Do you have any external Q Code outputs for motherboards? I can assist you with that.
Do you have any external Q Code outputs for motherboards? I can assist you with that.
Hey, I just secured a 13900K with DDR5 at an amazing Black Friday price. When I started browsing motherboards, it was tough—prices were high and features were limited. Back then, MB boards cost around 200€/$ and offered solid specs. Right now I’m weighing the Aorus Z790 Elite (DDR5) and the Aorus Z790 Master. The Master is priced at 640€, which has more than enough System Fan headers and a Q code display—something I really need. The only drawback of the Z790 Master is it only has four SATA ports, which isn’t ideal for a 640€ board. On the other hand, the Elite model is cheaper at 370€ and still has six SATA ports.
I’m wondering if there’s a tool or external display that can connect to the motherboard and show the Q code. If so, I’d love to find one for the Z790 Elite. Also, getting a fan controller could save me about 240€. Any internal or external options that fit the MB would be great. Thanks!
On boards popular with premium users, NVMe and top-tier drives are more common. It’s similar to when folks began criticizing IDE ports on motherboards as they were phased out. Yeah, these are PCIe test cards or diagnostic readers. Really frustrating, especially with the yellow circuit boards—nothing appealing about it for a clean build. To be honest, I’d opt for another board from a different manufacturer.
I believe you can achieve a SATA port extension using an NVMe slot on your motherboard, similar to these options: https://www.amazon.com/NFHK-Express-Adap...5600&psc=1
Modern motherboards offer similar reliability to older systems, but you're looking for a board with native support for Q Code readouts. Options like Z690 Force, Z690/Z790 Carbon, Z690 Unify (X), and Z690/Z790 Taichi provide the features you need, though they come at a higher cost compared to the Force. My choice of a Unify X stemmed from wanting a Q code display and proper expansion slots, not just limited storage options. At the time, it was the most affordable board meeting those requirements. I still own a GA-Z87X-OC, which represented the best value for its time. Today, an X670E is a rare find that supports multiple PCIe cards under $500.
Just purchase a PCIe adapter for the SATA converter, they’re quite affordable. Why invest in a high-end board when a lower-end Z690 can easily manage the 13900K? Going beyond that might not add much value, especially since these components generate a lot of heat and can warm up an entire room. The best voltage-to-factor ratio is around 1.25V, and scaling usually pushes it up to about 1.35-1.4V—probably because of the heat. In practice, most people end up with around 1.25V and it works fine.
Postcode mainly matters for ordering, but if you’re not ordering, it’s usually safe. For external postcodes, PCIe is reliable, though you’ll mostly find it on compatibility boards these days. A PCI to PCI adapter might work, but it’s unlikely—cards often show 00 even when the board is functional.
PCIe postcards are overpriced, so a cheaper option is a PCI to mini-PCI adapter. You can use a wireless adapter and insert a mini-PCI debug card; they’re native, though you’ll need to confirm it works.
Since I’m planning to service boards and don’t know if the issue is a postcode, socket, PD-related problem, or something else like UFE/DRAM errors, I’d go with the cheaper PCIe solution.
Still, it seems like they're removing SATA ports, but they're not costly to add and don't conflict with M2 ports. We're far from the switch from IDE to SATA. Many users still prefer combining drives. An 8TB drive is about four times cheaper than an 8TB SSD. I don't mind the appearance; I just want it to work. It might be practical when assembling, since performance peaks early on. Usually I prefer checking CPU temps directly rather than relying on software, but if it becomes too troublesome, I'd save money and buy one later for diagnostics. I've considered this. I own a PCI Express card costing around 20€ with four SATA ports, though it's limited to 6 Gbps overall. If you're using all four, each gets about 150 MB/s. The M2 to SATA conversion might cap speeds at around 600 MB/s per port. I'm unsure if it supports five ports at full capacity. Also, the 4090 is large and likely fits into the M2 slot since it's four slots thick. I've looked into these options. One issue is that MSI fans only handle up to one amp, while my Noctua iPPC models draw 0.55 amps each. That means Gigabyte fans can reach up to two amps, but using multiple controllers could get expensive. Another requirement is the 2x 8-pin CPU connector. I often render, so extra power and performance matter. If I find a budget board with Q-Read and two 8-pin slots, I might buy a fan controller separately. The second issue is availability in Spain—stock is rare. Yes, I have an MSI X299 Tomahawk for 120€ with Q-Read, three M2 ports and eight SATA ports. It's surprising how few ports there are now, especially compared to a 350€ board with only two SATA ports and four fan headers. I think it's reasonable to opt for a mid-range board, needing just two 8-pin slots and Q-Read. I'd prefer a Z790 since it supports extra PCIe lanes for SATA or M2 configurations. Thanks everyone!
Keep in mind that the x299 is HEDT, requiring more I/O and drive connections than typical consumer boards. It's also an older system. I really like my x299 FTW, with 8 SATA, 2 M.2 NVMe 3, and 2 Gen3 U.2 ports—cool stuff!
Guys, I saw today the Asrock Z790 Taichi which has everything I need and it's price is really good. However, I saw 2 reviews and both were getting like 31K and 36K on Cinebench R23. The average 13900K isn't supposed to do like 38K on Cienebench R23? Also, it looks like it performed worst on Blender than Z790 Hero, MSI Z790 Carbon and Z790 Aorus Master. Now, one of those reviews was with a 240 mm AIO reaching 117c so....not really a real case scenario, as it has been told multiple times that with that cpu, a really good 360mm AIO is the minimum. What are your thoughts on this? I know in the US they're all the same price but here in Europe....man Computer stuff is pricey, the Taichi is placed at 610€ but I found it at 520€ on a known shop. The others are at least 650€ + (and stock is hard). What do you think? Any other reviews out there? If it's only a thermal issue then it does not worry me, since I am waiting for a 480 mm custom loop, and I wouldn't have to get any additional SATA card.
Let’s be honest, trying to force that furnace into a standard routine won’t work well, particularly with such a tiny radiator—unless it’s one of those 60mm models. Maybe a slightly larger size would help, like the 400mm (35mm) version, which might be just enough. The ~30$ I spent is a bit tight. Temperatures around 75°C won’t push you far, but getting close to 13900K isn’t realistic. Car radiators are usually affordable compared to PC radiators, and their compact size actually improves cooling efficiency. Just add about 10% antifreeze mix to your coolant to prevent corrosion, and for assembly it varies by setup. Generally these units run open loop, though they often come with large radiators that hold a lot of coolant. You probably won’t achieve 6g allcore without a powerful CPU, but you can get close with proper cooling. If looks matter, this might not be your style unless you’re going for a more rugged look.
Based on your specifications, it’s clear your budget is quite generous. Why not invest in additional NVMe drives with greater capacity?