Like it or not – and apparently only motherboard manufacturers like it – flagship cards these days often move up to or even above the $ 1000 mark, all in search of the best features and performance. The EVGA Z690 Dark Kingpin (officially stylized K | NGP | N) came on the shelves priced at $ 849.99 and is currently a more affordable $ 699.99. Among flagship mobos, that price is relatively reasonable when competitors cost between $ 900 and $ 1200. The Z690 Dark has an updated look that carries over EVGA’s signature black styling, robust power supply, horizontal connectors and a unique socket orientation that sets it apart from other boards.
In terms of performance, Dark Kingpin topped the charts as one of the fastest boards in our multi-threaded tests, making almost a clean sweep as the best-performing board in our Procyon Office tests. Single-threaded parts of our tests did not go as well, but the board was still average over most of these tests. Game performance was also above average. Overall, this is a good performance tray out of the box, especially when pushed with heavy multi-wire loads.
This board also has almost all the advanced features you would expect at the flagship level. You get two full-length PCIe 5.0 slots (and SLI support), 21-phase 90A MOSFETs, three M.2 sockets (although none are PCIe 5.0), eight SATA ports and a “legacy” U .2 port, a premium (though latest generation) audio codec with NU Audio software and dual 2.5 GbE ports along with integrated Wi-Fi 6E.
What sets Kingpin apart from the other luxury boards is all the overclocking-focused functionality. Where most focus on style and shoehorn in extra features, Kingpin has a number of switches, buttons and headers on board (to connect the ProbeIt tool) to help push the Alder Lake system to the limit. Before we go into the details and see if this board has a chance to do ours best motherboard list, here are its detailed specifications, directly from EVGA.
Table of Contents
Specifications: EVGA Z690 Dark Kingpin
| Socket | LGA1700 |
| Chipset | Z690 |
| Form factor | E-ATX |
| Voltage regulator | 21 Phase (18 + 2 + 1 90A SPS MOSFETs for Vcore) |
| Video porter | ✗ |
| USB ports | (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C (20 Gbps) |
| (4) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) | |
| (2) USB 2.0 (480 Mbps) | |
| Network connectors | (2) 2.5 GbE |
| Audio connectors | (5) Analog + SPDIF |
| Older gates / jacks | (1) PS / 2 |
| Other gates / Jack | ✗ |
| PCIe x16 | (2) v5.0 (x16 / x0 or x8 / x8) |
| PCIe x8 | ✗ |
| PCIe x4 | (1) v4.0 x4 |
| PCIe x1 | ✗ |
| CrossFire / SLI | Supports Nvidia SLI |
| DIMM slots | (2) DDR5 6600+ (OC), 64 GB capacity |
| M.2 Sockets | (1) PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) / PCIe (up to 110 mm) |
| (1) PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) / PCIe (up to 110 mm) | |
| (1) PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) / PCIe (up to 110 mm) | |
| U.2 ports | (1) PCIe 3.0 x4 (32 Gbps) |
| SATA ports | (8) SATA3 6 Gbps (supports RAID 0/1/5/10) |
| USB heads | (1) USB v3.2 Gen 2, Type-C (10 Gbps) |
| (1) USB v3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) | |
| (2) USB v2.0 (480 Mbps) | |
| Fan / pump heads | (8) 4-pin (CPU, pump, Aux, Pwr, system fans) |
| RGB heads | (2) aRGB (3-pin) |
| (2) RGB (4-pin) | |
| Diagnostics panel | (2) 2-character troubleshooting LEDs, 22 LED screens |
| Internal button / switch | Power / reset buttons and PCIe / BIOS, slow mode switches |
| SATA controllers | ASMedia ASM1061 |
| Ethernet controller (s) | (2) Intel i225V (2.5 GbE) |
| Wi-Fi / Bluetooth | Intel AX210 Wi-Fi 6E (2×2 axis, MU-MIMO, 2.4 / 5/6 GHz, 160 MHz, BT 5.2) |
| USB controllers | ASMedia ASM3142 |
| HD audio codec | Realtek ALC1220 / NU Audio + Savitech SV3H615 Amp |
| DDL / DTS connection | ✗ / X |
| Warranty | 3 years |
Inside the box of the EVGA Z690 Dark Kingpin
Inside the large EVGA Z690 Dark Kingpin box, the company includes a number of accessories along with the board. You get standard items such as SATA cables and a Wi-Fi antenna, as well as some more unique items, including a full-size PCB that shows and marks the main parts of the board. It even comes with a PCIe Release Assist rod (a long piece of PCB to reach the PCIe lock) and extra thermal pads for M.2 modules. Below is a complete list of included accessories:
- Case mark
- Drives USB disk
- High standoffs
- Screw set (M.2)
- PCIe Release Assist
- Probe IT cable
- Thermal pillows
- (4) SATA cables
- Wi-Fi antenna
- PCB Legend
Design of the Z690 Dark Kingpin
When we take the board out of the box, we are greeted by a 10-layer black PCB, with sparse gold highlights dotted across the board. There are large, actively cooled VRM cooling fins connected via a heating pipe, covered by a ventilated cover, with the Z690 Dark brand in white. The biggest difference between this card and others is the rotated shelf area, with the RAM slots up and the VRM bank on the left (normal) and bottom. Along the right edge of the board you will find a large notch and horizontal connectors to help with cable management, and several buttons and switches for overclocking and other board functions. The lower part of the board is covered by screens and cooling fins, with Dark branding cut out of the large cooling fins that cover all three M.2 sockets.
Although there are literally dozens of LEDs on this board, none are RGB (they are mostly white) or designed specifically for appearance. To add RGB lighting to your cover, use the headings hidden along the bottom edge. Overall, I like the look of Dark Kingpin. Although it does not protrude by itself, the creeping black look provides a great centerpiece for your building.
On the upper left side we get a better insight into the ventilated cover, the socket and the right edge. The circular valves in the cover allow fresh air to reach the small fan hidden underneath. The small fan was inaudible during our testing, blew fresh air over the VRMs and kept the hardy power pieces cool.
Above the base are the two unreinforced DRAM slots that lock the pins down on both sides. Z690 Dark supports DDR5 up to 64 GB with speeds listed up to DDR5-6600 (OC). As always, your mileage may vary when you reach these speeds, but with two tracks and the use of a maximum of two pins; the potential to reach such a high is greater.
Over the DRAM slots on the upper edge, instead of seeing 8-pin EPS connectors, we run into the Probe IT header, which is a convenient way to measure system voltage. EVGA includes an adapter cable that connects to the header, so you can easily check the voltage with a multimeter. This is a great feature for sub-ambient / extreme overclocking audiences or anyone who wants to get every last Mhz out of the processor. Just outside on the right is a row (22, to be specific) with status LEDs for varying functionality. It shows the status of PCIe slots, M.2 sockets, voltage and more. In addition, there are another dozen or so LEDs on board that also indicate the status of the hardware. See the instruction manual to see what each does. Just outside on the right is a vertical USB 2.0 port used to update the BIOS (this card has THREE) without a CPU installed.
The right edge of the board is where most of the connections are located. First, in the upper right corner, we encounter a multifunction POST indicator with two two-character LEDs. You can configure the monitor to display data in decimal format (default) or hexadecimal. After POST, the same LEDs can display hardware monitoring details, including CPU temperatures and voltages. The safe start and power / reset buttons are close to the screen.
Then we hit the first two (of seven available) fan heads (CPU_FAN1 / 2). These headers support PWM fans and output up to 2A / 24W. To the right of the contact between the VRMs and the right edge are two more fan heads (AUX_Fan and PUMP1), while the last two are hidden in the lower right corner. The AUX header supports PWM and DC controlled fans, with the PUMP1 header capable of outputting 3A / 36W.
Continuing down the right edge, we spy on the 24-pin EPS connector to power the card and the two 8-pin EPS connectors (one required). Below is a USB 3.2 Gen1 header and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C header on the front panel. As we move toward the center of the board, we encounter three different switches. The first (top) is a BIOS slow mode switch. Just below it is a three-position switch to access all three BIOSes. Finally, there are five DIP switches between the BIOS switch and the USB 3.2 Gen1 connector to disable / enable PCIe slots. The only active switches are one and two, which control the two full-length PCIe slots.
Dark Kingpin’s overclocking pedigree comes with a 21-phase VRM, with 18 phases dedicated to Vcore. Power goes from the two 8-pin EPS connectors (one required) to a Renesas RAA229131 20-channel controller. Power goes to 18 Intersil ISLL99390 90A power stage. Some napkin math says that there is 1620A available for the processor only, which is enough for ambient and extreme overclocking. You will be limited by temperatures long before this power supply hinders progress.
Looking at the left side of the board, near the bottom, we see a mostly hidden Realtek ALC1200 audio codec, along with three large yellow Bennic audio capacitors. Also hidden under the cover is a Savitech SV3H615 amplifier. EVGA works with NU Audio to help bring high quality sound to their boards. Although we would like to see the current generation audio codec used on this motherboard in the flagship class, most users should be happy with this offer.
In the middle of the board are three PCIe slots and three M.2 sockets. Two of the PCIe slots are full-length reinforced graphics slots. Both slots support PCIe 5.0, with the top slot capable of running x16, and the bottom maximum up to x8. If both tracks are filled in, both run x8 / x8. This configuration supports 2-way NVIDIA SLI. (AMD Crossfire users do not need to apply.)
Between the two full-length grooves are three M.2. sockets for storage. Each slot supports up to 110 mm modules and runs up to PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps). You will only be able to use PCIe-based devices, since SATA support is not listed. However, I would like to see a PCIe 5.0 M.2 socket.
As we move to the right, over the chipset’s heatsink and Kingpin brand, we hit the U.2 port (why does it still exist?) And eight SATA ports. If the U.2 port is full, the PCIe x4 slot will be disabled. Six of the SATA ports run from the chipset and support RAID0 / 1/5/10. The other two ports (top set) run from an ASMedia chip that divides a PCIe x1 path into two SATA ports. None of the SATA ports or M.2 / U.2 connectors are disabled, so if you need a lot of storage space, the bandwidth and connectors are here.
Across the bottom are several headings, all hidden from above by shrouded, which gives a clean appearance that hides the unsightly protrusions. The strip includes USB, RGB and other ports / heads. Below is a complete list, from left to right:
- Extra 6-pin PCIe power
- 3-pin ARGB header
- 4-pin RGB header
- System fan header
- (2) USB 2.0 heads
- Front panel head (s)
The rear IO area has a pre-installed and perforated IO disc that matches the Dark Kingpins black theme. The black background provides space for white fonts for the gates and EVGA branding. The strong contrast makes the door labels easy to read.
There are a total of seven USB ports here: A single USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps) Type-C header, four USB 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gbps) ports and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) ports. If you want to use the integrated graphics on most Intel processors, this card will not work as there are no video outputs. There is an older PS / 2 keyboard / mouse combo port, Wi-Fi antenna connections and two 2.5 GbE ports. There are handy Reset CMOS and BIOS update buttons (for one of THREE BIOSs) as well. Last is the audio stack: a 5-analog plus SPDIF configuration. The only concern I have here is that the seven USB ports here on the rear IO may not be enough for some users (me).
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