| Form Factor | ATX |
| CPU Socket | Intel LGA 1700 |
| Chipset | Intel Z790 |
This ATX-size motherboard offers a great value for your money, although it doesn’t include every feature available. As a budget-class board, it is built on Intel’s top-of-the-line Z790 chipset and supports the LGA 1700 socket. It provides ample storage options with four M.2 sockets (limited to PCIe 4.0 instead of 5.0) and six SATA ports. Additionally, it offers fast networking capabilities with integrated Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5Gbps Ethernet, a budget-friendly audio solution, and power delivery that can handle Intel’s flagship processors. While there are more expensive and cheaper alternatives available, the Ice model blends in nicely with similarly priced options.
The Z790 Aorus Elite AX Ice stands out with its distinctive white/gray PCB and heatsinks. While black remains the dominant color in the market, white-colored boards are becoming more popular. This board is built on a six-layer PCB with sizable VRM heatsinks sporting a sleek brushed aluminum finish. The Aorus branding can be found on the VRM heatsinks, with the Aorus Falcon prominently displayed on the chipset/M.2 heatsink. The only area with RGB lighting is located just below that. The majority of slots and connectors are black, creating a stylish contrast with the lighter-colored board. Overall, it boasts a visually pleasing midrange design that would complement most chassis and suit a wide range of build themes.
The Z790 Aorus Elite AX Ice is compatible with Intel’s 12th, 13th, and 14th Gen LGA 1700 processors. If you happen to acquire one of these boards with an older BIOS, it does support BIOS flashback, ensuring compatibility with any processor generation. The power delivery system consists of 16 phases with 90-amp SPS MOSFETs specifically designed for the processor, allowing for optimal performance with any CPU. The VRM heatsink effectively maintains power-delivery temperatures within the required range, even during demanding stress tests. By default, the Perf Drive feature is set to “Optimization,” which maximizes the clock speed of all cores. Typically, the CPU cooling is the limiting factor rather than the motherboard, and this holds true here as well. Naturally, better cooling will result in improved processor performance.
The budget motherboard offers memory support up to DDR5-7600 (OC), which should be more than sufficient for the majority of users. However, the optimal choice for this platform, considering the current DDR5 pricing, is still around DDR5-6400. Therefore, there is a significant amount of headroom available. For those who enjoy tweaking their memory settings, the updated UEFI BIOS provides numerous options. Additionally, the four un-reinforced DRAM slots can accommodate up to 192GB of RAM, allowing users to either increase the quantity or opt for faster speeds.
Our Kingston Fury Beast DDR5-6000 and TeamGroup T-Force DDR5-7200 kits functioned flawlessly by activating the XMP profile on the modules. This outcome was anticipated, as both kits are listed on the memory QVL and well within the board’s capacity.
From the upper left corner, your attention will be drawn to the dual 8-pin EPS connectors (one of which is necessary) that provide power to the processor. Encircling these connectors is the VRM heatsink. The stylish gray brushed finish and Aorus branding create an appealing look against the coordinated PCB. However, what truly matters is the VRM’s performance, which proved to be effective during our testing. Continuing further, you will come across four DRAM slots equipped with locking mechanisms on either side.
The initial pair of 4-pin fan/pump headers are located above. These headers, totaling six in number, are capable of supporting both PWM and DC-controlled devices. They can output up to 2 amps/24 watts each, which is more than sufficient for powering a custom water loop. It is important not to overload these headers, as doing so may result in permanent damage. Control over the connected devices can be managed either through the BIOS or the Fan Control section of the Gigabyte Control Center (GCC) application.
Located above are the first two (out of six) 4-pin fan/pump headers. Each header is able to support PWM and DC-controlled devices, providing an output of up to 2 amps/24 watts. This power capacity should be adequate, even for a custom water loop. It is crucial to avoid overloading these headers, as it could lead to irreversible damage. Control of the connected devices can be achieved through the BIOS or the Fan Control feature within the Gigabyte Control Center (GCC) application.
The initial indication of RGB headers is presented next. In this case, there is a single 3-pin ARGB header and a 4-pin RGB header. Additionally, you will discover another set of headers, one of each type, positioned along the lower edge of the motherboard. The RGB lighting is relatively understated in comparison to alternative boards, concealed beneath the chipset heatsink; nevertheless, the illumination is rich and presents a satisfactory appearance. Management of both the integrated and connected RGB components is facilitated through the RGB Fusion software within GCC. This software offers a wide array of preset patterns and enables users to personalize the modes.
Upon turning the corner and proceeding along the right side, you will encounter the familiar 24-pin ATX connector used to power the motherboard. Following this are two USB headers: a 19-pin USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) header and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) Type-C, both designated for the front panel. Lastly, in this section, you will find the Status LED feature. These four LEDs, identified as CPU, DRAM, VGA, and BOOT, illuminate during the POST process. Should a problem arise in any of these areas, the corresponding LED will remain illuminated, providing insight into the source of the issue.
The audio section of Gigabyte’s board is located in the lower left-hand corner. It utilizes a budget-grade Realtek ALC897 codec, which is suitable for the majority of users but not specifically tailored for audiophiles. Positioned beneath the Faraday-cage-covered audio chip are four WIMA audio caps (red) and additional capacitors (yellow) exclusively dedicated to the audio section. While I personally prefer the implementation of the 12xx series codec, this current solution should still be deemed satisfactory.
In the center of the board, you will find three complete PCIe slots and four M.2 sockets. The first PCIe slot, located at the top, is equipped with Gigabyte’s UD (Ultra Durable PG5) technology, which consists of a metal piece surrounding the slot and attaching to the board. This feature ensures the protection of the primary graphics slot. The top slot receives lanes from the CPU and operates at PCIe 5.0 x16 speeds. On the other hand, the two bottom PCIe slots are connected via the chipset and operate at PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds.
The board features four M.2 sockets that can accommodate modules up to 110mm in length and operate at PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds. Additionally, the bottom socket, M2M_SB, is compatible with SATA-based modules. While I desire a PCIe 5.0-capable M.2 socket, the existing four PCIe 4.0 x4 sockets should provide sufficient speed for the majority of users.
Moving beyond the chipset, USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 headers (for add-in cards) can be found along the right edge of the board, along with the reset and clear CMOS buttons. Positioned between these buttons are six Serial ATA ports that support RAID 0/1/5/10 modes, providing a variety of storage options on this board.
Multiple headers are arranged across the lower border of the board. From left to right, you will come across the front-panel audio, two RGB headers (one 4-pin, one 3-pin), a TPM header, two USB 2.0 headers, a QFlash Plus button, four 4-pin system-fan headers, and the front-panel header.
The back I/O section features a pre-installed I/O plate with a white background and dark gray labels on the ports. There are a total of 10 USB ports: four USB 2.0, three USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps), two USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), and one USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20Gbps) Type-C. This selection of USB ports should be sufficient for most users. In the center, there are the high-speed Wi-Fi 6E antenna connections, the 2.5GbE port, and the DisplayPort and HDMI ports for integrated video. Lastly, the audio setup includes two 3.5mm analog plugs and the S/PDIF output.
The UEFI BIOS of the recently released Z790 Aorus Elite AX Ice utilizes Gigabyte’s enhanced and user-friendly UEFI interface. The initial screen is the reconfigured Easy Mode, providing informative details such as CPU status, RAM usage, fan speeds, connected peripherals, and more. The color palette of the interface complements the ice-themed design, featuring a white backdrop with black text, accented by the signature Aorus Orange highlights. At the bottom of the screen, users can find various options to activate, including memory adjustments and QFlash. The layout is clear, organized logically, and aesthetically pleasing, making it more visually appealing compared to other interfaces.
The standard configuration within the advanced section of the BIOS consists of major headings such as Favorites (which can be customized by the user), Tweaker, Settings, and System Info. (Boot controls are also located here.) This more comprehensive mode offers all the advanced functionality.
The Tweaker section provides a range of options for fine-tuning and boosting your system’s performance. Within this section, you have the ability to modify voltages, RAM speeds, and timings, in addition to exploring overclocking settings for the CPU.
Within the Settings section, there are multiple sub-categories available for you to customize the platform’s power, configure I/O ports, and access a PC Health summary. This summary provides essential system details such as voltage and temperatures. Here, you will discover various options to enable or disable audio and integrated graphics, enable Resizable BAR, and configure USB, NVMe, SATA, audio, and network hardware.
Gigabyte’s UEFI interface is well-organized and user-friendly. The Z790 variant, similar to the X670, offers a comprehensive range of adjustments, such as CPU and RAM overclocking. However, unlike certain other BIOSes, the RGB lighting settings cannot be modified within the UEFI; instead, this task must be accomplished through the GCC app in Windows. In general, it offers all the necessary options, and my F4 version remained stable throughout my usage of the motherboard.
Gigabyte’s Control Center software provides users with Windows-based monitoring and control capabilities for RGB lighting, fans, driver updates, performance, and overclocking. This user-friendly app complements the black-and-orange Aorus theme and is simple to navigate. Moreover, upon startup, it automatically checks for software and driver updates, downloading them with your permission when necessary. The accompanying screenshot displays the main interface, showcasing all compatible hardware components on our test system, along with available functions like fan control and RGB customization.
To manage the motherboard settings from GCC, you will have access to features for controlling RGBs, fans, and optimizing overclocking performance. The RGB Fusion software offers a variety of eight LED effects (Static, Pulse, Flash, DFlash, Cycle, Wave1, Wave2, and Off), along with settings to adjust the brightness and speed of these effects.
In the meantime, the fan control feature offers three pre-set options (Silent, Normal, and Full-speed), along with the capability to manually adjust and create personalized curves. The software successfully detected and managed all the fans in our test system, whether they were PWM or DC, without any problems.
Adjusting the processor and memory settings using the software is simple. You will find options to choose the CPU multiplier for “P” and “E” cores, memory speed (excluding timings), and voltage.
Gigabyte’s Z790 Aorus Elite AX Ice stands out with its “iced out” PCB and overall design compared to the typical black-themed motherboards. it offers a sleek white aesthetic, an updated UEFI BIOS, efficient power delivery, built-in Wi-Fi 6E, and multiple storage options (six SATA and four M.2 slots). However, individuals seeking a PCIe 5.0-capable M.2 socket or top-notch audio quality may be disappointed, as Gigabyte’s audio implementation is more basic and the M.2 slots only support up to PCIe 4.0 x4. Nonetheless, most users will find the features provided at this price point satisfactory.
Performance during our testing was generally average, blending in well with the competition. The default settings in the BIOS enabled the Core i9-14900K to showcase its power with impressive outcomes in both gaming and productivity tasks, rivaling pricier alternatives. By adjusting a single setting in the PerfDrive section of the updated UEFI, you can further enhance its performance, provided your cooling system can handle it. Overall, judging by the performance metrics alone, it’s difficult to distinguish from significantly more costly choices with similar default performance characteristics.
The Z790 motherboard market offers several options, and the Aorus Elite AX Ice is definitely one worth considering. It provides support for the 14th Gen (although not native), an updated UEFI BIOS, and convenient EZ latches on all M.2 sockets, making it easier to add or remove components. While there is competition in terms of pricing, no other motherboard stands out significantly. However, if you’re specifically looking for a white/gray-themed motherboard and don’t want to pay extra for a refreshed board with Wi-Fi 7 and native 14th Gen support (which you may not even be able to utilize yet), then the Z790 Elite AX should definitely be on your shortlist.
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