Table of Contents
Today, we start with the motherboards equipped with the Z890 chipset for the latest Intel Arrow Lake-S desktop processors from the 200 series. The first in the queue is the Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Master. The Master series offers gamers and computer enthusiasts top performance and unique features. We won’t share in the introduction what you can find on the motherboard, but it will be worth reading our article to find out. Let’s begin with a long list of specifications and features, and I will describe the most important ones.
Specifications and Features of the Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Master
The Z890 Master is one of the highest-end AORUS series motherboards; only two AI models offer more. It is equipped with unique features, premium controllers, and the toolless installation of key components.
Key Features
- Supports Intel® Core™ Ultra processors (Series 2)
- Digital twin 18+1+2 phases VRM solution
- D5 Bionic Corsa for Infinite Memory Performance
- AORUS AI SNATCH : Auto-Overclocking Software by AI models
- AI Perfdrive : Provides optimal and customized BIOS preset profile for users
- Premium Compatibility : 4*DDR5 with XMP Memory Module Support
- DDR Wind Blade : Enhanced Active Cooling for Memory Modules
- 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
- New Power Monitor in HWinfo for real-time monitoring on CPU power phases
- Ultra-Fast Storage : 5*M.2 slots, including 2* PCIe 5.0 x4
- Efficient Thermal : VRM Thermal Armor Advanced & M.2 Thermal Guard XL
- Fast Networking : 10GbE LAN & Wi-Fi 7 with directional Ultra-high gain antenna
- Extended Connectivity : Dual THUNDERBOLT™ 4 Type-C with DP-Alt
- DTS : X® Ultra Audio : ALC1220 & Rear ESS SABRE Hi-Fi 9118 DAC
- Ultra Durable PCIe Armor : The metal back plate of PCIe x16 slot for enhanced durability
- PCIe UD Slot X : PCIe 5.0 x16 slot with 10X strength for graphics card
Intel Z890 Chipset Specifications
Intel Z890 Chipset
Intel® Core™ Ultra desktop processors (Series 2) are the foundation of the AI PC, and Intel® Z890 chipsets are designed to enable their intelligent performance and next-gen connectivity. For everything from elite gaming rigs to enthusiast creator PCs, the Intel® Z890 chipset maximizes the peripheral and connectivity experience.
The Z890 is the flagship Intel chipset for the new desktop processors, so we can expect the best device support and features. Below, you can see the simplified chipset diagram with marked new features. We have more PCIe lanes and M.2 SSD PCIe lanes in general, an integrated sensor hub, higher DDR5 support – up to 6400MT/s and CUDIMM support (overclocking frequencies are much higher), better support for AI technologies and two Thunderbolt 4 ports, which were available on earlier motherboards, but as an additional option.
Below is the list of the Z890 AORUS Master specifications. The list is very long, as is the case with all Gigabyte motherboards. We will describe only the most important ones, as most are familiar to our readers.
Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Master Specifications
| CPU Support | LGA1851 socket: Support for Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors L3 cache varies with CPU |
| Chipset | Intel® Z890 Express Chipset |
| Memory | Support for DDR5 9500(O.C) / 9466(O.C) / 9333(O.C) / 9200(O.C)/ 9066(O.C) / 8933(O.C) /8800(O.C) /8600(O.C) / 8400(O.C) /8266(O.C) / 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 / 6200 / 6000 / 5800 / 5600MT/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 ECC Un-buffered DIMM 1Rx8/2Rx8 memory modules (operate in non-ECC mode) Support for non-ECC Un-buffered DIMM 1Rx8/2Rx8/1Rx16 memory modules Support for Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory modules Support CUDIMM memory module (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” for more information.) |
| Onboard Graphics | Integrated Graphics Processor-Intel® HD Graphics support: – 2 x Intel® Thunderbolt™ 4 connectors (USB4® USB Type-C® ports), supporting DisplayPort and Thunderbolt™ video outputs When a Thunderbolt™ monitor is installed, the maximum resolution supported is 5120×2880@60 Hz with 24 bpp (single display output). When a USB4® USB Type-C® monitor is installed, the maximum resolution supported is 3840×2160@240 Hz (single display output). * Because of the limited I/O resources of the PC architecture, the number of Thunderbolt™ devices that can be used is dependent on the number of the PCI Express devices being installed. (Refer to Chapter 2-6, “Back Panel Connectors,” for more information.) * Support for DisplayPort 2.1 version and HDCP 2.3- 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.) Support for up to triple-display at the same time |
| Audio | Realtek® ALC1220 CODEC * The front panel line out jack supports DSD audio.ESS ES9118 DAC chip Support for DTS:X® Ultra High Definition Audio 2/4/5.1-channel * You can change the functionality of an audio jack using the audio software. To configure 5.1-channel audio, access the audio software for audio settings.Support for S/PDIF Out |
| LAN | Marvell® AQtion AQC113C 10GbE LAN chip (10 Gbps/5 Gbps/2.5 Gbps/1 Gbps/100 Mbps) |
| Wireless Communications Module | Intel® Wi-Fi 7 BE200NGW – 802.11a, b, g, n, ac, ax, be, supporting 2.4/5/6 GHz carrier frequency bands – BLUETOOTH 5.4 – Support for 11be 320MHz 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 | CPU: – 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, supporting PCIe 5.0 and running at x16 (PCIEX16) * 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. * The PCIEX16 slot shares bandwidth with the M2D_CPU connector. The PCIEX16 slot operates at up to x8 mode when a device is installed in the M2D_CPU connector. Chipset: – 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, supporting PCIe 4.0 and running at x4 (PCIEX4) – 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, supporting PCIe 4.0 and running at x1 (PCIEX1) |
| Storage Interface | CPU: – 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 25110/22110/2580/2280 PCIe 5.0 x4/x2 SSD support) (M2A_CPU) – 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 22110/2280 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSD support) (M2B_CPU) – 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 22110/2280 PCIe 5.0 x4/x2 SSD support) (M2D_CPU) Chipset: – 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSD support) (M2P_SB) – 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 2280 SATA and PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSD support) (M2M_SB) – 4 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 support for NVMe SSD storage devices RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 support for SATA storage devices |
| USB | CPU: – 2 x Intel® Thunderbolt™ 4 (USB Type-C®) ports on the back panel *Support up to 40Gbps with Thunderbolt devices *Support up to 20Gbps with USB4 devices *Support up to 10Gbps with USB 3.2 devicesChipset: – 6 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red) on the back panelChipset+USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Hub: – 1 x USB Type-C® port with USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 support, available through the internal USB headerChipset+2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Hubs: – 8 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (4 ports on the back panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB headers)Chipset+2 USB 2.0 Hubs: – 6 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports (2 ports on the back panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB headers) |
| Internal I/O Connectors | 1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector 2 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connectors 1 x CPU fan header 1 x CPU fan/water cooling pump header 4 x system fan headers 4 x system fan/water cooling pump headers 4 x addressable RGB Gen2 LED strip headers 1 x RGB LED strip header 5 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 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 headers 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers 1 x noise detection header 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 2 x temperature sensor headers Voltage Measurement Points |
| Back Panel Connectors | 1 x Q-Flash Plus button 1 x Clear CMOS button 2 x Intel® Thunderbolt™ 4 connectors (USB Type-C® ports) 6 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red) 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports 1 x RJ-45 port 2 x antenna connectors (2T2R) 2 x audio jacks 1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector |
| I/O Controller | iTE® I/O Controller Chip |
| 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 |
| Software and BIOS | Software Norton® Internet Security (OEM version) LAN bandwidth management software BIOS 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 |
| OS Support | – Microsoft Windows® 11 64-bit |
| 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. Noise detection |
| Form Factor | ATX Form Factor; 30.5cm x 24.4cm |
The specifications should satisfy most users, as the motherboard has everything a high-end Z890 motherboard should have and more. We are used to seeing high-end audio components on Gigabyte motherboards, as all mid-shelf and higher motherboards have such. We only wish to see Gigabyte moved to a newer codec, as ALC1220 is already quite old. On the other hand, the sound quality matters, and it’s great.
The motherboard supports all Core Ultra 2 series desktop processors and DDR5 RAM up to 9500MT/s+. For frequencies above 8600MT/s, we will need CUDIMM-type RAM, which was released with the new processors and motherboards. Finding it in stores is still hard, but the situation will improve soon. Gigabyte sent us a Kingston Renegade 48GB DDR5-8800 CUDIMM kit, which we will use for the additional tests. New processors scale with RAM up to at least 8800MT/s, a typical maximum for the Gear 2 setting.
The maximum supported capacity is 256GB, but we have to remember that the maximum capacity won’t run at high frequency because of the platform limitations. The optimal is two memory modules, so with popular memory kits, it’s 96GB. This is what works perfectly at even 7000MT/s and low latency.
The Z890 Master has an 18+1+2 power design, which is strong enough to handle every desktop CPU at much higher voltages than standard. However, this is an extreme overclocking scenario that only a few users will consider. On the other hand, we couldn’t hear any coil whine or other noises under high load from the motherboard itself. All voltages were perfectly stable, and the CPU was overclocking well, up to 400MHz above its default settings at all cores.
The Z890 Master offers five M.2 sockets. Two work up to PCIe 5.0 x4 mode, and three to PCIe 4.0 x4. One of the PCIe 4.0 x4 sockets also supports SATA SSDs. The first PCIe x16 slot shares the bandwidth with the fourth M.2 socket but not with additional slots. All M.2 sockets are also equipped with thermal pads, easy-release heatsinks, and SSDs so that we can install everything without any tools. Only the main PCIe slot has the easy-release feature, but it’s enough.
The motherboard also has fast USB4/Thunderbolt 4, USB-C-type ports, and fast networking. USB4 and WiFi 7 are popular options, but barely any motherboard gives us a 10GbE LAN. Here, we have a Marvell AQtion AQC113C 10GbE controller, which works great. It’s still worth mentioning that the WiFi 7 has an improved antenna with an EZ plug, so connecting it is very easy.
Like all high-end motherboards, the Master has clear CMOS and BIOS flashback buttons on the back I/O. It helps greatly in case of failed overclocking or when we want to return to older BIOS.
Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Master Features
| Infinite Memory Performance | AORUS gaming motherboards boost DDR5 memory performance and offer top-notch compatibility using various advanced methods. |
| D5 Bionic Corsa | AI Overclocking For peak performance
AI Design
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| Sturdy VRM Design Steady Power Better Play AORUS Series, steady power keeps your gaming smooth. | Digital Twin VRM Design Delivers consistent, high-powered performance to elevate your overclocking to the next level.
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Cooling Comprehensive Thermal AORUS motherboards come with advanced full-metal thermal design and durable heatsinks to keep your system cool and efficient |
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Easy & Friendly Hassle-free Assembly Our cutting-edge motherboard is designed for the ultimate DIY experience. Creating your own PC becomes a delightful and smooth process.
| 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 simplyfying the assembly process.
Sensor Panel Link Fast-Access Controls EZ Debug Zone Q-Flash Auto Scan |
Connectivity Experience ultimate connectivity with next-generation network, storage, and Wi-Fi solutions, delivering lightning-fast data transfer speeds. | All-round Connectivity
Conquer gaming realms with unparalleled audio
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Ultra Durable™ Born from Ultra Durable™ Technology embodies our commitment to excellence, providing gamers with a platform that’s not only powerful but also built for longevity and reliability. AORUS series motherboards are engineered to endure and excel. | PCIe UD Slot X The latest PCIe UD Slot X offers unparalleled robustness, delivering superior protection for your graphics card.
Memory UD Slot D5
UD Power Connector
Ultra Durable PCIe Armor |
Tailored Computing Collaborative Excellence in Computing GIGABYTE motherboards showcases our devotion to BIOS improvement. Through synergy with our user community, we democratize next-level computing power. | UC BIOS Restructured with user-centered and intuitive performance adjustment mechanisms. Multi-Theme Multiple BIOS skin with newly exclusive grayscale mode AIO Fan Control Adjust AIO fan speed in the BIOS AI PerfDrive GIGABYTE Control Center A unified software platform encompassing multiple GIGABYTE product. RGB Fusion Personalize the RGB illumination on your motherboard and connected peripherals. HWiNFO Exclusive PartnershipPower Monitor AORUS & HWiNFO Co-branded OSD |
The list of Key Features is also available on Gigabyte’s website.
The Master follows Intel’s direction with the unique features of the new processors, so there is pressure on AI features and possible improvements in time. While I write this review, Intel has already announced patches and enhancements that will be released soon. If you read this review some weeks after the Arrow Lake-S and Z890 chipset premieres, test results and some conclusions can differ. At the moment, it’s hard to say how much the upcoming patches affect the daily experience.
Retail Packaging and Accessories
The motherboard arrived in a retail package. The package design and contents are the same as in stores, so you can count that the tested motherboard is precisely the same as the one you may buy.
Everything we need for the installation is inside the box, including a WiFi antenna, SATA data cables, thermal sensor cables, stickers with the AORUS logo, a quick installation guide, and a dedicated fan to cool RAM. We won’t find M.2 screws as the motherboard supports mentioned toolless design, and they’re not required.
A Closer Look at the Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Master
The Z890 Master is kept in black and titanium-grey colors. It looks great and is also very functional. All M.2 sockets are covered by heatsinks that we can remove without tools. Everything is clean and feels like it was designed by someone who works with PC components daily and not only sits behind the desk.
Everything is where it’s expected to be. There are no hidden connectors or buttons, that are hard to access when other components are installed.
The motherboard is in the ATX format, so finding a perfect PC case is not a problem. Everything should fit even tight ATX cases.
The motherboard has ten fan headers, all of which can be controlled in the BIOS or Gigabyte software. Five of the fans are designed to support water-cooling pumps. Even though it’s not described, we can assume they all support higher-wattage pumps or multiple fans on a splitter.
The Z890 Master uses large heatsinks and high-performance thermal pads. Two M.2 PCIe 5.0 sockets have heatsinks on both sides to cool SSDs, while others have them on only one side.
The overall cooling design is great and keeps all components at safe temperatures. As you can see in the picture, even the LAN controller has a thermal pad. Additional fans were not required as the whole design is not so power-hungry, and the chipset has a low-power single-chip design.
Below are additional close-ups of the ICs on the motherboard. There are no surprises, except for the audio area, which has improved components, and the 10Gbps Marvell LAN, which replaces the already standard 2.5Gbps LAN, popular on lower series motherboards. Wi-Fi is also above Intel’s standard as the general specification assumes Wi-Fi 6E, and we get the 7th generation.
UEFI BIOS and Software
BIOS/UEFI
The new motherboard series BIOS/UEFI is similar to the last generation, but it is more user-friendly and includes new features, like the ability to change the UEFI theme. The presented one is the AORUS main theme, but we can also choose a brighter or black-and-white one.
The motherboard arrived with the F6 BIOS/UEFI version, so we decided to update it to the latest on the day of review F9. 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
Advanced Mode – Tweaker
Advanced Mode – Settings
Advanced Mode – Tool
Advanced Mode – Boot
Advanced Mode – Smart Fan
Advanced Mode – Save and Exit
Gigabyte Software
Gigabyte adds its software, which includes RGB adjustment, fan control, diagnostic options, and software/firmware updates. Everything is in one easy-to-use application.
The RGB worked with the most popular RAM brands, like G.Skill and Kingston. Less popular, like KLEVV or V-Color, also worked fine.
As I already mentioned, fan control works without issues and can be easily managed by the software.
Test Setup and Performance of the Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Master
Test System Components | |
| Motherboards | ASRock X870 Riptide / Ryzen 7950X ASRock X870E Nova / Ryzen 7950X ASRock X870E Taichi / Ryzen 7950X Biostar X870E Valkyrie / Ryzen 7950X Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Master / Core Ultra 7 265K Gigabyte X870E AORUS Pro ICE / Ryzen 7950X Gigabyte B650E AORUS Master / Ryzen 7950X ASUS Crosshair X670E Gene / Ryzen 7950X Gigabyte X570 Ultra / Ryzen 5900X MSI Z790 Ace MAX / 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 (auto sub-timings) / 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 Z890 Master / CU7 265K | 100031 | 94112 | 98060 | 82.5 |
| ASRock X870E Taichi / R9 7950X | 82461 | 86879 | 76242 | 72.4 |
| ASRock X870E Nova / R9 7950X | 82414 | 85889 | 75874 | 75.3 |
| ASRock X870 Riptide / R9 7950X | 81124 | 86045 | 75879 | 74.9 |
| Biostar X870E Valkyrie / R9 7950X | 79984 | 84872 | 73884 | 76.4 |
| AORUS X870E PRO ICE / R9 7950X | 87846 | 94124 | 81834 | 62.1 |
| 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 |
Synthetic memory tests show that the new Intel memory controllers have high bandwidth, but latency is worse than on the older Intel series and AMD. Since other Z890 motherboards are being tested, we can confirm that the Z890 Master performs well and is pretty fast at the XMP profiles. A direct comparison to other motherboards will be added to future reviews.
| AIDA64 CPU Benchmark – Raw Data | ||||
| Motherboard / CPU | Photo | Zlib | AES | SHA3 |
| AORUS Z890 Master / CU7 265K | 65436 | 1980.2 | 218166 | 9050 |
| ASRock X870E Taichi / R9 7950X | 52971 | 2485.6 | 386248 | 11246 |
| ASRock X870E Nova / R9 7950X | 52897 | 2471.2 | 384974 | 11108 |
| ASRock X870 Riptide / R9 7950X | 53244 | 2474.6 | 383448 | 11245 |
| Biostar X870E Valkyrie / R9 7950X | 52789 | 2452.8 | 381877 | 11098 |
| AORUS X870E PRO ICE / R9 7950X | 53974 | 2476.7 | 385870 | 11214 |
| 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 test results are also high for the used CPU, but the new Intel series is not as fast as expected. Z890 Master performs well in all of those tests, and there are no problems with the results.
| AIDA64 FPU Benchmark – Raw Data | ||||
| Motherboard / CPU | Julia | Mandel | SinJulia | FP64 RT |
| AORUS Z890 Master / CU7 265K | 178901 | 84019 | 12742 | 15782 |
| ASRock X870E Taichi / R9 7950X | 258724 | 138487 | 33758 | 34278 |
| ASRock X870E Nova / R9 7950X | 257945 | 137884 | 33712 | 34298 |
| ASRock X870 Riptide / R9 7950X | 256846 | 139112 | 33688 | 34316 |
| Biostar X870E Valkyrie / R9 7950X | 257112 | 137184 | 33512 | 34088 |
| AORUS X870E PRO ICE / R9 7950X | 257869 | 137639 | 33689 | 34059 |
| 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 |
AIDA64 FPU gives us conclusions similar to those of the AIDA64 CPU tests. The new CPUs are not as fast as we wish, but they still perform well. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Z890 Master does a good job, and the performance compared to other Z890 motherboards (not listed yet) is high.
| Cinebench R23, POVRay, 7Zip – Raw Data | ||||
| Motherboard / CPU | R23 (S) | R23 (M) | POV-Ray | 7Zip |
| AORUS Z890 Master / CU7 265K | 2175 | 35758 | 276523 | 156.752 |
| ASRock X870E Taichi / R9 7950X | 2016 | 38852 | 282146 | 216.48 |
| ASRock X870E Nova / R9 7950X | 1992 | 38489 | 272846 | 215.88 |
| ASRock X870 Riptide / R9 7950X | 1989 | 38684 | 274164 | 214.45 |
| Biostar X870E Valkyrie / R9 7950X | 1948 | 38142 | 271879 | 212.12 |
| AORUS X870E PRO ICE / R9 7950X | 2013 | 38360 | 285767.4 | 216.18 |
| 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 high performance in single-threaded and pretty good scaling in multi-threaded tests.
| PCMark 10 Applications – Raw Data | ||||
| Motherboard / CPU | Word | Excel | PowerPoint | Edge |
| AORUS Z890 Master / CU7 265K | 8460 | 36427 | 15846 | 15942 |
| ASRock X870E Taichi / R9 7950X | 11046 | 37816 | 17422 | 16312 |
| ASRock X870E Nova / R9 7950X | 10942 | 37587 | 17314 | 16204 |
| ASRock X870 Riptide / R9 7950X | 10848 | 37289 | 17404 | 16112 |
| Biostar X870E Valkyrie / R9 7950X | 10546 | 37384 | 17189 | 16080 |
| AORUS X870E PRO ICE / R9 7950X | 11011 | 37819 | 17415 | 16234 |
| 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 |
PCMark 10 Applications suggest a similar performance scaling to the 14th generation of Intel processors. The results are high, but if we used a 285K processor, then it would be closer to what AMD offers.
Gaming Performance
Gaming benchmarks show high performance, even better than expected, with a single exception where the new processor is surprisingly slow. I mean Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark where the FPS is 6-8 lower than on AMD processors and even 18FPS lower than on the i9 14900K processor.
Even though the Cyberpunk 2077 result was worse than we counted, all tests passed smoothly without any stability issues.
Storage Performance
M.2 SSD
The M.2 performance has been tested using the Crucial T705 2TB NVMe PCIe 5.0 x4 SSD. It performs as high as on Z790 motherboards, about 12.5GB/s maximum bandwidth. On the other hand, the random low queue 4K performance is pretty good and significantly higher than what we can see on new AMD motherboards.
USB
Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 share the same ports, so depending on the device, we may have better results if we manually adjust the controller’s options in BIOS. At auto settings, we couldn’t make write bandwidth higher than 100MB/s, which may also suggest problems with caching. Once the pass-through option in BIOS was enabled, we could reach over 3200MB/s. The overall performance of the controller is higher, about 100MB/s higher than that of new AMD motherboards.
Network Performance
LAN
The Master uses Marvell 10Gbps LAN, which performs as expected. Since reaching or passing the maximum throughput is impossible, 9400Mbps looks like an excellent result. We also had no problems with the connection stability during longer work.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi results depend heavily on the environment, and the test room is far from perfect: it has thick walls and multiple networks, which limit the bandwidth tested between two computers and the router on the way.
The direct internet bandwidth is over 945Mbps on average, using a 1Gbps connection, which is pretty good and one of the best in the last months.
Power Consumption
Above, you can see our results for the whole test rig. It’s a typical high-end PC. The Master manages power delivery well, and the CPU uses only about 180W during high-load tests. It’s less than Intel specifies, which was a little surprise. It’s also a huge difference compared to the last generation, where the same shelf CPU—i7 14700K, used up to 300W if it hadn’t had power limits.
Overclocking with the Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Master
New Intel CPUs do not overclock very high, but 400MHz more on all P-cores and 300MHz on E-cores during high-load tests is a respectable result.
Overclocking on the AORUS Master is straightforward, and everything is easier to stabilize than on some competitive motherboards. There was no problem with the 256K CPU overclocking even though the motherboard has many new options, and even advanced overclockers can be lost.
Memory overclocking is also no problem. For these tests, we used a memory kit delivered with the motherboard – Kingston Renegade 48GB 8800MT/s CUDIMM. The memory kit works without issues at XMP-8800 or manual settings up to 9200MT/s. Higher overclocking wasn’t possible in our case. The motherboard has programmed RAM OC profiles up to 9600MT/s, but we also ended at 9200MT/s. Above is a screenshot with slightly tweaked settings. Because of the limited time, we had to stop at this result, which is still impressive considering it’s a new product and the premiere was a few days ago.
The Z890 AORUS Master is a fantastic motherboard that works excellently at automatic settings and helps achieve better overclocking results. Everything is designed to be easy to use and focused on the best results. I’m sure that overclockers and enthusiasts will be fully satisfied.
Conclusion
The Z890 AORUS Master is probably the best Gigabyte motherboard I tested. Everything works as intended, including user-friendly design, well-designed power delivery, good cooling, and high stability. The motherboard is also well-equipped with the latest controllers, USB4/TB4, Wi-Fi 7, fast M.2 sockets, 10Gbps LAN, and other popular features. It also has high-end audio components, even though I wish to see a newer audio codec.
The Z890 Master is designed to be easy to use, with multiple EZ features for toolless device installation, such as a graphics card, M.2 SSDs, and Wi-Fi. The BIOS is also user-friendly and includes tips for less advanced users.
We had no problems with the Z890 AORUS Master’s performance, stability, or compatibility. The motherboard was also great for overclocking and supports high RAM frequencies. The new addition is CUDIMM support, for which we can find profiles up to 9600MT/s.
The Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Master costs $599.99 in the Newegg online store. It’s not cheap, but considering the already high motherboard prices, the Master is still not overpriced, especially considering all the unique features and controllers unavailable on lower models.
The Z890 AORUS Master is one more great motherboard from Gigabyte, and it deserves our recommendation.
Click the stamp for an explanation of what this means.
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