Tag: Intel

The Intel 13th generation Raptor Lake CPUs are out now starting off with the overclockable K series. These do not come with CPU coolers out of the box, so you will need to buy one separately. In this article, we go over some of the best CPU coolers that you can buy right now for the Intel 13th gen Raptor Lake CPUs.

Best CPU Coolers For Intel 13th Gen CPUs

The following are some of the best CPU coolers that you can buy right now for the Intel 13th gen Raptor Lake CPUs:

1. EK AIO Elite 360mm D-RGB – Best AIO Cooler
2. Corsair iCUE H170i – Best Premium Cooler
3. Noctua NH-U12A chromax.Black – Best Overall Air Cooler
4. be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 – Most Silent Air Cooler
5. Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black – Best Budget Air Cooler

EK AIO Elite 360mm D-RGB – Best AIO Cooler

EK is well-known in the PC space for its water-cooling products and the EK AIO Elite 360mm D-RGB is a monster of a cooler. The water block has a clean design and should blend in with the rest of your build.

The EK AIO Elite 360mm D-RGB offers excellent cooling performance and is built well which is expected since it has a pretty high price tag. The cooler can handle 220-240W of heat output making it ideal for builds with high-end CPUs such as the 13900K.

The 360mm radiator is paired with three 120mm fans which are reasonably silent and the pump does not make a lot of noise even when the CPU is under full load. The included manual offers clear instructions and installing the CPU cooler is pretty easy.

Pros:

• Premium build quality
• Handles 220W-240W of heat output
• Excellent cooling
• Silent operation
• Easy installation

Cons:

• Premium price

Corsair iCUE H170i – Best Premium Cooler

The Corsair iCUE H170i Elite is a monster of a CPU cooler with a 420mm radiator and triple 140mm fans. The fans and pump feature RGB lighting and have plenty of customization options. You can tweak the settings inside the Corsair iCUE software and it even has a zero RPM mode.

The larger radiator and triple 140mm fans mean better cooling for high-end CPUs but it also means that installation options are going to be fairly limited unless you have a very large case.

All things considered, the Corsair iCUE H170i Elite is highly recommended and is one of the best AIO coolers that you can buy right now.

Pros:

• Excellent cooling
• Plenty of customization options
• Great aesthetics

Cons:

• Large 420mm radiator limits installation options

Noctua NH-U12A Chromax.Black – Best Overall Air Cooler

Noctua NH-U12A claims to offer the same performance as the D15 but in a smaller form factor. This is a single-tower cooler that comes with a pair of fans. The fans are pretty quiet but they do not come in black so that is a bit of a bummer.

There are 7 heat pipes on the cooler which is impressive keeping in mind how small the cooler is. The cooler is offset so that there are no RAM clearance issues. Due to the smaller size of the cooler, you should not have any issues installing your graphics card inside the top PCIe slot either.

Pros:

• Compact design
• Premium build
• Great cooling
• Silent operation
• All black design

Cons:

• Vertically chunky

be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 – Most Silent Air Cooler

Be Quiet is another reliable and quality-providing company for PC coolers available in the market. When looking for a premium cooler that provides you with excellent performance, you do not need to think twice if you are purchasing a Be Quiet product.

The dark rock pro 4 is an extremely powerful air cooler that can even take on and even beat most of the AIO 240mm liquid coolers. It’s beefy and its performance is exceptional and it’s a silent one even at high RPMs, need I say more? Though if you opt for this cooler you will need a pretty big case and spacing. This cooler is very very big.

Pros:

• Impressive Build Quality
• Not Noisy
• Exceptional Performance
• Nice To look at

Cons:

• Expensive
• Really big and heavy
• Can cover DIMM slots

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black – Best Budget Air Cooler

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition has a sleek design and will blend in well with the rest of your build. It comes with a single Silencio 120mm fan but there is room for an additional one if you are interested in a push-pull configuration.

The base is nickel-plated and there are 4 copper heat pipes that make direct contact with the base plate. This is an ideal budget cooler for people that are not interested in spending too much money on a CPU cooler. You should get this cooler for the Intel 13600K.

Pros:

• Budget-friendly
• All black design
• Decent performance

Cons:

• Instructions can be better
• Mounting can be tricky

These are some of the best CPU coolers that you can buy for the Intel 13th gen Raptor Lake CPUs. If you are interested in upgrading your build then you can check out our recommended RTX 4090 graphics cards.

Intel 13th generation Raptor Lake CPUs have been announced and supporting Z790 motherboards are now available for pre-order. In this article, we go over some of the Z790 motherboards that you can pre-order for the Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs.

The Z790 chipset is very similar to Z690 but Z790 has more PCIe Gen 4 downstream lanes. Z790 features up to 20 downstream PCIe Gen 4 lanes, and up to 8 downstream PCIe Gen 3. Z790 also allows for up to 5 M.2 NVMe Gen 4 slots to be attached to the chipset. It also has an additional 20 Gbps USB 3.2×2 port.

Pre-Order Z790 Motherboards

The following are the Z790 motherboards that you can pre-order for the Intel 13th generation Raptor Lake CPUs:

1. ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
2. ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi
3. MSI MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4
4. MSI MPG Z790 CARBON WIFI
5. ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi D4
6. MSI MPG Z790 EDGE WIFI
7. MSI MPG Z790I EDGE WIFI
8. MSI PRO Z790-A WIFI
9. MSI PRO Z790-P WIFI
10. ASUS Prime Z790-P WiFi

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero

This is one of the premium Z790 motherboards that Asus has to offer right now and it comes with all the bells and whistles such as PCIe 5.0, DDR5, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 5.0 Hyper M.2 Card, and more. The motherboard has plenty of armor and cooling for the VRMs and chipset and Asus has gone the extra mile and added a screen on the motherboard that you can customize.

The motherboard is ideal for enthusiasts that are looking to water-cool their builds. Not only does it come with triple M.2 slots but it is bundled with the PCIe 5.0 Hyper M.2 Card which allows you to add even more M.2 storage to the motherboard.

Other features include:

• 20+1 Power Stages
• 2.5Gb LAN
• Bluetooth V5.2
• Embedded backplates
• ROG Water-Cooling Zone
• WiFi 6E

Use the links below to pre-order the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero:

ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi

This is also a premium motherboard but it is not priced as high as the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero. The motherboard has a nice design with plenty of armor and even a display. It has 5 M.2 slots and all of them have their heatsinks so you do not have to buy one separately.

Other features include:

• 18+1 Power Stages
• 2.5Gb LAN
• Bluetooth V5.2
• Embedded backplates
• ROG Water-Cooling Zone
• WiFi 6E

Use the links below to pre-order the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi:

MSI MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4

The Tomahawk motherboards have always been very popular amongst PC builders and this one supports DDR4 memory so you can use your existing kit if you are not interested in upgrading to DDR5 yet. The all-black design is very stealthy and should blend in nicely with the rest of your build. It comes with plenty of armor and cooling for the VRMs and chipset.

The MSI Z790 Tomahawk motherboard comes with 4x M.2 slots for high-speed storage and a reinforced PCIe Gen5 slot. The features include:

• Wifi-6E
• 2.5G Ethernet
• USB 20G
• M.2 Shield FROZR
• Audio Boost 5
• 6 Layer PCB
• 5333+ MHz memory speed

You can pre-order the motherboard using the following links:

MSI MPG Z790 CARBON WIFI

This is a premium motherboard that comes with plenty of armor and cooling for the chipset and VRMs. It only supports DDR5 memory so you will need to get a new memory kit if you are interested in upgrading. It does support 7600+ memory. You will need a pair of 8-pin power connectors to power the CPU and you should be able to get some decent overclocks.

Other features include:

• PCIe Gen5
• Screwless M.2 Shield Frozr
• Wi-fi 6E
• 2.5G Ethernet
• USB 20G
• Audio Boost 5

You can use the following links to buy one:

ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi D4

The TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi is a mid-range option that has a stealthy design and RGB lighting but nothing over the top. The black color scheme should blend in well with the rest of your parts. There is plenty of armor and cooling and an integrated I/O shield for easy installation.

The motherboard supports PCIe 5.0 and has 4x M.2 slots but this is a DDR4 motherboard so you can use DDR4 memory instead of upgrading to DDR5. Other features include:

• 16+1 DrMOS
• VRM heatsink
• WiFi 6 AX201
• Intel I225-V 2.5Gb LAN
• PCIe 5.0 Safe slot
• Q-LED
• M.2 Q-Latch
• Realtek S1200A codec

Use the links below to pick one up:

MSI MPG Z790 EDGE WIFI

The MPG Z790 Edge WiFi comes in a black and white combination. If you are interested in building a black and white build then this should fit perfectly. It is a Z790 motherboard so it supports overclocking for the memory and CPU. This is a DDR5 motherboard so you will need the new memory type. 7200 MHz memory is supported.

You will need a pair of 8-pin power connectors to power the CPU and you should be able to get some decent overclocks. Other features include:

• PCIe Gen5
• On board screwless M.2 Shield Frozr
• Wi-fi 6E
• 2.5G Ethernet
• USB 20G
• Audio Boost 5

You can use the following links to buy one:

MSI MPG Z790I EDGE WIFI

This is an ITX build for those looking to build a small form factor PC. It is limited to 2 memory slots but supports high-speed 8000+ MHZ DDR5 memory. The design is similar to the MPG Z790 Edge WiFi ATX motherboard but the footprint is smaller. It uses a single 8-pin power connector for the CPU so overclocking is going to be a bit limited. While this is a smaller motherboard, it still supports three M.2 slots.

Other features include:

• Direct 10+1+1 Phases with 105A SPS
• Audio Boost 5
• USB 20G
• 2.5G Ethernet
• Wi-fi 6E

You can use the following links to buy one:

MSI PRO Z790-A WIFI

This motherboard comes in two variants, one supports DDR4 memory while the other supports DDR5. Both support features such as PCIe Gen 5, Pre-installed I/0 Shield, USB 20G, and M.2 Shield FROZR.

Use the following links to pick one up:

MSI PRO Z790-P WIFI

This is a relatively budget-friendly Z790 motherboard that does not come with a lot of armor or RGB lighting. It does not even have a pre-installed I/O shield. There are two versions of this motherboard, one supports DDR4 memory while the other supports DDR5. You still get the functionality of the chipset with features such as PCIe Gen 5, USB 20G, and M.2 Shield FROZR.

Use the links below to pre-order one of these motherboards:

ASUS Prime Z790-P WiFi

This is a relatively budget-friendly Z790 motherboard from Asus but unlike the MSI PRO Z790-P WIFI, the Asus Prime supports DDR5 memory rather than DDR4. Since this is a Z790 motherboard you still get features such as PCIe 5.0. The motherboard has a 14+1 DrMOS power design and while it does not come with an integrated I/O shield it has decent cooling for the chipset and VRMs.

You can pick up the ASUS Prime Z790-P WiFi using the links below:

These are some of the Z790 motherboards that you can pre-order for the Intel 13th generation Raptor Lake CPUs. If you are interested in learning more then you can check out our article on where you can pre-order the Intel 13th generation Raptor Lake CPUs.

One-Netbook has announced the business series OneMix4S laptop will be powered by Intel 12th Gen mobile CPU. The laptop has a thin and light design and features USB 4.0 allowing users to connect to external displays and a docking station.

OneMix4S Laptop Powered By intel 12th Gen CPU

The OneMix4S has a 10.1-inch LTPS bezel-less display with 2560×1600 resolution with touch and stylus input support. The device targets business users that are on the go and hence only weighs 770g.

The Intel 12th generation mobile CPUs have a hybrid architecture that features both performance and efficiency cores. The mobile chip can have up to 14 cores, including 6 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores. The efficiency cores are responsible for light workloads such as word processing and content consumption and held consume less power. This allows for extended battery life. The performance cores kick in when intensive tasks need to be done.

USB 4.0 allows users to connect the laptop to an external display and enables fast data transfer speeds. There are two USB Type-C 4.0 ports and a single USB Type-C 3.0 port. The OneMix4S also has a 3.5mm audio jack and a fingerprint reader for easy login.

At the time of writing, we do not know when this product is going to release and how much it is going to cost but One-Netbook has confirmed that this information will be conveyed in due time.

Let us know what you think about the OneMix4S Laptop and whether or not this is something that you are interested in.

The upcoming Intel 13th generation Raptor Lake CPUs are going to compete with the AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPUs. We have price listings for the Intel Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs starting from the i5-13600KF up to the i9-13900K. The starting price is $423.99 and goes up to $940.99.

Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake Price Listings

At the top, we have the i9-13900K that is listed for $940.99 Candian or 735 USD. The F variant that does not feature integrated graphics is cheaper and is listed for $900.99 Candian or 694 USD.

According to the listing, The i7-13700KF is going to cost $625.99. This is the SKU that does not feature integrated graphics and is cheaper than the Non-F variant. The i7-13700K price is $ 662.99. This pricing is in Canadian Dollars and directly converts to 482 USD and 511 USD respectively.

• i9-13900K – $940.99 Canadian (735 USD)
• i9-13900KF – $900.99 Canadian (694 USD)
• i7-13700KF – $625.99 Canadian (482 USD)
• i7-13700K – $662.99 Canadian (511 USD)
• i5-13600K – $460.99 Canadian (355 USD)
• i5-13600KF – $423.99 Canadian (326 USD)

Note that these prices are in Candian Dollars and have been directly converted to USD. The pricing could be different depending on the region. These are not official prices so take this information with a grain of salt. They could very well be placeholders and actual prices might be updated once the Intel 13th generation Raptor Lake CPUs have officially been announced.

SKU	Base Clock	TDP	Cores	Cache
i9-13900	2 GHz	65W	8+16	36 MB
i9-13900F	2 GHz	65W	8+16	36 MB
i9-13900K	3 GHz	125W	8+16	36 MB
i9-13900KF	3 GHz	125W	8+16	36 MB
i7-13700	2.1 GHz	65W	8+8	30 MB
i7-13700F	2.1 GHz	65W	8+8	30 MB
i7-13700K	3.4 GHz	125W	8+8	30 MB
i7-13700KF	3.4 GHz	125W	8+8	30 MB
i5-13600K	3.5 GHz	125W	6+8	24 MB
i5-13600KF	3.5 GHz	125W	6+8	24 MB
i5-13600	2.7 GHz	65W	6+8	24 MB
i5-13500	2.5 GHz	65W	6+8	24 MB
i5-13400K	2.5 GHz	65W	6+4	20 MB
i3-13100K	3.4 GHz	65W	4+0	12 MB

Another retail listing for the Intel 13th generation Raptor Lake CPUs has also been spotted and the pricing seems to be similar. You can check them out below:

Intel 12th Gen Vs Ryzen 7000 Pricing

The pricing for AMD Ryzen 7000 series has already been listed on different retailer sites and they are as follows:

• AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (Tray) – $1140.99 (893 USD)
• AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (Tray) – $777.99 (608 USD)
• AMD Ryzen 7 7700X (Tray) – $613.99 (479 USD)
• AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (Tray) – $423.99 (331 USD)

If these prices are accurate then it would seem that AMD Ryzen 7000 series is priced much higher as compared to the Intel Raptor Lake CPUs. We should be able to learn more about confirmed pricing closer to launch.

Let us know what you think about these prices for the upcoming Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs and whether or not you are interested in upgrading.

ASRock has officially launched the Intel Arc A380 Challenger ITX custom graphics card. Previously the company only made AMD Radeon graphics cards but that seems to have changed. ASRock has officially jumped onto the Intel Arc bandwagon.

The ASRock Arc A380 Challenger ITX OC is a compact graphics card that comes with a single fan. It is aimed at the small form factor PC market. The graphics card has a boost clock speed of 2250 MHz and features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit memory bus. It also comes with 8 Xe cores and 1024 stream processors.

While it does have plenty of VRAM for 1080p gaming the 96-bit memory bus might be a limiting factor. According to Intel, the Arc A380 should run games such as League of Legends, Fortnite, and PUBG at 1080p 60+ FPS. While that might be the case, we expect that this graphics card is going to struggle in more graphically intensive titles.

The card requires a single 8-pin power connector and supports PCI Express 4.0. It also supports all the functions of DirectX 12 Ultimate, including hardware-accelerated ray tracing. For video output, you get a single HDMI 2.0 port and 3x DP 2.0.

Previously we saw a model from GUNNIR that did not perform all that well, most likely due to driver optimization issues. The ASRock Arc A380 Challenger ITX OC is retailing for 1299 Yuan ($192) and is only available in China right now. We are not sure when these cards will be available in the rest of the world.

If you are interested in learning more about Intel Arc graphics cards then you can check out our Intel Arc A750 gaming benchmarks.

Source: ASRock China

The Intel Arc A770M is the top-of-the-line GPU that targets the “high-performance gaming” segment but that does not seem to be the case according to benchmarks. We already got disappointing benchmark results for the Intel Arc A730M and now it seems that the Intel Arc A770M is a similar story.

The Intel Arc A770M is based on the 6nm process and features 32 Xe and RT cores. The rated core speed is 1650 MHz but that can vary depending on the cooling solution used. The GPU also features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 256-bit memory bus.

Nvidia RTX 3060 Beats Intel Arc A770M In Benchmarks

Time Spy numbers of the Intel Arc A770M and Nvidia RTX 3060 reveal that the RTX 3060 performs better in synthetic benchmarks. Note that the comparison is not with a desktop RTX 3060 but with a mobile variant inside the Asus ROG Scar 15 2022 laptop.

The Intel Arc powered XMG laptop was able to score 8700 points in Time Spy even though it has a better CPU than the ROG Scar. Not only were the overall scores and 3D Mark scores higher but the GPU scores were higher as well. The Intel Arc A770M scored 9172 points in the graphics test while the Asus ROG Scar 15 scored 9172 and 9065 points.

It is interesting to see that the clock and memory clock speeds of the Intel Arc GPU were higher than the RTX 3060 and the average temperature was higher in one of the tests as well.

The lower performance could be because of optimization issues. The Intel GPUs are relatively new and some optimizations might be in order in order to get the most performance out of the GPUs.

Let us know what you think about these performance numbers and whether or not you are interested in getting an Intel Arc A770M powered laptop. You can also check out the official performance benchmarks for the desktop Intel Arc A750 Limited Edition graphics card.

A high-performance CPU such as the Intel i9-12900K needs a top-tier motherboard. The Z690 chipset is what you need in order to get the most out of your high-performance LGA 1700 CPU. In this article, we are going to go over the best Z690 motherboards that you can pair with the Intel i9-12900K.

Z690 adds support for DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen5 for the storage and graphics cards. You also get better connectivity features such as Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth, and 2.5Gb Ethernet. Z690 motherboards also support memory and CPU overclocking to get better performance out of your memory and CPU.

Best Z690 Motherboards For Intel i9-12900K 2022

The following are some of the best Z690 motherboards that you can pair with the Intel i9-12900K in 2022:

1. ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E
2. MSI MEG Z690 ACE
3. GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS MASTER
4. MSI MPG Z690 Edge WiFi DDR4
5. ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I

ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E – Best Premium Motherboard

Socket: LGA 1700 | Form Factor: ATX | Memory Type: DDR5 | Memory Speed: 6400MHz | Max RAM: 128GB

Asus is known for making some of the best motherboards that you can buy and the ROG Strix Z690-E covers all the bases. It performs well, has decent cooling, provides great overclocking potential and looks great.

As this is an ATX motherboard, you get 4 DIMM slots that are reinforced and the motherboard supports DDR5 RAM up to 6400MHz. The top PCIe slot is reinforced and the motherboard supports PCIe Gen5. For storage, you get three M.2 slots and 6 SATA ports.

For connectivity, you get Intel 2.5Gb Ethernet and Wi-Fi 6E. As this is a premium motherboard, you get plenty of armor and RGB lighting. All things considered, this motherboard offers all the bells and whistles without being overly expensive but this is a premium product with a premium price tag.

The Breakdown

The following is what we like and dislike about the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E:

Pros:

• Impressive overclocking
• Unique design
• Great VRM cooling

Cons:

• Relatively costly

MSI MEG Z690 ACE – Best EATX Motherboard

Socket: LGA 1700 | Form Factor: EATX | Memory Type: DDR5 | Memory Speed: 6666MHz | Max RAM: 128GB

The MSI MEG Z690 ACE is an EATX motherboard so it is a but larger than more traditional ATX motherboards. You should check case compatibility before committing to buying one. The larger size does have its advantages such as plenty of fan and RGB headers as well as 5 M.2 slots for high-speed storage.

The motherboard comes with a lot of armor and has reinforced PCIe slots and DIMM slots. The motherboard supports DDR5 RAM up to 6666MHz. For connectivity you get a pair of 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 and plenty of I/O including a pair of Thunderbolt ports.

The motherboard looks great in black and gold. It also has a debugger and plenty of LED lights to help you troubleshoot in case something goes wrong. While this is an expensive motherboard, it does come loaded with features and has a robust build.

The Breakdown

The following is what we like and dislike about the MSI MEG Z690 ACE:

Pros:

• Impressive overclocking potential
• Great VRM design
• 5x M.2 slots
• Plenty of fan and RGB headers

Cons:

• Relatively expensive
• EATX form factor

GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS MASTER – Best Overall

Socket: LGA 1700 | Form Factor: ATX | Memory Type: DDR5 | Memory Speed: 6400MHz | Max RAM: 128GB

Aorus motherboards are known for premium quality and top-tier features and the Z690 AORUS MASTER is no exception. The motherboard has a 22 phase power design and 19 of them are dedicated to the CPU so you can expect to get some serious overclocks.

As this is an ATX motherboard, you get 4 DIMM slots that are reinforced and the motherboard supports DDR5 RAM up to 6400MHz. For connectivity, you get Aquantia 10 Gigabit LAN and WiFi 6E. You also get 11 USB ports including 2 USB Type-C ports.

For high-speed storage, you get 4 M.2 slots that support PCIe Gen5. The PCIe ports are all reinforced for better GPU support. As this is a premium motherboard, you get plenty of armor and RGB lighting. All things considered, this is an expensive motherboard but you can get it at a discounted price which makes it better value for money.

The Breakdown

The following is what we like and dislike about the GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS MASTER:

Pros:

• 22 Phase VRM
• Impressive rear I/O
• Aquantia 10 Gigabit LAN
• Unique RGB lighting

Cons:

• Relatively expensive

MSI MPG Z690 Edge WiFi DDR4 – Best DDR4 Motherboard

Socket: LGA 1700 | Form Factor: ATX | Memory Type: DDR4 | Memory Speed: 5200MHz | Max RAM: 128GB

DDR5 memory is fairly expensive and with that in mind, you might be interested in saving some money and sticking with DDR4 memory instead. The MSI MPG Z690 Edge WiFi DDR4 is a great motherboard that supports DDR4 memory.

The motherboard has a nice design, comes with plenty of armor and RGB lighting. It has 4 M.2 slots for high-speed storage and the top PCIe slot is reinforced for better GPU support. The design and color scheme should blend in well with the rest of your build.

The motherboard features 18 Phase power delivery and you get decent overclocking potential. The Wi-Fi is limited to Wi-Fi 6 but you also get 2.5 GbE. You also get plenty of USB ports including Type-C.

The Breakdown

The following is what we like and dislike about the MSI MPG Z690 Edge WiFi DDR4:

Pros:

• 4x M.2 slots
• Great power delivery
• Decent overclocking potential

Cons:

• Limited to Wi-Fi6

ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I – Best ITX Motherboard

Socket: LGA 1700 | Form Factor: ITX | Memory Type: DDR5 | Memory Speed: 6400MHz | Max RAM: 64GB

If you are interested in building a small form factor PC and do not want to compromise on performance then you can pair your Intel Core i9-12900K with the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I ITX motherboard. Since this is a smaller motherboard, there are some limitations such as a single PCIe slot for the graphics card and two DIMM slots.

Asus has not cut corner when it comes to VRM design and the motherboard comes wth 10+1 phase VRM with 105 amp power stages. You might not get the highest overclocks with his motherboard but you can still get some decent clock speeds.

The small motherboard supports DDR5 memory up to 6400MHz which is pretty fast and you also get connectivity features such as 2.5 GbE LAN port and WiFi 6E. For high-speed storage, you get a pair of M.2 slots and other features include Clear CMOS button, BIOS flashback, 12v and 5v lighting headers. Out of the box, you get two PCBs that can be used for extensions such as SATA ports for HDDs.

The Breakdown

The following is what we like and dislike about the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I:

Pros:

• Great VRM design and cooling
• Ideal for small form factor builds
• Impressive rear I/O

Cons:

• Limited expansion
• Relatively costly

These are some of the best Z690 motherboard that you can pair with the Intel Core i9-12900K. If you are interested in a graphics card for your build then you can check out our recommended Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti and AMD RX 6950 XT graphics cards.