TheOverclocker Presents - X570 AORUS MASTER

THEOVERCLOCKER PRESENTS

X570 AORUS MASTER

THEOVERCLOCKER PRESENTS

The X570 AORUS MASTER W

hat’s this you ask?

Well it’s “TheOverclocker presents” - series. What that means is exactly what you see here. A single product/event or feature magazine that is not only way more fun for us to work on, but hopefully more digestible for you as well (A lot less waffle). This format allows us to still do what we love, but without the difficulty of putting together an entire magazine.

...this reduced format allows a more sincere editorial, similar I hope to how one would interact with a friend....

So now that I’ve told you what this is all about. Let me tell you about this particular X570 AORUS MASTER which helped inspire this move instead of ending entirely as was the plan. Usually when one has to review a motherboard, CPU, etc. you have a fixed amount of time with that product or component before it needs to get written, laid out etc. The issue with this is that products change over their life cycle. Some motherboards see dramatic changes while others do not. There’s no way to know this until you actually test at the time to see what has changed if anything.

Since my opinion is based squarely on what one perceives of a product at the time of testing, it can end up being an unreliable representation of what the product actually is. These changes can happen literally while you’re in layout.

So, you’re aware what you have here isn’t true anymore, but because of the nature of publishing, you must put it out as is.

Easier to fix on video or website, but annoying in print.

Take for instance the chipset fan on the X570 AORUS MASTER. Earlier in the board’s life cycle, this operated at a fixed speed. It was unbearably loud, yet this changed with subsequent UEFI updates (added fan speed control). By the time this happened though I had already written the web review of the board.

That’s but one example. Another instance of this relates to DRAM support and/or overclocking. Again, when I initially tested the motherboard, I had issues operating the IF clock at anything past 1833MHz. Even then, it wasn’t always able to finish the POST. Naturally this meant all results were limited by these issues. Does it make a difference under LN2 or in my case, Dry Ice? Nope not in the least, but it was a particular behavior of the motherboard at the time.

So, if you read the web review now, it doesn’t reflect what the X570 AORUS MASTER is capable of today This is why this format works, as it literally allows one to take a second look a reasonable amount of time later and evaluate the overall product/component experience.

Past the specifications & benchmark figures of a high end gaming notebook for instance, is it something one can live with? That's what this format is about.

The nature of that kind of editorial is longer lasting therefore more appropriate for this format.

All that aside, it allows a more sincere editorial, similar I hope to how one would interact with a friend. There’s no need to run through all the features, etc. One can easily find those on the website and having myself simply add words between a specifications sheet ( which tends to happen with web reviews) isn’t how you’d tell a person about your experiences with a product. Since this is the 1st, it may still be a little formal, but as it goes on, here’s hoping I can get into the groove and really express what living with a product or component is actually like rather than telling you what it is only.

I do find this a lot more comfortable and I can better utilize the fixed word count budget. One can only hope that is this more candid way of approaching the subject is as appreciated if not more so.

One can still read the web review and get the numbers from it, but with this series, I hope you get a more rounded more transparent opinion rather than purely what the motherboard can and cannot do technically.

With that said, see you in say three weeks or four (crazy right?)

EDITORIAL

TheOverclocker Presents

X570 AORUS MASTER

G I G A BY T E

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latforms come and go and so too do motherboards build around such platforms. In AMD’s case however, they tend to have their chipsets or at least sockets stick around for quite a while. So, buying an AMD based motherboard is almost always going to be a longer-term investment as compared to Intel chipsets.

At least this holds true for the desktop platform, maybe less so for HEDT. Regardless, what this means is that you’ll want to buy essentially once and use the same board for as long as possible. With the GIGABYTE X570 AORUS MASTER, you just may have the chance to do that. Not only because of the platform feature set, but with all the additional functionality available on this board in particular.

As usual there really isn’t much for board vendors to add to their offerings especially if AMD or INTEL cram so much into the chipset. Nowhere is this more vivid than with the X570. Native PCIe Gen4 and USB 3.2 Gen2 to name the major platform features. That already sorts out all motherboards with cutting edge interfaces. To which, companies such as GIGABYTE will add additional

...the AORUS MASTER features a pretty beefed up audio system...

ICs to provide Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 support, which is precisely what they’ve done here. Naturally it doesn’t stop there, GIGABYTE like competing vendors goes the extra step with either a 2.5G/5G or sometimes on specific boards 10G ethernet. On the AORUS MASTER, it’s the more modest 2.5G Realtek LAN, though I doubt many will lament it not being of the faster variety.

That said and true to GIGABYTE’s history, the AORUS MASTER features a pretty beefed up audio system, built around the premium ALC S1220-VB CODEC, paired with the ESS SABRE 9118 DAC. The rest is as you’d expect, Nichicon WIMA, fine gold capacitors and an Op-AMP for supporting high impedance headsets (auto detect). Overall, notable audio capabilities which are always welcomed.

That's all appreciated, but that isn't special.

What makes this motherboard special in my books comes down to power delivery as the AORUS MASTER is only one of two motherboards on the market which make use of the next generation Infineon multiphase digital VRM. As you know by now this board doesn’t use any doublers (which supposedly helps with transient response) as all 14-phases are controlled directly by the Infineon XDPE 132GSC with each phase featuring a 50A IR3556 Power Stage. Plenty of power for any sort of overclocking, regardless of the CPU installed (that includes the Ryzen 9 3950X).

THEOVERCLOCKER PRESENTS

X570 AORUS MASTER

This is a first as far as I’m aware for gaming boards and in turns out the AORUS MASTER it’s pretty competent as well. Resident overclocker at GIGABYTE, HiCookie posted an incredible Cinebench R15 score of 4,317 (See pic) with a Ryzen 9 3900X at a mighty 5,525MHz on the X570 AORUS MASTER. So, it’s quite clear the board has the minerals for extreme overclocking. As for the more regular overclocking, it delivers the goods. Especially with the latest BIOS as the time of writing, based on the new AGESA 1.0.0.3ABBA, clock frequencies are exactly what you might expect under normal operation.

When using a manual overclock, it’s rock solid and really simple. Just select the multiplier, set the operating voltage and appropriate load line calibration and you’re good to go.

...AORUS MASTER is only one of two motherboards on the market which makes use of the next generation Infineon multiphase digital VRM...

The X570 AORUS MASTER

R

egarding memory support, initially I had some issues getting both the Infinity Fabric and DRAM clock to be in synch. That is 1,900MHz respectively. That was with the earlier BIOS though. As it is right now, this is fairly simple (as it should be on all motherboards) and shouldn’t pose any problems. I’m aware that there are others who may have trouble with very high-speed DRAM kits. In this instance, all I can say is check the QVL rather and this will hold true for most motherboards. The days of assuming that any one particular set should work on every board of the same chipset and socket are gone, especially with DDR4 3600+ kits. Yes, overclocking boards depending on memory trace layout and signal tuning are more tolerant, but to save yourself a potential headache, always check the QVL. This actually brings me to the AORUS MASTER’s UEFI where overlcockers and enthusiasts alike will spend some time. GIGABYTE has finally given their UEFI some much needed attention. It is by all accounts the best GIGABYTE has ever had.

As stated in the web review of the motherboard, the UEFI has received the HD treatment which helps make it easier on the eye and modernizes it to some degree.

Not everything though has been upgraded. There remains quite a few legacy parts which are low res and some of the legacy quirks remain in the UEFI.

...In just sheer build quality, the AORUS MASTER is quite incredible...

For instance, FCLK controls are not in the Tweaker tab as you might expect. You have to navigate your way to the AMD CBS menu and then another menu within to find this. Odd to only have it there and not represented with other overclocking setting as well.

Loadline settings have also been upgraded or changed if you will. We now have a graphical representation of what each level of loadline calibration means for vCore. That said, the available options are still far too many, with nine in total and some remain synonymous with each other for example AUTO, Standard and Normal. Outside of that one can appreciate the advances here no matter how small. Overall, it’s a much better place to be than say a few generations ago.

THEOVERCLOCKER PRESENTS

So, what is it like living with the AORUS MASTER? Well, initially it wasn’t that great to be honest.

Not because of anything major, but because of the small oversight on GIGABYTE’s part which was forgetting to add controls for the chipset FAN. That meant it was always at full tilt regardless of temperature. This was patched pretty early adding three settings that made the entire experience significantly better. It’s amazing how a small thing like this can take away from what is otherwise a solid motherboard offering.

When it comes to the Windows software there isn’t much if anything you’ve not seen before.

I would have liked to see an updated UX on their application suit and a more streamlined package. The presentation is exactly as it was a number of years ago, not bad but a missed opportunity to do something truly unique and in line with other firsts on the motherboard.

There’s always next time, but for now it’s all workable if not a little clunky sometimes. GIGABYTE’s SSD Tool Box UX for their NVMe drives looks great and perhaps should be adapted for their other software as well.

Word to the wise, GIGABYTE’ RGB Fusion isn’t the most obvious software package there is and even if nothing else is updated in the software or even UEFI, this package needs an overhaul. Again, it mostly comes down to UX, more than it does functionality.

Overall, I’m pretty stoked about this board. I do recognize that there are a few areas which prevent it from being an outright legend, but it’s a commendable effort on GIGABYTE’s part. Since we no longer have the SOC range, it’s good to see GIGABYTE give a tiny nod to overclockers by including voltage measuring pads, conveniently located power/reset buttons and of course the Q-Code LED. In just sheer build quality, the AORUS MASTER is quite incredible.

First impressions are

X570 AORUS MASTER

HiCookie 5.52GHz CineBench R15

strong and when mounted inside a sensible chassis, it looks phenomenal. GIGABYTE has done a stellar job in this regard.

In closing this is a solid offering. It may not necessarily be everyone’s cup of tea, but when you combine everything on offer, it’s an awesome place to start when building a high end 3rd generation Ryzen PC.