ASUS Prime series motherboards are expertly engineered to unleash the full potential of 12th Generation Intel® processors. Boasting a robust power design, comprehensive cooling solutions and intelligent tuning options, Prime Z690-P provides users and PC DIY builders a range of performance tuning options via intuitive software and firmware features. FLEXIBILITY Comprehensive controls form the foundation of the ASUS Prime series. The Prime Z690 motherboard packs flexible tools to tune every aspect of your system, enabling performance tweaks to perfectly match the way you work to maximize productivity. All-Around Energy Efficiency The Energy Processing Unit (EPU) automatically optimizes power consumption and maximizes energy savings with Away mode — a smart setting that creates an extreme energy-saving scenario by shutting down unused I/O controllers. Flexible Air- and Liquid-Cooling Controls ASUS Fan Xpert 4 software provides comprehensive control over fans and all-in-one (AiO) cooler. Whether cooling with air or water, an Auto-Tuning mode intelligently configures all parameters with a single click. There’s also an Extreme Quiet mode that reduces all fan speeds to below the default minimum to keep your system whisper-quiet when performing light tasks. Fans and AiO cooler can also be controlled via the UEFI BIOS. Precise Digital Power Control The Digi+ voltage-regulator module (VRM) delivers real-time control over voltage droop, automatically switching frequency and power-efficiency settings. It also allows you to fine-tune your CPU for ultimate stability and performance. UEFI BIOS The renowned ASUS UEFI BIOS provides everything you need to configure, tweak and tune your system. It offers intelligently simplified options for PC DIY beginners, as well as comprehensive features for seasoned veterans. Advanced Tuning for Serious Tweakers An intuitive Advanced mode offered via the UEFI lets you take complete control. A built-in search feature makes it easy to find options, and various advanced functions let you intelligently make nuanced adjustments so you can dial in performance just the way you want. Quick and Simple Setup EZ mode displays vital settings and stats and also offers guided wizards, drag-and-drop functionality, and one-click application of important settings — all to help you get your rig up and running in no time. Intuitive Graphical Fan Control Fine-tune individual fan settings simply by dragging a curve with the mouse. Aura On/Off Mode (Stealth) Easily enable or disable Aura RGB lighting, for a subdued aesthetic touch. COOLING Prime Z690 series is engineered with multiple onboard heatsinks and an array of hybrid fan headers to ensure your rig stays cool and stable under intense workloads. Heatsinks M.2 Heatsink An M.2 heatsink takes care of the two M.2 slots, warding off throttling that can occur with M.2 storage during sustained transfers. VRM Heatsinks and High-quality Thermal Pads Two massive VRM heatsinks and high-quality thermal pads improve heat transfer from the MOSFETs and chokes for better cooling performance. Cooler by Design Prime Z690 series features comprehensive cooling controls that are configurable via Fan Xpert 4 software or via the UEFI BIOS. Multiple Temperature Sources Each header can dynamically reference three thermal sensors. Fan Xpert 4 allows you to map the temperature of supported ASUS graphics cards to optimize cooling for GPU- and CPU-intensive tasks. AIO Pump Header A dedicated PWM/DC header for self-contained water-cooling setups. Smart Protection A dedicated integrated circuit protects each fan header from overheating and overcurrent. 4-Pin PWM/DC Fan Each onboard header supports auto-detection of PWM or DC fans. PERFORMANCE Prime Z690 series is built to handle the additional cores and increased bandwidth of 12th Generation Intel® processors. ASUS Z690 motherboards provide all the fundamentals to boost daily productivity, so your system will be ready for action with stable power, intuitive cooling and flexible transfer options. Power Design Stable power is essential to extract every last bit of performance out of 12th Generation Intel processors. Prime Z690-P is geared to cater to the demands of these high-core-count CPUs. ProCool Connectors Proprietary connectors augment the motherboard’s link to the PSU with 4 pin+8 pin connectors that pass 12 volts of power directly to the processors. Each jack features solid pins that can handle more current than hollow-pin connectors. 14+1 DrMOS A VRM with 14+1 DrMOS delivers the power and efficiency that the latest Intel processors demand. DDR5 Performance Enhancement Prime Z690-P enhances DDR5 performance by providing overclocking options 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. Prime Z690-P leverages 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. For users new to memory overclocking, Prime Z690-P includes the exclusive ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile (AEMP) firmware feature for PMIC-restricted memory modules. AEMP automatically detects the memory chips on your kit and then presents optimized frequency, timing and voltage profiles that you can effortlessly apply to unleash performance. ASUS OptiMem II Revisions to the motherboard’s trace routing provide the latest Intel processors with unrestricted access to memory bandwidth. ASUS OptiMem II technology carefully maps memory signal pathways across different PCB layers to reduce vias and adds shielding zones that significantly reduce crosstalk. Benefits of ASUS OptiMem II: Improved memory stability and compatibility Allows lower memory latencies at equivalent voltages Improved memory frequency margin Motherboards with OptiMem II technology were tested with Synopsys HSPICE simulation software Storage Three M.2 slots (up to 64 Gbps) Prime Z690-P offers a total of three M.2 slots that support data-transfer speeds of up to 64 Gbps via PCIe® 4.0, enabling quicker boot-up and app load times with OS or application drives. * Actual transmission speeds will be lower than the theoretical maximum speed. PCIe® 5.0 Slot The 12th Gen Intel processors bring PCIe® 5.0 support to the market. PCIe® 5.0 offers twice the data transfer speed of PCIe® 4.0, making it robust enough to handle new data-heavy tasks. PCIe® 5.0 also brings other benefits, such as electrical changes to improve signal integrity, backward-compatible CEM connectors for add-in cards, and backward compatibility with previous versions of?PCI Express. USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C® Numerous USB ports support high-end rigs loaded with peripherals, including rear USB Type-C® connector with fast USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 for transmission speeds of up to 20 Gbps. Thunderbolt™ 4 Support Prime Z690-P features Thunderbolt™ 4 support via an on-board header. With the latest Intel-certified ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 add-on card, it can enable bi-directional speeds of up to 40 Gbps on a single cable. Additionally, this card has a daisy-chain function for multi-screen connection and supports up to an 8K resolution display. It can also provide up to 100 watts of power to fast-charge devices. Realtek 2.5 Gb Ethernet Realtek 2.5 Gb Ethernet reduces CPU overhead and offers exceptionally high TCP and UDP throughput for faster, smoother data transfer. CUSTOMIZATION Audio Combined onboard features deliver elevated audio Intelligent design and premium hardware create audio quality unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. Audio Shielding Separates analog/digital signal domains, significantly reducing multi-lateral interference. Separate Layer for Left and Right Tracks Ensures minimal crosstalk between audio paths. Premium Audio Capacitors Premium parts provide an immersive sound signature, with exceptional fidelity. Personalization Aura Sync Outshine the Competition A well-tuned enthusiast system deserves a matching aesthetic. ASUS Aura offers full RGB lighting control with a variety of functional presets for the strips and devices connected to the onboard RGB headers — and it can all be synced with an ever-growing portfolio of Aura-capable hardware. Addressable Gen 2 RGB Header Three addressable Gen 2 RGB headers are capable of detecting the number of LEDs on second-gen addressable RGB devices, allowing the software to automatically tailor lighting effects to specific devices. The new headers also offer backward-compatibility with existing Aura RGB gear. Armoury Crate Armoury Crate is a new software utility designed to give you centralized control of supported products. From a single intuitive interface, Armoury Crate allows you to easily customize RGB lighting and effects for every compatible device in your arsenal. The software also provides control of settings for an ever-growing number of ASUS products, including keyboard and mouse preferences. Armoury Crate even features dedicated product registration and news to help you stay in touch with the ASUS community. Q-LED Core The Q-LED Core display produces light patterns by power LED during the Power-On Self-Test (POST) that can help users troubleshoot potential issues. SafeSlot PCIe® 5.0 is 2x faster than PCIe® 4.0, so we adapted our SMT manufacturing process for the faster SafeSlot, to ensure the highest data speeds. SafeSlot is a reinforced metal sheath added to a PCIe® slot to keep a card firmly installed. LANGuard Pumped-up throughput 2.5X higher surge tolerance ASUS LANGuard is a hardware-level network protection feature that integrates advanced signal-coupling technology and premium anti-EMI surface-mounted capacitors to improve throughput and ensure a more reliable connection. Overvoltage Protection World-class circuit-protecting power design An exclusive circuit design with built-in voltage regulators to protect your motherboard from damage caused by unexpected high-level voltages from unstable or inferior power supplies. DRAM Overcurrent Protection Short-circuit damage prevention Onboard resettable fuses prevent overcurrent and short-circuit damage. This extends beyond I/O ports to DRAM to safeguard the lifespan of your system and connected devices. Stainless-Steel Back I/O 3X corrosion-resistance for greater durability Corrosion-resistant stainless-steel back I/O panels bonded with chromium oxide have a lifespan that’s three times longer than ordinary panels.