The Gigabyte Aorus Master X3D Ice, an attractive white update to the non-X3D version, offers robust power delivery, other improved specifications, and DIY features in a premium package. By most accounts, it’s a useful update, but don't expect significant performance gains from the X3D Turbo 2.0 mode.
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Gigabyte, like the other board partners, is updating its AMD motherboard stack. On top of 64MB BIOS’ (for additional CPU support without lopping off older models), the company gets the chance to fix any issues and add any relevant features that may have come out since the platform was released in late September 2024. The X870E Aorus Master X3D Ice builds upon the non-X3D version, with more robust power delivery, a larger BIOS, connectivity enhancements, and, of course, the updated X3D Turbo 2.0 functionality for X3D chips, which Gigabyte says improves performance up to 25 percent (tested below).
On the hardware side, the X870E Aorus Master X3D Ice provides you with everything the platform has to offer. And at $649.99 , it had better! There are four USB Type-C ports on the rear IO, five M.2 sockets (two PCIe 5.0), fast networking with dual LAN (one 10 GbE) and Wi-Fi 7, faster memory support to DDR5-9000 (up from 8600 MT/s), an increase in Vcore VRM phase count (16 to 18), and three full-length PCIe expansion slots. You also get a front HDMI port, which is useful for mounting a smaller display in the case for monitoring or extra display options. The Realtek ALC1220 audio codec remains unchanged, but a DAC has been added. The Icy white PCB and paint job are new, and there have been some minor tweaks to the premium design. In all, these are some nice upgrades from the original X870E Aorus Master.
Performance on our Aorus Master X3D was middle of the pack, and nothing out of the ordinary. It proved to be a solid gamer and was good in productivity, though our Procyon Office tests had it on the slower side of average using default settings. You wouldn’t notice a difference in the office apps, but by the numbers, it was a bit slower. All of that said, there’s really nothing to worry about on the performance side of things. The Turbo 2.0 feature for X3D chips did yield some positive results in some tests, but was unimpressive in our testing.
Below, we’ll examine the board's details and determine whether it deserves a spot on our list of the Best Motherboards . But before we share test results and discuss details, here are the specifications from Gigabyte’s website.
Specifications of the Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master
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