GIGABYTE Z690M DS3H DDR4 Intel Motherboard

The Gigabyte Z690M DS3H DDR4 is a Micro ATX form-factor motherboard built around the Intel Z690 Express Chipset and the LGA1700 (Socket 1700) platform, designed to support 12th Generation Intel Core, Pentium Gold, and Celeron processors. Measuring 24.3 cm x 24.3 cm, its compact footprint suits mid-tower and micro-tower chassis while still delivering a well-rounded feature set for enthusiast builds on a budget-conscious platform. Memory support comes via four DDR4 DIMM slots in a dual-channel configuration, with a maximum capacity of 128 GB. The primary PCIe x16 slot conforms to the PCI Express 4.0 standard, enabling high-bandwidth GPU installation, while two additional PCIe x1 slots (PCIe 3.0) provide flexibility for expansion cards. Storage is handled by four SATA 6 Gb/s ports with support for RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 arrays, and an M.2 Thermal Guard is present to help manage heat on high-speed M.2 SSDs and reduce thermal throttling. Networking is provided by an Intel 2.5GbE LAN chip, supporting speeds of 2.5 Gbps, 1 Gbps, and 100 Mbps — a meaningful step up from conventional 1 GbE solutions. Display output is available through a rear-panel HDMI 2.0 port (18 Gb/s bandwidth, 4K UHD, HDCP 2.2) for use with processors featuring integrated graphics. Audio is handled by a Realtek Audio CODEC supporting 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel output, with three rear audio jacks and one S/PDIF out header. Rear-panel connectivity includes one USB Type-C port with USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (up to 20 Gbps) support, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, and one PS/2 combo port for legacy peripherals. An internal USB header provides an additional USB Type-C port at USB 3.2 Gen 1 speeds. Power delivery requires a 24-pin ATX connector and two 8-pin 12 V CPU power connectors. RGB Fusion 2.0 support allows addressable lighting customisation. The Q-Flash Plus feature enables BIOS updates via USB without installing a CPU, memory, or GPU — a practical convenience during initial platform setup. Software utilities include EasyTune for in-Windows overclocking and the System Information Viewer for fan control and temperature monitoring. Verifiable Specifications: – Form Factor: Micro ATX (24.3 cm x 24.3 cm) – Chipset: Intel Z690 Express – Socket: LGA1700 – Supported CPUs: 12th Gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold, Celeron – Memory: 4 x DDR4 DIMM, dual-channel, max 128 GB – Primary PCIe Slot: 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 – Additional Slots: 2 x PCIe 3.0 x1 – Storage: 4 x SATA 6 Gb/s; RAID 0/1/5/10 – LAN: Intel 2.5GbE (2.5 Gbps / 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps) – Display Out: 1 x HDMI 2.0 – Audio: Realtek CODEC, 7.1-channel, 3 x rear audio jacks – USB (rear): 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2×2, 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 – Power: 24-pin ATX + 2 x 8-pin 12 V – Lighting: RGB Fusion 2.0