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Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Tachyon Ice specifications and in-depth review

Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Tachyon Ice

Manufacturer: Gigabyte

The Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Tachyon Ice is an E-ATX motherboard built around the Z890 chipset and designed for Intel LGA 1851 processors. It ships with Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) alongside Bluetooth 5.4, RGB lighting, dual BIOS, and a clear CMOS feature that simplifies BIOS recovery. The board measures 305 mm × 285 mm and carries a three-year warranty.

Memory support reaches 128 GB across two DDR5 slots running at up to 6400 MHz natively, with overclocked speeds up to 9500 MHz across two channels. Storage options include four M.2 sockets, four SATA 3 connectors, and full RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 support. The rear I/O provides five USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports plus one USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port, two PS/2 connectors, and a single RJ45 port, while the onboard audio delivers a 120 dB signal-to-noise ratio with 7.1-channel output and S/PDIF out.

Pros
  • Supports Wi-Fi 7 alongside all previous Wi-Fi generations down to Wi-Fi 4, covering a wide range of wireless network environments
  • Dual BIOS and a clear CMOS button reduce the risk of a failed update leaving the board unbootable and simplify recovery
  • Overclocked DDR5 speeds reach up to 9500 MHz across two channels, offering meaningful headroom for memory tuning
  • Four M.2 sockets combined with four SATA 3 connectors provide broad storage expansion options
  • Nine fan headers give substantial flexibility for managing airflow and cooling across the system
  • The onboard audio delivers a 120 dB signal-to-noise ratio with 7.1-channel output and S/PDIF Out, making it capable for both analog and digital audio setups
Cons
  • Only two memory slots are available, limiting upgrade paths and leaving no room for additional modules if both slots are already populated
  • No PCIe x1 slots are present, preventing the installation of smaller expansion cards such as sound cards or capture cards
  • The E-ATX form factor restricts compatibility to larger cases, reducing the range of suitable builds
  • There are no USB 4 or Thunderbolt ports on the rear I/O, which may be a limitation for users with high-bandwidth peripherals
  • ECC memory is not supported, making the board unsuitable for workloads that require error-correcting RAM
Who is this for?

This board is well-suited to enthusiasts and advanced users who want to push DDR5 memory to its limits, given the overclocked RAM support up to 9500 MHz and the built-in overclocking features. The single PCIe 5.0 x16 slot makes it a solid foundation for a high-end single-GPU gaming or workstation build, and the breadth of storage options — four M.2 sockets, four SATA 3 connectors, and full RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 support — suits users who need both speed and data redundancy. Those building in a large E-ATX case with extensive cooling setups will also benefit from the nine fan headers and RGB lighting support.

Who is this NOT for?

Users working in compact or mid-tower builds will find the E-ATX form factor incompatible with most standard cases, making this a poor fit for space-constrained environments. Professionals who rely on ECC memory for error-sensitive workloads such as scientific computing or financial applications will need to look elsewhere, as ECC is not supported. The absence of USB 4, Thunderbolt ports, and PCIe x1 slots also makes this board a weak match for users who depend on high-bandwidth external peripherals or need to populate multiple smaller expansion cards simultaneously.

General info:

CPU socket LGA 1851
chipset Z890
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), Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Has Bluetooth ✓
Bluetooth version 5.4
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 Z890 Aorus Tachyon Ice uses an LGA 1851 socket paired with the Z890 chipset and adopts the E-ATX form factor, measuring 305 mm × 285 mm with a single CPU socket and no integrated processor or graphics. Wireless connectivity spans Wi-Fi 4 through Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) alongside Bluetooth 5.4, though aptX audio over Bluetooth is not supported. The board includes RGB lighting, dual BIOS, a clear CMOS button for straightforward BIOS recovery, and is designed with overclocking in mind. It carries a three-year warranty.

Memory:

maximum memory amount 128GB
RAM speed (max) 6400 MHz
overclocked RAM speed 9500 MHz
memory slots 2
DDR memory version 5
memory channels 2
Supports ECC memory ✕

The board accommodates DDR5 memory across two slots in a dual-channel configuration, supporting a maximum capacity of 128 GB. Standard RAM speeds top out at 6400 MHz, while overclocking can push that figure up to 9500 MHz. ECC memory is not supported.

Ports:

USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-A) 5
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 1
USB 4 40Gbps ports 0
USB 4 20Gbps ports 0
Thunderbolt 4 ports 0
Thunderbolt 3 ports 0
has an HDMI output ✕
DisplayPort outputs 0
RJ45 ports 1
Has USB Type-C ✓
eSATA ports 0
DVI outputs 0
has a VGA connector ✕
PS/2 ports 2

The rear I/O panel provides five USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports and one USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port, with no USB 3.2 Gen 1, USB 2.0, USB 4, Thunderbolt 3, or Thunderbolt 4 ports present. A single RJ45 port handles wired networking, and two PS/2 ports are included for legacy input devices. There are no video outputs of any kind — HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, and VGA are all absent — and no eSATA connectivity is provided.

Connectors:

USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (through expansion) 2
USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports (through expansion) 1
USB 2.0 ports (through expansion) 2
SATA 3 connectors 4
fan headers 9
USB 3.0 ports (through expansion) 2
M.2 sockets 4
Has TPM connector ✕
U.2 sockets 0
Has mSATA connector ✕
SATA 2 connectors 0

Internal connectivity is well-stocked, with four M.2 sockets and four SATA 3 connectors for storage, while SATA 2, U.2, and mSATA are not available. USB expansion headers cover two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, and two USB 2.0 ports. Cooling is supported through nine fan headers, and there is no TPM connector on the board.

Expansion slots:

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

The board offers a minimal but focused expansion layout, featuring one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot as the primary expansion slot alongside one PCIe x8 slot. There are no PCIe 4.0, 3.0, or 2.0 x16 slots, no PCIe x1 slots, and no legacy PCI slots.

Audio:

Signal-to-Noise ratio (DAC) 120 dB
audio channels 7.1
Has S/PDIF Out port ✓
audio connectors 2

The onboard audio supports 7.1-channel output and delivers a DAC signal-to-noise ratio of 120 dB, with two analog audio connectors on the rear panel. Digital audio output is also available via an S/PDIF Out port.

Storage:

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

The board supports RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 configurations, covering the most common setups for both performance and redundancy. RAID 0+1 is not supported.

Final Verdict

The Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Tachyon Ice is a focused E-ATX motherboard that makes a clear case for enthusiast-grade DDR5 overclocking and high-end single-GPU builds, anchored by its DDR5 support up to 9500 MHz and a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot. Practical additions like dual BIOS, nine fan headers, four M.2 sockets, and Wi-Fi 7 round out a feature set aimed squarely at users who want both tuning flexibility and connectivity breadth. The two-slot memory configuration, lack of ECC support, and E-ATX footprint narrow its audience, but for builders working in a full-size case who want a capable overclocking platform with strong storage and wireless options, this board covers the essentials without unnecessary compromise.

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