GIGABYTE X870E AORUS MASTER Motherboard Unboxing Review

The X870E AORUS MASTER utilizes a parallel 16+2+2-phase 110A power supply and an 8-layer PCB, giving the 9950X a platform capable of unleashing full performance with memory OC QVL up to 8600 MT/s and native support for 4 M.2 expansion slots, 3 of which are PCIe 5.0 x4 bandwidth interfaces! This motherboard update also comes standard with Wi-Fi 7 and two USB4 Type-C (40Gb/s & DP), and the overall update has many small improvements in both new expansion specifications and convenience.

X870E AORUS MASTER (REV:1.0) Motherboard Specifications.

Size: ATX 30.5 x 24.4 cm
Processor Support: AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000
Processor Pin: AM5 LGA1718
CPU power supply phase: 16+2+2 phases
Chipset: AMD X870E
Memory: 4x DDR5 DIMM slots, 8600(O.C.) MT/s, 256 GB max (single slot supports 64 GB capacity)
Memory Certification: AMD EXPO (EXtended Profiles for Overclocking), Intel XMP (Extreme Memory Profile)
Display output: HDMI 2.1 (4096×2160@60 Hz), 2X USB4 Type-C (3840×2160@240 Hz), Front HDMI 1.4 (1920×1080@30 Hz)
Expansion Slots: 1x PCIe 5.0 x16, 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4 bandwidth), 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4 bandwidth)
Storage Slots: 4x SATA 6Gb/s, M2A_CPU 25110/22110/2580/2280 PCIe 5.0 x4/x2, M2B_CPU 22110/2280 PCIe Gen5 x4/x2, M2C_CPU 22110/2280 PCIe Gen5 x4/x2, M2D_SB 22110/2280 PCIe Gen4 x4/x2
Network: Realtek RTL8126 5GbE
Wireless: Qualcomm Wi-Fi 7 QCNCM865, Bluetooth 5.3
Audio: Realtek ALC1220
USB Ports (Front Expansion): 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 × 2 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (supports front four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports), 2x USB 2.0/1.1 (supports front four USB 2.0 ports)
USB Ports (Rear I/O): 2x USB4 Type-C (40Gb/s & DP), 4x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (Red), 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (Blue), 2x USB 2.0/1.1 Type-A (Black)
RGB: 4x ARGB 5v 3-Pin, 1x RGB 12v 4-Pin
FAN: 1x 4-Pin CPU Fan, 1x 4-Pin CPU OPT, 2x 4-Pin SYS FAN, 2x 4-Pin SYS FAN/PUMP

 

GIGABYTE X870E AORUS MASTER Motherboard Unboxing

With the launch of the Zen 5 architecture AMD Ryzen 9000 series (codename: Granite Ridge), motherboard manufacturers have also updated their motherboards with the X870E / X870 chipset motherboards, and this time the X870E AORUS MASTER from GIGABYTE is the one that we've unboxed.

This X870E AORUS MASTER update highlights native support in addition to the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X  與 Ryzen 9 9900X In addition to the Granite Ridge processor, new hardware specifications such as USB4 Type-C, Wi-Fi 7, and front HDMI outputs have been included to differentiate the motherboard from its predecessor.

∆ X870E AORUS MASTER tested with AMD Ryzen 9 9950X processor.

∆ The motherboard box is printed with a description of the basic features.

∆ X870E AORUS MASTER Channel Configuration Diagram.

 

The X870E AORUS MASTER is now an ATX version with dimensions of 30.5cm x 24.4cm, which I personally think is quite a pity. After all, for those who have enough budget to buy a MASTER, many of them would like to have more expansions, but an ATX motherboard would have allowed for more chassis and saved a bit of space.

The motherboard is equipped with VRM Thermal Armor Advanced in the VRM power supply area, which is embedded with a heat pipe and 12 W/mK thermal pads in the VRM thermal armor to help dissipate the heat, allowing the motherboard to provide stable power even when used with a flagship multi-core processor such as the 9950X, which is a powerful overclocking powerhouse.

The overall color scheme of the X670E AORUS MASTER is more in line with the previous generation of X670E AORUS MASTER than the previous generation of X670E AORUS MASTER, and the style is more in line with the previous X670E AORUS MASTER. Z790 AORUS MASTERA dark blue is used as the main color scheme, complemented by metallic grey.

The ∆ ATX-sized X870E AORUS MASTER thermal armor is well-filled.

VRM Thermal Armor Advanced, with built-in heat pipes and 12 W/mK thermal pads, is located in the power supply area of the ∆ mainboard.

∆ The back of the motherboard is shown, and it's a shame that it doesn't have a reinforced backplate. The Ultra Durable PCIe Armor is a reinforced backplate for the PCIE x16 metal slots to further enhance the support.

 

The AM5 LGA 1718 slot is still used to support AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 processors, and since it retains the same heatsink grommets and the same hole spacing as AM4, gamers can install it directly along the AM4 heatsink grommet set.

∆ AM5 foot position.

∆ LGA 1718.

∆ supports AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 processors.

 

Let's take a look at the expansion and power supply slots on the X870E AORUS MASTER motherboard. On the upper left side of the motherboard, there are dual 8-Pin ATX_12V power supply slots for processors.

On the upper right corner of the motherboard, there are two 4-Pin fan power supply slots, CPU_OPT and CPU_FAN, where you can install the water-cooling header PUMP and water-cooling exhaust fan cables when installing integrated water-cooling, and on the right side, there are two ARGB_V2 5v 3-Pin slots and the RESET reboot quick-activation button.

∆ The ATX_12V Dual 8-Pin processor power supply slot on the upper left corner of the motherboard.

∆ CPU_OPT, CPU_FAN, 2X ARGB_V2 5v 3-Pin, Reboot Shortcut.

 

The four-slot DDR5 DIMM dual snap-in memory slot supports ECC Un-buffered DIMM/non-ECC Un-buffered DIMM memory, and the maximum expansion capacity of the four slots is a total of 256 GB, which means that the capacity of a single slot is capped at 64 GB.

The memory overclocking QVL frequency flaunts that the two memory modules can reach 8600 MT/s(oc) when paired with Ryzen 8000 series processors, while the Ryzen 9000 series only has a maximum of 8400 MT/s. Once again, please be reminded to purchase the memory model that is paired with the installed memory model based on the motherboard's memory QVL compatibility report. X870E AORUS MASTER supports both AMD EXPO (EXTended Profiles for Overclocking) and Intel XMP 3.0 (Extreme Memory Profile) memory overclocking technology.

The 2 DIMMs dual-channel memory kits that are often purchased when ordering are recommended to be installed in slots A2 and B2 (the second and fourth slots counting from the left) as a priority. By installing the two sticks of memory in these two locations, the memory can more easily operate at a higher frequency, and the two slots are additionally designed with stainless steel shrouds to optimize the signal integrity and overclocking performance.

∆ 4x Un-buffered DIMM DDR5 memory slots, supports up to 256 GB capacity expansion, QVL support up to 8600 MT/s (O.C.).

∆ This time with XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 8000MT/s 2X 24GB CL 40-48-48-128 1.45V (AX5U8000C4024G-DCLARBK) for testing.

 

SENSOR (noise detection socket), four SATA 6Gb/s, one USB 3.2 Gen1 slot (supports two front USB 3.2 Gen1 ports), two SYS_FAN/PUMP fan and water-cooling power supply slots, one SYS_FAN fan power supply slot.

The EZ DeBug Status Indicator and DeBug LED code display allows users to quickly see what parts of the motherboard are causing problems during the self-test process that prevent the motherboard from booting up, and users can refer to the motherboard manual for debugging actions.

F_HDMI (HDMI socket) is the interface for AMD CPU internal display output, this HDMI supports HDMI 1.4 specification and Sensor Panel Link function can be used to connect to the small screen inside the chassis, users can use it to connect to the small screen inside the chassis which is purchased in addition to the additional, the slot can support up to 1920×1080@30 Hz display specification, if you want to use this display output function, your CPU must have a built-in graphics card, so if the processor model has F (e.g. 7500F), you can't use this display output function. This slot can support up to 1920×1080@30 Hz display. The prerequisite for using this display output function is that your CPU must have a built-in graphics card, so if there is an F in the processor model (e.g., 7500F), you cannot use this display output function.

∆ EZ DeBug lamp, PW_SW quick boot button, debug lamp code display, motherboard 24-Pin power supply slots, EC_TEMP1/EC_TEMP2 (thermocouple pins), F_HDMI (HDMI socket), one front Type-C USB 3.2 Gen2 x2 (20Gb/s) slot.

∆ EZ DeBug with debug code display quickly identifies where the problem is.

∆ NOISE_SENSOR, four SATA 6Gb/s, one USB 3.2 Gen1 slot (supports two front USB 3.2 Gen1 ports), two SYS_FAN/PUMP fan and water-cooling power supply slots, one SYS_FAN fan power supply slot.

 

On the lower right corner of the motherboard are the chassis reset button jumper slot, CMOS setup clear jumper slot, system front panel slot, three SYS_FAN fan power supply slots, one USB 3.2 Gen1 slot (supports two front USB 3.2 Gen1 ports), two USB 2.0 (supports four front USB 2.0 ports), SPI_TPM (Security Encryption module connection socket), 12V 4-Pin RGB, two 5V 3-Pin ARGB_V2, HD_AUDIO audio slots.

∆ Chassis reset button jumper slot, CMOS setting clear jumper slot, system front panel slot, three SYS_FAN fan power supply slots, one USB 3.2 Gen1 slot (supports two front USB 3.2 Gen1 ports).

∆ Two USB 2.0 (supports four front USB 2.0 ports), SPI_TPM (Secure Encryption Module Connection socket), 12V 4-Pin RGB, two 5V 3-Pin ARGB_V2, HD_AUDIO audio slots.

∆ The motherboard battery is a CR2032, which can only be seen by removing the motherboard M.2 Thermal Guard Ext heat sink.

 

The motherboard PCIe slots provide a total of three x16 length slots, the first one is commonly used for installing graphics cards, the PCIEX16 slot is directly connected to the CPU channel with PCIe 5.0 x16 bandwidth (Ryzen 8000 does not have it), this slot is usually used for installing graphics cards, so there is a matching PCIe EZ-Latch Plus button and the Ultra Durable PCIe Armor metal-reinforced design allows gamers to easily remove heavy graphics cards without worrying about skewing issues. The Ultra Durable PCIe Armor is a metal-reinforced design that allows gamers to easily remove and install heavy graphics cards without worrying about skewing.

However, there is something to be aware of, that is, although the first slot is a full PCIe 5.0 x16 bandwidth specification, the expansion slot shares the bandwidth with the M2B_CPU and M2C_CPU expansion slots, so when M.2 SSDs are installed in the M2B_CPU and M2C_CPU slots, the PCIe 5.0 x16 bandwidth will be reduced to PCIe 5.0 x8 automatically for operation. x8.

The second (PCIEX4_1) and third (PCIEX4_2) PCI Express x16 slots have x16 installation length, but actually only have PCIe 4.0 x4 and PCIe 3.0 x4 bandwidth, which is recommended for expanding additional devices such as capture cards or sound cards.

∆ PCIe 5.0 x16, PCIe 4.0 x4, PCIe 3.0 x4 slots.

∆ PCIe EZ-Latch Plus Usage Schematic.

 

X870E AORUS MASTER provides M.2 Thermal Guard XL and M.2 Thermal Guard Ext. for the four onboard M.2 SSD expansion slots, M.2 Thermal Guard XL and M.2 Thermal Guard Ext. for cooling, and M.2 EZ-Latch Plus for quick fixing of SSDs and M.2 EZ-Latch Click and M.2 EZ-Match for more efficient heat sink removal. Latch Click and M.2 EZ-Match for efficient heat sink removal.

M.2 Thermal Guard XL and M.2 Thermal Guard Ext. heatsinks with double-sided thermal pads provide effective heat dissipation for M.2 SSDs, preventing them from overheating and prolonging their lifespan. However, for Gen5 SSDs, I personally recommend using an active heatsink.

Three of the four M.2 SSD expansion slots (M2A_CPU / M2B_CPU / M2C_CPU) provide up to PCIe Gen5 x4 bandwidth, but are limited to AMD Ryzen 9000 / 7000 series processors only; the M2B_CPU and M2C_CPU slots are not available for use with AMD Ryzen 8000 series Phoenix 1 or Phoenix 2 processors. If you are using AMD Ryzen 8000 series Phoenix 1 or Phoenix 2 processors, the M2B_CPU and M2C_CPU slots are not available.

The first slot, M2A_CPU (PCIe Gen5 x4), supports the wider M.2 M-Key 25110 / 22110 / 2580 / 2280 form factor; the remaining three slots support only the regular M.2 M-Key 22110/2280 form factor M.2 SSD installations.

∆ M.2 Thermal Guard Ext. heat sink with M.2 EZ-Match carabiner.

∆ M.2 Thermal Guard XL heat sink and M.2 EZ-Latch Click swivel.

∆Three of the four onboard M.2 SSD expansion slots are PCIe Gen5 x4 bandwidth, and it is important to note that the M2B_CPU and M2C_CPU slots share bandwidth with the PCIEX16 slot.

∆ Installation Schematic, M.2 EZ-Latch Plus can fasten the M.2 SSD quickly, together with the heatsink, without the need of one screw!

 

The rear I/O of the motherboard provides a Clear CMOS Data button, Q-Flash Plus button, two USB 2.0 Type-A, HDMI 2.1 internal display outputs, four USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A (5 Gbps blue), four USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (10 Gbps red), two USB4 Type -C (40 Gbps with DP-Alt), RJ-45 5 GB LAN wired connector, Wi-Fi 7 with Ultra-high gain Antenna, Fiber Optic S/PDIF digital audio output, two audio ports.

The two USB4 Type-C slots have a 40 Gbps transfer bandwidth and feature DisplayPort 1.4 display output, which allows users to have an additional display output slot available through the internal display, up to 3840×2160@240 Hz, as long as it is being used with a processor that has an AMD Radeon graphics chip.

∆ Rear I/O at a glance.

 

Extra motherboard gadgets include DDR Wind Blade, DDR Wind Blade fan extension cable, 2x SATA cables, WiFi 7 antenna kit, 2x temperature measurement cables, noise measurement cables, chassis I/O integration buckles, etc., and devil's blanket cable ties.

∆ Accessories at a glance.

The ∆WiFi 7 antenna is mounted on the chassis, and the bottom of the chassis has a magnetic suction function that can be fixed on the chassis, which is very easy to disassemble and install the ∆WiFi 7 antenna.

 

The DDR Wind Blade, which actively helps dissipate DDR5 memory, seems to be a standard accessory on GIGABYTE's new high-end motherboards this year, with a Ø4.5 cm PWM fan blowing directly on the DDR5 memory to dissipate the heat, and it comes pre-assembled from the factory, with the slightly tilted bracket angle not being able to be adjusted, and even though the bracket has been tilted inward by the memory side as much as possible, it still has a chance to conflict with top-mounted water cooling. Although the angle of the slightly tilted bracket cannot be adjusted, although it has been shrunk as much as possible on the memory side, there is still a chance that it will clash with the top-mounted water cooling, especially in cases where there is not enough space above.

The DDR Wind Blade is available in both chassis and barebones test frames with special mounting options, and there are also additional extension cables available for motherboards with farther slots. The author recommends that GIGABYTE replace the side ARGB with PWM slots to solve the problem at its root, as the extension cables, though versatile, are more of a stopgap than a solution.

The default installation is to blow downwards (towards the memory), if you want to match the airflow of the exhaust fan on top of the chassis, you can also adjust the fan mounting surface by yourself. The actual test was done in the default installation mode at around 4500 RPM with the XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 8000MT/s 2X 24GB CL 40-48-48-128 1.45V (AX5U8000C4024G), and the barebones platform was tested with the XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 8000MT/s 2X 24GB CL 40-48-48-128 1.45V (AX5U8000C4024G). -DCLARBK) on a barebones test platform via the AIDA64 System Memory The pressure stability of the memory was tested with the memory XMP Profile 1 parameter DDR5-8000 CL 40-48-48-128 1.45V, and the actual test was conducted in a closed room with 24 °C air conditioning, and the temperature of the SPD Hub was lowered from a maximum of 62 °C to 47 °C after 30 minutes of the test, and the maximum temperature difference could be lowered by up to 15 °C "with the same test scenario" and the same room temperature as much as possible. The SPD Hub temperature was reduced from a maximum of 62 °C to 47 °C after 30 minutes of testing, which is the maximum temperature difference that can be reduced by up to 15 °C "while maintaining the same test scenario" and keeping the same room temperature as much as possible.

The ∆ DDR Wind Blade can be placed in a bare test stand or in a normal case.

The ∆ fan is 4.5 cm in diameter and is powered by PWM to reach a maximum speed of about 4500~4600 RPM.

∆AIDA64 system memory temperature test without fan, SPD Hub up to 62 °C

∆ AIDA64 system memory temperature test with DDR Wind Blade fan, SPD Hub up to 47 and 51.5 °C

 

GIGABYTE X870E AORUS MASTER Motherboard Power Supply / 16+2+2 Phase Power Supply, 8-Layer PCB

The X870E AORUS MASTER motherboard utilizes a 16+2+2 Twin Digital VRM Design architecture, with a 16-phase 101A SPS for CPU Vcore VCORE Phases, a 2-phase 80A SPS for SOC Phases (memory overclocking), and a 2-phase SOC Phases (memory overclocking). MISC Phases.

∆ The bare PCB of the motherboard is shown.

∆ Motherboard heatsink disassembly.

The ∆ VRM Thermal Armor Advanced contains a heat pipe.

∆ 16+2+2 Twin Digital VRM Design architecture, CPU Vcore VCORE Phases using 8+8 phase parallel design.

∆ Dual PCH chips form the X870E chipset.

∆ 16 Infineon PMIC PMC41430- Power Management ICs.

∆ Infineon XDPE192C3B PWM controller chip.

∆ paradetech PS8209A - 6Gbps Low Power HDMI 2.0 Level Shifter/Redriver.

∆ Macronix MX25V4035FM1I-ND IC FLASH 4MBIT SPI/QUAD 8SOP.

∆ REALTEK RTS5411 USB 3.0 Super-Speed HUB Controller.

The ∆ ASM4242 USB4 controller chip is 40G and the motherboard even comes with a dedicated heatsink for it.

∆ Diodes Incorporated PI3EQX1014ZTFEX USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 ReDriver.

∆ Realtek ALC1220 sound source.

∆ Realtek RTL8126 5G network chip.

∆ ITE USB Type-C PD 3.0 controller.

∆ ITE IT8696E Super I/O environmental control chip.

∆ Diodes Incorporated PI3EQX2004 4-lane USB3.2 Gen 2×2 10Gbps ReDriver.

 

BIOS Function Setting Menu

After the motherboard has passed the self-checking program, press the F2 or DEL button to enter the EASY MODE of the BIOS, where gamers can set up the basic functions, such as memory EXPO/XMP one-click overclocking and so on.

∆ EASY MODE.

∆ Tap the pinion at the bottom right corner of the boot sequence to set the Quick Access Order to bring out the more commonly used functions.

∆ Smart Fan 6 can set the fan speed curve for each slot, the full speed of DDR Wind Blade is about 4500~4600 RPM. Unfortunately, you can't set the DDR5 temperature detection target directly in the BIOS, you have to set it in the GCC software in the system.

∆SPD view, this time with XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 8000MT/s 2X 24GB has only one XMP profile.

 

If you need more detailed settings, press in EASY MODE to enter Advanced mode, which allows you to adjust the voltage, frequency, and other parameters.

∆ My Favorites list, where common setup operations are centralized.

∆ Tweaker is related to overclocking setting, the upper part is basically for CPU and memory basic adjustment.

∆Active OC Tuner will automatically detect/enable/toggle AMD PBO (single-threaded performance) or manual overclocking (multi-threaded performance) operation modes, depending on the game being played or rendering being created, which can boost the performance of 6.8% tuning, and is disabled by default.

∆ Advanced Processor Settings tab.

The default setting of ∆PBO is auto, and the author's test procedure is to manually turn on Enabled.

∆ Tweaker is related to overclocking setting, the lower part is related to voltage comparison.

∆ Settings.

∆Platform power.

∆ IO Ports page Re-Size BAR Supper here.

The ∆USB4 setting is relevant.

∆ Miscellaneous sub-page, the RST_SW reboot shortcut button on the upper right corner of the motherboard can be used to set the function here.

∆ AMD CBS Settings.

∆ AMD OC Related.

∆ Computer Health Status sub-page.

∆ System Info.

∆ Boot system boot-related settings.

 

GIGABYTE Control Center Integration Software

When users enter the system for the first time, a download notification of GIGABYTE Control Center (GCC) will pop up in the lower right corner. GCC is GIGABYTE's own system integration software, in which users can not only overclock the processor and memory as well as configure voltage settings, but also set up the fan mode and curves, RGB Fusion, and so on. The software also allows you to configure fan modes and curves, RGB Fusion, and more.

When installing a new computer, the system will require hardware drivers. GCC collects the information and informs you of the drivers that are available for download and update, so you can decide which ones you want to install.

∆ GIGABYTE Control Center (GCC) download notification.

The ∆ software automatically recognizes which hardware parts GIGABYTE can configure.

∆ The DDR Wind Blade's fan control function requires that the temperature monitoring point be set to memory, so I hope that GIGABYTE will set the detection target to be memory in the BIOS in the future.

∆ Performance_System Information.

∆ RGB Fusion.

∆ Memory light effect setting.

∆ The driver download menu can be updated.

 

GIGABYTE's collaboration with HWinfo64 not only displays a special GIGABYTE skin, but also features a CPU Vcore phase monitoring function that allows you to instantly monitor the current power supply current and other information.

∆ GIGABYTE's power monitor with HWinfo64 seems to be only available for AORUS series motherboards.

∆ Memory Timing View Function.

 

RGB Fusion allows you to set the lighting effects for each RGB slot on the motherboard. The X870E AORUS MASTER motherboard itself has lighting effects that are centered on the I/O heatsinks at the rear of the motherboard.

∆ Lighting effect display.

∆ Close-up of lighting effects.

 

GIGABYTE X870E AORUS MASTER Motherboard Performance Testing

For this GIGABYTE X870E AORUS MASTER motherboard performance test, we paired a 16-core, 32-thread AMD Ryzen 9 9950X processor with the motherboard BIOS updated to F4c version, and used an XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 8000MT/s 2X 24GB CL 40-48-128 1.45V (AX5U8000C4024G-DCLARBK) dual-channel memory kit to set up the barebones test platform and open the A-XMP profile with the memory. 48-128 1.45V (AX5U8000C4024G-DCLARBK) dual-channel memory kit, built the barebones platform and opened the memory to the A-XMP profile and manually set AMD PBO to active.

Testing Platform

Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (PBO enabled)
Cooler: Valkyrie E360 (full speed)
Water-cooled fan: LIAN LI UNI FAN P28 (full speed)
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X870E AORUS MASTER (BIOS version: F4c)
Memory: XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 8000MT/s 2X 24GB CL 40-48-48-128 1.45V
Graphics: AORUS GeForce RTX 4070 MASTER 12G
Operating System: Windows 11 Professional 24H2
System disk: Teamgroup MP33 1TB
Test Disk:T-FORCE Z540 M.2 PCIe Gen5 x4 SSD 2TB
Power supply:FSP Hydro PTM PRO ATX3.0 (PCIe5.0) 1200W
Case: STREACOM BC1 Benchtable V2
Graphics driver: GeForce Game Ready 565.90

 

The XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 8000MT/s 2X 24GB memory with XMP profile 8000 MT/s CL 40-48-48-128 1.45V, QVL serial number AX5U8000C4024G-DCLARBK, is built with SK Hynix M-Die and made from 1R x8 single sided particles. layout.

The memory itself comes with a soft light bar, and supports GIGABYTE, ASRock, ASUS, and MSI's four major board makers' lighting control software through the lighting control chip. I used the X870E AORUS MASTER to test it together this time, although it didn't have the QVL on it, it still booted up and passed a series of tests easily, and I still recommend that you prioritize QVL as your first priority in choosing memory. This is especially true for high frequencies such as 8000 MT/s.

∆ XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 8000MT/s 2X 24GB.

 

firstly CPU-Z Viewing the hardware information of this test platform, AMD Ryzen 9 9950X processor has 16 cores and 32 threads, series code name is Granite Ridge using TSMC 4nm FinFET process, motherboard using GIGABYTE X870E AORUS MASTER supporting PCI-E 5.0 lanes, BIOS is F4c version, memory using XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 8000MT/s 2X 24GB dual-channel capacity totaling 48 GB, and also ran CPU-Z internal test Version 17.01.64. The motherboard is a GIGABYTE X870E AORUS MASTER supporting PCI-E 5.0 lanes, and the BIOS is F4c version. XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 8000MT/s 2X 24GB dual-channel memory with a total capacity of 48 GB was used, and the CPU-Z built-in test Version 17.01.64 was also run and the CPU scored 892.6 points for single-threaded, and 17769.9 points for multi-threaded.

∆ CPU-Z information at a glance and Version 17.01.64 built-in test score results.

 

AIDA64 Memory and Cache TestsIn this test, using XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 8000MT/s 2X 24GB dual-channel memory with XMP turned on, on the X870E AORUS MASTER motherboard, the read speed was 91,994 MB/s, the write speed was 101,844 MB/s, and the copy speed was 82,579 MB/s. The latency was 63.5 ns. The latency is 63.5 ns.

*Win11 24H2 default test will pop up to disable virtualization and Hyper-V otherwise it will affect the score, this result is just for reference, we will see if Microsoft will update it later.

∆ AIDA64 cache and memory test.

 

Use with empty disk CrystalDiskMark The software was used to test the read/write performance of the T-FORCE Z540 M.2 PCIe Gen5 x4 SSD 2TB in NVMe SSD configuration mode with the file size set to 1GiB, and the sequential read/write speeds measured in the default profile were 12087.61 MB/s and 11670 MB/s.

The Q8T1 test result in the first column represents a thread with eight queue depths, which means that there are eight 1MB-sized accesses in the worklist waiting to be accessed. This corresponds to a real situation, such as reading or writing eight 1MB files from or to a hard disk at the same time, which is generally less likely to be done in general.

The random read/write results for the RND4K Q32T16 project are 7165.941 MB/s and 6789.17 MB/s. The RND4K Q32T16 project has a random read/write performance of 7165.941 MB/s and 6789.17 MB/s.

The RND4K Q32T16 operates with 16 queue depths out of 32 threads, and the file types are random access 4 KB size files written or read into the SSD.

∆ CrystalDiskMark Settings:NVMe SSD / Profile:Default, Sequential Read/Write and Random Read/Write test scores.

 

Processor score test software CINEBENCH R23It is often used to evaluate the 3D rendering and graphics performance of the processor itself, which was developed by MAXON based on Cinema 4D.

new version Cinebench 2024 MAXON ONE is Maxon's benchmark software for MAXON ONE software. MAXON ONE includes Cinema 4D, Red Giant Complete, Redshift, ZBrush, Universe, and Forger, and is a powerful tool for creating animation effects, motion design, motion graphics, film-grade portraits, and game art scenes. Each of these software programs fits together to provide a complete visual solution for creators.

Cinebench 2024 uses Cinema 4D's default Redshift rendering engine to test GPU and CPU performance. If multiple graphics cards are used to run Cinebench 2024 tests, the software utilizes multiple cards for the rendering tests at the same time, and Cinebench 2024 performs multiple rendering tests with six times the amount of computation when compared to Cinebench R23. Compared to Cinebench R23, the Cinebench 2024 multi-threaded rendering tests show a six-fold increase in the amount of computation for scenes. This reflects improvements in CPU performance and the higher hardware requirements that multimedia workers must now meet.

∆ CINEBENCH R23.

∆ CINEBENCH 2024.

 

V-Ray 6 Benchmark The V-Ray engine test software is an image rendering program developed by Chaos Group. The free Benchmark examines the rendering speeds of CPUs and GPUs on the V-Ray engine, and the V-Ray program tests the rendering performance of the processor, with the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X test platform scoring 52,819 points.

∆ V-Ray 6 Benchmark.

 

Corona Benchmark is a free test software based on the Corona 10 rendering core that evaluates the performance of a system by using Corona 10 rendered scenes to measure the rendering speed of the system in terms of rays per second (rays/s). More rays per second means faster rendering, and the scores are linearly scaled. For example, a system with 6 million rays per second will have twice the rendering speed and performance of a system with 3 million rays per second.

∆ Corona Benchmark.

 

Geekbench 6 CPU Benchmark can be used to test CPU and memory performance, including data compression, image processing, machine learning, optical tracking, and many other daily use and professional productivity tests.

∆ Geekbench 6_ CPU Benchmark.

 

CrossMark There are a total of 25 items, including productivity, creative content work, system responsiveness and other work simulation load test, the following three scores have different scoring criteria and use of the context, Productivity (Productivity) includes document editing, spreadsheets, web browsing, the second Creativity (Creativity) includes photo editing, photo organizing, video editing, the last Responsiveness (Responsiveness) has opened the file, document response speed, multi-processing context. The second category, Creativity, includes photo editing, photo organizing, and video editing, while the last category, Responsiveness, includes file opening, document response speed, and multitasking scenarios.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X scored 2573 Total, 2241 Productivity, 3206 Creativity, and 2014 Response in this CrossMark test.

∆ CrossMark Everyday Use Scene Test Program.

 

CrystalMark Retro 1.0.1 It is a comprehensive benchmark software that measures CPU, HDD, 2D graphics (GDI) and 3D graphics (OpenGL) performance. Developed by hiyohiyo and koinec, the authors of CrystalDiskMark and CrystalDiskInfo, the results are individual scores and not in any common units.

∆ CrystalMark Retro 1.0.1.

 

PCMark 10 It also simulates test scenarios to determine the overall performance of the computer. The common basic functions include application launching, web browsing, and video conferencing tests, while productivity simulates document and spreadsheet writing, and the last item, video content creation, includes professional tests such as photo editing, video editing, and rendering.

In this test, the commonly used basic functions are authorship 12261 points, productivity 12458 points, and image content creation 19291 points.

∆ PCMark 10 test.

 

UL Procyon AI Computer Vision Benchmark Designed for AI floating-point computing or motion capture and recognition, this benchmark provides insight into the performance of AI inference engines on Windows PCs or Apple Macs using NVIDIA® TensorRT™, Intel® OpenVINO™, Qualcomm® SNPE™, Microsoft® Windows ML, and Apple® Core ML™. Neural network models are tested using MobileNet V3, Inception V4, YOLO V3, DeepLab V3, Real-ESRGAN, ResNet 50, etc., and the higher the final score, the better.

∆ AI Computer Vision Benchmark uses Microsoft® Windows ML test scores.

 

Next up, the 3DMark series, one of the most benchmarks for gaming scores, was used to compare the theoretical results of the same graphics platform with different processors through a series of tests with different picture quality and different GPU APIs.

3DMark CPU Profile This test will measure the performance of MAX, 16, 8, 4, 2 and 1 threads respectively, while the performance of 16 threads and above is more for 3D rendering or audio/video professional work, most of the mainstream DirectX 12 games can refer to the score of 8 threads, while the score of 4 and 2 threads are related to the old games developed with DirectX 9.

∆ 3DMark CPU Profile.

 

In addition, the author has also used the commonly used game performance simulation test 3DMark Fire Strike、3D Mark Time SpyWhen tested with the NVIDIA RTX 4070 graphics card, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X scored 49,973 physics points in Fire Strike, a 1080p-quality DirectX11 GPU API contextual game simulation test, and 17,742 CPU points in Time Spy, a 1440p-quality DirectX 12 GPU API contextual game simulation test. Time Spy scored 17742 CPU points in the 1440p DirectX 12 GPU API contextual game simulation test.

∆ 3DMark Fire Strike.

∆ 3DMark Time Spy.

 

After the above two hours of various score testing software, GIGABYTE X870E AORUS MASTER motherboard in the bare test platform in the absence of additional fans blowing directly, the VRM MOS maximum temperature of 61 ° C and the two PCH maximum is 62.8 ° C. Therefore, you can see that the motherboard itself cooling armor, in the pure PBO setup with 9950X So you can see that the motherboard's own thermal armor is fine with the 9950X in a pure PBO setup.

∆ During the above series of test software scores, the maximum MOS temperature recorded while using HWiNFO 64 was only 61 °C. The maximum temperature of the MOS was only 61 °C.

 

Conclusion

The GIGABYTE X870E AORUS MASTER motherboard was used with AM5's flagship AMD Ryzen 9 9950X processor for the test, and an additional AORUS GeForce RTX 4070 MASTER 12G graphics card was used along with XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 8000MT/s 2X 24GB RAM. With 24GB of memory, this is a pretty high-end budget combination for most people.

The X870E AORUS MASTER easily took the 16-core 9950X and fully utilized the processor's performance in all the tests, and with the DDR5 8000 MT/s memory, it was a no-brainer to test it, even though it was not in the QVL (bad example, please don't copy it), but unfortunately the author was still unable to overclock it to 8200 MT/s.

The overall expandability is still up to the standard of MASTER, with 4 DIMM slots supporting up to 256 GB of capacity, and four native M.2 SSD expansion slots, three of which are even PCIe Gen5 x4 bandwidth, which is a pleasant surprise to me, although the M2B_CPU and M2C_CPU share the bandwidth with the graphics card slot, which may be hard to accept for some gamers (it becomes very similar to the Z790, right?). Although the M2B_CPU and M2C_CPU share the same bandwidth as the graphics card slot, some gamers may find it hard to accept (it looks a lot like the Z790).

In addition to the basic expansion and PC DIY convenience design updates, the most important thing about the X870E is that it is equipped with the USB4 chip. The X870E AORUS MASTER has two HDMI (one front and one rear) and two USB4 Type-C ports for a total of "four" internal display output ports, which is not so common for me to use with the 40 Gbps transmission bandwidth. For the author, 40 Gbps transmission bandwidth is not so common, but having more internal display outputs would be more practical, and in fact, doesn't it smell good to have multiple monitors on the wall?