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GIGABYTE · LGA 1700 · Z790

GIGABYTE Z790 Gaming Plus AX

ATX · DDR5 · 4 DIMMs · 8-phase VRM · 6

Quality
57
VRM
24
Value
57
Amazon
$190
GIGABYTE Z790 Gaming Plus AX
View GIGABYTE Z790 Gaming Plus AX Gallery in high resolution
$190
Available Updated 3 days, 13 hours ago Prime FBA
Overall56.6
VRM24.0
Chipset92.0
Expansion / storage67.0
Connectivity54.0
Audio46.0
Quality / price56.6
$190 on Amazon Motherboard table Compare this motherboard

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Written analysis

GIGABYTE Z790 Gaming Plus AX at a glance

The GIGABYTE Z790 Gaming Plus AX uses the ATX form factor, LGA 1700 socket, and Z790 chipset. This is a high-end platform with the feature headroom expected in an enthusiast gaming or productivity build.

Memory support is DDR5 across 4 DIMM slots, with up to 256 GB and rated overclocked speeds up to 7600 MT/s. ECC modules are accepted, subject to CPU support. XMP / EXPO memory-profile support is recorded for easier tuning.

Best fit: a mainstream gaming, home, or office system with moderate expansion needs.

Power delivery

The calculated VRM score is 24.0, placing the power delivery in the basic class. The board lists 8 CPU power phases, 60 A power stages in a 8+1+1 layout. CPU power input is listed as 1. Keep it paired with lower-power processors and avoid sustained overclocked loads.

Expansion and storage

The expansion and storage score is 67.0: balanced . The platform supports PCIe 4.0. Physical expansion includes 3 ×16 slots.

On-board storage consists of 3 M.2 slots supporting PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 and 4 SATA ports. Supported M.2 lengths are listed as 22110, 2280. That is enough NVMe capacity for a multi-drive gaming or creator setup without immediately relying on an add-in card.

Connectivity and rear I/O

The connectivity score is 54.0, rated adequate . Wireless networking is Wi-Fi 6 ; wired networking is Realtek® 2.5GbE LAN chip (2.5 Gbps/1 Gbps/100 Mbps) at up to 2500 Mbps. Bluetooth 5.3 is included. The recorded USB provision is 8 rear connections and 7 front-panel connections. The specification sheet below separates every USB speed and connector type.

Display connectivity includes HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.2. These motherboard outputs require a processor with integrated graphics.

Audio

The audio score is 46.0. This is a standard onboard solution using Realtek® Audio CODEC. It covers normal gaming and communication; demanding headphones or production work still benefit from an external interface. The rear panel has 6 analogue jacks. Optical S/PDIF is present for digital audio equipment.

Buying verdict

Overall quality is 56.60, a mainstream result. The essential platform features are covered, while premium I/O and tuning extras are more selective.

At the recorded Amazon price, the quality-to-price score is 56.6—a balanced value for its feature class.

Board data

Full specifications

Platform, expansion, storage, rear I/O, internal headers, networking, audio, and board controls in one sheet.

General

Manufacturer
GIGABYTE
Motherboard
GIGABYTE Z790 Gaming Plus AX
Chipset / socket
Z790 / LGA 1700
Form factor
ATX
Launch price
—
Amazon price
$190
Availability
In stock
Price updated
3 days, 13 hours ago

VRM

CPU phases
8 (60 A)
Power design
8+1+1
EPS connector
1

Memory

Type / slots
DDR5 / 4 DIMMs
Max capacity / OC
256 GB / 7600 MT/s
Per DIMM
64 GB
XMP / EXPO
Yes
ECC
Modules supported

PCIe

Supported version
PCIe 4.0
x16 physical
3
x16 Gen 4
1
x16 Gen 3
2

Storage

M.2 slots
3
M.2 lengths
22110, 2280
M.2 modes
PCIe 4.0 x4/x2
SATA ports
4

Display outputs

HDMI
Yes · 2.1 · 4096x2160@60 Hz
DisplayPort
Yes · 1.2 · 4096x2304@60 Hz
USB-C DisplayPort
No

USB

Rear USB 2.0
5
Rear USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 5 Gbps
1
Rear USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C 5 Gbps
1
Rear USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 10 Gbps
1
Front USB 2.0
4
Front USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 5 Gbps
2
Front USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 10 Gbps
1
Header USB 2.0
4
Header USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 5 Gbps
2
Header USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 10 Gbps
1

Networking

Ethernet
Realtek® 2.5GbE LAN chip (2.5 Gbps/1 Gbps/100 Mbps)
LAN ports
1
LAN speed
2500 Mbps
Wi-Fi
6
Wi-Fi bandwidth
80MHz
Bands
2.4/5 GHz
Antenna connectors
2
Bluetooth
5.3

Audio

Chipset
Realtek® Audio CODEC
Analog jacks
6
Gold-plated jacks
No
Optical S/PDIF
Yes
Spatial audio
No

Buttons

BIOS flashback
No
Clear CMOS
No
Q-Flash Plus
Yes
Smart button
No
Onboard start / reset
No

Additional information

Memory notes
Supported memory speeds differ based on the installed CPU. 14th/13th Gen Intel Core i9/i7 processors support speeds up to 7600(O.C.) MT/s, while 13th Gen i5/i3 and 12th Gen processors support up to 4800 MT/s. The CPU and memory configuration can affect supported memory types, data rates, and the number of DRAM modules. It is recommended to refer to the manufacturer's Memory Support List for detailed information.
Display notes
Requires a CPU with Integrated Intel® HD Graphics. Both DisplayPort and HDMI ports support HDCP 2.3. The HDMI port supports native HDMI 2.1 TMDS. Graphics specifications may vary depending on CPU support.
Expansion notes
The primary PCIEX16 slot, connected to the CPU, supports PCIe 4.0 and runs at x16. The two other physical x16 slots, connected to the Chipset, support PCIe 3.0 but only run at x1 speed. The primary PCIEX16 slot is recommended for the main graphics card or an NVMe SSD.
M2A_CPU
4.0 4 · 22110, 2280 · CPU
M2P_SB
4.0 4 · 22110, 2280 · Chipset
M2M_SB
4.0 4 · 22110, 2280 · Chipset
RAID
SATA / PCIe (['0', '1', '5', '10'])
USB notes
8 of the USB 2.0/1.1 ports are provided via the Chipset plus 2 USB 2.0 Hubs.
Audio notes
Supports High Definition Audio and 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel configurations. The functionality of an audio jack can be changed using the audio software, which is also required to configure 7.1-channel audio.
Networking notes
Realtek Wi-Fi 6 RTL8851BE module. Supports WIFI a, b, g, n, ac, ax. Antenna configuration is 1T1R.
Button notes
The text lists a reset jumper and a Clear CMOS jumper, but not a Clear CMOS button.
Fan / RGB headers
1 CPU · 1 OPT · 2 AIO · 4 chassis · 2 ARGB · 2 RGB
Other headers
Front audio · System panel · TPM
Dimensions
30.5 cm x 24.4 cm

Extracted notes sit here. Official manufacturer copy is at the bottom of the page.

Amazon

Price history

Nearby quality

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VRM fit

VRM-appropriate CPUs

LGA 1700 processors whose TDP sits in this board’s VRM window. Socket match is required; chipset extras still matter on sTR5. This is a power-delivery filter, not a ranked CPU guide.

Open LGA 1700 CPUs in the CPU table

Discussion

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Vendor copy

Official manufacturer data

Raw manufacturer text kept for reference. Structured specs above are extracted from this copy and are the source for scores and tables.

Memory

14th and 13th Generation Intel® Core™ i9/i7 Processors:
- Support for DDR5 7600(O.C.) / 7400(O.C.) / 7200(O.C.) / 7000(O.C.) / 6800(O.C.) / 6600(O.C.) / 6400(O.C.) / 6200(O.C.) / 6000(O.C.) / 5800(O.C.) / 5600 / 5200 / 4800 / 4400 MT/s memory modules
13th Generation Intel® Core™ i5/i3 and 12th Generation Intel® Core™, Pentium® Gold and Celeron® Processors:
- Support for DDR5 4800/4400 MT/s memory modules
4 x DDR5 DIMM sockets supporting up to 256 GB (64 GB single DIMM capacity) of system memory
Dual channel memory architecture
Support for ECC Un-buffered DIMM 1Rx8/2Rx8 memory modules (operate in non-ECC mode)
Support for non-ECC Un-buffered DIMM 1Rx8/2Rx8/1Rx16 memory modules
Support for Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory modules
(The CPU and memory configuration may affect the supported memory types, data rate (speed), and number of DRAM modules, please refer to "Memory Support List" on GIGABYTE's website for more information.)

Graphics

Integrated Graphics Processor-Intel® HD Graphics support:
- 1 x DisplayPort, supporting a maximum resolution of 4096x2304@60 Hz
* Support for DisplayPort 1.2 version and HDCP 2.3
- 1 x HDMI port, supporting a maximum resolution of 4096x2160@60 Hz
* Support for HDMI 2.1 version and HDCP 2.3.
** Support native HDMI 2.1 TMDS compatible ports.
(Graphics specifications may vary depending on CPU support.)

Expansion slots

CPU:
- 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, supporting PCIe 4.0 and running at x16 (PCIEX16)
* The PCIEX16 slot can only support a graphics card or an NVMe SSD. If only one graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIEX16 slot.
Chipset:
- 2 x PCI Express x16 slots, supporting PCIe 3.0 and running at x1 (PCIEX1_1, PCIEX1_2)

Storage

CPU:
- 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 22110/2280 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSD support) (M2A_CPU)
Chipset:
- 2 x M.2 connectors (Socket 3, M key, type 22110/2280 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSD support) (M2P_SB, M2M_SB)
- 4 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID5, and RAID 10 support for NVMe SSD storage devices
RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 support for SATA storage devices

USB

Chipset:
- 1 x USB Type-C® port with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support, available through the internal USB header
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port (red) on the back panel
- 1 x USB Type-C® port on the back panel, with USB 3.2 Gen 1 support
- 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (1 port on the back panel, 2 ports available through the internal USB header)
- 1 x USB 2.0/1.1 port on the back panel
Chipset+2 USB 2.0 Hubs:
- 8 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports (4 ports on the back panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB headers)

Internal I/O

1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
1 x CPU fan header
1 x CPU fan/water cooling pump header
3 x system fan headers
1 x system fan/water cooling pump header
2 x addressable LED strip headers
2 x RGB LED strip headers
3 x M.2 Socket 3 connectors
4 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
1 x front panel header
1 x front panel audio header
1 x S/PDIF Out header
1 x USB Type-C® header, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 header
2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
1 x Trusted Platform Module header (For the GC-TPM2.0 SPI/GC-TPM2.0 SPI 2.0/ GC-TPM2.0 SPI V2 module only)
1 x serial port header
1 x Q-Flash Plus button
1 x reset jumper
1 x Clear CMOS jumper

Rear I/O

1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port (red)
1 x USB Type-C® port, with USB 3.2 Gen 1 support
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port
5 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
2 x SMA antenna connectors (1T1R)
1 x DisplayPort*
1 x HDMI port*
1 x RJ-45 port
6 x audio jacks

* Actual support may vary by CPU.

Wireless

Realtek® Wi-Fi 6 RTL8851BE
- WIFI a, b, g, n, ac, ax, supporting 2.4/5 GHz carrier frequency bands
- BLUETOOTH 5.3
- Support for 11ax 80MHz wireless standard
(Actual data rate may vary depending on environment and equipment.)

Audio

Realtek® Audio CODEC
High Definition Audio
2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
Support for S/PDIF Out
* You can change the functionality of an audio jack using the audio software. To configure
7.1-channel audio, access the audio software for audio settings.

Special features

Support for GIGABYTE Control Center (GCC)
* Available applications in GCC may vary by motherboard model. Supported functions of each application may also vary depending on motherboard specifications.
Support for Q-Flash
Support for Q-Flash Plus

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