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GIGABYTE · LGA 1700 · Z790

GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Elite AX

ATX · DDR5 · 4 DIMMs · 16-phase VRM · 6E

Quality
73
VRM
56
Value
73
Amazon
$190
GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Elite AX
View GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Elite AX Gallery in high resolution
$190
Available Updated 2 days, 9 hours ago Prime FBA
Overall72.6
VRM56.0
Chipset97.0
Expansion / storage99.0
Connectivity68.0
Audio43.0
Quality / price72.6
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Written analysis

GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Elite AX at a glance

The GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Elite 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 performance gaming and productivity PC that needs a balanced board without workstation-class excess.

Power delivery

The calculated VRM score is 56.0, placing the power delivery in the upper mid-range class. The board lists 16 CPU power phases, 70 A power stages in a 16+1+2 layout. CPU power input is listed as 2. It suits performance processors at stock; sustained extreme overclocking is not its main purpose.

Expansion and storage

The expansion and storage score is 99.0: exceptionally well equipped . The platform supports PCIe 5.0. Physical expansion includes 3 ×16 slots.

On-board storage consists of 4 M.2 slots supporting Three M.2 slots (M2A_CPU, M2P_SB, M2Q_SB) support PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 modes. One M.2 slot (M2M_SB) supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode. and 6 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 68.0, rated adequate . Wireless networking is Wi-Fi 6E ; 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 10 rear connections and 1 front-panel connections. The specification sheet below separates every USB speed and connector type.

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

Audio

The audio score is 43.0. 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 2 analogue jacks. Optical S/PDIF is present for digital audio equipment.

Buying verdict

Overall quality is 72.60, a strong performance-class result. This is the practical sweet spot for a powerful gaming or productivity PC without paying for every flagship extra.

At the recorded Amazon price, the quality-to-price score is 72.6—an excellent value relative to the other boards in the catalog.

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 AORUS Elite AX
Chipset / socket
Z790 / LGA 1700
Form factor
ATX
Launch price
—
Amazon price
$190
Availability
In stock
Price updated
2 days, 9 hours ago

VRM

CPU phases
16 (70 A)
Power design
16+1+2
EPS connector
2

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 5.0
x16 physical
3
x16 Gen 5
1
x16 Gen 4
1
x16 Gen 3
1

Storage

M.2 slots
4
M.2 lengths
22110, 2280
M.2 modes
Three M.2 slots (M2A_CPU, M2P_SB, M2Q_SB) support PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 modes. One M.2 slot (M2M_SB) supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode.
SATA ports
6

Display outputs

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

USB

Rear USB 2.0
4
Rear USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 5 Gbps
3
Rear USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 10 Gbps
2
Rear USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C 20 Gbps
1
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

Networking

Ethernet
Realtek® 2.5GbE LAN chip (2.5 Gbps/1 Gbps/100 Mbps)
LAN ports
1
LAN speed
2500 Mbps
Wi-Fi
6E
Wi-Fi bandwidth
160MHz
Bands
2.4/5/6 GHz
Antenna connectors
2
Bluetooth
5.3

Audio

Chipset
Realtek® Audio CODEC
Analog jacks
2
Gold-plated jacks
No
Optical S/PDIF
Yes
Spatial audio
Rear output

Buttons

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

Additional information

Memory notes
Supports ECC Un-buffered DIMM 1Rx8/2Rx8 memory modules, which operate in non-ECC mode. Also supports non-ECC Un-buffered DIMM 1Rx8/2Rx8/1Rx16 memory modules. The CPU and memory configuration may affect the supported memory types, data rate (speed), and number of DRAM modules; refer to the 'Memory Support List' for more information.
Display notes
Graphics specifications may vary depending on the CPU installed. Supports up to 2 displays simultaneously.
Expansion notes
The first x16 slot (PCIEX16) is CPU-attached, supporting PCIe 5.0 and running at x16. The second x16 slot (PCIEX4_1) is chipset-attached, supporting PCIe 4.0 and running at x4. The third x16 slot (PCIEX4_2) is chipset-attached, supporting PCIe 3.0 and running at x4. For optimum performance, a single graphics card should be installed in the PCIEX16 slot.
M2A_CPU
4.0 4 · 22110, 2280 · CPU
M2P_SB
4.0 4 · 22110, 2280 · Chipset
M2Q_SB
4.0 4 · 22110, 2280 · Chipset
M2M_SB
4.0 4 · SATA · 22110, 2280 · Chipset
RAID
SATA / PCIe (0, 1, 5, 10)
Storage notes
Refer to "2-8 Internal Connectors," for the installation notices for the M.2 and SATA connectors.
USB notes
The 8 USB 2.0 ports are provided by the Chipset plus 2 USB 2.0 Hubs. The board includes two Thunderbolt add-in card connectors.
Audio notes
High Definition Audio, 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel support. 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.
Networking notes
The Wi-Fi supports up to 2.4 Gbps data rate. Actual data rate may vary depending on environment and equipment.
Button notes
The board includes a reset button, a reset jumper, and a Clear CMOS jumper.
Fan / RGB headers
1 CPU · 1 OPT · 1 AIO · 3 chassis · 2 ARGB · 2 RGB
Other headers
Front audio · System panel · TPM · Thunderbolt
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

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(O.C.) / 5400(O.C.) / 5200(O.C.) / 4800 / 4000 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" for more information.)

Expansion slots

CPU:
1 x PCI Express x16 slot, supporting PCIe 5.0 and running at x16 (PCIEX16)
* For optimum performance, if only one PCI Express graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIEX16 slot.
Chipset:
1 x PCI Express x16 slot, supporting PCIe 4.0 and running at x4 (PCIEX4_1)
1 x PCI Express x16 slot, supporting PCIe 3.0 and running at x4 (PCIEX4_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, M2Q_SB)
1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 22110/2280 SATA and PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD support) (M2M_SB)
6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 support for NVMe SSD storage devices

RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 support for SATA storage devices
* Refer to "2-8 Internal Connectors," for the installation notices for the M.2 and SATA connectors.

USB

Chipset:
1 x USB Type-C® port on the back panel, with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support
1 x USB Type-C® port with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support, available through the internal USB header
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red) on the back panel
5 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (3 ports on the back panel, 2 ports available through the internal USB header)
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
2 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connectors
1 x CPU fan header
1 x water cooling CPU fan 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
4 x M.2 Socket 3 connectors
6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
1 x front panel header
1 x front panel audio 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
2 x Thunderbolt™ add-in card connectors
1 x Trusted Platform Module header (For the GC-TPM2.0 SPI/GC-TPM2.0 SPI 2.0 module only)
1 x reset button
1 x Q-Flash Plus button
1 x Clear CMOS button
1 x reset jumper
1 x Clear CMOS jumper

Rear I/O

1 x USB Type-C® port, with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red)
3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
2 x SMA antenna connectors (2T2R)
1 x HDMI 2.0 port
1 x DisplayPort
1 x RJ-45 port
1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector
2 x audio jacks

Wireless

Intel® Wi-Fi 6E AX211
WIFI a, b, g, n, ac, ax, supporting 2.4/5/6 GHz carrier frequency bands
BLUETOOTH 5.3
Support for 11ax 160MHz wireless standard and up to 2.4 Gbps data rate
* Actual data rate may vary depending on environment and equipment.

Audio

Realtek® Audio CODEC
High Definition Audio
2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
* 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.
Support for S/PDIF Out

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