Gigabyte X470 Aorus Gaming 7 WiFi Review: AM4 Grows Up — Tom’s Hardware
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Early Verdict
Gigabyte’s Aorus catches our mobo-jaded eye with its superb overclocking potential, excellent performance, and added lighting and options for a variety of builders.
Pros
- +
Regulator cooling and design
- +
Overclocking potential
- +
Excellent UEFI stability from day one
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Features & Layout
We have been anticipating the next generation of AMD’s Ryzen processors for a while now. Promises of improved IPC, better transistors, and increased performance all around have kept the buzz steady for several months. Even with Spectre and Meltdown plaguing processor architectures, 2nd Gen Ryzen has remained a potential bright spot for consumers, at a time when many other components are priced in the stratosphere.
And now that we have tested and reviewed the Ryzen 7 2700X, we can say definitively that AMD has delivered another impressive product that, at the very least, pushes right up close to Intel’s competing silicon. What we haven’t heard so much about yet are the platforms that these new chips were designed to drop into. Today, we’ll shine some light on the newest platform from AMD: the X470 chipset.
According to AMD, several thorns in the side the previous-generation 300 series chipsets are being rectified for this latest revision.The first notable feature is the tCTL (T Control) offset, which is an adjusted value of tDie (the true measure of the die temperature).
The 2700X has a +10C offset, which AMD says ensures consistent fan policies on motherboards. More importantly, power delivery specifications are improved to help satisfy requirements for processor features such as AMD’s improved Extended Frequency Range (XFR2), though many older X370 boards have already been deemed compliant with these requirements by AMD.
AMD is also increasing supported memory speeds, but only based on PCB layer count. Six layers or more will support up to DDR4-2933 speeds, while four layers support up to DDR4-2667 when using two single-rank DIMMs. This will be a critical factor for builders when debating between competing products and their intended memory configuration.
Another new feature bundled in with X470 is the StoreMI technology, which essentially enables multi-drive systems with both an SSD and a spinning hard drive the ability to “fuse” together and cache data on the SSD for improved performance. We covered this feature under its standalone product name—FuzeDrive—earlier this year.
The X470 is also backward-compatible with Ryzen 1000 series and other AM4-socket processors. Right out of the gate, if that shiny new 2700X is out of stock, builders can still plug in their previous-generation chip and be ready to game with minimal downtime. Conversely, users who own a 300-series motherboard can also install one of the new 2nd Gen Ryzen chips. Try doing anything like that with recent Intel-based hardware and you’ll be in for some serious disappointment.
Aorus Gets a Facelift
Gigabyte has stepped up yet again to provide us with hardware for our early testing, and today we’re looking specifically at the X470 Aorus Gaming 7 Wifi motherboard. Gigabyte’s Aorus brand has become synonymous with RGB, and this board does not disappoint on the lighting front. However, Gigabyte’s designers have taken the feedback from the media and builders to make this board even better than their 300 series predecessors. This X470 board has toned down the plastic and over-aggressive molding of boards past, in favor of a more industrial and anodized styling.
We’d call that an improvement.
The contents of the board box are on par with other Aorus offerings for both Intel and AMD chips. For cables, you get four SATA, two thermistors, an RGB extension, and LED strip adapter. The WiFi implementation utilizes a standalone single antenna that can be routed away from the motherboard, enabling more positioning options. G-Connector, a 60mm single slot SLI bridge, and M.2 standoff screws complete the mechanical connection hardware. Gigabyte bundles in an Aorus badge, sticker sheet, documentation material, and driver disc, along with a VIP card. Sorry, Gigabyte, we’re not posting that Members Only card on our Instagram feed.
On paper, X470 looks a whole lot like X370. The back panel on this board is similar to other Aorus boards and provides one Type-A and one Type-C USB 3.1 Gen2 port, coupled with six USB 3.1 Gen1 ports. Two additional USB 2.0 ports are available on the back panel for older peripherals. Owners of AMD’s recent graphics-packing Raven Ridge chips like the Ryzen 5 2500G will need to look elsewhere, as this board lacks any video output.
Two WiFi antenna ports are accessible here, as is an RJ-45 port for Gigabit Ethernet. Five analog audio jacks and a SPDIF connector hook up users to the Realtek ALC1220 codec, while pumping the signal back through the ESS SABRE digital-to-analog converter. Gigabyte tops it all off with an integrated backplate for additional structural support, as well as power and CMOS reset buttons easy access while building, upgrading, or troubleshooting.
We have been spoiled with the ample amount of PCIe slots on Threadripper boards, but X470 picks up where X370 left off on that front. The Gigabyte X470 Aorus Gaming 7 WiFi provides three PCIe x16 slots wired for 16, 8, and 4 lanes from top to bottom. The top two x16 slots support PCIe Gen3, but the bottom only complies with PCIe Gen2. Also, keep in mind that this bottom slot is disabled when using the bottom M.2 slot. For additional IO cards, two PCIe Gen2 x1 slots are located above the two Gen3 slots.
Image 1 of 2
Storage options are above average for the X470 Aorus Gaming 7 WiFi, with 6 right-angled SATA3 connectors and access to two M.
2 slots for smaller form-factor drives. The top M2A socket supports full PCIe Gen3 x4 NVMe and SATA3 drives, while the M2B slot provides PCIe Gen2 x4 and SATA3 support. Gigabyte’s marketing material touts the board’s ability to support M.2 RAID arrays, but given the PCIe disparity on this mainstream platform, we won’t be expecting RAID performance that’s possible with the X399 platform. Regardless, both M.2 slots come paired with thermal pads and heat spreaders that can really be effective at keeping storage cool when sufficient airflow is present. Maybe this is a good opportunity to get a smaller M.2 SATA SSD for use with StoreMi!
Image 1 of 5
The bottom edge hosts a plethora of headers for builders, with features such as front-panel audio, two RGB headers, trusted platform module (TPM), two USB2.0, two USB3.0, two 4-pin fans, and the usual front-panel headers. Rotating past the X470’s heatsink, a USB 3.1 Gen2 header is located just below the numeric debug LED. The four DDR4 DIMM slots support up to DDR4-3600 when overclocked, and come equipped with dual latches that give that satisfying ‘click’ when DIMMs are inserted.
DualBIOS DIP switches are accessible to the right of the DIMMs and three additional 4-pin fan headers are located below the 24-pin ATX connector. In true Aorus fashion, an LED strip lines the far right of the board for customizable accent lighting.
Image 1 of 2
The northern edge of the board allocates real estate to two additional RGB headers, the OC button, two more 4-pin fan headers, and both an 8-pin and 4-pin 12 volt ATX header. Let’s not forget about the LED header for AMD Wraith-style coolers and the last 4-pin fan header above the top PCIe x1 slot. In total, 8 hybrid fan headers are available here, which support 24-watt devices. Each fan can have programmable fan curves provided by the Smart Fan interface in the UEFI.
Image 1 of 2
The Gigabyte X470 Aorus Gaming 7 WiFi provides a plethora of different RGB options. For starters, the board itself glows with lighting from the DIMM slots, X470 chipset, PCIe Gen3 x16 slots and IO shield areas. These lights are programmable through the RGB Fusion software for lighting various patterns and zones for a top-shelf out-of-the-box lighting experience.
Does the computer need more of an aura? Users can install either 12V or 5V LED strips into the proper headers, for even more options for lighting their build.
Image 1 of 2
Now, let’s talk about what makes this board unique. First, Gigabyte outfits its voltage regulators with a direct-attach heat pipe that routes into a proper fin stack array for increased surface area for cooling. This might seem purely an aesthetic feature, but this fin stack is phenomenal when compared to other implementations such as the MSI X370 Krait Gaming boards (which used essentially solid blocks of material). We’ll dive more into this feature’s performance in the overclocking section.
Next is the integrated backplate around the back IO. We like to hold premium boards like this by the top left section, due their heft. And this backplate helps there, feeling extremely solid, with no visible flex or bending. Another interesting feature nearly escaped this reviewer’s eyes: There are voltage sense points directly above the DIMMs labeled COUPON1, 2, 3, and 4.
This is imperative for competitive overclockers when software-based sensors are not accurate, or don’t report the right voltages needed to hit that aspirational 5GHz mark.
We have very few issues with this board overall. Our primary complaints are focused around shifting components around the X or Y axis for improved ergonomics. Perhaps removing the 2nd M.2 slot in favor of additional SATA3 ports would better suit more builders, as the Gen2 M.2 is under-utilizing the interface. Otherwise, the layout and design of this board are stellar, and the inclusion of the fin stack, voltage sense points, and DualBIOS capability make the X470 Aorus Gaming 7 WiFi a great choice for overclockers.
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The GIGABYTE X470 Gaming 7 Wi-Fi Motherboard Review: The AM4 Aorus Flagship
by Gavin Bonshoron July 26, 2018 8:00 AM EST
- Posted in
- Motherboards
- AMD
- Gigabyte
- AORUS
- Ryzen
- X470
- Ryzen 2
- Gaming 7 Wi-Fi
- Gaming 7
29 Comments
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29 Comments
GIGABYTE X470 Aorus Gaming 7 Wi-Fi OverviewVisual InspectionBIOS And SoftwareBoard Features, Test Bed and SetupSystem PerformanceCPU Performance, Short FormGaming PerformanceConclusion
The GIGABYTE X470 Aorus Gaming 7 Wi-Fi is specifically aimed at gamers looking to make the most of the benefits of AMD’s newest AM4 based chipset, X470.
Like most major vendors, GIGABYTE has partitioned its gaming range under the Aorus brand, including waves of RGB enabled components and a more aggressive style than the regular line of products. The Gaming 7 hopes to push Aorus as a brand, retaining the everlasting aesthetics and stylings GIGABYTE offerings have been notable for.
Buy GIGABYTE X470 Gaming 7 on Amazon.com
Other AnandTech Ryzen Coverage
- The AMD 2nd Gen Ryzen Deep Dive: 2700X, 2700, 2600X, and 2600 Tested
- The AMD Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G APU Review: Marrying Vega and Zen
- The AMD Ryzen 3 1300X and Ryzen 3 1200 CPU Review: Zen on a Budget
- The AMD Ryzen 5 Review: All Ryzen 5 CPUs Tested
- The AMD Zen and Ryzen 7 Review: A Deep Dive on 1800X, 1700X and 1700
- $255 — MSI X370 XPower Gaming Titanium [review]
- $240 — GIGABYTE X470 Aorus Gaming 7 Wi-Fi [this review]
- $175 — GIGABYTE AX370-Gaming 5 [review]
- $160 — ASRock X370 Gaming-ITX/ac [review]
- $110 — Biostar X370GTN [review]
- $98 — MSI B350 Tomahawk [review]
- $90 — ASRock AB350 Gaming K4 [review]
The GIGABYTE X470 Aorus Gaming 7 Wi-Fi Overview
The GIGABYTE X470 Aorus Gaming 7 Wi-Fi is a premium offering aimed primarily for gamers with a wide variety of popular features such as RGB backlighting, a large power delivery heatsink, and support for DDR4-3600 right out of the box.
The biggest refinement from GIGABYTE from the X370 line-up is a souped-up power delivery heatsink which one would expect from an older generation X38 motherboard such as the ASUS Maximus Formula SE with its large copper direct heat pipe and large stack aluminum fin array. The new heatsink garnered praise during its unveiling at the GIGABYTE booth at CES 2018 the day before AMD’s Tech Day where AMD unveiled their 2018 roadmap.
The X470 Gaming 7 currently sits as GIGABYTE’s flagship AM4 motherboard and for the price, aims to offer users a premium motherboard, at a reduced cost in comparison to companies such as what ASUS and ASRock charge for their bellwether boards.
While not a budget board in any sense of the phrase ($240), the selection of controllers highly the potential upturn in cost for the X470 Gaming 7. The single RJ45 LAN port is powered by a standard Intel I211-AT GbE LAN chip, while the onboard audio features the more up-to-date Realtek ALC1220-VB audio codec; in addition to the codec is a single ESS SABRE 9018 DAC for a more defined range of audio and steps up the game on boards just featuring a single codec.
While this latest AM4 variant is dolled up with Bluetooth 5 support, the X470 Gaming 7 sports a built-in 2T2R Wi-Fi due to the integration of Intel’s new 9260NGW 802.11ac Wi-Fi module with Wave 2 compatibility for the 11ac and 160 MHz wireless signals; Wave 2 compatible devices offer MU-MIMO capability and offers up to 3x the throughput over 802.11ac Wave 1.
One of the main improvements and refinements from X370 to the new X470 chipset is memory compatibility, and the ability to run faster DDR4. This is apparent as the X470 Gaming 7 has support for DDR4 memory up to speeds of DDR4-3600, with a maximum capacity supported over the four DRAM slots of 64 GB; the X470 Gaming 7 Wi-Fi does have support for ECC memory, although only for un-buffered modules.
In regards to storage, the GIGABYTE X470 Gaming 7 Wi-Fi features a total of six SATA 6 GB/s ports which allows users to run RAID 0, 1 and 10 arrays. While the X370 predecessor to this board (GIGABYTE AX370 Gaming K7) did feature a single U.
2 port, GIGABYTE has omitted to implement one onto the X470 Gaming 7. Instead, two M.2 slots are present with both offering support for NVMe PCIe x4 and SATA SSDs with both slots featuring their own individual stylish and functional M.2 heat sinks.
The biggest win from the performance of the X470 Gaming 7 Wi-Fi came in Handbrake video conversion test where it consistently performed well and even managed to output the best result in the H.264 HQ test out of all the previous AM4 boards on test. Another positive result came in the POST time where cold booting times of under 16 seconds were attainable. On the other hand, the Gaming 7 Wi-Fi didn’t deliver the kind of performance that a premium offering should with the result in Total War: WARHAMMER coming in at over 3 frames on average lower than other products we have tested.
The GIGABYTE X470 Gaming 7 Wi-Fi does stamp its authority on the AM4 market with its old-school styled monolithic power delivery heatsink, uprated (on paper) onboard audio component selection and the inclusion of Intel’s newer 9260NGW 802.
11ac Wi-Fi Wave 2 capable module. It has everything you would expect from an RGB clad premium offering, perhaps the only neglected area being 10G Ethernet which would of most certainly topped the price up even further than the $240 asking price GIGABYTE has set. The $240 launch pricing also seems rather reasonable all things considered considering the previous flagship AM4 model from GIGABYTE still remains at $210. With audio usually being neglected, GIGABYTE is one of the few vendors who care on flagship models and it shows here with the new Gaming 7.
What’s the Script: X470 vs X370
With the launch of the new Ryzen 2 processors, it has brought about a refresh of sorts on the AM4 (code name ‘Promontory’) chipset. The socket is still the same (AM4), with AMD upholding its promise to have a long-lasting socket family. The chipset relative connections such as the six SATA 6 Gbps ports and USB 3.1 Gen 2 are still present from the previous generation X370 chipset. One of the primary benefits to these new motherboards is that they are not just backwards, but also forwards compatible.
This means that both the first and second generation Ryzen processors will work, providing the relevant and latest firmware is installed onto the 1st generation AM4 motherboards including A320, B350 & X370.
One of the most notable improvements from X470 over X370 comes through the optimization for faster memory. Whereas B350/X370 had a number of memory compatibility problems at launch, which were mostly fixed by a wave of firmware updates, official support was still capped out at DDR4-3200. An improvement has been made this time around with the Zen microarchitecture moving to a new 12nm manufacturing process, but for more, you can check out our Ryzen 2000-series review. Even with the GIGABYTE X470 Gaming 7 Wi-Fi, memory with speeds of up to DDR4-3600 is supported out of the box with Ryzen’s 2nd generation processors which do show that AMD has learned from their previous mistakes at launch in working with manufacturers to allay launch issues surrounding memory compatibility.
The other major enrichment on the X470 platform isn’t exactly new, but the new X470 chipset has support for the new StoreMI software which is essentially a rebrand of the Enmotus Fuzedrive storage acceleration software.
Potential uses for this would be to boost already in use mechanical storage through caching, or taking all aspects of storage and memory such as an SSD (NVMe or SATA) and DRAM, and combining them all together into one location. The benefit of this is quicker access to the key and critical files stored, with the software optimizing where things should go. More about StoreMI and how it operates can be found here at this link.
For an added bonus, the newer X470 chipset also draws less power (4.8W) than the old chipset (6.8W) at load.
Overclocking with a Ryzen 7 1700
With the introduction of a new chipset, especially in relation to specific Intel chipsets, overclocking parameters and how overclocking is done usually changes somewhat; usually minor, but sometimes on a wider scale. The good news with the release of the new X470 chipset is that nothing is different whatsoever in relation to AM4 overclocking. Everything from voltages, to the multiplier, all the way to overclocking the base clock, is all the same as far as Ryzen processors go.
Our particular AMD Ryzen 1700 eight-core processor sample certainly can’t be considered as ‘good’ when it comes to overclocking headroom, but it is capable of 3.90 GHz at 1.375 V on even the most basic of compatible motherboards. This is fully stabled under Prime95 as well as OCCT and as it has been apparent, squeezing out small reductions in used voltage has been possible on boards using better power deliveries and components. An overclock of 3.90 GHz is easily achievable on all but the worst Ryzen silicon.
With only the CPU core ratio (x39 multiplier) and CPU Vcore voltage manually set to 1.375 V, the system booted into Windows 10 without issue and was stable throughout stress testing and within POV-Ray. With 1.375 V set within the BIOS, CPU-Z read out a CPU core voltage of 1.385 V while under maximum load.
Overclocking Results
Referencing back to the Biostar X370GTN review, our Ryzen 7 1700 CPU does have a limitation between 3.
9 GHz and 4.0 GHz; at least on the boards we have tested thus far. This is down to silicon lottery and a combination of a sharp ramp of voltage to temperature is present when moving up each different step, especially above 3.70 GHz.
While an overclock of 4.0 GHz was manageable with our pretty average Ryzen 7 1700 ($299) processor, the proof is in the pudding that going from 3.90 GHz to 4.0 GHz provides good performance, although at the cost of thermals and overall power consumption.
Visual Inspection
GIGABYTE X470 Aorus Gaming 7 Wi-Fi OverviewVisual InspectionBIOS And SoftwareBoard Features, Test Bed and SetupSystem PerformanceCPU Performance, Short FormGaming PerformanceConclusion
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ATX motherboard GIGABYTE X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING
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Product code: 628872
ATX, AM4, AMD X470, 4*(3200), M. Warranty 36 months At the X-Com service center
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Short description
SpecificationsThe GIGABYTE X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING motherboard is designed to create premium gaming multimedia systems. The features of this device are the element base of high quality.
Key FeaturesForm Factor ATX
Purpose For PC
Number of CPU sockets 1
Socket AM4
Chipset AMD X470 90 003 Allowable CPU TDP 105W
RAMForm Factor memory DIMM
Number of memory slots 4
Maximum frequency 3200 MHz
Minimum frequency 2133 MHz 900 03 Maximum capacity 64 GB
ECC support No
Expansion slotsNumber of PCI-E 16x 3
Number of PCI-E 1x 2
Audio, videoGraphics chipset No
NVlink/Crossfire support CrossFire X, Quad CrossFireX
Audio chipset Realtek ALC1220
Number of audio channels 7.
on the motherboardQuantity M.2 (Socket 3) 2 pcs
Supported RAID levels SATA 6 Gb/s 0, 1, 10
Number of SATA 3Gb/s None
Total USB 2.0 8 pcs
Total USB 3.0 (3.1 Gen 1, 3.2 Gen 1) 4 pcs
Total USB 3.1 Gen 2 (3.2 Gen 2) 2 pcs
S/PDIF output Yes
4-Pin PWM fan connectors 7 pcs 9 0002 Rear connectorsNumber of USB 2.0 4 pcs
Number of USB 3.0 (3.1 Gen 1, 3.2 Gen 1) 4 pcs
Number of USB 3.1 Gen 2 (3.2 Gen 2) 1 pcs 90 003 Number of network interfaces 1 pc
Type of network interfaces 10/100/1000Base-T, LAN 1000 Mbps (RJ-45)
Audio connectors 7.1 out, Line-in, Line-out, Mic-in
Number of digital optical outputs (S/PDIF) 1 pc
Number of HDMI-Out 1 pc
Buttons, switches and indicatorsClear CMOS Yes 9 0003 Power supplyMain power connector 24 pin
Connector processor power supply 8 pin
Additional characteristicsBacklight Yes
Supported operating systems Windows 7 64bit, Windows 10 64bit
Delivery kit 2 x SATA cables, installation instructions, disk C, plug for the rear input/output panel
Type of delivery Retail dimensions and weightdimensions 305 x 244 mm
Gross weight 1. (44) Video
GIGABYTE X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING is certified for sale in Russia. Product images, including color, may differ from actual product. Motherboard ATX GIGABYTE X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING — photo, specifications, delivery terms in St. Petersburg. In order to buy an atx motherboard GIGABYTE X470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING in the XcomSpb.ru online store, just fill out the online order form or call: +7 (812) 740-11-10. |
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55 kg
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Ladozhskaya Motherboard Gigabyte X470 Aorus Ultra Gaming (rev.
1.0) specifications overview
- All parameters
- Reviews (2)
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- Similar models (10)
| Processor | |
|---|---|
| Socket: | AM4 |
| Supported processors: | AMD Ryzen/7th Generation A-series/Athlon |
| Multi-core processor support: | |
| Memory | |
| Memory: | DDR4 DIMM, 2133-3200MHz |
| Number of memory slots: | 4 |
| Dual channel support: | |
| Maximum memory: | 64 GB |
| Expansion slots | |
| Expansion slots: | 3xPCI-E x16, 2xPCI-E x1 |
PCI Express 2. 0 support: |
|
| PCI Express 3.0 support: | |
| Network | |
| Ethernet: | 1000 Mbps |
| Chipset | |
| Chipset: | AMD X470 |
| BIOS: | AMI with disaster recovery capability |
| SLI/CrossFire support: | SLI/CrossFireX |
| EFI support: | |
| Disk controllers | |
|---|---|
| ID: | |
| SATA: | number of SATA 6Gb/s connectors: 6, RAID: 0, 1, 10 based on AMD X470 |
| Number of M.2 slots: | 2 |
| M.2 slot type: | Socket 3, M key, 2242/2260/2280/22110; Socket 3, M key, 2242/2260/2280 |
| AV | |
| Sound: | 7.1CH, HDA, based on Realtek ALC1220 |
| Connection | |
| Availability of interfaces: | 19 USB, 11 USB 3. 1 (6 on rear), S/PDIF out, HDMI, Ethernet |
| Rear connectors: | 10 USB, 1 USB Type-C, optical output, HDMI, Ethernet |
| Main power connector: | 24-pin |
| Processor power connector: | 8-pin |
| Cooling system type: | passive |
| Options | |
| Form factor: | ATX |
| Contents: | 4 x SATA cables, screws for M.2, G connector, 1 x thermistor cable, |
| Additional information: | RGB ribbon connector |
I am Voldemar
09/29/2018
BIOS F3g, 4 memory sticks of 16GB each — win7pro sees only 32 GB.
Andrey Glazkov
09/14/2018
Overclocking is done by poking at the frequency selections, all the easy Tforse RAM overclocked to 3666 and the stone to 4.2 I think that the mother is worth the money, I bought it on Newegg.