Something to look forward to: Intel's 13th generation processors aren't expected to launch for months, but vendors are already readying existing motherboard models with BIOS updates. Asus is the latest, following Asrock's BIOS rollout last month, though the former has initially only revealed updates for flagship boards.
On Friday, Asus released BIOS updates to prepare its Z690 motherboards for Intel's Raptor Lake CPUs when they launch later this year. We already knew that Raptor Lake wouldn't require 600 series owners to upgrade to the upcoming 700 series boards since compatibility for the new processors just requires a BIOS patch.
Asrock rolled out similar updates in late June, but those applied to its Z690, H670, B660, and H610 motherboards. So far, Asus has only issued downloads for the high-end Z690 chipset. These patches, and other announcements, confirm that Raptor Lake processors will support DDR4 RAM.
Asus rolled out new BIOS to its ROG, ROG Strix, ProArt, Prime, and TUF Gaming lines. Most use version 1601, but all the affected Prime boards except the Prime Z690-A need BIOS version 1603. Users can find the updates at Asus's download center by searching for their specific model.
It is unknown when Asus will update its other 600 series boards, but the company has plenty of time, as rumors place the Raptor Lake launch in Q3 or Q4 2022. The competing Zen 4 processors are also coming later this year but will require new motherboards using the upcoming AM5 socket platform, which will, in turn, require DDR5 RAM.