GIGABYTE Z790M AORUS Elite AX ICE LGA 1700 Intel Z790 M-ATX Motherboard with DDR5
Bottom line: The GIGABYTE Z790M AORUS Elite AX ICE LGA 1700 Intel Z790 M-ATX ($329.99 on Amazon as of 2026-10-06): Triple M.2 slots with EZ-Latch screwless quick-release mounting; main trade-off: M.2 slots are PCIe 4.0 x4, not the PCIe 5.0 the listing implies.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ Triple M.2 slots with EZ-Latch screwless quick-release mounting
- ✓ Twin 12+1+1 phase digital VRM handles 14th Gen Core overhead
- ✓ Q-Flash Plus updates BIOS with no CPU, RAM, or GPU installed
- ✓ USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C delivers 20Gbps front-panel transfers
Cons
- ✗ M.2 slots are PCIe 4.0 x4, not the PCIe 5.0 the listing implies
- ✗ LGA 1700 is end-of-life; no upgrade path past 14th Gen Core
- ✗ M-ATX layout limits expansion slots versus full-size Z790 boards
- ✗ Smart Fan 6 and BIOS tuning carry a learning curve for first builds
Manufacturer description
Ascend the Throne of Gaming with the Z790M AORUS ELITE AX ICE. The Z790M AORUS ELITE AX ICE supports 14th and 13th Gen Intel Core Processors unparalleled performance. Unlock your gaming potential with GIGABYTE Z790 Motherboards. GIGABYTE Z790 motherboards come with upgraded power design, high grade storage standards, and outstanding connectivity that enables you to optimize your performance. Claim what is yours.
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored GIGABYTE Z790M AORUS Elite AX ICE LGA 1700 Intel Z790 M-ATX… using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the motherboards category. Compare with similarly-priced alternatives in the motherboards category before committing. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.
Common buyer scenarios for motherboards of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.
Key Features
- Intel LGA 1700 Socket: Supports 14th and 13th Gen Intel Core Series Processors
- DDR5 Compatible: Dual Channel DDR5
- Commanding Power Design: Twin 12+1+1 Phases Digital VRM Solution
- Cutting-Edge Thermal Design: M.2 Thermal Guard, Advanced Thermal Design, 6-Layer PCB
- Next Gen Connectivity:3*PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C
- EZ-Latch: M.2 connectors with a Quick Release & Screwless Design
Full Specifications
| Brand | GIGABYTE |
|---|---|
| USB 2.0 | 2 |
| EZ-Latch | M.2 connectors with a Quick Release & Screwless Design |
| Platform | Windows |
| CPU Model | Core i7 |
| CPU Socket | LGA 1700 |
| Model Name | Z790M AORUS ELITE AX ICE |
| Chipset Type | Intel Z790 |
| Connectivity | USB, WiFi |
| Model Number | Z790M AORUS ELITE AX ICE |
| DDR5 Compatible | Dual Channel DDR5 |
| Fast Networking | 2.5GbE LAN, Intel WiFi 6E |
| Mfr Part Number | Z790M AORUS ELITE AX ICE |
| Number of Ports | 8 |
| Total Usb Ports | 8 |
| Processor Socket | LGA 1700 |
| Total PCIe Ports | 8 |
| Total SATA Ports | 6 |
| Compatible Devices | Personal Computer |
| Memory Clock Speed | 5600 MHz |
| Full listing title | GIGABYTE Z790M AORUS Elite AX ICE LGA 1700 Intel Z790 M-ATX Motherboard with DDR5, Triple M.2, PCIe 5.0, USB 3.2 Gen2X2 Type-C, Intel Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5GbE LAN, Q-Flash Plus, EZ-Latch Plus |
Ready to buy?
GIGABYTE Z790M AORUS Elite AX ICE LGA 1700 Intel Z790 M-ATX Motherboard with DDR5, Triple M.2, PCIe 5.0, USB 3.2 Gen2X2 Type-C, Intel Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5GbE LAN, Q-Flash Plus, EZ-Latch Plus is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.
Related Motherboards
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Best GPU for Local Stable Diffusion Under $400: Why the RTX 3060 12GB Still Wins
- Raspberry Pi 4 8GB vs Pi 5 vs Mini-PC for Local LLMs
- GPT-5.6 Sol Nearly Matches Fable 5 at a Third the Cost: The Local-Rig Angle
- vLLM vs llama.cpp for Single-User Chat on a 12GB GPU (2026)
- AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE Review: Thoroughly Midrange
- Build a Self-Hosted AI Home Lab on a Raspberry Pi 4 8GB in 2026
- Best Gaming SSD in 2026: 5 Picks for PS5, Steam Deck, and Custom Builds
- RTX 3060 12GB at 3440x1440: Is It Enough for a 34-Inch Ultrawide?
- Lenovo G02 Retro Handheld Ships Preloaded With Thousands of Games
- Intel Arc Pro B70 vLLM Support Lands — vs RTX 3060 12GB
- China Mobile JT-4.1 Flash 236B: A Token-Efficient MoE and What It Takes to Self-Host
- Best Gaming Monitors for Console and PC in 2026
- CPU Fan Angled Left on a New Prebuilt: Normal or Not?
- Best Filming Kit for a PC Hardware YouTube Channel in 2026
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Watching a Z80 Live From a Raspberry Pi RP2350
- Xbox Mode's PC Performance Boost Favors Nvidia GPUs
- Continuous Blood Pressure Monitoring Without a Cuff in 2026
- Best Raspberry Pi Projects for College Students in 2026: 8 Builds on a Pi 4 8GB
- Best Esports Club Practice Room Gear in 2026
- GPT-5.6 Pro's Three-Model Split: What It Means for Local RTX 3060 Builders
- Leanstral 1.5 on an RTX 3060 12GB: Local Math + Bug-Finding Benchmarks
- Ryzen 7 5800X vs Ryzen 5 5600G for 1080p Gaming and Light Local LLM Work
- Asus Prime Z890-P WiFi Review: Built for Core Ultra 200S
Earliest SpecPicks reviews
Browse full archive →- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 8B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 14B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Best GPU for DeepSeek-R1 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 405B (2026)
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090