A leaked image of the Gigabyte AORUS Z890 PRO ICE motherboard’s PCB has surfaced, revealing details about Intel’s upcoming Core Ultra Desktop CPUs. Shared by well-known hardware leaker @9550pro on X, the photo of the early Gigabyte AORUS Z890 motherboard PCB provides key insights into Intel’s next-generation platform. It also confirms the previously speculated naming conventions for both the motherboard chipset and Intel’s forthcoming CPUs.
Several motherboard manufacturers showcased their Z890 motherboards but had to conceal the chipset name and CPU support due to Intel’s embargo. However, some boards still revealed the socket and chipset naming conventions.
The motherboard, part of the AORUS lineup, is officially named the “Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Pro ICE,” as indicated near the DIMMs. It is evident that this motherboard is designed for the forthcoming Intel Core Ultra processors, specifically the Intel Arrow Lake chips, confirming the naming convention ahead of Intel’s official announcement.
Although the socket is absent from the board, the name “LGA 1851” is clearly marked near one corner. Additionally, the board will exclusively use DDR5 memory, fully adopting the new memory standard, unlike the LGA 1700 platform. A recent leak indicates that Intel’s 800 motherboard series will include five different chipsets, with Z890 being the flagship model. This appears to be an early PCB since Gigabyte has already showcased the official motherboard at Computex, which features a white PCB.
The Z890 motherboard will feature a total of 60 HSIO lanes: 26 from the CPU and 34 from the PCH. It will also provide 48 PCI-E lanes, supporting Gen 5.0 speeds natively for both M.2 storage drives and graphics cards. The Z890 chipset is expected to launch first, with other chipsets following in 2025.
According to recent reports, both Z890 motherboards and Intel Core Ultra 200 “K-Series” CPUs are set to launch in October this year. The initial CPU release will include unlocked models rated at 125W, available alongside the Z890 motherboards. While some specs for the Core Ultra 9 285K have leaked, details on other SKUs remain undisclosed. Additionally, 35W and 65W variants are anticipated, but they are likely to debut next year along with the locked 800 series chipsets.
Source: HXL
Images credit: @9550pro, Wccftech
