Verdict and Conclusion
Intel’s marketing and launch of their newest Core Ultra (Series 2) desktop processors was, for a better word a complete disaster. What’s even more annoying, is that these new processors uses the new LGA1851 socket, which means you can’t use your existing Z690 or Z790 motherboard. So there’s no way around it … you have to get yourself a new Z890 motherboard if you’re planning to upgrade to one of these new Core Ultra processors.
When it comes to new launches, motherboard manufacturers are starting to feel the same pain as the consumer, so to make things a little more digestible… they’ve includes some new features such as Thunderbolt 4 ports (Type-C), along with support for higher speed ram including CUDIMMs, as well as maintaining the same positioning and holes for mounting brackets for LGA1700 CPU coolers.
The Gigabyte Z890 AORUS ELITE X ICE is one of the first all-white Z890 motherboards we’ve seen on the market, and it looks absolutely gorgeous. It comes a Digital Twin 16+1+2 phases VRM solution and 80A SPS, with premium chokes and capacitors giving you excellent power efficiency and stability. The motherboard also feature an 8-Layer, 2x copper PCB, and large heatsinks for cooling thanks to their VRM Thermal Armor Advanced, M.2 Thermal Guard L and M.2 Thermal Guard Ext.
During our tests, we managed to get some good scores in all of our benchmarks. We got a Cinebench 2024 scores of 2,322 (multi core) and 142 (single core). For PCMark 10, we got a score of 8,933, and a score of 16,597 for PassMark 11.
For UL’s latest Procyon Video Editing Benchmark, we got a score of 10,815 and a score of 212 for the AI Computer Vision Benchmark. For 3DMark Nomad Steel and Speedway, we got decent scores of 6,637 and 7,518 respectively. And finally, for Port Royal and Timespy, we got a score of 18,518 and 25,919 respectively.
The motherboard features 4 x DDR5 DIMMs slots supporting memory speeds of up to DDR5-9500+. We haven’t tested any DDR5 memory at this speed, but it’s safe to say it DOES support CUDIMMs. Our test rig used 48GB of Kingston Fury Renegade DDR5-8800 CUDIMMs in XMP mode with no issues at all.
For storage, you get 4 x SATA ports, 1 x PCIE Gen5 M.2 slot and 4 x PCIE Gen4x4 M.2 slots for SSDs, which is plenty for most users. All M.2 slots feature Gigabyte’s EZ latch and allows you to mount your M.2 SSDs with ease. To cool the M.2 SSDs, you’ll find a large M.2 Thermal Guard L and Thermal Guard Ext. with full cover heat shield.
When it comes to connectivity, you get a lot more than you expect. On the back I/O panel, you’ll find 4 x USB 2.0 ports, 2 x antenna connectors (with WIFI EZ-Plug), 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, 1 x Thunderbolt™ 4 connector (USB4® USB Type-C® port), 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red), 1 x 2.5GbE LAN port, 1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector, Mic-in and Audio-out jacks. You also get WiFi 7 with ultra high-gain antenna featuring Gigabyte’s WiFi EZ-Plug and plus magnetic base, an Realtek 2.5GbE LAN, support for Bluetooth 5.4.
Other features include the diagnostic LEDs, onboard reset, power-on, and Q-Flash BIOS buttons, the support for Gigabyte RGB Fusion, and Realtek CODEC for 7.1 HD audio with WIMA Caps, for High-Fidelity studio quality audio. You also get the Ultra Durable PCIe Armor and PCIe UD Slot X, as well as the PCIe EZ-Latch Plus for easy installation and removal of GPUs.
And for those who love extra performance, then you should try Gigabyte’s D5 Bionic Corsa for Infinite Memory Performance. There’s also an Auto-Overclocking Software called AORUS AI SNATCH, and AI Perfdrive for customized BIOS presets.
You can buy the Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Elite X ICE motherboard for around USD $329 from Amazon – https://amzn.to/3Y6nN4u
Final Words:
Negating the less than enthusiastic performance of the Core Ultra 9 285K … Overall, the Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Elite X ICE is an excellent all-white motherboard. It offers decent performance, great aesthetics and it’s absolutely packed with some amazing features. If you’re planning to upgrade and build an all-white PC using the new Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) desktop processor, then the Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Elite X ICE is the motherboard you want!
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