We are excited about the Gigabyte with the recent launch of the Aorus Micro ATX Motherboard. The one to be checked today, issued last year (October 2020), immediately caught our eye.
Then we decided to put it in their steps to see what it could do in the motherboard market. So if nothing else, let’s go through the Gigabyte B450 AORUS V2 complete review with all its pros and cons to see if it’s the right choice for you. Let’s look at the discussion below.
Aorus micro atx motherboard Construction design
In my opinion, the B450 AORUS Elite V2 is Gigabyte’s most adventurous option this past year. I think it looks great because it has a brushed metal heatsink body and textured plastic chipset.
Rest of the AORUS models, including with the Gigabyte H470 PRO AX, also have orange stripes. The RGB LED located under the chipset illuminates the drawing of the AORUS logo, the RGB LED located on the chipset illuminates the AORUS Logo.
The heatsinks on this board are not as large as they should be and create an unreliable atmosphere, but this is to be expected at this price level. It is measuring 13.18 x 10.62 x 3.14 inches, where ATX format has been utilized for the board.
Socket and chipset
The gigabyte b450 aorus matx motherboard chipset has always remained the popular one in market for staying as the balanced one between the price and usability.
With this chipset you have a nice number of connection speeds and also a decent overclocking reserve, which allows you to increase the processor or memory speed to ok limits. This board is based on AM4 socket where it supports Ryzen processors from the Zen + to Zen 3 and is often ready to show support towards a series of 5000 CPUs.
Memory settings
As the only board in its class with four DDR4 DIMM slots, dual-channel, XMP support and 128 GB of total memory capacity, this board still fits the mid-range trend.
This board can only be overclocked to DDR4 3600 MHz thanks to the B450 chipset.
Unlike standard quality motherboards, its gigabyte B450m Aorus elite am4 micro-ATX motherboard does not feature steel security in its memory slots.
Overclocking and recommended processes
The cooling system on this motherboard is one of the best under $100, even though it is a cheap motherboard. However, its short VRM phases make it unlikely to achieve overclocking without overheating with a +100W system processor.
It is recommended that you use a CPU such as AMD Ryzen 7 3700X if you wish to overclock it. If you do not overclock it and use a decent cooler, you can also use the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X processor.
Generally, if the processor on the B450 Aorus Micro ATX am4 motherboard you select supports the AM4 socket and is less than 105W, you may use it on the motherboard without any issues.
VRM & connectors
In addition, this board has 8 + 2 phase digital dual power with low RDS (on) MOSFETs, which provide enough filtering power to your CPU.
This number inside the heatsinks is known to be among main reason that why you should not be using this board with any other additional 100W processor. If so, you can choose the option of Gigabyte X570 UD as a cheap top choice.
Power ports and SSD
To get started, you will need a 24-pin ATX power cord and an 8-pin ATX 12V power cord to power this board. In addition, you will be having 2 x M.2 Socket 3 connectors which are fully protected first, by keeping away the SSD running at the lower temperatures.
Pros
- Good aesthetics
- 2x PCIe x16 slots
- Cheap
- SSD M.2 with the shield
- Having RGB LEDs
Cons
- Unprotected RAM slots
- 1x M.2 only with shield
Conclusion
The Gigabyte B450 AORUS Elite V2 is a great choice for those who want to save but still provide a motherboard that you won’t leave empty-handed. Keep in mind that this Aorus Micro ATX Motherboard is currently clearly out of cheapest B450 models. Depending on the CPU you plan to access, you may need some cooling system reliability.