Northbridge cooling

LOCATION OF THE NBR Z690 IN THE ASUS STRIX Z690-F
The position of this chip is only visible if you look, using a torch, between the motherboard surface and the coolers. Alternatively, you can find the exact position in the STRIX Z690-F User Manual, p.xii: it is just far enough (3.5cm) from the M2-2 Socket not to cause heating issues for an M.2 plugged there. From the outside, you can locate the NBR just below the slot into which the "GAMERS" cable organiser is attached: the NBR location is shown by the red and green little squares in the picture below. The surface covered by the "GAMERS" functions as NBR cooler.

OVERHEATING
One of the main complaints we have read online from users of ROG STRIX motherboards is the NBR overheating when large volumes of data are processed. The NBR runs normally at approximately 50ºC idle, 60-70ºC when operational. In our PC, while running Windows but not performing any activity, the chip stays at around 63ºC. When processing large data volumes for a short while, including gaming, it rises to 66ºC. Nothing alarming so far.

This said, some users have reported NBR temperatures up to 95ºC during gaming. The Z690 NBR is rated to a maximum of 108ºC, but it is good to keep it at or below 80ºC. My first advice is to move the "GAMERS" cable organiser (initially inserted into a diagonal slot) out of the way: you remove its screw, remove the GAMERS from its slot, and then re-attach it with its post and screw, but pointing bottom right, leaving the cooling surface free to get air over it. (You can remove the GAMERS thing altoghether if you do not need it, although this will not improve the cooling).

Even most unfortunately, the STRIX Z690 and other similar Asus motherboard have the NBR placed so that it (and its heatsink) is covered by most reasonably-sized graphics cards, making cooling difficult.

ONLINE ADVICE

1. Windows, Advanced Power Options, PCI Express/Link State Power Management select Maximum Power Savings. However, this will only yield a paltry 5ºC temperature reduction.
2. Have good case airflow. A user reported an increase in NBR temperature by about 5ºC by just shutting down the case fans.
3. Many tower cases have holes for a fan blowing from the left hand side into the case. Have this fan pointing to the NBR. In my PC this fan produces only 2ºC of difference, but is certainly worthwhile because it also favours the cooling of my PCIe graphics card.
4. Install a passive heatsink. This is also very easy to do, as described further below, but is only really useful if your graphics card is 19cm long or shorter. Most graphics cards are longer.

PASSIVE NBR HEATSINKS

• Any heatsink(s) has to fit between the GAMERS diagonal slot and the SATA ports.
• Most graphics cards are longer than 19cm and will therefore cover the Strix's NBR heatsinks, which therefore should be just a few millimetres tall.
• I suggest to get any of those inexpensive sets of 5.5mm tall small heatsinks and glue them over the NBR heatsink, as shown in the picture below.
• To install the NBR heatsinks, first place the STRIX Z690 in a horizontal position (whether outside the case or installed).
• Ensure you have a good earthing or else frequently touch a metal heating radiator.
• Move the GAMERS cable arranger around or else remove it altogether (as in the picture).
• Place the heatsinks firmly in place against the diagonal slot where the GAMERS arranger came, covering as much as possible the NBR heatsink: see the picture below.