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Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Xtreme X Ice specifications and in-depth review

Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Xtreme X Ice

Manufacturer: Gigabyte

The Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Xtreme X Ice is an E-ATX motherboard built around the Z790 chipset and Intel's LGA 1700 socket, making it suited for high-end desktop builds. It includes Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity, along with RGB lighting and a clear CMOS button for straightforward BIOS resets. The board carries a 3-year warranty and measures 305 x 285 mm.

On the memory side, the board supports DDR5 RAM across four slots in a dual-channel configuration, with a rated maximum of 4800 MHz and overclocked speeds reaching up to 8266 MHz, for a total capacity of 192GB. Expansion options include one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, alongside five M.2 sockets and four SATA 3 connectors with support for RAID 0, 1, and 10. The rear I/O delivers ten USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, two USB 4 40Gbps ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and dual RJ45 LAN ports, while the onboard audio handles 7.1-channel output with an S/PDIF port included.

Pros
  • Supports five M.2 sockets alongside four SATA 3 connectors, offering substantial storage expansion options
  • Ten USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports on the rear I/O provide extensive high-speed peripheral connectivity
  • Two Thunderbolt 4 ports and two USB 4 40Gbps ports enable fast data transfer and versatile device support
  • DDR5 memory support across four slots with overclocked speeds up to 8266 MHz allows significant memory headroom
  • Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 are built in, covering both wireless networking and device pairing without add-in cards
  • Includes a clear CMOS button for straightforward BIOS resets, simplifying troubleshooting
Cons
  • No PCIe 4.0 x16 slot is available, leaving only one PCIe 5.0 and one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot for expansion cards
  • Dual BIOS is absent, removing a common fallback option in case of a failed BIOS update
  • ECC memory is not supported, limiting suitability for workloads that require error-correcting RAM
  • No video output ports are present on the rear I/O, so a discrete GPU is always required
  • Only six fan headers are provided on an E-ATX board, which may be limiting for builds with extensive cooling setups
Who is this for?

This motherboard is well suited to enthusiast desktop builders who want to take full advantage of Intel's LGA 1700 platform with DDR5 memory, particularly those pushing high overclocks given the support for RAM speeds up to 8266 MHz. The extensive rear I/O — including ten USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and dual RJ45 — makes it a strong fit for users who rely on multiple high-speed peripherals and fast networking simultaneously. The five M.2 sockets and RAID 0/1/10 support also appeal to those building storage-heavy workstations where both capacity and redundancy matter.

Who is this NOT for?

This board is not a practical choice for users who need ECC memory support, such as those running error-sensitive workloads in professional or scientific environments. The E-ATX form factor limits compatibility to larger full-tower cases, making it unsuitable for anyone building a compact or small-form-factor system. Additionally, the absence of any video output on the rear I/O means it is not appropriate for users relying on integrated graphics or who occasionally need display output without a discrete card installed.

General info:

CPU socket LGA 1700
chipset Z790
form factor E-ATX
supports Wi-Fi ✓
Wi-Fi version Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Has Bluetooth ✓
Bluetooth version 5.3
Easy to overclock ✓
has RGB lighting ✓
Easy to reset BIOS ✓
Has dual BIOS ✕
has aptX ✕
CPU sockets 1
Has integrated graphics ✕
warranty period 3 years
height 285 mm
width 305 mm
Has integrated CPU ✕

The Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Xtreme X Ice uses an LGA 1700 socket paired with the Z790 chipset and comes in an E-ATX form factor, measuring 305 x 285 mm. It supports a single CPU and does not include an integrated processor or integrated graphics. Wireless connectivity is covered by Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), with backward compatibility for Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 4, alongside Bluetooth 5.3, though aptX is not supported. The board is designed with overclocking in mind and includes a clear CMOS button for easy BIOS resets, while dual BIOS is not available. RGB lighting is present, and the board carries a 3-year warranty.

Memory:

maximum memory amount 192GB
RAM speed (max) 4800 MHz
overclocked RAM speed 8266 MHz
memory slots 4
DDR memory version 5
memory channels 2
Supports ECC memory ✕

This motherboard supports DDR5 memory across four slots in a dual-channel configuration, with a maximum capacity of 192GB. The standard rated speed tops out at 4800 MHz, while overclocked profiles can push that figure up to 8266 MHz. ECC memory is not supported.

Ports:

USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-A) 10
USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-A) 0
USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-C) 0
USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-C) 0
USB 2.0 ports 0
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports 0
USB 4 40Gbps ports 2
USB 4 20Gbps ports 0
Thunderbolt 4 ports 2
Thunderbolt 3 ports 0
has an HDMI output ✕
DisplayPort outputs 0
RJ45 ports 2
Has USB Type-C ✓
eSATA ports 0
DVI outputs 0
has a VGA connector ✕
PS/2 ports 0

The rear I/O offers a substantial USB lineup, led by ten USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, two USB 4 40Gbps ports, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports, with USB Type-C connectivity present. There are no USB 3.2 Gen 1, USB 2.0, or USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports on the panel. Networking is handled by two RJ45 ports, while video output options are absent — no HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, or VGA connectors are included. eSATA and PS/2 ports are also not present.

Connectors:

USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (through expansion) 4
USB 2.0 ports (through expansion) 4
SATA 3 connectors 4
fan headers 6
USB 3.0 ports (through expansion) 4
M.2 sockets 5
Has TPM connector ✕
U.2 sockets 0
Has mSATA connector ✕
SATA 2 connectors 0

For internal connectivity, the board provides five M.2 sockets and four SATA 3 connectors, while SATA 2, U.2, and mSATA are not available. USB expansion headers include four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, four USB 3.0 ports, and four USB 2.0 ports through internal connectors. Cooling is supported by six fan headers, and there is no TPM connector present.

Expansion slots:

PCIe 4.0 x16 slots 0
PCIe 5.0 x16 slots 1
PCIe 3.0 x16 slots 1
PCIe x1 slots 0
PCI slots 0
PCIe 2.0 x16 slots 0
PCIe x4 slots 0
PCIe x8 slots 0

The board offers two full-length expansion slots: one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot. There are no PCIe 4.0, PCIe 2.0, PCIe x8, PCIe x4, or PCIe x1 slots, and legacy PCI is not supported either.

Audio:

audio channels 7.1
Has S/PDIF Out port ✓
audio connectors 2

The onboard audio supports 7.1-channel output and includes an S/PDIF Out port for digital audio passthrough. Two analog audio connectors are available on the board.

Storage:

Supports RAID 1 ✓
Supports RAID 10 (1+0) ✓
Supports RAID 5 ✕
Supports RAID 0 ✓
Supports RAID 0+1 ✕

The board supports RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 10 (1+0) configurations for storage array management. RAID 5 and RAID 0+1 are not supported.

Final Verdict

The Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Xtreme X Ice is a fully-featured E-ATX motherboard that targets enthusiast builders who demand both connectivity depth and memory performance from the LGA 1700 platform. Its combination of Thunderbolt 4, USB 4 40Gbps, and ten USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports sets a high bar for rear I/O density, while five M.2 sockets and DDR5 support with overclocked speeds up to 8266 MHz cater well to storage-intensive and performance-focused builds. The board's limitations — particularly the lack of ECC support, dual BIOS, and video outputs — narrow its audience, but within its intended use case of high-end desktop systems in full-tower enclosures, it delivers a comprehensive and well-rounded feature set.