In case you’re available in the market for a superb high quality X670E motherboard, the possibilities are that you’ve got recoiled on the costs of a lot of them. {The electrical} complexities of the platform, on high of wider financial points have precipitated a spike in costs to ranges that may have been thought of laughable a couple of years in the past.
However let’s not neglect there are two variations of the X670 chipset. X670E contains one x16 or two x8 PCIe 5.0 enlargement slots whereas the non-E model sticks with PCIe 4.0. Nevertheless, each variations can embody PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots relying on the motherboard. Excessive-end motherboards usually tend to be X670E fashions. A part of the explanation X670E boards price lots is due to the high-quality signalling required for each PCIe 5.0 enlargement and M.2 slots.
PCIe 5.0 x16 for graphics playing cards means nothing proper now, so when you needn’t tick that characteristic field (and you actually do not), an X670 board is a superbly viable possibility. We now have the Gigabyte X670 Aorus Elite AX in for assessment. At $289 / £349 / AU$599, it is priced a heck of lots decrease than excessive finish X670E boards. However does the Elite AX need to sacrifice a bit of or lots to come back in at that worth?
As an X670 non-E board, it drops PCIe 5.0 slot assist, but it retains a single PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slot. Not that you simply’d anticipate to avoid wasting a whole lot of {dollars} from that alone. It nonetheless has 4 M.2 slots, together with high quality connectivity, I/O and a VRM with succesful cooling. The Elite AX just isn’t some cut-to-the-bone cheapie.
X670 Aorus Elite AX specs
Socket: AMD Socket AM5
CPU compatibility: AMD Ryzen 7000 desktop processors
Kind issue: ATX
Reminiscence assist: As much as DDR5-6666 (OC), As much as 128GB
Storage: 4x M.2; 4x SATA
USB: As much as 2x USB 3.2 Gen2x2, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 8x USB 2.0
Show: 1x HDMI 2.1
Networking: AMD RZ616 Wi-Fi 6E; Realtek 2.5G LAN
Audio: Realtek ALC897 7.1 Channel HD Audio
Worth: $289 / £349 / AU$599
The board isn’t what I’d describe as lovely. It appears to have numerous oddly matched metallic highlights, as if Gigabyte rummaged across the manufacturing facility to search out heatsinks to incorporate. However they do not lack performance. The heatsinks are efficient, notably the VRM one, which might have been thought of large only a few years in the past, although sadly Gigabyte opted to not embody its glorious finned heatsink design on this mannequin.
The first M.2 heatsink is not as large and chunky like these you may discover on high-end boards. Time will inform if it is satisfactory sufficient to maintain a scorching operating PCIe 5.0 SSD cool, particularly if it is sitting adjoining to a GPU pumping out warmth. In whole there are 4 M.2 slots made up of the aforementioned main PCIe 5.0 x4 one, plus an extra three PCIe 4.0 x4 slots which are cooled by a single massive heatsink. There are 4 SATA ports to spherical out the storage complement.
And get this, there are not any RGB LEDs on the board itself! We have positively hit peak RGB. Although when you love a splash of lighting, the board contains a mixture of RGB and ARGB headers, with 5 in whole.
Different highlights embody a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 type-C header, energy, reset, and CMOS clear buttons, and a Thunderbolt 4 header.
The board comes with a 16+2+2 part VRM with 70A energy levels. As you’d anticipate, it’s not as beefed up as that of boards at double the value, but it surely’s hardly a secret that the common consumer merely doesn’t must shove 1000W or extra right into a CPU. Throw a Ryzen 9 7950X (opens in new tab) with PBO enabled into the Elite AX and also you gained’t have an issue. Your cooling will hit that 95C working temperature of a 7950X lengthy earlier than the VRM will get burdened.
Even when Zen 5 or Zen 6 CPUs take a step up in TDP, it’s arduous to think about the Aorus Elite AX struggling to energy them.
So, the cooling, storage, and VRM is greater than sufficient to go well with most customers. Is the I/O missing then? Hardly. The Aorus Elite AX contains AMD’s RZ616 Wi-Fi 6E and Realtek 2.5G LAN. You’d anticipate to overlook out on USB 4 at this worth, however the remainder of the USB rely is stellar. You get a 3.2 Gen 2×2 type-C port, two Gen 2 ports, six Gen 1 ports, and 4 2.0 ports. That is 13 rear USB ports! There is a HDMI 2.1 port to be used with Ryzen 7000’s newly included built-in graphics together with a BIOS flashback button.
The audio is nothing particular, with an ageing Realtek ALC897 codec caring for issues. An S/PDIF output could be good too, however other than that, there’s not a lot to complain about as regards to connectivity.
System Efficiency
Gaming Efficiency
Although benchmarks do not reveal lots except one thing is especially amiss, it is good to see the Aorus X670 Elite AX persistently topping the assorted benchmark lists. Although it is solely a p.c right here or there, it is at all times preferable to guide the pack, somewhat than path it.
Check rig
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
Graphics: Zotac GeForce RTX 3080 Ti AMP Holo
RAM: 2x 16GB G.Talent Trident Z5 DDR5-6000 C30
Storage: 2TB Seagate FireCuda 530
Cooling: Cooler Grasp PL360 Flux 360mm AIO
PSU: Corsair AX1000
Normally, the X670 Aorus Elite AX looks like a mature providing. Not each motherboard producer can say that for all of its boards. We have to do not forget that we’re on the very daybreak of the AM5 platform. There shall be years of AGESA updates and tweaks to come back. Evaluating the primary technology X370 boards on the time of the Zen 1 launch to now, I imagine AMD is in a a lot better place this time.
Like nearly each different board producer because the debut of UEFI BIOS interfaces, the X670 Elite AX’s aesthetic modifications are minimal. If I’ve a criticism, it is that it is a bit of characteristic gentle. For many customers that will not matter. We’re not speaking about Gigabyte’s excessive Aorus Tachyon right here. When you allow XMP and set up your Home windows, many players could by no means return to the BIOS, and most of us actually needn’t.
The enticing worth of the X670 Aorus Elite AX comes as a little bit of a shock when all too many excessive priced X670/E boards. It doesn’t have the all out characteristic guidelines of excessive finish boards, however when you’re somebody who runs an M.2 drive or two and GPU, you then’ll lose subsequent to nothing.
In case you will need to have a PCIe 5.0 slot for a GPU, the Asrock X670E Professional RS (opens in new tab) is an possibility nicely price contemplating, although its VRM and cooling aren’t pretty much as good as that of the Aorus.
In equity to the opposite producers, in addition they have very aggressive boards on this worth vary, and so they shouldn’t be missed. However, if nothing else, the Elite AX reveals that producers are getting a bit grasping on the high-end of the market. In case you completely will need to have USB4, 10G LAN or Thunderbolt, you may need to pay a LOT extra for it. For the mainstream market, a board just like the Aorus Elite AX is the place it is at.