Gigabyte B650E AORUS Master Motherboard Review

Today we will look at one of the latest Gigabyte motherboards with the new B650E chipset, the B650E AORUS Master. The motherboard uses an Extreme version of the chipset designed to work with PCIe 5.0 devices, so it promises it will be a great option if we are planning to build a gaming PC for a couple of years and give us a window to upgrade. AMD has promised full support for its new chipsets for at least three years (2025), and looking at the latest generations, investing in a motherboard is a way better idea than on Intel’s side, where chipsets are changing more often, but the changes are often less significant.

In this generation, AMD decided to move to DDR5 memory and only DDR5 unlike Intel whose motherboards support both. There are many other improvements compared to the previous generation, so let’s not make this introduction any longer and move to the specifications and features to check what else the B650E Master offers.

Specifications and Features of the AORUS B650E Master

The B650E Master is the flagship of the chipset and looks quite similar to the X670E Master. As you can see in the table with chipset specifications taken from the AMD website, the main difference between the X670E and B650E chipsets makes total usable PCIe lanes and available native USB ports. Let’s be honest, most users won’t need so many PCIe lanes or USB ports, so they can pick a cheaper chipset and won’t see a difference.

Below is the mentioned table with the new chipsets’ general differences.

Chipset Specifications

The AORUS B650E Master clearly doesn’t belong to the low-end products line. The specifications and key features are impressive, which you can view below.

The specifications list is available on the Gigabyte product page.

Before I checked the detailed specifications, I thought Gigabyte sacrificed much more compared to the flagship models based on the X670E chipset. In reality, most users won’t see any difference as the B650E Master has a great power design, all the overclocking options as higher models, improved audio, high RAM frequency support, and all the features that gamers may ask for. Gigabyte prepared a YouTube video with the key features of the B650E AORUS Master, which you can see below. Later in the article, I will describe the most important features and tell you how we feel about them.

For those who don’t want to watch the video, below is a list of the most important features.

Most competitive motherboards are not as feature-rich as the B650E Master. Especially the audio is great. Even though in use isn’t the latest codec, it’s still Realtek ALC1220-VB, which was used in the top series of the last generation motherboards. In addition, there is ESS ES9118 DAC that makes a significant difference and gives us a great, deep sound. Even audiophiles can appreciate this combo. You can count on at least the same experience as on top Z690 motherboards, which was already a huge step forward compared to earlier generations.

We can’t forget about new controllers like WiFi 6E from AMD or already widely used Intel 2.5G LAN. The connection options are for sure not the issue as everything is well-balanced and delivers high performance in the latest standards. We will also find just the right amount of 10/20Gbps USB ports for everything. Everything perfectly matches gamers’ needs.

Looking at the product website, we can see Gigabyte focuses on strong power design and cooling, pointing out durability and stability. This is what many users are searching for in high-end motherboards and is what they get with the B650E Master. There is no problem with using the highest processors and multiple devices while large heat sinks cool everything. I especially love how Gigabyte handles multiple M.2 SSD cooling with a large mono-heat sink that looks amazing, not only on the reviewed motherboard but on all high-series Gigabyte motherboards. It’s a shame that large graphics cards cover it.

Gigabyte B650E Master uses 16+2+2 power phases, of which 16 are for the CPU. In reality, it’s an 8+8 phases parallel power design. I won’t judge if it’s a better option than a typical 16-phase design. For sure, it works well on the tested motherboard, as we had no problems with power delivery or stability, even under a high load after overclocking. During the AIDA64 CPU stability test with the Ryzen 9 7950X CPU, the VRM MOS sensor showed 45°C. I was expecting more, so it was a pleasant surprise.

Now let’s check what we get with the AORUS B650E Master and how the motherboard looks.

Retail Packaging and Accessories

For some readers, it can be surprising, but most motherboard manufacturers (Asus, MSI and Gigabyte) decided not to use any plastic bags or foam fillings in the package. It’s an eco-friendly step that the industry made, or at least brands that count on the mass market. The motherboard itself is held in place by cardboard, and all the easily scuffed parts are covered by plastic foil. Especially the I/O and VRM cover with an RGB backlight is fragile as it’s made of glossy plastic and can be easily scratched. If you want to keep it in perfect condition, then you probably shouldn’t touch it.

Inside the box is everything we need for the installation, including a WiFi antenna, SATA data cables, thermal sensor cable, M.2 screws, a sticker/badge with the AORUS logo, RGB extension cable, a quick user’s guide (an extended version of the manual is available on the website), and a set of various gaming theme stickers.

A Closer Look at the AORUS B650E Master

Gigabyte made a huge step with the motherboard design in the last generation of Intel motherboards. I really like the way how they use large heatsinks that look modern and professional. I’m not a fan of toy-looking designs like some competitive brands keep using. The RGB also looks well on the B650E Master. It’s not too flashy but adds a spark to the black/silver motherboard color theme.

Below you can see how the motherboard looks. The layout feels optimal. All the connectors are where I would expect them and the access to buttons, switches and connectors is easy, even with installed all other components.

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The B650E uses large heatsinks and high-performance thermal pads that cause it to run cool and fanless. The backplate is made of aluminum and covered with nanocarbon. It helps with heat dissipation and also looks good.

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Below are additional close-ups of the ICs that we can find on the motherboard. Most of the additional devices use Realtek ICs like audio and multiple USB controllers.

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UEFI BIOS and Overclocking Software

BIOS/UEFI

BIOS is for sure one of the strong points of the B650E Master. The motherboard arrived with an earlier version, so we updated it to the F3b version. Even though there were no problems with the initial BIOS, it’s good to keep it up to date as it may improve the performance and help with compatibility. The BIOS has two modes, an easy mode for all those who are fine with basic settings and an advanced mode for those who like to adjust everything or need specific settings for their work.

Easy Mode

Advanced Mode – Favorites

Advanced Mode – Tweaker

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Advanced Mode – Settings

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Advanced Mode – System Info

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Advanced Mode – Boot

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Advanced Mode – Save & Exit

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Q-Flash

The motherboard supports Q-Flash Plus. In short, we can update BIOS in many ways: directly from BIOS, OS, or a prepared flash drive that can update the BIOS without even the CPU. The last option is an amazing life-saver in case any BIOS corruption occurs, or we get a new CPU and the motherboard can’t start. It saves us the need for RMA as we can fix it independently.

Gigabyte Software

Gigabyte adds the Control Center software, which includes RGB adjustment, fan control, overclocking and diagnostic options, and software/firmware updates. All we need in one place.

The RGB worked with the most popular brands, like G.Skill and Kingston. Less popular Klevv was also working fine, and you can see it in the photos in this review. Corsair required dedicated software, and without it, we could see a static white backlight. The software update that was released a couple of days after I started tests fixed support for the ZADAK memory kit, so if anything doesn’t work, then first, please check if there is a software update, as it may fix everything.

Gigabyte B650E AORUS Master – Software 1

Gigabyte B650E AORUS Master – Software 2

Gigabyte B650E AORUS Master – Software 3

Test Setup and Performance of the AORUS B650E Master

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CPU and Memory Performance

Gigabyte B650E Master handles RAM well. The performance out of the box is slightly higher than on ASUS Crosshair X670E Gene. The ASUS motherboard requires additional adjustments to perform at the same level. Gigabyte specifications show that the B650E Master supports DDR5-6600 or even DDR5-6666. However, I wasn’t able to set anything above DDR5-6440, even using the bclk and Corsair DDR5-6600 memory kit, which is on the official motherboard’s QVL. Those users who remember the last AMD generation probably know that only cherry-picked CPUs could run at DDR4-4000 and 1:1 IF ratio. The same story is nowadays, as only cherry-picked Ryzen 7000 CPUs will run at more than DDR5-6400. Either way, we are satisfied with fully stable DDR5-6400, especially since, for tests, I used the Klevv memory kit at quite relaxed timings.

AIDA64 CPU tests also show that the Gigabyte motherboard is slightly faster than ASUS. I wonder if it’s a matter of BIOS or something else, but all the results were repeatable.

In additional tests, the results are different. As long as Cinebench R23 shows about the same scores, POV-Ray and 7Zip results are better on the ASUS motherboard.

Gaming Performance

Gaming benchmarks show about the same results on Gigabyte and ASUS motherboards. Differences are close to the margin of error. We can clearly say that the user’s experience will be similar in both cases. The new AMD platform performs significantly better in some games than the last-gen AMD or Intel platforms.

Storage Performance

M.2 SSD

Performance in storage tests shows that the B650E Master can use the full potential of the currently available SSD. Even on not the best performing Windows 11, we can see a maximum bandwidth for our Silicon Power XS70 SSD and amazing performance in random operations.

3DMark storage benchmark confirms high bandwidth and low access time in the tests based on the 3D environment.

USB

USB performance is slightly worse than I was expecting. The SSD used for this test is Crucial X8 4TB, which typically reaches 1.05GB/s. On the other hand, the performance in random operations is a bit better than usual.

Network Performance

LAN

WiFi

Network performance is about as high as expected. Everything works well without delays or bandwidth drops. Gigabyte is adding software that is supposed to improve the network bandwidth and lower latency. In the test environment, there were no additional connections that could interfere, so our results were similar with or without the additional network management software.

Power Consumption

Above, you can see our results of the whole test rig. It’s a typical high-end PC. The gigabyte motherboard was using slightly more power in idle, while the ASUS motherboard while under load. In both cases, the results are not so far from each other, but it’s notable that the Gigabyte will save us some power during longer work.

Overclocking with the AORUS B650E Master

There are two or even three ways to overclock new AMD processors. In the above screenshot, you can see how it looks when we set a maximum frequency for all cores. In our case, the CPU couldn’t make more than 5.35GHz. To reach this frequency, our CPU required about 1.235V. It’s still amazing results if we compare it to the previous generation.
In the below screenshot, you can see how it looks when we play with PBO settings. The multi-threaded score is better in the first case, while the single-threaded score is better in the second case scenario. The PBO adjustment with the negative curve (typically between -10 and -30) gives better results in modern games and helps lower power usage.

Gigabyte also provides a feature called Active OC Tuner. In short, it switches between manual settings and PBO to provide higher frequencies at all cores and a higher boost frequency for single-core tasks. The test rig couldn’t perform any better with the Active OC Tuner, even though it was running at slightly higher frequencies. It could be caused by a used cooling or some other factors. It’s still worth trying, as it seems like the best way to gain some more free performance.

The B650E Master supports XMP and EXPO profiles. Both work without issues. Those who are into overclocking will be happy to hear that the motherboard is also great for memory overclocking.

We have two additional options in BIOS that provide high bandwidth and low latency support. As long as the high bandwidth option doesn’t help much, then the low latency automatically optimizes memory timings giving higher performance. If we decide to do everything manually, then we have a full range of timings and other settings that will help us achieve success.

Above is a screenshot after quick overclocking of the Essencore Kleev DDR5-6200 CL40 memory kit. The B650E Master supports every DDR5 RAM to the limits of the current platform, and it also supports very tight timings, so we can adjust all settings as we wish.

I’m sure anyone expecting good overclocking results won’t be disappointed with the B650E Master motherboard.

Conclusion

Gigabyte B650E AORUS Master is a well-designed motherboard that, during the tests, wasn’t causing any trouble. All the tests passed flawlessly with high scores, slightly better than on ASUS Crosshair X670E Gene. It comes with a solid 16+2+2 power design which, combined with large heat sinks, promises great results and low operating temperatures. Even though AORUS B650E Master uses a lower chipset, it doesn’t limit the motherboard, and we get a wide range of functionality and modern controllers. There is everything that gamers may need: fast USB/USB-C ports, high-quality audio, four M.2 sockets in PCIe 4.0 and 5.0 standards, four SATA ports, 2.5Gbps LAN and WiFi 6E.

For all RGB enthusiasts, there are multiple RGB headers and a backlight on the motherboard itself. Since Gigabyte is one of the leading motherboard manufacturers, then other brands care to deliver devices compatible with the Gigabyte standard. If anything doesn’t work, then updates are usually released quickly.

The B650E Master overclocks great and supports various DDR5 memory ICs. It’s a nice improvement, as the last generation had some problems with compatibility. Overclocking was very easy, and the results were as good, if not better than on the ASUS motherboard used as a reference. The CPU achieved above-average frequency, which is still great, considering it’s not the best chip. The RAM could reach the platform’s limit, so we are also very satisfied, especially that in the tests were four different memory kits.

Gigabyte B650E AORUS Master costs around $350 on Newegg.com. It’s not cheap but quite reasonable for this motherboard. ASUS or MSI competitive models cost some more. On the other hand, for the X670E motherboards, we have to pay at least $150 more. Since the difference for most users will be barely visible, then the B650E Master is a good choice for gamers and even the most demanding users who wish to save some money on a top graphics card or higher CPU. It’s a great motherboard so we can recommend it without hesitation!

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Bartosz Waluk – Woomack