Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7 motherboard review: «sum of technologies» for Arrow Lake connoisseurs

When laying the groundwork for a future PC build, you always want to get the most functionality with minimal investment. Despite the high popularity of the AM5 platform in the gaming community, the LGA1851 socket is considered by many Arrow Lake processor enthusiasts as a solid foundation for next-generation work and gaming systems. Today in our editorial review, we will test the Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7 and find out if it lives up to expectations when it comes to real-world use.

Technical specifications of Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7

Format	ATX
Socket	Intel LGA1851
Chipset	Intel Z890 Express Chipset
Power supply phases	19 (16+1+2)
RAM	4 x DDR5
Maximum amount of RAM	256 GB
Maximum frequency of RAM	9200 MHz
Video outputs	1 x Display Port 2.1 1 x HDMI 1.4
LAN controller	Realtek 2.5GbE LAN chip (2.5 Gbps/1 Gbps/100 Mbps)
Wireless interfaces	Wi-Fi 7 802.11be (2.4, 5, 6 GHz) MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 MT7925
	Bluetooth 5.4
PCI-E x16 connectors	1 x PCI Express 5.0 x16
	2 x PCI Express 4.0 x16 (x4)
M2 connectors	1 x M.2 Socket 3 (M.2 5110/22110/2580/2280; PCIe 5.0 x4
	1 x M.2 Socket 3 (M.2 22110/2280; PCIe 4.0 x4)
	1 x M.2 Socket 3 (M.2 22110/2280; PCIe 4.0 x4)
	1 x M.2 Socket 3 (M.2 22110/2280; PCIe 4.0 x4)
SATA connectors	4 x SATA 6 Gbps (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10)
USB (External ports, rear)	1 x USB 4 (Type-C)
	2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A)
	3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A)
	4 x USB 2.0 Type-A
USB (Internal ports, onboard)	1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (USB Type-C)
	1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1
	2 x USB 2.0
Sound	Realtek ALC897 (7.1) Audio CODEC
Illumination	3 x ARGB LED
	1 x RGB LED
Processor power supply	8 + 8 pin
Power supply for coolers	6 x 4 pin
Dimensions	305 × 244 mm
Additionally	Q-Flash, an indicator of the stages of POST processing
	Power, Reset, Clear CMOS keys
	2 x SATA cable

Test bench

To test the Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7, we assembled a system based on the processor Intel Core Ultra 9 285K. The tests were conducted on the Windows 11 24H2 ver. 26100.4061.
System configuration:

• Motherboard Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7;
• Processor Intel Core Ultra 9 285K;
• Cooling MSI MAG CoreLiquid A15 360;
• Drive Kingston FURY Renegade 3D NAND TLC 4TB;
• RAM G.Skill DDR5 32GB Trident Z5 Neo RGB;
• Power supply MSI MPG GS 850W;
• Monitor Acer Predator XB273UV3bmiiprx, 27″, QuadHD, IPS;
• Video card Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT AORUS ELITE.

Components, packaging and appearance Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7

The motherboard arrived in a black and orange box, which is made in the traditional Gigabyte style. On the front side we are greeted with basic information, and on the back, next to the image of the Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7, there are detailed specifications and a diagram of the rear panel. The box also contains a QR code to access additional information about the product, for those who want to quickly familiarize themselves with the details. Inside, the Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7 is protected by an antistatic bag

In the box with the board you will find the Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7, a user manual, a quick installation guide, a Wi-Fi 7 antenna with a special connector, and two SATA cables. The package, as you can see — minimalist.

The Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7 attracts attention with its interesting design and play of contrasts. The black matte PCB combined with silver radiators and white inserts looks futuristic and will fit into most cases. White accents on the rear interface panel and decorative lines add to the aesthetic appeal. The uncovered CR2032 battery looks a bit unusual and old-school.

The Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7 is designed in ATX (305 x 244 mm) format and is compatible with most standard cases. The built-in RGB lighting on the Game On logo, VRM area, and M.2 slots adds personality on the one hand, but does not look intrusive on the other.

Interfaces, connectors, accessories

The Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7 is based on the Intel Z890 Express chipset and supports Intel Core Ultra (Series II) processors via the LGA1851 socket. This means that the board is ready to work with the latest high-performance CPUs. It supports up to 256GB of DDR5 RAM with frequencies up to 9200 MHz

The board has four DIMM slots that support dual-channel memory architecture and XMP profiles for easy customization. All in all, the LGA1851 platform is a great choice for high-speed memory.

Four M.2 slots are provided for storage, one of which supports PCIe 5.0 x4 for the fastest SSDs, and the other three — PCIe 4.0. The high-speed slot is covered with a separate heatsink. There are also four SATA 6Gb/s ports for traditional drives with support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10.

 

Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7 offers a rich set of interfaces. The rear panel features four USB 2.0 ports, three USB 3.2 Gen 1, two USB 3.2 Gen 2, and one USB4 Type-C with video support. There’s also a DisplayPort, a 2.5 Gbps LAN port, Wi-Fi 7 antenna connectors, an optical S/PDIF output, and two audio jacks

Internal connectors include one 24-pin and two 8-pin power connectors, four M.2 slots with quick-release heatsinks, as well as fan connectors (24W, 2A is enough even for powerful and unusual solutions), RGB lighting (three ARGB + one RGB 12V). There is even an internal HDMI for connecting separate panels. There are three buttons on the board: power, reset, and Q-Flash Plus to update the BIOS without turning on the system.

The layout of the connectors is quite convenient, with most of them located at the edges of the board, which makes cable management easier. Mounting the drives is easy thanks to the convenient quick-release heatsinks. It’s nice that the chipset is cooled by a separate radiator, which does not come into contact with others and does not transfer excess heat to them.

Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7 is equipped with a good power supply stabilization unit. The VRM is built on a 19-phase (16+1+2) circuit. The manufacturer provides assemblies with an operating current of up to 60A for the processor (VCORE Phases), 40A for the built-in graphics (VCCGT Phase) and 60A for the system agent (VCCSA Phases).

The Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7 has a POST stage indication, which will allow you to understand which of the components has not passed the test in case the system does not show signs of life after assembly.

Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7 software

Gigabyte offers a BIOS with a familiar interface that remains intuitive for users of previous models. XMP settings and basic parameters are activated with a few clicks. The function of resizing the base address register (Re-size BAR) is also enabled there. It gives the CPU full access to the video memory, which helps to increase the frame rate in many games.

There are also three preset PerfDrive overclocking modes (BaseLine, Performance, Extreme) that allow you to increase performance without diving deep into manual settings.

The Gigabyte Control Center (GCC) application serves as the central management tool for the Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7. It allows you to customize the RGB backlighting (including synchronization with memory and video card), adjust fan speeds, and create custom cooling curves. The program also simplifies BIOS and driver updates, although you should check carefully during installation to avoid downloading unnecessary trial versions of software that can slow down the system. The software works stably, while the GCC interface is not overloaded and intuitive.

Performance, energy consumption and heating

The board showed good results during testing. In Cinebench, with the highest overclocking mode, you can get up to 2000 points in multi-core mode compared to the base settings, although the difference in single-core tests was minimal. In 3DMark CPU Profile, the overclocked result added about 1123 points. Gaming performance also increased, although the FPS increase depended on the specific game and rarely exceeded a few percent.

Power consumption remained within reasonable limits compared to other motherboards on this chipset. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K consumed up to 238 watts without overclockingThe Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7 radiators effectively coped with the loads, although with intensive overclocking the VRM temperature could rise to 60-62°C. In stock mode, the surface temperature was in the range of 36-38°C.

M.2 heat sinks also helped keep SSD temperatures low, but the lack of cooling on the underside of the drives can be a problem for dual-sided models.

The results of the M.2:

• PCIe 5.0 x4 — 14,538 MB/s read and 13,198 MB/s write (Samsung-9100-PRO-2TB);
• PCIe 4.0 x4 (via chipset) 6,8746 MB/s read and 6,697 MB/s write (Kingston FURY Renegade 3D NAND TLC 4TB);
• PCIe 4.0 x4 (via chipset) — 3557 MB/s read and 2816 MB/s write (Samsung 980).

Experience using Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7

Testing this board left mostly positive impressions. Installation of the components was easy thanks to the quick-release M.2 mounts and convenient placement of the connectors. Wi-Fi kept a stable connection even through several walls. The Realtek ALC897 audio codec produces sound that is suitable for simple everyday use, but it is unlikely to satisfy those who appreciate high-quality sound.

Proprietary software has shown its best side — Gigabyte Control Center. In my opinion, it is one of the most stable and convenient among most brandsThe system behaved without surprises during stress tests, including gaming and working with resource-intensive programs. There were no complaints when updating the BIOS or installing the system.

Price and competitors

At the time of inspection Gigabyte Z890 GAMING X WIFI7 is positioned in the middle price segment for motherboards based on the Z890 chipset. It can be purchased from 10,259 UAH, and this price seems justified given the set of features. Competitors, such as ASUS and MSI boards, offer similar features, sometimes with better audio solutions and additional «features». The choice between these options will depend on your priorities: if networking and high-frequency DDR5 support are important, the Gigabyte looks attractive. But if you need premium sound or more expansion slots, you should consider more expensive alternatives.

Among the competitors are Asus PRIME Z890-P WIFI, MSI Z890 GAMING PLUS WIFI and ASRock Z890 LiveMixer WiFi. The latter boasts the largest number of power phases, 22 of them, which may be of interest to overclockers. It also offers better sound thanks to Realtek ALC1220.

Asus PRIME Z890-P WIFI has 18 phases and supports a smaller memory size — 192 GB. It also lacks RGB backlighting, as in the MSI Z890 GAMING PLUS WIFIbut more slots PCIe. MSI also has an additional power supply PCIE_PWR 8pin.