GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X Motherboard Unboxing Review

The silver and white heat sinks and PCB are already attractive enough! The GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X is equipped with 18+1+2 phases of power supply, 8-layer PCB build, 5 M.2 expansion slots, PCIe 5.0 x16 graphics slot, 4DIMM memory slots with up to 192GB of capacity, QVL listings for overclocking up to DDR5-8266 MT/s, 5GbE LAN & Wi-Fi 7, and other design specifications and expansion capabilities that bring a good-looking and sufficient motherboard option to the cosmopolitan consumers. 8266 MT/s, 5GbE LAN & Wi-Fi 7, and other design specifications and expansion capabilities, the Sensor Panel Link_USB Type-C slot can also be used to set up an additional in-chassis small screen to match the installed display!

 

GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X Motherboard Specifications.

Size: ATX 30.5 x 24.4 cm
Processor Support: Intel 12th/13th/14th Core i9/ i7/ i5/ i3, Pentium Gold, Celeron
Processor Pin: LGA1700
CPU power supply phase: 18+1+2 phases
Chipset: Intel Z790
Memory: 4x DDR5 DIMM slots, 8266(O.C.) MT/s, 192 GB max capacity (single slot supports 48 GB capacity)
Memory Certification: Intel XMP (Extreme Memory Profile)
Display output: HDMI 2.0(4096×2160@60 Hz), USB Type-C(4096×2304@60 Hz), USB Type-C(1920×1080@30 Hz)
Expansion Slots: 1x PCIe 5.0 x16, 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 (supports x4 mode), 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (supports x4 mode)
Storage slots: 4x SATA 6Gb/s, M2C_CPU 25110/2580 PCIe 5.0 x4/x2, M2A_CPU 22110/2280 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2, M2Q_SB 22110/ 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2, M2P_SB 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2, M2M_SB 2280 SATA and PCIe 4.0 x4/x2
Network: Realtek RTL8126 5GbE
Wireless: MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 MT7927, Bluetooth 5.3
Audio: Realtek ALC1220-VB
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): 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C (10G/DP), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C (20G), 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2x USB 2.0/1.1 Type-A
RGB: 3x ARGB 5v 3-Pin, 1x RGB 12v 4-Pin
FAN: 1x 4-Pin CPU Fan, 1x 4-Pin CPU OPT, 4x 4-Pin SYS FAN, 2x 4-Pin SYS FAN/PUMP

 

GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X Motherboard Unboxing

GIGABYTE's all-white Z790 AORUS PRO X motherboard, which I've been interested in since I heard about it in July/August 2023, has been in communication with GIGABYTE since the beginning of the process to see if it could be borrowed for unboxing, and I can't believe that I've been waiting for eight months for it to be unboxed...

Prior to this model, GIGABYTE's white Z790 was only available in the AERO G Creator series, and the Z790 AERO G only had white heat sinks; the PCB was still black, and after the PRO X series, there was the more affordable ELITE AX ICE series to choose from, and perhaps we can unbox the ELITE AX ICE series later on to show you gamers.

The GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X is currently priced at NT$13,490 on the sales road in Taiwan, and there is also the X670E AORUS PRO X that supports AMD Ryzen 7000, which is a bit cheaper than the Z790 chipset.

∆ GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X supports Intel LGA 1700 processors.

∆ The back of the box contains product features and basic specifications.

 

Pricing and product positioning belongs to the high-end model segment of the Z790 AORUS PRO X, taking into account the general price range and the white appearance of these two conditions, generally compared to competitors models: MSI MPG Z790 EDGE TI MAX WIFI, NZXT N7 Z790, ROG STRIX Z790-A GAMING WIFI II and so on, but the other few are heat sinks to do whitening design or use the black PCB, for the white installation army still can not fully meet the demand. But the other few are heat sinks to do whitening design or use the black PCB, for the white installed machine army is still unable to fully meet the needs of the LGA 1700 motherboard appearance and price can be compared to it, perhaps only the second-hand price of the ROG MAXIMUS Z790 APEX, but I think that BladeSoft fans should not let go of that 2DIMM white too easily! The memory overclocking specialization board is just that.

The ATX version of the Z790 AORUS PRO X measures 30.5cm x 24.4cm, which is also a size that most common chassis can support, and is the most balanced size in terms of expandability and mounting compatibility.

The 18+1+2-phase VRM power block has a VRM Thermal Armor Advanced, which helps dissipate heat through embedded 8 mm nickel-plated heat pipes with 7 W/mk thermal pads, while the M.2 SSD mounting block and Z790 PCH area also have M.2 Thermal Guard XL thicker fins and M.2 Thermal Guard Ext large-area fins to help dissipate heat. M.2 Thermal Guard XL and M.2 Thermal Guard Ext are also available in the M.2 SSD mounting area and Z790 PCH area.

The ∆ Z790 AORUS PRO X is an ATX version with dimensions of 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm.

∆ VRM Thermal Armor Advanced and M.2 Thermal Guard XL.

∆ The back of the motherboard is shown.

∆Specialized backplane reinforced for graphics card load-bearing design.

 

The Z790 motherboard supports Intel 12/13/14th Core i9/ i7/ i5/ i3, Pentium, and Celeron processors with LGA1700 pins. However, the Z690 chipset can also support Intel 12/13/14th processors after updating the BIOS version, so you can extend it to a new motherboard if you have a Z690 motherboard. If you already have a Z690 motherboard in hand, you can extend it directly. Whether you want to spend money to upgrade from Z690 to Z790 depends on whether the appearance of this Z790 is attractive enough for you.

∆ Intel LGA 1700.

∆ This test was conducted with Intel Core i9-14900K.

 

Let's take a look at the expansion and power supply slots on the GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X motherboard, which features dual 8-Pin processor ATX_12V power supply slots on the top left side of the motherboard.

On the top right corner of the motherboard, there are two 4-Pin fan power supply slots, CPU_OPT, CPU_FAN and water-cooling power supply slots, where the water-cooling header PUMP power supply and water-cooling exhaust fan cables can be installed when installing integrated water-cooling, and on the right side there is an ARGB 5v 3-Pin slot.

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

∆ CPU_OPT, CPU_FAN, ARGB 5v 3-Pin.

 

Quad-slot DDR5 DIMM dual-clip memory slots support Un-buffered DIMM DDR5 memory, with a maximum expansion capacity of 192 GB for the four slots, that is, a single capacity limit of 48 GB, and a memory overclocking QVL frequency of up to 8266 MT/s (oc), but it is better to choose the memory model that is compatible with the installed memory QVL compatibility report of the motherboard. The Z790 AORUS PRO X also supports Intel XMP 3.0 (Extreme Memory Profile) memory one-click overclocking technology.

For the 2 DIMMs dual-channel memory kits that are often purchased in today's orders, it is recommended to prioritize the installation in slots A2 and B2 (the second and fourth slots counting from the left). By installing the two memories in these two slots, the memory will be able to operate more easily and at a higher frequency.

∆4x Un-buffered DIMM DDR5 memory slots, support up to 192 GB capacity expansion, QVL support up to 8266 MT/s (O.C.).

 

The right side of the motherboard features a motherboard 24-Pin power supply slot, an internal Type-C USB 2.0 (DisplayPort) slot (codename: USBDP), a USB 3.2 Gen1 slot (supports two front USB 3.2 Gen1 ports), a front Type-C USB 3.2 Gen2 x2 (20Gb/s) slot, EZ DeBug light, THB_C1/THB_USB4_C2 GIGABYTE Thunderbolt expansion slots, NOISE_SENSOR slot, EZ DeBug light, THB_C1/THB_USB4_C2 GIGABYTE Thunderbolt expansion daughtercard slots, NOISE_SENSOR, four SATA 6Gb/s, two SYS_FAN/PUMP fan and water cooling power supply slots, and RST_SW quick reset button.

What's special about this motherboard is that it has a CPU internal display output USBDP connector, this USB Type-C port supports USB 2.0 (DisplayPort) specification and the Sensor Panel Link function can be used to connect to a small monitor inside the chassis, which can be used by users to connect to USB devices as well as to connect to additional purchased monitors. The slot can support up to 1920×1080@30 Hz display specification. To use this display output function, your CPU must have Intel HD Graphics built-in graphics card, so if the processor model has F, you can't use the display output function.

The EZ DeBug status indicator is a quick way to see which parts of the motherboard have failed to boot during the self-test process, so that users can refer to it for debugging actions.

The THB_C1/THB_USB4_C2 slots are located next to the SATA slots and are designed to work with the GC-MAPLE RIDGE (rev. 1.0), a GIGABYTE Thunderbolt 4 expansion card, and users will need to purchase an additional card to utilize this feature.

∆ 24-Pin power supply slot, one internal Type-C USB 2.0 (DisplayPort) slot (codename: USBDP), one USB 3.2 Gen1 slot (supports two front USB 3.2 Gen1 ports), one front Type-C USB 3.2 Gen2 x2 (20Gb/s) slot, EZ DeBug lamps.

∆The built-in Type-C USB 2.0 (DisplayPort) slot supports the graphics output function of the processor's built-in graphics card, and can be used to add a small screen in the chassis or to connect to a USB device.

∆ EZ DeBug quickly identifies the source of errors in the motherboard self-test with four LED beads.

∆ THB_C1/THB_USB4_C2 GIGABYTE Thunderbolt Expansion Card Slot, NOISE_SENSOR (Noise Detection Socket), Quad SATA, Quick Reset Button.

 

On the lower row of the motherboard are the system front panel slots, CMOS setup clear jumper slot, four SYS_FAN fan power slots, QFlash BIOS update button, two USB 2.0 (supports four front USB 2.0 ports), SPI_TPM (Secure Crypto Module Connection Port), 12V 4-Pin RGB, two 5V 3-Pin ARGB, HD_AUDIO audio slots, and two 5V 3-Pin RGB. ARGB, HD_AUDIO audio slots.

If the overclocking fails to enter the BIOS, it is necessary to rely on the CMOS clear jumper slot to clear the settings and return to the default state. However, since this motherboard does not have a Clear CMOS shortcut button, it is necessary to use a jumper with the slot, and the author feels that overclocking on the barebones platform will be easier to operate.

∆ System front panel slot (slot function labeled below), CMOS setup clear jumper slot, four SYS_FAN fan power supply slots, QFlash BIOS update button, two USB 2.0 (supports four front USB 2.0 ports).

∆ SPI_TPM (Secure Crypto Module Connection Socket), 12V 4-Pin RGB, two 5V 3-Pin ARGB, HD_AUDIO Audio Slot.

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

 

The motherboard's PCIe slots provide a total of three x16 length slots. GIGABYTE's graphics card friendly design still maintains the second and third PCIe slots shifted downward, which allows better expansion compatibility with other PCIe devices when the graphics card is installed directly on the motherboard, for example, when expanding PCIe devices such as capture cards or sound cards, it can avoid the situation where the thermal performance of the graphics card is degraded due to the close proximity of the card's thermal modules. This can prevent the thermal performance of the graphics card from deteriorating due to the proximity of the card's thermal module, but it is not a problem for users who install the graphics card in an upright position.

However, there is something to be aware of when expanding, that is, only the first full x16 slot is PCIe 5.0 x16 bandwidth specification, and this expansion slot shares the bandwidth with the M2C_CPU expansion position, so when the M2C_CPU slot has an M.2 SSD installed, PCIe 5.0 x16 will automatically reduce the bandwidth to PCIe 5.0 x8 to operate, but at present even if the flagship NVIDIA RTX 4090 graphics card uses PCIe 4.0 x16 and PCIe 4.0 x8 to use performance will not drop too much, so when 4090 is divided equally between PCIe 4.0 x16 and PCIe 4.0 x8 due to M2C_CPU, performance will not drop too much. However, even if the flagship NVIDIA RTX 4090 graphics card uses PCIe 4.0 x16 and PCIe 4.0 x8, the performance will not drop too much. Therefore, when the 4090 is bandwidth-equalized due to the M2C_CPU and has to run on PCIe 4.0 x8 (the motherboard will work with the 4090 to lower the bandwidth from PCIe 5.0 x8 to PCIe 4.0 x8), that will also be fine.

The second and third PCI Express x16 slots are x16 in length, but actually only have PCIe 4.0 x4 and PCIe 3.0 x4 bandwidth, which is more than enough for additional devices such as capture cards or sound cards.

The PCIe 5.0 x16 graphics card slot has a dedicated PCIe EZ-Latch button, which has an extra tab to help users remove the original graphics card or PCIe device more easily.

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

The ∆ PCIe EZ-Latch displays the card to facilitate the removal of the key.

∆ M.2 Thermal Guard Ext heat sink for mirror reflection.

The ∆ M.2 EZ-Latch Click design is able to fix the heatsink without screws, which is quite convenient for the author who often removes the motherboard heatsink!

 

After removing the motherboard heatsink, you can see the five M.2 SSD expansion slots on the GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X. The M2C_CPU / M2A_CPU using the processor direct channel are PCIe Gen5 x4 / PCIe Gen4 x4 bandwidths respectively, with the first slot, M2C_CPU (PCIe Gen5 x4), supporting the wider 25110/2580 form factor; the second slot, M2A_CPU (PCIe Gen4 x4), supports the regular 22110/2280 form factor M.2 SSD installation. The first slot M2C_CPU (PCIe Gen5 x4) supports the wider 25110/2580 form factor; the second slot M2A_CPU (PCIe Gen4 x4) supports the regular 22110/2280 form factor M.2 SSD installations.

M2C_CPU supports PCIe Gen5 x4 M.2 SSDs, so it uses a thicker M.2 Thermal Guard XL heatsink, which boasts 9 times the cooling area for better passive cooling performance, and its lower height should be more friendly to air-cooled towers than the Thermal Guard III SSD heatsink given by GIGABYTE's flagship motherboards. SSD heatsinks on GIGABYTE's flagship motherboards.

The remaining three M2Q_SB(22110/2280) / M2P_SB(2280) / M2M_SB(2280) slots, which utilize the Z790 chipset channel, support PCIe Gen4 x4 bandwidth, and the M2M_SB slot supports early M.2 SATA SSDs, and the five M.2 SSD mounting locations on the entire motherboard support the M Key specification. All five M.2 SSD mounting locations on the motherboard support the M Key specification, and the front of the M.2 SSDs have thermal pads on the motherboard heatsinks to provide stable cooling performance, but unfortunately there are no thermal pads underneath the M.2 SSDs, and only the first slot, the M2C_CPU (PCIe Gen5 x4), has its own thermal pads to enhance the cooling of the dual-particle M.2 SSDs, but the consumer has to buy thermal pads elsewhere on his or her own. However, consumers have to purchase thermal pads elsewhere.

∆ M.2 Thermal Guard XL heatsink for slot 1 M2C_CPU (PCIe Gen5 x4).

∆ All five M.2 SSD mounting locations are equipped with thermal pads on the front side (the contact surface of the M.2 SSD controller chip) to help dissipate heat.

∆ M2C_CPU (PCIe Gen5 x4), M2A_CPU (PCIe Gen4 x4), M2Q_SB (PCIe Gen4 x4), M2P_SB (PCIe Gen4 x4), M2M_SB (PCIe Gen4 x4/SATA).

The ∆WiFi network card is installed under M2P_SB(PCIe Gen4 x4). It is not recommended to install a hotter M.2 SSD in M2P_SB if you use WiFi and Bluetooth frequently.

∆ M.2 EZ-Latch Plus tool-less fixed mount SSD.

 

The rear I/O of the motherboard provides two USB 2.0 Type-A, WiFi 7 antenna port, four USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, DisplayPort IN input port, HDMI 2.0, two USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (10 Gbps), one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (10 Gbps / GIGABYTEVisionLINK / DisplayPort), one USB 3.2 Gen2 x2 Type-C (20 Gbps), RJ-45 5 GB LAN wired network, RJ-45 5 GB LAN wired network. Gbps / GIGABYTEVisionLINK / DisplayPort), one USB 3.2 Gen2 x2 Type-C (20 Gbps), RJ-45 5GB LAN wired network port, fiber optic S/PDIF digital audio output, two audio ports.

One of the USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (10 Gb/s) ports labeled BIOS, when using the BIOS update function of Q-Flash Plus, you need to insert the UFD with the BIOS file into this slot to perform the Q-Flash Plus update operation.

The USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C slot, labeled USB-C DP/10G, also supports GIGABYTEVisionLINK technology with DisplayPort output, data transfer, and 20V@3A(60W) fast charging power supply, and the display output can be up to 4096 x 2304 @ 60 Hz. The display output of this slot can be up to 4096×2304@60Hz, but only if a DP cable is connected to the DisplayPort of the discrete graphics card and the DisplayPort IN input port on the rear of the motherboard, in order to allow this USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C slot to have display output, which is the same as Thunderbolt wanting the display output to be able to function.

∆ Rear I/O at a glance.

 

Extra motherboard gadgets include 2 x SATA cables, WiFi 7 antenna, temperature measurement cable, 2 x noise detection cables, chassis I/O integration clips, and more.

∆ Accessories at a glance.

The ∆WiFi 7 antenna is mounted for display and has a magnetic feature on the bottom to secure it to the case.

 

GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X Motherboard Power Supply / 18+1+2 Phase Power Supply, 8 Layer PCB

The GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X motherboard utilizes an 18+1+2 Twin Digital VRM Design architecture, with an 18-phase 90A SPS for CPU Vcore VCORE Phases, a 1-phase 60A SPS for VCCGT Phases, and a 2-phase VCCAUX Phases (CPU Memory Controller [IMC]). VCCAUX Phases (CPU Memory Controller [IMC]).

∆ The bare PCB of the motherboard is shown.

∆ The motherboard heatsink is disassembled, and you can see an 8 mm nickel-plated heat pipe embedded in the motherboard VRM power supply heatsink.

∆ 18+1+2 Twin Digital VRM Design architecture with 9+9 phase parallel design for CPU Vcore VCORE Phases.

∆ 18 Renesas / Intersil ISL99390-90A Smart Power Stages (SPS) are responsible for CPU Vcore VCORE Phases, and the one on the far right is the Renesas ISL99360-60A Smart Power Stages (SPS). The one on the far right is the Renesas ISL99360-60A Smart Power Stages (SPS), which is responsible for the VCCGT Phase.

∆ Renesas / Intersil RAA229130 PMIC - Power Management IC chip.

∆ The left two are onsemi NCP303160 responsible for VCCAUX Phases (CPU Memory Controller [IMC]).

∆ Z790 PCH chipset.

∆ Realtek RTS5411S USB3.2 Gen1 4-port Hub controller.

∆ DIODES P13HDX screen output chip.

∆ Realtek RTS5450 USB Type-C power controller.

∆ Realtek RTS5464 USB-C PD, CC logic chip.

∆ Realtek RTL8126 5GbE network chip.

∆ LeRain JYS13008MF01 PCIe Gen5 signal stabilization chip.

∆ MXIC MX25L4006E is a CMOS SERIAL FLASH MEMORY.

∆ BIOS chip.

∆ ITE IT5701E-128 is a SUPER I/O ring control chip.

∆ ITE IT8689E is a SUPER I/O ring controller chip.

∆ Realtek ALC1220 audio chip.

 

BIOS Function Setting Menu

After the motherboard has passed the self-checking process, press the F2 or DEL button to enter the EASY MODE of the BIOS, where gamers can set up basic functions, such as GIGABYTE PerfDrive technology, memory XMP one-click overclocking, and more.

I tested it with Intel Core i9-14900K, the default GIGABYTE PerfDrive mode of GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X motherboard is Optimization mode, and the CPU Biscuits score is 93.112 CP. I would like to mention that when I switched to GIGABYTE PerfDrive mode for testing, I found a small change in CPU Biscuits score. I would like to mention that when I switched to the GIGABYTE PerfDrive mode for testing, I found that there was a small change in the CPU Biscuits score, I'm not sure if it's due to switching modes or restarting the computer which caused the change in the score.

GIGABYTE PerfDrive GIGABYTE motherboard automatic overclocking technology before the author has written an introduction, at that time is to match 13900K for testing, interested parties can go to see the "GIGABYTE PerfDrive".My Eagle Academy Introducing GIGABYTE PerfDrive, the automatic overclocking technology for GIGABYTE motherboards.》。

∆ EASY MODE.

 

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.

∆ Advanced Processor Settings tab.

At the bottom of the ∆ Advanced Processor Settings sub-page is the frequency of automatic overclocking for each core, which can be used as a benchmark to determine which core has the better quality during the overclocking process.

∆ Advanced memory setting.

The lower half of the ∆ Tweaker overclocking settings are related to the processor and DDR5 voltage settings.

∆ Advanced voltage setting.

∆ Processor/VRM Settings.

∆ Settings.

∆Platform power.

∆ IO Ports.

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

∆ Computer Health Status sub-page.

∆ System Info.

∆ Boot system boot-related settings.

∆ Press F6 to enter the Smart Fan6 fan speed curve setting.

 

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.

∆ RGB Fusion.

The processor and memory overclocking parameters can be set in ∆ Performance.

∆ Processor overclocking setting.

∆ Memory overclocking setting, but the options are quite few.

∆ System Alert Setting.

∆ The driver download menu can be updated.

 

RGB Fusion allows you to set the lighting effects for each RGB slot on the motherboard. The GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X motherboard itself has lighting effects centered in the word AORUS on the I/O heatsink at the rear of the motherboard.

∆ Lighting effect display.

∆ Lighting is on the soft side.

∆ has a gradient.

 

GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X Motherboard Performance Testing

This motherboard performance test uses the GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X motherboard with 8 P-Core, 16 E-Core total 24-core 32-thread Intel Core i9-14900K processor, and update the BIOS to the F5f version, the memory is to use the G.SKILL Phantom Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200 48GB (2x24GB) dual-channel memory. Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200 48GB (2x24GB) dual-channel memory was used to set up the test platform. During the test, memory XMP 3.0, GIGABYTE PerfDrive_Optimization, and Re-Size BAR settings were enabled.

Testing Platform

Processor: Intel Core i9-14900K
Cooler: AORUS WATERFORCE II 360 ICE (full speed)
Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X ( BIOS version: F5f )
Memory:G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200 48GB (2x24GB)
Display Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Quick Silver 8G OC
Operating System: Windows 11 Professional 22H2
System Drive: WD BLUE 3D NAND SATA M.2 2280 SSD 500GB
Power Supply: MONTECH TITAN GOLD 1200W
Graphics driver: GeForce Game Ready 552.22
Case: STREACOM BC1 Benchtable V2

 

firstly CPU-Z Viewing the hardware information of this test platform, Intel Core i9-14900K processor has 8P+16E cores and 32 threads, series code name is Raptor Lake-S Refresh using Intel 7(10 nm) process, motherboard using GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X supporting PCI-E 5.0 lanes, BIOS is F5f version, memory using G.SKILL Mirage Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200 48GB (2x24GB) dual-channel capacity totaling 48GB. The BIOS is F5f version and the memory is G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200 48GB (2x24GB) with total 48GB dual-channel capacity. Meanwhile, the CPU-Z built-in test Version 17.01.64 was run and the CPU scored 931.8 points for single-threaded and 17,073 points for multi-threaded.

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

 

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 The Cinema 2024 code and the Redshift rendering engine were used to test the GPU and CPU rendering performance. Due to the differences in code and compiler, and the scenes used, the results of the two versions are not comparable.

∆ CINEBENCH R23.

∆ CINEBENCH 2024.

 

AIDA64 Memory and Cache TestsThis time use G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200 48GB (2x24GB) The dual-channel memory was tested with XMP on and read speeds were 103860 MB/s, write speeds were 90,194 MB/s, copy speeds were 95,335 MB/s, and latency was 72.5 ns.

∆ AIDA64 cache and memory test.

 

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.

The Intel i9-14900K scored 16,033 points for maximum threads, while mainstream gamers need to be aware of the 8 and 4 threads, which scored 8,437 and 4,638 points respectively.

∆ 3DMark CPU Profile.

 

In addition, the author has also used the commonly used game performance simulation test 3DMark Fire Strike、3D Mark Time SpyThe NVIDIA GTX 1070 graphics card was paired with the NVIDIA GTX 1070 graphics card and scored 54751 physics points in Fire Strike, a 1080p DirectX11 GPU API situational game simulation test, and 22714 CPU points in Time Spy, a 1440p DirectX 12 GPU API situational game simulation test. CPU score in Time Spy for contextual game simulations with 1440p screen quality DirectX 12 GPU API.

∆ 3DMark Fire Strike.

∆ 3DMark Time Spy.

 

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 the CPU and GPU on the V-Ray engine, while the V-Ray program tests the rendering performance of the processor, and the 14900K test platform scored 37,467 in the test.

∆ V-Ray 6 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.

In this CrossMark test, it scored 2365 total, 2112 productivity, 2914 creativity, and 1777 reflexes.

∆ CrossMark Everyday Use Scene Test Program.

 

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 common basic functions are writing 11787 points, productivity 11547 points, and image content creation 14114 points.

∆ PCMark 10 test.

 

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.

 

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.

 

After the above three hours of various score testing software, the GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X motherboard in the bare test platform without additional fan blowing directly, the highest temperature of MOS is 52 °C and the Z790 PCH is 47 °C, so you can see that the motherboard's own thermal armor, in the case of using it with the i9- 14900K without additional overclocking settings, is more than enough cooling performance. 14900K without additional overclocking settings, the cooling performance is more than adequate.

Incidentally, with the motherboard's default GIGABYTE PerfDrive Optimization Auto Optimization mode and AORUS WATERFORCE II 360 ICE all-in-one water cooling, the maximum CPU Package temperature was 96 °C and the maximum CPU Package Power was 339.9 W. The maximum CPU Package Power was 339.9 W. The maximum CPU package temperature is 96 °C and the maximum CPU package power is 339.9 W.

∆ During the above series of test software scores, HWiNFO 64 was used to record both MOS and PCH temperatures, with maximum temperatures of only 52 °C and 47 °C. The maximum temperatures of both MOS and PCH were recorded by HWiNFO 64.

 

Five GIGABYTE PerfDrive Performance Differences

When I tested the GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X motherboard with the Intel i9-14900K processor, the default GIGABYTE PerfDrive mode is the Optimization mode. Considering that users of the 98% basically won't enter the BIOS to adjust the GIGABYTE PerfDrive mode, the author used the motherboard's default settings for performance testing. Considering the fact that users of the 98% basically won't go into the BIOS to adjust the GIGABYTE PerfDrive mode, the author used the motherboard's default settings to conduct the performance test.

However, the Optimization mode is set to PL1:280 W / PL2:4095 W, which means that the average power consumption is limited to 280 W for a long period of time, while there is no upper limit on the short-term power consumption (corresponding to the power consumption in the Turbo Boost extreme state), which is a certain performance loss for the 14900K, but of course this is a more secure way of setting. After all, not all users want to choose extreme performance at the expense of stability and high temperatures.

CINEBENCH 2024 results in ∆ Optimization auto optimization mode.

 

So I went into the BIOS settings and simply switched the other four GIGABYTE PerfDrive modes: Unleash, Instant 6GHz, Spec Enhance, and E-Core Disable, and left the other settings untouched, so that we could see how much the five modes affect the performance of the i9-14900K.

∆ The top right corner allows you to quickly switch between GIGABYTE PerfDrive modes.

 

Unleash is a mode that was not available in the author's previous introduction, but according to the prompt after opening: it is recommended to use this mode with 420/480 AIO or split water cooling, so it is assumed that this mode should be completely free from the processor's power consumption limitations.

The ∆ Unleash mode performance has progressed in all cases, with a particular increase in multi-core performance of 307 pts, which is a 14.9% increase in performance over the default mode.

 

Turning on Instant 6GHz mode allows the processor's two P-Cores to run directly at 6 GHz, which is ideal for few-core computing applications.

∆ Instant 6GHz.

 

The Spec Enhance mode focuses on allowing the processor to run at a high performance and low temperature, and if you look into it a little bit, you can see that it limits the long term power consumption of the PL1 to 253 W, while the short term power consumption of the PL2 is kept at the upper limit of liberation.

Spec Enhance Mode still has the best performance of all modes as in the last test, and the reason for this is that GIGABYTE has made it possible for Spec Enhance Mode to satisfy both the high performance and low power consumption requirements, and Spec Enhance Mode not only sets the PL1 power limit, but also fine tunes certain settings to achieve better performance.

∆ Spec Enhance mode.

 

The E-Core Disable mode, which turns the E-Core directly off, will give better temperature performance by turning the E-Core off for lower power consumption, but the relative multi-core performance will be lower; CINEBENCH 2024 single-core tests use P-Core, so it will not affect single-core scores.

∆ E-Core Disable Mode

 

Conclusion

The all-white appearance of the GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X motherboard is undoubtedly a perfect match for all-white lovers like me. Before the ELITE AX ICE series came out with a more affordable price, the PRO X series motherboards were the most affordable choices among the new chipset motherboards with all-white heat sinks and PCBs, but after the cheaper ELITE AX ICE series came out, consumers could buy white motherboards at a cheaper price to install their PC. However, after the cheaper ELITE AX ICE series came out, consumers can buy white motherboards at a cheaper price to install, but the relative motherboards themselves will be a little bit worse than the PRO X series motherboards in terms of power supply materials, expansion specifications, I/O specifications, and other details, and it depends on how the consumer chooses to go about it (but I'm sure we will all go for the cheaper one).

 

GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS PRO X motherboard with 18+1+2 phases SPS power supply uses large area thermal armor with 8 mm heat pipes to provide stable overclocking performance for Intel 14th consumer flagship processor i9-14900K, and uses 8-layer PCB to further reduce the signal transmission loss of 56%, which allows the memory to reach a maximum of 8266 MTB/s QVL. The 8-layer PCB further reduces the signaling loss of the 56%, allowing the memory QVL to reach up to 8266 MT/s.

With 5 M.2 SSD mounts, 4 DIMM slots for up to 192 GB of capacity, 5GbE RJ-45 LAN, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, and multiple USB Type-A and Type-C available, this motherboard is more than enough for most gamers or consumers on a budget. For most gamers or consumers on a budget, this motherboard is more than enough, but if you want to go further and get more motherboard expansions, you'll have to spend a few thousand dollars more on the sub-flagship AORUS MASTER series.