Gigabyte lists Z80M Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice at $209 with full heatsink coverage
The white Micro ATX board offers full-size features but caps memory speeds and limits overclocking headroom.
By Imani Donovan ·
Gigabyte has listed the Z890M Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice motherboard at $209 on Amazon.
The board is designed for Intel Core Ultra 200S Plus processors and uses a Micro ATX form factor. It includes three M.2 sockets and four SATA ports for storage. Networking hardware consists of a 2.5 GbE Ethernet port and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. The wireless module is restricted to 160 MHz channels. Audio output relies on a Realtek ALC897 codec, which the reviewer noted is sufficient for general use but not for audiophiles.
Thermal design differentiates this model from competitors in the same price range. The board features heatsinks covering the lower section, a space often left exposed on rival products. A large heatsink sits over the primary M.2 socket. Two RGB lighting zones are located near the VRMs and the chipset. Six 4-pin fan headers are available, each supporting up to 2A or 24W.
The primary M.2 slot connects to the CPU via PCIe 5.0 x4. The other two M.2 slots connect through the chipset at PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds. One of these slots supports modules up to 110mm in length. RAID support includes levels 0, 1, 5, and 10 for NVMe drives. Two full-length PCIe slots are present. The first is a reinforced CPU-fed slot at PCIe 5.0 x16. The second is a chipset-fed slot at PCIe 4.0 x4. The reviewer warned that large graphics cards may obstruct access to the second slot.
Power delivery includes 15 phases, with 12 dedicated to the Vcore. Dual 8-pin EPS connectors feed 60A DrMOS parts, totaling 720A. This setup supports the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, and Core Ultra 9 285K. The reviewer advised caution when overclocking the 285K or 270K Plus models and recommended adequate case airflow.
Memory support is listed up to DDR5-9200 with overclocking. In testing, a DDR5-8800 kit failed to operate correctly. A DDR5-8200 kit ran without issues. The reviewer suggested sticking to the Qualified Vendor List for the best results. Rear I/O includes nine USB ports: four USB 2.0, four USB 3.2 Gen 1, and one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A. A single USB4 Type-C port provides 40 Gbps connectivity with DisplayPort output. A separate DisplayPort 2.1 output is also available. The limited number of Type-C ports was cited as a weakness.
Performance tests showed average results. The board performed well in 3DMark benchmarks and gaming scenarios. It includes AI Perfdrive, a feature that allows users to apply customizable BIOS presets for CPU improvements. The package includes two white SATA cables, a rubber pad, an extra M.2 thermal pad, an EZ front-panel connector, and an installation guide. EZ-Latch and EZ-Click M.2 mounting systems are included to simplify installation.
Source: Tom's Hardware
