Description
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.
INTELLIGENT MOTHERBOARD
AI Overclocking
Tuning is now faster and smarter than ever before. ASUS AI Overclocking profiles the CPU and cooling to predict the optimal configuration and push each system to its limits.
AI Cooling
Balance the thermals and acoustics of any build with a single click. A proprietary ASUS algorithm reduces unnecessary system noise by monitoring CPU temperatures and dynamically adjusting fans to optimal speeds.
AI Networking
GameFirst VI optimizes networking performance by allocating bandwidth in real time based on application usage scenarios and corresponding learning algorithms.
Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation
This utility leverages a massive deep-learning database to reduce over 500 million types of background noise from incoming or outgoing audio, helping ensure crystal-clear communication in games or calls.
SPEC OVERVIEW
PERFORMANCE
EXTREME POWER & PERFORMANCE
- DUAL PROCOOL II POWER CONNECTORS
- 24 + 1 POWER STAGES
- EXPANSION SLOTS
- 2 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots (supports x16 or x8/x8 modes)
- 1 x PCIe 3.0 x1 slot
- INTEL® SOCKET LGA1700 FOR 12TH GEN INTEL® CORE™, PENTIUM® GOLD AND CELERON® PROCESSORS
- DDR5, 4 X DIMM
- Dual Channel
- 5 X M.2 SOCKETS
- 1 x M.2 22110 (PCIe 5.0 x4)
- 2 x M.2 2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4)
- 2 x M.2 22110 (PCIe 4.0 x4 & SATA from DIMM.2)
COOLING
COMPREHENSIVE COOLING
- INTERGRATED I/O COVER & VRM HEATSINK DESIGN
- TRIPLE M.2 HEATSINKS WITH M.2 BACKPLATES
- MULTIPLE 4-PIN PWM FAN HEADERS
- CHA_FAN1P-2P headers support ASUS HYDRANODE
- ROG DIMM.2 HEATSINK
- ROG WATER-COOLING ZONE
- W_FLOW tachometer
- W_IN/OUT T-sensor
GAMING IMMERSION
TOTAL GAMING IMMERSION
-
- ANIME MATRIX™ LED
AURA LIGHTING - 2” LIVEDASH OLED
- SUPREMEFX ALC4082 CODEC
- ESS® SABRE9018Q2C high definition DAC
- 120 dB SNR stereo playback output
- 113 dB SNR recording input
- LED-illuminated audio jacks
SONIC STUDIO III + SONIC STUDIO VIRTUAL MIXER + SONIC SUITE COMPANION
SONIC RADAR III
DTS® SOUND UNBOUND
- ANIME MATRIX™ LED
- 1 X 4-PIN RGB HEADER
- 1 X 3-PIN ADDRESSABLE GEN 2 RGB HEADER
- 1 X 3-PIN ADDRESSABLE GEN 2 RGB HEADER
- EDGE ZONE LIGHTING
- ROG LOGO LIGHTING
CONNECTIVITY
FULL CONNECTIVITY
- BIOS FLASHBACK™ BUTTON
- CLEAR CMOS BUTTON
- 1 X HDMI® PORT
- MARVELL® AQTION 10 GB ETHERNET
- INTEL® 2.5 GB ETHERNET
- 1 X THUNDERBOLT™ 4 USB TYPE-C® PORT
- 8 X USB 3.2 GEN 2 PORTS
- (7 x Type-A + 1 x USB Type-C®)
- WI-FI 6E
- OPTICAL S/PDIF OUT
- 5 X LED-ILLUMINATED AUDIO JACKS
- 1 X USB 3.2 GEN 2X2
- USB Type-C® front panel connector supports QC4+
- 1 X THUNDERBOLT™ 4 TYPE-C PORT
- 6 X SATA 6 GB/S
DIY FRIENDLY
- ROG PATENTED PRE-MOUNTED I/O SHIELD
- ESD GUARDS
Provides greater electrostatic protection than the industry standard. ESD Guards cover the USB, audio and LAN ports. - TRUEVOLT USB
Supplies stable 5-volt power delivery to all USB ports, with minimal power fluctuations to minimize data loss. - LIVEDASH OLED 2”
Indicates power status and potential problems with the CPU, memory, graphics card or boot device for quick diagnosis. - 2 X SAFESLOTS
Provides stronger PCIe device retention and greater shearing resistance. - V_LATCH SWITCH
Makes tuning more intuitive by recording both the true highest and lowest core voltage and then passing the data to HWiNFO, AI Suite 3 and the onboard LiveDash OLED. - ASUS HYDRANODE
Both onboard chassis fan headers and a further three on the bundled ROG Fan Controller feature the ASUS Hydranode circuit, which utilizes a powerline communication protocol to control up to three daisy chained fans independently through each 4-pin connector.
- FLEXKEY
At its default, the FlexKey functions as a system reset button, but it can also be easily set to quickly turn Aura lighting on or off, activate Safe Boot or enter the BIOS. - 4 X Q-DIMM
One sided clips for super-simple, super-secure handling of memory modules. - PCIE Q-RELEASE
Provides easy PCIe module swap with a single button. - M.2 Q-LATCH
The innovative Q-Latch makes it easy to install or remove an M.2 SSD without the need for specific tools. The design employs a simple locking mechanism to secure the drive and neatly eliminate traditional screws.
POWER SOLUTION
TEAMED POWER ARCHITECTURE
Modern CPU architectures up the ante for motherboard power design by transitioning from deep power saving modes to full load almost instantaneously. The latest ROG VRM architecture rises to the challenge by utilizing teamed power stages to rapidly swing current, while maintaining exemplary thermal.
A brief history
Teamed Power Stage Design
Conventional Phase-doubled Design
A Shift in CPU Demands
While doublers help extend the number of effective phases, they do so at the cost of a processing delay.
Teamed Power Stage Design
Conventional Phase-doubled Design
Bucking the trend
The teamed architecture allows two power stages to work in tandem to provide more power to the CPU.
Teamed Power Stage Design
Conventional Phase-doubled Design
Thermal Performance
The MOSFETs within the power stages generate the most heat, as they are responsible for voltage conversion and delivery to the CPU from the 12-volt EPS connector.
Teamed Power Stage Design
Conventional Phase-doubled Design
High-quality components
Premium metallic capacitors
Input and output filtering is provided by solid-polymer capacitors rated to last thousands of hours at high operating temperatures.
ROG TRUE VOLTICIAN
For truly advanced performance optimization, ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme includes ROG True Voltician, a miniature oscilloscope connected to a USB header displays waveforms for a CPU’s Vcore, VCCIN, and System Agent rails. It can also be used to monitor a video card or power supply, and users can even run the True Voltician software on one PC while they get readings from another.
MEMORY
DDR5 OVERCLOCKING STRENGTH
Comprehensive memory tuning options are the cornerstone of ROG motherboards. For DDR5, the Maximus Z690 lineup breaks performance limits by providing a stacked suite of overclocking parameters for not only high-speed kits, but even entry-level memory modules that have a locked power management IC (PMIC).
- A dedicated circuit on the motherboard safely circumvents DDR5 memory PMIC restrictions, allowing you to step past the default 1.1-volt limit and push frequency and timings to the max.
- Ordinarily, a restricted PMIC that has been unlocked requires the system to be fully power-cycled each time memory voltage is adjusted. ROG motherboards leverage onboard hardware and firmware to cleverly work around this irksome limitation, enabling voltage adjustments to be applied through the same soft system-reset process employed for previous generations of DDR memory.
HEATSINKS
COOLER BY DESIGN
- VRM heatsink
A VRM heatsink is placed on the MOSFETs and chokes, and the embedded heatpipe connects to the aluminum I/O cover. - Aluminum, I/O cover
An aluminum I/O cover is connected to the primary heatsink via an embedded heatpipe, increasing mass and surface area for dissipation. - Cold-forged heatsink
The heatsink cover is crafted from pure aluminum to efficiently cool the two onboard M.2 drives. - Solid steel backplate
The steel, electro-galvanized, cold-rolled coil construction strengthens Maximus Z690 Extreme to prevent bending, and is finished in motherboard-matching black.
- High-Conductivity Thermal Pad
A high-quality thermal pad improves overall heat transfer from the system by bridging the heat generated by the power stages to the heatsink. - M.2 Backplates
Dual M.2 slots feature back-plate blocks that ensure high-performance drives deliver peak performance even when airflow is restricted. - Chipset Heatsink
A dedicated chipset heatsink draws heat away to maintain optimum operating temperatures.
HEADERS
COOLER BY DESIGN
ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme features comprehensive cooling options that are configurable via Fan Xpert 4 or the UEFI BIOS.
4-pin PWM/DC fan headers and ASUS HYDRANODE
ROG WATER-COOLING ZONE
Water in/out
ROG WATER-COOLING ZONE
The ROG Fan Controller offers an additional six headers that can be controlled via FanXpert 4. The card features two temperature-sensor headers, along with two thermistors that can be attached to various components. There are also six ARGB headers to illuminate ARGB fans.
NETWORKING
Wi-Fi 6E
Onboard Wi-Fi 6E technology takes advantage of the newly available radio spectrum in the 6 GHz band, providing up to three times the bandwidth of the 5 GHz band and up to seven 160 MHz bands to deliver ultrafast wireless networking speeds along with improved capacity and better performance in dense wireless environments.
MARVELL® AQTION 10 GBPS ETHERNET
Designed to meet the demanding requirements of power users and content creators, 10 Gbps onboard Ethernet provides a new level of home networking. With up to 10 times the bandwidth of standard gigabit Ethernet, you’ll enjoy streaming uncompressed 4K UHD videos and system backups and file transfers that are faster than ever before.
INTEL® 2.5 GB ETHERNET
Onboard 2.5 Gb Ethernet gives your wired connection a boost, with up to a 2.5X improvement over standard Ethernet connections for faster file transfers, smoother lag-free gaming and high-res video streaming.
- Wi-Fi 6E Antenna
The antenna has two built-in transmitters and receivers to enable faster transmission speeds, and it supports the 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands. - Adjustable Design
Four-way positioning enables better signal reception. - Magnetic Base
A powerful magnetic base secures the antenna on the top or side of the PC case.
*Wi-Fi 6E availability and features are dependent on regulatory limitations and co-existence with 5 GHz Wi-Fi.
USB PORTS
USB 3.2 GEN 2X2 TYPE-C® FRONT-PANEL CONNECTOR WITH QUICK CHARGE 4+
Quick Charge 4+ technology can rapidly charge devices at up to 60W with a PCIe power supply cable plugged into the nearby 6-pin connector.
TWO THUNDERBOLT 4 USB-C PORTS
Each port delivers up to 40 Gbps of bidirectional bandwidth for the latest high-speed devices and drives. Thunderbolt 4 also supports up to two external 4K displays and extends PCIe bandwidth to up to 32 Gbps.
STORAGE
THREE ONBOARD M.2 SLOTS
ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme is features three onboard M2 slots, with one offering support for the latest PCIe 5.0 SSDs.
ROG DIMM.2
The ROG DIMM.2 module is an innovative expansion card that allows two M.2 drives to be connected via a DDR4 interface. You can then add a metal heatsink, helping to control thermals for maximum performance while elevating aesthetics.
*DIMM.2 accommodates M.2 drives up to 22110 (110 mm) in length.
AUDIO
SUPREMEFX
ROG SupremeFX audio technology delivers an exceptional 113 dB signal-to-noise ratio on the line-in connection to provide best-ever recording quality. There’s also a low-dropout regulator for clean power delivery to the SupremeFX ALC4082 codec, and an ESS® 9018Q2C integrated DAC.
ALC 4082 CODEC
ROG CLAVIS
UNLOCK A PREMIUM AUDIO EXPERIENCE
The pocket-sized ROG Clavis USB digital-to-analog converter delivers a host of features to give any compatible headset a big upgrade. Its ESS 9281 QUAD DAC™ with a built-in amplifier and Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) rendering technology treats you to hi-fi-grad audio, while AI noise-canceling technology enhances headset microphones for crystal-clear voice communication.
5-WAY OPTIMIZATION
LEVEL UP PERFORMANCE
The dashboard-style control panel of AI Suite 3 lets you fine-tune almost every aspect of your ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme system with ease. Get the best balance between performance, cooling, stability, and efficiency via one simple and intuitive interface.
Fan Xpert 4
FLEXIBLE COOLING CONTROLS FOR AIR OR LIQUID
Enjoy comprehensive control over fans, water pumps and all-in-one (AIO) coolers via either Fan Expert 4 or the ASUS UEFI. Whether you’re cooling with air or water, Auto-Tuning mode intelligently configures all parameters with a single click. There’s also an Extreme Quiet mode, which reduces all fan speeds to below the default minimum — keeping your system whisper-quiet when performing light tasks.
BIOS
UEFI BIOS
The renowned ROG UEFI (BIOS) provides everything you need to configure, tweak, and tune your rig. It offers intelligently simplified options for newcomers to PC DIY, as well as more comprehensive features for seasoned veterans.
MEMTEST86
For added convenience, MemTest86 has been pre-installed into ROG UEFI (BIOS). Run the test to pinpoint memory issues with just one click, without the need for any USB stick or going into the OS. The memory report will also be stored in the BIOS archives for reference.
ADVANCED MODE
Diagnose faulty RAM and memory problems that cause crashes and corrupt data.
My Favorites
Diagnose faulty RAM and memory problems that can lead to crashes or data issues.
EZ Flash 3
Flash the latest BIOS via the internet from within the BIOS.
S.M.A.R.T.
Check your storage device Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) logs to gauge reliability or to identify potential failures.
GPU POST
Automatically detect select ASUS graphics cards to view detailed information.
Secure Erase
Restore your SSDs and NVMe storage to factory settings.
Last Modified Log
Track the last change and save preferred profiles to a USB drive.
SATA Port Renaming
Rename SATA ports for easy identification.
ASUS User Profile
Port configuration settings between different BIOS versions or share them with friends.
Q-Fan control
Configure the fan’s operating speed manually or use pre-configured Standard, Silent, Turbo or Full Speed modes. By default, system fans will automatically switch to full speed if the temperature reaches 75° C.
EZ MODE
Fine-tune individual fans simply by dragging a curve with the mouse.
Storage information
View SATA port details for easy device recognition.
Fast and easy clock adjustment
Use the mouse to quickly change time and date settings.
Aura On/Off mode (Stealth)
Easily enable or disable Aura RGB lighting or every onboard LED for a more subdued aesthetic.
DIFFERENTIAL SENSING
ACCURATE VOLTAGE MONITORING
Conventional motherboards use single-ended sensing circuits that are susceptible to noise and have to tap voltage rails from a location that isn’t ideal for accurate monitoring. These issues lead to a large disparity between the voltage fed to components and the values reported to software. Maximus Z690 Extreme features a differential-sensing circuit that rejects noise and takes readings directly from the CPU and the end point of major voltage rails. This simplifies overclocking and tuning by allowing you to track voltages more accurately.
ANIME MATRIX LED
ANIME MATRIX™ LED DISPLAY
This innovative display features an RGB grid of mini LEDs that can be programmed to show off style with custom lighting designs, unique animations and live audio visualizations. Plus, distinctive soundwave lighting effects can even flash to the sound of a person’s voice.
Default Animation
Text Animation
Loop Animation
AURA SYNC
GROW YOUR GAMING WORLD WITH AURA SYNC
Up your game with complementary Aura Sync enhanced aesthetics, featuring preset lighting effects that can be easily synchronized across compatible ROG graphics cards, monitors, mice and keyboards to give your setup a unified look.
ADDRESSABLE GEN 2 RGB HEADER
The addressable Gen 2 RGB headers can be controlled with Aura software, which automatically tailors your preferred lighting effects to the number of LEDs present in the connected gear or strip. The new headers also offer backward-compatibility with existing Aura RGB components.
Static
Breathing
Strobing
Rainbow
Color cycle
Starry night
Music effect
Smart
Adaptive color
Dark
LIVEDASH OLED
LIVEDASH OLED
The ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme includes LiveDash, a built-in 2-inch OLED panel that shows useful information and features customizable graphics. During the power-on, self-test (POST) phase, the OLED shows key stats in simple language using traditional POST codes. In normal operation, the panel can be programmed to show CPU frequency, device temperatures, fan speeds or water-cooling information. You can also personalize the default OLED GIF with a preferred image or animation.
CUSTOMIZATION CONTENT
GAMING AUDIO
SONIC STUDIO III
Sonic Studio supports HRTF-based (head-related transfer function*) virtual surround for headsets, casting an immersive aural landscape that draws you deeper into the action. The intuitive Sonic Studio interface also offers a range of EQ options and one-click presets, allowing you to tailor acoustics to suit personal preferences or the characteristics of your headset.
*A head-related transfer function is an audio algorithm derived from sound data recorded through a dummy head. Test tones are played from a spherical grid around the dummy head to obtain subtle changes in sounds that come from different directions. The results are combined into an algorithm that allows Sonic Studio’s virtual surround to process sound true to life.
APP-SPECIFIC PROFILES
Apply customized audio settings to different applications, so everything you do is perfectly tuned to the way you want to listen.
DTS: SOUND UNBOUND
* DTS Sound Unbound requires in-game support. Check with developers for titles that offer support.
Stereo Sound
Surround Sound
Spatial Sound
ARMOURY CRATE
Armoury Crate is a software utility designed to give you centralized control of supported gaming products, making it easy to tune the look and feel of your system. From a single intuitive interface, Armoury Crate helps you customize RGB lighting and effects for compatible devices and synchronize them with Aura Sync to create a unified lighting scheme across your system. In addition, Armoury Crate’s Fan Xpert4 tool provides comprehensive control over fans, water pumps and all-in-one (AIO) coolers.
You can also use Armoury Crate to download drivers, software and user manuals, register products, and tap into special news feed that connects you to the global ASUS gaming community.
*Windows 10 required for full Aura Sync functionality within Armoury Crate. For Windows 8 and earlier versions, standalone Aura Sync software is available for free download from the product support site.
FAN CONTROL
AIDA64 EXTREME
The ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme includes a one-year AIDA64 Extreme subscription. This industry-leading system information tool provides detailed information about installed hardware and software, and it also provides benchmarks for measuring performance of the entire system or individual components. AIDA64 Extreme includes a monitoring and diagnostics feature to detect and prevent hardware issues. All vital system sensors can be tracked in real time, allowing voltage readings, fan speeds, and temperature information to be viewed on the desktop, sent to dedicated displays, or the OLED panels of ROG AIO liquid coolers*.
*Support available for ROG Ryujin II and later models.
HARDWARE MONITOR DISPLAY
GRAPHICS CARD HOLDER
- Specifications and features vary by model, and all images are illustrative. Please refer specification pages for full details.
- *Precise specifications and features vary by model. Please refer to the specification page.
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- Wi-Fi 6E availability and features are dependent on regulatory limitations and co-existence with 5 GHz Wi-Fi.
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- All specifications are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers. Products may not be available in all markets.
- Specifications and features vary by model, and all images are illustrative. Please refer to specification pages for full details.
- PCB color and bundled software versions are subject to change without notice.
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