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ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I DDR5 Mini-ITX Motherboard $358.19 (Add 2nd Item for Extra 5% off) Shipped @ Amazon US via AU

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ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I DDR5 Mini-ITX Motherboard $358.19 (Add 2nd Item for Extra 5% off) Shipped @ Amazon US via AUAffiliate
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Moostyle on 11/02/2024 - 07:34 amazon.com.au (1670 clicks)
Last edited 09/03/2024 - 06:43 by 1 other user
This post contains affiliate links. OzBargain might earn commissions when you click through and make purchases. Please see this page for more information.

Was browsing for a mini-itx mobo to go with the Terra I just picked up and came across this deal. Currently from $499 on other sites.

$358.19 alone or $340.28 if you add a 2nd qualifying item
- I added this $20.29 Black Flexfit Cap as I needed a new cap

List of qualifying products for Save 6% on any 2

  • Intel LGA 1700 socket: Ready for 14th Gen Intel Core processors (Needs BIOS version 2602), support PCIe 5.0,DDR5 and out of box Windows 11 ready
  • AI Motherboard : AI Overclocking, AI cooling, AI networking(GameFirst VI) and AI noise cancellation
  • Robust Power Solution: 10plus1 power stages with ProCool II power connector, high-quality alloy chokes and durable capacitors to support multi-core processors
  • Optimized Thermal Design: VRM heatsink, triple decker M.2 heatsink, hybrid fan headers and Fan Xpert 4 utility
  • High-performance Gaming Networking: On-board WiFi 6E and Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard
  • Best Gaming Connectivity: Supports HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 output,and featuring 2xM.2 and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C, Front panel USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C connectors and ITX expansion card(features 4 SATA ports, Front Panel headers, Front Speaker header and one ARGB port)
  • PC DIY Friendly: SafeDIMM, PCIe 5.0 Safeslot, Q-LED, M.2 Q-Latch, CPU socket lever protector, Pre-mount I/O shield, BIOS FlashBack, Clr CMOS button and FlexKey (Reset, Aura on/off, Direct key)
  • Industry-leading Gaming Audio: High fidelity audio with ALC4080 with Savitech SV3H712 amplifier, along with DTS Sound Unbound and Sonic Studio III
  • New ROG Strix Aesthetics: New ID design,ASUS-exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting, including RGB headers and Gen 2 addressable headers
Price History at C CamelCamelCamel.
Computing ASUS Computer Component LGA1700 Mini ITX Motherboard

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closed Comments

  • captain smash on 11/02/2024 - 09:58

    Anyone recommend a Tensor GPU for this Mini ITX?

  • tc423 on 11/02/2024 - 10:17

    MSI MEG Z690I Unify is a much better option as it has 2 DP-in ports for TB4 which allows you to easily switch between your work laptop and home PC via one TB4 cable.

    This is the only alternative solution (cheaper) for ASUS ProArt Z790-CREATOR WIFI.

    • DeToxin on 11/02/2024 - 10:52

      Very strange point to note about the meg z690i unify is that the mounting height of the pcie socket seems to be a few mm taller than any other board I've used.
      Probably not an issue for anyone, but in my case, it means that my GPU now makes my side panel bow out by a noticeable amount (ncase V6.1)

      • BlitzR on 11/02/2024 - 11:09

        Do you know where i can get this mb at a reasonable price?

    • netsurfer on 11/02/2024 - 11:06
      +6

      Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 are kind of a mess. For those motherboards you mentioned, Intel JHL8540 is used and most likely wired to chipset PCIe lanes. That means you won't get the top data transfer rate. Those ports don't seem to offer PD 3.0's level of voltages (at least for Z690I Unify) - you get 15W max out of the TB4 (basically no real USB-C PD support - so you won't get fast charge even if you use that port to temporary charge your smart phone). While that's understandable for ITX (low power usage is preferred), that means they are not quite true TB4 ports.

      Video passthrough, while Z690I Unify supports it properly, is restricted to DisplayPort 1.4 (TB4's limit). It's fine for nVidia cards since nVidia only supports DisplayPort 1.4 for RTX4xxx series. AMD already started supporting DisplayPort 2.1 though. Also, you need a quality USB-C or Thunderbolt monitor and hopefully VRR all works fine through that. Honestly, if the monitor supports DisplayPort, it is best to use that directly, rather than go through another passthrough. Thunderbolt 4 is PCIe gen 3 x4, though the display passthrough hacks around that limitation (but still limited, that part tops out at PCIe gen 3 x4 as well).

      Thunderbolt 4 cables aren't cheap with most of cheaper ones are 1m or less. 2m Thunderbolt 4, you want active cable. DisplayPort 2m cables are reasonably cheap. But if you willing to do a mini ITX with TB4 ports, that cable cost is nothing compared to the other parts.

      MSI MEG Z690I Unify doesn't have a BIOS flashback button at the back, only clear CMOS button at the back?

      • tc423 on 11/02/2024 - 11:59

        it's more for a dual-screen WFH set up…

        • netsurfer on 11/02/2024 - 12:37

          Not very practical for desktops. I have a desktop with Intel JHL8540, I never bothered connecting the included DisplayPort to DisplayPort cables to do the passthrough:

          • You still need to use DisplayPorts on your graphics card. So, let's say you have a graphics card with 3 DisplayPorts + 1 HDMI port, you have to connect 2 of the DisplayPorts through that passthrough. That leaves you with 1 DisplayPort + 1 HDMI for your non-USB-C/Thunderbolt based setup.
          • It is likely single port daisy chain setup with desktop setup doesn't work with this setup, which is another issue with this passthrough cable hack Thunderbolt setup instead of proper setup for laptops.
          • If you were to opt for Thunderbolt dock setup, VRR has a good chance of being unavailable. Even without using it, you still need to verify VRR is working via USB-C/Thunderbolt to the monitor.
          • 120Hz USB-C or Thunderbolt monitors are much more expensive. 240Hz ones are much harder to find. They need to include extra chipset to do conversion and they need to support MST or daisy chaining (to trick you to fork out extra cash). However, would they implement those correctly or simply knocks daisy chaining to 4K/60Hz only (and most likely without VRR)?

          Unless you have clear and easy access to the back of the PC at all times, un-plugging and re-plugging USB-C cable to the back of the PC is no fun. If you really have a need for laptop and desktop sharing a monitor and the laptop is using USB-C, it makes far more sense to use DisplayPort or HDMI to the monitor for the PC. Furthermore, if you want true Thunderbolt 4 data transfer speed from the same port, you can forget about connecting the PC directly to the monitor.

          • tc423 on 11/02/2024 - 12:55

            @netsurfer: The Z690i has the same JHL8540 controller. My use case is as follows:

            • Work Laptop ThinkPad X1 Carbon + Game PC + 2x 4K Monitors (144Hz + 60Hz)
            • 2x DisplayPort outputs from the PC GPU connected to 2x DP-in ports using 2x 30cm Mini DP to DisplayPort Cables (32.4Gbps Speed)
            • 1x TB4 male/female extender from the Z690i connected to a ThinkPad Universal Thunderbolt 4 Dock over a male-male TB4 cable.
            • Both monitors and all peripherals (e.g. 2.4ghz receivers) are connected to the docking station directly.
            • Switch between the laptop(tb4)/PC by replugging one side of the male/male TB4 cable to different platforms.

            I was able to get flawless 4k (144hz + 60hz) on both laptop & PC.

            I wouldn't put much hope on USB-C connection as it doesn't support dual 4k at high FPS.

            Setup pic

            • netsurfer on 11/02/2024 - 13:09

              @tc423: The main purpose of that is to re-use the Universal Thunderbolt 4 dock and that sacrifices the maximum possible resolution combination.

              For a basic setup without using that Thunderbolt 4 dock, one can connect DisplayPort from PC to the monitor and the laptop to the USB-C port. That way, even when both are powered on and connected to the same monitor, you can switch between the 2 from the monitor.

              The only advantage you get is that dock's USB 3.2 gen 2 support. USB-C monitors should already have USB-A ports which you can connect keyboard and mouse to it. The down side is cable everywhere and your monitor's USB-PD is not being used.

              • tc423 on 11/02/2024 - 13:17

                @netsurfer: I was using a setup similar to yours before. Changing the display source on two monitors was easy and acceptable (requires 4 cables for 2 monitors), while changing between keyboard/mouse was a headache and unresolvable.

                • netsurfer on 11/02/2024 - 13:27

                  @tc423: Your setup already needed 3 cables from the desktop alone (due to the need to use 2 passthrough cables). You then add 2 more cables from the dock. That's 5 cables. The dock needs to use power.

                  Also, you are making the assumption that USB-C with no daisy chain capability monitors are used. If proper Thunderbolt 4 monitors are used, then the 2 monitors are daisy chained together and both devices should be able to connect to the first monitor with 1 cable. Also, there is an assumption you placed that main Thunderbolt 4 monitor's KVM doesn't work properly. High end USB-C gaming monitors do support MST (daisy chaining).

                  Anyway, it is all about where you cut corners since a true Thunderbolt 4 setup is too expensive.

                  • tc423 on 11/02/2024 - 14:01

                    @netsurfer: I think you are confused buddy. All these docks support DSC.

                    One cable above the table that's about the best I can get. Everything else is underneath the bench and you do not need to touch them.

                    Or do you have a better plan?

            • fastnet on 11/02/2024 - 13:45

              @tc423: Thanks for sharing. My home PC and work laptop are set up like this, and seems to work relatively easily:

              • Monitor: LG USB-C monitor with PD
              • Keyboard and Mouse: Logitech MX Keys Mini and MX Anywhere 3S (connected to both devices via Bluetooth)
              • Home PC: Connected to the monitor with Display Port (144Hz)
              • Work Laptop: Connected to the monitor with USB-C (single cable solution and power delivery works)
              • Switching between devices: For display, I switch devices via the monitor joystick. For the keyboard and mouse, I switch via the easy switch buttons on both (the Bluetooth connection has worked flawlessly and I’ve never had an issue.)
              • netsurfer on 11/02/2024 - 14:01

                @fastnet: For his setup, he could use PC monitors without USB-C ports, since the Thunderbolt 4 dock converts the USB-C/alt-mode signals into DisplayPort and HDMI.

                The biggest question mark remains VRR and to a lesser extent, HDR chroma subsampling. The latter is one area these USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 docks don't get you the best possible setup (for that particular dock, it is due to Thunderbolt 4 bandwidth limitation, for el cheap USB-C hub, cutting corners).

                It's fine for standard work and I guess a dock to cut down costs to buy overpriced USB-C monitors is sensible (but there are cheaper solutions without needing to buy that dock). For gaming though, I wouldn't have display signal going through a dock. It just adds issues.

                That setup relies on the KVM being a must. Otherwise, the need to change USB-C cable to the dock does get annoying. For monitors which support picture in picture, that setup doesn't permit both devices being connected to the monitor concurrently. Unless the laptop is on the desk most of the time, you will need to connect the cable to the laptop first, then the other end to the dock (having a USB-C/Thunderbot cable hanging out of a laptop all the time is not realistic for most people).

                • tc423 on 11/02/2024 - 14:22

                  @netsurfer: Thank you.

                  My dock supports both VRR and HDR with no issues.

                  The whole point of using a dock is to switch the ENTIRE system by replugging one TB4 cable.

                  This includes all your keyboard, mouse, USB, displays, mic and storage connections.

                  While a USB-C monitor with a USB upstream is great, you WILL encounter significant legacy and bandwidth issues for your peripherals if you test it out.

                  Additionally, you need to plug in 2 cables to your laptop for two displays AND manually change the input source on your monitor.

                  The ultimate solution is to get Thunderbolt 4 monitors & Thunderbolt 4 KVM which do not exist at the moment.

                  Thunderbolt 3 is useless when it comes to 2x 4k high fps displays.

                  SABRENT Thunderbolt 4 KVM is a waste of money; also, please avoid it.

                  I have spent more than 1-year testing and trying to figure out a proper solution. Z690i is about the best I can get for the 4k use case.

                  I have retired the USB-C solution to mrs as she doesn't need a high refresh rate.

                  • netsurfer on 11/02/2024 - 14:45

                    @tc423: My understanding is that a proper Thunderbolt 4 monitor supports daisy chaining (basically, it has a Thunderbolt 4 dock chipset inside) so this single cable 2 monitors came from daisy chaining. It's not something that's exclusive to the dock setup. DisplayPort has daisy chaining support as well.

                    With single cable system via daisy chaining, you are limited to not the best resolution combination. Again, we are back into this set of requirements where some things are a must, but getting the maximum resolution is not. For example, I wouldn't consider the second 4K 60Hz high fps. Furthermore, that 4K 60Hz secondary really needs to be checked for Chroma Subsampling. VRR working properly for both monitors is also a question mark.

                    You need to unplug and re-plug with your solution with every system switch. At the end of the day, it is that KVM switching. Otherwise, once the USB-C is unplugged from the laptop, the monitors would switch over to the desktop (with native DisplayPort / HDMI).

                    The dock is a cost saving measure for the laptop with 2 monitors (because Thunderbolt 4 displays are too expensive). As for the PC, all it gets is to share the KVM, assuming you are fine swapping that Thunderbolt 4 cable.

                    If you have devices which only support DisplayPort 1.2 via alt-mode, you are going to have extra fun with that dock. So, the dock setup relies on you have compatible devices.

                    • tc423 on 11/02/2024 - 15:11

                      @netsurfer: Yes, all your devices need to support DisplayPort 1.4 at least, and your docking station needs to support TB4, DSC (which is different from daisy chaining), and a combination of 2x 4k monitors (144+60hz which is the maximum capability of this particular Lenovo docking station). If you have the Caldigit TS4, you may push this further to 2x 4k @144Hz or 2x 5k @ 60Hz.

                      The real issue is that none of these USB-C monitors are TB4 compatible or support daisy chaining. Those TB4 monitors (5k/4k) only support a frame rate of up to 60Hz, and the daisy chaining function is very restricted when it comes to the Windows platform due to driver capability.

                      The issue with the ultrawide monitor that supports two different inputs is that you are not focusing on one main screen….which is not very productive..

                      • netsurfer on 11/02/2024 - 16:42

                        @tc423: Furthermore, USB4 has leapfrogged Thunderbolt 4 in terms of Alt-mode and data transfer speed, with USB4 supporting DisplayPort 2.0 via Alt-mode (instead of DP 1.4 with DSC hack like Intel) which brings:

                        • 8K/60 Hz uncompressed
                        • 10K@60Hz with 24-bit colour and 4:4:4
                        • 16K@60 Hz with DSC

                        The transmission speed of DP 2.0 more than 2X DP 1.4.

                        Intel could technically do a new revision of Thunderbolt 4 chipset with DP 2.0 alt-mode, but it will be the Thunderbolt 3 mess all over again. My guess is that Intel knows it is probably too little too late, and will just go Thunderbolt 5. The biggest issue with Thunderbolt 4 is that it is not forward thinking enough. It was basically what Intel was willing to offer at the time. Also, it was only after Apple's way to wire USB4 (technically it is still Thunderbolt 4), Intel also changed to wire it the right way in its 12th mobile CPUs.

                        It makes sense that Intel roadblocked ASMedia to force it to delay releasing the USB4 chipset as long as possible. Thunderbolt 4 is really more like Thunderbolt 3.5.

                  • netsurfer on 11/02/2024 - 15:24

                    @tc423: There is no perfect solution, especially for Thunderbolt 4. Thunderbolt 4 mostly updates the display alt-mode and GPU tunnelling (though technically, a Thunderbolt 3 setup can implement the same display capabilities, it's just most accessories makers won't. Intel did do that for some NUC11s as a single 8K and 4 x 4K are both possible.

                    The wired keyboard + mouse setup is fine for laptop, but for desktop, given that motherboard makers now include high refresh USB ports (due to PC interrupt restriction, by default, under some conditions, standard USB ports may have latency issue - that's why a lot of motherboards in the past had PS/2 ports). So, the via Thunderbolt 4 dock solution forgo those high refresh USB ports. The Thunderbolt 4 chipset limitation means it cannot possible offer what a current gen PC graphics card is capable, resolution wise for multiple displays.

                    Sure, wireless' latency is inferior. However, this whole setup to have the PC use that dock isn't perfect.

                    Also, once you look at the dark side of Intel Thunderbolt 4 chipset, especially on the desktop setup, it is not pretty. Compatibility with ASMedia USB4 is quite likely iffy (broken) unless your motherboard maker is willing to offer a BIOS upgrade to patch the Thunderbolt 4 (good luck with that). If you use a 4K/60Hz PCIe capture card, good luck (not going to work at 4K/60Hz). The reality is that having that Thunderbolt 4 will cripple your "internal" m.2 PCIe gen 4 x4 NVMe SSDs wired through chipset slightly (because they are all wired to the chipset so the lowest operating bus bit width has to be honoured, and that's Thunderbolt 4). If I want to do 4K 60Hz input capture, and/or want the maximum NVMe SSD speed, I should disable Thunderbolt 4 on my desktop PC. That just feels !@#@!#@. It's not like that for laptops with Thunderbolt 4 wired into the CPU directly.

              • tc423 on 11/02/2024 - 14:11

                @fastnet: Your setup is close to perfect.

                One possible improvement is to use a Bolt receiver rather than Bluetooth for battery life and stability. But that's 99% not necessary.

    • fastnet on 11/02/2024 - 12:42

      The video pass-through feature on the MSI MEG Z690I UNIFY motherboard is interesting. If you’re using this feature to switch between a work laptop and a home PC, how would this work in practice? Here's the motherboard back panel for reference.

      1. Connect the GPU display output to the miniDP input on the motherboard (between the same PC).
      2. Connect the display output from the work laptop to the second miniDP input on the motherboard. (note the the laptop would need to be powered separately as a single cable USB-C solution won’t work here)
      3. Connect the monitor to the motherboard using a Thunderbolt 4 cable.
      4. Once everything is connected, how would you easily switch between devices? Would you use a BIOS setting or a software utility?
      • netsurfer on 11/02/2024 - 12:57
        +1

        No, it generally doesn't work that way.

        The mini DisplayPort in is normally connected from the PC's graphics card. The reason that this DisplayPort "in" is actually a hack. The proper way to do USB-C/alt-mode is to directly wire from the GPU to it. While that is fine with Intel mobile CPU and Apple Silicon (since there is an embedded GPU inside the CPU), it is not ideal for desktops, because the most powerful GPU is going to be connected to the PCIe x16 slot and is likely made by nVidia and AMD. To "workaround" this issue, display in ports are provided to pass the signal out via USB-C/Thunderbolt.

        Connecting the display out from the laptop… well, if it is DisplayPort output from the laptop, that technically could work. If it is USB-C, then it is quite unlikely (there are USB-C to DisplayPort cables, maybe there are USB-C to mini DisplayPort cables). However, there are 3 main problems with that setup (even if it works).

        • The whole point of USB-C's data + display + power via 1 port is lost (which defeats the purpose of getting a USB-C monitor).
        • Why bother connecting the laptop to the desktop because you need to turn on the desktop for it to work. Unless you have too many solar panels so you have plenty of excess electricity and you don't mind the CPU fan noise.
        • VRR is likely not possible and you lose your laptop's Thunderbolt daisy chaining ability (you also lose desktop's daisy chaining capability with that weird wiring).

        It might sound cool in theory, but once you start using USB-C/Thunderbolt from PC to the monitor, with this not quite right Thunderbolt 4 wiring setup (partially due to desktop limitation and partially due to cost cutting), it doesn't make sense. There is a reason nVidia stopped USB-C port out on their graphics card. It's annoying and not practical.

      • tc423 on 11/02/2024 - 12:59

        How many screens do you have? If you only have one screen, there is no point in getting this motherboard. Instead, getting a quality monitor with a KVM switch could be a better option. Please see my comments above for the setup with two monitors.

        • netsurfer on 11/02/2024 - 13:10
          +1

          Nah, just get a proper USB-C monitor which offers USB-A ports / KVM capability.

          Most consumer grade Thunderbolt 4 docks cripple display capabilities from a desktop and doesn't really wire out max capabilities of Thunderbolt 4. They just reach "minimum" TB4 specs without being called cheating (Thunderbolt 3 selling as Thunderbolt 4).

          The main issue is once you purchased a "dock", this single cable USB-C does everything is broken. I understand USB-C has a lot of hype and I don't believe this single cable BS. However, that dock / hub approach immediately kills that hype. Once you embark on this USB-C is so cool journey, you most often end up buying more accessories. There are monitors without USB-C having in built KVM support, but I'm sure in that case, the single cable to hub (at least from the laptop) becomes a critical requirement for people.

    • HPdeskjet on 11/02/2024 - 20:25

      It's also a lot faster, the unify can reliably hit 7800-8000+ and the strix can barely hit 7000.

  • Telios on 11/02/2024 - 10:25
    +6

    AI cooling?

    Buzzwords want their trophy back

    • bobalot on 11/02/2024 - 10:36

      After blowing a few trillion on the cryptocurrency bubble, spivs and hucksters savvy investors need to pump up a new bubble have found a new area of potential growth (AI) to sell onto institutional and small investors.

    • Junk Sifter on 11/02/2024 - 11:13
      +2

      Asus has been using AI in their marketing at least since the Core 2 Duo days. Good times when CPU overclocking was still relevant.

      I think it stood for Asus Intelligent, shown in their AI Suite software and auto overclock BIOS features.

  • SoggyThief on 11/02/2024 - 10:47

    I have the Mobo - be aware that AIO cooling blocks are limited by size! good board other than that :)

  • nelladream on 11/02/2024 - 10:56
    +1

    Damn it was 329 last Black Friday

  • Krodsorin on 11/02/2024 - 11:40
    +1

    Is this price in US dollars tho??

  • TheGman101 on 11/02/2024 - 12:23
    +2

    I seriously need a AMD AM5 ITX board strix on sale.

    • hamwhisperer on 11/02/2024 - 12:51

      I wish any itx am5 went in sale, unfortunately they're a hot commodity and often out of stock.

      Will there be a new chipset for zen 5, 8900x3d etc?

      • netsurfer on 11/02/2024 - 15:46

        Will there be a new chipset for zen 5, 8900x3d etc?

        So far, all APUs in the Ryzen 8000 series are slower than their 7xxx series CPU (technically APU) equivalents. Also, with the 8000 series APUs, you lose PCIe gen 5 support (and you also have less PCIe lanes, despite already being gen 4 only).

        Great naming convention and marketing from AMD right? If you don't really need an APU (i.e. you intend to buy a graphics card), you don't want Ryzen 8000 series (waste of money) unless they are really cheap.

        The next high end chipset for AM5 is likely X870E, which mandates USB4 support, most likely through the use of ASMedia ASM4242. ASM4242 outperforms Intel Thunderbolt 4 in storage performance (because it is a PCIe gen 4 chipset, unlike Intel Thunderbolt 4). However, that's X870E, lower end chipsets (i.e. B850) most likely won't mandates USB4 support. Intel may counter with Thunderbolt 5 by then. Right now the compatibility between ASMedia's USB 4 and Intel Thunderbolt 4 is quite poor.

        • hamwhisperer on 11/02/2024 - 18:54

          Appreciate reply. (Knew the start bit, I simplified in case others didn't know)

          Yeah Zen 5 may be named 96,97,98x3d etc, that's the one I mean

          And yeah. I do purchase the cheapie chipsets nowadays.

          B650 probably more then enough for me but won't say no to b850

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