{"id":1096501,"date":"2026-01-25T22:26:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T22:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sJjsNK5qQ6xsUNdZ3YGPxa"},"modified":"2026-01-25T22:26:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T22:26:17","slug":"gigabyte-x870-aorus-elite-wifi7-ice-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/gigabyte-x870-aorus-elite-wifi7-ice-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice review"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As I wrote this, AMD and its motherboard partners had just launched cheaper chipsets options for its Socket AM5 platform, with high expectations for the new B850 chipset in particular given how popular previous B-series options were. But there are still plenty of options below $300 even if you opt for X870 for your AMD system and the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice even includes a white colour scheme if you\u2019re looking to build that super clean PC.<\/p>\n

A quick glance at the latest B850 boards sees quite a few retail for more than the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice, though, and also lack features such as USB4 and also opt for budget audio codecs. A quick glance over the PCB on this board, though, and we\u2019re pleasantly surprised by the features considering there\u2019s a two at the beginning of the price tag.<\/p>\n

The X870 chipset is all about making features such as USB4 and PCIe 5.0 for SSDs and graphics cards mainstream, but there seems to be enough budget left over to add plenty of premium options in other areas though.<\/p>\n

At nearly $300, it\u2019s still a lot for a motherboard, but the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice would certainly be capable of running a high-end water-cooled PC if you wanted to and not feel dated even through 2027 when AMD has stated Socket AM5 could start to wind down.<\/p>\n

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Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice specs<\/div>\n
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Socket:<\/strong> AMD Socket AM5
Chipse<\/strong>t: AMD X870
CPU compatibility:<\/strong> AMD Ryzen 7000\/8000\/9000 desktop
Form factor<\/strong>: ATX
Memory support:<\/strong> DDR5-4800 to DDR5-8200 (OC), up to 256 GB
Storage:<\/strong> 4x M.2, 4x SATA
USB (rear)<\/strong>: 2x USB 4 Type-C 40 Gbps, 2x USB 3.1 Type-A 10 Gbps, 4x USB 3.0 Type-A 5 Gbps, 4 x USB 2.0
Display:<\/strong> 1x HDMI 2.1, 2x USB\/DisplayPort
Networking:<\/strong> Realtek 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 7
Audio:<\/strong> Realtek ALC1220
Price:<\/strong> $290<\/a> | \u00a3277<\/a> | AU$531<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Apart from the CPU socket and chipset, the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice has a nearly identical number in the Intel Z890 camp so making comparisons is interesting. You\u2019re definitely getting the better deal with AMD despite a little less RGB lighting, with a few more ports and power delivery phases and the Z890 option lacks 2-pin thermal probe headers included on this board that allow you to hook up coolant probes in water-cooling systems or fine-tune your case\u2019s cooling.<\/p>\n

You get more Type-C ports on the I\/O panel here too, albeit in USB4 guise rather than Thunderbolt 4, but here two is mostly better than one. There are more PCIe 5.0 M.2 ports as well, but you probably want to stick with the top one as the other two will steal lanes from your graphics card. It\u2019s great to see features such as power and rest ports and a POST code display on a board at this price too as they just make it easier when testing, benchmarking or troubleshooting.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re wondering what the HDMI port is on the PCB, it\u2019s for external screens. You might have seen those included with cases such as the Y70 Touch from Hyte, where you have to wire the screen to a port on the rear of your PC. With this port, you can run the cable inside the case, which is less complicated, although it\u2019s worth noting it only supports up to 1,920 x 1,080 at 30 Hz.<\/p>\n

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This area has another oddity too. There are no fan headers whatsoever in the middle of the PCB, with six located at the bottom and another two up top. This might make it tricky powering large numbers of rear or roof fans in addition to a CPU cooler without extension cables.<\/p>\n

All of Gigabyte\u2019s tool-free features are here with a push-button graphics card release and latch securing the M.2 heatsinks coming under the EZ-Latch Plus banner, EZ-Latch Click offering a screwdriver-less way of installing SSDs and single-piece Wi-Fi connector too. The upper M.2 heatsink is suitably chunky and cools both sides of your SSD with thermal pads, while just the top is cooled on the larger lower heatsink.<\/p>\n

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Gigabyte\u2019s EFI has also received a coat of white paint too so it really has gone to town with its colour matching. The EFI itself looks pleasant enough and is well laid out, featuring a superb fan control suit too, but it maybe looks a little less modern than MSI or ASUS, both having recently upgraded theirs. Installing motherboard software is usually risky, but Gigabyte\u2019s Control Center actually offers some decent features, especially with fan control that might be worth checking out.<\/p>\n