The Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME represents the top of the line motherboard from Gigabyte. Targeted at gamers, overclockers and enthusiasts, this flagship Z390 motherboard is equipped with the best in class components and features to bring about the best possible user experience. Being the flagship motherboard from Gigab
The Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME represents the top of the line motherboard from Gigabyte. Targeted at gamers, overclockers and enthusiasts, this flagship Z390 motherboard is equipped with the best in class components and features to bring about the best possible user experience. Being the flagship motherboard from Gigabyte Z390 series, we do expect no compromise when it comes to its design and features. Does the Z390 AORUS XTREME live up to its expectations? Let’s find out.
Introduction and Overview
Specifications
Specifications
CPU Support
9th and 8th Generation Intel Core i9,i7,i5,i3 Pentium and Celeron Processors
Package
LGA1151
Chipset
Intel Z390 Express Chipset
Memory
4 x DDR4 DIMM sockets supporting up to 64GB of system memory
Support up to DDR4 4266(O.C)
Onboard Graphics
Integrated Graphics Processor (from CPU)
Audio
Realtek ALC1220-VB Codec
ESS ES9018K2M DAC and TI OPA 1622 operational amplifiers
High Definition Audio
2/4/5.1/7.1 channel output
Supports S/PDIF Out
LAN
1 x Aquantia 10GbE LAN Chip
1 x Intel GbE LAN
Wireless
Intel CNVi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac supporting 2.4/5GHz Dual Band and Bluetooth 5.0
Storage
3 x M.2 slots (2 x supports both SATA and PCIe, 1 x support only PCIe)
6 x SATA 6Gbps
Form Factor
E-ATX Form Factor; 30.5 cm x 27.1cm
PCIe and M.2 Expandability (Top to bottom)
M.2 (2242/60/80/110) SATA and PCIe x4/x2 SSD
PCIe 3.0 x16 Slot (Electrically x16)
PCIe 2.0 x1
M.2 (2260/80/110) SATA and PCIe x4/x2 SSD
PCIe 3.0 x16 Slot (Electrically x8)
PCIe 2.0 x1
M.2 (2242/60/80) PCIe x4/x2 SSD - M2P
PCIe 3.0 x16 Slot (Electrically x4, runs at x2 when PCIe SSD is installed on M2P conector)
The SSDs placed in the M.2 slots also supports RAID 0,1,5,10 as well.
The motherboard also supports NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFire technologies. When two (or more) graphics card are installed on the motherboard, the first PCIe x16 slot will automatically run in x8 mode. As the Z390 is still considered a chipset for the mainstream level consumers, it still lacks the larger number of PCIe lanes that are seen on the higher end HEDT X series chipsets. Therefore, we can see that many of the times, PCIe bandwidth compromises are made in order to support multiple components which are connected to the motherboard simultaneously.
Input/Output Interfaces
From Left to Right, Top to Bottom:
Wi-Fi Antenna Ports
Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 Port (Intel Gigabit LAN)
USB 3.1 Port
Thunderbolt 3 Port via USB Type-C
10 Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 Port (Aquantia)
USB 3.1 Port
Thunderbolt 3 Port via USB Type-C
2 x USB 2.0
1 x HDMI Video Out (From Intel CPU)
2 x USB 3.0 Port (USB 3.1 Gen 1)
2 x USB 3.1 Port (USB 3.1 Gen 2)
7.1 Surround Output audio jacks and SPDIF
Motherboard Design and Features
Aesthetic Design
When it comes to motherboard, consumers who just want to build a computer for work will not care too much about its aesthetic design. On the other hand, the aesthetics of a motherboard could be the number one factor for enthusiasts and case modders. The Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME adopts a black PCB base and brushed metallic heatsinks to give the motherboard a feel of ferocity. This goes well with the AORUS eagle branding.
Of course, being a flagship model for the series, the Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME comes with many RGB lighting areas. The RGB lighting on the motherboard can all be controlled and synchronised via the RGB Fusion software that can be downloaded online. Other RGB enabled peripherals or components from Gigabyte can also be controlled via the same software as well. There are a total of 6 areas of addressable RGB lighting just on this motherboard itself. Indeed, consumers who wants to create their custom light show from their desktop PC should rejoice, as they can finally target different areas with the intended colours. On top of that, there are 4 more RGB headers that can be used to control other connected RGB components, such as fans and LED strips.
Here are the RGB lighting zones which can be individually controlled on the motherboard
Gigabyte also added some interesting design decisions to the motherboard to enhance its overall usability. Understanding that E-ATX motherboards are wider the usual ATX, PC cases which have cable routing holes with rubber grommets placed next to the SATA ports may be blocked. Therefore, the Z390 AORUS XTREME has got a unique cut at the SATA port area to make it easier for PC builders to route their SATA cables.
Power Design and Features
Gigabyte has went all out for the Z390 AORUS XTREME motherboard, preparing it for the most extreme usage environments. To fully unlock the capabilities of the new Intel Hexa-Core Core i9 processors when overclocked under sub-zero conditions, the Z390 AORUS XTREME is designed with an abundant 16 Phase Digital Power design that is capable of pushing even more power to the CPU when needed.
First up, the motherboard comes with an additional 8 pin CPU connector to make sure that the CPU can get its additional power when required. Do take note that only a single connector is required to be plugged in when the system is not used in an extreme situation.
The stability of current and voltage provided to the motherboard and CPU is of utmost importance when it comes to overclocking. Gigabyte has designed the Z390 AORUS XTREME with an all IR digital CPU power design, which includes a digital PWM controller with PowIRstage MOSFET. To put it simply, overclockers can achieve an unparalleled precision in delivery of power to the different components attached onto the motherboard, thus enabling them for their record breaking benchmarking efforts.
We realised that the Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME's base PCB is thicker than usual. This is because they have a 8 layer PCB design, and placed 2X Copper PCB layer to handle greater than normal power loads. The additional thickness in the copper layer also aids in removing heat from the components on the motherboard. Overall, this design helps to improve the overall reliability of the motherboard.
Durability Features
To enhance the durability of the motherboard and allow it to be used in extreme conditions, the motherboard itself have to be able to sustain constant pressure from heavy components. It should also be able to sustain frequent swaps of hardware components as well. To make sure that the main PCB layer and slots don't waver, Gigabyte has strengthened the whole motherboard structure.
For example, all power pins on the motherboard are made with a Solid Pin design. Solid Pins have better strength, and therefore, will not bend or break as easily as traditional pins. Moreover, the solid pins brings about the advantages of a larger contact area for the conduct of electricity and sustain higher power and generated heat.
Memory ArmorPCIe Armor
The DIMM and PCIe slots are also fortified with additional metal layers to increase its strength. Traditionally, only plastics were used and the pressure on heavy components frequently caused damages to the slots and their contact points, rendering the whole motherboard unusable. The strengthened slots improves the overall durability of the motherboard. It will be additionally useful for users who have an open bench setup (like ours), where the whole weight of the graphics card is only supported by the PCIe slot.
The back of the motherboard is also attached with an additional NanoCarbon base plate. This base plate is made from aluminum and coated with a thin layer of NanoCarbon to enhance its thermal radiation performance. Thermal pads that are in direct contact with the heatpipes and the base plate can aid the overall heat dissipation performance of the system. As such, Gigabyte claims that this design can effectively lower the backside PWM component temperatures by 10%.
An additional base plate on the motherboard also makes the whole motherboard structure more sturdy and therefore, reduces the amount of flex and stress on the base PCB which damages it.
Thermal/Cooling Features
The main source of heat on the motherboard comes from the CPU and power components. Therefore, additional efforts have been placed onto designing the heatsink on the power components to make sure that it is able to effectively move heat away from the motherboard while still retaining a refined aesthetic design. The Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME achieves this by have a fins-array on the heatsink to increase the surface area for effective heat dissipation. Heat is conducted from from the hot components through the high thermal conductivity interface pads directly yo the large heatsink. The heat is also spread-out through the direct touch heatpipes to the base plates and large top heat sinks. We took note that the whole thermal design cools down the motherboard passively. It could be a lot more effective if the motherboard is placed in a case with very good airflow, as the air will be able to bring the heat away from the concentrated heated areas away to the environment.
When it comes to fans for better airflow in the system, the Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME can support an abundant of 16 fans in total. On the motherboard itself, it has a total of 8 fan connectors. Included in the package is a RGB FAN COMMANDER module which adds the support for another 8 hybrid fans.
The RGB FAN COMMANDER is a fan controller that also supports the addressing of RGB lighting on the supported fans. This module can power up to 8 additional fans on the system, and only draws power from a single SATA cable. The package also comes with all the required RGB fan cables, as well as a motherboard sync cable to allow the RGB FAN Commander to work with the RGB Fusion software on the motherboard.
10Gbps Ethernet
Even though 10Gbps Ethernet has yet to become mainstream, the growth of data size is slowing pushing the market to adopting faster network interfaces. The decision to bring 10Gbps Ethernet to the Z390 AORUS XTREME opens the motherboard up to many other use cases, rather than just the usual gaming or processing. The motherboard can potentially be used as a server for various bandwidth hungry applications. It can be used as a high end file server that processes and serves critical files at great speeds to its clients. It could be really interesting to see what kind of applications and services developers can build with a new 10Gbps Ethernet interface to enable new possibilities.
Of course, do take note that the AQUANTIA ® AQC107 10Gbps Ethernet network controller on this motherboard is still backward compatible with 5GBASE-T/ 2.5GBASE-T/ 1000BASE-T/ 100BASE-TX as well.
Enhanced Audio Chipset for Hi-Fi audio
Gigabyte has made an extra effort to providing truly high quality audio output from the motherboard. They have went through the trouble of every single required step for a good audio directly from the motherboard. Firstly, digital audio produced from the Realtek ALC1220 codec is converted to analog signals via the high-end ESS SABRE DAC. This DAC understand digital signals well, and produces high dynamic range of frequencies for high-resolution music. The stereo channel is then passed through two signal processors individually for both left and right channels, and then further amplified. Audiophile grade capacitors are in place to deliver true acoustic sounds, which are then output through the gold plated audio jacks at the I/O area. With such a audio circuitry design, what else can you expect from the onboard audio solution?
Moreover, the audio circuit also comes with an anti-pop relay, auto impedance sensing, and audiophile grade WIMA capacitors to further improve the audio quality and experience.
Motherboard Software
While there are many software that are available for the range of Gigabyte motherboard which can be consolidated via the APP Center software, we had a look at two main applications, which are the RGB Fusion and EasyTune software.
RGB Fusion
The RGB Fusion software can easily help users to identify which RGB LED to select for configuration. The software plots out all the areas where the LEDs are located and users can simply click on them to set the preferred RGB lighting colour and effect. The software even allows the customization of the brightness and the speed of the effects as well. Moreover, RGB Fusion will also work with all other RGB Fusion supported components. In our case, our RAM kit and Graphics Card can all be controlled via the same software as well.
EasyTune
The EasyTune software makes it extremely easy to control CPU and motherboard settings via a friendly user interface. For a start, the first Smart Boost tab has got functions that are created for the less technical users. They can simply click on various CPU profiles to set the preset CPU settings. For example, if they want to set a known OC profile which overclocks the CPU to 5.2GHz, they can do so by simply clicking on the OC profile, instead of having to go into the BIOS and manually setting the CPU multiplier and voltages. This software overclocks your CPU in just 1 simple click!
Moreover, the software also has got a AutoTuning feature which tries to set the system with various CPU profiles and testing each profile for stability. The tuning will run through a few system restarts and help you to determine which OC profile fits best for your setup, which is likely constrained by the cooling solution on the CPU.
If you are more of an advanced user, both CPU and memory clock settings can be set with the EasyTune software as well. For CPU, the base clock and multipliers of the CPU settings can be manually configured. Once the "apply" button is hit, the settings will automatically apply. The voltages across the various component can also be set via the software.
You can also manually adjust the memory via the software. Under the Advanced DDR OC tab, we can see that the software supports the applying of XMP profiles. Alternatively, it can also set the individual memory timings and memory frequency as well. However, do take note that a system restart is required to apply these settings.
The Advanced Power page allows the various power settings on the motherboard to be configured. This includes the Loadline Calibration and Switch rates and Current Protection settings.
It's interesting to see how much Gigabyte has made system overclocking and configuration easier. In fact, with the software, there isn't a need to go into the BIOS at all! All the main features that are needed for a system overclock can be accessed on the EasyTune software.
However, for more traditional users and overclockers who require even more advanced settings and special configuration options, the BIOS is still the default way to go.
BIOS
There aren't much surprises or new features when it comes to the BIOS settings. Like many other manufacturers, Gigabyte has got two types of user interfaces, namely the Easy Mode and the Advanced Mode. If no overclocking of the system is required, the Easy Mode will suffice. It allows users to apply XMP profiles, change boot sequence orders, see the vital stats of the system, as well as apply simple CPU profiles.
For advanced users, the more traditional BIOS setting is still available. Similarly to older motherboard, the main menu options are still available at the top, and can be selected based on what the user is trying to achieve. Additionally, what I really liked about the BIOS is that there will always be description and hints available at the bottom right corner of the screen to tell you exactly what each option does. This is especially useful as different motherboard manufacturer uses different terms for the same thing, and it could be confusing for new adopters. The description can close up the gap between motherboard from different manufacturers.
While the rest of the BIOS menu remains largely the same, I did not like the fact that Gigabyte has the Voltage Settings and respective frequency settings of the components separated. It is quite a hassle to toggle between the menu to simply overclock a specific component. For example, if I want to overclock the CPU, I will have to change between the Advanced Frequency Settings option and Advanced Voltage Settings just to achieve an overclock. It would make logical sense to place CPU related voltage settings together with the CPU overclocking settings.
Testing Methodology and Performance Benchmarks
Testing Objectives and Setup
We will be running the Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME with the hardware components we have on hand to understand how well the system performs. We will first look into the general performance of the system, then focusing on the CPU, Memory, Storage, iGPU and dedicated GPU performance. On top of that, with our baseline results created from the stock setup, we will overclock the system to see how much more performance we can achieve and sustain on the processor with the features on the Z390 AORUS XTREME motherboard.
Specs
Main System
CPU
Intel Core i9 9900K (Engineering Sample)
RAM
AORUS RGB Memory 3200MHz
CL16-18-18-38 2 x 8GB DDR4 Kit
PCMark 10 Extended provides organizations with a complete assessment of system performance beyond typical office work tasks. It also includes demanding graphics and physics tests that focus on GPU and CPU performance.
[caption id="attachment_15191" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] https://www.3dmark.com/pcm10b/394492[/caption]
The test which was tested without any dedicated graphics card yield a score of 4697. Of course, we will expect the system to score a much higher score if a dedicated gaming graphics card was installed. This will be shown later on our synthetic graphics test. Regardless, the PCMark 10 run gives a good gauge of how the whole system performs right out of the box with an Intel processor. It's still above average.
WebXPRT 2015
WebXPRT 2015 uses scenarios created to mirror the tasks you do every day to compare the performance of almost any Web-enabled device. It contains six HTML5- and JavaScript-based workloads: Photo Enhancement, Organize Album, Stock Option Pricing, Local Notes, Sales Graphs, and Explore DNA Sequencing.
WebXPRT results shown that the system should be able to carry out online applications very smoothly without any problems at all. All tests were completed smoothly at stock CPU settings.
Passmark Performance Test
PassMark PerformanceTest benchmarks a PC performance using 32 standard benchmark tests in five test suites.
CPU tests Mathematical operations, compression, encryption, physics.
2D graphics tests Vectors, bitmaps, fonts, text, and GUI elements.
3D graphics tests DirectX 9 to DirectX 12 in 4K resolution. DirectCompute & OpenCL
Disk tests Reading, writing & seeking within disk files + IOPS
Memory tests Memory access speeds and latency
With PassMark, we can easily do the comparison with a database of components. As we can see, the CPU reaches straight into the 99th percentile. As expected, the integrated graphics solution loses out in the 3Dmark test. The motherboard was able to support the CPU, memory and disk well to allow them to reach top scores in the overall PassMark tests.
CPU Performance
Cinebench R15
CINEBENCH is a real-world cross platform test suite that evaluates your computer's performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON's award-winning animation software Cinema 4D, which is used extensively by studios and production houses worldwide for 3D content creation.
The Gigabyte R15 ran smoothly and completed with a score of 2044cb points. The motherboard was able to sustain the CPU at stock speeds without any throttling or mishaps.
SuperPi
Super PI is a single threaded benchmark that calculates pi to a specific number of digits. It uses the Gauss-Legendre algorithm to compute pi to 232 digits.
Similarly for SuperPi test, the motherboard and CPU completed without any hiccups and achieved good score of 7min for the 32M test.
7-Zip
7-Zip is a free and open-source file archiver. The benchmark determines the speed of the system compressing and decompressing of archives with LZMA methods.
For more real-world test on compressing and decompressing of archives, the CPU and chipset was able to do operate at about 40MB/s and 959MB/s respectively.
Memory Performance
AIDA64
AIDA64 is a system information, diagnostics, and auditing application developed by FinalWire Ltd. It includes a memory benchmark test which shows the system’s memory latency and speed.
At stock speeds, the AIDA64 speeds for memory were decent. However, the latency was considered high, which was likely due to the loose timings on the XMP profile of the AORUS RAM kit.
Storage Performance
CrystalDiskMark
CrystalDiskMark is designed to quickly test the performance of your hard drives. Currently, the program allows measuring sequential and random read/write speeds.
The motherboard was also able to be fully compatible with SSD devices as well. The Plextor M.2 SATA based SSD which was placed in the first M.2 slot operated at its maximum possible speed for the benchmark, and the results were expected.
ATTO Disk Benchmark
ATTO Disk Benchmark is a widely used software used to measure storage system performance. It runs various read and write tests with different test data to see performance of the disk under different scenarios.
The results on the ATTO Disk benchmark is similar to those in CrystalDiskMark.
AS SSD Benchmark
The AS SSD benchmark determines the performance of Solid State Drives (SSD). The tool contains six synthetic and three copy tests. The synthetic tests determine the sequential and random read and write performance of the SSD. These tests are performed without using the operating system cache. In the sequential test, the program measures how long it takes to read and write a 1 GB file. In the 4K test, read and write performance is determined for randomly selected 4K blocks.
AS SSD does a more practical and thorough test on the SSD. The results were expected, but were lower than those from ATTO and CrystalDiskMark. This is due to a more practical approach which the benchmark uses, which shows a more real example of the result during actual usage.
Synthetic Graphics Performance (Intel HD Graphics 630 iGPU)
3DMark Firestrike
Fire Strike is a showcase DirectX 11 benchmark designed for today's high-performance gaming PCs. It is our most ambitious and technical benchmark ever, featuring real-time graphics rendered with detail and complexity far beyond what is found in other benchmarks and games today.
This time, we had the dedicated RTX 2070 graphics card added into the system. It was obvious that the score on these synthetic gaming benchmarks will be near the top, as we are using one of the best of the best CPU and GPU available in the market today. This also shows that the motherboard was able to support the integration of both CPU and GPU on games, working well together in such benchmarks.
3DMark Timespy
3DMark Time Spy is a new DirectX 12 benchmark test for Windows 10 gaming PCs. Time Spay is one of the first DirectX 12 apps to be built “the right way” from the ground up to fully realize the performance gains that the new API offers. With DirectX 12 engine, which supports new API features like asynchronous compute, explicit multi-adapter, and multi-threading, Time Spy is the ideal test for benchmarking the latest graphics cards.
[caption id="attachment_15203" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]https://www.3dmark.com/spy/4946433[/caption]
Similar to the FireStrike test, the TimeSpy test results were also great. The system came up in the 91% percentile.
Gaming Performance
Final Fantasy XV (RTX 2070)
The test is completed in 1920 x 1080 resolution in High Quality Preset.
In our first game, the Final Fantasy XV was extremely playable, as it reaches a score of 9213 points and was determined to have a performance of "Very High".
Total War: Warhammer (RTX 2070)
The test is completed in 1920 x 1080 resolution in Ultra Preset
Total War: Warhammer relies a lot on the CPU. Therefore, its FPS is largely affected by the performance of the CPU. Thanks to the new CPU from Intel, coupled with the new RTX 2070, the test result was beautiful. It had an average of 108.4FPS. Even at its lowest point, the frame rates were at about 75FPS, far higher than the 60FPS/60Hz refresh rate of the monitor.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (RTX 2070)
The test is completed in 1920 x 1080 resolution in Ultra Preset
With all the settings maxed out, the Deus Ex benchmark gave a result of 44.6FPS. However, the minimum frame rate of 3.4FPS is alarming. It could be due to the software or driver issue that caused that significant stutter for that moment, resulting in this result. Regardless, the benchmark completed without any major hiccups.
Street Fighter IV (iGPU)
The test is completed in 1920 x 1080 resolution with all settings maxed out, but no Anti-Aliasing enabled
Lastly, we tested the Intel HD Graphics 630 on a DirectX 9 game. It was able to run Street Fighter IV smoothly with an average frame rate of 90FPS. This means that the integrated graphics is still decent enough for games which only requires simple graphics.
Overclocking
The OC Touch Panel
Gigabyte has designed and included the OC Touch Panel for overclockers to edit clock settings on the fly. It is an addition PCB board that is attached to the motherboard that can control the BCLK or multiplier of the CPU. It will be useful for overclockers who want to maximize their benchmark scores. For example, during a portion of a benchmark, knowing that it will utilize all threads on the processor, the frequency can be reduced to ensure stability. When the benchmark reaches a single threaded test, the CPU clock can be increased to maximize the single threaded score.
Additionally, by plugging in an additional 4-pin molex plug, it can power up an additional 6 fans via the panel's 4 pin connectors.
Moreover, there are also voltage readout pins at the bottom of the OC panel for overclockers to have an accurate reading of the current voltage of the various component of the system. This setup should be very useful for extreme users who know what they are doing with this motherboard. The layman should probably have no use for this accessory at all.
While the OC Panel is an interesting tool to have to overclock the system, we still decided to go with the more traditional way for the overclocking of the system. With the help of both the motherboard's BIOS and EasyTune software, we managed to get the system to complete Cinebench R15 benchmark at 5.25GHz. Do also take note that the stock CPU fan was insufficient to cool the CPU, and was swapped out with a AIO water cooling setup - Cryorig A80.
The overclock of the system gave a 9.5% improvement to the overall CPU score. However, users must take note that we did change the cooling solution in order to achieve such an overclock. If you do not have plans to upgrade to a more superior cooling solution for your CPU, such an overclock is quite impossible without any thermal throttling to the CPU.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
Does the Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME live up to its expectations of a flagship motherboard? Based on our various tests, we have to say that it definitely does! The motherboard was able to perform well under our different tests for each respective components. We had no problems or whatsoever with the motherboard. However, it must be taken into consideration that this motherboard can only be thoroughly reviewed if it was placed under extreme overclocking situations, such as sub-zero temperatures. This is when all the various features that were designed for will come into actual use. It is then can we really test if the motherboard is really that good for overclocking. We barely touching the surface on how much better this motherboard can overclock.
The Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME is an all-rounder, and deserves out All-Rounder Award. It is equipped with the latest hardware components and features that will last you for many years to come. For example, with an integrated 10Gbps ethernet controller, you won't have to worry about changing your system to support the upgraded LAN speeds when it comes. At the same time, we are also getting the latest connectivity options, such as Thunderbolt 3.0, Gigabit Wireless AC and USB 3.1 (Gen2). Its high audio audio components and chip also ensures a pleasant audio experience for your music and games. Regardless if you are a gamer, enthusiast, overclocker, or just a usual PC user, the Z390 AORUS XTREME will always fit the needs, as it truly has got the best of the best in its every aspect.
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From Left to Right, Top to Bottom:
When it comes to motherboard, consumers who just want to build a computer for work will not care too much about its aesthetic design. On the other hand, the aesthetics of a motherboard could be the number one factor for enthusiasts and case modders. The Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME adopts a black PCB base and brushed metallic heatsinks to give the motherboard a feel of ferocity. This goes well with the AORUS eagle branding.
Of course, being a flagship model for the series, the Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME comes with many RGB lighting areas. The RGB lighting on the motherboard can all be controlled and synchronised via the RGB Fusion software that can be downloaded online. Other RGB enabled peripherals or components from Gigabyte can also be controlled via the same software as well. There are a total of 6 areas of addressable RGB lighting just on this motherboard itself. Indeed, consumers who wants to create their custom light show from their desktop PC should rejoice, as they can finally target different areas with the intended colours. On top of that, there are 4 more RGB headers that can be used to control other connected RGB components, such as fans and LED strips.
Here are the RGB lighting zones which can be individually controlled on the motherboard
Gigabyte has went all out for the Z390 AORUS XTREME motherboard, preparing it for the most extreme usage environments. To fully unlock the capabilities of the new Intel Hexa-Core Core i9 processors when overclocked under sub-zero conditions, the Z390 AORUS XTREME is designed with an abundant 16 Phase Digital Power design that is capable of pushing even more power to the CPU when needed.
First up, the motherboard comes with an additional 8 pin CPU connector to make sure that the CPU can get its additional power when required. Do take note that only a single connector is required to be plugged in when the system is not used in an extreme situation.
The stability of current and voltage provided to the motherboard and CPU is of utmost importance when it comes to overclocking. Gigabyte has designed the Z390 AORUS XTREME with an all IR digital CPU power design, which includes a digital PWM controller with PowIRstage MOSFET. To put it simply, overclockers can achieve an unparalleled precision in delivery of power to the different components attached onto the motherboard, thus enabling them for their record breaking benchmarking efforts.
We realised that the Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME's base PCB is thicker than usual. This is because they have a 8 layer PCB design, and placed 2X Copper PCB layer to handle greater than normal power loads. The additional thickness in the copper layer also aids in removing heat from the components on the motherboard. Overall, this design helps to improve the overall reliability of the motherboard.
For example, all power pins on the motherboard are made with a Solid Pin design. Solid Pins have better strength, and therefore, will not bend or break as easily as traditional pins. Moreover, the solid pins brings about the advantages of a larger contact area for the conduct of electricity and sustain higher power and generated heat.
The back of the motherboard is also attached with an additional NanoCarbon base plate. This base plate is made from aluminum and coated with a thin layer of NanoCarbon to enhance its thermal radiation performance. Thermal pads that are in direct contact with the heatpipes and the base plate can aid the overall heat dissipation performance of the system. As such, Gigabyte claims that this design can effectively lower the backside PWM component temperatures by 10%.
An additional base plate on the motherboard also makes the whole motherboard structure more sturdy and therefore, reduces the amount of flex and stress on the base PCB which damages it.
The main source of heat on the motherboard comes from the CPU and power components. Therefore, additional efforts have been placed onto designing the heatsink on the power components to make sure that it is able to effectively move heat away from the motherboard while still retaining a refined aesthetic design. The Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME achieves this by have a fins-array on the heatsink to increase the surface area for effective heat dissipation. Heat is conducted from from the hot components through the high thermal conductivity interface pads directly yo the large heatsink. The heat is also spread-out through the direct touch heatpipes to the base plates and large top heat sinks. We took note that the whole thermal design cools down the motherboard passively. It could be a lot more effective if the motherboard is placed in a case with very good airflow, as the air will be able to bring the heat away from the concentrated heated areas away to the environment.
When it comes to fans for better airflow in the system, the Gigabyte Z390 AORUS XTREME can support an abundant of 16 fans in total. On the motherboard itself, it has a total of 8 fan connectors. Included in the package is a RGB FAN COMMANDER module which adds the support for another 8 hybrid fans.
Of course, do take note that the AQUANTIA ® AQC107 10Gbps Ethernet network controller on this motherboard is still backward compatible with 5GBASE-T/ 2.5GBASE-T/ 1000BASE-T/ 100BASE-TX as well.
Gigabyte has made an extra effort to providing truly high quality audio output from the motherboard. They have went through the trouble of every single required step for a good audio directly from the motherboard. Firstly, digital audio produced from the Realtek ALC1220 codec is converted to analog signals via the high-end ESS SABRE DAC. This DAC understand digital signals well, and produces high dynamic range of frequencies for high-resolution music. The stereo channel is then passed through two signal processors individually for both left and right channels, and then further amplified. Audiophile grade capacitors are in place to deliver true acoustic sounds, which are then output through the gold plated audio jacks at the I/O area. With such a audio circuitry design, what else can you expect from the onboard audio solution?
Moreover, the audio circuit also comes with an anti-pop relay, auto impedance sensing, and audiophile grade WIMA capacitors to further improve the audio quality and experience.
The RGB Fusion software can easily help users to identify which RGB LED to select for configuration. The software plots out all the areas where the LEDs are located and users can simply click on them to set the preferred RGB lighting colour and effect. The software even allows the customization of the brightness and the speed of the effects as well. Moreover, RGB Fusion will also work with all other RGB Fusion supported components. In our case, our RAM kit and Graphics Card can all be controlled via the same software as well.
The EasyTune software makes it extremely easy to control CPU and motherboard settings via a friendly user interface. For a start, the first Smart Boost tab has got functions that are created for the less technical users. They can simply click on various CPU profiles to set the preset CPU settings. For example, if they want to set a known OC profile which overclocks the CPU to 5.2GHz, they can do so by simply clicking on the OC profile, instead of having to go into the BIOS and manually setting the CPU multiplier and voltages. This software overclocks your CPU in just 1 simple click!
Moreover, the software also has got a AutoTuning feature which tries to set the system with various CPU profiles and testing each profile for stability. The tuning will run through a few system restarts and help you to determine which OC profile fits best for your setup, which is likely constrained by the cooling solution on the CPU.
If you are more of an advanced user, both CPU and memory clock settings can be set with the EasyTune software as well. For CPU, the base clock and multipliers of the CPU settings can be manually configured. Once the "apply" button is hit, the settings will automatically apply. The voltages across the various component can also be set via the software.
You can also manually adjust the memory via the software. Under the Advanced DDR OC tab, we can see that the software supports the applying of XMP profiles. Alternatively, it can also set the individual memory timings and memory frequency as well. However, do take note that a system restart is required to apply these settings.
The Advanced Power page allows the various power settings on the motherboard to be configured. This includes the Loadline Calibration and Switch rates and Current Protection settings.
It's interesting to see how much Gigabyte has made system overclocking and configuration easier. In fact, with the software, there isn't a need to go into the BIOS at all! All the main features that are needed for a system overclock can be accessed on the EasyTune software.
However, for more traditional users and overclockers who require even more advanced settings and special configuration options, the BIOS is still the default way to go.
There aren't much surprises or new features when it comes to the BIOS settings. Like many other manufacturers, Gigabyte has got two types of user interfaces, namely the Easy Mode and the Advanced Mode. If no overclocking of the system is required, the Easy Mode will suffice. It allows users to apply XMP profiles, change boot sequence orders, see the vital stats of the system, as well as apply simple CPU profiles.
For advanced users, the more traditional BIOS setting is still available. Similarly to older motherboard, the main menu options are still available at the top, and can be selected based on what the user is trying to achieve. Additionally, what I really liked about the BIOS is that there will always be description and hints available at the bottom right corner of the screen to tell you exactly what each option does. This is especially useful as different motherboard manufacturer uses different terms for the same thing, and it could be confusing for new adopters. The description can close up the gap between motherboard from different manufacturers.
While the rest of the BIOS menu remains largely the same, I did not like the fact that Gigabyte has the Voltage Settings and respective frequency settings of the components separated. It is quite a hassle to toggle between the menu to simply overclock a specific component. For example, if I want to overclock the CPU, I will have to change between the Advanced Frequency Settings option and Advanced Voltage Settings just to achieve an overclock. It would make logical sense to place CPU related voltage settings together with the CPU overclocking settings.
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Moreover, there are also voltage readout pins at the bottom of the OC panel for overclockers to have an accurate reading of the current voltage of the various component of the system. This setup should be very useful for extreme users who know what they are doing with this motherboard. The layman should probably have no use for this accessory at all.
