Last summer, along with the AMD Ryzen 9000 series CPUs, the 800 series chipsets were also announced. Recently, the X870 chipset motherboards targeting high-end users have been released. The X870 is based on the 2nd generation AM5 platform and supports the USB4.0 standard and PCIe 5.0. Today, I will introduce GIGABYTE’s latest motherboard, the X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE.
Designed for the AMD Ryzen 9000 series, this motherboard supports next-generation WiFi 7, features an excellent power delivery system, expandability, and GIGABYTE’s unique design elements, making it optimized for gaming and high-performance tasks. Let’s take a closer look at the features of the GIGABYTE X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE (currently priced at 408,980 KRW).
Configuration and Specifications
The X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE is designed based on AMD’s latest AM5 socket, compatible with not only the latest Ryzen 9000 series processors but also the 8000 and 7000 series CPUs. It supports DDR5 memory slots, allowing for overclocked memory up to 256GB at 8000MHz. The power delivery system is configured with 16+2+2 phases to ensure strong power supply, and it supports the latest interfaces like PCIe 5.0 X16 slot and four M.2 slots to maximize expandability.
The product package includes a Wi-Fi antenna, SATA cable, G-CONNECTOR, G-CONNECTOR installation guide, AORUS sticker, QR code guide, and user manual.
Appearance and Features
This motherboard showcases GIGABYTE’s signature simple yet striking design. It measures 30.5cm x 24.4cm in ATX form factor and features a silver and white combination, matching the recent trend of white systems.
As mentioned earlier, it is designed based on AMD’s latest AM5 socket, compatible with Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 series CPUs.
The four DDR5 memory slots support up to 256GB capacity and 8000MHz (OC) memory modules, allowing optimized memory overclocking through AORUS AI Snatch software.
The expansion slots include one PCI Express 5.0 x16, one PCI Express 4.0 x4, and one PCI Express 3.0 x2, providing a total of three PCIe slots.
The PCIe EZ-Latch PLUS solution allows for easy removal of the installed graphics card by pressing the indicated button.
The top and left sides of the motherboard are equipped with a 16+2+2 phase power delivery system and high-performance power management modules, supporting high-end CPUs stably for extended periods. The large heatsink area includes a heat pipe for improved cooling performance.
Additionally, a dedicated heatsink for the USB4 controller is designed inside the heatsink.
The M.2 slots consist of three PCIe5.0 slots and one PCIe4.0 slot, with M.2 thermal guards provided as standard. The main M.2 thermal guard is designed to be six times larger than before, allowing for the installation of high-performance SSDs.
The M.2 heatsink and M.2 SSD installation feature an EZ-Latch design, allowing for tool-free, one-touch installation and removal.
Additionally, the EZ Debug Zone, consisting of diagnostic LEDs, an 80Port, a power button, and a multi-key combination, is provided for checking reboots and status during initial system assembly or overclocking.
IO Ports
The IO port configuration of the X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE offers a variety of options befitting a high-end motherboard. The rear includes, from the left, a Q-Flash Plus button, antenna connectors supporting Wi-Fi7, four USB2.0 ports, two USB3.2 Gen1 ports, an HDMI output port, two USB 3.2 ports, two USB4 Type-C ports (display output), two USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, a Realtek 2.5GbE LAN port, an audio optical output port, and audio jacks.
The Wi-Fi antenna connector features the WIFI EZ-Plug, integrating the plug into one, and offers the Q-Flash Plus function for easy BIOS updates.
Chipset
The X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE is equipped with AMD’s latest X870 chipset, maximizing performance and efficiency. The X870 chipset supports the latest PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 memory, delivering optimized performance for high-end multitasking and gaming. It also offers various IO options and expandability, maintaining high stability even in systems using multiple graphics cards or NVMe SSDs.
Additionally, the audio codec uses the Realtek ALC1220 chipset, the USB4 controller uses the ASMedia ASM4242 chipset, the wired network uses the Realtek RTL8125D chipset, and the wireless network uses the MediaTek MT7925 chipset.
System Configuration
In this review, a system was configured based on the AMD Ryzen 9700X and the X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE. The AMD Ryzen 9700X is a processor with powerful multi-core performance, excelling in multitasking and high-performance applications.
The NVMe SSD used is the Lexar NM790 2TB with a sequential read speed of 7400MB/s, and the memory used is the Micron Crucial DDR5-6000 CL36 PRO.
System Configuration
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X
MB: GIGABYTE X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE
RAM: Micron Crucial DDR5-6000 CL36 PRO 16GB x 2ea
VGA: NVIDIA RTX 4070ti
SDD: Lexar NM790 2TB
CASE: NZXT H6 FLOW RGB
COOLER: Abko T360 Tethis Full Change ARGB
BIOS
GIGABYTE’s BIOS is designed with a user-friendly interface, suitable for both beginners and advanced users. The BIOS is divided into Easy Mode and Advanced Mode, allowing detailed management of CPU and memory settings, fan speed control, and more. The Q-Flash Plus feature allows for BIOS updates without a CPU, making maintenance easy, and offers various overclocking options and optimized settings for stable performance.
Performance Test
Performance tests were conducted using CPU-Z Benchmark, 3DMARK, and CINEBENCH R23.
CPU-Z Benchmark
The combination of the X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE and Ryzen 9700X scored excellently in both single-core and multi-core tests, demonstrating performance suitable for high-end tasks.
3DMARK Timespy & FireStrike
In graphics performance tests, it delivered high performance with the latest RTX 4000 series, providing an excellent experience in high-resolution gaming and graphic tasks.
CINEBENCH R23
It showed outstanding results in rendering performance, particularly excelling in multi-core performance, making it powerful for video editing and rendering tasks.
CRYSTAL DISK MARK
Finally, the Crystal Disk Mark 8.0.5 test results. The data was set to random and measured five times with a 1GB capacity. The sequential read was measured at 7,432MB/s, and the sequential write at 6,714MB/s, matching the spec sheet.
Software Introduction
GIGABYTE’s Control Center is a useful software for easy motherboard management. It is a program that allows integrated management of driver updates, fan management, and performance, making system maintenance easy.
Additionally, the RGB Fusion software allows for detailed control of various RGB lighting, enabling users to freely create the desired atmosphere and style.
Conclusion
The GIGABYTE X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE is a high-performance motherboard for high-end users and gamers, supporting the latest WiFi 7 and PCIe 5.0, with a robust power delivery design. It delivers excellent performance when combined with the AMD 9700X, and its intuitive BIOS and management software make it easy to manage.
It offers various additional and convenience features for users, such as AORUS AI SNATCH, WIFI EZ-Plug, EZ-Latch, EZ Debug Zone, and Q-FLASH Plus. Especially with its silver and white color combination, it is highly recommended for those building a high-performance white gaming system, which is currently trending.
