Motherboard

We look back over the year and pick our three favourite motherboards across a broad price spectrum

With the launch of Intel Z690 motherboards, many of us were taken aback by the price increases seen across all vendors. Now, we're starting to learn what led to the pricing surge – and the ongoing chip shortage isn't the only culprit, as there has also been a rising cost …

MSI's upcoming flagship MEG Z690 Godlike motherboard isn't out yet, but someone appears to have got hold of one early. Through photos of the packaging, it seems that MSI will be bundling this motherboard with a Kingston Fury DDR5-6000 memory kit, and an MSI S360 AIO liquid cooler.  MSI's motherboard …

Intel is expected to unveil its mid-range and entry-level 600-series motherboards at CES 2022, but leakers already seem to have some of the details. This week, specifications for the upcoming H670, B660 and H610 chipsets were revealed.  Twitter leaker @momomo_us has posted new details on Intel's upcoming motherboards, which will …

Details on upcoming B660 motherboards are still somewhat scarce, with little officially known about the upcoming mid-range options for those looking to build an Intel 12th Gen PC. We may now have a rough idea on pricing though, as MSI's B660 motherboard line-up has leaked. Twitter leaker, @g01d3nm4ng0 (via Wccftech), has …

Gigabyte has introduced what might be the cheapest Z690 motherboard. The new Z690M DS3H DDR4 is the first Z690 board to lack PCIe 5.0 connectivity, offering PCIe 4.0 instead, as well as a barebones aesthetic to keep it budget-friendly.  According to Tom's Hardware, one of the key reasons behind high …

We have seen the ‘K’ suffix Core i9, Core i7, and Core i5 12th Gen processors from Intel, but that will not be the entire stack. In this one, Leo and Luke discuss the other possible upcoming 12th Gen processors and look at some of the parts that could be value champs taking the place of the Core i5-10400F and 11400F of yesteryear...

Although Ryzen 5000 series chips are not supposed to be supported by A320 motherboards, it seems Gigabyte and Asus have found a way to make it happen. A new BIOS update seems to enable Ryzen 5000 CPUs on some entry-level motherboards. Evidence of this being possible first popped up around …

While all Intel Z690 motherboards support PCIe 5.0 connectivity, it seems that won't be the case for the upcoming B660 boards. A new leak this week suggests that some motherboards, like the Asus B660 Prime Plus D4, will use PCIe 4.0 instead.  A photo shared by VideoCardz shows the shipping …

It's been a busy day for Leo, he has been working on a variety of launch day content for Intel's Z690 platform, before the full indepth reviews hit our front page in the not too distant future. Last, but certainly not least is a look at an array of cool …

The Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Master is in the house, so we unbox it and give you a first look

MSI sent us a WARCHEST packed with Z690 goodies - let's dive in!

The big day has arrived – Intel has officially launched its 12th Gen “Alder Lake” desktop processors and the Z690 chipset. ASUS is already well prepared for this generational leap, with a full stack of Z690 motherboards ready to go, with ROG Maximus leading the way.  The ASUS ROG series …

We were invited to an Intel event in London and we walked away with a Core i9-12900K, i7-12700K and a i5-12600K, with benchmarking already underway ahead of the review next week. It's time to dive a bit deeper into the CPUs and Z690 chipset though, so buckle in...

Today, Intel is launching its 12th Gen Core desktop processors, alongside the new Z690 chipset. MSI is already well prepared for this next-gen Intel platform, with 18 Z690 motherboards ready to go, spread out across the Pro, MAG, MPG and MEG series and thus covering creators, gamers and enthusiasts looking …

With Intel 12th Gen Core processors announced, it's time for motherboard vendors to announce what they've been working on. In Gigabyte's case, its Z690 line-up will consist of 14 motherboards for different customers, ranging from a basic user up to a hardware enthusiast looking for the very best for their …

X570S is here and Luke checks out two options from ASUS and Gigabyte

Installing any update that requires a system restart is often seen as a chore. Intel will be making its own update process a little easier moving forward, as the company is said to be working on a new update system that allows for UEFI updates without a reboot.  According to Phoronix, …

In this episode, Leo and Luke discuss new AMD X570S motherboards with an appearance by MSI's MPG X570S Carbon EK X. As usual, ramblings hit a variety of topics including liquid cooling, airflow, and Leo's own system that he uses daily...

The Asus Z690 motherboard launch line-up has leaked the EEC database. As it seems, support for DDR5 memory will be limited to some motherboards, while the rest will support DDR4. Moreover, the leak also suggests that Asus is changing the ROG Maximus motherboard naming scheme, replacing the roman numerals with the …

As you may know by now, TPM 2.0 is a requirement to install Windows 11. To ensure endusers have their systems ready for Windows 11, motherboard manufacturers are set to release BIOS updates to enable TPM 2.0 by default. MSI seems to be the first to do so, though not …

Listings for two upcoming Gigabyte Z690 motherboards appeared online over the weekend, revealing pricing and specifications. From the looks of it, some Z690 motherboards may support DDR4 memory, while others will support the new DDR5 standard. The listings were spotted by @momomo_us, showing some of the specifications and prices for …

When Microsoft announced the system requirements for Windows 11, the lack of Skylake and Kaby Lake CPUs in the compatibility list came as a surprise. These chips are still relatively modern, so it would be expected that Windows 11 would support them. Fortunately for Asus motherboards owners, the company seems …

EK and MSI have partnered up once again to launch a new motherboard. Featuring an EK-Quantum CPU block, the EK-Quantum MSI MPG X570S Carbon EK X motherboard is an out-of-the-box water-cooled motherboard for AMD Ryzen processors. With a 14+2 Dual Rail Power System with 75A power stages, users will be …

When Microsoft announced Windows 11, it revealed that PCs would need to support TPM (Trusted Platform Module) in order to upgrade to the new OS. A lot of motherboards support this feature in the BIOS, but finding it can be a tricky task at times. Fortunately in the case of …

Leo checks out the NZXT N7 Z590 motherboard... and finds looks aren't everything

We check out SuperO's Z590 offering, priced at over £400 - it's interesting to say the least

It looks like EVGA won't just be making Intel-based motherboards anymore. This week, the company began teasing a new motherboard for Ryzen processors. The teaser is just nine seconds long, teasing a new EVGA DARK series motherboard. The Zen logo appears on screen behind the Dark logo, indicating that we'll …

MSI is soon releasing its first X570 fanless motherboards. For now, the motherboard manufacturer is only detailing two MAG series motherboards, but it has promised that motherboards from the MPG and MEG will also release at a later date. The two MSI X570S MAG series motherboards are the X570S Tomahawk …

We check out no less than three ASUS ROG Z590 boards - but which is right for you?