Gigabyte's $209 White Board: Full-Size Features in a Compact Case
The Z890M Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice brings PCIe 5.0 and Wi-Fi 7 to a Micro ATX package, prioritizing aesthetics and thermal coverage over premium audio.
By John Wilson ·
Gigabyte has priced the Z890M Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice at $209 on Amazon, positioning it as a compact solution for Intel Core Ultra 200S Plus builds. The Micro ATX board aims to deliver the core functionality of its full-size ATX sibling in a smaller footprint, with a design that prioritizes a clean, white aesthetic for themed systems.
The board includes three M.2 slots and four SATA ports for storage. Networking is handled by 2.5 GbE Ethernet and Wi-Fi 7, though the wireless chip is limited to 160 MHz channels. Audio relies on a Realtek ALC897 codec, which reviewers noted is sufficient for general use but lacks the fidelity required for professional music production or audiophile setups.
Thermal management stands out in this price range. Gigabyte included full heatsink coverage across the board, including a large shield on the primary M.2 slot. Two RGB zones near the VRMs and chipset provide lighting, while six 4-pin fan headers offer 24W of power each. The primary M.2 slot runs at PCIe 5.0 x4 speeds, while the other two operate at PCIe 4.0 x4. RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 are supported for NVMe drives.
Power delivery consists of 15 phases, with 12 dedicated to the CPU core. The board uses 60A DrMOS parts for a total of 720A, which is adequate for chips like the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Core Ultra 9 285K. Reviewers advised caution when overclocking the top-tier models and recommended good case airflow. Memory support extends to DDR5-9200 in overclocking, though testing showed stability issues with DDR5-8800 kits, while DDR5-8200 modules ran without error.
Rear I/O includes nine USB ports: four USB 2.0, four USB 3.2 Gen 1, and one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A. A single USB4 Type-C port offers 40 Gbps speeds and DisplayPort output, accompanied by a DisplayPort 2.1 connector. The board features two PCIe slots, with the primary slot running at PCIe 5.0 x16. Reviewers noted that a large graphics card may block the secondary PCIe 4.0 x4 slot.
In performance testing, the board delivered average results, performing well in 3DMark and gaming benchmarks. It includes AI Perfdrive for one-click CPU tuning. The package contains two white SATA cables, a rubber pad, an extra M.2 thermal pad, an EZ front panel connector, and an installation guide. Tool-free mounting features for M.2 drives and the front panel were cited as practical strengths for builders.
Source: Tom's Hardware
