AORUS Stealth Ice: Hidden power connectors, all-white design and premium features

Gigabyte goes all-in with their latest B650 design.

Some may find it surprising but Gigabyte already has 60 motherboards based on the B650 chipset alone. There’s a total of 81 designs equipped with the AM5 socket. This is just one generation of the 600-series, and many more are expected with the upcoming 800 series. However, for the forthcoming Ryzen 9000 series set to launch on July 31st, it seems that motherboard manufacturers won’t have their 800-series boards ready. These are expected to appear in late Q3 at the earliest, though AMD has not confirmed this date.

B650 AORUS Stealth ICE, Source: Gigabyte

Meanwhile, board makers are introducing the new B650E series, which are slightly more premium. The latest AORUS B650E Stealth ICE stands out with its eye-catching white design as it is the first AMD board from Gigabyte with backside connectors. The company calls it ‘world’s first white reverse connector motherboard’.

This design allows all power wires to be routed on the other side, which means that cable management is less of an issue and the board simply looks better. The downside is that it requires a special chassis where proper holes are made. Gigabyte has provided a list of compatible cases, which includes:

B650 AORUS Stealth ICE, Source: Gigabyte

The B650E Stealth ICE features a Digital VRM design with 12+2+2 power stages (6+6 parallel power design). It supports one PCIe Gen5.0x16 device, which is the only full-sized and standard PCIe port available on this motherboard. The board supports up to DDR5-8000 memory compatible with Intel XMP 3.0 or AMD EXPO profiles.

Similar to the AORUS board covered recently , it uses M.2 Ultra Durable Slot (PG5) and PCIe Ultra Durable Slots, both featuring special latching and releasing mechanisms. This makes it easier to disconnect or attach new hardware without screws or special tools. Additionally, the board has a WIFI EZ-Plug, a new AORUS connector for network antennas, and supports WiFi 7. The screwless design is one of the key features of this board, as demonstrated in this video:

The AORUS ICE is not listed anywhere yet, but one might guess it will be released alongside Ryzen 9000 series.

B650E AORUS STEALTH ICE Features

• AMD Socket AM5：Supports AMD Ryzen™ 9000/8000/ 7000 Series Processors
• Digital twin 12+2+2 phases VRM solution
• Dual Channel DDR5：4*DIMMs with AMD EXPO™Memory Module Support
• PCIe UD Slot X： PCIe 5.0 x16 slot with 10X strength for graphics card
• WIFI EZ-Plug: Quick and easy design for Wi-Fi antenna installation
• M.2 EZ-Match: Magnetic alignment for easy installation of large heat sinks
• EZ-Latch Click：M.2 heatsinks with screwless design
• EZ-Latch Plus：M.2 slots with Quick Release & Screwless Design
• Sensor Panel Link：Onboard video port for hassle-free in-chassis panel setup
• UC BIOS：User-Centred intuitive UX with Quick Access function
• Back Plate : With an iron base plate providing enhanced stability and support, this design not only boasts an attractive appearance but also excels in functionality
• Ultra-Fast Storage：3*M.2 slots, including 1* PCIe 5.0 x4
• Efficient Overall Thermal：VRM Thermal Armor Advanced & M.2 Thermal Guard XL
• Fast Networking：2.5GbE LAN & Wi-Fi 7 with Ultra-high gain directional antenna
• Extended Connectivity：HDMI, Onboard HDMI, USB-C with DP-Alt
• Reliable Audio：8-Ch HD Audio & Audiophile Grade Capacitors
• World’s First true White Reverse Connector Motherboard

Source: Gigabyte