It's getting a lot harder to justify these insane board prices, overclocking is almost a dead art anyway except as a nostalgic hobby to reminisce the days when you could get a ~25-50% boost with a decent board. Today it's more like 2-5% after spending $200-$500 above the basic model.
One thing for sure: “It's getting a lot harder.” I love the idea in buying one of those Z690 HERO’s when the time or my ship finally arrives. Even a used Z490 generation HERO would be welcomed if the dollars were available. Now working 2-jobs and a midnight-shift at Walmart driving a forklift! My daily lunchbox meal increased by about 50% and now $7.54 per gallon of gasoline puts me way under and elevating my credit card debt to the worst ever. All to tie me over to the next paycheck! Before all of this inflation mess started I regularly came to visit the major tech-channels to mostly dream about all the newly proffered hardware. About the absolute "must haves” and synthetic benchmarks. It appears that my dreams are now over and perhaps a nightmare is settling-in for the man on the street like me! I cannot help thinking that there must be many more people like me in the same boat facing a new reality! Overclocking indeed is almost a dead. But my reminiscing today is now clearly centered on overclocking my finances everything else has to wait in line!
Just a reviewer, would you prefer the people who betrayed our democracy and the concept of rule of law with their crime President's coup? The Democrats are not to blame for global inflation, but the Republicans, who lie about everything, will try to use it to gain power and betray us again.
If you can relocate, there should still be some better-paying opportunities elsewhere in your state or the country. Overall, the job market is still pretty tight, but I know the real estate situation makes relocation hard.
If relocation isn't an option, then look at other career paths and figure out a plan to get yourself on a different track. Easier said than done, I know. Take care & good luck.
Sounds like you live in California where gas and food is extremely expensive. I would move out of California ASAP. In the mid west food and gas is much cheaper. Yes it still still expensive due to bidens policys but at least it will be less expensive than California.
You might want to discuss the memory power supply capacitor issues with early versions of this board. Short version: some boards had a surface mount electrolytic capacitor installed with reverse polarity. In some cases, there would be a fire. ASUS recognized the issue and provided repair services for the boards, at the cost of about 2 weeks down time (transportation and repair). That said, I am very pleased with the board.
I would suggest every single DDR5 owner to skip 4DIMM mobos. They are slower, get 2DIMM ones like APEX or Unify X or Tachyon (I think GB is worst when it's about DRAM speed with Z590).
Also I hate ASUS on how their QC is absolute trash. I had to order a lot of boards to get the board which didn't have a chip on the mobo edges. All the boards brand new in box, even box condition is super neat had some or other chips on the edges of the boards. And no it's not some basic mobo I'm talking about Maximus line - Hero, Apex class. Even then I had to settle with one which had a small scratch on the Chipset heatsink to the brushed metal finish. Because I do not want to swap this and get another chipped board, some boards had the DIMM slot plastic having a hazy finish too.
Its the weirdest thing ever. #1 GPU review site on earth forever, then miss 1 gpu launch then miss them all and haven't had one since. All without any explanation. It's mind boggling @ryansmith
There have long been sites with comparable or even more comprehensive benchmarks, but the Deep Dives are what really set Anandtech apart.
I hope someone is going to cover Hot Chips, this year. Can't they at least find some grad student or post doc who's going anyway to just liveblog about it?
$600 huh? There must be a market for these moron-tier products, but it really would be nice if Anandtech reviewed something relevant to its dwindling community instead of just accepting whatever the OEMs dump onto them out of desperation to drum up hype and sales for fringe products almost none of us are interested in purchasing. Then again, who am I kidding? AT has had this sort of disconnect for quite a few years now.
Seriously, thank you for this review and in-depth evaluation! With the recent increase in popularity of MINI-ITX (SFF) systems, I would like to see an in-depth! review-comparison of the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I with other MINI-ITX main boards. I have built a system with this MINI-ITX MB and am very pleased with the performance.
It has a custom loop for cooling both the i9 12900K and an AMD RX 6800 GPU.
Seriously, thank you for this review and in-depth evaluation! With the recent increase in popularity of MINI-ITX (SFF) systems, I would like to see an in-depth review-comparison of the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I with other MINI-ITX main boards. I have built a system with this MINI-ITX MB and am very pleased with the performance.
It has a custom loop for cooling both the i9 12900K and an AMD RX 6800 GPU.
Seriously, thank you for this review and in-depth evaluation! With the recent increase in popularity of MINI-ITX (SFF) systems, I would like to see an in-depth! review-comparison of the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I with other MINI-ITX main boards. I have built a system with this MINI-ITX MB and am very pleased with the performance.
It has a custom loop for cooling both the i9 12900K and an AMD RX 6800 GPU.
Do people actually want all the bling on the motherboard like the plastic LED features, which imho are really not appealing, and all the metal armor? It doesn't make it go faster, and adds cost. This is a retail value $490 mobo, selling for $600. With Z790 mobos due out in a few months, unless completely desperate and flush with cash, makes no sense to buy it.
I was just looking at ASUS boards, the other day. I've somewhat unexpectedly found myself pondering an upgrade of my workstation to Alder Lake. I visited ASUS' site and found their product filter to be half-broken (when I select ATX form factor, why am I still being shown mini-ITX boards??) and couldn't make very much sense of their different product lines.
Any mobo with the i7-12700K will hit 5100MHz without any tuning whatsoever, 5200MHz if you remove all the power limits and don't touch anything else. What you get from +$200 for the i9 CPU and +$450 on the mobo is an extra 100MHz? Hardly seems like money well spent.
The only real argument I can see for this board is it comes with the thunderbolt ports and the 2.5G ethernet, instead of requiring the $130 (and terrible) TB4 add-in card and the $75 i225v add-in card.
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shabby - Wednesday, June 15, 2022 - link
Lol at the price, who buys these things?Duwelon - Wednesday, June 15, 2022 - link
It's getting a lot harder to justify these insane board prices, overclocking is almost a dead art anyway except as a nostalgic hobby to reminisce the days when you could get a ~25-50% boost with a decent board. Today it's more like 2-5% after spending $200-$500 above the basic model.Tom Sunday - Wednesday, June 15, 2022 - link
One thing for sure: “It's getting a lot harder.” I love the idea in buying one of those Z690 HERO’s when the time or my ship finally arrives. Even a used Z490 generation HERO would be welcomed if the dollars were available. Now working 2-jobs and a midnight-shift at Walmart driving a forklift! My daily lunchbox meal increased by about 50% and now $7.54 per gallon of gasoline puts me way under and elevating my credit card debt to the worst ever. All to tie me over to the next paycheck! Before all of this inflation mess started I regularly came to visit the major tech-channels to mostly dream about all the newly proffered hardware. About the absolute "must haves” and synthetic benchmarks. It appears that my dreams are now over and perhaps a nightmare is settling-in for the man on the street like me! I cannot help thinking that there must be many more people like me in the same boat facing a new reality! Overclocking indeed is almost a dead. But my reminiscing today is now clearly centered on overclocking my finances everything else has to wait in line!poohbear - Wednesday, June 22, 2022 - link
It's gonna be an ugly 2 years, but by 2024/25 we should be out of this mess.Just a reviewer - Friday, August 12, 2022 - link
As long as Democrats don’t run our country we will be out of this mess.JeffFlanagan - Sunday, October 30, 2022 - link
Just a reviewer, would you prefer the people who betrayed our democracy and the concept of rule of law with their crime President's coup? The Democrats are not to blame for global inflation, but the Republicans, who lie about everything, will try to use it to gain power and betray us again.mode_13h - Thursday, June 23, 2022 - link
If you can relocate, there should still be some better-paying opportunities elsewhere in your state or the country. Overall, the job market is still pretty tight, but I know the real estate situation makes relocation hard.If relocation isn't an option, then look at other career paths and figure out a plan to get yourself on a different track. Easier said than done, I know. Take care & good luck.
Just a reviewer - Friday, August 12, 2022 - link
Sounds like you live in California where gas and food is extremely expensive. I would move out of California ASAP. In the mid west food and gas is much cheaper. Yes it still still expensive due to bidens policys but at least it will be less expensive than California.Just a reviewer - Friday, August 12, 2022 - link
Also good point over clocking doesn’t gain much performance.JeffFlanagan - Sunday, October 30, 2022 - link
Inflation has nothing to do with Biden's policies. Why are you lying to undermine America here of all places?meacupla - Wednesday, June 15, 2022 - link
People who want thunderbolt ports.NaterGator - Wednesday, June 15, 2022 - link
"Insert audio caps details." Yes, please. ;)Kevin G - Wednesday, June 15, 2022 - link
I wish Windows would properly support AVB as that’d enable the I-225 NIC to output audio to say a PoE based speaker.erotomania - Wednesday, June 15, 2022 - link
My audio caps details could really use some insertion.James5mith - Sunday, June 19, 2022 - link
Same.DBW49 - Wednesday, June 15, 2022 - link
You might want to discuss the memory power supply capacitor issues with early versions of this board. Short version: some boards had a surface mount electrolytic capacitor installed with reverse polarity. In some cases, there would be a fire. ASUS recognized the issue and provided repair services for the boards, at the cost of about 2 weeks down time (transportation and repair). That said, I am very pleased with the board.Silver5urfer - Wednesday, June 15, 2022 - link
I would suggest every single DDR5 owner to skip 4DIMM mobos. They are slower, get 2DIMM ones like APEX or Unify X or Tachyon (I think GB is worst when it's about DRAM speed with Z590).Also I hate ASUS on how their QC is absolute trash. I had to order a lot of boards to get the board which didn't have a chip on the mobo edges. All the boards brand new in box, even box condition is super neat had some or other chips on the edges of the boards. And no it's not some basic mobo I'm talking about Maximus line - Hero, Apex class. Even then I had to settle with one which had a small scratch on the Chipset heatsink to the brushed metal finish. Because I do not want to swap this and get another chipped board, some boards had the DIMM slot plastic having a hazy finish too.
Tilmitt - Thursday, June 16, 2022 - link
Will there ever be a CPU or GPU review on this site again?PeachNCream - Thursday, June 16, 2022 - link
Non0x1ous - Thursday, June 16, 2022 - link
Its the weirdest thing ever. #1 GPU review site on earth forever, then miss 1 gpu launch then miss them all and haven't had one since. All without any explanation. It's mind boggling @ryansmithshabby - Thursday, June 16, 2022 - link
I'll bet there will be an intel gpu review though...erotomania - Thursday, June 16, 2022 - link
Intel GPU review before an Nvidia 3000 review?No Starfighter doesn't count!
shabby - Thursday, June 16, 2022 - link
Sponsored review, you can count on it.PlextorPro - Thursday, June 16, 2022 - link
Intel GPU.........WHAT???You sound like a real enthusiast.....NOT!
mode_13h - Thursday, June 23, 2022 - link
> #1 GPU review site on earth foreverThere have long been sites with comparable or even more comprehensive benchmarks, but the Deep Dives are what really set Anandtech apart.
I hope someone is going to cover Hot Chips, this year. Can't they at least find some grad student or post doc who's going anyway to just liveblog about it?
Byte - Sunday, July 17, 2022 - link
In all honestly all Nvidia does is enable another core complex and add 5% performance and charge 25% more.bug77 - Thursday, June 16, 2022 - link
I haven't read the review yet, but when the best you can say about a $600 board is that it's "a solid option", you know the board is a dud.PeachNCream - Thursday, June 16, 2022 - link
$600 huh? There must be a market for these moron-tier products, but it really would be nice if Anandtech reviewed something relevant to its dwindling community instead of just accepting whatever the OEMs dump onto them out of desperation to drum up hype and sales for fringe products almost none of us are interested in purchasing. Then again, who am I kidding? AT has had this sort of disconnect for quite a few years now.PlextorPro - Thursday, June 16, 2022 - link
Seriously, thank you for this review and in-depth evaluation!With the recent increase in popularity of MINI-ITX (SFF) systems, I would like to see an in-depth! review-comparison of the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I with other MINI-ITX main boards. I have built a system with this MINI-ITX MB and am very pleased with the performance.
It has a custom loop for cooling both the i9 12900K and an AMD RX 6800 GPU.
PlextorPro - Thursday, June 16, 2022 - link
Seriously, thank you for this review and in-depth evaluation!With the recent increase in popularity of MINI-ITX (SFF) systems, I would like to see an in-depth review-comparison of the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I with other MINI-ITX main boards. I have built a system with this MINI-ITX MB and am very pleased with the performance.
It has a custom loop for cooling both the i9 12900K and an AMD RX 6800 GPU.
PlextorPro - Thursday, June 16, 2022 - link
Seriously, thank you for this review and in-depth evaluation!With the recent increase in popularity of MINI-ITX (SFF) systems, I would like to see an in-depth! review-comparison of the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I with other MINI-ITX main boards. I have built a system with this MINI-ITX MB and am very pleased with the performance.
It has a custom loop for cooling both the i9 12900K and an AMD RX 6800 GPU.
Dr_b_ - Friday, June 17, 2022 - link
Do people actually want all the bling on the motherboard like the plastic LED features, which imho are really not appealing, and all the metal armor? It doesn't make it go faster, and adds cost. This is a retail value $490 mobo, selling for $600. With Z790 mobos due out in a few months, unless completely desperate and flush with cash, makes no sense to buy it.COtech - Sunday, June 19, 2022 - link
Hopefully Z790 boards will come with a "downturn mindset" - function not flash. Otherwise I don't see them selling.poohbear - Wednesday, June 22, 2022 - link
These $600 mobos are $250-$300 in a year's time. Don't pay this early adopter tax.mode_13h - Thursday, June 23, 2022 - link
I was just looking at ASUS boards, the other day. I've somewhat unexpectedly found myself pondering an upgrade of my workstation to Alder Lake. I visited ASUS' site and found their product filter to be half-broken (when I select ATX form factor, why am I still being shown mini-ITX boards??) and couldn't make very much sense of their different product lines.bwj - Monday, June 27, 2022 - link
Any mobo with the i7-12700K will hit 5100MHz without any tuning whatsoever, 5200MHz if you remove all the power limits and don't touch anything else. What you get from +$200 for the i9 CPU and +$450 on the mobo is an extra 100MHz? Hardly seems like money well spent.The only real argument I can see for this board is it comes with the thunderbolt ports and the 2.5G ethernet, instead of requiring the $130 (and terrible) TB4 add-in card and the $75 i225v add-in card.
NickFisherUX - Wednesday, August 10, 2022 - link
ASUS has always made the best boards.