Gigabyte TRX40 Aorus Master Review

1. Introduction2. Board Layout and Features3. UEFI & Software4. Testing Methodology5. Tests: CPU Related6. Tests: Memory Related7. Tests: Gaming Related8. Tests: Motherboard Features Performance9. Overclocking & Power Consumption10. Closing Thoughts11. View All Pages

Gigabyte’s TRX40 Aorus Master is aiming to offer enthusiasts with a positive balance of features, high-performance cooling, and an eye-catching aesthetic design for their Threadripper system. Coming in at just below £500 in the UK, the TRX40 Aorus Master competes directly with ASUS’ TRX40-E Gaming but does many things in a very different manner.

Can Gigabyte’s offering prove itself as the ‘Master’ at this price point?

AMD’s TRX40 platform is unequivocally feature-rich when it comes to options for motherboard vendors. As such, Gigabyte has made the decision to deploy the TRX40 Aorus Master on an Extended-ATX PCB in order to squeeze in all the necessary features and cooling hardware.

With a 16+3 phase power delivery solution and active cooling for the finned VRM heatsink, it is clear to see that Gigabyte is not cutting corners with its power capabilities. The emphasis on cooling performance even continues to the back of the TRX40 Aorus Master with Gigabyte deploying a ‘NanoCarbon Coated’ backplate (which is marketing speak for a thermally enhanced sheet of aluminium).

Featuring 5 Gigabit Ethernet, triple M.2 slots, a right-angled 24-pin connector, and the promise of superb fan capabilities, let’s take a close look at the Gigabyte TRX40 Aorus Master.

Features (information taken from the Gigabyte webpage):

• Supports 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ Processors
• Quad Channel ECC/ Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 8 DIMMs
• 16+3 Phases Infineon Digital VRM Solution with 70A Power Stage
• Advanced Thermal Design with Fins-Array Heatsink, Heatpipe with Extended Heatsink and NanoCarbon Baseplate
• AQUANTIA^® 5GbE LAN and Intel^® GbE LAN with cFosSpeed
• 3 Ultra-Fast NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 with Thermal Guards
• Onboard Intel^® WiFi 6 802.11ax 2T2R & BT 5
• 130dB SNR AMP-UP Audio with High-End ESS SABRE 9218 DAC, ALC1220-VB and WIMA Audio Capacitors
• USB TurboCharger for Mobile Device Fast Charge Support
• RGB FUSION 2.0 with Multi-Zone Addressable LED Light Show Design, Support Addressable LED & RGB LED Strips
• Smart Fan 5 Features Multiple Temperature Sensors, Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP and Noise Detection
• Front & Rear USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C™ Header
• Q-Flash Plus Update BIOS Without Installing CPU, Memory and Graphics Card

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