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Firmware, Software and Test System

Firmware

The new BIOS on the Aours X790 “X” boards is undoubtedly an improvement on the previous version. The updated Easy Mode is laid out logically and displays plenty of information about the system, processor, RAM, fan speeds, and has several selectable options, including XMP profiles and RAM tweaks, Re-Size BAR support, Smart Fan 6 access, and more. The black background and white characters are easy to read, while the purple and blue accents on the top and bottom provide a much-needed visual update.

The Advanced mode also received a facelift. While all headings are still across the top, they are now larger ‘buttons’ and easily selectable with a mouse. The highlight bar (where you are on the page) is Aorus Orange and easy to see. In addition to some additional parameters for Raptor Lake-S, it’s much the same as the original Z790 release but looks much better with the color change. Every option you need and want is at your fingertips, and you don’t have to drill down several layers to reach most commonly used functions – especially if you populate your selections in the Favorites section.

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Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Master X — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Gigabyte released a new software suite several months back called the Gigabyte Control Control (GCC). GCC is a one-stop shop that controls several different functions. from RGB and Fan control to hardware monitoring and overclocking. It’s also quite useful in finding, downloading, and installing driver updates to your system. It’s a simple application athat did its job. It’s also a much cleaner tool than the previous App Center and gets our approval for the breadth of functionality it brings users.

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Test System Components
CPU	Intel Core i9-14900K
Memory	Kingston Fury Beast DDR5-6000 CL36 (KF560C36BBEAK2-32)
	Teamgroup T-Force Delta RGB DDR5- 7200 CL34
GPU	Asus TUF RTX 3070
Cooling	Coolermaster MasterLiquid PL360 Flux
PSU	EVGA Supernova 850W P6
Software	Windows 11 64-bit (22H2)
Graphics Driver	Nvidia GeForce Driver 522.25
Sound	Integrated HD audio
Network	Integrated Networking (GbE or 2.5 GbE)

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Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings
Procyon	Version 2.1.459 64
	Office Suite (Office 365), Video Editing (Premiere Pro 22.6.2.2), Photo Editing (Photoshop 23.5.1, Lightroom Classic 11.5)
3DMark	Version 2.22.7359 64
	Firestrike Extreme and Time Spy Default Presets
Cinebench R23	Version RBBENCHMARK330542
	Open GL Benchmark - Single and Multi-threaded
Blender	Version 3.3.0
	Full benchmark (all 3 tests)
Application Tests and Settings
LAME MP3	Version SSE2_2019
	Mixed 271MB WAV to mp3: Command: -b 160 --nores (160Kb/s)
HandBrake CLI	Version: 1.2.2
	Sintel Open Movie Project: 4.19GB 4K mkv to x264 (light AVX) and x265 (heavy AVX)
Corona 1.4	Version 1.4
	Custom benchmark
7-Zip	Version 21.03-beta
	Integrated benchmark (Command Line)
Game Tests and Settings
Far Cry 6	Ultra Preset - 1920 x 1080, HD Textures ON
F1 2022	Ultra Preset - 1920 x 1080, Ultra High (default) Bahrain (Clear/Dry), FPS Counter ON

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Joe Shields is a staff writer at Tom’s Hardware. He reviews motherboards and PC components.

1 Comment Comment from the forums

Jalex459

Admin said:
Gigabyte’s Z790 Aorus Master X supports 14th-gen processors natively, updates to Wi-Fi 7, and comes with improved looks. Users will like the EZ Latches on the PCIe and M.2 sockets, and the copious number of USB ports on the rear IO.

Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Master X Review: Native 14th Gen Support, Wi-Fi 7, and USB Aplenty : Read more
Just letting you know of a significant oversight. It appears you have uploaded photos for the original Z790 AORUS Master on the first page of this review and not the Z790 Aorus Master X, with its new 'EZ-Latch Click' heatsink design. I'm surprised no one has mentioned this until now.
Reply

Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Master X Review: Native 14th Gen Support, Wi-Fi 7, and USB Aplenty

Now with native 14th-gen support, Wi-Fi 7, EZ Latches all around, and still plenty of USB ports

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