GIGABYTE Z790 Aorus Elite AX DDR4 Intel Motherboard

The Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX DDR4 is a full-size ATX motherboard built on the Intel Z790 Express chipset and designed for LGA1700 processors from Intel's 12th (Alder Lake) and 13th (Raptor Lake) generation Core, Pentium Gold, and Celeron families. At 30.5 cm × 24.4 cm, it fits standard ATX enclosures and serves as a capable foundation for gaming and productivity builds that prioritise DDR4 memory compatibility alongside modern connectivity. The board features a 16+1+2 phase digital VRM solution paired with Gigabyte's multi-piece TMOS heatsink, which uses a multi-cut channel design to improve airflow through the heatsink fins and draw heat away from the power-delivery components. Four DDR4 DIMM slots accommodate up to 128 GB of system memory (32 GB per slot maximum) in dual-channel configuration, with native speeds starting at 2133 MHz and XMP overclocking profiles reaching up to DDR4-5333 (O.C.). ECC Un-buffered modules are supported in non-ECC operating mode. Storage options are led by four M.2 Socket 3 connectors, all operating at PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds — one routed directly from the CPU (M2A_CPU) and three from the chipset (M2P_SB, M2Q_SB, M2M_SB; the last also supports SATA). Each M.2 slot is protected by Gigabyte's M.2 Thermal Guard III heatsink to reduce thermal throttling under sustained workloads. Four SATA 6 Gb/s ports round out storage, with RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 supported for both NVMe and SATA arrays. The primary PCIe x16 slot runs at PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU-direct), while two additional x16-physical slots operate at PCIe 4.0 x4 via the chipset, with AMD CrossFire multi-GPU support. Wireless connectivity is handled by an Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 module covering 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands at up to 2.4 Gbps (conditions permitting), with Bluetooth 5.3. Wired networking uses a Realtek 2.5GbE LAN controller. The rear I/O includes a USB Type-C port at USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps), two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, three USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, HDMI 2.0 output (up to 4096×2160 @ 60 Hz for integrated graphics), optical S/PDIF out, and dual antenna connectors (2T2R). An internal USB Type-C header adds a front-panel 10 Gbps port. Gigabyte's Q-Flash Plus button enables BIOS updates without installing a CPU, memory, or GPU. Smart Fan 6 provides PWM/DC fan curve control across multiple temperature sensors. RGB Fusion 2.0 controls two addressable LED headers and two standard RGB headers. The board carries a 3-year manufacturer warranty. Verifiable Specifications: - Socket: LGA1700 | Chipset: Intel Z790 Express - Memory: 4× DDR4 DIMM, up to 128 GB, DDR4-2133 native / up to DDR4-5333 (O.C.), XMP support - PCIe: 1× PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU); 2× PCIe 4.0 x4 (Chipset) - M.2: 4× PCIe 4.0 x4 (M2M_SB also supports SATA), with M.2 Thermal Guard III - SATA: 4× SATA 6 Gb/s; RAID 0/1/5/10 (NVMe & SATA) - USB rear: 1× USB-C 20 Gbps, 2× USB-A 10 Gbps, 3× USB-A 5 Gbps, 4× USB 2.0 - LAN: Realtek 2.5GbE (2.5 Gbps / 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps) - Wi-Fi: Intel AX211 Wi-Fi 6E (2.4/5/6 GHz, up to 2.4 Gbps*); Bluetooth 5.3 - Audio: Realtek HD Audio CODEC, 2/4/5.1/7.1-ch, S/PDIF out - Display: HDMI 2.0, up to 4K@60 Hz (integrated graphics only) - Form Factor: ATX, 30.5 cm × 24.4 cm - BIOS: AMI UEFI, 256 Mbit flash, Q-Flash Plus - OS: Windows 11 / Windows 10 (64-bit) - Warranty: 3 years *Actual wireless throughput varies with environment and equipment