Introduction

The highly anticipated AMD Ryzen 7000 series is finally in public hands! Intel's release of the 12th Gen Core processors in late fall of 2021 had the privilege of being the first consumer product to offer both PCIe Gen 5.0 and DDR5 connectivity. Along with these additions was a new smaller core, designed to offload smaller system tasks onto, while the bigger cores dealt with priority heavy duty tasks.

AMD wasn't going to wait around forever, but also understood the newest technologies can come with unforeseen problems. Did AMD do the right thing by waiting until DDR5 and PCIe Gen 5 matured over this past year, or was it a mistake to let Intel be left without a cutting edge contender? The answer depends on what AMD brings to the table in terms of performance, cost and availability. With that, make sure to read TechPowerUp's AMD Ryzen 7600X, 7700X, 7900X and 7950X reviews, for more in depth coverage.

With the new Ryzen processor series, comes a number of changes that may upset some long time AMD fans, shaking up the market. The first noteworthy change is the socket. All previous desktop Ryzen processors (1000, 2000, 3000, 5000 series, minus Threadripper) used the AM4 PGA (Pin Grid Array) socket. AMD has made the transition to LGA (Land Grid Array) for this new AM5 (LGA 1718) socket. AMD has historically proven it uses the same CPU socket for multiple generations, starting a fresh cycle with the Ryzen 7000 series and beyond. What this means for consumers is that there is no Zen 4 upgrade path for AM4 based platforms. If you want these new processors, they require a brand new motherboard. The platform change also requires new memory too, since the AM5 socket exclusively uses DDR5 for its system memory.

This new AM5 socket carries a host of options for connecting high speed devices that just weren't previously available to AMD customers. As mentioned above, going forward, AMD Ryzen CPUs on this new platform will now support DDR5 memory, PCIe Gen 5.0 and M.2 Gen5. With 24 PCIe Gen 5.0 lanes from the CPU available, motherboard manufacturers now have an opportunity to innovate and create products catered towards users with high bandwidth needs. Along with more PCIe lanes provided by the processors, are four different chipset configurations; B650, B650E, X670 and X670E. The "E" stands for Extreme and any motherboard carrying this title will have PCIe Gen 5 support. The ones without will forgo PCIe Gen 5 support in favor of the current PCIe Gen 4 standard. Moreover, the B series, like the previous AM4 iterations, feature fewer connections for USB, M.2 and PCIe lanes, designed to be more budget friendly. The X670 and X670E use the same chipset, with two X670 chips daisy-chained together, sharing a PCIe 4.0 x4 link to the CPU. X670E will offer the most high bandwidth lanes, storage options and external connections out of the available AM5 platform chipsets.


It today's review, we will be looking at the Gigabyte X670E AORUS Master. Gigabyte uses the AORUS naming convention to serve as the company's gaming-orientated line of Intel and AMD motherboards. These AORUS B650/X670 branded motherboards come in multiple models comprising of the Pro, Ultra, Elite, Tachyon, Master, and Xtreme, some of which overlap in features and suggested price points.

Using the X670E chipset, this motherboard is designed for PC enthusiasts and gamers alike. The E variation includes a PCIe Gen 5 ready solution for future graphics cards that will take advantage of the additional bandwidth. Additionally, the X670 Chipset offers eight additional PCIe Gen 4 lanes over the B650 Chipset, which in turn allows Gigabyte to offer more external and internal connections in various configurations. Built to last, Gigabyte has deployed a 16+2+2 VRM design using 12 W/mK thermal pads and massive Fins-Array III (3) heatsink to keep all the critical components in peak condition for those intense workloads. This is just the tip of the iceberg and there is a lot to cover in this review, so let's take a closer look at what the Gigabyte X670E AORUS Master has to offer.

Specifications