Colorful CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 VS Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite X3D Ice

Both the Colorful CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 and the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite X3D Ice use the AM5 CPU socket and the X870 chipset, providing a similar foundation for performance. They both come in the ATX form factor and support a wide range of Wi-Fi standards, including Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7. Bluetooth 5.4 is supported on both products, and each offers HDMI output, though the Colorful model uses HDMI 2.0, while the Gigabyte model features the newer HDMI 2.1.

When it comes to overclocking, both motherboards are designed to be easy to overclock, giving users a simple path to boost performance. Both products have RGB lighting for a visually appealing setup, but only the Gigabyte model offers the ability to reset the BIOS easily, whereas the Colorful model does not. Neither of the two motherboards features dual BIOS support or aptX technology.

In terms of size, the Colorful CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 is slightly taller at 245 mm compared to the Gigabyte's height of 244 mm, but both have the same width of 305 mm. Both boards come with a 3-year warranty. The Colorful model does not include integrated graphics or an integrated CPU, and the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite X3D Ice has the same specifications in this regard.

The Colorful CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 and the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite X3D Ice differ in their maximum memory support. The Colorful model supports up to 192GB of memory, while the Gigabyte model can handle up to 256GB. Both motherboards have four memory slots and support DDR5 memory with two memory channels. The DDR5 memory version is the same for both products.

When it comes to RAM speed, the Colorful CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 has a maximum RAM speed of 5000 MHz, while the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite X3D Ice can reach a higher maximum speed of 5200 MHz. For overclocked RAM speeds, the Colorful model supports speeds up to 8200 MHz, whereas the Gigabyte model can reach an even higher 9000 MHz. Both motherboards do not support ECC memory.

In summary, while both products share similar core features such as DDR5 memory support and four memory slots, the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite X3D Ice offers higher maximum memory capacity and slightly faster base and overclocked memory speeds compared to the Colorful CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14.

The Colorful CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 and the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite X3D Ice both offer a range of USB ports, though they differ in some areas. The Colorful model provides 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-A port, 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 USB-A ports, and 2 USB 2.0 ports. In contrast, the Gigabyte model offers 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-A ports, 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 USB-A ports, and 1 USB 2.0 port. Both boards have 0 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports, but the Colorful model does not feature any USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C ports, while the Gigabyte model provides 1 such port.

When it comes to USB 4 ports, the Colorful CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 includes 1 USB 4 40Gbps port, while the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite X3D Ice offers 2 USB 4 40Gbps ports. Both motherboards are equipped with Thunderbolt 4 ports, with the Colorful model having 1 Thunderbolt 4 port and the Gigabyte model featuring 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports.

Both products have HDMI outputs, but the Colorful model includes 1 DisplayPort output, whereas the Gigabyte model does not. Both have 1 RJ45 port, USB Type-C support, and no eSATA, DVI, VGA, or PS/2 ports.

The Colorful CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 and the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite X3D Ice both provide a range of connectors, though with some differences in quantity and type. The Colorful model offers 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, 4 USB 2.0 ports, and 2 USB 3.0 ports through expansion. The Gigabyte model provides more USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports through expansion, with 4, and also 4 USB 2.0 ports through expansion. Both boards have 0 U.2 sockets and no mSATA connectors. The Colorful board has 4 SATA 3 connectors, while the Gigabyte board has only 2 SATA 3 connectors. Neither board includes SATA 2 connectors.

In terms of expansion options, the Colorful model includes 3 M.2 sockets, while the Gigabyte model offers 4 M.2 sockets, giving it slightly more flexibility for M.2 devices. Both motherboards come with TPM connectors.

Fan header counts differ between the two boards, with the Colorful CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 providing 5 fan headers, while the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite X3D Ice includes 8 fan headers, offering greater support for cooling solutions.

Both the Colorful CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 and the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite X3D Ice feature PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, with each offering 1 such slot. Neither board includes PCIe 4.0 x16 slots, PCIe 3.0 x16 slots, or PCIe 2.0 x16 slots. The Colorful model includes 1 PCIe x1 slot, while the Gigabyte model does not have any PCIe x1 slots. Both motherboards provide 1 PCIe x4 slot.

There are no PCI slots on either motherboard, and neither board features PCIe x8 slots.

Both the Colorful CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 and the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite X3D Ice have identical signal-to-noise ratios (DAC) of 120 dB and support 7.1 audio channels, providing high-quality audio performance. Both models also feature an S/PDIF Out port for digital audio output.

However, the two products differ in the number of audio connectors. The Colorful model provides 5 audio connectors, while the Gigabyte model includes only 2 audio connectors, offering less flexibility for audio setup.

Both the Colorful CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 and the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite X3D Ice support the same RAID configurations, including RAID 1, RAID 10 (1+0), RAID 5, and RAID 0. Neither motherboard supports RAID 0+1.

Thus, the storage capabilities in terms of RAID support are identical between the two models, offering flexibility for different storage setups without any notable differences in this area.