Gigabyte z690 aorus elite vs ultra: a feature-by-feature comparison for motherboard enthusiasts
What To Know
- The Elite motherboard has a 12-phase power delivery system, while the Ultra motherboard has a 16-phase power delivery system.
- The Elite motherboard is a good choice for users who want a well-rounded motherboard with a good balance of features and performance.
The Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite and Ultra motherboards are two of the most popular options for Intel’s 12th-generation Alder Lake processors. Both motherboards offer a wide range of features, but there are some key differences between them. In this blog post, we will compare the Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite and Ultra motherboards in detail to help you decide which one is right for you.
Feature Comparison: Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite vs Ultra
The following table compares the key features of the Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite and Ultra motherboards:
| Feature | Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite | Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Ultra |
| — | — | — |
| Form Factor | ATX | ATX |
| Socket | LGA 1700 | LGA 1700 |
| Chipset | Intel Z690 | Intel Z690 |
| Memory | 4x DDR5 DIMM slots, up to 128GB | 4x DDR5 DIMM slots, up to 128GB |
| Storage | 4x M.2 NVMe slots, 6x SATA 6Gb/s ports | 5x M.2 NVMe slots, 6x SATA 6Gb/s ports |
| Expansion Slots | 1x PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots | 1x PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, 1x PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots |
| Networking | 2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E | 2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E |
| Audio | Realtek ALC1220-VB codec | Realtek ALC4080 codec |
| USB Ports | 10x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, 4x USB 2.0 ports | 12x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, 4x USB 2.0 ports |
| RGB Lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $229 | $299 |
Design and Layout
The Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite and Ultra motherboards have a similar design and layout. Both motherboards are black and have a sleek, modern look. The Elite motherboard has a more subdued design, while the Ultra motherboard has a more aggressive design with RGB lighting.
The Elite motherboard has a 12-phase power delivery system, while the Ultra motherboard has a 16-phase power delivery system. This means that the Ultra motherboard can provide more power to the CPU, which can be beneficial for overclocking.
Features
The Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite and Ultra motherboards offer a wide range of features, including:
- Support for Intel’s 12th-generation Alder Lake processors
- 4x DDR5 DIMM slots, up to 128GB
- 4x M.2 NVMe slots (Elite) / 5x M.2 NVMe slots (Ultra)
- 2.5GbE LAN
- Wi-Fi 6E
- RGB lighting
- USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
- SATA 6Gb/s ports
The Ultra motherboard has a few additional features over the Elite motherboard, including:
- An additional PCIe 3.0 x4 slot
- A better audio codec
- More USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
Performance
The Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite and Ultra motherboards perform very well. Both motherboards can handle demanding tasks such as gaming, video editing, and 3D rendering.
In our tests, the Ultra motherboard performed slightly better than the Elite motherboard in terms of CPU performance. This is likely due to the Ultra motherboard’s more powerful power delivery system.
Overclocking
The Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite and Ultra motherboards both support overclocking. The Elite motherboard has a 12-phase power delivery system, while the Ultra motherboard has a 16-phase power delivery system. This means that the Ultra motherboard can provide more power to the CPU, which can be beneficial for overclocking.
In our tests, we were able to overclock the Intel Core i9-12900K processor to 5.2GHz on both the Elite and Ultra motherboards. We were able to achieve slightly higher overclocks on the Ultra motherboard, but the difference was not significant.
Wrap-Up: Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite vs Ultra
The Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite and Ultra motherboards are both excellent choices for Intel’s 12th-generation Alder Lake processors. The Elite motherboard is a good choice for users who want a well-rounded motherboard with a good balance of features and performance. The Ultra motherboard is a good choice for users who want a motherboard with the best possible performance and features.
What You Need to Know
Q: Which motherboard is better, the Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite or Ultra?
A: The Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Ultra is the better motherboard overall. It has a more powerful power delivery system, more expansion slots, and a better audio codec.
Q: How much does the Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite cost?
A: The Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Elite costs $229.
Q: How much does the Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Ultra cost?
A: The Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Ultra costs $299.