One of the members from Bilibili forums, 老弟一号, has shared a picture of what looks like to be an unnamed prototype Intel Z690 motherboard. The leakster claims that it is the Z690 motherboard and has mentioned the NDA (non-disclosure ) agreement which has been broken if it is the Z690 motherboard. Unfortunately, the leakster has not shared any further details like the motherboard’s manufacturer.
Clearly, it is a high-end motherboard as it has up to 23 power stages around the CPU socket (18+2+3 layout). Normally, this kind of configuration is reserved for high-end designs.
Coming to the socket, for the first time, a LGA1700 socket has been seen without any clamps or latches. It should be noted that some components from the board, like the dual EPS connectors at the top, are missing; however, these should be optional for this particular engineering board.
The alleged Z690 has three M.2 connectors which are separated by a signal full-length PCIe connector. Motherboard manufacturers normally do not use this type of layout, but motherboards with similar looks are already in the market, like the EVGA Z590 Dark.
The rumor was that Intel 600 series motherboards (namely Z690 and B660) are available in the black market. This might be the reason why this photo has emerged.
Via Twitter