EVGA Introduces Z690 DARK K|NGP|N Motherboard ($829.99) for 12th Gen Intel Core Processors

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evga-z690-dark-kingpin-header-1024x576.jpg
Image: EVGA



EVGA has introduced the Z690 DARK K|NGP|N, its latest premium motherboard targeting demanding overclockers seeking to take Intel’s 12th Gen Alder Lake platform to its upper limits. The motherboard has been listed on the official EVGA shop for $829.99 and is exclusive to Elite members.



Z690 DARK K|NGP|N Key Specifications:



Intel Z690 Chipset12th Gen Intel Core i5/i7/i9 Alder Lake-S Processors21 Phase PWMDual Channel DDR5100MHz+ BCLKForm Factor – E-ATXSLI – 2-Way SLI6 Native SATA 6 Gb/s Ports, 2 from ASMedia ASM1061USB – USB 2.0 (2 Internal Headers + SPI to USB Type-A)2x Intel 2.5 Gigabit NICM.2 Key M – 3M.2 Key E – 1Audio – Realtek ALC1220 7.1 Channel HD Audio + SV3H615



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Image: EVGA



Introducing the EVGA Z690 DARK...
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I have honestly not tried any of their motherboards. Anyone here try one?
 
Niner51 said:
I have honestly not tried any of their motherboards. Anyone here try one?
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I haven't used one in a very long time. The last one I had was the EVGA X58 Classified. My review of the standard X58 EVGA board is why EVGA never sampled HardOCP again. I haven't reviewed or used one since that I can recall.
 
They're also not really consumer boards, in the broad sense - these are for setting benchmark records.

Kind of like a drag racer, very focused in purpose with some exclusion to others - very good at what it does but missing out on other functions, most especially for the price.
 
LazyGamer said:
They're also not really consumer boards, in the broad sense - these are for setting benchmark records.

Kind of like a drag racer, very focused in purpose with some exclusion to others - very good at what it does but missing out on other functions, most especially for the price.
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This would be similar to something like the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 APEX.
 
Dan_D said:
This would be similar to something like the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 APEX.
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Exactly - and at US$719 when in stock, you still don't get 10Gbit or built-in Thunderbolt support, nor can you add them without making sacrifices elsewhere like the number of M.2 slots - and you still can't have both.

I get that neither are hotly-desired features for gamers, but Thunderbolt especially is a PITA if it's not built-in. The AICs have questionable stock levels and levels of effectiveness.
 
Grimlakin said:
I guess this is what you put in a 500 dollar case.
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Cue the Cooler Master/EVGA collaboration and for good measure, let's make it CB2077/Halo/Gundam themed limited to 5 ever made. Four lost in R&D with the last one lost in the mail.
 
Yeah the GPU price effect keeps spreading. I mean everything looks like a bargain vs GPUs. And why not charge more?
 
If I weren't headed out for most of the day, I'd get into why motherboards have gotten so expensive. Not all of the price increase is artificial. Your low to mid-range boards have almost no margin in them. The halo products do, but there are good reasons why they are more. That being said, I will agree that pricing is out of control on the motherboard side.

My ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme is by far the most expensive motherboard I have ever purchased. The runner up isn't even close. Hell, it's considerably more expensive than some of the review boards I have used in my own personal systems after we were done with them. The last two to three years in particular have seen prices sky rocket.
 
Dan_D said:
If I weren't headed out for most of the day, I'd get into why motherboards have gotten so expensive. Not all of the price increase is artificial. Your low to mid-range boards have almost no margin in them. The halo products do, but there are good reasons why they are more. That being said, I will agree that pricing is out of control on the motherboard side.

My ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme is by far the most expensive motherboard I have ever purchased. The runner up isn't even close. Hell, it's considerably more expensive than some of the review boards I have used in my own personal systems after we were done with them. The last two to three years in particular have seen prices sky rocket.
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Idk, I agree things can go up in price due to reasons. What is going on is becoming almost comical though depending where you look. But again , nothing seems to stop things from selling out apparently
 
LazyGamer said:
Love all of the pictures on Newegg of folks running this board with AIOs and even air coolers - only one is running a loop.
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Step 1: Buy best overclocking motherboard on the planet and cool it with an AIO.
Step 2: ???
Step 3: Profit

ASUS had done quite a bit of research some years ago on whether or not people who bought ROG boards actually overclocked them. They found some 90% of the people that bought top tier boards don't actually overclock them. There are a lot of people that actually buy boards they perceive to be super high end or top tier for peace of mind, bragging rights, perceived quality or superiority, or whatever. Sometimes they buy them for a specific feature sets or aesthetic qualities as well.

But the majority of them don't see any overclocking. This is literally why the TUF series was created. It was all of the ruggedness and robust features of the ROG series without the emphasis on overclocking with water or LN2.
 
Dan_D said:
Step 1: Buy best overclocking motherboard on the planet and cool it with an AIO.
Step 2: ???
Step 3: Profit

ASUS had done quite a bit of research some years ago on whether or not people who bought ROG boards actually overclocked them. They found some 90% of the people that bought top tier boards don't actually overclock them. There are a lot of people that actually buy boards they perceive to be super high end or top tier for peace of mind, bragging rights, perceived quality or superiority, or whatever. Sometimes they buy them for a specific feature sets or aesthetic qualities as well.

But the majority of them don't see any overclocking. This is literally why the TUF series was created. It was all of the ruggedness and robust features of the ROG series without the emphasis on overclocking with water or LN2.
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Solid point and I too will keep this in mind going forward.
 
Dan_D said:
But the majority of them don't see any overclocking. This is literally why the TUF series was created. It was all of the ruggedness and robust features of the ROG series without the emphasis on overclocking with water or LN2.
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Which is why I was always a huge fan of the TUF motherboards. All the durability but none of the fluff most people will never use. My old 990FX Sabertooth was virtually indestructible. I overclocked the balls off a 1090, 8150 and 8350....ran at insane voltages, stress tested for days, crashed a billion times but that thing never so much as whimpered and I put it in my kids build once I retired it and it was still working flawlessly when I retired it out of that.
 
MacLeod said:
All the durability but none of the fluff most people will never use.
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Just to point out - most boards seem to be coming with exactly three PCIe slots. The first two are the 16 lanes to the CPU, so if you use the second one, you cut the lanes to the first one in half. The third one is a 4 lane slot.

And you'll further find that things get dicey when it comes to M.2 slot usage. For example, many of the lower-end Z690 boards, which is to say, <$500 these days, have four M.2 slots. You move up a bit and many drop one or more and give you a card to put in that third PCIe slot.

But what if you have a use for that one single extra slot, since using all of the M.2 slots also disables SATA ports usually leaving you with two.

I'm using four M.2 drives as well as two SATA spinners, as well as having 10Gbit networking and not wanting a board that lacks Thunderbolt. I'd actually have to make compromises on the above if I bought a more expensive board, or a cheaper one, than the Gigabyte Z690 Aero D I'm currently using - and I'm no fan of their BIOS or their RAM compatibility.
 
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