Intel's X299 platform is very close to launch, and as such, all the motherboard vendors at Computex 2017 had well-rounded product families ready for the show. To our understanding, and based on many conversations we've had with vendors, we shouldn't expect any major issues with the X299 platform at launch. Intel apparently made a few last-minute additions to the Skylake-X processor lineup, and those new additions won't make it to market until later this year. However, the X299 platform is reportedly solid and well-validated. All of the X299 motherboards feature the LGA2066 socket with the familiar dual-latching mechanism.
Gigabyte X299 Aorus Ultra Gaming
Gigabyte's X299 Aorus Ultra Gaming sports eight DIMM slots that interface with either the Skylake-X's quad-channel memory controller or Kaby Lake-X's dual-channel memory controller. As such, you can only use four of the DIMM slots for Kaby Lake-X models. The Ultra Gaming doesn't support ECC memory. The board offers two PCIe 3.0 x16 slots, a single x8 slot, and two PCIe 3.0 x4 expansion slots.
The ASMedia 3142 provides USB 3.1 Gen 2 for front and rear USB Type-C, and a single USB Type-A for the rear of the board. The Aorus Ultra Gaming supports three M.2 sockets with PCIe Gen 3 x4 connectivity. A single M.2 port has an integrated cooling shroud that blends in with the chipset heat sink. The board comes with ESS Sabre Audio and the ALC1220 controller. The motherboard also houses the RGB Fusion suite that supports various light strips and comes with a dual-LAN solution powered by Intel GbE and Killer's 1535 Wi-Fi. The entire Gigabyte lineup employs eight-phase power delivery systems, and as we can see in the picture, the board has an extensive array of RGB lights.
Gigabyte Aorus Gaming 9
The Aorus Gaming 9 comes packing the Killer DoubleShot Pro suite and Intel GbE LAN in tandem with the Killer 1535 Wi-Fi controller. You can aggregate the two connections into a single dual GbE LAN connection via the Killer software.
PCIe connectivity comes in the form of two PCIe 3.0 x16 slots and an additional x8 slot accompanied by two PCIe 3.0 x4 expansion slots. The board also features the ASMedia 3142 USB 3.1 Gen 2 controller for front and rear USB Type-C and rear Type-A connectors. The ESS Sabre Audio with Realtek ALC1220 engine powers the audio solution.
The board supports eight DIMM slots for the quad-channel Skylake-X chips but doesn't support ECC memory. Like all the other X299 motherboards in Gigabyte's lineup, it sports eight SATA 6Gb/s ports. It also has three M.2 sockets and can provide a single U.2 port via an M.2 adapter, though this sacrifices an M.2 socket.
Gigabyte Aorus Gaming 7
The Aorus Gaming 7 comes with the same PCIe, M.2, and DIMM slot allocations as its partners, though it doesn't feature an M.2 heat sink. It also steps back to the Realtek ALC1220 audio solution without the extra bells and whistles, such as the ESS Sabre Audio Suite. It features a single Intel GbE LAN connection and forgoes the Wi-FI connection.
Gigabyte X299 Aorus Gaming 3
The Aorus Gaming 3 steps back to two M.2 ports, but otherwise offers similar features as the Aorus Gaming 7.
Gigabyte X299 UD4
The X299 UD4 slots in as the value offering and lacks many of the more sophisticated features, such as an I/O shield. It provides two M.2 sockets and a single Intel GbE LAN connection. You can also use an M.2 adapter if you require a U.2 port. The board features a single USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A port and is bereft of the over-the-top RGB lighting scheme.
Gigabyte GA-C422-WS
The GA-C422-WS workstation board is the lone Gigabyte X299 motherboard to support LRDIMM ECC memory (up to 512GB). It has seven PCIe x16 slots (4 x16 or 1 x16 + 6 x8). The ASMedia 2142 USB 3.1 Gen 2 controller provides USB Type-C and Type-A connectivity. The board also features 7.1 channel audio and a single M.2 and U.2 port. It does support up to two SATA DOMs and a dual Intel i210 GbE LAN connection.
As with all of the X299 boards at the show, we aren't privy to pricing or release dates.
