ASUS Prime Z690M-Plus DDR4 Intel Motherboard

The ASUS Prime Z690M-Plus D4 is a Micro-ATX motherboard built on the Intel Z690 chipset, designed to support 12th Generation Intel Core, Pentium Gold, and Celeron processors via the LGA 1700 socket. Its compact 24.4 cm x 24.4 cm footprint makes it a practical choice for space-conscious builds that still demand robust feature sets. Power delivery is anchored by a 10+1 DrMOS power stage configuration, fed through a combined 4-pin and 8-pin ProCool connector arrangement, alloy chokes, and durable capacitors. This foundation supports stable operation and headroom for performance tuning using the board Digi+ VRM controller, which allows real-time adjustment of voltage droop, switching frequency, and power-efficiency settings. Memory support spans four DDR4 DIMM slots accommodating up to 128 GB of non-ECC unbuffered RAM in dual-channel configuration. Speeds range from 2133 MHz at the base up to 5333 MHz under overclocking, with Intel XMP profile support and ASUS OptiMem II PCB-layer routing technology to preserve signal integrity. Storage options are generous for the mATX class: three Key-M M.2 slots (M.2_1 and M.2_2 at PCIe 4.0 x4; M.2_3 at PCIe 4.0 x4 or SATA) complement four SATA 6 Gb/s ports, supporting Intel RST NVMe RAID 0/1/5 and SATA RAID 0/1/5/10. The primary x16 slot operates at PCIe 5.0/4.0/3.0 depending on the installed CPU, while a secondary chipset-connected x16 slot runs at up to PCIe 4.0 x4 mode. Connectivity on the rear I/O panel includes one USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port (20 Gbps), one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, two USB 2.0 ports, DisplayPort 1.4 (4K@60Hz), HDMI 2.1 (4K@60Hz), Intel 1 Gb Ethernet, and three audio jacks. An board Thunderbolt 4 header supports bi-directional speeds of up to 40 Gbps when paired with a compatible add-in card. Wi-Fi requires a separately purchased M.2 Key-E CNVi or PCIe module. Thermal management is handled via large VRM and PCH heatsinks, one 4-pin CPU fan header, one CPU OPT header, one AIO pump header, and three chassis fan headers — all controllable through Fan Xpert 4 software or the UEFI BIOS. The board also carries ASUS 5X Protection III features including LANGuard, Overvoltage Protection, SafeSlot, and a stainless-steel back I/O panel. AURA Sync RGB is supported through one AURA RGB header and three Addressable Gen 2 headers. A Q-LED diagnostic display assists with POST troubleshooting. Verified Specifications: – Socket: Intel LGA 1700 – Chipset: Intel Z690 – Form Factor: Micro-ATX, 24.4 cm x 24.4 cm – Memory: 4x DDR4 DIMM, max 128 GB, up to 5333 MHz (OC), dual-channel, XMP – M.2 Slots: 3x Key-M (PCIe 4.0 x4; M.2_3 also SATA) – SATA Ports: 4x SATA 6 Gb/s – PCIe: 1x PCIe 5.0/4.0/3.0 x16; 1x PCIe 4.0/3.0 x16 (x4 mode); 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 – USB Rear: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2x USB 2.0 – Display Output: 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.1 (both 4K@60Hz) – Ethernet: Intel 1 Gb – Audio: Realtek 7.1 HD, 24-bit/192 kHz – BIOS: 192 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI – OS Support: Windows 11 64-bit, Windows 10 64-bit – Warranty: 3 Years