Question Z690 MBs - Is There A General Problem?

[Mantrid-Drone]

The number of threads on various forums, retail and other web site reviews about Z690 MBs are starting to make me concerned. I had planned to commit to buying one for my latest build come July but I'm now getting cold feet.

The problems reported across all manufacturers seem worryingly similar: significant BIOS issues and problems with specific GPUs.

Is there some inherent design fault in the Z690? Are there any users here who've bought and are using Z690 MBs without any of these troubles?

 

[Hotrod2go]

You could get the i3-12100 now and enjoy a whole year with that while prices stabilize and even higher speed DDR5 becomes available. Then just upgrade the CPU first, putting the Raptor Lake SKU in the same mobo with a BIOS upgrade. If you are dissatisfied with the DDR4, time to sell it and get a Z790 with DDR5. This way, at least you get to enjoy using something new without daydreaming about it while you save up.

Nice strategy & I was thinking of doing similar recently but the problem I have & I'm sure others do too, is how can we as end users be sure that Raptor lake is optimised for Z690 boards? I mean sure it will work but is it going to be another situation like with previous gen whereby comet lake worked in Z590 but was not optimised like Rocket lake was for it?

 

[igor_kavinski]

how can we as end users be sure that Raptor lake is optimised for Z690 boards?

Depends on Intel and the mobo makers. If they decide that only running a new CPU with an older chipset is magnanimous enough of them and it's not their headache to ensure that it runs as well as it should, what can we do?

 

[Hotrod2go]

Depends on Intel and the mobo makers. If they decide that only running a new CPU with an older chipset is magnanimous enough of them and it's not their headache to ensure that it runs as well as it should, what can we do?

Play the waiting game... get Raptor lake with Z790.. when they are released for retail.

 

[mastertech01]

There is ALWAYS going to be something better just around the corner. You will never catch up. Just settle on what you need and go for it. I purchased top of the line Z490 a few months ago just because all the drivers and bios updates are finalized, I get Rocket Lake support, TB support, 4.0 support for PCIE and M.2 SSD. No waiting for a bios to make the rest work and as soon as you get it your stuff is obsolete so "why not wait for the next generation that may be a lot faster" wont be in your head. Forget about next gen, think about your budget "unless daddy is paying for it" <eyeroll>

 

[Tech Junky]

Z490 a few months ago just because all the drivers and bios updates are finalized, I get Rocket Lake support, TB support, 4.0 support for PCIE and M.2 SSD.

Yeah, anything prior to 11th gen is PCIE 3 / 11th gen only is PCIE 4 / ADL and beyond is PCIE5 on at least one slot.

With prices coming down on things ADL gets you to something that will last many years at this point w/ limited upgrade to Raptor Lake if you need a smidge more performance but, it would be more worthwhile to look into whatever is current at that time.

Things with ADL have stabilized on both Windows and Linux and in most cases performs better w/ Linux in most cases. Being that it's the first foray into hybrid big/little cores it's been a bit of a curve getting the background services working properly. AMD is releasing theirs this fall in a few months w/ DDR5 only which is fine since the prices have come back down to reality but, still about a 50% premium over DDR4.

AMD though probably not be budget friendly for awhile. Current comparison for performance with ADL vs AMD is a good 25-50% more in costs. There are some niche differences that would sway someone to either side depending on needs / wants.

One thing AMD next gen is doing is beating Intel to the punch with the tiled / chiplet format on the die by almost a year or so.

 

[mastertech01]

Yeah, anything prior to 11th gen is PCIE 3 / 11th gen only is PCIE 4 / ADL and beyond is PCIE5 on at least one slot.

With prices coming down on things ADL gets you to something that will last many years at this point w/ limited upgrade to Raptor Lake if you need a smidge more performance but, it would be more worthwhile to look into whatever is current at that time.

Things with ADL have stabilized on both Windows and Linux and in most cases performs better w/ Linux in most cases. Being that it's the first foray into hybrid big/little cores it's been a bit of a curve getting the background services working properly. AMD is releasing theirs this fall in a few months w/ DDR5 only which is fine since the prices have come back down to reality but, still about a 50% premium over DDR4.

AMD though probably not be budget friendly for awhile. Current comparison for performance with ADL vs AMD is a good 25-50% more in costs. There are some niche differences that would sway someone to either side depending on needs / wants.

One thing AMD next gen is doing is beating Intel to the punch with the tiled / chiplet format on the die by almost a year or so.

Well as for myself this setup will last me up to 10 years. Then Ill be 76 years old. Ill need a faster wheelchair by then maybe.

 

[Tech Junky]

@mastertech01 I suppose you have a point in which sometimes it's easier to forecast throwing in the towel at some point down the road for something else that takes priority.

 

[Meghan54]

I've got a 12700k sitting, no...languishing, awaiting a motherboard. Have tried a couple of MSI Z690 Torpedo D4 mb's (first had hole punched in top of box on arrival....naaaaa; second had the #1 PCIe/GPU slot snap off the lock tab on insertion of a gpu. It went back, too.)

So looking at an Asus TUF Gaming Z690-Plus Wifi D4 mb on Prime Day. While it's price didn't budge, I noticed under the "Used but like new/very good/good/crappy redacted" catagories, there was a literal crap ton of "used like new/very good" returns of this board...(literally in the double digits.) Amazon was even offering 25% off those used boards during the Prime Days.

Didn't notice anything like this with the aforementioned MSI board above nor a few others I'd assessed on Amazon.

I know this is a specific board, but dang....the numbers of returns on that Asus board are not good looking. Wonder what's wrong. (And I'll admit it....I bought one of the "Used like new" boards for $150 to look-see. Can always return.






No profanity allowed in tech.


esquared
Anandtech Forum Director

 

[igor_kavinski]

I know this is a specific board, but dang....the numbers of returns on that Asus board are not good looking. Wonder what's wrong. (And I'll admit it....I bought one of the "Used like new" boards for $150 to look-see. Can always return.

Asus's Z690 has been a problem from the start. If you have to return it, try the ASROCK mobo ($170) in the hot deals section.

 

[Meghan54]

Asus's Z690 has been a problem from the start. If you have to return it, try the ASROCK mobo ($170) in the hot deals section.

Well, it finally arrived Monday…many days late…and sure enuf, bent pins. Should’ve known.

In the meantime, my third example of the MSI Mag Tomahawk D4 Wi-Fi board arrived—a replacement for a replacement…(first had a punctured box over/on mem slots upon opening in damaged ship box; second broke the lock lever when I inserted my gpu.) Gotta use that cpu…can’t just let it rot in its box (have had it too long to return.)

 

[igor_kavinski]

In the meantime, my third example of the MSI Mag Tomahawk D4 Wi-Fi board arrived—a replacement for a replacement

Did it work?

 

[BoomerD]

With the problems appaeently spread across the platform...does it remind anyone else of the "Cougar Point" issues from 2011?

Sandy Bridge chipset flaw to cost Intel $1 billion

Intel has discovered a flaw in its 6-series chipset that goes with the new Sandy Bridge processors which has caused the chip giant to halt chipset production until the flaw can be fixed.

www.zdnet.com

How many folks jumped on the i5-2500k and related motherboard...only to have to exchange their board once Intel released the fix?

 

[Hotrod2go]

With the problems appaeently spread across the platform...does it remind anyone else of the "Cougar Point" issues from 2011?

Sandy Bridge chipset flaw to cost Intel $1 billion

Intel has discovered a flaw in its 6-series chipset that goes with the new Sandy Bridge processors which has caused the chip giant to halt chipset production until the flaw can be fixed.

www.zdnet.com

How many folks jumped on the i5-2500k and related motherboard...only to have to exchange their board once Intel released the fix?

That's a blast from the past, I do recall that event, was enough to make me look at AMD's alternatives at the time.

 

[Mantrid-Drone]

I'm getting twitchy over waiting for the i5-12700K and Z790 MBs.

The Gigabyte UD Z690 DDR4 MB I'd set my sights on has now dropped from about £190 in the UK to under £160 but the i5-12600K has gone up £10 to over £270.

I can't believe the equivalent Z790s are going to be under £200 at least initially and the i5-12700K will surely be closer to £300 too. That's, possibly, £70 more; I could buy a couple of 1TBs HDD for that sort of money or a 1TB SSD.

On top of that the ITB Seagate Firecuda (with heatsink) NVME I also have on my wish list has dropped by 25% from £160 to under £120.

Convince me to wait.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Convince me to wait.

I would love to but:

Chipmaker Intel starts informing customers of price-hike plan | Reuters

Buy now or regret later.

 

[Mantrid-Drone]

That's pretty much what I predicted in an earlier post here.

I can't afford both MB and CPU in the same month so I'm thinking I might have to commit to the i5-12600K first as now the most likely component to be rising in price.

 

[mastertech01]

Inflation is going to hit everyone

 

[forart.it]

Our "new" rig composed of Gigabyte Z690 UD DDR4 + i5 12600 + 2 x G.Skill Ripjaws V (4 x F4-4000C18-8GVK modules) cost us less than 500€ @ Warehouse...

 

[VirtualLarry]

Asus Z690 Hero follow-up vid.

 

[Meghan54]

Did it work?

Sorry for lack of response. Actually only got it running a few days ago. Too many other things going on...and I'm supposed to be retired.

Yes, the third board did the trick, although it too seems to have a minor issue that crops up once in a while. The cpu fan onboard diag. LED sometimes lights up...didn't detect the cpu fan, although it's set at a min. of 400 rpm. Didn't like my memory on first boot, although that was probably due to my not seating them correctly as reseating both strips foxed the issue of not seeing one strip. Other than that, seems to work fine.

Will say one thing.....that board's black. Like a black hole in that case now....only light inside is the EVGA lit by LED...which will have to stay lit because I refuse to have to keep downloading software to accomplish one idiotic thing like shutting of the LED light show on the gpu. At least it's not obnoxious.

 

[Tech Junky]

You can take the shield off and unplug it.

 

[Meghan54]

You can take the shield off and unplug it.

I know...but i'm old and getting lazy and that's just more freakin' small screws to mess with. Bah...Humbug!!


And yet I still may do it....i'm a glutton for punishment.

btw....here's a lone view of my "Ode to black and brown" build. LOL!

 

[mastertech01]

Cover it with electrical tape

 

[Tech Junky]

Cover it with electrical tape

That's surely an option too.

The other option would eb water block it and remove all of the free advertising when posting photos.

@Meghan54 I tried the Noctua's and got sick of paying their prices and went with Arctic PWM PST fans instead after that since they're ~$40/5 pack and just as effective. They also let you piggy back a few off a single header which makes management easier and adequate cooling for say mATX situations where the headers are limited to 3-4 + CPU.

 

[Meghan54]

That's surely an option too.

The other option would eb water block it and remove all of the free advertising when posting photos.

@Meghan54 I tried the Noctua's and got sick of paying their prices and went with Arctic PWM PST fans instead after that since they're ~$40/5 pack and just as effective. They also let you piggy back a few off a single header which makes management easier and adequate cooling for say mATX situations where the headers are limited to 3-4 + CPU.

Yeah, I tried those AC fans...some came with the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 running in my wife's machine.


It has Noctua fans on it now. And, oddly, all three are running off one mb header via splitters. Not too worried about elec. draw since each fan only pulls 0.15A and the header can handle 1A.