ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 EXTREME Motherboard Review

Peter Donnell November 4, 2021Last Updated: November 4, 2021

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Last week, I’m sure plenty of you were digging through my preview of the amazing ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 EXTREME! However, today is even better, as I’ve got more information on the new motherboard, as well as those much-anticipated performance figures! There’s no getting away from the fact that this is one of the most high-end and extreme Z690 motherboards from ASUS, but also in the whole Z690 launch lineup, and most likely one of the most expensive too, but I doubt that’ll come as a surprise to anyone. Z690 is here at last though, and so are the new 12th Gen Intel processors. That means new features like PCIe 5.0, PCIe 4.0 M.2 storage, DDR5, Thunderbolt 4 and much more are here for Intel fans, and that’s a pretty big deal!

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 EXTREME

This motherboard has just about everything I can think of, and then still goes beyond that! You get an insane 24+1 teamed power stage design, rated for 105A, which is pretty much the most advanced configuration for the Z690 launch. It also has a new “cold-forged heatsink” and their most premium armour and cooling design overall, but again, this is their flagship board. You get a staggering range of connectivity too, with Intel WiFi 6E, AQtion 10 GbE and Intel 2.6 GbE LAN with ASUS LANGuard. There’s PCIe 5.0, Gen 5 M.2, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, Thunderbolt 4, and USB Type-C and there’s plenty more beyond that too. Of course, you also get the latest DDR5 memory support, with XMP 3.0 and a suite of advanced overclocking features.

Please note, this is the same board as the Z690 GLACIER, albeit that one comes with a liquid cooling mono-block, while this one features heatsinks for air cooling.

Features

Socket LGA1700 for 12th Gen Intel^® Core™, Pentium^® Gold and Celeron^® Processors
Intelligent Control: ASUS-exclusive tools including AI Overclocking, AI Cooling, AI Networking and Two-Way AI Noise-Cancelation for easy configuration
Robust Power Solution: 24+1 teamed power stages rated for 105 A, ProCool II power connectors, MicroFine alloy chokes and premium metallic capacitors
Optimized Thermal Design: Cold forged heatsink, enlarged VRM heatsinks plus integrated aluminum I/O cover, high-conductivity thermal pad, penta M.2 heatsinks and dual with embedded backplates and ROG Water-Cooling Zone
High Performance Networking: Onboard Wi-Fi 6E, Marvell^® AQtion 10Gb, Intel^® 2.5Gb Ethernet, and ASUS LANGuard
Fastest Gaming Connectivity: PCIe^® 5.0, Gen 5 M.2 slots, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 front-panel connector with Thunderbolt™ 4 support, rear triple USB Type-C^® ports
Industry Leading Immersive Audio: ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 codec with ESS^® ES9018Q2C DAC for high-fidelity audio
Unmatched Personalization: AniMe Matrix™ LED display, 2” LiveDash OLED, ASUS-exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting, including one RGB header and three addressable Gen 2 RGB headers
DIY Friendly Design: Pre-mounted I/O shield, PCIe slot Q-release, V-Latch switch, BIOS FlashBack™, Q-Code, FlexKey, Q-Connector, M.2 Q-Latch, SafeSlot, ROG Glavis and ROG graphics card holder
Renowned Software: Bundled 1-year AIDA64 Extreme subscription and intuitive UEFI BIOS dashboard with integrated MemTest86

For in-depth specifications, please visit the official ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 EXTREME product page here.

Tell Me More

“ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme represents the ultimate in enthusiast motherboard design for those who want the best possible option that excels at both air and liquid cooling for 12th Gen Intel® Core™ CPUs. And this platform is packed with the most features that you will find on a ROG Z690 motherboard, including heavy-duty 24+1 power stages, ASUS Enhanced Memory Profiles for top-notch DDR5 speeds, multiple PCIe 5.0 slots, and the exclusive AniMe Matrix™ LED Display.” – ASUS