RAM | DDR4 |
---|---|
Memory Speed | 2133 MHz |
Wireless Type | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
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GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS PRO (Intel LGA1151/Z390/ATX/2xM.2 Thermal Guard/Realtek ALC1220/RGB Fusion/Gaming Motherboard)
Brand | GIGABYTE |
CPU Socket | LGA 1151 |
Compatible Devices | Personal Computer |
RAM Memory Technology | DDR4 |
Compatible Processors | 8th Generation Intel Core |
Chipset Type | Intel Z390 |
Memory Clock Speed | 2133 MHz |
Platform | Windows 10 |
Memory Storage Capacity | 128 GB |
Graphics Card Interface | PCI-Express x4 |
About this item
- Supports 9th and 8th Intel Core Processors
- Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs
- Intel Optane Memory Ready
- 12 plus1 Phases Digital VRM Solution with DrMOS
- Advanced Thermal Design with Multi-cuts Heatsinks and Heatpipe
- ALC1220-VB Enhance 114dB(Rear) / 110dB(Front) SNR in Microphone with WIMA Audio Capacitors
- Intel Gigabit LAN with cFosSpeed
- RGB FUSION with Multi-Zone LED Light Show Design, Supports Addressable LED and RGB LED Strips
- Smart Fan 5 features Multiple Temperature Sensors and Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP
- Front USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C Header.Bluetooth 5
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This Item GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS PRO (Intel LGA1151/Z390/ATX/2xM.2 Thermal Guard/Realtek ALC1220/RGB Fusion/Gaming Motherboard) | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | ||
Price | — | $81.70$81.70 | -12% $229.99$229.99 List: $259.99 | $24.99$24.99 | -5% $284.99$284.99 Typical: $299.99 | $199.99$199.99 |
Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Monday, Mar 25 | Get it as soon as Monday, Mar 25 | Get it as soon as Monday, Mar 25 | Get it Apr 3 - 10 | Get it Apr 3 - 10 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Easy to install | 4.5 | — | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.3 |
For gaming | 4.3 | 3.3 | 4.0 | — | 3.9 | 4.8 |
Value for money | 4.2 | — | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.1 |
Tech Support | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.4 | — | 3.3 | — |
Easy to use | 4.3 | — | — | — | 4.1 | 4.4 |
Sold By | — | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | crazetools-us | oddpricecom | oddpricecom |
platform | windows 10 | windows | windows | windows 10 | windows 8 1, windows 8 pro, windows 7, windows 10 | windows 10, windows 7, windows 8 1, windows 8 pro |
cpu socket | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1700 | — | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 |
memory slots | 4 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 4 |
memory capacity | 128 GB | 1 GB | 128 GB | 4 GB | 1000 TB | 10000 TB |
compatible processors | 8th Generation Intel Core | 8th Generation Intel Core | 14th Generation Intel Core, 13th Generation Intel Core, 12th Generation Intel Core | — | 8th Generation Intel Core | 8th Generation Intel Core |
card interface | pci e x4 | agp, agp | pci e | — | pci e | pci e, pci e |
Product Description
Supports 9th and 8th Intel Core processors Dual Channel DDR4, 4 DIMMs integrated I/O shield Intel Octane Memory Ready 12+1 phase digital VRM solution with DrMOS advanced thermal design with screw mounted heatsinks and heat pipe ALC1220-VB enhance 114dB(Rear)/110dB(Front) SNR in microphone with WIMA audio capacitors Intel Gigabit LAN with cFosSpeed RGB FUSION with Multi-Zone LED light Show design, support addressable LED & RGB LED strips Smart Fan 5 features Multiple Temperature Sensors and Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP front USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C Header dual Ultra-Fast NVMe PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 with dual thermal Guard CEC 2019 Ready. 305x244mm.
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Product information
Technical Details
Brand | GIGABYTE |
---|---|
Item model number | Z390 AORUS PRO |
Item Weight | 3 pounds |
Product Dimensions | 13.18 x 10.62 x 3.14 inches |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 13.18 x 10.62 x 3.14 inches |
Computer Memory Type | DDR4 SDRAM |
Manufacturer | Gigabyte |
ASIN | B07HRZRBRJ |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | October 3, 2018 |
Additional Information
Customer Reviews |
4.6 out of 5 stars |
---|---|
Best Sellers Rank | #1,036 in Computer Motherboards |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
From the manufacturer
Team Up. Fight On.
AORUS, a premium gaming brand powered by GIGABYTE, delivers a full spectrum of gaming products ranging from gaming laptops, motherboards, graphics cards, mechanical gaming keyboards, to many other gaming hardware and gears, offering the most extreme gaming experiences for enthusiasts worldwide!
AORUS Z390 motherboards are designed with thermals and speed in mind, ensuring users can best take advantage of Intel 9th generation processors. The AORUS and GIGABYTE Z390 series is loaded with a variety of premium feature sets and each board provides a sweet spot in performance and value. Assemble your next PC with AORUS and start with a strong foundation as each motherboard is built with Ultra Durable materials.
- Supports Intel 8th & 9th Gen Core i9/i7/i5/i3, Celeron, and Pentium Processors
- Dual Channel DDR4, 4 DIMMs
- 12+1 Phase Digital VRM Solution with DrMOS
- Advanced Thermal Design with Screw Mounted Heatsinks and Heatpipe
- ALC1220-VB Enhance 114dB(Rear)/ 110dB(Front) SNR in Microphone
- RGB Fusion with Multi-Zone LED Light Show Design
- Smart Fan 5 with Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP
- Dual M.2 with Dual Thermal Guard
Unique Features
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Enhanced VRM DesignThe Z390 AORUS PRO uses a 12+1 phases digital CPU power design and has additional 8+4 Solid-pin CPU Power Connectors that allows enthusiasts to get the absolute maximum performance from the new 9th Gen Intel Core processors. |
RGB FusionThe onboard Digital LED's shine beautifully against the Z390 motherboard's monochrome pallet. Paint your system with bold colors with full RGB support and a redesigned RGB Fusion application, which gives the user complete control over the LEDs which surround the motherboard. |
With Smart Fan 5 users can ensure that their gaming PC can maintain its performance while staying cool. Smart Fan 5 allows users to interchange their fan headers to reflect different thermal sensors at different locations on the motherboard and gives users up-to-the-second details on flow rate and temperatures. |
Unique Features
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Amp-Up AudioALC1220-VB Immersive Gaming ViBes is Realtek's all new high-end HD Audio Codec that automatically detects impedance of your head-worn audio device, preventing issues such as low volume and distortion. |
Dual M.2 with Dual Thermal GuardWith durability in mind, GIGABYTE provides a thermal solution for M.2 SSD devices. The M.2 Thermal Guard prevents throttling and bottlenecks from high speed M.2 SSDs as it helps to dissipate heat before it becomes an issue. |
AORUS 360 ArmorAORUS motherboards are layered with Ultra Durable protection, such as an Integrated I/O shield, memory armor and PCIe armor, to give users a strong foundation to build their gaming systems. |
Z390 AORUS MASTER | Z390 AORUS ULTRA | Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI | Z390 AORUS PRO | Z390 AORUS ELITE | |
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Customer Reviews |
4.6 out of 5 stars
676
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4.6 out of 5 stars
1,332
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4.6 out of 5 stars
2,147
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4.6 out of 5 stars
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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CPU Support | 9th and 8th Gen Intel Core Processors | 9th and 8th Gen Intel Core Processors | 9th and 8th Gen Intel Core Processors | 9th and 8th Gen Intel Core Processors | 9th and 8th Gen Intel Core Processors |
CPU Power Phase | 12 +2 Phase IR Digital VRM | 12+1 Phase Digital VRM | 12+1 Phase Digital VRM | 12+1 Phase Digital VRM | 12+1 Phase Digital VRM |
Memory Type | Dual-Channel DDR4 | Dual-Channel DDR4 | Dual-Channel DDR4 | Dual-Channel DDR4 | Dual-Channel DDR4 |
Memory DIMMs | 4*DIMMs | 4*DIMMs | 4*DIMMs | 4*DIMMs | 4*DIMMs |
Graphics Interface | 1*PCIe 3.0 x16 + 1*PCIe 3.0 x8 | 1*PCIe 3.0 x16 + 1*PCIe 3.0 x8 | 1*PCIe 3.0 x16 + 1*PCIe 3.0 x8 | 1*PCIe 3.0 x16 + 1*PCIe 3.0 x8 | 1*PCIe 3.0 x16 |
Expansion Slots | 1*PCIe 3.0 x4 + 3*PCIe 3.0 x1 | 1*PCIe 3.0 x4 + 3*PCIe 3.0 x1 | 1*PCIe 3.0 x4 + 3*PCIe 3.0 x1 | 1*PCIe 3.0 x4 + 3*PCIe 3.0 x1 | 1*PCIe 3.0 x4 + 4*PCIe 3.0 x1 |
M.2 | 3 (M.2 Heatsink *3) | 3 (M.2 Heatsink *3) | 2( M.2 Heatsink *2) | 2( M.2 Heatsink *2) | 2 (M.2 Heatsink *1) |
Display Interface | HDMI | HDMI | HDMI | HDMI | HDMI |
WIFI | Intel CNVi 2x2 802.11ac wireless | Intel CNVi 2x2 802.11ac wireless | Intel CNVi 2x2 802.11ac wireless | N/A | N/A |
Audio | ALC 1220-VB + ESS9118 | ALC 1220-VB | ALC 1220-VB | ALC 1220-VB | ALC 1220-VB |
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the quality, appearance and stability of the motherboard. For example, they mention it's an incredible product with great VRM, looks good and is well thought out. Some are happy with value, and fan. That said, opinions are mixed on performance and ease of use.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers are satisfied with the quality of the motherboard. They mention that it is a great board with great VRM, and is capable. Some say that it looks great in their build and has a good UI. Overall, most are happy with their purchase and recommend it to others.
"Great VRM for over clocking, a ton of USB ports, 2 5V RGB headers, none of the fan headers are in dumb locations, easy front panel combined header...." Read more
"...Board is still amazing." Read more
"...If you are an overclocker, or just looking for a very stable and capable board, this is by far the best bang for the buck!..." Read more
"...I was like ;OPretty damn good...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the appearance of the motherboard. They mention that the RGBs are really nice looking, and the layout is well thought out. Some appreciate the easy installation and the amount of USB 3.1 and 3.0 ports. Overall, most are happy with their purchase and recommend it to others.
"...It's cool, it functions, but it's baaaddddd...." Read more
"...The RGB is quite pretty when you find the colors you like, my choice was green and blue, very snappy...." Read more
"...First thing first -Pros -- Easy Installation- Well thought of design- Ample USB 3.1 and 3.0 and USB type C ports-..." Read more
"...The board looks great, so for anyone that wants to show off a fancy gaming rig, this is a superb board for show...." Read more
Customers like the stability of the motherboard. They say that the build quality is top notch, it's super reliable, and boots in 6 seconds. Customers also say that it'll protect your investment and is very solid.
"...Summary:Part of a very stable and fast PC build...." Read more
"...If you are an overclocker, or just looking for a very stable and capable board, this is by far the best bang for the buck!..." Read more
"...Competes with the Samsung evos for way cheaper- it’s super reliable and boots in 6 seconds...." Read more
"...Mostly because they are solid on construction. Smart ideas. Innovative. Historically Hackintosh friendly. Best Digital Power Management...." Read more
Customers appreciate the value of the motherboard. They say it is great value for money and insanely fast for the price.
"This board is hands down the best value for a fully capable Z390 overclocking motherboard!..." Read more
"...Highly recommend as it’s 120$ for a 1tb drive and is insanely fast for the price...." Read more
"...Great motherboard for the price a lot of reviews I read said to go with the aorus master elite but this board was about 80 dollars cheaper and has..." Read more
"...I've built over 200 machines in my time.This is the best value in it's class by far. It was easy to fire up and get overclocking...." Read more
Customers like the fan of the motherboard. They mention that it has several headers for their cooling needs, and the software handles OC flawlessly. They also appreciate the RGB support, and mention that their VRMS run cool. The thermals are great, and that the CPU runs cooler. Overall, customers are satisfied with the fan capabilities of the product.
"...VRM for over clocking, a ton of USB ports, 2 5V RGB headers, none of the fan headers are in dumb locations, easy front panel combined header...." Read more
"...There are fan headers all over this board, I think there are 8 of them...." Read more
"...Easy to configure BIOS UI- Handles OC flawlessly- Multiple cooling fan and RGB support.-..." Read more
"...This comes with two M.2 slots, with optional heatsinks...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the performance of the motherboard. Some mention that it works well for the most part, and Linux plays very well with this board. However, others say that it has intermittent failures, keeps getting crashes, and causes browsers to frequently crash.
"...It's cool, it functions, but it's baaaddddd...." Read more
"...Easy to configure BIOS UI- Handles OC flawlessly- Multiple cooling fan and RGB support.-..." Read more
"...curve setting gives too much, and when I try to offset it lower it doesn’t start...." Read more
"...dissipation than a simple fin design, but the components stay well within their operational range with a room temp around 70 deg F. I had almost..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the ease of use of the motherboard. Some mention that it's easy to setup, works well, and OCing is easy. However, others say that the BIOS update is useless out of the box, it'd been a waste of their time and money, and the board is bad out of box.
"...several years since I've had a socket upgrade but everything went smooth during the install...." Read more
"...First thing first -Pros -- Easy Installation- Well thought of design- Ample USB 3.1 and 3.0 and USB type C ports-..." Read more
"...My only issue is the RGB Fusion software. It's clunky AF and all around terrible...." Read more
"...bugs with any of it at all so I'm pretty impressed..... Supeer easy flash process.... all in all I'm very happy I went with Gigabyte over Asus at..." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the bios of the motherboard. They mention that it leaves a little to be desired, is confusing, and ugly. Some say that the BIOS on this board is a mess and needs an update to work.
"...As others have mentioned, the bios leaves a little to be desired as far as how it organizes the settings...." Read more
"...so I cannot load the utilities for updates, monitoring, etc...." Read more
"...My only con is that the bios menu is a little confusing at first." Read more
"...The BIOS is a bit confusing and ugly, but it works and for the price I can't complain." Read more
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Navigation of a new BIOS is something you deal with on every single motherboard. So that'll take up a whole 10 minutes of your life. The BIOS on these boards is very configurable, however basic CPU overclocking is pretty simple. The difficult part is voltage control and this board lets you control ALL voltages in your rig. If in doubt just leave it on "auto" that's what its there for. Some voltage areas you obviously don't want to mess with, so watch a few youtubes for a general guide.
The RGB is quite pretty when you find the colors you like, my choice was green and blue, very snappy. If you don't have a windowed case then you can just switch 'em off altogether. The board will default to an orange on bootup, but then your custom colors kick in while loading windows.
There are fan headers all over this board, I think there are 8 of them. You can control all intakes and exhausts from your system until you get a nice and steady airflow. Hint, use the fan splitter for your CPU fans, generally there are two for push/pull these days and you want them spinning at the same voltages because they will need the right pressure for good airflow. No point having a fast push fan getting held up by a slow pull fan.
The Smart fan 5 control is a nice little app too. You assign all your fans to particular headers and you have full control. If you want a silent PC just hit the "quiet" button and you won't hear a thing, but ramp that sucker up to "full" and your temps will plummet.
Plenty of USB 3.0 ports as well as 2x 3.1 gen 2 and a USB C port too, plus one on the board so you can connect your case front USB-C to it. Not to mention a row of 4x vertical USB 2.0 for your mouse/keyboard etc.
Its been several years since I've had a socket upgrade but everything went smooth during the install. The board shipped with the F11 BIOS so you are all set for the 9th gen CPU's.
I paired it with an i5-9600k, the Scythe FUMA-2 cooler, and some Corsair Vengeance Pro 3200Mhz.
I am very happy with those choices. No point spending more than you have to for a decent rig.
With any luck this board should be able to cut it for a few years, and if I get hungry for an upgrade, I can just pop out the 9600 and throw in a 9900.
Looking at the entire Aorus line I went for the Pro, I knew I didn't want integrated WiFi as I'm always 5 feet from my router, and hard wired beats WiFi everyday of the week and twice on Sundays.
I couldn't be happier with my choice of motherboard 10/10 across the board.
UPDATE:
Just to help others out who may have noticed an annoying whine coming from their headsets while moving your mouse when plugged directly into the rear audio ports. In nutshell don't use the back ports for your headphones, use the your front audio ports instead.
Reason being if you plug a headset into the rear ports, you will notice that you do not have any headphone settings in your windows sound device config. There won't be an option for "spatial" sound or "virtual 7.1".
Soon as you plug the headset into the front ports, you'll get a headset icon pop up in your windows sound device config and now you can set the 7.1 controls.
Also if you are using the latest windows (1909 at time of writing this) you won't get a Realtek console to adjust your sound with, some kind of major conflict about 1220 and compatibility. That means you won't have total control over your sound settings which does suck I won't lie. That being said, what little control you have over the audio is still enough to deliver excellent sound. So maybe you will want to hold off on the big windows update if you're an audio nut.
Board is still amazing.
Pros -
- Easy Installation
- Well thought of design
- Ample USB 3.1 and 3.0 and USB type C ports
- Easy to configure BIOS UI
- Handles OC flawlessly
- Multiple cooling fan and RGB support.
- Enough space between PCI-e slots for GPU cooling.
- heatsink for M.2 for cooler operation.
The list is endless but this is the motherboard for someone who wants to build a powerful PC and showoff at the same time.
My build -
i7-9700K - OC to 5.1 GHZ
CORSAIR Vengeance RGB PRO DDR4 3000MHz - 32 GB
RTX 2070
Samsung 970 EVO Plus Series - 250GB PCIe NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD - For OS
WD Blue 3D NAND 500GB PC SSD - SATA III 6 Gb/s, M.2 2280 - Storage
CORSAIR RMx Series, RM1000x, 1000 Watt, 80+ Gold Certified, Fully Modular Power Supply
DEEPCOOL Liquid AIO CPU Cooler, Captain 240 RGB
NZXT H700 - ATX Mid-Tower PC Gaming Case
Pros -
- Easy Installation
- Well thought of design
- Ample USB 3.1 and 3.0 and USB type C ports
- Easy to configure BIOS UI
- Handles OC flawlessly
- Multiple cooling fan and RGB support.
- Enough space between PCI-e slots for GPU cooling.
- heatsink for M.2 for cooler operation.
The list is endless but this is the motherboard for someone who wants to build a powerful PC and showoff at the same time.
My build -
i7-9700K - OC to 5.1 GHZ
CORSAIR Vengeance RGB PRO DDR4 3000MHz - 32 GB
RTX 2070
Samsung 970 EVO Plus Series - 250GB PCIe NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD - For OS
WD Blue 3D NAND 500GB PC SSD - SATA III 6 Gb/s, M.2 2280 - Storage
CORSAIR RMx Series, RM1000x, 1000 Watt, 80+ Gold Certified, Fully Modular Power Supply
DEEPCOOL Liquid AIO CPU Cooler, Captain 240 RGB
NZXT H700 - ATX Mid-Tower PC Gaming Case
Summary:
Part of a very stable and fast PC build. The features I've used seem to work great, I like the features available, although they are a bit over the top for my needs, and the software is OK. Just don't install your CPU air cooler before connecting cables and installing RAM!
Primary PC Build Components:
* Case:
Antec Gaming Series Three Hundred Two Mid-Tower PC/Gaming Computer Case with 9 Tool-Less Drive Bays, 2 SSD, 120/140mm Fans x 2 Pre-Installed, 4 Fan Mounts for ATX, M-ATX and Mini-ITX
* Processor:
Intel Core i5-9600K
* CPU Cooler:
Noctua NH-D15, Premium CPU Cooler with 2x NF-A15 PWM 140mm Fans (Brown) <-- this thing is huge
* PSU:
Rosewill Photon 750 (Gold)
* RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 2x16GB 3200MHz (the 2x8GB version of this package was on the compatiblity list, but not the 2x16GB, so I took a chance. It seems to run fine. No memory blue screens or anything.)
* Drives:
1 x SanDisk Ultra 3D SSD 2TB (main drive)
1 x Samsung 970 EVO NVMe M.2
* Video Card:
EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB SC GAMING, ACX 2.0 (Single Fan), 3GB GDDR5, DX12 OSD Support (PXOC), 03G-P4-6162-KR
--
Full Review:
The motherboard's fancy built-in heatsinks are probably overkill, and I suspect are actually worse at heat dissipation than a simple fin design, but the components stay well within their operational range with a room temp around 70 deg F. I had almost settled on Gigabyte's Z390 UD, which had a great black friday sale going on it, but after comparing models on Gigabyte's site, I decided this one had a few extra features I preferred, especially some additional ports, and the upgraded audio chip -- there were some pretty negative comments online about the Realtek ALC887, which is on the UD.
The built in motherboard LEDs weren't necessary for me, either, but since they are there, I set the color to a pleasing deep purple, instead of the pinkish-purple color many RGB devices have. The board looks great, so for anyone that wants to show off a fancy gaming rig, this is a superb board for show.
The documentation that came with the motherboard was good, for the most part. Just read it thoroughly before you begin your build, and be careful of your installation order.
The main issue I had was the layout and/or lack of installation step suggestions. The last PC I built was over 5 years ago, and at that time I didn't have so many problems with the layout of the motherboard and components. I realize all the Intel-based motherboards are pretty standard now, so to get around the inherent design issue of the current standard, it would have been nice to have some advice in the documentation on how best to proceed. I think the tech writers for the user's manual were going on the assumption that you will use a liquid CPU cooler with this motherboard, which would leave plenty of room to manuver in the case. However, I made the decision not to, after noticing that 10-20% of reviewers of every popular water cooler model had issues with them leaking at the CPU, which destroyed at least their video card, if not the entire PC. Instead, I planned on air cooling, but quietly, yet able to handle overclocking needs in the future, which meant a large cooler.
So, I installed the motherboard, then the PSU, then the CPU, then the thermal grease, and then the CPU cooler. Then I went to connect the cables. Pretty standard, as far as past builds went. However, with the large CPU cooler, top fan, and rear fans, I was left with an inch or less of clearance at the top of the motherboard, where I had to connect the CPU power cables, case fan, and CPU fan. I found it very difficult and frustrating to get those cables connected, especially the CPU power headers. With so little room to work with, it was difficult to keep the area well lit, I had to carefully straighten & repeatedly re-straighten the cables, getting them into place with a steady hand and much patience, then push them onto their headers with a screwdriver. It was like surgery! If they'd just recommended to connect those cables before the CPU cooler, all would have been good. And it was a good thing there was no room for my 2nd CPU fan that came with my cooler, because the CPU-OPT header was completely covered. There was also very little space between the CPU cooler and the rear case fan. It was also a bit difficult to get those top-rear cables situated in such a way that they didn't hit the fan blades for the top or rear fans.
Installing the RAM for dual-channel mode after the CPU Cooler was on was a bit more difficult than I'd have expected, with DDR4-B2 slightly under my heat sink. DDR4-B1 was totally inaccessible, so its a good thing I had gone with 2x16 instead of 4x8.
My modular PSU came with 2 sets of 4+4 pin CPU power cables, but I could find no advice with their documentation, or the motherboard documentation, or on general PC build forums, on exactly how I should connect these to the 8+4 pin CPU power headers on the motherboard. After a couple hours of searching, the closest thing I found was a comment in a forum post to someone else to "connect them both", whatever that was supposed to mean. I ended up doing my surgical procedure to get 3 of the 4 pin connectors plugged in, and everything works without any alarms, crashes, overheating, or smoke, so I assume I did the right thing, or the motherboard regulates the input if you connect too many cables.
Another con is that there is only a single fan header at the top back of the motherboard, despite the fact that when air cooling, most people will have 1-2 rear fans toward the top, a top facing fan in the rear of the case, and possibly an additional fan on the back side of the motherboard, behind the CPU. Those speed control headers aren't designed to handle multiple fans, so you'll be connecting them either to PSU cables, or run them to the CPU-OPT and bottom case fan headers. In my case, I connected the top fan (came with case) to the rear-top case fan header, while the rear fans that came with the case have their own speed control connected to the case itself, although it is only slow/fast switch. There's no temperature sensor in that corner of the motherboard, either. The closest one is for the capacitors, which in this case are underneath my air cooler, so I don't know how useful that is for controlling the top and rear fans.
There are dual control modes for fans. There's the more traditional mode of changing the current to control the speed, and apparently there are fancier fans now with built in electronics for speed control. I don't have any of those fans, though.
The audio seems fine to my undiscerning ears.
I haven't tried overclocking yet; no need to so far.
I've only got a single video card right now, that doesn't support SLI, but I like having the option for SLI in the future. I plan to upgrade my video card some time in the next year or two, and if then-current SLI performance gains are significant enough, I might splurge for two cards.
I really like the idea of the DualBIOS. I've never had a BIOS flash failure, and I've got a UPS, so I never missed it, but its a great peace of mind to have that backup available.
This comes with two M.2 slots, with optional heatsinks. FYI, I read that the M.2 heatsinks tend to make your SSDs either run hotter, or about the same temp, instead of cooler. Plus to work effectively, you'd have to remove the non-conductive manufacturer's label from the top of your SSD, which manufacturers claim voids your warranty (the legality of that probably varies from state to state, but who wants to fight about it if not necessary?). After reading many comments online, I decided not to use the M.2 heatsink that came with the motherboard.
Top reviews from other countries
Fantastic look with the whole setup also.
Reviewed in Japan on December 12, 2020
Fantastic look with the whole setup also.