ASUS ProArt Z690-Creator WiFi Review (Page 2 of 12)

Page 2 - Bundle and Chipset

Out of the box, we have quite a few additions to come with the ASUS ProArt Z690-Creator WiFi, as shown in the photo above. In addition to the motherboard, you will receive four black SATA cables, where two are 90-degree angled and two are straight, a WiFi antenna, short DisplayPort-to-DisplayPort cable, two sets of M.2 rubber pads for supporting single-sided SSDs, two additional screws for M.2 SSDs, user guide, ASUS Control Center activation key card, and a support DVD. It is a bit interesting to see a disc included in this day and age, as finding an optical drive, whether internal or external, is a bit rare. For a motherboard at this tier, I would have liked to see a USB drive containing all of the drivers and manuals. We also have a Q-connector included here to make plugging your front panel connectors easier.

The CPU-Z motherboard tab screenshot of the ASUS ProArt Z690-Creator WiFi in Windows 11 Pro. At the time of the review, we are using ASUS' 1505 BIOS revision, which is the latest revision.

As the name suggests, the ASUS ProArt Z690-Creator WiFi uses the Z690 chipset. This is Intel's high-end flagship chipset, and supports features like processor and memory overclocking, two memory channels, PCIe 4.0 x8 DMI link, twelve PCIe 4.0 lanes, sixteen PCIe 3.0 lanes, eight SATA 6GB/s ports, four USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports, ten USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, ten USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and fourteen USB 2.0 ports.

The rest of the specifications of the Intel Z690 is listed below, as obtained from the manufacturer's website:

Essentials
Product Collection: Intel 600 Series Desktop Chipsets
Code Name: Products formerly Alder Lake
Status: Launched
Vertical Segment: Desktop
Launch Date: Q4'21
TDP: 6 W
Recommended Customer Price: $51.00
Supports Overclocking: Yes
Use Conditions: PC/Client/Tablet

Supplemental Information
Embedded Options Available: No

Memory Specifications
# of DIMMs per channel: 2
ECC Memory Supported: No
Supports Memory Overclocking: IA, BCLK, Memory

Processor Graphics
# of Displays Supported: 4

Expansion Options
Direct Media Interface (DMI) Revision: 4.0
Max # of DMI Lanes: 8
PCI Express Revision: 3.0, 4.0
PCI Express Configurations: x1,x2,x4
Max # of PCI Express Lanes: 28

I/O Specifications
# of USB Ports: 14
USB Configuration:
- Up to 4 - USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20Gb/s) Ports
- Up to 10 - USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 (10Gb/s) Ports
- Up to 10 - USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5Gb/s) Ports
- 14 USB 2.0 Ports
USB Revision: 3.2, 2.0
Max # of SATA 6.0 Gb/s Ports: 8
RAID Configuration: 0,15,10 - PCIe/SATA
Integrated LAN: Integrated MAC
Integrated Wireless: Intel® Wi-Fi 6E AX211(Gig+)
Supported Processor PCI Express Port Configurations: 1x16+1x4 or 2x8+1x4

Package Specifications
Package Size: 28mm x 25mm

Advanced Technologies
Intel Optane Memory Supported: Yes
Intel vPro Platform Eligibility: No
Intel ME Firmware Version: 16
Intel HD Audio Technology: Yes
Intel Rapid Storage Technology: Yes
Intel Rapid Storage Technology enterprise: No
Intel Standard Manageability: No
Intel Stable IT Platform Program (SIPP): No
Intel Rapid Start Technology: Yes
Intel Rapid Storage Technology for PCI Storage: Yes
Intel Smart Sound Technology: Yes
Intel Platform Trust Technology (Intel PTT): Yes

Security & Reliability
Intel Trusted Execution Technology: No
Intel Boot Guard: Yes


Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Bundle and Chipset
3. Physical Look - Hardware, Board Layout
4. BIOS and Test System
5. Benchmark: AIDA64
6. Benchmark: Cinebench R23
7. Benchmark: PassMark PerformanceTest 10
8. Benchmark: PCMark 10
9. Benchmark: 3DMark
10. Onboard Sound Frequency Analysis
11. Thermal Measurements and Overclocking
12. Conclusion