I have a soft spot for MSI’s Project Zero kickstarting the rear connector motherboard trend because it’s just so much cleaner than a traditional setup. That said, I have an even softer spot for white components. Hopping on the trend, Gigabyte B650E Aorus Stealth Ice is the world’s first to do both.
I won’t bore you to death by going on about how all PC components are better in white. They are, but that’s a horse I’ve beaten to within an inch of its life. Instead, I’ll just make the bold statement that Gigabyte is perhaps the globe’s premier maker of bleached hardware. Few brands get it so consistent and even fewer offer so many options for you to take your pick.
B650E Aorus Stealth Ice is the latest to enter the arena, and it looks like a treat. Granted, it’s not entirely without pigment, as the giant brushed aluminium heatsink gives more definition than you’d expect. However, this is a staple on Gigabyte motherboards, which often feature silver metallic fins. As you can see from our Computex photos, the pink hues bounce off the surface gloriously, showing you just how reflective it is of your RGB lighting.
Based on the B650E chipset, the motherboard can house the best CPUs from AMD, including Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 Series. It’s not quite as feature-packed as the new Gigabyte Aorus X870E, but it also won’t be as costly. The company tells us that it’s maintaining a focus on B650E, as well as B650, because it’s where gamers find the most value.
With ports relocated to the backside, you’ll need to be careful when buying a case that supports the feature. Gigabyte says it’s maximised compatibility for mainstream chassis, but you’ll still need to look out for the “Reverse Connector” branding. Our pick would probably be Corsair 2500D or 2500X, but there are plenty of new ones floating around the event in Taipei we’ve yet to take a peek at.
Gigabyte hasn’t shared much about what’s going on under the hood, but I hope that it’d have USB4 support, similar to the new B650E Aorus Pro X. At the very least, you can see an EZ-Latch Plus, making M.2 drives that much easier to swap.
Much like specs, price is also in the wind. You’ll likely see a design tax of sorts for the unconventional motherboard layout. I’d guess somewhere around the $300 mark. We’ll let you know as soon as Gigabyte settles on a release date. Fingers crossed that won’t be too much longer after the event.