F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop Discuss Intel Z790 or Z690 options for your 13900K setup with RTX4090

Discuss Intel Z790 or Z690 options for your 13900K setup with RTX4090

Discuss Intel Z790 or Z690 options for your 13900K setup with RTX4090

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boussango33
Junior Member
17
11-05-2022, 07:10 PM
#1
Hey everyone, my current setup includes an i7 8700K CPU, 4x8 DDR4 3600Mhz RAM, Corsair MB, Asus Maximus Hero X Z370 GPU, RTX 4090, Seasonic 760w PCIe SPU, a 1TB Corsair MP600 PRO XT monitor, and an LG 38” UltraGear monitor. I’m not switching to DDR5 since it doesn’t really help with gaming performance at my resolutions. This build is stable, but after moving from the 3080 to the 4090, I notice a possible CPU bottleneck. I’m thinking about upgrading to a 13900K. In my area, there are several options in the same price range: Z790 series from MSI MAG, TOMAHAWK, WIFI DDR4, ASUS TUF GAMING, Z790-PLUS, D4 Z690, and others. Since LGA1700 is no longer available, it might be wise to stick with the Z690 (about half the cost of the Z790). What do you all think? Thanks!
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boussango33
11-05-2022, 07:10 PM #1

Hey everyone, my current setup includes an i7 8700K CPU, 4x8 DDR4 3600Mhz RAM, Corsair MB, Asus Maximus Hero X Z370 GPU, RTX 4090, Seasonic 760w PCIe SPU, a 1TB Corsair MP600 PRO XT monitor, and an LG 38” UltraGear monitor. I’m not switching to DDR5 since it doesn’t really help with gaming performance at my resolutions. This build is stable, but after moving from the 3080 to the 4090, I notice a possible CPU bottleneck. I’m thinking about upgrading to a 13900K. In my area, there are several options in the same price range: Z790 series from MSI MAG, TOMAHAWK, WIFI DDR4, ASUS TUF GAMING, Z790-PLUS, D4 Z690, and others. Since LGA1700 is no longer available, it might be wise to stick with the Z690 (about half the cost of the Z790). What do you all think? Thanks!

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dragonkid789
Junior Member
30
11-25-2022, 02:19 PM
#2
Choose a Z690 board with BIOS update capability. Otherwise, the system may not recognize the 13900K and fail to boot.
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dragonkid789
11-25-2022, 02:19 PM #2

Choose a Z690 board with BIOS update capability. Otherwise, the system may not recognize the 13900K and fail to boot.

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xBasicallyBen
Member
50
11-25-2022, 04:12 PM
#3
These are the only two Z690 choices available, while the other ASUS models lack BIOS flashback functionality. Running a 13th generation CPU on those would be problematic—either you’d need to verify if the seller will release an updated BIOS, switch to a 12th generation chip for updates, return the board via RMA for a manufacturer update, or use external BIOS flashers, which can be quite frustrating. Overall, all these boards are solid, and I’m comfortable with any of them. If pricing is identical, I’d probably choose the Z790 Tomahawk, Z690-A Gaming, Z690 Edge, Z790-A Pro, and Z790 TUF. My preference would lean toward cost rather than specific models, though I’d still prefer something other than the TUF if it feels too minimal.

Confirming BIOS updates is important for the remaining Z690 boards; they should appear in Z690 Tuf and Z690 Prime last, albeit with a more limited feature set compared to the others.

The distinction between Z690 and Z790 lies mainly in additional USB ports on the chipset and improved DDR5 support. Whether these extra features are used depends on whether the board actually supports them. I don’t expect major concerns about that.
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xBasicallyBen
11-25-2022, 04:12 PM #3

These are the only two Z690 choices available, while the other ASUS models lack BIOS flashback functionality. Running a 13th generation CPU on those would be problematic—either you’d need to verify if the seller will release an updated BIOS, switch to a 12th generation chip for updates, return the board via RMA for a manufacturer update, or use external BIOS flashers, which can be quite frustrating. Overall, all these boards are solid, and I’m comfortable with any of them. If pricing is identical, I’d probably choose the Z790 Tomahawk, Z690-A Gaming, Z690 Edge, Z790-A Pro, and Z790 TUF. My preference would lean toward cost rather than specific models, though I’d still prefer something other than the TUF if it feels too minimal.

Confirming BIOS updates is important for the remaining Z690 boards; they should appear in Z690 Tuf and Z690 Prime last, albeit with a more limited feature set compared to the others.

The distinction between Z690 and Z790 lies mainly in additional USB ports on the chipset and improved DDR5 support. Whether these extra features are used depends on whether the board actually supports them. I don’t expect major concerns about that.