end processors.

Does the motherboard come with integrated graphics?

No, the motherboard itself does not have integrated graphics.

Integrated graphics capabilities come from the CPU if it has an integrated GPU e.g., Intel’s non-F series CPUs.

Can I connect multiple GPUs to this board?

While it has multiple PCIe slots, its primary PCIe 5.0 x16 slot is best for a single, powerful GPU.

Multi-GPU configurations like SLI/CrossFire are generally not supported or recommended by modern games and drivers.

What is ASUS AI Overclocking?

ASUS AI Overclocking is an intelligent utility in the BIOS that uses a proprietary algorithm to assess your CPU and cooling, then suggests optimized voltage and frequency settings for a stable overclock.

How many fan headers are on the Z690-E Gaming WiFi?

The board typically features numerous fan headers around 8-10, including dedicated headers for CPU fans, AIO pumps, and chassis fans, allowing for extensive cooling control.

Is the Z690-E Gaming WiFi ATX size?

Yes, the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi is a standard ATX form factor motherboard, compatible with most mid-tower and full-tower PC cases.

Does this motherboard support Thunderbolt?

It features an onboard Thunderbolt 4 header, allowing you to add an optional ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 expansion card for Thunderbolt connectivity.

What kind of heatsinks does it have for M.2 SSDs?

All M.2 slots on the Z690-E Gaming WiFi come with robust, dedicated heatsinks to prevent thermal throttling of high-speed NVMe SSDs.

Is Armory Crate necessary for using the motherboard?

No, Armory Crate is not strictly necessary, as the motherboard will function with just drivers.

However, it provides convenient access to various utilities, RGB control Aura Sync, and fan tuning Fan Xpert 4.

What is the maximum DDR5 memory speed supported?

The maximum supported DDR5 memory speed can vary with BIOS updates and CPU silicon lottery, but the board officially supports speeds well over 6000MHz through XMP profiles, often reaching 7000MHz+ with manual tuning.

Does this motherboard have a pre-mounted I/O shield?

Yes, the Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi features a pre-mounted I/O shield, which simplifies installation and adds to the board’s aesthetic appeal.

Is the Z690-E Gaming WiFi good for content creation?

Yes, its robust power delivery, support for high-core count Intel CPUs, ample high-speed M.2 storage options, and fast connectivity make it an excellent choice for content creation workloads like video editing, 3D rendering, and graphic design.

Does the motherboard have RGB headers for external lighting?

Yes, it includes both 4-pin standard RGB headers and 3-pin addressable Gen 2 RGB headers for connecting and controlling external RGB lighting strips and devices.