ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi D4 Preview

ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi D4 Preview

Introduction

One of the biggest problems upgrading to the latest system is the costs involved. AMD somewhat negate this by sticking to the same socket for as long as possible, and thankfully DDR4 has been around long enough that many people forgot the transition from DDR2 to 3, or 3 to 4.

Intel have nearly always required a wholesale upgrade when moving platform, and the Z690 and 12th Gen Processors is a particularly strong case of this thanks to the inclusion of PCI Express 5.0 and DDR5 on all the motherboards we’ve seen so far. The ASUS TUF range is very much at the affordable end of the ASUS range and they seem to be aware of this, as the Z690-Plus WiFi D4 is all the PCI Express 5.0 and LGA1700 that you want, but with the ability to transfer your DDR4 kit from your current system to this one.

It might not be much of a saving in the great scheme of things, but at this end of the budget scale if you can save yourself £150 by moving your RAM over that might be the difference between getting it now or in a few months time. Particularly if the costs of DDR5 are anything like the numbers we’ve seen bandied about. We know early adopters pay a hefty entrance fee but it looks like DDR5 will be eye-wateringly costly at launch. Maybe the TUF will be the wise, intermediate choice?

Packaging

After seeing a lot of the flashier boxes you get from the high end models it’s somewhat reassuring to return to the familiarity of the TUF range. With the consistency of modern chipsets the difference between a high end product and a more affordable one is slimmer than it used to be and the TUF is a very solid choice if you’re on a tight budget.

ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi D4 Preview  
ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi D4 Preview Â