Gigabyte B650E Aorus Pro X USB4: Motherboard with X870 specs

Are you eagerly awaiting the new AMD X870(E) motherboards? They don’t necessarily have to be “better” than the Gigabyte B650E Aorus Pro X USB4 in any fundamental way. The features of this motherboard match what can be expected in models with “800 series” chipsets. These will be coming out soon, but USB4 support, which is a key new feature, is already available on the Gigabyte motherboard. So there might not be too many practical differences.

AMD X870 and X870E motherboards will be released next month, but they won’t bring any major changes compared to the current models. Especially when you compare the specs to the newer “600” boards that also came in the last wave, and already support USB4. The B650E Aorus Pro X USB4 is one of those boards.

New X870, X870E and B850 boards will also be associated with USB4 support, as they will be required to have it. However, this is not a part that is tied to the chipset per se – the USB4 controller is always externally brought out on the motherboard, both on the current “600” boards as well as later on the X870(E) or B850 (it won’t be on B850E). The one behind it is ASMedia.

The chipset will remain physically the same across the generations of motherboards. Certain improvements will certainly appear on new models, but they will not be part of the chipset. However, Gigabyte’s approach to some things will be more clever (than with the early B650E models) with the B650E Aorus Pro X USB4 motherboard as well.

Gigabyte B650E Aorus Pro X USB4

As of writing this article, the B650E Aorus Pro X USB4 is Gigabyte’s latest motherboard for the AMD AM5 platform. It is also among the most feature rich and has exclusive USB4 support. This (USB4) will be the biggest new feature with the newer X870 and X870E models compared to the previous generation.

The physical format of the Gigabyte B650E Aorus Pro X USB4 motherboard is ATX, which is 305 × 244 mm. The number and layout of slots and ports is, it can be noted, conventional. Four DIMM slots (for DDR5 memory) are complemented by three PCIe ×16 slots, where gen 5 (PCIe 5.0) support is given to the first one. The latter is separated from the remaining two PCIe ×16 slots (but only with support for 4 or 2 PCIe lanes) by a large heatsink, behind which there are three M.2 slots. Such a layout is quite traditional for Gigabyte and carries the advantage of superior support for thick graphics cards without preventing the use of the second PCIe ×16 slot. This is possible precisely due to its large offset (from the first slot).

There are only four SATA connectors, the same number as with M.2 slots for SSDs. For those who require connecting more 2.5/3.5″ devices this can be a disadvantage, but most users will not even use these four SATA ports and rather count on the utilization of the M.2 slots. This is also why they are preferred at the expense of the SATA slots. Nor are PCIe lanes spared here, which the M.2 slots would lack (or they would be shared, with optional support).

For convenient removal of a long graphics card, there is a button on the right, at the edge of the motherboard, to release the PCIe ×16 slot latch. By being further away from the slot and easily accessible, the work will be convenient even if you own a large tower cooler, which in another case (without this “remote” PCIe EZ-Latch Plus button) would require complicated pressing of the latch directly on the slot.

Regarding the M.2 slots for SSDs, it is worth noting that of the three M.2 slots under the shared cooler, two support PCIe 5.0. This is quite unusual and if you install an SSD in each of them, you should expect that only 8 lanes (instead of 16) will be left for the graphics card. These two faster M.2 slots are in fact connected to the CPU. Only the fourth slot with support up to PCIe 4.0 is brought out from the south bridge of the chipset (B650). How to leave all PCIe lanes to the graphics card? By occupying the slot (M.2) connected to the chipset or if the SSD must be connected to the CPU (either because of the need for higher performance, since it supports PCIe 5.0, or for cooling reasons), then the first slot must be used. The CPU has all (4) PCIe lanes reserved for it.

The first one has a pre-installed cooler with a height of about 19 mm and a weight of 86 grams. This slot also has its own backplate on the back of the PCB.

General parameters for the M.2 slots: all support only PCIe/NVMe SSDs (i.e. without SATA SSD support, those won’t work in them). The size of the SSDs can be 80 or 110 mm. And the tool-less EZ-Latch system is used to secure the SSDs themselves, as well as their coolers. On one side, the SSD or its cooler just slides into the slot, and on the other side, you press against the tongue of the latch, which first allows the SSD to sink underneath, and then clicks and holds.

HDMI among the internal connectors? It is supposed to be used for a smaller full-size display, which can be placed typically behind a glass side panel and its role is supposed to be primarily system monitoring with detailed indicators of CPU or graphics card activity. In this way, it will apparently be possible to connect, for example, the display of the Lamptron ST060 cooler quite elegantly. Gigabyte talks about a “Sensor Panel Link” in connection with this solution.

The VRM is robust – the Vcore has 16 phases with 80A per phase. The voltage regulators are Renesas ISL99380 and their driver (PWM) is a Renesas RAA 229620. The cooler consisting of two aluminum monoliths connected by a heatpipe is also massive (weighing 450 g).

Under the VRM heatsink is another, separate heatsink – for cooling the USB4 controller (ASMedia ASM4242). The latter is just behind the 40-gigabit USB-C connectors.

For better cooling or faster heat dissipation, the I/O cover behind the USB4 controller cooler is perforated. There are up to 12 external USB connectors in total. DisplayPort (1.4) output is via USB-C connectors, HDMI (2.1) has its own separate connector.

Owners of multi-channel speakers with analogue connections will be frowning at the only two 3.5mm jacks, but S/PDIF is not missing. The audio adapter is built on the Realtek ALC1220 codec.

For the connectors for WiFi antennas (7, by the way – MediaTek MT7925) we appreciate the quick mounting system. Instead of traditional screwing, the antennas are installed via push-pins. It is questionable how many cycles this will last, but we assume that in practice, when this number does not exceed the lower units (of mountings), you will not encounter any complications in this regard.

Alternatively, Ethernet (and an RJ-45 connector) is also available, but “only” 2.5-gigabit – Realtek RTL8125BG.

The RGB LEDs on this motherboard come in the form of a large illuminated Aorus logo on the cover between the VRM and the external I/O connectors. Control (of effects, colors, brightness, …) is traditionally possible via Gigabyte Control Center/RGB Fusion 2.0.

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