According to Benchlife, Gigabyte has provided a pre-launch demo platform with specifications that match the X870 series. Currently, Gigabyte has three B650E (Extreme) motherboards that fully support PCIe Gen5 SSDs and GPUs: TACHYON (designed for overclocking), MASTER, and ELITE. It seems that Gigabyte will soon unveil a new motherboard, with updates on next-gen AM5 motherboards expected soon.
Benchlife has disclosed that AMD’s upcoming AM5 motherboards will adopt a different naming scheme than anticipated. Instead of X770/B750, the new names will likely be X870 and X850. The media report that the B650E AORUS PRO motherboard they tested has specifications and features expected from the X870 motherboard. This might be Gigabyte’s strategy to showcase the new features without violating the embargo by launching a new motherboard series before AMD officially approves it.
The board’s full name is B650E AORUS PRO X USB4, indicating its support for USB4. It also includes WiFi 7 and innovative features such as the Sensor Panel Link, a connector that lets users attach special panels to display system information in real-time without needing an external GPU. Although Gigabyte is not currently selling these panels, they provide a guide on how to connect one. This connector is already present on other motherboards like the Z790 AORUS PRO X.
The board also features the M.2 EZ-Latch Click and EZ-Latch Plus systems. The latter is designed for the graphics card, making GPU changes significantly easier than on traditional boards. The most intriguing feature, however, is the PCIe 5×16 slot, which includes Ultra Durable PCIe Armor—a special backplate that can support up to 58 kg, although it’s unlikely any GPU will reach that weight. This same interface is used on the Z790 AORUS PRO X, and Gigabyte confirms it can bear up to 10 times the load. The board will be showcased at Computex, potentially serving as a demo for X870 features.
Looking at the specifications, it turns out that this board is designed for Granite Ridge, which is AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors. In other words, the B650E AORUS PRO X USB4 motherboard matches the specifications of most AMD X870 motherboards. […]
When it comes to PCIe EZ-Latch Plus, of course we must also mention PCIe UD Slot X, a PCIe 5.0 slot design that can withstand a maximum weight of 58KG.
— Benchlife
Source & Images: Benchlife