Gigabyte Z690 AORUS Master Motherboard Review

The Gigabyte Z690 AORUS Master is here at last! While you may have enjoyed my preview last week, it’s finally time for the real review, where I can go into detail about all the features, and most importantly, the performance of the new motherboard. This is certainly one of the most high-end Z690 motherboards hitting the market, so it’s brimming with features and features some very impressive hardware to push the best performance possible. Of course, Gigabyte is a well-respected name in the industry. However, AORUS is their hardcore gaming and overclocking division, so only their best hardware goes under that brand.

Gigabyte Z690 AORUS Master

Obviously, we have support for the new 12th Gen Intel processors, which combined with this new Z690 chipset brings in support for the latest DDR5 memory, PCIe 5.0 slots, PCIe 4.0 M.2 storage, and on compatible motherboards, the latest Intel WiFi 6 hardware and Thunderbolt 4.0. These are all welcome upgrades for Intel, finally catching up to AMD in some of them, but also going beyond what AMD has to offer in others.

The Gigabyte Z690 AORUS Master goes to some extremes though, with the latest AQUANTIA 10 GbE LAN, as well as the latest Intel WiFi 6E 802.11ax 2×2, giving you tremendously fast networking options. However, I’m sure many will be excited by the rather extensive connectivity options on this board, but even more so by the mighty 19+1+2 Phase VRM design with 105A Power Stage and Tantalum Polymer Capacitors, which should make for impressive CPU performance and overclocking.

Features

• Support 12th Gen Intel^® Series Processors
• Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR5, 4 DIMMs
• Direct 19+1+2 Phases VRM Design with 105A Power Stage* and Tantalum Polymer Capacitor
• DDR5 XTREME MEMORY Design with SMD DIMM and Shielded Memory Routing
• Advanced Thermal Solution with NanoCarbon Fins-Array III Heatsink, Direct-Touch Heatpipe II and NanoCarbon Baseplate
• Intel^® WIFI 6E 802.11ax 2T2R & BT5 with AORUS Antenna
• Audio Slution with ESS Sabre ES9118 125dB on Rear Audio​
• AQUANTIA^® 10GbE BASE-T LAN
• 5 x Ultra-Fast NVMe PCIe 4.0/3.0 x4 M.2 with Thermal Guards
• RGB FUSION 2.0 with Multi-Zone Addressable LED Light Show Design, Support Addressable LED & RGB LED Strips
• Smart Fan 6 Features Multiple Temperature Sensors , Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP and Noise Detection
• Q-Flash Plus Update BIOS without Installing the CPU, Memory and Graphics Card

For in-depth features and specifications, please check the official Gigabyte Z690 AORUS Master produce page here.

What AORUS Had to Say

“GIGABYTE Z690 Motherboards feature the latest DDR5 architecture and XMP 3.0 capability. The new DDR5 memory technology brings 50% more bandwidth to the platform and increases the system performance drastically by implementing Unlocked Native DDR5 Voltage, Xtreme Memory Routing and reliable SMD slot. In addition to the hardware upgrades, the user friendly UI provides full functionality to overclock higher with exclusive DDR5 tuning capability. ” – Gigabyte

Z690 and 12th Gen Reviews

• Intel 12th Gen Core i5-12600K, i7-12700K & i9-12900K CPU Review
• ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 EXTREME Motherboard Review
• ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO Motherboard Review
• ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi D4 Motherboard Review
• ASUS ROG Z690-I Gaming WiFi Motherboard Review
• Gigabyte Z690 AORUS Pro Motherboard Review
• Gigabyte Z690 AORUS XTREME Motherboard Review
• MSI MAG Z690 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4 Motherboard Review
• MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi Motherboard Review
• MSI MEG Z690 UNIFY Motherboard Review

Of course, for this review, use the navigation menu below to see more!