Gigabyte Cuts Price of White Micro ATX Intel Board to $209

Gigabyte has set the price for its Z890M Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice motherboard at $209.

The board is currently listed on Amazon and is designed for Intel Core Ultra 200S Plus processors. It uses the Micro ATX form factor, which allows it to fit into smaller cases than the standard ATX version. The pricing places it in the mid-range segment of the Intel 800 series chipset market. It carries over most features from the full-size ATX model while reducing the physical footprint.

The hardware specifications focus on power delivery and cooling. The board utilizes a 15-phase power design, with 12 phases dedicated to the Vcore. These phases are fed by dual 8-pin EPS connectors and use 60A DrMOS parts, creating a total capacity of 720A. This setup supports the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, and Core Ultra 9 285K. Reviewers note that while the power delivery is sufficient for these chips, heavy overclocking on the higher-end models requires good case airflow.

Thermal management is a defining feature of this specific model. Many competitors in the same price range leave the lower half of the board without heatsinks. The Z890M Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice covers the entire board in heatsinks. It also includes a large heatsink for the primary M.2 socket. Two RGB lighting zones are located near the voltage regulator modules and under the chipset heatsink. The board provides six 4-pin fan headers, each capable of delivering up to 2A or 24W.

Storage and connectivity options are standard for the tier. The board offers three M.2 sockets and four SATA ports. The primary M.2 socket connects directly to the CPU at PCIe 5.0 x4 speeds. The other two connect through the chipset at PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds. One of these chipset-fed slots accepts modules up to 110mm in length. RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 are supported for NVMe drives. Networking includes 2.5 GbE wired connectivity and Wi-Fi 7. The wireless chip is limited to 160 MHz channels. Audio is handled by a Realtek ALC897 codec.

The rear input and output panel provides nine USB ports. This includes four USB 2.0 ports, four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port. A single USB4 Type-C port provides 40 Gbps connectivity and DisplayPort output. A separate DisplayPort 2.1 output is also present. A front-panel HDMI output is available for secondary displays. The lack of multiple Type-C ports on the rear is noted as a limitation compared to high-end boards.

Memory support is listed up to DDR5-9200 with overclocking. In practical testing, a kit rated for DDR5-8800 did not function properly with the board. A DDR5-8200 kit ran without issues. The reviewer suggests users stick to the qualified vendor list for the best results. The board supports AI Perfdrive, a feature that offers customizable BIOS presets for one-click CPU performance adjustments.

Performance testing showed average results overall. The board performed well in 3DMark benchmarks and real-world gaming scenarios. It placed slightly below average in other tests. The package includes two white SATA cables, a rubber pad, an extra M.2 thermal pad, an EZ connector for the front panel, and an installation guide. Tool-free installation features such as EZ-Latch and EZ-Click M.2 mounting are included.

The design appeals to builders planning a white-themed system. The reviewer identified the appearance as the board's strongest quality. It stands out among Micro ATX options due to its full heatsink coverage and clean aesthetic. The $209 price point makes it accessible for consumers who want premium features in a compact form factor without paying the premium for ATX boards.