The Z490I Ultra is an overall fantastic board with no major issues to speak of. I would like to see some refinements in UEFI to add secure erase functionality, removing the need for specialized software in Windows. Additionally, EasyTune will need some work as I could not load it despite several attempts to reinstall, etc. That said, for those wanting a software solution for tuning, XTU is freely available from Intel.
Read more @ TweakTown
Taipei, Taiwan, October 29nd 2020 – GIGABYTE Technology, (TWSE: 2376), an industry leader in high-performance servers and workstations, today announced two new server motherboards extending the diversity of boards for dual 2nd Gen AMD EPYC™ 7002 series processors allowing for incredibly demanding multi-threaded applications used in AI, scientific computations, and more. The MZ71-CE0 and MZ71-CE1 are very similar to the MZ72-HB0, which is more feature rich and has support for PCIe Gen 4 for all NVMe drives and expansion slots. The new budget oriented boards focus more on PCIe Gen 3 but do offer some PCIe Gen 4 support, while they differ only in the Ethernet controller bandwidth.
Introduction to the MZ71-CE0 and MZ71-CE1:
The new MZ71-CE0 and MZ71-CE1 both support dual AMD EPYC 7002 or 7001 series processors up to 280W. Given the E-ATX form factor, each CPU has 8 DIMMs supporting DDR4 memory up to 128GB per DIMM and 3200MHz in 8-channels. All storage drives and expansion slots support PCIe Gen 3, but if 2nd Gen 7002 processors are used then PCIe Gen 4 is supported in the M.2 slot and one PCIe slot (slot_6). As far as storage, both boards have 4 x SATA ports, 3 x SlimSAS ports (for 12 SATA or 3 NVME drives), 1 x M.2 slot, and 2 x NVMe ports. This configuration allows for a mix of fast NVMe drives, large capacity SATA drives, and a M.2 NVMe drive as a boot or local cache drive. Rounding it out are five PCIe Gen 3 x16 slots, which includes slot_6 that supports PCIe Gen 4.
LAN Connectivity:
To differentiate for use cases and budgets, GIGABYTE has made the two new boards with either fast dual 10Gb/E LAN ports in the MZ71-CE0 or more cost-effective dual 1Gb/E in the MZ71-CE1.
Remote and Multiple Server Management:
As part of GIGABYTE’s value proposition, GIGABYTE provides GIGABYTE Management Console (GMC) for BMC server management via a web browser based platform. Whether for server monitoring, updating BIOS and firmware, or remote management, GMC delivers. Additionally, GIGABYTE Server Management (GSM) software can be downloaded and used to monitor and manage multiple servers. GMC and GSM offer a great value while reducing license and customer maintenance costs.
Taipei, Taiwan, October 26, 2020 – GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, announced today the release of the latest BIOS for the motherboards with the AMD X570, B550, and A520 chipsets to ensure the most comprehensive performance, compatibility, and reliability improvements for users to have the most pleasant user experience on their PCs equipped with AMD RyzenTM 5000 series processors.
AMD recently released the RyzenTM 5000 series processors which are the most extensive upgrade since 2017. The RyzenTM 5000 series includes four models of RyzenTM 9 5950X, RyzenTM 9 5900X, RyzenTM 7 5800X, and RyzenTM 5 5600X. With the enhancement by the brand new Zen3 core design, these four processors present monumental uplift on performance which attracts notable intension of users to expect further upgrade for their “AMD YES” systems.
GIGABYTE has released bootable BIOS in September to support RyzenTM 5000 series processors. However, our RD team worked closely with AMD to validate the latest AMD BIOS AGESA code in parallel with the belief of providing users with a better product experience. Also, prior to the official launch of the RyzenTM 5000 series processors, we work hard on the BIOS to optimize the Zen3 core’s performance and upload it to our websites available for download. This allows users to firsthand experience the compatibility and reliability improvements made possible from motherboards equipped with RyzenTM 5000 series processors when they get a hold of their processors while enjoying the advantages of the new processors on gaming experience, performance, and overclocking ability.
Users can update their motherboards’ BIOS by their familiar methods, such as ＠BIOS or Q-Flash. They can even utilize the Q-Flash Plus feature to update the BIOS without installing any processor, memory or even graphics card, making it possible for users to enjoy the benefits brought about by the new BIOS core and processors.
The latest BIOS for the AMD X570, B550, and A520 motherboards is available now on our websites. Users can visit the product websites to download and upgrade their systems to keep them in the best condition possible. At the same time, we are working on the BIOS for AMD X470 and B450 motherboards to support RyzenTM 5000 series processors and will release them as soon as possible. Remember to check out GIGABYTE’s website for the latest news.
The Latest AMD Platform Motherboard BIOS List:
| Chipset | BIOS Version |
| X570 | F31 |
| B550 | F11 |
| A520 | F11 |
| X470 | F60 |
| B450 | F60 |
Gigabyte states its Vision line offers “…a no-compromise platform that excels in performance, functionality, and stability… paving the way for creators to work faster and efficiently…” The Vision D is higher up the product stack than the Vision G, bringing more features to the table including integrated Wi-Fi, Thunderbolt 3 ports, and RGB lighting. The Vision G, on the other hand, is priced about $90 less and doesn’t include the features mentioned in the previous sentence.
Read more @ Tom’s Hardware
Gigabyte has the perfect motherboard for you too, the Gigabyte B550i AORUS PRO AX! B550 motherboards lack full PCI-Express 4.0 support, but you will get it on a single x16 slot and an M.2 slot, which means in the mini-ITX form factor you really aren’t losing all that much. Gigabyte’s B550i AORUS PRO AX is loaded with features which include a 6+2 VRM with 90A power stages, USB 3.2 support, dual M.2 slots, WiFi 6, 2.5G LAN, RGB lighting and much more! Is this the ultimate mini-ITX motherboard for Ryzen?
Read more @ ThinkComputers
The main things separating A520 boards from their more expensive B550 and X570 siblings are the use of cost-saving auxiliary controllers and circuitry, along with the use of lower quality power delivery systems. Many boards lack VRM heatsinks meaning they should not be used with the higher core count CPUs.
Read more @ PC Gamer
Their new Z370 Mini-ITX motherboard offers dual M.2 slots, dual Gbit LAN, WIFI, and even special features such as HDMI 3.0. The motherboard also features a new color theme; full RGB LED support and even an M.2 heat sink. The motherboard is significantly different than what GIGABYTE has offered in the past, so let’s see if it can compete with larger ATX motherboards.
Read more @ TweakTown
Today, we’ll be taking a quick look at the Gigabyte B550M DS3H motherboard. This motherboard utilizes the well-tested B550 chipset and comes in a micro ATX form factor, which is prefect for budget gamers, system builders and home theatre enthusiasts. It’s also compatible with all current 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen processors (Matisse or Renoir), with future compatibility for 4th Gen (5000 series with Zen 3 architecture) processors.
Read more @ AMD3D
A big differentiation between the normal model of the Z490 AORUS Ultra and the G2 edition, is that the latter in mention comes with an additional external DAC, which AORUS calls ESSENTIAL USB DAC, which is not only compatible for PC, but can also be used in laptops, smartphones or any USB type C input.
Read more @ XANXO Gaming (Spanish)
Our recommendations for motherboards are based entirely on my personal and professional opinion. There are notably a large number of different motherboards across the AMD chipsets including B450, X570 and more recently, B550, so I selected my top four picks based on the four market segments.
Read more @ AnandTech