MSI Pro Z690-A DDR5 Intel Motherboard

The MSI Pro Z690-A DDR5 is a full-size ATX motherboard built on the Intel Z690 chipset, designed to support 12th Generation Intel Core, Pentium Gold, and Celeron processors in the LGA 1700 socket. It targets builders and professionals who need a stable, feature-rich platform without the premium price of flagship gaming lines. At the heart of its power delivery sits a 14+1+1 phase VRM with dual 8-pin ATX 12V connectors, giving demanding 12th Gen CPUs ample headroom for sustained workloads. MSI's extended PWM heatsink incorporates 7W/mK thermal pads, helping to keep power components cool during extended operation. An M.2 Shield Frozr covers the primary M.2 slot, providing passive cooling to NVMe drives. For storage, the board provides four M.2 Key-M slots alongside six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. The primary M2_1 slot (CPU-connected) and M2_2 and M2_4 slots (chipset) each support PCIe 4.0 x4, while M2_3 supports PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA. RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 are supported for SATA drives; RAID 0, 1, and 5 for M.2 NVMe drives. The primary PCIe x16 slot (CPU lane) operates at PCIe 5.0, enabling next-generation GPU bandwidth. Additional expansion is provided by chipset-fed PCIe 3.0 slots and AMD CrossFire support for multi-GPU configurations. Connectivity is strong for a PRO-series board: the rear panel includes a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C port (20 Gbps), a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port (10 Gbps), two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, four USB 2.0 Type-A ports, an Intel I225-V 2.5 Gbps LAN port, HDMI 2.1 (4K 60Hz), and DisplayPort 1.4 (4K 60Hz). A Flash BIOS Button on the rear panel allows firmware updates without a CPU or memory installed. Audio is handled by a Realtek ALC897 codec delivering 7.1-channel high-definition sound. RGB and ARGB headers (one 4-pin RGB, two 3-pin RAINBOW) plus four EZ Debug LEDs round out the feature set for system builders who want lighting and easy troubleshooting. Verified Specifications: - Form Factor: ATX — 12 in. x 9.6 in. (30.5 cm x 24.4 cm) - Socket: LGA 1700 - Chipset: Intel Z690 - CPU Support: 12th Gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold, Celeron - Memory: 4x DDR5 slots, up to 128 GB; JEDEC 4800 MHz base; XMP 3.0 OC up to 6400+ MHz (1DPC 1R) - PCIe: 1x PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU), 2x PCIe 3.0 x16/x4 (chipset), 1x PCIe 3.0 x1 (chipset) - M.2: 4x Key-M slots (M2_1 PCIe 4.0 x4; M2_2, M2_4 PCIe 4.0 x4; M2_3 PCIe 3.0 x4/SATA) - SATA: 6x SATA 6 Gb/s - LAN: Intel I225-V 2.5 Gbps - USB (rear): 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 4x USB 2.0 - Display: HDMI 2.1 (4K 60Hz), DisplayPort 1.4 (4K 60Hz) - Audio: Realtek ALC897, 7.1-ch HD - Power: 14+1+1 phase VRM, dual 8-pin ATX 12V - OS Support: Windows 11 64-bit, Windows 10 64-bit - Warranty: 3 Years