The Gigabyte Z790 AERO G is a mainstream offering and comes in a standard cardboard box page. The front is themed in a white and silver color theme. The front side also lists down support for Intel’s 13th generation Core processors, LGA 1700, PCIe 5 and DDR5.
The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as the VisionLINK Connectivity, PCIe 5.0 Hardware Design, and the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 ports. There are not a lot of features mentioned here since the AERO lineup is designed for Creators in mind & hence the simplistic design matters here a lot.
The main plastic cover can be removed to find the actual cardboard package within it that houses the motherboard and the accessories.
Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories and is located right below the box holder for the board itself. There’s not a whole lot going on in the accessories department for this motherboard. Following is the full list of accessories in the package:
– 1 x User Manual
– 2 x SATA Data Cables
– 1 x Gigabyte G-Connector
– 1 x WIFI Antenna
– 1 x M.2 Screw Standoffs
With all the accessories done, it’s time to put that box aside and open up the top holder that contains the Gigabyte Z790 AERO G motherboard.
The Gigabyte Z790 AERO G i is themed in silver and black. This motherboard is a mainstream option that retails for a price of $299.99 US and comes in the standard ATX form factor.
Taking a look at the front of the motherboard, we see a design that would look great with almost any PC build. Lots of motherboard makers are now starting to adopt the white color scheme on their boards but instead of going flashy, Gigabyte keeps things simple and uses a design that is almost reminiscent of a few server-grade motherboards.
The board uses the LGA 1700 socket to support Intel Core processors. The socket is compatible with Intel’s 13th & 12th Generation core family. The socket has a protective cover on top of it that points out the exclusivity with Raptor Lake 13th Gen & Alder Lake 12th Gen CPUs, refraining users from running an older 11th and 10th generation CPUs as they won’t fit in the socket at all and forcing them in the socket is only going to cause permanent damage to your motherboard.
Next to the socket are four DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 128 GB of dual-channel memory. These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 7600 MHz (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage. Each slot is also combined with a reinforced design to make sure signal integrity remains good while keeping the slots durable for long-term usage.
The Gigabyte Z790 AERO G packs a 16+1+2 phase power delivery configuration that makes use of the 70A Smark Power Stages (onsemi FDMF5062), providing up to 1120A. The motherboard also makes use of a 8-layer PCB with a 2oz copper design. The PWM controller is an onsemi NCP81530R.
As you can see, the VRMs are getting ample cooling from two aluminum-based heatsinks, one of which features an extended fin design. The VRM heatsinks feature an embedded heat pipe to make sure heat is dissipated effectively.
The CPU is supplied power through an 8+4 pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 225 Watts of power. The Intel 13th & 12th Gen Unlocked CPUs are very power-hungry with the maximum turbo power rated at 253W for the Core i9-13900K and more if you are planning to overclock these chips.
Each heatsink has 7w/Mk thermal pads located underneath for efficient transfer of heat. Gigabyte uses high-end Nichicon 12K Black Capacitors on the motherboard to ensure stable power delivery.
There are two accent points on the motherboard with one being the ‘Z790’ logo on the I/O plate and one on the PCH.
Expansion slots include three PCI Express x16 (1 Gen 5 x16 / 1 Gen 4 x4 / 1 Gen 3 x4), and 5 M.2 slots. Only 1 M.2 slot is rated at Gen 5 speeds and shares lanes with the x16 dGFX while the four remaining M.2 slots feature Gen 4×4 lanes.
CPU:
– 1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot (PCIE1), supports x16 mode
Chipset:
– 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 Slot (PCIE2), supports x4 mode
– 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 Slot (PCIE3), supports x4 mode
CPU:
1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 25110/2280 PCIe 5.0 x4/x2 SSD support) (M2C_CPU)
1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 22110/2280 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSD support) (M2A_CPU)
Chipset:
1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 22110/2280 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSD support) (M2Q_SB)
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)
– 8 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/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
Gigabyte is using a metallic cover on the sides of the PCIe Gen 5.0 expansion slots which provides protection to some extent. It adds more retention and shearing resistance by reinforcing the slots with metal plates. Aside from adding more protection, they are also said to offer ideal signal flow.
All five M.2 slots are cooled off by the M.2 Thermal Guard III design. The thermal adhesive has a plastic cover over them which needs to be removed before using them with the storage devices. The top most M.2 slot supports the Gen 5.0 SSD devices and also comes with a larger heatsink.
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The Z790 PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink with the ‘AERO’ logo engraved in silver colors and will be illuminated with RGB LEDs once the board is powered on.
The new PCH design once again gives off a very simplistic touch.
Storage options include just four SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support 4 different storage devices at once. There are also dual USB 3.2 (2x Gen 2 / 2x Gen 1) front panel connectors. It might be a bit difficult to reach the ports once it’s installed in the case since they sit right below the PCH heatsink. Many fan headers and jumpers can be found beneath the storage ports.
Gigabyte is using its Audio system for audio which is a combination of hardware, and software audio solutions. 7.1 CH HD audio with the latest Realtek ALC1220-VB audio codec. The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.
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 water cooling CPU fan header
4 x system fan headers
2 x system fan/water cooling pump headers
2 x addressable LED strip headers
2 x RGB LED strip headers
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
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 header
2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
1 x noise detection header
2 x Thunderbolt add-in card connectors
1 x Trusted Platform Module header (For the GC-TPM2.0 SPI/GC-TPM2.0 SPI 2.0 module only)
1 x serial port header
1 x Q-Flash Plus button
1 x reset button
1 x reset jumper
2 x temperature sensor headers
1 x Clear CMOS jumper
Gigabyte is using Intel’s Wi-Fi 6E to power wireless connectivity such as 802.11ax WiFi (2.4G WiFi) and Bluetooth 5.2. In terms of Ethernet, there is a single 2.5GbE Ethernet LAN port which is powered by an Intel I225-V networking switch. Following is the full list of I/O ports on the Gigabyte Z790 AERO G motherboard:
2 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
2 x SMA antenna connectors (2T2R)
4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
1 x DisplayPort In port
1 x HDMI 2.0 port
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red)
1 x USB Type-C port, with USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 support
1 x USB Type-C port (DisplayPort), with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support
1 x RJ-45 port
1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector
2 x audio jacks
