This guide for LGA 1700 boards is a bit basic for someone new.
This guide for LGA 1700 boards is a bit basic for someone new.
You're searching for a budget board compatible with your i5 12400 at around $150. There are several options available, but you're unsure which one suits you best. One is the Asus Prime B660-PLUS DDR4 from Gigabyte, priced about $15 more than the others. Another is the AsRock Z690 Phantom Gaming 4, which is a bit cheaper and seems like a solid choice. Let me help you decide based on your needs.
This motherboard might look a bit understated compared to others, but its modest size and limited VRMs are offset by the added cost for CPU overclocking capabilities without compromising available space. Is it suitable for your requirements regarding USB, RGB, and fan connections?
It works fine with USB and fan connectors. RGB isn’t important to me—I already have a closed case under my desk. I just need around five USB ports plus space for my Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, sound card, and those three drives. I’m using a system SSD of about one meter for games and an HDD for other stuff. My country is Poland. One more point: the AsRock Z690 Phantom Gaming 4 supports both DDR5 and DDR4, but I’m not sure if they’re different models except for that.
At first glance, the board shows six fan headers, a USB C port, and even a Thunderbolt connection. In terms of upgrades, it supports decent improvements—multiple M.2 slots and enough space for PCIe if required. The available options seem quite similar across models, making the Z690 a solid choice in my opinion.