Motherboards

Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX Motherboard Review

We love our high-end motherboards here at eTeknix, with the likes of ASUS, MSI, and of course, Gigabyte Aorus delivering a steady stream of killer hardware, we’re pretty much spoilt for choice. I do like the look of the flagship hardware, but when you see prices that are between £700-1200 you have to take a step back, slap yourself around the face and ask, DO I REALLY NEED THAT? And often, the answer is a hard no. The connectivity on those extreme boards is usually stuff gamers do not need, and it’s what adds to the price most of all. That’s where the Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX comes into play, at a little over £300, it’s got most of the high-end thrills of boards triple that price, but can I’m wagering its overall system performance is still broadly the same.

It says right on the front of the box “Gaming Motherboard” so it’s pretty clear what this is intended for. With that in mind, I think that a 16+1+2 phase digital VRM should be more than enough to push the boost clocks on your new CPU. You still get the latest DDR5 memory, with XMP 3.0 support, and you get PCIe 5.0 for your GPU, and PCIe 4.0 x4 for plenty of ultra-fast story too. Amazingly, you also get fast networking, Type-C 10Gb/s and 20Gb/s, so yeah, why would you need to spend more money for more features, as far as I can see, that’s everything I’d ever need in a gaming PC!

Features

Intel^® Socket LGA 1700: Support 13th and 12th Gen Series Processors
Unparalleled Performance: Twin 16*+1+2 Phases Digital VRM Solution
Dual Channel DDR5: 4*SMD DIMMs with XMP 3.0 Memory Module Support
Next Generation Storage: 4*PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 Connectors
Advanced Thermal Design & M.2 Thermal Guard III: To Ensure VRM Power Stability & M.2 SSD Performance
EZ-Latch Plus: M.2 Connectors with Quick Release & Screwless Design
Fast Networks: 2.5GbE LAN & Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ax
Extended Connectivity: DP, HDMI, Front USB-C^® 10Gb/s, Rear USB-C^® 20Gb/s
Smart Fan 6: Features Multiple Temperature Sensors, Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP
Q-Flash Plus: Update BIOS Without Installing the CPU, Memory and Graphics Card

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Peter Donnell

As a child still in my 30's (but not for long), I spend my day combining my love of music and movies with a life-long passion for gaming, from arcade classics and retro consoles to the latest high-end PC and console games. So it's no wonder I write about tech and test the latest hardware while I enjoy my hobbies!