Gigabyte is releasing its next-gen AORUS Z790 X motherboards to go along with Intel's 14th Gen CPUs & we got the rundown on all of them.
Gigabyte & AORUS Z790 X Series Motherboards Fully Prepped For Intel 14th Gen CPUs, Specs & Prices Detailed
At Gamescom 2023, Gigabyte has presented its next-gen AORUS Z790 X motherboards which we got an early look at during Computex 2023. Since then, Gigabyte AORUS has been refining overall specs and designs for these motherboards which are now better than ever versus the Non-X Z790 offerings.
Gigabyte Z790 X AORUS Motherboard Overclocking Features
Starting off with the main highlights, we first have memory overclocking support. Gigabyte is giving utmost attention to DDR5 overclocking through new One-Click solutions which include four options including:
- DDR5 Auto Booster - Boosts native DDR5-5600 to DDR5-6000
- DDR5 XMP Booster - Auto boost DDR5 modules by the highest profile (Up To DDR5-8266+)
- High-Bandwidth Mode - Increases DDR5 Bandwidth
- Low-Latency Mode - Shortens DDR5 Latencies
All Gigabyte & AORUS Z790 X motherboards also come with an 8-layer server-grade PCB which is said to offer lower signal losses (up to 56%). These lower dielectric losses also benefit memory OC through Shielded Memory Routing, Isolated Memory Routing, Back-Drilling Technology, impedance-optimized Optimized Topology, Daisy-Chained Routing, and 2x copper PCB designs. AORUS shows the benefits of these features by demoing its flagship Z790 AORUS Xtreme X memory running up to DDR5-8266 specs without any errors.
Each motherboard also sees an improvement in the VRM delivery with the use of TMCs (Tantalum Polymer Capacitors), offering 30% reduced voltage spikes. The flagship offers up to 24 Vcore phase counts. These new and updated VRM designs should allow for better CPU overclocking capabilities too.
Gigabyte Z790 X AORUS Motherboard Thermal Features
High-end VRM and power delivery solutions also demand better thermal designs and for that, the new Gigabyte AORUS Z790 X motherboards come with the VRM Thermal Armor Advanced which is designed to offer 4 times larger heatsink surface area featuring 8mm heat pipes and 7 W/mK pads on the Z790 AORUS PRO X & AORUS Elite X motherboards.
The higher-end models are even better with the Thermal Armor Fins-Array cooling solution that incorporates 10 times the total heatsink area with Direct-Touch 8mm dual heat pipes, 12 W/mK Thermal Pads, and 10% lower temps with Nano-Carbon coating.
Cooling for the M.2 portion is also enhanced with M.2 Thermal Guard XL & Thermal Guard L which is designed to offer up to 9 times the dissipation surface area versus the previous generation. The AORUS Xtreme X offers the best solution in the form of the M.2 Thermal Guard Xtreme which provides 50x dissipation surface area and offers 50C peak temperatures running the fastest Gen 5 SSDs.
Another solution for increased cooling is the addition of exhaust vents on the new I/O plate which is said to offer up to 7C temperature reduction. This design is available on models such as the Z790 AORUS Xtreme X & Z790 AORUS Master X motherboards. Following is the full thermal design chart for each motherboard:
Gigabyte Z790 X AORUS Motherboard DIY-Friendly Features
Another key area where Gigabyte has specifically focused is to make DIY'ing on its new AORUS Z790 X motherboards easier for everyone. For this purpose, the motherboard maker has used a range of new and nifty tools such as:
- M.2 EZ-latch Plus & M.2 EZ-Latch Click: Screwless M.2 & M.2 heatsink installation
- PCIe EZ-Latch Plus & PCIe EZ-Latch: Easily detach the graphics card from the PCIe slot using the latch mechanism.
- LCD Edge View (AORUS Xtreme X Only): 5" LCD panel with real-time diagnostics and details.
Gigabyte Z790 X AORUS Motherboard Ultra Durable Features
UD (Ultra Durable) has been a name associated with Gigabyte as long as the motherboard maker has been around and there is a range of new features that come as a part of this design topology.
First up, we have the new PCIe UD Slot X which features 10x load-bearing capacity, making sure that even the most gargantuan graphics card of today can't damage the PCIe slot and also is going to make sure that your graphics card PCB doesn't get damaged. The Ultra Durable PCIe Armor frame is attached to the back of the motherboards for the topmost PCIe slot.
The UD features also extend to the memory slots which offer a 1.3x increase in anti-plate bending, 5000+ plug/unplug operations, & reduced signal degradation through the use of SIMD technology. Even the M.2 slots get the UD treatment for the fastest PCIe Gen 5 capabilities.
As always, the top motherboards will come with a nice-looking Nanocarbon UD backplate which is claimed to offer 3 times the thermal conductivity and up to 10% temperature reduction.
Gigabyte Z790 X AORUS Motherboard BIOS Features
The motherboard maker is also making its BIOS more user-centric through the addition of a new feature that can let you add 9 advanced mode tuning options into easy mode through quick access ordering.
Gigabyte Z790 X AORUS Motherboard Connectivity Features
One of the biggest upgrades on the new motherboards is the addition of Wi-Fi 7 which adds up to 5.8 Gb/s transfer speeds with multi-link operation mode. The company will also be bundling new Ultra-high gain antennas which come with a magnetic base for easy setup. There will also be up to Dual Thunderbolt 4 compatible USB4 ports, delivering up to 40 Gb/s transfer speeds.
The top motherboards including the Gigabyte AORUS Z790 Xtreme X & Master X will support 10 GbE LAN ports (AQtion Marvell) while the rest will come with 2.5 GbE LAN ports.
Gigabyte Z790 X AORUS Motherboard Lineup Specs & Prices
Now it's time to move on to the lineup. There are a total of 8 motherboards launching of which 7 are based on the Z790 chipset and just one is based on the B760 chipset. The motherboards and their prices are mentioned below:
- Z790 AORUS Tachyon X - TBD
- Z790 AORUS Xtreme X - $999.99 US
- Z790 AORUS Master X - $549.99 US
- Z790 AORUS PRO X - $389.99 US
- Z790 AORUS ELITE X WIFI7 - $289.99 US
- Z790 AORUS ELITE X AX - $279.99 US
- Z790 AORUS ELITE X - TBD
- B760M AORUS ELITE X AX - TBD
The lineup also has Gigabyte's first white-colored and white PCB addition, the Gigabyte Z790 AORUS PRO X which looks absolutely stunning. Following is the full specifications list of the motherboards:
The Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Tachyon X will be one insane overclocking motherboard which will be able to support up to DDR5-12000 memory (1DP). Besides that, the flagship will be rocking up to 24+1+2 phases for power delivery which is just insane amounts of power being delivered to the CPU.
Now while these motherboards are a bit expensive than the current Z790 offerings, it should be remembered that these aren't meant to replace the existing designs but they are meant to offer even better specifications while the current gen still holds its position. Users will have the choice selecting from the current or the next-gen Z790 designs based on their needs. As always, expect more details soon since Intel's 14th-gen CPUs are just a few weeks away from the official unveil.
Gigabyte AORUS Z790 X Motherboards Specs Sheet (Final):
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