Biostar Z690A Valkyrie (Intel 1700)

The Z690A Valkyrie from BIOSTAR has impressed us in terms of performance, even when running with the memory at a lower speed of 3600MHz. The UEFI BIOS is well optimized and we can obtain good results with top CPUs from Intel’s Alder Lake generation, while the VRM hardware implementation with 20 phases ensures and a beefy cooling system will keep the temperatures at bay, even while overclocking. The connectivity options are top-notch and besides a lot of USBs on the I/O, we can install more thanks to the internal headers, up to 4 M.2 SSDs and also slower drives such as HDDs or 2.5’’ via the eight SATA ports.

Meet the Biostar Z690 Valkyrie motherboard. This product is from a series that already appeared using the Z590 chipset in the past. What does this name mean? It’s the name of Odin’s twelve handmaids who conducted the slain warriors of their choice from the battlefield to Valhalla. The series was introduced with Z590 Valkyrie. But coming back to the reviewed board - it is very expensive, as the MSRP is 599 USD (about 150 USD more than its predecessor), so it’s aimed at the high-end range of the market (and it’s rather crowded there). For 629 USD, you can find the MSI Z690 Unify, and for about 600 USD, there’s an Asus Maximus Z690 Hero available. There are two variants of the model, one that has the DDR5 support (and we’ll be checking that) and the one called Z690A Valkyrie (for 579 USD). There’s also another Biostar model with a Z690 chipset and DDR4 support. It’s a Z690 GTA (priced at 399 UD).

The Biostar Z690A Valkyrie may lack in some ways, such as a single Intel 2.5 Gbs LAN and the lack of wireless connectivity (but include the antenna??!). That said, it still has a lot to offer any user, starting with a solid 19+1-phase power section, 8-layer PCB, and actively cooled heatsinks. There are four M.2 sockets and eight SATA ports on the data storage front, 15 possible USB connections, and Thunderbolt 4 compatibility. The RGB lighting is scattered across the motherboard with a large Valkyrie wing logo on the I/O cladding and enough RGB/ARGB headers for expansion to keep any RGB LED aficionado happy.

The Biostar Z690A Valkyrie motherboard will bring a lot of fun to gamers and enthusiasts alike. It’s a well-performing motherboard with a lot of interesting and unique features. Once all the small product issues are fixed, it will be a good option for overclockers and all those who like to play with advanced settings.