ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Apex Wifi DDR5 Intel Motherboard

The ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Apex WiFi DDR5 is a flagship ATX motherboard engineered specifically around the demands of extreme overclocking and high-performance computing on Intel's 12th Generation Core platform. Built on the Intel Z690 chipset with an LGA1700 socket, it accepts 12th Gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold, and Celeron processors while providing the headroom seasoned overclockers and competitive builders expect from the ROG Maximus lineage. At the heart of its power delivery is a 24+0 teamed power stage design rated at 105 A per stage, paired with ProCool II power connectors, MicroFine alloy chokes, and premium metallic capacitors. This robust VRM solution is cooled by enlarged VRM heatsinks combined with a high-conductivity thermal pad and an integrated aluminium I/O cover, ensuring thermals stay controlled even under sustained all-core workloads or sub-zero overclocking sessions. A dedicated ROG Water-Cooling Zone and dual M.2 heatsinks with embedded backplates further protect system components during extended operation. Memory support is centred on two DDR5 DIMM slots accommodating up to 64 GB of unbuffered, non-ECC DDR5 memory, with XMP profiles supported and overclocked frequencies reaching DDR5-6600. The dual-channel architecture keeps latency tight for performance-sensitive workloads and memory-frequency competitions alike. Storage is equally expansive: five M.2 slots in total are available across the onboard M.2_1 (PCIe 4.0 x4), the bundled PCIe 5.0 M.2 card (PCIe 5.0 x4), M.2_2 (PCIe 4.0 x4 and SATA), and two additional slots through the included ROG DIMM.2 adapter (PCIe 4.0 x4 each), alongside six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Expansion is handled by two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots capable of running at x16 or x8/x8, plus a PCIe 3.0 x4 and a PCIe 3.0 x1 slot from the chipset. Connectivity includes Intel Wi-Fi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2×2, 2.4/5/6 GHz) with Bluetooth 5.2 and a single Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet port protected by ASUS LANGuard. The rear panel delivers ten USB ports — including a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C — while an internal USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 front-panel connector supports Quick Charge 4+ up to 60 W. Audio is handled by the ROG SupremeFX implementation using the Realtek ALC4080 codec paired with a Savitech SV3H712 amplifier, delivering 120 dB SNR stereo playback and 113 dB SNR recording input with support for up to 32-bit/384 kHz playback and optical S/PDIF output. For enthusiasts who push boundaries, the onboard Extreme OC Kit provides an LN2 Mode jumper, ReTry button, Safe Boot button, Slow Mode switch, V-Latch switch, Start button, FlexKey button, and 12 ProbeIt voltage measurement points. ASUS AI Overclocking, AI Cooling, AI Networking, and Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation are available through the AI Suite 3 software ecosystem. A bundled 1-year AIDA64 Extreme subscription and integrated MemTest86 in the UEFI round out the diagnostic toolkit. Verified Specifications: - Socket: LGA1700 | Chipset: Intel Z690 - Memory: 2× DDR5 DIMM, max 64 GB, up to DDR5-6600 (OC), XMP support - Form Factor: ATX, 30.5 cm × 24.4 cm - PCIe Slots: 2× PCIe 5.0 x16, 1× PCIe 3.0 x4, 1× PCIe 3.0 x1 - Storage: 5× M.2 (incl. PCIe 5.0 M.2 via card + 2× via DIMM.2), 6× SATA 6 Gb/s - Networking: Intel Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax, 2.4/5/6 GHz), Bluetooth 5.2, Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet - USB (rear): 1× USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C, 5× USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 4× USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A - Audio: ALC4080 + Savitech SV3H712, 7.1 surround, 120 dB SNR playback, S/PDIF out - Power: 24+0 teamed stages at 105 A, 2× 8-pin +12V connectors - BIOS: Dual BIOS, 2× 256 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI - RGB: 1× AURA RGB header, 3× Addressable Gen 2 headers, Aura Sync compatible - Warranty: 3 Years