Gigabyte B650E Aorus Pro X USB4: Motherboard with X870 specs

Methodology: Temperature and clock speed measurements

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.

Please Note: The article continues in following chapters.

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.

What it looks like in the BIOS

Easy Mode is made up of logically well-divided segments, where there is something different in each one. Partly informational only, partly configurable. From this screen you can find out which processor you have in your board, what memory, SSDs and how these components are configured, or what their current operating clock speeds, voltages or temperatures are. Information about the BIOS or microcode version is also available. The microcode in our case is AGESA 1.2.0.0.0a patch A (i.e. the microcode already well optimized for Ryzen 9000).

   

Among the buttons, there is also a switch for quick selection of the ReSizable BAR (enabled in the factory settings) and you can also activate the memory profile (EXPO) here, for example.

For AMD EXPO settings, you can also go to the advanced settings, where you can already adjust the throughput of the memory controller, Infinity Fabric or Uncore.

   

It is possible that you may encounter instability with this motherboard that is caused by too low memory voltages (CPU_VDDIO_MEM, DRR_VDD and DDR_VDDQ) under “auto” regulation. Especially with faster modules. A possible workaround is to set a fixed voltage (at 1.35 V) manually.

Power limits can be adjusted in the BIOS in two ways. One is the advanced PBO (Precision Boost Overdrive) settings, where you can adjust the current limits (TDC and EDC) in addition to the PPT limit.

And then via the “Settings” tab in AMD CBS – SMU Common Options. In this environment there is also a quick “Eco Mode” option, after which the TDP is set to 105 (with a PPT of 142 W). However, you can also customize these limits in other ways to suit yourself by entering exact numerical values. Beware though, these are in mW, so you’re writing down five (up to 99,999 mW) or six digits (above 100,000 mW/100 W).

   

The fan management interface (Smart Fan 6) is exceptionally rich in tuning options.

For detailed management, there are eight connectors with three fan speed profiles – Normal, Silent and Full Speed. Still, several of you will reach for the manual mode and the option to build custom curves. It goes the traditional drag and drop way with point placement, but those points can also be placed using an editable table. You can enter specific PWM values for a particular temperature into that using the keyboard.

   

There are eventually up to nine temperature sources that the board can work with – CPU, PCH, VRM, PCIe ×16, PCIe ×4, EC_Temp 1, EC_Temp 1 (custom thermocouples), System 1, and System 2. The CPU_fan is fixed (CPU), there it is clear, to the “ordinary” system connectors six sources can be selected (without CPU, EC_Temp 2 and System 2) and the full number is only possible for the two system connectors with the “pump” attribute.

   

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.

Gaming tests…

The vast majority of tests is based on the methodology for processors and graphics cards. The choice of games is narrower with motherboards, but for this purpose there is no need for more of them. The vast majority of the tests are based on the methodology for processors and graphics cards. The choice of games is narrower for motherboards, but for this purpose, there is no need for more of them. The processor we always use is the powerful AMD Ryzen 9 9950X or on Intel platforms it’s the Core i9-13900K and then on older AMD boards it’s still the Ryzen 9 7950X. These processors highlight both the strengths and weaknesses of any motherboard well. In the past we have tested with two processors, including a cheaper, more low-power model, but we don’t do that anymore. The hypothesis that more expensive motherboards might give an “advantage” to cheaper processors in performance has not been confirmed, so it’s rather pointless.

We’ve selected five titles from games we’re testing in two resolutions. There are significantly fewer games than in the CPU or graphics card tests, but these are just enough for the motherboard tests. Few people consider performance in a particular game when choosing a motherboard. But an indicative overview of which motherboard shapes gaming performance in what way (compared to another motherboard) is necessary. To avoid significant discrepancies over time, we’ve reached for relatively older titles that no longer receive significant updates.

These are Borderlands 3, F1 2020, Metro Exodus, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Total War Saga: Troy. With newer games, there might be some performance changes over time (updates) and especially in high resolutions with high details. This is one of the test setups (2160p and Ultra, or the highest visual detail but without ray-tracing graphics) that focuses on comparing performance, for which the bottleneck is the graphics card. In other words, it will be clear from these tests which motherboard can affect the performance of which graphics card to what extent for any reason. In contrast, a setup with Full HD resolution and with graphical details reduced to “High” will also reflect the CPU’s contribution to the final gaming performance.

We use OCAT to record fps, or the times of individual frames, which are then used to calculate fps, and FLAT to analyze the CSV. The developer and author of articles (and videos) for the GPUreport.cz website is behind both.
For the highest accuracy, all runs are repeated three times and average values of average and minimum fps are displayed in the graphs. These multiple repetitions also apply to non-game tests.

… Computing tests, SSD tests, USB ports and network tests

We test application performance in a very similar way to the processor tests. Almost all tests are included, from the easier ones (such as those in a web environment) to those that push the CPU or graphics card to the limit. These are typically tests such as 3D rendering, video encoding (x264, x265, SVT-AV1) or other performance-intensive computing tasks. As with processors or graphics cards, we have a wide range of applications – users editing video (Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve Studio), graphic effects creators (Adobe Premiere Pro), graphic designers or photographers (Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, Affinity Photo, AI applications Topaz Labs, …) will find their own in the results, and there are also tests of (de)encryption, (de)compression, numerical calculations, simulations and, of course, tests of memory.

SSD performance tests are also important for motherboards. Therefore we test the maximum sequential read and write speeds on an empty Samsung 980 Pro SSD (1 TB) in the well distributed CrystalDiskMark, in all slots. We approach the USB port tests in the same way. We use a WD Black P50 external SSD to test them. It supports fast USB 3.2 gen. 2×2, so it won’t be a bottleneck for even the fastest USB controllers. We report only one result for each USB standard. This is calculated from the average of all available ports.

We won’t deprive you of network bandwidth tests either. We move large files in both directions within a local network between the motherboard network adapters and the Sonnet Solo10G 10-gigabit PCIe card. This from the aforementioned Samsung 980 Pro SSD to the Patriot Hellfire (480 GB), which is still fast enough to not slow down even the 10 Gb adapter.

   

The results of all performance tests are averaged over three repeated measurements for high accuracy.

CPU settings…

We primarily test processors without power limits, the way most motherboards have it in factory settings. For tests that have an overlap with power, temperature and CPU clock speed measurements, we also observe the behavior of boards with a power limit according to Intel’s recommendations, where we set PL1 to the TDP level (125 W) while respecting the Tau timeout (56 s). The upper limit of the power supply (PL2/PPT) is set in the BIOS according to the official values. For Core i9-13900K it is 253 W, for Core i9-12900K it is 241 W. On AMD platforms with the Ryzen 9 x950X test processors, the reduced power supply mode represents a TDP setting of 105W with a PPT of 142W. Such a load also corresponds to unconstrained power supply of the Ryzen 7 7700X and Ryzen 5 7600X processors. Aggressive overclocking technologies such as PBO2 (AMD) or MCE (Asus) and similar are not covered in standard motherboard tests.

… and application updates

Tests should also take into account that over time, individual updates may skew performance comparisons. Some applications we use in portable versions that do not update or can be kept on a stable version, but for some this is not the case. Typically games get updated over time, which is natural, and keeping them on old versions out of reality would also be questionable.

In short, just count on the fact that the accuracy of the results you are comparing with each other decreases a bit as time goes on. To make this analysis easier, we’ve listed when each board was tested. You can find this out in the dialog box, where you can find information about the date of testing. This dialog is displayed in the interactive graphs, next to any result bar. Just hover over it.

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.

Methodology: How we measure power draw

In contrast to the Z690/B660 tests, we’ll simplify it a bit and measure only the CPU power draw on the EPS cables. This means that (also for the sake of best possible clarity) we omit the 24-pin measurements. We have already analysed it thoroughly and the power draw on it doesn’t change much across boards. Of the ten boards tested with an Alder Lake processor (Core i9-12900K), the power draw at 12 volts of the 24-pin connector ranges from 37.3–40.4 W (gaming load, graphics card power supply via PCI Express ×16 slot), at 5V (memory, ARGB LEDs and some external controllers) then between 13.9–22.3 W and finally at the weakest, 3.3-volt branch, the power draw of our test setup tends to be 2.2–3.6 W.

On top of the CPU power draw, which also takes into account the efficiency of the power delivery, this adds up to some 53–66 W under gaming/graphics load and only 15–25 W outside of it, with the graphics card idle. We already know all this from older tests, and it will be no different on the new boards, and as the number of measurements increases, reducing measurements that worsen orientation is beneficial. But from the text above, you know how much to add for the total power draw of the motherboard components to the CPU’s majority power draw.

The situation will be a bit different on AMD platforms, for those we will deal with what is the power draw on which branch of the 24-pin, but already in a separate article that will better highlight this topic. In a large comprehensive motherboard test, these measurements disappear, they do not attract enough attention.

We measure the power draw of the CPU (and its VRM) on the power supply cables, with calibrated Prova 15 current clamps and a calibrated Keysight U1231A multimeter. The clamps measure the electric current, the multimeter measures the electric voltage. In the union of these two electrical quantities, we finally obtain the exact power draw. We measure this in different loads on the CPU. The maximum multithreaded load is represented by Cinebench R23.

   

Lower, gaming load by Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p@high), single-threaded load by audio encoding (reference encoder 1.3.2, FLAC with bitrate 200 kbps) and idle power draw is measured on the Windows 10 desktop when only basic operating system processes and launchers of some test applications are running in the background.

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.

Methodology: Temperature and clock speed measurements

By far the most critical part in terms of temperatures on the motherboard is the power delivery (VRM) for the CPU. This is where we return to the Fluke Ti125 thermal imager, which produces temperature maps that can be used to locate the average temperature, as well as the hottest point. We record both these values (average and maximum temperature on the Vcore) in graphs, and we will later evaluate the efficiency of the VRM heatsinks based on the maximum one. However, we lack a suitable thermometer for that yet. Of course, the thermovision is implemented without a heatsink, and a thermocouple needs to be installed on the hottest MOSFET to detect the reduction of temperature with a heatsink. This will be added soon.

Thermal imaging always relates to operating with the more powerful of the pair of test processors. With it, the differences and possible limitations or impending risks (for example, even from thermal throttling) become more apparent. In order to have a good view of the VRM, we use an Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 360 liquid cooler with the fans fixed at full power (12 V) instead of a tower cooler (from the CPU tests). The temperature tests also include CPU temperatures for completeness, and we also test the efficiency of the supplied SSD heatsinks as part of the motherboard tests. These are already included with virtually all better motherboards, and so the question naturally arises whether to use them or replace them with other, more finned ones. We will test these heatsinks on a Samsung 980 Pro SSD during ten minutes of intense load in CrystalDiskMark. Finally, the temperature of the chipset’s southbridge and the cooling efficiency in this direction is noteworthy as well.

All tests are conducted in a wind tunnel, so full system cooling is provided. This consists of three Noctua NF-S12A PWMs@5V (~550 rpm) . Two of which are intake, one is exhaust. But the three fast AIO fans also function as exhaust fans, so there is negative pressure in the case.

The temperature at the entrance to the tunnel is properly controlled and ranges between 21-21.3 °C. Maintaining a constant temperature at all times during testing is important not only for the accuracy of the temperature measurements, but also because a higher or lower ambient temperature also affects the eventual behavior of the processors’ boost. And we also properly monitor and compare the clock speeds, whether under all-core load or even single-threaded tasks. We use the HWiNFO application to record the clock speeds and temperatures of the cores (sampling is set to two seconds).

Maintaining a constant temperature at the intake is necessary not only for a proper comparison of processor temperatures, but especially for objective performance comparisons. The clock speed development, and specially the single core boost, is precisely based on the temperature. Typically in summer, at higher temperatures than is normal in living quarters in winter, processors can be slower.

Temperatures are always read as maximum (both from the VRM thermovision and average, but still from the local maximum values at the end of Cinebench R23). For Intel processors, for each test we read the maximum temperature of the cores, usually all of them. These maxima are then averaged and the result represents the final value in the graph. From the single-threaded workload outputs, we extract only the recorded values from the active cores (there are usually two of these, and they alternate between each other during the test). For AMD processors it is a bit different. They don’t have temperature sensors for each core. In order to make the procedure methodically as similar as possible to the one we apply on Intel processors, we define the average temperature of all cores by the highest value reported by the CPU Tdie (average) sensor. However, for single-core workloads we already use the CPU sensor (Tctl/Tdie), which usually reports a slightly higher value that better corresponds to hotspots of one or two cores. However, these values as well as the values from all internal sensors should be taken with a grain of salt, the accuracy of sensors across CPUs varies.

Clock speed evaluation is more accurate, each core has its own sensor even on AMD processors. However, unlike the temperatures, we write the average values of the clock speeds during the tests in the graphs. We monitor the temperatures and clock speed of the CPU cores in the same tests in which we also measure power draw. Thus, sequentially from the lowest desktop idle load in Windows 10, through audio encoding (single-threaded load), gaming load in Shadow of the Tomb Raider to Cinebench R23.

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.

Test setup

Note.: Graphics drivers used at the time of testing: Nvidia GeForce 466.77 and OS Windows 10 build 19045.

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.

3DMark

We use 3DMark Professional for our tests and from the tests, Night Raid (DirectX 12), Fire Strike (DirectX 11) and Time Spy (DirectX 12). In the graphs you will find the CPU sub-scores, the combined scores, as well as the graphics scores. From this you can see to what extent a given CPU is limiting the graphics card.

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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.

Borderlands 3

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: None; test scene: built-in benchmark.

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Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Ultra; API DirectX 12; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

   

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.

F1 2020

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: off, Skidmarks Blending: off; test scene: built-in benchmark (Australia, Clear/Dry, Cycle).

   

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Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Ultra High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: TAA, Skidmarks Blending: off; test scene: built-in benchmark (Australia, Clear/Dry, Cycle).

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.

Metro Exodus

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

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Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Extreme; API DirectX 12; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

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.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: off; test scene: built-in benchmark.

   

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Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Highest; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: TAA; test scene: built-in benchmark.

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.

Total War Saga: Troy

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 11; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

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Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Ultra; API DirectX 11; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

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.

PCMark

Geekbench

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.

Speedometer (2.0) and Octane (2.0)

Test environment: To ensure that results are not affected by web browser updates over time, we use a portable version of Google Chrome (91.0.472.101), a 64-bit build. Hardware GPU acceleration is enabled as well, as it is by default for every user.

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Note: The values in the graphs represent the average of the scores obtained in the subtasks, which are grouped according to their nature into seven categories (Core language features, Memory and GC, Strings and arrays, Virtual machine and GC, Loading and Parsing, Bit and Math operations, and Compiler and GC latency).

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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.

Cinebench R20

Cinebench R23

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Blender@Cycles

Test environment: We use well distributed projects BMW (510 tiles) and Classroom (2040 tiles) and the renderer Cycles. Render settings are set to None, with which all the work falls on the CPU.

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LuxRender (SPECworkstation 3.1)

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.

Adobe Premiere Pro (PugetBench)

Test environment: PugetBench tests set. We keep the version of the application (Adobe Premiere Pro) at 15.2.

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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.

DaVinci Resolve Studio (PugetBench)

Test environment: set of PugetBench tests, test type: standard. App version of DaVinci Resolve Studio is 17.2.1 (build 12).

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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.

Graphics effects: Adobe After Effects

Test environment: set of PugetBench tests. App version of Adobe After Effects is 18.2.1.

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Pokiaľ nechcete na základnej doske pre procesor AMD mimoriadne šetriť, ale ani platiť viac než treba, tak javí ako jedna z atraktívnych možností MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi. Cena výrazne pod dvesto eur a pritom výbava, ktorá s rezervou uživí aj príkonom neobmedzovaný Ryzen 9 7950X. Objavujú sa tu síce aj veci volajúce po vylepšení, no pozíciu v hernej zostave, na ktorú je nižší rozpočet, si najlacnejšia B650 doska MSI vo formáte ATX obháji.<!–more→

HandBrake

Test environment: For video conversion we’re using a 4K video LG Demo Snowboard with a 43,9 Mb/s bitrate. AVC (x264) and HEVC (x265) profiles are set for high quality and encoder profiles are “slow”. HandBrake version is 1.3.3 (2020061300).

x264 and x265 benchmarks

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Naposledy sme sa zaoberali základnou doskou, ktorá, ktorá je aj vďaka nižšej cene vhodná najmä na použitie s lacnejšími procesormi. Teraz tu máme o zhruba 50 eur drahšiu Gigabyte B660 Aorus Master DDR4. Príplatok tu má jasné opodstatnenie a odzkadľuje sa na lepších vlastnostiach. Napájacia kaskáda je výrazne efektívnejšia, chladiče sú účinnejšie a výbava je celkovo bohatšia, vrátane svetielok.

Audio encoding

Test environment: Audio encoding is done using command line encoders, we measure the time it takes for the conversion to finish. The same 42-minute long 16-bit WAV file (stereo) with 44.1 kHz is always used (Love Over Gold by Dire Straits album rip in a single audio file).

Encoder settings are selected to achieve maximum or near maximum compression. The bitrate is relatively high, with the exception of lossless FLAC of about 200 kb/s.

Note: These tests measure single-thread performance.

FLAC: reference encoder 1.3.2, 64-bit build. Launch options: flac.exe -s -8 -m -e -p -f

MP3: encoder lame3.100.1, 64-bit build (Intel 19 Compiler) from RareWares. Launch options: lame.exe -S -V 0 -q 0

AAC: uses Apple QuickTime libraries, invoked through the application from the command line, QAAC 2.72, 64-bit build, Intel 19 Compiler (does not require installation of the whole Apple package). Launch options: qaac64.exe -V 100 -s -q 2

Opus: reference encoder 1.3.1, Launch options: opusenc.exe –comp 10 –quiet –vbr –bitrate 192

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.

Adobe Photoshop (PugetBench)

Test environment: set of PugetBench tests. App version of Adobe Photoshop is 22.4.2.

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Affinity Photo (benchmark)

Test environment: built-in benchmark.

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Topaz Labs AI apps

Topaz DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI. These single-purpose applications are used for restoration of low-quality photos. Whether it is high noise (caused by higher ISO), raster level (typically after cropping) or when something needs extra focus. The AI performance is always used.

Test environment: As part of batch editing, 42 photos with a lower resolution of 1920 × 1280 px are processed, with the settings from the images above. DeNoise AI is in version 3.1.2, Gigapixel in 5.5.2 and Sharpen AI in 3.1.2.

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.

WinRAR 6.01

7-Zip 19.00

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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.

TrueCrypt 7.1a

Aida64 (AES, SHA3)

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.

Aida64, FPU tests

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FSI (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Kirchhoff migration (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Python36 (SPECworkstation 3.1)

SRMP (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Octave (SPECworkstation 3.1)

FFTW (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Convolution (SPECworkstation 3.1)

CalculiX (SPECworkstation 3.1)

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.

RodiniaLifeSci (SPECworkstation 3.1)

WPCcfd (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Poisson (SPECworkstation 3.1)

LAMMPS (SPECworkstation 3.1)

NAMD (SPECworkstation 3.1)

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.

Memory tests…

… and cache (L1, L2, L3)

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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.

M.2 (SSD) slots speed

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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.

USB ports speed

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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.

Ethernet speed

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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.

Analysis of power draw without power limits

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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.

Analysis of power draw with power limits

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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.

Achieved CPU clock speed w/o power limits…

… and with power limits

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.

CPU temperature without power limits

… and with power limits

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.

VRM temperature w/o power limits…

… and with power limits

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.

SSD temperature

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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.

Chipset temperature (south bridge)

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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.

Conclusion

First of all, it must be said that the B650E Aorus Pro X USB4 is a very well equipped motherboard that also has what the older models lack – USB4 support. The latter will be commonplace for the new X870(E) models, but those are not available for the Ryzen 9000s from the beginning, after the release of these processors. With the Gigabyte Aorus Pro X USB4, you won’t have to later wonder if “you could have bought a motherboard with USB4 support today”. Sure, there will be some differences in features with the newer motherboards, and most importantly there will be a wider selection, but in this one thing this Gigabyte motherboard is already prepared.

The power delivery for the CPU is robust, well prepared even for overclocking of the most powerful processor that can currently be fitted to it – the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X. The temperature of the voltage regulators is kept below 80 °C under very high load even without a cooler.

We can’t assess the efficiency of the power management yet, for that we will need a larger sample of benchmarked boards tested with the R9 9950X processor. The picture of power efficiency will crystallize only gradually. Anyway, efficient components are used for the VRM, as evidenced by their relatively low temperature at relatively higher power consumption (even in “Eco” mode with a TDP of 105 W). But it also depends on how the motherboard approaches power internally, at the voltage management level.

What is commendable about the Gigabyte Aorus Pro X USB4 is the presence of up to four slots with PCI Express 5.0 support. In addition to the first PCIe ×16 slot, there are also two M.2 slots for SSDs. This is not usual and may not be the case even with all the X870 motherboards.

With the X870E models, manufacturers will probably try to support PCIe 5.0 more extensively, but the tax for this will be a higher price. The B650E Aorus Pro X USB4 is keeping nicely to the ground, at around 305 EUR. However, unfortunately, availability in stores seems to be relatively weaker, which may be one of the biggest drawbacks of this motherboard. However, this may not be true for all markets and certainly not at all times. It certainly makes sense to keep an eye out for availability of the B650E Aorus Pro X USB4.

The Gigabyte B650E Aorus Pro X USB4 uses many of the features typical of the higher-end class, which, in terms of features, it is definitely in. In addition to the robust VRM, which has already been mentioned, and the 7-segment POST display with start and reset buttons, the mechanisms for quick (de)mounting of components are also worth noting. The EZ-Latch system is not only on the M.2 slots, but also on the PCIe ×16 slot and the WiFi antennas are installed via push-pins as well. Then there is also an unconventional HDMI connector for internal display connection on the PCB to monitor CPU, possibly APU, and graphics card activity. And then lots of USB ports, especially external ones. For the internal ones, a second 19-pin would be really nice. You won’t be able to connect a third and fourth USB 3.2 gen. 1 connector on cases to the B650E Aorus Pro X USB4 board.

The SSD cooler on the first slot is efficient, the shared one (for three M.2 slots) only partially.A larger temperature difference between the controller and the memory seems to indicate worse contact (cooler to SSD), as is the case with the Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Pro X motherboard as well. Measured M.2 slot speeds or USB port speeds are fine and do not deviate from the standards that define them. We only saw worse results with Ethernet at about half the expected speed. However, it cannot be ruled out that this is just an “anomaly of the test piece”.

Overall, we rate the Gigabyte B650E Aorus Pro X USB4 motherboard positively. Abundant features for affordable money. If the individual components were getting scored to compile some relative ranking, the value for money coefficient would probably be very high.

English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš

Some of the tested boards are also available in the Datacomp e-shop

Special thanks to Blackmagic Design (for licenses for DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI) and Topaz Labs (for licenses for DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI)

• Contents
• Gigabyte B650E Aorus Pro X USB4 in detail
• What it looks like in the BIOS
• Methodology: Performance tests
• Methodology: How we measure power draw
• Methodology: Temperature and clock speed measurements
• Test setup
• 3DMark
• Borderlands 3
• F1 2020
• Metro Exodus
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider
• Total War Saga: Troy
• PCMark and Geekbench
• Web performance
• 3D rendering: Cinebench, Blender, ...
• Video 1/2: Adobe Premiere Pro
• Video 2/2: DaVinci Resolve Studio
• Graphics effects: Adobe After Effects
• Video encoding
• Audio encoding
• Photos: Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo, ...
• (De)compression
• (De)encryption
• Numerical computing
• Simulations
• Memory and cache tests
• M.2 (SSD) slots speed
• USB ports speed
• Ethernet speed
• Power draw without power limits
• Power draw with power limits
• Achieved CPU clock speed
• CPU temperature
• VRM temperature – thermal imaging of Vcore and SOC
• SSD temperature
• Chipset temperature (south bridge)
• Conclusion