ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO Intel Z690 LGA 1700 ATX

Overview

ROG Maximus Z690

Hero

The ROG Maximus Z690 Hero is a quintessential strand of the Republic of Gamers DNA, replete with high-octane components to satisfy users who seek an introduction to the enthusiast-grade Maximus line. Its arsenal of cooling, power delivery and connectivity stands ready to handle whatever the latest 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors throw at it. And with its new animated Polymo lighting display on the I/O cover that dazzles with vibrant RGB logos and patterns, the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero has the looks to match its leverage.

INTELLIGENT MOTHERBOARD

Intelligent software solutions help ensure that your system performs at its best. The latest ASUS AI-powered enhancements span four pillars of performance, including overclocking, cooling, networking and onboard audio, making advanced tweaks and optimization accessible to new recruits and savvy PC DIY veterans alike.

PERFORMANCE

With tailored power delivery and support for the latest high-performance memory, ROG Maximus Z690 Hero easily handles the demands of Intel Alder Lake-S processors. It features an intelligent VRM design that’s rated for 90 amps, plus carefully selected components and memory layout optimizations to cater to enthusiasts looking to create a battle-ready rig with balanced performance.

DDR5 OVERCLOCKING STRENGTH

Comprehensive memory tuning options are the cornerstone of ROG motherboards. For DDR5, the Maximus Z690 lineup breaks performance limits by providing a stacked suite of overclocking parameters for not only high-speed kits, but even entry-level memory modules that have a locked power management IC (PMIC).

A dedicated circuit on the motherboard safely circumvents DDR5 memory PMIC restrictions, allowing you to step past the default 1.1-volt limit and push frequency and timings to the max.

Ordinarily, a restricted PMIC that has been unlocked requires the system to be fully power-cycled each time memory voltage is adjusted. ROG motherboards leverage onboard hardware and firmware to cleverly work around this irksome limitation, enabling voltage adjustments to be applied through the same soft system-reset process employed for previous generations of DDR memory.

COOLING

Top-level PC performance demands exceptional cooling. The ROG Maximus Z690 Hero is armed with robust VRM and chipset heatsinks that provide the perfect balance of mass and surface area for heat dissipation. Load up with an AIO or custom cooling loop paired with your choice of fans to keep thermals under complete control.

THERMAL MANAGEMENT

ROG Maximus Z690 Hero features the most comprehensive cooling options ever.

Each header can be set to monitor and react to three user-configurable thermal sensors for workload-based cooling, and all settings can be easily managed by Fan Xpert 4 or UEFI.

ROG WATER-COOLING ZONE

Dual water-temperature headers and a flow-rate header feed information straight into the AI Suite utility, allowing you to track coolant temperatures and the flow rate of the entire loop.

CONNECTIVITY

The latest connectivity solutions ― WiFi 6E, PCIe® 5.0 and two Thunderbolt™ 4 USB Type-C® ports ― empower supersmooth networking and blisteringly fast file transfers. And for enthusiasts looking for high-fidelity audio, the SupremeFX ALC4082 codec takes gaming immersion to a whole new level while also saving a PCIe slot.

USB 3.2 GEN 2X2 TYPE-C® FRONT-PANEL CONNECTOR WITH QUICK CHARGE 4+

USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 adds an additional lane that can boost Type-C data transfers with speeds of up to 20 Gbps. The port also features Quick Charge 4+ technology that can quickly charge devices up to 60 W with a PCIe power supply cable plugged into the nearby 6-pin connector.

TWO ONBOARD THUNDERBOLT 4 USB TYPE-C® PORTS

Each port delivers up to 40 Gbps of bidirectional bandwidth for the latest high-speed devices and drives. Thunderbolt 4 also supports up to two external 4K displays and extends PCIe bandwidth to up to 32 Gbps.

Three Onboard M.2 Slots

ROG Maximus Z690 Hero features three onboard M.2 slots, with two offering support for the latest PCIe 4.0 SSDs.

ROG HYPER M.2 CARD

PCIE 5.0 READY

If users need more M.2 storage or even faster data transfers, the bundled ROG Hyper M.2 Card features two more slots, one of which is a PCIe 5.0 and ready to perform at up to twice the speed of the accompanying PCIe 4.0 slot.

SUPREMEFX