Nowadays, small game systems are very popular, and motherboard manufacturers are trying to blur the line between Mini-ITX and ATX motherboards. With the upcoming ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming Wi-Fi platform, Asus has chosen a sandwich-like design.
It is relatively easy to install an advanced controller for Wi-Fi or audio on the Mini-ITX motherboard. No additional slots are installed for add-on cards or modules.In order to install two M.2-2280 slots for high-performance SSDs and ensure proper cooling to avoid throttling under high loads, ASUS chose a multilayer sandwich structure located near the back of the graphics card, posted image Graphics card reveal.
Although the setup does not look elegant, it ensures proper cooling for the high-performance M.2-2280 SSD that requires a heat sink, and allows easy replacement of the SSD. Some Mini-ITX motherboards have an M.2 slot on the back, and if the drive fails, it is difficult to replace. In addition, it is not always possible to cool it appropriately. Asus’ “sandwich” solves this problem. At the same time, the structure of the “new” multilayer PCB components on ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming Wi-Fi seems to be higher, so ASUS may plan to provide more features for new products, or just ensure better heat dissipation.
The two M.2-2280 SSDs have proper cooling functions, making ASUS Mini-ITX motherboards closer to desktops in terms of performance and scalability.However, according to photos published by netizens Graphics card, The company reduced the number of SATA ports on its Z690 Mini-ITX motherboard from four to two, thereby reducing the platform’s maximum mass storage capacity from 54 TB in RAID 5 mode of the previous generation or 72 TB in JBOD mode Reduced to 36 TB in the new generation of RAID 0 mode (when using 18TB HDD). In addition, it is no longer possible to use four SATA drives in RAID 5 mode to improve performance and reliability.
ASUS’ ROG-branded Mini-ITX motherboards have been one of the most feature-rich SFF platforms on the market for many years, so it’s no surprise that the company is preparing high-end ROG Strix-branded motherboards for Intel’s 12th-generation Core “Alder Lake”.’ Using LGA1700 packaged processor. The motherboard will be equipped with a complex voltage regulation module (VRM) to power the CPU, two slots for DDR5 memory, a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for graphics cards, a Wi-Fi 6E module, and a complex audio sub System (for motherboards) and everything else what you expect from high-end platforms in 2021.
ASUS is expected to start selling its Intel Z690-based motherboards for Intel’s Alder Lake processors in early November, when the new CPU will be launched on the market.
