Sorry for not the full info on needs. Mainly gaming. As for usb, latest, fan headers I have a evga 360mm aio. I plan to use my m2 drive (only use 1 drive) no optical drives. As far as axt or matx either one. I usually like axt as it has mor space between components.
What is the difference between a B660 and a Z690 mb?
I did look at a 13700, it cost $100 more than a 12700. The 15-13600 is a i5 meaning slower/weaker cpu?
ONLY the k models of the 13000s will be released this month. You will be able to get a 13700k this month, but not a 13700; you will be able to get a 13600k, but not a 13600...........until probably January.
Z690 boards sorta intended for overclocking; B660 not. You aren't going to overclock much with a non-K processor anyway.
Z and B differ a bit in the number and type of PCIe lanes, but it wouldn't be a big deal for a single drive machine. Slight difference in USB ports....how many do you need?
There's not much sense in paying for features that wouldn't matter to you. You have to decide what features you need.
Suppose you figure on 550 for a Z board and a 12700. What if you could get a 13600k or 13700k and a B board for about the same price?
Where would be the best place to spend the last 100 dollars of the budget? DDR 5 RAM instead of DDR 4? 13600k or13700k rather than 12700? Fancy Z board rather than B board?
Personally...I'd wait a few weeks to see gaming reports on 13600k and 13700k. Can you wait? Are you prone to buyer's remorse and second-guessing yourself?