Table of Contents
Gigabyte is back with a lower but still feature-rich motherboard series with the AMD B850 chipset. The tested B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI 7 ICE motherboard promises excellent performance and a gaming set of features for demanding users with a lower budget. At first look, it isn’t much different from the higher models with an X870E chipset, so it also presents well in a modded PC. I’m sure our readers are more into details than the long introduction, so we move forward to focus on the key elements of the B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI 7 ICE.
Let’s begin with a long list of specifications and features, and I will describe those that are most important or refreshed in the new chipset series.
Specifications and Features of the Gigabyte B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE
The B850 ELITE ICE is one of the best-equipped motherboards with the B850 chipset. Gigabyte has balanced features and the price to deliver a feature-rich base for a gaming PC that is also affordable for most users. As a result, we got a motherboard with a strong power design, a high-end look, and unique features that others didn’t want to use in lower series motherboards, such as EZ-Latch Plus.
The list of key features suggests multiple improvements in the new generation of more affordable motherboards.
Key Features
- X3D Turbo Mode: Unleash new era gaming performance
- DDR5 OC up to 8200MT/s
- AMD Socket AM5：Supports AMD Ryzen™ 9000 / 8000 / 7000 Series Processors
- Digital twin 14+2+2 phases VRM solution
- Dual Channel DDR5：4*DIMMs with AMD EXPO™Memory Module Support
- WIFI EZ-Plug: Quick and easy design for Wi-Fi antenna installation
- EZ-Latch Plus：PCIe and M.2 slots with Quick Release & Screwless Design
- EZ-Latch Click：M.2 heatsinks with screwless design
- Sensor Panel Link：Onboard video port for hassle-free in-chassis panel setup
- Friendly UI: Multi-Theme, AIO Fan Control, and Q-Flash Auto Scan in BIOS and SW.
- Ultra-Fast Storage：3*M.2 slots, including PCIe 5.0 x4
- Efficient Thermal：VRM Thermal Armor Advanced & M.2 Thermal Guard Ext.
- Fast Networking：2.5GbE LAN & Wi-Fi 7 with directional Ultra-high gain antenna
- Extended Connectivity：HDMI,Displayport
- PCIe UD Slot ：PCIe 5.0 x16 slots with 10X strength for graphics card & Better Heat dissipation effect
How to boost your X3D on GIGABYTE Motherboard – AORUS YouTube channel
AMD B850 Chipset Specifications
AMD B850 Chipset
The AMD B850 platform is the foundation for next-generation gaming and content creation experiences. Featuring enhanced overclocking capabilities, DDR5 memory support with AMD EXPO™ Technology, and PCIe® 5 connectivity for NVME storage, the AMD B850 platform is ready to power your desktop for years to come.
| Direct Processor PCIe® Lanes | Chipset-Provided USB and SATA | |||||||||
| GRAPHICS | NVMe (PLUS PCIe™ GPP, UP TO) | USABLE PCIe® LANES TOTAL/PCIe® 5.0(UP TO) | RYZEN PROCESSOR OVERCLOCKING ENABLED | DDR5 MEMORY OVERCLOCKING ENABLED (Supports AMD EXPO™) | SUPERSPEED USB 5Gbps (UP TO) | SUPERSPEED USB 10Gbps (UP TO) | SUPERSPEED USB 20Gbps (UP TO) | MAXIMUM SATA PORTS (OR PCIe® 3.0, UP TO) | USB 4.0 | |
| X870E | 1×16 or 2×8 PCIe® 5.0 | 1×4 PCIe® 5.0 plus 4x PCIe® GPP | 44/24 | Yes | Yes | 2 | 12 | 2 | 8 | Standard |
| X870 | 1×16 or 2×8 PCIe® 5.0 | 1×4 PCIe® 5.0plus 4x PCIe® GPP | 36/24 | Yes | Yes | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | Standard |
| B850 | 1×16 or 2×8 PCIe® 5.0 | 1×4 PCIe® 5.0plus 4x PCIe® GPP | 36/4 | Yes | Yes | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | Optional |
| B840 | 1×16 or 2×8 PCIe® 5.0 | 1×4 PCIe® 5.0plus 4x PCIe® GPP | 34/0 | No | Yes | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | Optional |
| X670E | 1×16 or 2×8 PCIe® 5.0 | 1×4 PCIe® 5.0 plus 4x PCIe® GPP | 44/24 | Yes | Yes | 2 | 12 | 2 | 8 | Optional |
| X670 | 1×16 or 2×8 PCIe® 4.0 | 1×4 PCIe® 5.0 plus 4x PCIe® GPP | 44/8 | Yes | Yes | 2 | 12 | 2 | 8 | Optional |
| B650E | 1×16 or 2×8 PCIe® 5.0 | 1×4 PCIe® 5.0 plus 4x PCIe® GPP
| 36/24 | Yes | Yes | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | Optional |
| B650 | 1×16 or 2×8 PCIe® 4.0 | 1×4 PCIe® 4.0 (PCIe® 5.0 Optional) | 36/0 | Yes | Yes | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | Optional |
| A620 / A620A | 1×16 PCIe® 4.0 | 1×4 PCIe® 4.0 | 32/0 | No | Yes | 2 | 2 | – | 4 | Optional |
| PRO 665 | 1×16 or 2×8 | 1×4 PCIe® 4.0 (PCIe® 5.0 Optional) | 36/0 | No | No | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | Optional |
| PCIe® 4.0 | ||||||||||
| PRO 600 | 1×16 or 2×8 | 1×4 PCIe® 4.0 plus 4x PCIe® GPP | 28/0 | No | No | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Optional |
Chipset Comparison – Source: AMD
Looking at the chipset comparison, the B850 isn’t a direct replacement for the B650E. However, it’s also slightly better than the B650, as we get a PCIe 5.0 graphics card slot and four PCIe 5.0 lanes that will almost always be used for the first M.2 socket. It’s still not the upgrade option for all those with B650E motherboards.
The table with the general differences between the new chipsets is above, while all the details about the B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE are below.
Gigabyte B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE Specifications
| CPU Support | AMD Socket AM5, support for: AMD Ryzen™ 9000 Series Processors/ AMD Ryzen™ 8000 Series Processors/ AMD Ryzen™ 7000 Series Processors (Go to GIGABYTE’s website for the latest CPU support list.) |
| Chipset | AMD B850 |
| Memory | Support for DDR5 8200(O.C) / 8000(O.C) / 7950(O.C) / 7900(O.C) / 7800(O.C) / 7600(O.C.) / 7400(O.C.) / 7200(O.C.) / 7000(O.C.) / 6800(O.C.) / 6600(O.C.) / 6400(O.C) / 6200(O.C) / 6000(O.C) / 5800(O.C) / 5600(O.C) / 5200 / 4800 / 4400 MT/s memory modules. 4 x DDR5 DIMM sockets supporting up to 256 GB (64 GB single DIMM capacity)of system memory Dual channel memory architecture Support for non-ECC Un-buffered DIMM 1Rx8/2Rx8/1Rx16 memory modules Support for AMD EXtended Profiles for Overclocking (AMD EXPO™) and Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory modules (The CPU and memory configuration may affect the supported memory types, data rate (speed), and number of DRAM modules, please refer to “Memory Support List” on GIGABYTE’s website for more information.) |
| Onboard Graphics | Integrated Graphics Processor with AMD Radeon™ Graphics support: – 1 x DisplayPort, supporting a maximum resolution of 3840×2160@144 Hz * Support for DisplayPort 1.4 version and HDR.– 1 x Front HDMI port, supporting a maximum resolution of 1920×1080@30 Hz * Support for HDMI 1.4 version(Graphics specifications may vary depending on CPU support.) |
| Audio | Realtek® Audio CODEC (Only for rev. 1.0) High Definition Audio 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel * You can change the functionality of an audio jack using the audio software. To configure 7.1-channel audio, access the audio software for audio settings.Support for S/PDIF OutRealtek® ALC1220 CODEC (Only for rev. 1.1) * The back panel line out jack supports DSD audio.High Definition Audio 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel * You can change the functionality of an audio jack using the audio software. To configure 7.1-channel audio, access the audio software for audio settings.Support for S/PDIF Out |
| LAN | Realtek® 2.5GbE LAN chip (2.5 Gbps/1 Gbps/100 Mbps) |
| Wireless Communications Module | Realtek® Wi-Fi 7 RTL8922AE – 802.11a, b, g, n, ac, ax, be, supporting 2.4/5/6 GHz carrier frequency bands – BLUETOOTH 5.4 – Support for 11be 160MHz wireless standard (Actual data rate may vary depending on environment and equipment.) * Wi-Fi 7 features require Windows 11 SV3 to function properly. (There is no support driver for Windows 10.) ** Wi-Fi 7 channels on 6 GHz band availability depends on individual country’s regulations |
| Expansion Slots | 1 x PCI Express x16 slot (PCIEX16), integrated in the CPU: AMD Ryzen™ 9000/7000 Series Processors support PCIe 5.0 x16 mode AMD Ryzen™ 8000 Series-Phoenix 1 Processors support PCIe 4.0 x8 mode AMD Ryzen™ 8000 Series-Phoenix 2 Processors support PCIe 4.0 x4 mode * The PCIEX16 slot can only support a graphics card or an NVMe SSD. If only one graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIEX16 slot.Chipset: – 2 x PCI Express x16 slots, supporting PCIe 3.0 and running at x1(PCIEX1_1, PCIEX1_2) |
| Storage Interface | 1 x M.2 connector (M2A_CPU), integrated in the CPU, supporting Socket 3, M key, type 25110/22110/2580/2280 SSDs: AMD Ryzen™ 9000/7000 Series Processors support PCIe 5.0 x4/x2 SSDs AMD Ryzen™ 8000 Series-Phoenix 1 Processors support PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSDs AMD Ryzen™ 8000 Series-Phoenix 2 Processors support PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSDs1 x M.2 connector (M2B_CPU), integrated in the CPU, supporting Socket 3, M key, type 25110/22110/2580/2280 SSDs: AMD Ryzen™ 9000/7000 Series Processors support PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSDs AMD Ryzen™ 8000 Series-Phoenix 1 Processors support PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSDs AMD Ryzen™ 8000 Series-Phoenix 2 Processors support PCIe 4.0 x2 SSDs1 x M.2 connector (M2C_SB), integrated in the Chipset, supporting Socket 3, M key, type 25110/22110/2580/2280 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSDs 4 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 support for NVMe SSD storage devices * RAID 5 is only available on AMD Ryzen™ 9000 Series Processors.RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 10 support for SATA storage devices |
| USB | CPU: – 1 x USB Type-C® port on the back panel, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support – 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red) on the back panel CPU+USB 2.0 Hub: – 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports on the back panel Chipset: – 1 x USB Type-C® port with USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 support, available through the internal USB header – 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (1 port on the back panel, 2 ports available through the internal USB header) – 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports available through the internal USB headers Chipset+USB 3.2 Gen 1 Hub: – 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports on the back panel |
| Internal I/O Connectors | 1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector 1 x 4-pin ATX 12V power connector 1 x CPU fan header 1 x CPU fan/water cooling pump header 3 x system fan headers 1 x system fan/water cooling pump header 3 x addressable RGB Gen2 LED strip headers 1 x RGB LED strip header 3 x M.2 Socket 3 connectors 4 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors 1 x front panel header 1 x front panel audio header 1 x USB Type-C® header, with USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 support 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 header 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers 1 x Trusted Platform Module header (For the GC-TPM2.0 SPI/GC-TPM2.0 SPI 2.0/GC-TPM2.0 SPI V2 module only) 1 x HDMI port (Note) 1 x power button 1 x reset button 1 x reset jumper 1 x Clear CMOS jumper(Note) Actual support may vary by CPU. |
| Back Panel Connectors | 1 x DisplayPort (Note) 1 x Q-Flash Plus button 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports 1 x USB Type-C® port, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support 5 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports 1 x RJ-45 port 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red) 2 x antenna connectors (2T2R) 2 x audio jacks 1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector(Note) Actual support may vary by CPU. |
| I/O Controller | iTE® I/O Controller Chip |
| H/W Monitoring | Voltage detection Temperature detection Fan speed detection Water cooling flow rate detection Fan fail warning Fan speed control * Whether the fan (pump) speed control function is supported will depend on the fan(pump) you install. |
| Software and UEFI | Software Norton® Internet Security (OEM version) LAN bandwidth management software UEFI 1 x 256 Mbit flash Use of licensed AMI UEFI BIOS PnP 1.0a, DMI 2.7, WfM 2.0, SM BIOS 2.7, ACPI 5.0 |
| Unique Features | Support for GIGABYTE Control Center (GCC) * Available applications in GCC may vary by motherboard model. Supported functions of each application may also vary depending on motherboard specifications.Support for Q-Flash Support for Q-Flash Plus Support for Smart Backup |
| OS Support | – Microsoft Windows® 11 64-bit |
| Form Factor | ATX Form Factor; 30.5cm x 24.4cm |
Specifications – Source: Gigabyte
The specifications seem well-balanced for gamers and all other home users. We get a fast M.2 socket and a fast graphics card slot, both PCIe 5.0 standards. Additionally, we get two more PCIe 4.0 M.2 sockets. Most users won’t ever use more than two M.2 SSDs, and additional PCIe cards are rare in modern computers, so the lack of more slots or sockets doesn’t feel like a serious disadvantage. The only issue I see is that the M.2 PCIe 5.0 socket is directly under the PCIe x16 slot, which may cause problems with SSD cooling if we decide to use any fast PCIe 5.0 SSD series. The optimal solution in this case would be to leave other M.2 sockets unoccupied so the motherboard heatsink is used for one hot SSD.
The B850 AORUS Elite WiFi7 ICE supports all AM5 processors from the 7000, 8000, and 9000 series. The power design is good enough to support the highest models without issues and allow overclocking. We had no problems with overheating or lack of stability during extended tests. CPUs also change some features, which we can read in the specifications table above.
The motherboard has a 2.5Gb Realtek RTL8125D LAN and WiFi 7/BT 5.4 RTL8922AE controllers. As long as a 2.5Gb LAN is standard in new motherboards, most competitive B850 motherboards use WiFi 6/6E, so the B850 Elite ICE is better.
The motherboard supports all kinds of DDR5 RAM up to 8200MT/s. However, using two memory modules is recommended, and the top speed can be achieved only on the Ryzen 8000 series APU. The AMD design lets us use higher-performance memory kits only in two-slot configurations, so the specifications can be misleading as they suggest the maximum supported 256GB of RAM at much more than general AMD specifications. Depending on the motherboard, it’s typically between 4400MT/s and 5600MT/s.
The motherboard has large aluminum heatsinks, about the same size as those on top-series X870E motherboards. All components generating more heat are well-cooled. There is no active cooling, but the motherboard has no temperature problems.
The tested motherboard is in 1.0 revision, meaning the audio codec is Realtek ALC897. Even though it works properly, it’s already old, and I’m surprised it’s used on a new motherboard. The 1.1 motherboard revision has the Realtek ALC1220 codec, which is just right for B850 motherboards.
The motherboard doesn’t have 20Gbps USB 3.2 ports, although the specifications include a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 header, which we can use for the front panel. We wish to see faster USB ports, but this wouldn’t be possible on B850 motherboards without an additional controller. There is an optional USB4 controller, but we assume it would raise the price too much to be worth it for most users. There are still few USB4 devices, and most are overpriced.
The Gigabyte B850 ELITE ICE uses 14+2+2 twin-digital power phases. Even though the phases are doubled, the power design is pretty good, better than that of most competitive B850 motherboards. The motherboard didn’t have problems with the Ryzen 9 7950X under high load or while overclocking. We also couldn’t hear any coil whine during high load.
We are glad to see all the EZ features as they make life easier, even though they are not used often. The PCIe EZ Latch Plus is an advantage, as all users remove the graphics card occasionally. The easy-to-install M.2 sockets and their heatsink are also convenient.
Gigabyte B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE Features
X3D Turbo Mode Unleash New Era Gaming Performance with One-Click Activation. | X3D Turbo Mode’s unique optimization parameters allow even Ryzen™ 9000 X3D gaming Performance enhance & Ryzen™ 9000 non-X3D processors to achieve similar gaming performance levels as their Ryzen™ X3D counterparts. Experience smoother gameplay, higher frame rates, and reduced latency with GIGABYTE’s BIOS innovation- X3D Turbo Mode. One-Click Acceleration: Enhance Gaming FPS Performance with a single click. Enhance Up to 18% *Differences in performance enhancement depending on the game. |
| Zenith Memory Performance | AORUS gaming motherboards boost DDR5 memory performance and offer top-notch compatibility using various advanced methods. * Memory overclocking and XMP/EXPO support may vary. Please refer to the qualified vendor list (QVL) for details and note that product features may vary by model. |
Steady Power Elite Series with steady power keeps your AI operation smooth. | Digital Twin VRM Design Delivers consistent, high-powered performance to elevate your overclocking to the next level. 14 VCORE Phases DrMOS 60A Unlock the full power of your multi-core CPU for unmatched performance. *7+7 phases parallel power design 2 SOC Phases DrMOS 60A Optimized for integrated GPU performance and memory management within the CPU. 2 MISC Phases Ppak Deliver reliable power to your CPU-connected PCIe lanes for uninterrupted performance. |
Comprehensive Thermal Advanced full-metal thermal design and durable heatsinks to keep your system cool and efficient | Level Up Epic VRM heatsinks for non-stop gaming
M.2 Thermal Guard Ext.
Small Vents, Big Cooling Power Up To 7°C lower temperature Smart Fan 6 Cool. Quiet. Customized. |
Hassle-free Assembly Our cutting-edge motherboard is designed for the ultimate DIY experience | WIFI EZ-Plug The WIFI EZ-Plug design integrates Wi-Fi antenna plugs into one adapter, EZ to install EZ-Latch Designs User-friendly designs simplifying the assembly processFast-Access Controls Handy, Revert, Refresh
Sensor Panel Link |
Future Connectivity |
All-round Connectivity
Immerse Audio |
| Born from Ultra Durable™ | PCIe UD Slot The one-piece, stainless-steel shielding design reinforces the Memory Slots and maximizes signal integrity and overclocking potential. UD Power Connector Our innovative UD Power Connector design enhances power conductivity and thermal dissipation. Solid Pins Delivers superior conductivity and signal transmission and reduces metal wear from repeated connections. Reduced Signal Degradation with SMD Technology |
| Collaborative Excellence in Computing | GIGABYTE motherboards showcase our devotion to BIOS improvement. Through synergy with our user community, we democratize next-level computing power. |
Most B850 ELITE ICE features are standard for many other Gigabyte models and don’t need an introduction. All new motherboards have improved power design, easy settings, and BIOS flashback and are DIY friendly. Even if we don’t have a higher budget, we can count on getting many above-standard features with modern Gigabyte motherboards.
Retail Packaging and Accessories
The motherboard arrived in a retail package. The package design and contents are the same as in stores.
Everything we need for the installation is inside the box, including a WiFi antenna, SATA data cables, a sticker/badge with the AORUS logo, and a quick user’s guide (an extended version of the manual is available on the website).
A Closer Look at the Gigabyte B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE
The B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE has a bright design, as the ICE in the product name suggests. The PCB, slots, and sockets are white, while the heatsinks are white and silver. It looks like a high-end model, even though it is significantly cheaper than the X870E series.
At first glance, the layout feels optimal. However, it would be better if the M.2 PCIe 5.0 socket was above the PCIe x16 slot, as it would help with the SSD and graphics card temperatures. This is probably the only thing I would change, as the access to everything else is just right, and the EZ features make everything easy to work with.
I wish to see the clear CMOS button on the motherboard’s back, but barely any B850 has it. On the back, we can find the BIOS Flashback button next to DisplayPort, WiFi antenna headers, 2.5Gbps LAN, 7.1 audio, and twelve USB ports. It would be great to see at least one or two USB 3.2 20Gbps ports on the back, but the only fast USB is available via the motherboard’s header.
The motherboard has six fan headers, including a dedicated pump header. All of them can be controlled in the BIOS or Gigabyte software.
The B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE uses large heatsinks and high-performance thermal pads, so it handles everything without fans. Even though the motherboard is not designed for the most demanding users, it should satisfy many computer enthusiasts and overclockers. It’s also perfect for gamers who don’t need many fast peripherals but still want a fast processor, graphics card, and storage.
Below are additional close-ups of the motherboard ICs. There are no surprises, but we wish to see a newer audio codec. However, it’s worth mentioning that the controller set looks pretty good for a mid-series motherboard. The WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 controllers are especially rare on B850 motherboards.
UEFI BIOS and Software
BIOS/UEFI
The new motherboard series BIOS/UEFI is similar to what we could see in the X870E Pro ICE motherboard. The BIOS is kept in bright colors to match the motherboard design. The motherboard arrived with the F1, initial BIOS version, which was a big surprise. Before we started the tests, there was an F3b version BIOS with the AGESA 1.2.0.3a patch A, which we used for the review. Even though it’s a beta version, we haven’t noticed any stability issues.
The BIOS has two modes: an easy mode for all those who are okay with basic settings and an advanced mode for those who like to adjust everything or need specific settings for their work.
Easy Mode
Easy Mode – Smart Fan 6
Advanced Mode – Tweaker
Advanced Mode – Settings
Advanced Mode – System Info.
Advanced Mode – Boot
Advanced Mode – Save & Exit
Gigabyte Software
Gigabyte adds its software, which includes RGB adjustment, fan control, overclocking and diagnostic options, and software/firmware updates.
The RGB worked with the most popular brands, like G.Skill and Kingston. The less popular Acer Predator also worked fine.
The software easily manages the fan control, allowing us to overclock our computer from an easy-to-manage window.
Most options are well-known, as seen in the previous motherboard series. A new addition is WiFi Compass, which helps configure the wireless connection.
Test Setup and Performance of the Gigabyte B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE
Test System Components | |
| Motherboards | ASRock B850M Steel Legend / Ryzen 9 7950X ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF / Core Ultra 7 265K ASRock X870E Taichi / Ryzen 9 7950X ASRock X870 Riptide / Ryzen 9 7950X Biostar X870E Valkyrie / Ryzen 7950X Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Master / Core Ultra 7 265K Gigabyte B850 AORUS WIFI ICE / Ryzen 9 7950X Gigabyte B650E AORUS Master / Ryzen 9 7950X ASUS Crosshair X670E Gene / Ryzen 9 7950X Gigabyte X570 Ultra / Ryzen 9 5900X MSI Z790 Ace MAX / Core i9 14900K |
| CPUs | AMD Ryzen 9 7950X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Intel Core Ultra 7 265K Intel Core i9 14900K |
| CPU Cooler | Arctic Cooling Freezer III 280 RGB |
| Memory | DDR5: Kingston Renegade RGB 2x48GB@DDR5-6400 CL32@XMP / Hynix M-die DDR4: Acer Predator 2x8GB DDR4-3600 CL14@XMP / Samsung B-die |
| SSD | Acer Predator GM7000 2TB NVMe SSD (OS + Applications), Crucial T705 2TB NVMe SSD for CrystalDiskMark |
| Power Supply | FSP Hydro PTM Pro 1200W 80+ Platinum PSU |
| Video Card | Colorful RTX4080 Advanced OC 16GB |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Pro x64 |
CPU and Memory Performance
| AIDA64 Cache and Memory Benchmark – Raw Data | ||||
| Motherboard / CPU | Read | Write | Copy | Latency |
| AORUS B850 ELITE WIFI7 ICE / R9 7950X | 83913 | 90544 | 81279 | 65,2 |
| ASRock B850M Steel Legend / R9 7950X | 78124 | 79987 | 70898 | 85,2 |
| ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF / CU7 265K | 101054 | 94556 | 99164 | 80,1 |
| AORUS Z890 Master / CU7 265K | 100031 | 94112 | 98060 | 82,5 |
| ASRock X870E Taichi / R9 7950X | 82461 | 86879 | 76242 | 72,4 |
| ASRock X870 Riptide / R9 7950X | 81124 | 86045 | 75879 | 74,9 |
| Biostar X870E Valkyrie / R9 7950X | 79984 | 84872 | 73884 | 76,4 |
| AORUS B650E Master / R9 7950X | 88054 | 93948 | 80708 | 60,1 |
| CROSSHAIR X670E GENE / R9 7950X | 88328 | 92486 | 80924 | 64,2 |
| AORUS X570 Ultra / R9 5900X | 54136 | 53259 | 48805 | 60,2 |
| MSI Z790 Ace MAX / i9 14900K | 101373 | 100357 | 101427 | 65,2 |
All motherboards were tested with the same Kingston FURY Renegade 6400MT/s CL32 memory kit equipped with the most common Hynix M-die chips. As you can see, the Gigabyte B850 motherboard is significantly faster in RAM tests than the ASRock B850 or even the X870E motherboards. This is due to the high bandwidth and low latency mode. Additionally, the motherboard supports DDR5-6400 at a 1:1 IMC ratio, which doesn’t work on most ASRock B850 motherboards.
| AIDA64 CPU Benchmark – Raw Data | ||||
| Motherboard / CPU | Photo | Zlib | AES | SHA3 |
| AORUS B850 ELITE WIFI7 ICE / R9 7950X | 54164 | 2492,1 | 385354 | 11186 |
| ASRock B850M Steel Legend / R9 7950X | 53126 | 2491,4 | 384156 | 11102 |
| ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF / CU7 265K | 65524 | 1990,1 | 218158 | 9062 |
| AORUS Z890 Master / CU7 265K | 65436 | 1980,2 | 218166 | 9050 |
| ASRock X870E Taichi / R9 7950X | 52971 | 2485,6 | 386248 | 11246 |
| ASRock X870 Riptide / R9 7950X | 53244 | 2474,6 | 383448 | 11245 |
| Biostar X870E Valkyrie / R9 7950X | 52789 | 2452,8 | 381877 | 11098 |
| AORUS B650E Master / R9 7950X | 54247 | 2458,5 | 384373 | 11136 |
| CROSSHAIR X670E GENE / R9 7950X | 53242 | 2471,2 | 383479 | 10805 |
| AORUS X570 Ultra / R9 5900X | 20822 | 1342,9 | 210463 | 5296 |
| MSI Z790 Ace MAX / i9 14900K | 65661 | 2344,8 | 286739 | 8265 |
AIDA64 CPU tests show that the B850 ELITE WIFI7 ICE is slightly faster than the ASRock B850M Steel Legend. The difference isn’t significant, but it still counts.
| AIDA64 FPU Benchmark – Raw Data | ||||
| Motherboard / CPU | Julia | Mandel | SinJulia | FP64 RT |
| AORUS B850 ELITE WIFI7 ICE / R9 7950X | 257243 | 136289 | 33679 | 34116 |
| ASRock B850M Steel Legend / R9 7950X | 246897 | 130245 | 33532 | 34014 |
| ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF / CU7 265K | 178912 | 84074 | 12847 | 15824 |
| AORUS Z890 Master / CU7 265K | 178901 | 84019 | 12742 | 15782 |
| ASRock X870E Taichi / R9 7950X | 258724 | 138487 | 33758 | 34278 |
| ASRock X870 Riptide / R9 7950X | 256846 | 139112 | 33688 | 34316 |
| Biostar X870E Valkyrie / R9 7950X | 257112 | 137184 | 33512 | 34088 |
| AORUS B650E Master / R9 7950X | 263030 | 139873 | 33643 | 34141 |
| CROSSHAIR X670E GENE / R9 7950X | 256027 | 130170 | 33257 | 33775 |
| AORUS X570 Ultra / R9 5900X | 155039 | 85157 | 19566 | 12843 |
| MSI Z790 Ace MAX / i9 14900K | 168473 | 84124 | 19493 | 18234 |
Our AIDA64 FPU tests show almost the same situation. The Gigabyte motherboard is slightly faster than ASRock and has the same chipset.
| Cinebench R23, POVRay, 7Zip – Raw Data | ||||
| Motherboard / CPU | R23 (S) | R23 (M) | POV-Ray | 7Zip |
| AORUS B850 ELITE WIFI7 ICE / R9 7950X | 1971 | 38180 | 272846 | 216,545 |
| ASRock B850M Steel Legend / R9 7950X | 1989 | 38002 | 271648 | 202,629 |
| ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF / CU7 265K | 2174 | 35768 | 276842 | 158,224 |
| AORUS Z890 Master / CU7 265K | 2175 | 35758 | 276523 | 156,752 |
| ASRock X870E Taichi / R9 7950X | 2016 | 38852 | 282146 | 216,48 |
| ASRock X870 Riptide / R9 7950X | 1989 | 38684 | 274164 | 214,45 |
| Biostar X870E Valkyrie / R9 7950X | 1948 | 38142 | 271879 | 212,12 |
| AORUS B650E Master / R9 7950X | 2004 | 38384 | 267130,4 | 202,382 |
| CROSSHAIR X670E GENE / R9 7950X | 2002 | 38340 | 279272,7 | 219,22 |
| AORUS X570 Ultra / R9 5900X | 1598 | 20983 | 288281,5 | 117,115 |
| MSI Z790 Ace MAX / i9 14900K | 2179 | 36600 | 228088,1 | 213,144 |
The results of additional tests show barely any differences, except for 7Zip, where better RAM settings show some performance gain.
| PCMark 10 Applications – Raw Data | ||||
| Motherboard / CPU | Word | Excel | PowerPoint | Edge |
| AORUS B850 ELITE WIFI7 ICE / R9 7950X | 11121 | 36360 | 17761 | 17107 |
| ASRock B850M Steel Legend / R9 7950X | 10561 | 33140 | 17293 | 16118 |
| ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF / CU7 265K | 8516 | 36568 | 15987 | 15918 |
| AORUS Z890 Master / CU7 265K | 8460 | 36427 | 15846 | 15942 |
| ASRock X870E Taichi / R9 7950X | 11046 | 37816 | 17422 | 16312 |
| ASRock X870 Riptide / R9 7950X | 10848 | 37289 | 17404 | 16112 |
| Biostar X870E Valkyrie / R9 7950X | 10546 | 37384 | 17189 | 16080 |
| AORUS B650E Master / R9 7950X | 10924 | 37694 | 17398 | 16197 |
| CROSSHAIR X670E GENE / R9 7950X | 10914 | 37712 | 17402 | 16194 |
| AORUS X570 Ultra / R9 5900X | 11180 | 31685 | 17908 | 12932 |
| MSI Z790 Ace MAX / i9 14900K | 9618 | 38017 | 18412 | 16357 |
Also, in the PCMark 10 Applications tests, higher memory performance affects the results. The performance gain is even up to 10% over the ASRock motherboard.
Gaming Performance
Gaming benchmarks do not show much different results on all AM5 motherboards. The differences in most tests are close to the margin of error, while in some tests, we can see that the faster RAM gives us slightly better results on the Gigabyte B850 ELITE WIFI7 ICE.
Used processors significantly affect popular games at lower display resolutions, while the motherboard choice usually doesn’t matter much. However, in this case, Gigabyte helps achieve better results, and it’s recommended that we count on high RAM performance.
Storage Performance
M.2 SSD
The M.2 performance has been tested using the Crucial T705 2TB NVMe PCIe 5.0 x4 SSD. The maximum bandwidth is around 14.4GB/s, which is as high as expected and about as high as that of high X870E motherboard models.
USB
The B850 chipset only has slower USB 3.2 ports so that we couldn’t achieve higher results than around 1GB/s. This doesn’t make a significant difference for most users, but those who expect fast USB ports have to spend more money, as the B850 chipset doesn’t support USB4 and, in the best-case scenario, is equipped with one USB 3.2 20Gbps port.
Network Performance
The B850 ELITE WIFI7 ICE motherboard uses Realtek 2.5Gbps LAN, which performs as expected. Since reaching or passing the maximum throughput is impossible, around 2379Mbps looks like an excellent result. We also had no problems with the connection stability during longer work.
The motherboard also has a WiFi 7 module, which performs without issues. However, our test environment couldn’t test it right because of the area’s thick walls and many networks. We could still keep low access time and about 950Mbps bandwidth on a 1Gbps internet connection.
Power Consumption
Our power consumption tests suggest this motherboard uses about as much power as ASRock B850M Steel Legend. It’s typical for this type of motherboard and used chipset.
Overclocking with the Gigabyte B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE
The B850 ELITE WIFI7 ICE’s overclocking is not much different from that of other AM5 motherboards. At automatic settings, the motherboard behaves almost the same as the top X870E models, while it can also reach 5.4GHz on all cores of our Ryzen 9 7950X CPU.
The PBO works similarly to what we could see on X870E motherboards. The CPU had no problems boosting up to 5.8GHz on the best cores if we picked the enhanced PBO settings.
The used CPU doesn’t support more than 8000MT/s. However, we had no problems stabilizing our memory kits at 8000MT/s and a 1:2 IMC ratio or 6400MT/s at a 1:1 IMC ratio. This is about as much as expected on most Ryzen 7000 or 9000 processor series.
The B850 ELITE WIFI7 ICE performs well at the default settings, but it’s also capable of high overclocking if we wish to try our luck.
Conclusion
The B850 ELITE WIFI7 ICE is a surprisingly well-made motherboard for the B850 chipset series. In all previously tested B850 motherboards, we could see that the manufacturer saved on controllers or various features to keep the price low. The Gigabyte option may not be the same as X870E motherboards, but it does not give us a much worse experience. The motherboard performs well, and we had no problems with compatibility or stability. It also looks great and is full of solutions, helping with easier access and component installation, which is missing in most competitive motherboards.
I wish to see two things; one was already corrected in the motherboard’s 1.1 revision. The first is fast USB ports, but this does not affect the experience of many users. The same disadvantage applies to all motherboards with the B850 chipset, but if they had everything, there wouldn’t be a point in paying more for the X870/X870E series. The second thing is the outdated audio codec, which was on the tested 1.0 motherboard revision but was already upgraded in the 1.1 revision.
The motherboard has multiple RGB headers and a backlight under the chipset heatsink. This is enough for most users, although some would probably like an additional backlight for the I/O cover. Gigabyte motherboards are fully compatible with most RGB devices, such as fans, LED strips, water cooling components, and RAM modules. All our devices were compatible.
The overclocking is not much worse than that of the highest-series motherboards. The CPU could reach the same maximum frequency. RAM could reach 8000MT/s (the maximum for the used CPU) and run at a 1:1 ratio at 6400MT/s.
The B850 ELITE WIFI7 ICE costs about $219.99 in the Newegg online store, about the same as the cost of competitive B850 motherboards of other brands. However, the user experience can be better on the Gigabyte motherboard, so even if the ELITE WIFI7 ICE costs a bit more, it’s worth it.
The Gigabyte B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE is one of the best motherboards with the AMD B850 chipset and receives our recommendation!
Click the stamp for an explanation of what this means.
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