Introduction

With every new generation of CPUs and accompanying chipset comes a variety of motherboards for every type of consumer. With the release of Intel's 12th Gen Core processors in late 2021 came a new socket as well. LGA 1700 is supported by the Z690 chipset, which also holds the privilege of being the first to bring PCIe Gen 5.0 and DDR5 to the consumer market. Like clockwork, Gigabyte has released a number of Z690 based motherboards from entry level to ultra-premium. From the flagship AORUS Xtreme to Gigabyte's budget-originated GAMING X series, there is a motherboard that will be satisfactory at every price point.

While we wait for AMD to release the next generation of Ryzen CPUs and a new CPU socket of its own, AMD processors continue to offer welcome competition even as the AM4 platform starts to reach end of life. For now, however, Intel's 12th Gen Core processors are the only ones currently offering native PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 support, giving the company a head start. The Intel Z690 chipset has also been given a connection speed boost with the change to the DMI 4.0 interference at 16 GT/s, a doubling over DMI 3.0 found on the previous LGA 1200. The next-biggest change is dual support for either DDR4 or DDR5 memory modules by the CPU, which has motherboard manufacturers offering a variety of configurations.


In today's review, we will be looking at the Gigabyte Z690 AORUS Tachyon. This motherboard represents a niche market designed for extreme overclocking and frequency chasers. Only a handful of motherboards offer similar features for this specific crowd. These are the ASUS Z690 Apex, MSI Z690 Unify-X, ASRock Z690 AQUA OC, and EVGA Z690 Dark as direct competitors.

Gigabyte uses the Aorus naming convention to serve as the company's gaming-orientated line of Intel and AMD motherboards. These AORUS Z690 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. The Z690 AORUS Tachyon is made for overclocking, and specific features of the motherboard designed with an open-bench setup in mind. Using fifteen 105 A power stages, physical voltage points, OC buttons, dip-switches, and PS/2 connectivity for legacy peripherals, it is ready for those liquid nitrogen record-breaking benchmark scores. There is a lot to cover in this review, so let's take a closer look!

Specifications