The Intel Z690 Motherboard Overview (DDR5): Over 50+ New Models

ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WIFI (DDR5)

For Intel's 12th generation of Alder Lake desktop processors, ASUS has only made one mini-ITX board available for the launch of its LGA1700 offerings, the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WIFI. Designed for users looking to harness the big P and little E cores on Alder Lake, but in a small package, the Z690-I Gaming WIFI offers a solid feature set in a small form factor-friendly package. Being as small as it is, it still packs a punch in the design stakes, with a primarily black design, with contrasting elements including a tight mesh effect rear panel cover, glossy and matte black heatsinks, and an all-black PCB. In the bottom left-hand corner bridging the rear panel cover and M.2 heatsink is a ROG Strix branded cornerpiece.

Size playing an important role in PCIe support, the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WIFI has just one, a full-length PCIe 5.0 x16 slot. For storage is a pair of PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots, with four SATA ports capable of supporting RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 arrays. As space is restricted, ASUS includes two memory slots that are located on the right-hand side of the LGA1700 socket, with support for 64 GB, but we don't currently have what speed this model will support at this time.

Much like ASRock has done with its premium ITX models over the years, ASUS has adopted a similar style by including dual Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports. Other USB options include two USB 3.2 G2 Type-A, three USB 3.2 G1 Type-A, and two USB 2.0 ports. There is a single HDMI video output, with three 3.5 mm audio jacks and S/PDIF optical output powered by a SupremeFX ALC4080 HD audio codec and Savitech SV3H712 amplifier pairing. Finishing off the rear panel is a solid networking array including one Intel I225-V 2.5 GbE port, as well as an Intel Wi-Fi 6E CNVi, and the panel also includes a BIOS Flashback button.