Gigabyte X870E AORUS Master ICE X3D Motherboard Review: AMD X3D Keeps On Getting Faster With AORUS’s Top-Class Design

Test Setup

It's been three years since the AMD AM5 motherboard platform and the 600-series motherboards launched. Since its launch, the platform has seen the launch of several CPUs in the Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000, and Ryzen 9000 families. While the 600-series motherboards provide great features & compatibility with newer Zen 5 CPUs, motherboard makers are always looking to enhance user experiences through the latest technologies, so AMD has introduced a new chipset line called the 800-series.

Now, AMD has introduced both X870 and B850 series chipsets for high-end and mainstream AM5 motherboards. Both of these chips provide brand-new designs and brand-new features that are sure to entice new AMD builders and older AM4 users into investing in a new motherboard for their gaming and content creation needs.

We received a load of motherboards from various manufacturers, so let's start by taking a look at these updated designs. For this review, we will be testing out Gigabyte's latest offering with a unique angle on boosting the performance of AMD's X3D CPUs, the X870E AORUS Master X3D ICE, with a retail price of $649.99 US.

The AMD AM5 Platform

The AMD AM4 platform has been the longest-running modern-day platform to date, which was first introduced in 2017 &  is very much alive and kicking in 2025. The company just recently launched new chips for the platform, and it looks like it will stick around for another year till 2025.

AMD is now launching its 2nd Generation AM5 platform under the new 800-series family. The lineup will initially target the high-end enthusiasts with the X870E and X870 chipsets. These chipsets are designed to offer better features, IO memory support, and additional OC features for Ryzen CPUs such as the Zen 5-based Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" family and future Ryzen launches.

Certain aspects that have been upgraded on the AMD X870E & X870 motherboards include:

• USB 4.0 standard on all X870/X870E motherboards
• PCIe Gen5 on Graphics & NVME on all X870/X870E motherboards
• Higher EXPO memory clock support on X870/X870E motherboards

AMD did disclose that there would be new PBO and CO algorithms introduced with Ryzen 9000 CPUs, and these new motherboards will fully support them out of the box. In addition to the X870E and X870 motherboards, the company also plans to introduce its B850 & B840 chipsets, which will serve the mainstream segment. The following is what the chipset lineup will look like:

• X870E (Promontory 21 x2)
• X870 (Promontory 21 x1)
• B650 (Promonotory 21 x1)
• B840 (Promontory 19 x1)

So in terms of what each chipset offers, the X870E series will use two Promontory 21 dies on the motherboards with support for USB4 & both Gen5 GPU/SSD support. X870 (Non-E) will feature just 1 of the dies but retain the same support in terms of I/O. Just the lanes will be fewer.

AMD Chipset Features and Specifications:

Wccftech	X870E	X870	X670E/X670	B650E/B650	A620
CrossfireX/SLI	2-Way CFX	2-Way CFX	2-Way CFX	2-Way CFX	N/A
CPU Lanes (Usable)	24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above)	24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above)	24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above)	24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above) 24 Gen 4 for B650	24 Gen 4 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above)
PCH Lanes (Usable)	8 Gen4 12 Gen3	4 Gen4 8 Gen3	12 Gen4 8 Gen3	8 Gen4 4 Gen3	8 Gen 3
USB4	Standard	Standard	Optional	Optional	Optional
USB 3.1/3.2 Gen2	2	1	2	1	0
USB 3.1/3.2 Gen1	12	6	12	6	2
USB 2.0	8	8	8	6	6
SATA 6Gb/s	8	8	8	4	4
DDR5 DIMMs	4	4	4	4	4
DDR4 DIMMs	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Overclocking Support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A
XFR2 Enhanced	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A
Precision Boost Overdrive	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A
NVMe	Yes (Gen 5.0)	Yes (Gen 5.0)	Yes (Gen 5.0)	Yes (Gen 5.0)	N/A
Form Factor	ATX/ITX	ATX/mATX/ITX	ATX/mATX/ITX	ATX/mATX/ITX	mATX/ITX

The motherboards will feature support for DDR5-5600 MT/s memory speeds natively and over 8000 MT/s transfer rates on some of the high-end motherboards that we will be getting by the July timeframe.

The AMD B850 motherboards will feature the same Promontory 21 die, minus the native USB4 support. They will carry Gen5 GPU support, but Gen5 M.2 support will be optional. The B840 will be the entry-level option within the series, with the older Promontory 19 die, which means you will get just Gen4 GPU/SSD support, no CPU overclocking, and only memory overclock support. The B840 motherboards are going to be very affordable in terms of pricing, so that will be competitive against sub-$200 US options from Intel.

AMD will also have the A620/A620A series continuing its role to serve the entry-level segment. There are plans to offer even more price adjustments, making them a viable option for ODMs and system builders to attract more customers.

AMD AM5 Chipset Comparisons:

Chipset Name	PCIe Lanes Gen (PCH)	USB Support (Max)	Overclocking Support	Graphics Configs
X870E	Gen5 (GPU & NVMe)	USB4	CPU+Memory	1x16, 2x8
X670E	Gen5 (GPU & NVMe)	USB 3.2 (20 Gbps) USB4 (Optional)	CPU+Memory	1x16, 2x8
X870	Gen5 (GPU & NVMe)	USB4	CPU+Memory	1x16, 2x8
X670	Gen5 (NVMe) Gen4 (GPU)	USB 3.2 (20 Gbps) USB4 (Optional)	CPU+Memory	1x16, 2x8
B850	Gen5 (NVMe / GPU Opt) Gen4 (GPU)	USB 3.2 (20 Gbps)	CPU+Memory	1x16, 2x8
B650E	Gen5 (NVMe / GPU)	USB 3.2 (20 Gbps) USB4 (Optional)	CPU+Memory	1x16, 2x8
B650	Gen5 (NVMe) Gen4 (GPU)	USB 3.2 (20 Gbps) USB4 (Optional)	CPU+Memory	1x16, 2x8
B840	Gen3 (NVMe / GPU)	USB 3.2 (10 Gbps)	Memory Only	1x16
A620	Gen4 (NVMe / GPU)	USB3.2 (10 Gbps) USB4 (Optional)	Memory Only	1x16

Meet The LGA 1718 Socket - How Long Will This One Last?

As mentioned earlier, AM4's reign is finally over, and the AM5 socket is here now. The new socket moves from a PGA (Pin-Grid-Array) design to an LGA (Land-Grid-Array) layout. The new LGA 1718 socket offers more pin connections to the CPU, allowing for more communication channels with the board itself and enabling support for enhanced features that the new platform has to offer.

As for longevity, AMD has committed to a 2027+ plan for its latest AM5 socket. The AM4 platform is a testament to AMD's support for its consumers, and while the newer 500-series lineup was locked out initially, the company and its partners worked towards extending support for older processors on the newer chipsets and newer CPUs on older motherboards. The AM4 platform continues to be the best seller in the Ryzen lineup, but that would change with the introduction of more budget and feature-rich designs for the AM5 socket, like the 800-series.

Cooler Compatibility With AM5 Socket

The AMD Ryzen 7000/8000/9000 Desktop CPUs will feature a perfect square shape (45x45mm), but will house a very chunky integrated heat spreader or IHS. The CPUs will be the same length, width, and height as the existing Ryzen Desktop CPUs and are sealed across the sides, so applying thermal paste won't fill the interior of the IHS with TIM. That's also why current coolers will be fully compatible with the latest Ryzen CPUs.

The Gigabyte X870E AORUS Master X3D ICE motherboard comes in a standard cardboard package. The front features the large AORUS Eagle logo in a white and silver theme. The motherboard is designed with full support for AMD's AM5 CPUs, such as the Ryzen 9000 series.

The backside of the motherboard is very simple, listing down the specifications and some unique features such as X3D Turbo Mode 2, PCIe EZ-Latch Duo, a 22 Phase VRM design, front QC-USB 65W ports, 10 GbE plus 5 GbE LAN ports, M.2 EZ-Flex slots, a BIOS with integrated drivers, WIFI7 support, and a DIY-Friendly design.

Underneath the anti-static wrapped motherboard is another container that houses the accessories. These include:

• 1 x Installation Guide
• 1 x Manual Book
• 2 x SATA Data Cables
• 1 x EZ-Latch WIFI Antenna
• 1 x DDR5 Fan Bracket (including fan)
• 1 x G-Connector
• 1 x 3-Fan header
• 1 x AORUS Case Badge
• 2 x Thermistor Cable

With all the accessories done, it's time to put that box aside and take the motherboard out of its package.

The Gigabyte X870E AORUS Master X3D ICE motherboard is an ATX offering that measures 244 x 305 mm. That's quite surprising given just how much the Master X3D packs. Being an "ICE" product, AORUS has gone with an all-white color scheme with some purple and blue hints. To be honest, this is the best that the Master has looked.

The X870E AORUS Master X3D ICE is part of the new "X3D" refresh from Gigabyte. These motherboards are designed with AMD's Ryzen 9000X3D and future 3D V-Cache CPUs in mind. Features such as a BCLK generator and a lot more AI tuning software are integrated and designed around this motherboard, so it's a feature-loaded option for enthusiasts who are building high-end AM5 PCs.

The board uses the LGA 1718 socket to support AMD Ryzen "AM5" processors. The socket works with Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000G, and Ryzen 9000 CPUs and will also support future generations of AM5 Ryzen chips that are supported by the platform.

Next to the socket are four DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 256 GB of dual-channel (24/48/64 GB modules) memory.

These slots are rated to support XMP/EXPO profiles up to 9000 MT/s (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position, so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage. Each slot is also combined with a reinforced design to ensure signal integrity remains good while keeping the slots durable for long-term usage. The UD Slot D5 can withstand over 5000 DRAM insertion/removal cycles. The full QVL list can be found here.

The Gigabyte X870E AORUS Master X3D ICE motherboard features an 18+2+2 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX)  phase VRM power delivery that utilizes 110A phases for the VCore and SOC, while the rest are 90A for two MISC phases.

The VRMs and power delivery solution are scattered around the AM5 socket. The motherboard itself uses a new 8-layer "Back Drill" process technology, which reduces signal reflections, improves timing accuracy & also enhances system performance. There's also a nice white-colored backplate with an AORUS Eagle mascot. This isn't just for show off, it has actual heatpads underneath it and is a large aluminum heat dissipating plate.

The overall design and aesthetics of the upgraded X3D Master are superb and reflect its enthusiast nature.

The VRMs receive ample cooling from a large aluminum heatsink solution, which covers the VRMs. The IO plate comes with a large Lightning panel, which features an RGB-lit AORUS logo. It first seemed to me that this was an LCD, but it looks like that is reserved for the AORUS Xtreme X3D, which should be launching soon.

The CPU is supplied power through an 8+8-pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 600 Watts of power. The AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs are very power-hungry, with the maximum target power going above 220W for the flagship Ryzen 9 9950X CPU.

Coming to the cooling solution, we first have the updated Thermal Armor with Direct-Touch Heatpipe. AORUS is known to be the first one to implement finned-aluminum heatsinks with direct touch heat-pipes on its motherboards, and that continues.

For the X3D AORUS Master, Gigabyte has implemented a large 6mm heat pipe that runs through both heatsinks. Underneath the VRM heatsink are 12W/mK Thermal pads, which transfer heat from the VRMs to the heatsink. Gigabyte claims that this updated cooling design offers up to 8 °C cooler VRM temps than the prior Master model.

Expansion slots include three PCI Express x16 (1 x Gen 5.0 x16, 1x Gen 5.0 x8, 1 x Gen 4.0 x4) slots.

CPU:

• 1 x PCI Express x16 slot (PCIEX16), integrated in the CPU:
  -AMD Ryzen 9000/7000 Series Processors support PCIe 5.0 x16 mode
  -AMD Ryzen 8000 Series-Phoenix 1 Processors support PCIe 4.0 x8 mode
  -AMD Ryzen 8000 Series-Phoenix 2 Processors support PCIe 4.0 x4 mode
  (The PCIEX8 slot shares bandwidth with the PCIEX16 slot. When the PCIEX8 slot is populated, the PCIEX16 slot operates at up to x8 mode.
  -The PCIEX16 slot can only support a graphics card or an NVMe SSD. If only one graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIEX16 slot.)

• 1 x PCI Express x16 slot (PCIEX8), integrated in the CPU:
  -AMD Ryzen™ 9000/7000 Series Processors support PCIe 5.0 x8 mode
  (The PCIEX8 slot becomes unavailable when an AMD Ryzen 8000 Series-Phoenix 1/ Phoenix 2 processor is used.)

Chipset:

• 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, supporting PCIe 4.0 and running at x4 (PCIEX4)
  (The PCIEX4 slot shares bandwidth with the M2D_SB connector. The PCIEX4 slot becomes unavailable when a device is installed in the M2D_SB connector.)

The PCIe slots utilize Gigabyte's Ultra Durable design in the form of PCIe UD Slot X, which has 10x load-bearing capacity, an inner lining rubber strip, and is made out of Zinc Alloy. This prevents damage to the PCB and the GPU while retaining an effective EMI shield. The top two PCIe Gen5 slots also have two PCIe EZ-Latch mechanisms, which make removal of graphics cards and other AICs easier. There are two EZ-Latch buttons on the motherboard, which are easy to access.

The Gen5 slots are also ideally positioned to support two 4-slot graphics cards, making this board a good option for those who want to run multiple GPUs for AI-oriented tasks.

There are a total of five M.2 slots on the motherboard, two of which are rated at Gen5 while the others are rated at Gen4 specs.

The top-most Gen5 slot is featured under a dedicated M.2 Thermal Guard Ext. Heatsink. The best part about the M.2 slots is that the heatsinks and the coverplate can be easily removed using the EZ-Latch implementation. All slots also feature an EZ-Flex design, which has a pressure plate at the bottom that applies proper pressure on the M.2 storage device. This further cools the SSDs on the X3D ICE boards & you are also getting dual-sided thermal pads across all five slots. The motherboard also offers two SATA III ports for those who want to go the traditional HDD route.

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Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the Gigabyte X870E AORUS Master X3D ICE motherboard:

CPU:

• 1 x M.2 connector (M2A_CPU), integrated in the CPU, supporting Socket 3, M key, type 2580/2280 SSDs
• 1 x M.2 connector (M2B_CPU), integrated in the CPU, supporting Socket 3, M key, type 2280 SSDs

Chipset:

• 2 x M.2 connectors (M2C_SB, M2D_SB), integrated in the Chipset, supporting Socket 3, M key, type 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSDs
• 1 x M.2 connector (M2E_SB), integrated in the Chipset, supporting Socket 3, M key, type 2280 PCIe 4.0 x2 SSDs

The dual X870E PCHs are housed beneath a large heatsink with a stylish acrylic accent plate that features a reflective surface and has a large AORUS Eagle logo.

The motherboard comes with several RGB accent zones, with one implemented on the IO plate, one underneath the PCH heatsink, and there are also several ARGB/RGB headers across the motherboard.

There are a lot of buttons and internal IO connectors on the motherboard. You are getting 2 USB4 Type-C ports, 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A port, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C port, 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port, and 6 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports on the rear IO. The internal side includes 4 USB 3.2 Gen1, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (with 65W PD & QC 4+ fast charging), and 4 USB 2.0/1.1 ports.

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AORUS uses a 5.1 CH HD audio design with the Realtek ALC1220CODEC and an ESS ES9118 DAC. The full list of connectors on the motherboard includes:

• 1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector
• 2 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connectors
• 1 x PCIe power connector
• 1 x CPU fan header
• 1 x CPU fan/water cooling pump header
• 4 x system fan headers
• 1 x system fan extension cable header (can extend three system fan headers through one cable)
• 1 x system fan/water cooling pump header
• 4 x addressable RGB Gen2 LED strip headers
• 1 x RGB LED strip header
• 5 x M.2 Socket 3 connectors
• 2 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
• 1 x front panel header
• 1 x front panel audio header
• 1 x speaker header
• 1 x USB Type-C header, with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support
• 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 headers
• 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
• 1 x noise detection header
• 1 x Trusted Platform Module header (For the GC-TPM2.0 SPI V2 module only)
• 1 x HDMI port (Note)
• 1 x chassis intrusion header
• 1 x reset jumper
• 1 x Clear CMOS jumper
• 2 x temperature sensor headers

Gigabyte is using the latest WIFI 7 Module (Mediatek MT7927/RZ738) to power wireless connectivity with a 320 MHz channel bandwidth and Bluetooth 5.4. In terms of Ethernet, there are two LAN ports, a 5GbE & a 10 GbE.

The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:

• 1 x Q-Flash Plus button
• 1 x Clear CMOS button
• 1 x reset button
• 1 x power button
• 1 x HDMI port (Note)
• 2 x USB4 USB Type-C ports (DisplayPorts (Note))
• 1 x USB Type-C port, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support
• 1 x USB Type-C port, with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support
• 7 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red)
• 2 x RJ-45 ports
• 2 x antenna connectors (2T2R)
• 2 x audio jacks
• 1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector

For testing, I used the Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU, which was sent to us by AMD, on a range of X870E and X870 motherboards.

AMD 800-series "AM5" Motherboard Test Platform:

Processors	AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
Motherboard	MSI MPG X870E Carbon MAX WIFI (7E49v2A10) Gigabyte X870E AERO X3D Wood (13F7) MSI MEG X870E ACE MAX (7E85v1A20) ASRock X870E Taichi OCF (v1.03) MSI MAG X870E Tomahawk MAX WIFI (7E84v1A10) Gigabyte X870E AORUS Master X3D ICE (F4) ASRock X870 Taichi Creator (3.40) ASRock PG X870 Nova WIFI (3.30) ASRock X870 Livemixer WIFI (3.31) Colorful CVN X870 ARK Frozen V14 (BIOS 1011) MSI MAG X870E Tomahawk WIFI (7E51v1A24) MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WIFI (7E59v2A3) MSI MPG X870E EDGE TI WIFI (7E59v1A2) MSI MPG X870E Carbon WIFI (7E49v1A12 AGESA 1.2.0.2) ASRock X870E Taichi (3.08 AGESA 1.2.0.2) ASRock X870E Taichi LITE (3.08 AGESA 1.2.0.2) ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi (3.08 AGESA 1.2.0.2) AORUS X870 ELITE WIFI7 ICE (F3B AGESA 1.2.0.2)
Power Supply	FSP Hydro G 1200W PSU
Solid State Drive	Crucial T700 2 TB Gen5 SSD
Memory	T-Force Delta RGB DDR5-7200 (CL34 2 x 16 GB)
Video Cards	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition
Cooling Solutions	Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420mm AIO
OS	Windows 11 64-bit

Our test rig includes the Crucial T700 2 TB Gen5 SSD that boots up our main OS. In addition to these, we are running an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition graphics card and an FSP Hydro G 1200W PSU. For this specific review, we used the T-Force  Delta RGB DDR5-7200 memory kit running at CL34 timings.

3DMark CPU Profile Benchmark

Instead of producing a single number, the 3DMark CPU Profile shows you how your CPU's performance changes and scales with the number of cores and threads used. The 3DMark CPU Profile has six tests that help you benchmark and compare CPU performance for gaming and other activities.

Blender

Blender is a free and open-source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, and even video editing and game creation.

Cinebench 2024

Cinebench 2024 utilizes the power of Redshift, Cinema 4D's default rendering engine, to evaluate your computer's CPU and GPU capabilities. Cinebench 2024 is designed to accommodate a broad range of hardware configurations, while it seamlessly supports x86/64 architecture (Intel/AMD) on Windows and macOS.

Cinebench R23

Cinebench is a real-world cross-platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s hardware capabilities. Improvements to Cinebench Release 20 reflect the overall advancements to CPU and rendering technology in recent years, providing a more accurate measurement of Cinema 4D’s ability to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and modern processor features available to the average user.

CPU-Z

CPUz is a freeware that gathers information on some of the main devices of your system, such as the Processor name and number, codename, process, package, cache levels, Mainboard, chipset, Memory type, size, timings, and module specifications (SPD), and Real-time measurement of each core's internal frequency, memory frequency.

Geekbench 6

Geekbench 6 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures your system's performance with the press of a button.

HandBrake

HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.

PCMark 10

PCMark 10 is a complete PC benchmarking solution for Windows 10. It includes several tests that combine individual workloads covering storage, computation, image and video manipulation, web browsing, and gaming. Specifically designed for the full range of PC hardware from netbooks and tablets to notebooks and desktops, PCMark 10 offers complete Windows PC performance testing for home and business use.

POV-Ray

The POV-Ray package includes detailed instructions on using the ray tracer and creating scenes. Many stunning scenes are included with POV-Ray, so you can start creating images immediately when you get the package.

SuperPI

Super PI is used by many overclockers to test the performance and stability of their computers. In the overclocking community, the standard program provides a benchmark for enthusiasts to compare “world record” pi calculation times and demonstrate their overclocking abilities. The program can also be used to test the stability of a certain overclock speed.

WinRAR

WinRAR is a powerful archive manager. It can back up your data and reduce the size of email attachments, decompress RAR, ZIP, and other files downloaded from the Internet, and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file formats.

V-Ray Render Benchmark

V-Ray  Benchmark is a free, standalone application to test how fast your system renders. Three custom-built test scenes are also included to put each V-Ray 6 render engine through its paces.

App Performance With X3D Turbo Mode 2

Now we want to see just how much of a performance impact the new X3D Turbo Mode 2 makes in apps. The thing is, with other solutions that are designed to boost the performance of X3D CPUs, the algorithm usually disables or optimizes performance around a single CCD. The algorithm determines whether the non-3D V-Cache CCD or the 3D V-Cache CPU is the best for the app. In Gigabyte's case, the X3D Turbo Mode 2.0 tech utilizes both CCDs, enabling much faster performance.

Battlefield V

Battlefield V brings back the action of the World War 2 shooter genre. Using the latest Frostbite tech, the game does a good job of looking gorgeous in all ways possible. From the open-world environments to the intense and gun-blazing action, this multiplayer and single-player FPS title is one of the best-looking Battlefield titles to date. The game was tested at max settings at 1440p.

DOOM Eternal

DOOM Eternal brings hell to Earth with the Vulkan-powered idTech 7.  We test this game using the Ultra Nightmare Preset and follow our in-game benchmarking to stay as consistent as possible.

GTA V

GTA V is one handsomely optimized title for the PC audience. It's scalable across various PC configurations and delivers an impressive frame rate. Rockstar did an amazing job with the PC build of GTA V, and it comes with a large array of settings that can be configured by PC gamers. We tested the title at 1440P with everything set to Ultra and 4x MSAA.

Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus continues the journey of Artyom through the nuclear wasteland of Russia and its surroundings. This time, you are set over the Metro, going through various regions and different environments. The game is one of the premier titles to feature NVIDIA’s RTX technology and does well in showcasing the ray-tracing effects in all corners. The game was tested at Ultra settings with RTX settings turned off at 1440p.

Shadow of The Tomb Raider

Sequel to The Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is visually enhanced with an updated Foundation Engine that delivers realistic facial animations and the most gorgeous environments ever seen in a Tomb Raider Game. The game is a technical marvel and shows the power of its graphics engine in the latest title.

Game Performance With X3D Turbo Mode 2

The AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs come in the same two or three chiplet configurations as the Ryzen 7000 series, with one or two of which are the aforementioned AMD Zen 4 CCDs fabricated on the 4nm process node. Then we have the larger die around the center, the IOD, based on a 6nm process node. The AMD Ryzen 9000 CCD measures a die size of 70.6mm2 and features a total of 8.6 billion transistors per CCD. The IOD has a die size of 122m2 and features 3.4 billion transistors.

Scattered around the package are several SMDs (capacitors/resistors) that usually sit under the package substrate if we consider Intel's CPUs. AMD is instead featuring them on the top layer, and as such, they had to design a new kind of IHS, which is internally referred to as the Octopus.

AMD's Ryzen 9000 Desktop CPUs utilize a brand new Zen 5 core architecture that is built on the 4nm process node; as such, these chips are designed to be extremely efficient. The chips feature gold-plated IHS for efficient thermal transfer.

Gigabyte's refreshed X3D motherboard lineup has one feature that's the talk of the town, and that's X3D Turbo Mode 2. This is an enhanced version of the original X3D Turbo Mode, which the company launched with its previous AM5 offerings. This time, the solution is not only better, but Gigabyte has made it much more useful through BIOS and software-side revamps. In our tests, the CPU sees an average 10% uplift in app and around 10-20% improvement in games using the Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU. That's a strong uplift & you get to see improvements on both fronts, which is great. Furthermore, the 110A 20 Phase VRM with 18 phases from the CPU is solid enough, and DDR5-9000 memory support is top-tier.

The overall design of the motherboard has a lot of work and effort put into it. Gigabyte has been a pioneer in the motherboard heatsink department for a good time now, from its early days, where the company was the first to implement a finned-heatsink solution on its motherboards. The new design cools the motherboard superbly, offering some of the lowest temps that we have seen on X870E series boards. The M.2 slots also utilize new cooling solutions, which should keep your Gen5 and Gen4 drives running cool and stable.

Five M.2 slots and three PCIe slots, of which two (each) are Gen5, are great. The EZ-Latch design on the PCIe slots and M.2 slots is DIY Friendly. There are plenty of onboard buttons and switches for tuning & there's also a DEBUG LED.

Things I liked about the Gigabyte X870E AORUS Master X3D ICE motherboard:

• X3D Turbo Mode 2 delivers boosted gaming and app performance
• Tuned BIOS with new features and tons of tuning options
• X3D ICE goes for a white design, looks awesome
• Solid 18+2+2 VRM with 110A power stages
• 256 GB DDR5 support & up To 9000 MT/s Speeds
• 64 MB BIOS (Ready For Current / Next-Gen Ryzen CPUs) & includes WIFI drivers
• Five M.2 slots with Thermal Guard M.2 heatsinks
• Dual Gen5 M.2 Slots
• Dual Gen 5 x16 Slots
• EZ-Latch Mechanism on M.2 Gen5 & dual x16 slots
• 22 USB ports, including two USB4 Type-C
• 10 GbE LAN + 5 GbE LAN + WIFI 7 + BT 5.4 for connectivity
• 65W PD 3.0 support
• EZ WiFi Plug
• Lots of Fan headers, ARGB+RGB headers

Things to be concerned about:

• High Price

WIFI7+BT5.4, along with dual LAN ports including 5GbE and 10GbE, enables strong connectivity and wireless technologies, while the full list of USB (22 in total) options includes:

CPU+ASMedia USB4 controller:
- 2 x USB4 USB Type-C ports on the back panel
CPU:
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port (red) on the back panel
Chipset+USB 3.2 Gen 1 Hub:
- 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports available through the internal USB headers
Chipset:
- 1 x USB Type-C port on the back panel, with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support
- 1 x USB Type-C port on the back panel, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support
- 1 x USB Type-C port with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support, available through the internal USB header (Supports up to 65W PD 3.0/QC 4+ fast charging)
- 6 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red) on the back panel
- 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports available through the internal USB headers

The motherboard supports built-in RGB lighting and external RGB support through 4 ARGB & 1 RGB headers (all controllable through the RGB Fusion software). The motherboard itself has a nice display of RGB LEDs. WIFI 7, ALC 4082 7.1 channel audio, and tons of USB ports.

The 64 MB BIOS also ensures that users not only have enough firmware flash storage for future AGESA BIOS updates, but it also comes packed with built-in drivers for WIFI, which means that you don't have to worry about installing WIFI drivers to get internet working when building a new PC. Audio with internal DAC is also a major plus.

The Gigabyte X870E AORUS Master X3D ICE is a premium product, designed for enthusiasts, and the new X3D Turbo Mode 2 technology works amazingly, boosting the performance of AMD's already powerful X3D CPUs to the next level. With plenty of IO options, a stunning design, and a powerful component layout, the X3D AORUS Master ICE is our top choice of an AM5 motherboard that has it all and takes it one notch higher with advanced BIOS and tuning features.

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