GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS XTREME X DDR5 Intel Motherboard

The Gigabyte Z790 AORUS XTREME X is a flagship E-ATX motherboard built on the Intel Z790 Express chipset and fitted with the LGA1700 socket, supporting 12th, 13th, and 14th Generation Intel Core, Pentium Gold, and Celeron processors. It is designed for enthusiasts and power users who demand uncompromising performance across computing, gaming, and content creation workloads. Power delivery is handled by a digital twin 24+1+2 phase VRM—24 VCORE phases, 1 VCCGT phase, and 2 VCCAUX phases—engineered to sustain stable voltage under prolonged heavy loads and aggressive overclocking. VRM Thermal Armor Fins-Array expands heat dissipation surface area, while M.2 Thermal Guard XTREME covers the primary PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot and M.2 Thermal Guard Ext provides a thermal backplate over four additional M.2 drives, actively reducing thermal throttling risk across all storage devices. Memory support spans four DDR5 DIMM slots in dual-channel configuration, accommodating up to 192 GB (48 GB per DIMM). XMP 3.0 profiles are supported alongside DDR5 XMP Booster and Auto Booster functions that can push speeds up to DDR5-8266 (O.C.) via the BIOS. The 8-layer server-grade PCB with shielded and isolated memory routing helps signal integrity at high frequencies. Storage options are extensive: five M.2 Socket 3 connectors are onboard, with one CPU-direct M.2 slot supporting PCIe 5.0 x4 (type 25110/2280), one CPU-direct PCIe 4.0 x4 slot, and three chipset M.2 slots (two PCIe 4.0 x4 and one supporting both SATA and PCIe 4.0 x4). Four SATA 6 Gb/s ports round out storage. RAID 0, 1, and 10 are supported for both NVMe and SATA arrays. Connectivity is comprehensive. Networking includes a Marvell AQtion AQC107 10GbE LAN port alongside an Intel 2.5GbE LAN port. Wireless is handled by the Qualcomm Wi-Fi 7 QCNCM865 module supporting 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands with 320 MHz channel support, paired with Bluetooth 5.3. The back panel carries two Intel Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2) capable of DisplayPort 1.4 output up to 5120×2880 @ 60 Hz, plus 10 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports. Two internal USB Type-C headers with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gb/s) support front-panel connectivity. Audio is driven by an ESS ES9280AC DAC chip plus two ESS ES9080 chips, with DTS Sound Unbound, High Definition Audio, optical S/PDIF out, and a bundled Front ESSential USB DAC. A 5-inch LCD display integrated into the VRM heatsink shows real-time CPU temperature, voltage, clock speed, VRM temperature, fan/pump RPM, and memory clock. Builder-friendly features include EZ-Latch Plus for screwless M.2 and PCIe slot release, EZ-Latch Click for M.2 heatsink removal, Q-Flash Plus for CPU-free BIOS updates, Multi-Key configurable button, and a UC BIOS interface with user-centred UX. RGB Fusion is accessible through Gigabyte Control Center, and Smart Fan 6 enables per-header fan curve customisation. Verified Specifications: - Socket: LGA1700 | Chipset: Intel Z790 Express - CPU Support: 12th / 13th / 14th Gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold, Celeron - Memory: 4× DDR5 DIMM, dual-channel, up to 192 GB, DDR5-4800 native / up to DDR5-8266 (O.C.), XMP 3.0 - VRM: 24+1+2 phase digital twin - PCIe: 1× PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU), 1× PCIe 3.0 x4 (chipset, x16 physical) - Storage: 5× M.2 (1× PCIe 5.0 x4, 3× PCIe 4.0 x4, 1× PCIe 4.0 x4 / SATA), 4× SATA 6 Gb/s - LAN: 10GbE (Marvell AQC107) + 2.5GbE (Intel) - Wireless: Wi-Fi 7 (Qualcomm QCNCM865, 802.11be, 2T2R), Bluetooth 5.3 - USB (rear): 2× Thunderbolt 4 Type-C + 10× USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A - Audio: ESS ES9280AC + 2× ESS ES9080, DTS Sound Unbound, S/PDIF optical out - Display (iGPU via TB4): Up to 5120×2880 @ 60 Hz, DisplayPort 1.4, HDCP 2.3 - Form Factor: E-ATX, 305 mm × 285 mm - OS: Windows 11 64-bit