After first unveiling them at this year’s Computex, Gigabyte has launched its series of new X299X motherboards designed for compatibility with Intel’s 14nm++ 10th-gen Core i9 Cascade Lake chips as well as existing CPUs from the Core i9-7000 and Core i9-9000 series.
X299X Motherboard Series
The new series features three motherboards; the X299 AORUS Xtreme Waterforce, X299X AORUS Master, and X299X Desginare 10G.
X299X AORUS Xtreme Waterforce
Top of the class is the X299X AORUS Xtreme Waterforce that stands as Gigabyte’s cutting-edge model geared towards the niche enthusiast builder tranche of the market. As the name implies, it features a water block extension running from the CPU down to M.2. It’s an all-round beast that packs the foundations for some serious performance coupled with a sleek design. Visually, it’s a bit like peering into what we imagine to be the innards of a dystopian neon nightclub in Cyberpunk 2077.
Here are the full features:
- Supports Intel® Core™ X-series Processor Family
- Quad Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 8 DIMMs up to 256 GB
- Intel® Optane™ Memory Ready
- 16 Phases IR Digital VRM Solution with 70A Power Stage
- World’s First AORUS All-In-One Monoblock for CPU, VRM, SSD, and PCH
- Intel® Thunderbolt™ 3 Onboard
- Onboard Intel® WiFi 6 802.11ax 2T2R & BT 5 with 2X AORUS Antenna
- 130dB SNR AMP-UP Audio with High-End ESS SABRE 9218 DAC, ALC1220 and WIMA Audio Capacitors on Front and Rear Audio Output
- AQUANTIA® 10GbE BASE-T LAN and Intel® Gigabit LAN with cFosSpeed
- Exclusive AORUS Gen4 AIC Adaptor for Extra 4x NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2
- Exclusive RGB FAN COMMANDER for Professional Casemodders
- Watercooled Dual Ultra-Fast NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2
- 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
- 2 x Front USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C™ Header
- Q-Flash Plus Update BIOS without Installing CPU, Memory and Graphics card
X299X AORUS Master
Next up, we have the X299X AORUS Master, which is Gigabyte’s E-ATX form factor model. It packs much of the same features as the Xtreme model, including a gorgeous, polished design, but differs in that its Gigabyte’s E-ATX form factor model and packs a rather novel network of aluminum fin-based heatsinks.
Full features:
- Supports Intel® Core™ X-series Processor Family
- Quad Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 8 DIMMs up to 256 GB
- Intel® Optane™ Memory Ready
- 12 Phases IR Digital VRM Solution with 70A Power Stage
- Onboard Intel® WiFi 6 802.11ax 2T2R & BT 5 with AORUS Antenna
- 130dB SNR AMP-UP Audio with High-End ESS SABRE 9218 DAC, ALC1220, and WIMA Audio Capacitors
- Onboard AQUANTIA 5GbE BASE-T LAN and Intel® Gigabit LAN with cFosSpeed
- Triple Ultra-Fast NVMe PCIe 4.0/3.0 x4 M.2 with Triple Thermal Guards
- USB TurboCharger for Mobile Device Fast Charge Support
- RGB FUSION 2.0 supported 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 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C™ Header
- Q-Flash Plus update BIOS without installing CPU, Memory and Graphics card
- Supports 4 Way Dual Wide PCIe Slots
X299X Designare-10G
Last but not least, Gigabyte has launched the X299X Designare-10G. It packs less visual oomph than its flashier siblings, and with it, Gigabyte has its sights firmly set on the workstation market. That’s no to say it doesn’t feature some top of the range specifications; it’s just devoid of frivolities such as the RGB light show. The overall aesthetics are a little more reserved than the other two in the range but are super sharp with futuristic practicality to them.
Full features are:
- Supports Intel® Core™ X-series Processor Family
- Quad Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 8 DIMMs up to 256 GB
- 12 Phases IR Digital VRM Solution with 70A Power Stage
- Advanced Fins-Array Thermal Design with Extended Heatpipes and Back Plate
- Intel® Thunderbolt™ 3 – The USB-C that Does it All
- Server-class Intel® X550-AT2 Dual 10GbE with cFosSpeed
- Onboard Intel® WiFi 6 AX200 802.11ax 2T2R & BT5 with 2X AORUS Antenna
- ALC1220-VB Enhance 114dB(Rear) / 110dB(Front) SNR in Microphone with WIMA Audio Capacitor
- Exclusive AORUS Gen4 AIC Adaptor for Extra 4*PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe M.2 Sockets
- 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
- Q-Flash Plus Update BIOS without Installing CPU, Memory and Graphics Card
- Intel® Optane™ Memory Ready
Final Word
Gigabyte is the first motherboard manufacturer to unveil its entire lineup in earnest, but we can expect many others to follow suit as we match towards the release of Intel’s new X-series CPU.
Gigabyte stopped short of providing prices for all three models, but we imagine an announcement should see the light of day before too long.