[nextpage title=”Introduction: “] Bye bye ROG Maximus XIII APEX, hello new ROG Maximus Z690 APEX! We are starting our Z690 motherboard tests with the model intended for overclockers, namely, the APEX from Asus.
We have dedicated an article to the performance of two Alder Lake processors with the i9-12900K and the i5-12600K against the previous generations and the four Ryzen 5000. As soon as we receive the i7-12700K, we will update the article. This article is available since 14 hours and it is mandatory to go and have a look at it, especially for the info about the DDR5.
We also picked up a copy of the ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme and Glacial and the MSI MPG Z690 Carbon Wifi. The complete test of these motherboards will arrive in the course of the next week.
Without further ado, let’s start the hostilities with this ROG Maximus Z690 APEX, a series we are particularly fond of in the editorial office. It is a model intended mainly for overclockers. This new version brings all the tools developed over the last few years by Asus engineers. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Asus France for offering us once again the opportunity to have fun with this APEX. [nextpage title=”ROG Maximus Z690 APEX:”]
With each new generation of Maximus motherboards, Asus offers us an APEX model that is sometimes only reserved for a select few or, with luck, can be found for sale online. The previous model, the Maximus XIII APEX was well distributed and many people were able to buy it. This should also be the case for this Z690 version.
The APEX series represents the best from Asus for overclockers. The card has many tools implemented on the PCB and benefits from regular BIOS updates. The engineering team is very reactive. If you want to lower the temperature of your CPU below 0°C, this APEX will certainly prove to be one of the best choices for the Z690 chipset.
Bundle:
A quick tour through the bundle of this ROG Maximus Z690 APEX to see if it benefits from “special accessories”. And the least we can say is that there is a lot to show you! First of all, the “ROG True Voltician” which is a USB format oscilloscope and which is in the suite of the V-Latch always integrated on the PCB of the motherboard. We will come back in more details on this module which is plugged into a USB port as well as on the management software. We’ll have to take a closer look at the information and details. You should also know that the mini-USB port allows the software to run on a separate PC.
Asus also provides a PCIe card that has a slot for a hard drive in M.2 SSD format and PCIe 5.0 compatible. The point is that when these drives become available, you can add one to your configuration via this card. Currently no GPU or SSD is available in this standard.
New Maximus and PCIe 5.0 support:
This is already the fourteenth version of the Maximus, one of the most famous models of the Asus brand. This one is of course part of the ROG(Republic Of Gamers) series. It seems that Asus no longer names the number of the series since the title on the box is Maximus Z690 APEX. We no longer have a reference to the number “XIV”.
The Asus Maximus Z690 APEX is built around Intel’s new Z690 chipset, and this motherboard changes its socket from LGA-1200 (Z490/Z590) to LGA-1700 . The reason is simple, the size of the CPU is larger.
Above, a capture detailing the difference between the two sockets (source Igor’s Lab). The LGA-1700 socket has 1700 pins, against 1200 for the previous one. You may have to invest in a new cooling system. Some brands, like Noctua, offer an adapter for your current cooler. Make sure you ask about it, as it’s often free. But you’ll find out later, Asus has provided two mounting holes.
The Z690 chipset officially supports PCIe 5.0 offering higher storage performance than the previous generation. However, currently, no chipset is yet compatible with this standard. The other big change is the support for DDR5.
The various heat sinks:
The dimensions of the board are 305 mm x 244 mm, which corresponds to the ATX format. The dominant colors on the PCB are black and gray. The design is always peculiar, but on this version the PCB takes its rectangular shape. Aesthetically, it looks quite similar to the previous version of the APEX model. Let’s start the tour with the radiators which are four in number! First of all, the three radiators located on the top of the motherboard and surrounding the socket. The two largest ones cover the power supply stage. These two radiators are connected by a heat pipe.
A third, smaller, and also connected through a heat pipe is responsible for keeping the stage cool a part of the supply stage. We are here on a completely passive system. The radiator stamped with the quote ” For those who dare “. It is composed of two parts and hides under the upper part, a slot for an SSD type M2 PCIe 4.0. Asus has reworked its cooling system of the power supply stages for this 12th generation. Indeed, under load, we can easily reach 280 watts and be very low in standby. In fact, the use of two types of cores can make the load vary extremely quickly.
The fourth is the one that covers the chipset and has a fairly large surface but a low height to allow easy placement of graphics cards. We find the Asus ROG logo which benefits from an RGB backlighting system.
Four M.2 SSD slots:
A black aluminum plate, whose cut-out perfectly matches the one on the chipset, covers an M.2 SSD slot on the PCB. As you can see, the SSD is sandwiched between two thermal pads. You also have the option of using the vertical stand, which is included in the bundle and can also accommodate two M.2 SSDs. This brings the total number of M.2 SSDs to four.
The socket and PCIe :
The space around the socket is quite clear and will be easy enough to isolate with rubber for testing under LN2. In addition, Asus offers two mounting holes on the ROG models. One of them is compatible with LGA-1700 but also LGA-115x coolers! A very good point for Asus. Very interesting thing, the “capacitor”, the capacitors do not look like the coils we are used to see but are flat versions. The idea is to greatly facilitate the life of extreme overclockers by facilitating the isolation around the socket.
This Maximus Z690 APEX can accommodate a maximum of two DDR5 memory arrays. I invite you to read the page dedicated to DDR5 in our article on Alder Lake. The trace quality has been improved on this model and on the EXTREME version. And don’t forget that the Z690 chipset will allow to design motherboards supporting DDR5 but also (entry-level) DDR4 models. Also new on this APEX is a button called Q-Release. When a card is plugged into the first PCIe slot , pressing this button opens the retention system and releases your graphics card. This was a concern we had with the previous generation when a heatsink was too close to the first PCIe slot. Good job Asus !
This APEX supports dual channel memory kits up to 6600 MHz+ (OC) and for a maximum amount of 64 GB. There are two PCIe 5.0 16x slots that will work in x8/x8 if you opt for SLI or CrossfireX. A third slot in PCIe 3.0 x4 and a fourth in PCIe 3.0 x1. To power all this, the card has a 24-pin connector and two 8-pin connectors next to the power stages.
RGB or not RGB?
As is the case for a large part of the ROG range, it has the AURA system with LEDs present on the PCB at the level of the heatsink covering the connectors and the logo placed on the chipset. The management of these lights is set via the AURA software but it is possible to disable them, quite easily, via the BIOS if you wish.
The rendering is quite sober, it’s simple and efficient, no need for more! [nextpage title=”The PCB and connectors: “]
The tools for clocking:
Let’s start with the elements inserted on the PCB which can be interesting tools for overclockers. There are a lot of them on this model, which has become a habit with Asus on the high end. This confirms its position as a card dedicated to overclocking.
- The power button: allows the powering of the motherboard.
- The FlexKEY (reset ) : allows to restart the motherboard in case of failure. The button can now be assigned to another task via the BIOS.
- Safe Boot: allows to restart the board even if the parameters chosen in the bios do not allow the boot. This avoids having to do a CMOS Clear to reboot and thus lose your encoded settings.
- ReTry Button : during cold tests, sometimes the OS freezes and a reset doesn’t allow to restart the motherboard : only solution 6, 7 seconds by keeping the START button pressed. With the ReTry button, it restarts immediately.
- Switch bios : allows to switch between the two bios. You can choose to have an ” overclocking ” bios and a more stable bios for a H24 configuration.
- Slow Mode: allows you to boot with a 16x coefficient and once in the OS to put back the one chosen in the bios. It is especially for max screens.
- RSVD: when activated under cold conditions (-120°C), it avoids ” Cold boot bug “.
- LN2 Mode : allows to activate LN2 profiles in the bios.
- The debug LED: 4 diodes (CPU – DRAM – VGA – BOOT) which allow to diagnose errors during the boot of the board. If one of them stays on, it means that the corresponding component has a problem.
- The Q-Led: allows to display a code corresponding to the component responsible for the error during the boot.
- The CMOS CLR: allows to erase the BIOS parameters in order to return to the default ones.
- ProbeIT : allows to measure voltages with a multimeter directly on the PCB.
A little extra for cold tests:
In addition to all these tools, the board has three probes on the back of the PCB that will be able to detect condensation during liquid nitrogen testing:
- Processor: flashes when condensation is detected near the CPU.
- DRAM: flashes when condensation is detected near the DRAM.
- PCIe: flashes when condensation is detected near the PCIe.
PCB:
Our Asus Maximus Z690 APEX is based on a 24 + 2 phase power supply. The part in charge of the CPU consists of 24 phases and on this model, no doubler, but beware the phases are placed in parallel: they are really 12. The controller is a RAA229131 chip(X+Y=20) on which we are trying to get more information.
The 24 mosfets are all RAA 22010540 of 105A grouped in parallel by phase and thus allow to split them without using a doubler. The mosfets in the power stages generate the most heat because they are responsible for the voltage conversion and delivery to the CPU from the 12 volt EPS connector.
Connectors:
The rear panel has the following components. First of all the Clear CMOS as well as the button for flashing the bios from a USB stick. One of the particularities of the card is to have two PS/2 slots to connect a keyboard and a mouse. But why still use this type of connector in 2021? Simply because some benchmarks are more powerful under XP (Super Pi) and the use of non-USB peripherals greatly facilitates the installation of the OS.
In terms of USB ports, this ROG Maximus Z690 APEX has four USB 3.2 Gen 1, five USB 3.2 Gen 2 and one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C. Then we find the antenna supports for dual band Wi-Fi. The audio part is provided by a SupremeFX ALC4080 chip. Finally, we find the various audio outputs and network ports (2.5G). [nextpage title=”OC memory limited ? not for Asus:”]
Once again, if you haven’t already done so, have a look at our article on Alder Lake. And more particularly the section about the new DDR5. One of the major changes is the addition of a PMIC(Power Manager Integrated Circuit) module. Its role is to regulate the power supply of the memory stick. So there is one for each memory stick. Previously, it was the motherboard that was in charge of managing the power supply. In reality, this has both an advantage and a disadvantage. The positive point is that manufacturers no longer have to provide this control on the motherboard PCB. But unfortunately, PMIC reduces quite drastically the potential for the motherboard to control the stick, such as a voltage lock(secure mode). Basically, there are two types of PMIC: one that accepts overclocking and one that is blocked. It is impossible to modify the voltage and therefore, the potential for overclocking is very limited!
A solution ” made by Asus “:
Asus could not do without looking for a solution. So the engineers worked to get around this limitation. And it is solved! Within the BIOS, you will find profiles according to the memory chips that equip your memory kit. We are working on our Discord in order to offer you a summary of the available kits.
They can be used by novices who do not want to risk getting into memory overclocking but also for experienced users for whom it will be a starting point. The profiles are present because DDR5 would benefit from an excellent overclocking potential. The profiles are optimized to offer high frequencies and tight timings. The voltage can be manually adjusted up to 1.435 volts. However, it seems that a very slight increase already brings a very interesting gain. We will judge this during our tests. In the case of a PMIC that is not blocked, the voltage could reach 2 volts. In the “memory overclocking ” section, we have used these profiles.
[nextpage title=”The BIOS:”]
As far as the BIOS is concerned, at first glance, we can see that we are at Asus. Those who are used to the brand will find it without any difficulty. As a reminder, the tab that will interest us the most is “Extreme Tweaker”. Before starting, we remind you that it is essential to regularly update your BIOS. The advantage of a card like this APEX, is to have two BIOS. You can test a new one while keeping the previous one. For those who tinker, this is a real plus! The bios captures were made with the XMP profile of our Corsair kit activated. The other new option is ” Memory controller: DRAM Frequency Ratio ” which arrived with Rocket Lake. You will have the right between Gear 1, Gear 2 and Gear 4. Be aware that in most cases, it will be the Gear 2. The Gear 4 solution is there, for kits > 7000 MHz.
The ” Loadline calibration ” is in auto mode for comparative tests but we will come back to its function when overclocking the i9-12900K. The other sections are present since the previous generations and allow you to flash your motherboard, to control the speed of the fans and to create test profiles.
The different voltages :
We will see in the ” overclocking ” section, the most important voltages for the CPU as well as for boosting the DDR5 memory.
Be aware that it is possible to disable the E-core but that the performance of your processor then takes a serious blow. We’ll tell you about it in the rest of the article.
Finally, saving profiles is highly recommended when performing tests. It saves time. You can also save them on a USB key.
Hydranode functionality:
Asus again offers 4-pin connectors that support a new connection standard called Hydronaude (test here). With a single plug, it is now possible to control up to 3 fans, while maintaining control over each of them individually. Activation is done via the BIOS and control via the Asus AI Suite III utility and more specifically the Fan Xpert 4section.
Integrated Memtest86 :
YES, one of the new features of this Maximus XIII APEX is the integration within the BIOS of Memtest86 in the ” Tool ” section. This will allow you to identify memory problems with a single click. The software will test your memory kit and reveal errors if it encounters any during the various tests.
LN2 mode :
There is a LN2 mode, which must be activated via a jumper placed on the PCB. Be careful, this one is really dedicated to cold tests, so don’t activate it for air/water tests because some safety devices will be automatically disabled. Once this one is activated, there is a LN2 CPU profile.
Once we have finished our tour of the Z690 motherboards in the lab, we will be sure to test our CPUs under liquid nitrogen. Don’t hesitate to ask for advice on our forum and discord if you encounter any problems when setting up your BIOS. [nextpage title=”The test configuration: “]
Here are the different components that equip our test platform. For the publication of these tests, I used the latest BIOS received although new versions will certainly be available in the days to come. Asus is very reactive on the update of its BIOS. We will also propose in the coming weeks several overclocking guides for your processor but also for your memory kit with this APEX model. Big change also compared to our previous tests, we will switch here to Windows 11.
- Motherboard : ROG Maximus Z690 APEX (BIOS 0702)
- Processor : Intel i9-12900K Alder Lake
- Memory : 32 GB GSKill Trident Z5 5600 MHz CL36
- Graphics Card: MSI GT 710
- Cooling system : Optimus Foundation + 480 mm EK radiator
- SSD : Western Digital SN850 NVMe SSD M.2
- Power supply : be quiet! Dark Power PRO 12 1500w
- Operating system: Windows 11 64 bits
- Display: ROG PG27UQ
- Tools : ElmorLabs PMD Power Measurement Device(infos)
A little tour through CPU-Z to make sure everything is in order before starting our tests. We notice that with this version 1.98, our i9-12900K is perfectly recognized as well as the DDR5 memory.
Let’s go for the overclocking of this i9-12900K on this ROG Maximus Z690 APEX. [nextpage title=”Effective frequencies?”] As with every new processor test, our first idea is to check if the announced frequencies are really reached. To do so, we will use the Cinebench R23 benchmark. Two cases will be used, a single core bench and a second one in multi core.
Test with i9-12900K :
And in reality? First step, we leave everything in AUTO in the BIOS except the XMP profile that we load to have a frequency of 5200 MHz 38-40-40-78 for our memory kit. We do not make any other changes in the BIOS. The idea is, as we said, to see if the frequencies are respected at the end of the box. Let’s start with a single core test in Cinebench R23. As you can see, we have opened several windows to check the frequency.
No worries, we can see that two cores regularly go to 5.2 GHz, which corresponds well to the Boost frequency of our i9-12900K. It is especially the number 4 core that reaches this frequency. In multi-core, the frequency is also well respected, with 4900 MHz on the eight Performance cores.
Test with i5-12600K :
Same goal with the i5-12600K. In single core, it is indeed the 4900 MHz which are reached on the core 0. We can notice that it is him which heats more. This is logical.
Finally, in multi-core, we have a frequency of 4500 MHz on the six cores. We’ll talk about this later, but like the P-core, the E-core can also be overclocked but within a fairly limited range.
Now that we know that our two processors are perfectly operational, we can move on to overclocking. If you want to know the performance of the i9-12900K and the i5-12600K, this is the place to go.
[nextpage title=”CPU overclocking:”]
Who says new platform, says adaptation time. Here, in addition to discovering Alder Lake, we will also have to learn how to overclock the memory. As we only received the processors a week before the end of the NDA and as we had to carry out comparative tests first, we did not have the opportunity to take a close look at the OC. That’s why we will come back to it in more details in the coming weeks. A guide will also be prepared.
Protocol:
Before starting, it is necessary to have one or more reference scores with our i9-12900K at stock frequencies, i.e., without having made any modifications except for having activated the XMP profile. It is also very important to have a sheet of paper at hand that will allow you to note down all the tests that you will perform as well as the results or failures. Personally, I have hundreds of sheets of my tests on which I sometimes go back to know how the processor behaved on such motherboard or in such test conditions. My own little bible. For H24 overclocking, you will of course have to take more time to fine-tune the voltage in order to provide it with the minimum necessary but also to adjust each core independently if you want to take advantage of the maximum performance.
Load-Line Calibration:
In the case of Alder Lake, even if Asus advises a Level 4 for overclocking, I opted for a Level 7 in order to have the least vdroop possible. Basically, I want the voltage chosen to be as close as possible to the load voltage. In the tables below, you can see the selected voltage, the effective voltage in idle and finally in load . The readings are made with a multimeter at the PCB of the motherboard. It is very important to know the real voltage brought to the different components but especially to your processor.
Overclocking under watercooling in different stages:
Alder Lake i9-12900K
As usual, I will start the tests by choosing, via the BIOS, a starting frequency applied on the 8 cores of the i9-12900K. I chose a starting frequency of 5000 MHz with a multiplier of 50, a BCLK of 100, a voltage of 1.20 volt and a Level 7. All other options are in AUTO. The idea is then, in the OS, to test the stability on several runs of Cinebench R15 multithread . If it’s stable, I increase the frequency by 100 MHz while rechecking the stability. If the benchmark crashes, I increase the voltage by 0.05 volt steps in order to find a stability allowing to run the benchmark. The objective is to get a “quick” idea of the maximum benchmarkable frequency. It is also very important to have a benchmark score under Cinebench R15 by taking care to note the voltage(vcore), the max temperature during the benchmark, the power consumption and of course, the score obtained. During the benchmark, the Core Temp window is open which has a slight negative impact on the score. Here are our different results.
The limit is around 5.3 GHz on all eight cores. As you can see, it heats up and consumes quite a bit. We go from 4126 to 4376 points, a gain of six percent. We disabled the E-core to see if it made a big difference. In terms of score, yes, since we go from 4376 to 3187 points. Even if the consumption decreases, the temperature hardly changes.
Alder Lake i9-12600K
As you can see, the principle is the same for our i5-12600K. We will follow an identical protocol except that we will start from 4500 MHz with a voltage of 1.15 volt.
The 5100 MHz mark is reached, that is to say 600 MHz of bonus, which is really very interesting. The score goes from 2602 to 2859 points, which is a gain of almost ten percent.
Now let’s see what’s in store for memory overclocking with the arrival of DDR5. If you are a regular visitor to our site, you know that memory optimization is something that requires a lot of time and patience.
[nextpage title=”Memory overclocking:”]
For memory overclocking, we changed our kit and installed the GSKill Trident Z5 5600 MHz CL36 at 1.20 volt. The idea was to choose the kit with, in our opinion, the best overclocking potential. And you will see, we were not mistaken.
Choosing your DDR5 kit based on memory chips:
As it was already the case for DDR4, if you want to clock your memory, some brands will have a better potential. Currently, the kits announced by the various brands benefit either from Micron chips or Hynix chips or Samsung chips. The latter two brands will be the most interesting. Our GSKill Trident Z5 5600 MHz CL36 kit is equipped with Samsung chips.
DDR5 “key” voltages:
For memory overclocking, there are 4 key voltages. These are the voltages that will have an impact on the overclocking and therefore on the frequency rise or the tightening of the timings. These are the CPU System Agent Voltage (SA), the DRAM VVD Voltage, the DRAM VVDQ Voltage, the Memory Controller Voltage and the IVR Transmitter VVDQ Voltage. Here is where these voltages are located in the BIOS.
Attention, depending on the type of memory chips (Micron, Hynix and Samsung), the balance between these different voltages is different. Don’t panic, we will come back to this in our guide on Alder Lake and DDR5 overclocking. If your PMIC module is not locked, by activating “High DRAM Voltage Mode”, you will have access to voltages up to 2 volts.
Let’s go overclocking this DDR5 from GSKill:
Before we started overclocking, we quickly compared the performance between the Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 5200 MHz CL38 kit and the GSKill kit. The least we can say is that the differences are very important as shown in the first two lines of our summary table. In a few days, we will start testing each of these kits in order to start a new comparison. As a reminder, our kit is equipped with Samsung chips. For this type of chips, we can keep an identical voltage between the VDD and the VVDQ. We were able to push without changing anything the frequency to 5800 MHz. Then we activated the profile available in the BIOS to switch to 6000 CL32 and the least we can say is that the performance takes off. The other frequencies were not always 100% stable, but as we often say, memory overclocking takes time!
We will refine these overclocking in the coming days but the 6600 MHz CL38 is within reach. The “OC” profile at 6000 MHz CL32 1T is ultra powerful! In addition, we find a latency of 57.9 very interesting.
BOOM, pushing the CPU and DDR5:
We push our i9-12900K to 5.3 GHz on the eight P cores and DDR5 with the profile 6000 CL32 to see what it will give under AIDA64, Geekbench 3 and Geekbench 5.
What if we were to propose these results to you by taking the ones we obtained at the stock frequencies of our i9-12900K and combined with the Corsair 5200 MHz CL38 kit? There, we will be able to fully judge the gains made.
In short, as you can see, overclocking DDR5 is going to be a lot of fun, maybe even more than DDR4. You can also see the importance and usefulness of the profiles present in Asus BIOSes. Thanks to the team behind and working on these different BIOS and profiles.
[nextpage title=”The last word:”]
The expression chosen by Asus ” For those who dare ” makes sense! If you’ve already read our 14-hour article on the i5-12600K and i9-12900K, you know how good we think they are. And in order to make the most of these Alder Lake processors as well as DDR5, what better than this ROG Maximus Z690 APEX! Because yes, once again, Asus is on board with this new generation of CPUs.
We find all the codes of the previous generations of APEX models with the numerous tools present on the PCB as well as the regular BIOS update for the overclockers . The presence of profiles is a real plus proposed by Asus. The Nitrogen will be ordered in a few weeks, the time to complete our tests, in order to offer it a passage under LN2.
The only downside is the price of this APEX version, which is currently around 750 euros while the Z590 version was available at 550 euros at launch. Now this increase in motherboards seems to affect almost all brands. Let’s hope that these prices will drop in the coming weeks to match those of the previous generation. Don’t forget that you will also have to invest in DDR5.
As for the ROG Maximus Z690 motherboards, we’ll see you in a few days to discover the EXTREME version as well as the GLACIAL that I’ll probably install live on our Twitch channel. We don’t forget the ROG True Voltician USB oscilloscope which we will also come back to in detail.
ROG Maximus Z690 APEX
We liked:
- An ultra powerful power stage
- The possibility to use high capacity and high frequency memory
- LN2 mode for testing under liquid nitrogen
- Two BIOSes available
- Numerous DDR5 profiles in the bios to clock the memory
- The “tools” inserted on the PCB to facilitate extreme overclocking
- The pleasant surprise of an automatic intelligent overclocking (AI Overclocking)
- The reactivation of Asus to offer new bios to overclockers
- The presence of two PS/2 slots for clocking under XP
- The updated TurboV Core software
- The presence of LGA-115x mounting holes!
- Q-Release button to free your graphics card
- ROG True Voltician USB oscilloscope
We would have liked:
- Lower overall price for Z690 motherboards
- H24 CPU profiles in the BIOS, not just LN2 profiles
As you can see, if you are itching to overclock Alder Lake processors, your choice should be this Maximus Z690 APEX. The big advantage of Asus is to be the only brand to offer an XOC card, for cold testing, as soon as the Alder Lake CPUs are launched. The competition seems to have planned models, but none are available and will not be available directly. Congratulations to the ROG team for the work they have done upstream, which allows this APEX to be available now! [gp_product_box ean=”4711081468509″]