(Gigabyte) B850 Aorus Elite WiFi7: Is it really cheaper? Yes

The AMD B850 chipset is a good option for users who won’t take advantage of the broader capabilities of more expensive motherboards (typically with the X870 or X870E chipsets). The reward is a lower price, and in the case of the B850 Aorus Elite WiFi7, it really is lower. This motherboard is one of the most affordable models that Ryzen 9000 or Ryzen 7000 CPU owners may be interested in. And in tests, it does not perform badly at all.

B850 motherboards replace B650 models. The southbridge connectivity is the same, and the only difference is in the features you can get from the processor. The first PCI Express ×16 slot supports PCIe 5.0. It’s also present within the M.2 slots, or rather the first of the three slots (M.2), which we’ll get to in more detail later. But now onto the basic information about the B850 Aorus Elite WiFi7, which you can also find, for example, in the table summarising the specifications below.

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B850 Aorus Elite WiFi7

The origin of this motherboard is in the Gigabyte factories. When you ask why the name of this brand (Gigabyte) is in brackets, it’s because it doesn’t officially belong in the designation. It’s simply “B850 Aorus Elite WiFi7” (without the word Gigabyte). But that doesn’t change anything about the manufacturer, and it’s good to know who it is. We mention “Gigabyte” here and there in the text (and in the charts) so that you don’t forget.

Categorically, the B850 Aorus Elite WiFi7 is a mid-range motherboard, one of the cheaper ones. Sure, there are cheaper options, especially when you’re fishing in the waters of B650 motherboards, but those are usually associated with “inferior” features.

The physical format of the B850 Aorus Elite WIFi7 is ATX, so it measures 305 × 244 mm. The design from the front is characterized by VRM and SSD coolers, from the back is only a backplate of the processor socket. And actually also an Aorus logo (both graphic and text) printed on the PCB.

   

One notable detail is the EZ-Latch Plus button for releasing the PCIe ×16 slot latch, where you usually install a graphics card. This button is “remote”, on the right edge of the motherboard, from where there is good access at all times. And it is for convenient removal of expansion cards that Gigabyte uses this button. It makes the situation especially easy in configurations with a large tower CPU cooler, which is very close to the slot and you can’t reach the latch directly on it with your finger. And in the case of the B850 Aorus B850 Elite WiFI7 motherboard, this fact should also be highlighted because of the layout of its PCIe ×16 slots and M.2 slots.

Unlike many other motherboards, the first M.2 SSD slot is below the first PCIe ×16 slot. It is often the other way around, with the M.2 slot under the CPU socket first and the PCIe ×16_1 slot below it. However, on this motherboard this is not the case and the first M.2 slot is only below the first PCIe ×16 slot.

However, there is no empty space and the distance between the processor socket and the first PCIe ×16 slot is exceptionally short. This indicates poorer compatibility with tower coolers, whose fins (or fan clips) may eventually collide with a PCIe expansion card. It won’t always happen, but it can. The potential here is greater compared to boards with more widely spaced slots. From the center of the CPU socket to the center of the PCIe socket, there is approximately 80 mm of space. On motherboards with an M.2 slot above the first PCIe slot, it tends to be at least 10 mm more, sometimes close to 20 mm.

All M.2 slots for SSDs are located between the first and second PCIe ×16 slots. There are three in total, with PCIe 5.0 support applying only to the first one (the remaining two are connected via PCIe 4.0 lanes). The first slot is also the only one equipped with a cold plate that transfers heat into the PCB of the motherboard. On the front side, there is otherwise a large shared heatsink.
The (de)installation of the SSD cooler is tool-less, utilizing the “snap-in” EZ Latch system. No screws are needed to secure the SSDs (M.2) in their slots. The physical format of supported SSDs always goes up to 110 mm (80–110 mm), with accommodation for extra-wide (SSD) models up to 25 mm in width.

The SATA connectors for 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch storage drives are traditionally limited to just four. For some users, this might feel insufficient, but the vast majority will likely find it adequate. There are also fewer options for internal USB 3.2 Gen 1 connections for the front panel of PC cases. Only a single 19-pin header is available, meaning it supports just two ports. On some better-equipped cases, this could leave two front-panel USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports unconnected. However, this is a common limitation across most budget motherboards in the B850 Aorus Elite WiFi category. It’s not an unusual omission—it’s likely to be absent on similarly priced motherboards as well.

The VRM cooler is traditionally passive, consisting of two monolithic aluminum blocks connected by a heat pipe. This design helps distribute heat more evenly and has the potential for higher cooling performance. The primary cooling focus is on the integrated circuits with MOSFETs—specifically the Onsemi NCP302155R, which reach the highest temperatures within the VRM. The power delivery for the Vcore features fourteen 60-amp phases.

   

The CPU power connector is a 12-pin setup, consisting of one 8-pin and one 4-pin connector. Of course, the system will function with just the 8-pin connected, but the more wires used, the less heat builds up per wire. Therefore, if your power supply supports it, we recommend fully utilizing the 12-pin (8+4) configuration, especially for high-performance CPUs.

The rear I/O panel is partially perforated to improve VRM cooling efficiency. Another noteworthy detail is the push-pin mounting system for the WiFi antennas. The wireless module used is the Realtek RTL8922AE, which also includes Bluetooth 5.4 support.

   

The 3.5mm jack configuration is minimal, with only two ports—one for stereo output and one for microphone input. Multi-channel speaker setups rely on optical S/PDIF connection, which you won’t find here. The audio chip used is the Realtek ALC897.
Ethernet connectivity is 2.5-gigabit (Realtek RTL8125), while faster networking is available via WiFi 7. There are 12 USB ports in total, though four of them are the slower USB 2.0 standard, mainly intended for peripherals that don’t require higher speeds. For faster devices, there are eight high-speed ports: five blue ones rated at 5 Gbps, and two red ones rated at 10 Gbps. The USB-C connector also supports 10 Gbps speeds.

Please note: The article continues in the following chapters.