Z690 Steel Legend WiFi 6E
- Supports 12th Gen Intel Core Processors (LGA1700)
- 13 Phase Dr.MOS Power Design
- Supports DDR4 5000MHz (OC)
- 1 PCIe 5.0 x16, 1 PCIe 4.0 x16, 1 PCIe 3.0 x16, 2 PCIe 3.0 x1
- Graphics Output Options: HDMI, DisplayPort
- Realtek ALC897 7.1 CH HD Audio Codec, Nahimic Audio
- 8 SATA3
- 2 Hyper M.2 (PCIe Gen4 x4)
1 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA3) - 1 USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Front Type-C
2 USB 3.2 Gen2 (Rear Type A+C)
8 USB 3.2 Gen1 (4 Rear, 4 Front) - Dragon 2.5G LAN
- 802.11ax (WiFi 6E) + Bluetooth
- ASRock Graphics Card Holder
Optimized VRM Design
Dr. MOS
Dr.MOS is the integrated power stage solution which is optimized for synchronous buck-set down voltage applications! Compared to traditional discrete MOSFETs, it intelligently delivers higher current for each phase, thus providing improved thermal result and superior performance.
13 Power Phase Design
Featuring sturdy components and completely smooth power delivery to the CPU. Plus, it offers unmatched overclocking capabilities and enhanced performance with the lowest temperature for advanced gamers as well.
6 Layer PCB
The 6 Layer PCB provides stable signal traces and power shapes delivering lower temperature and higher energy efficiency for memory overclocking! Thus, it's able to support the latest memory modules with most extreme memory performance!
2oz Copper PCB
2 ounce copper inner layers that provide stable signal traces and power shapes! Delivering lower temperature and higher energy efficiency for overclocking.
PCIe 5.0 + Surface-Mount Tech
Compares to conventional DIP style PCIe slot, the SMT type PCIe slot improves signal flow and maximize stability under high speed, a key breakthrough to fully support the lighting speed of the latest PCIe 5.0 standard.
The latest PCI Express 5.0 is capable to perform a breathtaking bandwidth of 128GBps, ready to unleash the full potential of future high end graphic cards.
Nahimic Audio
Whether you are using headphones, a headset, external or internal speakers, via USB, Wi-Fi, analog output or even HDMI, Nahimic Audio offers you the most engaging listening experience, vibrant and rich with details.
ASRock Graphics Card Holder
Install your heavy graphics card on the holder; connect it to your motherboard and chassis with screws. Flexibly slide up and down to perfectly adjust the height required for your graphics card in place.
POLYCHROME RGB
In addition to the built-in RGB illumination, it also features onboard RGB headers and an addressable RGB header that allow motherboard to be connected to compatible LED devices such as strip, CPU fans, coolers, chassis and so on. Users may also synchronize RGB LED devices across the Polychrome RGB Sync-certified accessories to create their own unique lighting effects.
* The addressable RGB LED header supports WS2812B addressable RGB LED strip (5V/Data/GND), with a maximum power rating of 3A (5V), a max of 80 LEDs and length within 2 meters.
* The RGB LED header supports standard 5050 RGB LED strip (12V/G/R/B), with a maximum power rating of 3A (12V) and length within 2 meters.
High Speed M.2 Solution
PCIe Gen4 x4 for SSD
This motherboard is capable of accomadating multiple M.2 storage devices, one of which can support PCI Express 4.0 M.2 SSD, it is capable of performing twice the speed compared to previous 3rd generation, giving a lightning fast data transferring experience.
Anti-Drop Screw
Tired of dropping screws or screws missing inside chassis?
The enhanced M.2 heatsink with anti-drop screw design that make sure installation process more easily.
Dragon 2.5 Gb/s LAN
The intelligent 2.5Gb/s LAN platform is built for maximum networking performance for the demanding requirements of home networking, content creators, online gamers and high-quality streaming media. Boost networking performance up to 2.5X the bandwidth compared to the standard gigabit Ethernet, you’ll enjoy the faster and uncompromised connectivity experience for gaming, file transfers and backups.
Wireless Networking
Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ax
WiFi 6E technology has extended to the whole new 6GHz spectrum band, providing more WiFi capability and giving an even better and faster internet traffic. In addition to deliver higher speeds, the WiFi 6E also enhances the lower latency and supports service levels that are equivalent to 5G networks.
Front USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C
The latest USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C delivers up to 20 Gbps data transfer rate which is 2x as fast as previous generation, providing a blazing fast data transfer interface with reversible USB Type-C design that fits the connector either way.
Dual USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type-A + Type-C)
This motherboard has a pair of onboard Type-A and Type-C USB 3.2 Gen2 ports built on the rear i/o for supporting next generation USB 3.2 Gen2 devices and to deliver up to 10 Gbps data transfer rates.
EZ Setting
Auto Driver Installer
No need to worry about lack of disk drive! Asrock preinstall LAN driver to ensure that you are able to install all drivers needed in an easier way than using SCD.
step1: Install Auto Driver Installer
step2: Update drivers needed
step3: Done!
BIOS Flashback
Get the most convenient BIOS flashing with just a simple click. Users can easily achieve the latest BIOS support with a USB and power supply, No CPU, RAM or other components required.
Flexible Integrated IO Shield
Unlike most so called pre-mounted I/O shield that is only decorated with fancy color schemes. We reserve more tolerance space and allow IO shield is adjustable when installing, thus fitting chassis perfectly without any mechanical issue.
Pros: - Beautiful board - High quality; components solid and well protected/packaged - Easy to setup/install. Manual had all the information I needed. I initially ran into some hiccups installing with Windows 10 and had missing drivers for the Wifi/Bluetooth module, but once I upgraded everything to Windows 11, everything was perfect!
Cons: - When your system is off, default for the motherboard light is to stay on unless you cut power via the PSU. Im not yet sure if its even possible to turn this off, but it may bother some. For now it serves as a nice nightlight for my niece. :)
Overall Review: First system build for myself and niece. I had to wait a few weeks around the holidays for this board to come back in stock, and it was well worth it! I even emailed ASrock customer service about it and found them to be very responsive. Id buy this board again in a heartbeat. Note that I also needed the LGA 1700 mounting hardware for my Corsair iCUE H100i AIO, as others have mentioned they needed similarly for their respective AIOs. These are things I see that can be improved: - The first few pages of the manual have a great diagram with numbered callouts that label parts of the board. I wish this also referenced the section of the manual where they go into more detail about the part and how to connect it (they do cover the reverse however, where in the detailed sections, they reference back to p.7 and part No.) - It would be nice to Include drivers on USB instead of a disk (I hardly ever see disk drives on builds these days). Or save some production costs and omit the disk altogether. Nowadays everything is online so it doesnt matter too much. "This review for ASRock review rebate program."