Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 Motherboard - Features
Gigabyte sent me their top of the line AORUS motherboard, the Z370 AORUS Gaming 7. This high end motherboard carries a top end design that boasts literally every feature that gamers demand. You can find quad way SLI/CFX GPU support, faster 4133+ MHz DRAM support, high-end audio driver, Killer E2500 LAN, tons of RGB and a solid power supply design scheme that can take true advantage of overclocking capabilities that Coffee Lake unlocked CPUs have to offer. The motherboard being aimed at the high-end also comes at a high price of $249.99 US. ($219.99 for the next 2 days).
ASMedia 3142 USB 3.1 Gen 2 with USB Type-C and Type-A
Front USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C Header
Multi-Way Graphics Support with Dual Armor and Ultra Durable Design
121dB SNR AMP-UP Audio with ALC1220 & High-End ESS SABRE 9018 DAC with WIMA audio capacitors
Sound BlasterX 720, the top-of-the-line audio engine solution for 4K gaming and entertainment
Killer E2500 Gaming Network + Intel Gigabit LAN
RGB FUSION with Multi-Zone Digital LED Light Show design, support digital LED & RGB LED strips
Swappable Overlay for Accent LED
Smart Fan 5 features Multiple Temperature Sensors and Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP
Triple Ultra-Fast M.2 with PCIe Gen3 x4 interface and Thermal Guard
USB DAC-UP 2 with Adjustable Voltage
Precise Digital USB Fuse Design for Stronger Protection
Anti-Sulfur Resistors Design
Ultra Durable 25KV ESD and 15KV Surge LAN Protection
Lightning-Fast Intel Thunderbolt 3 AIC Support
APP Center Including EasyTune and Cloud Station Utilities
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 Motherboard Gallery:
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Server-Class Digital Power Design
AORUS Z370 series motherboards use an all digital CPU power design which includes both digital PWM Controllers and Smart Power Stage controllers. Intersil is the world leading provider for high performance power IC solutions, capable of providing up to 60A of power. These 100% digital controllers offer incredible precision in delivering power to the motherboard's most power-hungry and energy-sensitive components, allowing enthusiasts to get the absolute maximum performance from their new 8 Gen Intel Core Processors.
Built-in Advanced Performance Tuning IC
Turbo B-Clock Tuning IC in the AORUS Z370 series motherboards enables overclockers to have the ability to change their BCLK frequency to a desired value of their choice. With the new linear range adjustment option of the Tuning IC, ranges from 90MHz to 500MHz are now possible, so that overclockers are not limited to the 5% ranges of traditional straps.
*Turbo B-Clock overclocking range may vary according to CPU, chipset and used devices capabilities.
SUPERCHARGED PERFORMANCE On AORUS Z370 GAMING Motherboard
The AORUS Z370 enthusiast motherboards are faster and more powerful than any other motherboards the world has seen. With aggressively redesigned armor and thermal heatsinks, its performance capabilities and durability are second to none. Performance is no stranger to AORUS, with exotic cooling and an ability to be tuned to peak performance, AORUS motherboards will exceed expectations.
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RGB Fusion with Digital LEDs
With AORUS Z370 Motherboards, RGB Fusion is even better with Digital LEDs.* RGB Fusion offers users the option to control onboard RGB and external RGBW/ Digital LED light strips for their PC. Already feature filled with colors and patterns, RGB Fusion on Z370 Series AORUS Motherboards are now upgraded with Digital LED support. With external digital LED strips*, where each LED is digitally addressable, users can experience even more patterns, styles, and illuminations.
AORUS Gaming Motherboards will support either 5v or 12v digital LED lighting strips and up to 300 LED lights. RGB Fusion with Digital LEDs comes with 9 new patterns and various speed settings with more to come.
Multi-Zone Light Show Design
Now offering more LED customizations than ever, users can truly adapt their PC to represent their lifestyle. With full RGB support and a redesigned RGB Fusion application, the user has complete control over the LEDs which surround the motherboard.
Surround Lighting
Multi-light zones are equipped with high brightness RGB LEDs, namely the CPU, Memory, Armor, Audio, PCI-Express and Swappable Overlay for Accent LED. When it’s all set and done, your system will shine like never before.
Swappable Overlay for Accent LED
AORUS brings even more color and life to your system with an Accent LED Overlay. This overlay complements the RGB Fusion technology in AORUS Motherboards adding more flare and style to your gaming machine. With the swappable overlay users can utilize different patterns and designs to make their system their own.
Design your very own Accent LED Overlay with a 3D printer. Click here to download dimensions and 3D files for the Accent LED Overlay.
ESS SABRE DAC
AORUS AMP-UP Audio now offers ESS SABRE with a DAC that adopts the concept of a high-end audiophile sound system design into a micro system within the motherboard. It provides a pure yet powerful sound, resonating classical orchestral sounds or blasts in your virtual warzone.
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ESS SABRE reference DAC
Hypertream Dynamic Range (DNR 121dB)
High-Res music (32bit, 384kHz PCM)
Super low THD+N (THD+N -115db)
True Hi-Fidelity Music
Provides surround sound audio and enabled DSD music playback.
Audiophile Grade Capacitors
Deliver true acoustic sound.
Independent Analog Power
Drives clean analog power for audio components to ensure minimal noise.
Precision Audio Stream
Provides precise time triggers to Digital-Analog Converters High resistance to corrosion and oxidation.
Gold Plated Audio Jacks
High resistance to corrosion and oxidation.
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Smart Fan 5
With Smart Fan 5 users can ensure that their gaming PC can maintain its performance while staying cool. Smart Fan 5 allows users to interchange their fan headers to reflect different thermal sensors at different locations on the motherboard. Not only that, with Smart Fan 5 more hybrid fan headers that support both PWM and Voltage mode fans have been introduced to make the motherboard more liquid cooling friendly.
9 Temperature Sensors
8 Fan/Water Pump Connectors
All Fan Pin Headers Upgraded to Hybrid Fan Headers
Interoperable Fans and Sensors
Intuitive UI for Fan Control
Hybrid Fan Pin Headers & Temperature Sensors
Assume complete control over your liquid cooling setup! Smart Fan 5 receives up-to-the-second information on flow-rate and water-temperature through the Hybrid Fan Pin Headers or external thermistor sensors—giving you absolute mastery over your PC.
• All Hybrid Fan Headers can automatically detect the type of cooling device whether it be fan or pump with different PWM or Voltage mode.
• Includes support for one High-Current Pump up to 3 Amps with built-in overcurrent protection—a must for high-end high current fans.
Triple PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2
Extreme Performance with Gen3 x4 NVMe PCIe SSDs
AORUS' Z370 motherboards offer the industry’s best compatibility in terms of NVMe storage for users who demand high capacity and seek the best performance. AORUS' unique design which can be configured in RAID for record speeds of up to 3551 MB/s (Sequential Read), making AORUS the obvious choice for the ultimate PC.
Triple NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs in RAID 0 Support
The advanced PCI-E Steel Slots packed with solid cover that prevent any signal interference with graphics cards. It also ensures the heavy graphics cards to be well-installed in the PCI-E slots safely.
AORUS M.2 Thermal Guard
With durability in mind, GIGABYTE provides a thermal solution for M.2 drives—Thermal Guard. The M.2 Thermal Guard prevents throttling and bottlenecks from M.2 devices as it helps to reduce and dissipate heat before it becomes an issue.
PERFORMANCE FUELED BY OPTANE
The AORUS Z370 Platform is the first enthusiast platform that supports Intel’s latest Optane technology. Optane fuels storage performance by acting as a cache drive giving users a significant boost compared to traditional mechanical drives.
Killer E2500 Gaming Network + Intel Gigabit LAN
Killer E2500 is a high-performance, adaptive gigabit Ethernet controller that offers better online gaming and media performance compared to standard solutions.
Intel Gigabit LAN networking, a popular choice with gamers, delivers several performance-enhancing features such as advanced interrupt handling to help reduce CPU overhead and Jumbo Frame support for extra large data packets.
AORUSExtreme USB 3.1 Motherboards
The ASMEDIA 3142 USB 3.1 controller utilizes 2 PCIe Gen3 lanes, offering a total of up to 16 Gb/s, which means you have extra bandwidth to take full control of the 10 Gb/s USB 3.1 ports. With twice the bandwidth compared to its previous generation, and backwards compatibility with USB 2.0 and 3.0, the much improved USB 3.1 protocol is available over the new reversible USB Type-C and the traditional USB Type-A connector for better compatibility over a wider range of devices.
USB Type-C Front Panel Connector
Equipped with next generation connectivity onboard AORUS Z370 Gaming Motherboards already support the chassis of the future. The onboard USB Type-C header for USB 3.1 Gen2 makes access convenient when connecting a USB 3.1 Gen2 drive or charging your new mobile device.
Ultra Durable PCIe & DIMM Armor
Never worry about your heavy graphics card damaging your motherboard again. AORUS’ proprietary Ultra Durable PCIe Metal Shielding reinforces the PCIe connector to prevent slot damage due to heavy graphics cards. The DIMM and PCIe metal shield also provide extra strength for when you forget to release the lock while replacing your components, adding a foolproof option which can save your PC’s life.
The Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 is a great contender for the best Intel 8th Gen motherboard in the $250 US bracket. It features an amazing build and design quality with almost all the features that a gamer would want when building his new Coffee Lake PC.
Pros
One of the Best $250 US Z370 Motherboards
Support For Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake Family
Up To 6 Core Processor Support
Excellent Overclocking Support on Unlocked Intel CPUs
Excellent Design Scheme With Solid Heatsink Solution
Excellent Build Quality with High Quality VRM and PCB
VRMs cooled by heatpipe and fan cooling
Tons of Connectivity Options
Dual Gigabit Ethernet LAN (Intel I219-V and Killer E2500)
4133 MHz+ DDR4 Memory Support
10 Phase Power Delivery System
Sound BlasterX 720 (ALC1120/ESS Sabre 9018 DAC)
Upgradable AMPs for Better Audio Support
Triple M.2 Slots (Optane Support)
M.2 Heatsink Comes With The Board
Full RGB LED Lightning With Multiple Points (Including PCIe and DRAM)
Lots of Software Support
Cons
No Wireless Connectivity
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About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
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