GIGA-BYTE TECHNOLOGY Z690 AORUS ELITE AX User manual

Z690 AORUS ELITE AX
User's Manual
Rev. 1401
For more product details, please visit GIGABYTE's website.
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z690-AORUS-ELITE-AX-rev-14?m=ma#kf
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Copyright
©2023 GIGA-BYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. All rights reserved.
The trademarks mentioned in this manual are legally registered to their respective owners.
Disclaimer
Information in this manual is protected by copyright laws and is the property of GIGABYTE.
Changes to the specications and features in this manual may be made by GIGABYTE without
prior notice. No part of this manual may be reproduced, copied, translated, transmitted, or
published in any form or by any means without GIGABYTE's prior written permission.
For detailed product information, carefully read the User's Manual.
For quick set-up of the product, refer to the Quick Installation Guide on GIGABYTE's
website.
https://download.gigabyte.com/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_quick-guide_am5.pdf?m=sw
For product-related information, check on our website at: https://www.gigabyte.com
Identifying Your Motherboard Revision
The revision number on your motherboard looks like this: "REV: X.X." For example, "REV: 1.0"
means the revision of the motherboard is 1.0. Check your motherboard revision before updating
motherboard BIOS, drivers, or when looking for technical information.
Example:

- 3 -
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Product Introduction.......................................................................................4
1-1 Motherboard Layout......................................................................................... 4
1-2 Motherboard Block Diagram ............................................................................ 5
Chapter 2 Hardware Installation .....................................................................................6
2-1 Installation Precautions.................................................................................... 6
2-2 Product Specications...................................................................................... 7
2-3 Installing the CPU and CPU Cooler ............................................................... 10
2-4 Installing the Memory..................................................................................... 13
2-5 Installing an Expansion Card ......................................................................... 14
2-6 Back Panel Connectors.................................................................................. 15
2-7 Onboard Buttons and LEDs ........................................................................... 17
2-8 Internal Connectors........................................................................................ 19
Chapter 3 BIOS Setup ..................................................................................................32
Chapter 4 Installing the Operating System and Drivers................................................34
4-1 Operating System Installation ........................................................................ 34
4-2 Drivers Installation.......................................................................................... 35
Chapter 5 Appendix ......................................................................................................36
5-1 Conguring a RAID Set.................................................................................. 36
Regulatory Notices.................................................................................................... 37
Contact Us ................................................................................................................ 40

- 4 -
1-1 Motherboard Layout
Chapter 1 Product Introduction
DP_HDMI20
U320G
U32
U32_LAN
LGA1700
ATX
AUDIO
DDR5_A1 DDR5_A2 DDR5_B1 DDR5_B2
BAT
Intel®Z690
CLR_CMOS
M_BIOS
THB_C1 THB_C2
CODEC
PCIEX16
PCIEX4_1
PCIEX4_2
F_U32C
F_U32
80110
M2A_CPU
80110
M2P_SB
80110
M2Q_SB
80110
M2M_SB
Z690 AORUS ELITE AX
RST_SW
F_USB2
RST
LED_C1F_AUDIO
SPI_TPM F_USB1D_LED1 SYS_FAN1 SYS_FAN3 F_PANEL
CPU_FAN
CPU_OPT
SYS_FAN2 SYS_FAN4_PUMP
QFLASH_PLUS
iTE®
Super I/O
D_LED2
LED_C2
ATX_12V_2X4_2ATX_12V_2X4_1
USB 2.0 Hub
QFLED
USB 2.0 Hub
M2_WIFI
SATA3 3 5 7
2 4 6
VGA CPU
BOOT DRAM
USB20
U32G2
Intel®
2.5GbE LAN
Temperature sensors

- 5 -
1-2 Motherboard Block Diagram
CPU CLK+/- (80~800 MHz)
DMI 4.0
4 SATA 6Gb/s
(SATA3 4~7)
eSPI
Bus
SPI
Bus
DDI
iTE®
Super I/O
5 USB 3.2 Gen 1
8 USB 2.0/1.1
1 USB Type-C®,
with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support
2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
1 DisplayPort
BIOS
TPM
PCI Express 5.0 Bus
1 PCI Express x16
x16
USB 2.0
Hub
1 HDMI
1 USB Type-C®,
with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support
LGA1700 CPU
PCI Express 4.0 Bus
1 M.2 Socket 3
(M2A_CPU)
1 M.2 Socket 3
(M2M_SB)
2 SATA 6Gb/s
(SATA3 2, 3)
PCI Express 4.0 Bus
2 M.2 Socket 3
(M2P_SB, M2Q_SB)
Switch
or
x4
2 PCI Express x4
DDR5 5600 (Note)/5200 (Note)/4800/4400 MT/s
PCI Express 4.0 Bus
x4
x4 x4 x4
(Note) Actual support may vary by CPU.
Line Out
MIC
S/PDIF Out
Intel®Z690
M.2 WIFI
CODEC
PCI Express Bus
x1
CNVi
LAN
RJ45
x1
Intel®2.5GbE
LAN

- 6 -
2-1 Installation Precautions
The motherboard contains numerous delicate electronic circuits and components which can become
damaged as a result of electrostatic discharge (ESD). Prior to installation, carefully read the user's
manual and follow these procedures:
•Prior to installation, make sure the chassis is suitable for the motherboard.
•Prior to installation, do not remove or break motherboard S/N (Serial Number) sticker or
warranty sticker provided by your dealer. These stickers are required for warranty validation.
•Always remove the AC power by unplugging the power cord from the power outlet before
installing or removing the motherboard or other hardware components.
•When connecting hardware components to the internal connectors on the motherboard, make
sure they are connected tightly and securely.
•When handling the motherboard, avoid touching any metal leads or connectors.
•It is best to wear an electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap when handling electronic
components such as a motherboard, CPU or memory. If you do not have an ESD wrist strap,
keep your hands dry and rst touch a metal object to eliminate static electricity.
•Prior to installing the motherboard, please have it on top of an antistatic pad or within an
electrostatic shielding container.
•Before connecting or unplugging the power supply cable from the motherboard, make sure
the power supply has been turned off.
•Before turning on the power, make sure the power supply voltage has been set according to
the local voltage standard.
•Before using the product, please verify that all cables and power connectors of your hardware
components are connected.
•To prevent damage to the motherboard, do not allow screws to come in contact with the
motherboard circuit or its components.
•Make sure there are no leftover screws or metal components placed on the motherboard or
within the computer casing.
•Do not place the computer system on an uneven surface.
•Do not place the computer system in a high-temperature or wet environment.
•Turning on the computer power during the installation process can lead to damage to system
components as well as physical harm to the user.
•If you are uncertain about any installation steps or have a problem related to the use of the
product, please consult a certied computer technician.
•If you use an adapter, extension power cable, or power strip, ensure to consult with its installation
and/or grounding instructions.
Chapter 2 Hardware Installation

- 7 -
2-2 ProductSpecications
CPU LGA1700 socket: Support for the 13th Generation Intel®Core™Processors and
12th Generation Intel®Core™, Pentium®Gold and Celeron®Processors
(Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest CPU support list.)
L3 cache varies with CPU
Chipset Intel®Z690 Express Chipset
Memory 13th Generation Intel®Core™i9/i7 Processors:
- Support for DDR5 5600/5200/4800/4400 MT/s memory modules
13th Generation Intel®Core™i5/i3 and 12th Generation Intel®Core™, Pentium®
Gold and Celeron®Processors:
- Support for DDR5 4800/4400 MT/s memory modules
 4 x DDR5 DIMM sockets supporting up to 128 GB (32 GB single DIMM capacity)
of system memory
Dual channel memory architecture
Support for ECC Un-buffered DIMM 1Rx8/2Rx8 memory modules (operate in
non-ECC mode)
Support for non-ECC Un-buffered DIMM 1Rx8/2Rx8/1Rx16 memory modules
Support for Extreme Memory Prole (XMP) memory modules
(Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest supported memory speeds and memory
modules.)
Onboard
Graphics
Integrated Graphics Processor-Intel®HD Graphics support:
- 1 x DisplayPort, supporting a maximum resolution of 4096x2304@60 Hz
* Support for DisplayPort 1.2 version and HDCP 2.3
- 1 x HDMI port, supporting a maximum resolution of 4096x2160@60 Hz
* Support for HDMI 2.0 version and HDCP 2.3.
(Graphics specications may vary depending on CPU support.)
Audio Realtek®Audio CODEC
High Denition Audio
2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
* You can change the functionality of an audio jack using the audio software. To congure
7.1-channel audio, access the audio software for audio settings.
Support for S/PDIF Out
LAN Realtek® 2.5GbE LAN chip (2.5 Gbps/1 Gbps/100 Mbps)
Wireless
Communication
Module
AMD Wi-Fi 6E RZ608 (MT7921K) (PCB rev. 1.4)
- WIFI a, b, g, n, ac, ax, supporting 2.4/5/6 GHz carrier frequency bands
- BLUETOOTH 5.2
- Support for 11ax 80MHz wireless standard and up to 1.2 Gbps data rate
(Actual data rate may vary depending on environment and equipment.)
Expansion Slots CPU:
- 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, supporting PCIe 5.0 and running at x16 (PCIEX16)
* For optimum performance, if only one PCI Express graphics card is to be installed,
be sure to install it in the PCIEX16 slot.
Chipset:
- 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, supporting PCIe 4.0 and running at x4 (PCIEX4_1)
- 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, supporting PCIe 3.0 and running at x4 (PCIEX4_2)

- 8 -
Storage Interface
CPU:
- 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 22110/2280 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSD
support) (M2A_CPU)
Chipset:
- 2 x M.2 connectors (Socket 3, M key, type 22110/2280 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2
SSD support) (M2P_SB, M2Q_SB)
- 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 22110/2280 SATA and PCIe 4.0
x4/x2 SSD support) (M2M_SB)
- 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
* Refer to "2-8 Internal Connectors," for the installation notices for the M.2 and SATA
connectors.
RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 support for NVMe SSD storage devices
RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 support for SATA storage devices
USB
Chipset:
- 1 x USB Type-C®port on the back panel, with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support
- 1 x USB Type-C®port with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support, available through the
internal USB header
- 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red) on the back panel
- 5 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (3 ports on the back panel, 2 ports available
through the internal USB header)
Chipset+2 USB 2.0 Hubs:
- 8 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports (4 ports on the back panel, 4 ports available through
the internal USB headers)
Internal
Connectors
1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector
2 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connectors
1 x CPU fan header
1 x CPU fan/water cooling pump header
3 x system fan headers
1 x system fan/water cooling pump header
2 x addressable LED strip headers
2 x RGB LED strip headers
4 x M.2 Socket 3 connectors
6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
1 x front panel header
1 x front panel audio header
1 x USB Type-C®header, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 header
2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
2 x Thunderbolt™add-in card connectors
1 x Trusted Platform Module header (For the GC-TPM2.0 SPI/GC-TPM2.0 SPI
2.0 module only)
1 x Q-Flash Plus button
1 x reset button
1 x reset jumper
1 x Clear CMOS jumper

- 9 -
Back Panel
Connectors
4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
2 x SMA antenna connectors (2T2R)
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red)
1 x DisplayPort
1 x HDMI port
3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
1 x USB Type-C®port, with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support
1 x RJ-45 port
1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector
2 x audio jacks
I/O Controller
iTE®I/O Controller Chip
Hardware
Monitor
Voltage detection
Temperature detection
Fan speed detection
Water cooling ow rate detection
Fan fail warning
Fan speed control
* Whether the fan (pump) speed control function is supported will depend on the fan
(pump) you install.
BIOS
1 x 256 Mbit ash
Use of licensed AMI UEFI BIOS
PnP 1.0a, DMI 2.7, WfM 2.0, SM BIOS 2.7, ACPI 5.0
Unique Features
Support for APP Center
* Available applications in APP Center may vary by motherboard model. Supported
functions of each application may also vary depending on motherboard specications.
- @BIOS
- EasyTune
- RGB Fusion
- Smart Backup
- System Information Viewer
Support for Q-Flash
Support for Q-Flash Plus
Support for Smart Backup
Bundled
Software
Norton® Internet Security (OEM version)
LAN bandwidth management software
Operating
System
Support for Windows 11 64-bit
Support for Windows 10 64-bit
Form Factor
ATX Form Factor; 30.5cm x 24.4cm
* GIGABYTE reserves the right to make any changes to the product specications and product-related information without
prior notice.
&Please visit GIGABYTE's website for support lists of CPU, memory modules, SSDs, and M.2 devices.
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z690-AORUS-ELITE-AX-rev-14?m=dl#support-dl
&Please visit the SERVICE/SUPPORT\Utility page on GIGABYTE's website to download the latest version of apps.
https://www.gigabyte.com/Support/Utility/Motherboard?m=ut

- 10 -
2-3 Installing the CPU and CPU Cooler
Read the following guidelines before you begin to install the CPU:
•Make sure that the motherboard supports the CPU.
(Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest CPU support list.)
•Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing the
CPU to prevent hardware damage.
•Locate the pin one of the CPU. The CPU cannot be inserted if oriented incorrectly. (Or you may
locate the notches on both sides of the CPU and alignment keys on the CPU socket.)
•Apply an even and thin layer of thermal grease on the surface of the CPU.
•Do not turn on the computer if the CPU cooler is not installed, otherwise overheating and damage
of the CPU may occur.
•Set the CPU host frequency in accordance with the CPU specications. It is not recommended
that the system bus frequency be set beyond hardware specications since it does not meet the
standard requirements for the peripherals. If you wish to set the frequency beyond the standard
specications, please do so according to your hardware specications including the CPU, graphics
card, memory, hard drive, etc.
A. Note the CPU Orientation
Note the alignment keys on the motherboard CPU socket and the notches on the CPU.
Do not remove the CPU socket cover before inserting the CPU. It may pop off from the load
plate automatically after you insert the CPU and close the load plate.
Alignment Key
Alignment Key
LGA1700 CPU Socket
Triangle Pin One Marking
of the CPU Socket
Notch
Notch
LGA1700 CPU
Triangle Pin One
Marking on the CPU
&Please visit GIGABYTE's website for details on hardware installation.
http://www.gigabyte.com/WebPage/210/quick-guide.html?m=sw