EXTREME Thermal Design
Extreme Power Design
Unparalleled Performance
Next Generation Connectivity
Definitive Aesthetics
Hi-Fi Audio System
Ultra Durable
GIGABYTE BIOS & APP CENTER
EXTREME Thermal Design
Extreme Power Design
Unparalleled Performance
Next Generation Connectivity
Definitive Aesthetics
Hi-Fi Audio System
Ultra Durable
GIGABYTE BIOS & APP CENTER
Testing Criteria
The Intel Core i9-9900K CPU paired with Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE have been pre-tested with following parameters and stress test benchmark. With those tests, we hand picked only very small amount of high quality CPU to make sure each one of them can run All Cores 5.1GHz clock for stable and lightning-fast gaming experience.
Hardware Configuration
  • MB: Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE
  • CPU Cooler: MB Built-in waterblock, bitspower Leviathan XF 360 radiator, 3*12cm system with 1800 rpm
  • Pump speed: Auto
  • Fan speed: 100%
  • Chassis: Enermax ECA3500 SABERAY
  • Ambient temperature: 25°C
BIOS Setting and Stress Test
  • CPU Multiplier: 51
  • BCLK: 100
  • CPU vCore: Auto
  • Loadline Calibration: Auto
  • XMP : Disable
  • Tjmax: 105°C
  • Test Software: PRIME95 26.6 small fft, 30min passed
*Overclocking capability highly depends on users' hardware configuration and environment, users may not reach 5.1GHz as expected. Please contact GIGABYTE if having any issue on this product.
*We tested every Core i9-9900K CPU and record its serial number in system. Please send CPU back to Gigabyte if you encounter CPU issue that needs RMA service.

For Intel CPU serial number identification method:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000025633/processors.html
https://www.intel.com.tw/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000021613/processors/intel-core-processors.html

DESIGN CONCEPT

Innovative design, cutting-edge functionality, state-of-the-art aesthetics, sophisticated thermal design, next generation network connectivity ,Hi-Fi level audio system. Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE is the new definition of a flagship motherboard.

1
16 Phase IR Digital VRM Solution with PowIRstage
• 8 Layer PCB
• 2x Copper PCB
2
Intel® CNVi 802.11ac 2x2 Wave 2 WIFI & BT 5
3
Intel® i219v GbE LAN
• cFosSpeed Internet Accelerator
4
Intel Thunderbolt 3
5
Aquantia 10GbE Base-T LAN
6
Watercooling Thermal Design
• AORUS All-In-One Monoblock
• 5 W/mK thermal conductivity pad
• NanoCarbon Baseplate
7
Triple M.2 Connectors
• PCIe 3.0 x4
• Triple Thermal Guards
8
AMP-UP Audio
• ALC 1220-VB Audio Codec
• ESS 9018K2M SABRE DAC
• TI Burr-Brown™ OPA
• Auto Impedance Sensing
• Audiophile Grade Capacitors
• Anti-pop relay
• Gold Plated Audio Jacks
9
RGB FUSION 2.0
• Addressable LED Header*2
• RGB LED Header*2
10
Supports 9th Gen and 8th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors
• Dual Channel DDR4, 4 DIMMs with Ultra Durable Memory Armor
• XMP Support
11
Solid Pin Power Connectors
• 24 pin ATX power Connector
• 8+8 pin CPU power Connector
• 6 pin PCIe power Connector
12
USB TurboCharger
13
Front USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C™
14
Ultra Durable PCIe Armor
15
DualBIOS™ with Socketed BIOS
16
OC Touch Connector
EXTREME Thermal Design
Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE uses some unprecedented and innovative thermal design to ensure stability and low temperature under full loading application and gaming.

EXTREME Thermal Design
AORUS All-In-One Monoblock
NanoCarbon Baseplate
16X Hybrid Fan Header
  1. Base plate made of aluminum instead of traditional iron ensures 3X thermal conductivity.
  2. A thin layer of NanoCarbon is coated on the base plate through electrostatic adhesion to enhance thermal radiation capability.
  3. Combining with the back side thermal pad, it can transfer heat from the back side PCB to the base plate so the NanoCarbon base plate can dissipate heat passively.
  4. Effectively lowers backside PWM component temperature by 10%.
NanoCarbon Coating
This specialized nanostructure of carbon molecules has extraordinary thermal conductivity.
Extreme Power Design
To unleash the full potential of the new Intel 8-core CPU, the motherboard requires the best CPU power design. With the best quality components and GIGABYTE R&D design capability, Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE is a true beast among motherboards.

Extreme Power Design
16 Phases Digital Power
37% Larger Power Plane
2X Copper PCB
Optimized CPU Power Delivery Plane with 2x Copper PCB
GIGABYTE's exclusive 2X Copper PCBs design provides sufficient power trace paths between components to handle greater than normal power loads and to remove heat from the critical CPU power delivery area. This is essential to ensure the motherboard is able to handle the increased power loading that is necessary when overclocking.
Unparalleled Performance
Hungry for better performance? Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE bundles exclusive OC Touch Panel, supports high frequency XMP memory, and full SSD thermal guard to make sure you get the maximum full system performance.
Unparalleled Performance
OC Touch
4400+
3X M.2 PCIe x4
3X M.2 Thermal Guards
OC Touch Panel

Overclocking Made Easy
GIGABYTE OC Touch provides an array of physical buttons and switches to bring access to overclocking features at your fingertips—making overclocking on the fly extremely fast and easy.

Triple PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2
AORUS Gaming Motherboards are focused on delivering M.2 technology to enthusiasts who want to maximize their system's potential.
Triple NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs in RAID 0 Support
Extreme Performance with Gen3 x4 NVMe PCIe SSDs

Z390 AORUS motherboards offer the industry’s best compatibility in terms of NVMe storage for users who demand high capacity and seek the best performance. AORUS' unique design can be configured in RAID for record speeds of up to 3551 MB/s (Sequential Read), making AORUS the obvious choice for the ultimate PC.

M.2 + M.2 + M.2
Extreme sequential Read 3551 MB/s, Sequential Write 3410 MB/s speed
AORUS M.2 Thermal Guard
GIGABYTE Ultra-Efficient M.2 Thermal Guard
With durability in mind, GIGABYTE provides a thermal solution for M.2 SSD devices. The M.2 Thermal Guard prevents throttling and bottlenecks from high speed M.2 SSDs as it helps to dissipate heat before it becomes an issue.
Thermal Throttling As Temperature Rises
Next Generation Connectivity
A Flagship product needs to be future-proof so your system stays up-to-date with the latest technology. Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE provides all next generation network, storage, and WIFI connectivity to keep you up to speed.
Next Generation Connectivity
10GbE Base-T LAN
Intel® Thunderbolt™ 3
Intel® WIFI
AORUS Antenna
USB TurboCharger
AQUANTIA® 10GbE BASE-T Networking
Next Generation Multi-Gig Gaming
The AQUANTIA ® AQC107 is a high-performance, backward compatible with 10GBASE-T/ 5GBASE-T/ 2.5GBASE-T/ 1000BASE-T/ 100BASE-TX Ethernet Controller which is able to provide up to 10 GbE network connectivity, with 10 times faster transfer speeds compared to general 1GbE networking and is perfectly designed for media centers, workstations and gamers.
Multi-Gigabit Support
• Ultimate online gaming experience with faster connection speed
• Backward compatible with 5/2.5/1Gbps network
• No re-wiring needed
Next Generation 40 Gb/s Thunderbolt™ 3
Dual Thunderbolt™ 3 – The fastest 40Gb/s single-wire connection

Powered by Intel's own Thunderbolt controller the new Thunderbolt™ 3 protocol, which is available over two USB Type-C™ connectors on the back I/O of the GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE, brings an unprecedented single-wire bandwidth of up to 40 Gb/s -- twice more than the previous generation of Thunderbolt! This incredible increase in bandwidth is also accompanied with support for different protocols such as DisplayPort 1.2 and USB 3.1, which is backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, opening up a world of new possibilities.



Daisy-chain Multiple Devices

Support for DisplayPort 1.2 makes Thunderbolt™ 3 a must have for any enthusiast. The Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE is able to support two displays in 4K resolution at 60 FPS or one display in 5K resolution. In addition, Thunderbolt™ 3 over USB Type-C™ has revolutionary industry-first features such as Power Delivery 2.0, and the ability to daisy-chain up to 12 devices thanks to the Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE's dual USB Type-C™ ports.


Compatibility may vary according to system configuration and device specifications.
Smashes the GbE Barrier!
Integrated Intel® 802.11ac Wave2 CNVi WIFI + Bluetooth 5
Intel Next-Gen Wireless solution supports 802.11ac Wave 2 function, enables gigabit wireless performance, provides smooth video streaming, better gaming experience, few dropped connections and speeds up to 1.73Gbps. Double the speed compared to the previous generation. Moreover, Bluetooth 5 provides 4x range over BT4.2 and with faster transmission.

Completed configuration with installed Intel WIFI module on chassis' rear as shown.
  1. All new antenna supported 802.11ac 2.4GHz & 5GHz, 4dBi signal gain
  2. 2x signal strength compared to traditional antenna design
  3. Two antenna with smart antenna function for the best WIFI signal transmitting
  4. Multiple angle tilt and magnetic base for the best signal strength direction and location
USB TurboCharger
GIGABYTE patent pending USB TurboCharger technology allows users to recharge their mobile devices with stunning speed, up to 50% in less than 30 minutes*. By connecting Front USB 3.0 Type-A cable of chassis to our motherboard, USB TurboCharger can recharge both Android devices with QC 3.0 and Apple devices with Apple Fast-Charge function.
*Charge time varies with devices' hardware design, battery size, front USB 3.0 cable quality of chassis and environmental factors, actual results will vary.
Definitive Aesthetics
GIGABYTE ID team designs Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE from the drawing board. After countless hours of conceptualizing ideas, fine tuning details and engaging in discussion, GIGABYTE has produced a board that is equal parts beast and beauty.
Definitive Aesthetics
RGB FUSION 2.0
AORUS RGB FAN COMMANDER
Multi-Zone Light Show Design
Now offering more LED customizations than ever, users can truly adapt their PC to represent their lifestyle. With full RGB support and a redesigned RGB Fusion 2.0 application, the user has complete control over the LEDs which surround the motherboard.
With an integrated intuitive user interface, the RGB Fusion 2.0 provides you a better solution for customizing the lighting effects across all supported devices. From motherboards, graphics cards to the peripheral products, you can personalize your gaming rig with your own style and show off your build by sharing the profiles. In addition, the new gaming mode makes the lighting effects interactive with selected games to bring you the most immersive gaming experience.
Sync with one click
Individual control as you wish

  1. Exclusive bundled accessory for professional casemodders
  2. 8 Hybrid Fan Headers
  3. 8 RGB LED Headers
  4. 8 Addressable LED Headers
  5. 2 external temperature sensors
  6. 2 USB 2.0 header for additional USB RGB devices
  7. All Hybrid Fan Headers and RGB/Addressable LED Headers have independently controlled speed and lighting patterns
  8. Easy to install inside the chassis with its compact size and magnetic base
Perfectly control the devices connected to the AORUS RGB FAN COMMANDER via RGB FUSION 2.0 and Smart FAN software.

  1. Manage 8x Fan speeds individually to your requirements. It can also ensure your system maintains its performance while staying cool.
  2. Synchronize up to 16 lighting devices with RGB FUSION 2.0 .
Hi-Fi Audio System
Still think motherboard audio is just "basic sound output"? We put a 100% full Hi-Fi sound card into Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE with all audio-grade components, to ensure the best and crystal sound quality.
Hi-Fi Audio System
Audio Signal Process
Digital Audio
True Hi-Fidelity Music
Provides surround sound audio and enables DSD music playback
Digital / Analog Convert
ESS SABRE reference DAC
Hyperstream Dynamic Range (DNR 127dB)
High-Res music (32bit, 192KHz PCM)
World's best THD+N (THD+N -120db)
L/R Channel Signal Processing
L / R separation analog signal processing with internally balanced audio design
For maximum stereo sound quality and high-quality signal transmission
Audio Signal Amplification
TI Burr-Brown Audio OP Amps
Low stereo cross talk, high operational power output
Audiophile Grade Capacitors
Deliver true acoustic sound
Crystal Sound Output
Gold Plated Audio Jacks
High resistance to corrosion and oxidation
Audio Signal Optimization
Anti-pop Circuit Design
Prevents popping noise when plugging in and removing the audio jack
Auto Impedance Sensing
Auto detects headphone coils from 6 to 600 Ω and automatically adjusts proper output power
Precise TXC Oscillator
Provides precise time triggers to Digital-Analog Converters.
Audiophile Grade Capacitors
Famous WIMA capacitors are used as feedback signal processing to deliver crystal and balanced sound.
Clean Audio Power
Independent Analog Power
Drives clean analog power for audio components to ensure minimal noise.
Power Purifier
Supplies undisturbed power to the Digital-Analog Converters
Ultra Durable
GIGABYTE is reputable for its durability and high quality manufacturing process. Needless to say, we use the best components we can find on the Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE and reinforce every slot to make each of them solid and durable.
Ultra Durable
Solid Pin
3XPCIE Armor
4XMemory Armor
Q-Flash Plus
Ultra Durable™ PCIe Armor
Industry Leading Ultra Durable™ PCIe Armor
The innovative one piece stainless steel shielding design from GIGABYTE reinforces the PCIe connectors to provide the extra strength required to support heavy graphics cards.
Ultra Durable™ Memory Armor

AORUS' exclusive one piece stainless steel shielding design prevents against PCB distortion/twisting and plate bending, in addition to preventing any possible ESD interference

Solid Pin Power Connectors
Z390 AORUS motherboards feature solid plated ATX 24pin & ATX 12V 8pin + 8pin power connectors to offer a stable power supply during CPU overloading.
Solid Pin Power connector advantages
  1. Larger contact area for electricity
  2. More metal quantity to sustain higher power and generated heat
  3. Ultra durable and longer lifespan
CPU-Free USB BIOS Updates

AORUS Q-Flash Plus allows users to update to the latest BIOS using a thumb drive without the CPU or Memory needing to be installed.

Updating your BIOS on your AORUS motherboard can be done in a flash – even without memory or CPU onboard. Utilizing the EC Controller, the BIOS on your AORUS Motherboard can now be updated through Q-Flash Plus even if your system is unable to boot. A LED next to the EC controller will notify you once the procedure is complete and you are ready to boot your system normally.

GIGABYTE BIOS & APP CENTER
Good software goes hand in hand with perfect hardware. Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE bundled several useful and intuitive software to help users to control every aspect of motherboard.
GIGABYTE BIOS & APP CENTER
BIOS
APP CENTER
Easy Tune
System Information Viewer
BIOS
New User Interface
All new EASY MODE shows important hardware information in one page including CPU clock, Memory, Storage, Fan.
My Favorites
Add constantly used items into the favorite menu for quick access.
Storage Information
Show all kinds of storage information including SATA, PCIE and M.2 interface.
Changelog
List all changes before saving and exiting bios. Quickly review overall settings modification.
Optimized Memory Installation Reminder
Displays correct installation reminder message when user installs two memory modules but runs single channel mode.
Intuitive Load Line Curve
Clearly show each loadline calibration setting in an intuitive curve graph.
APP CENTER
GIGABYTE APP CENTER is a useful portal of all GIGABYTE MB utilities and drivers, you can choose any utility you want to install from APP CENTER and keep updated with the latest utilities and drivers version.
EasyTune™
GIGABYTE's EasyTune™ is a simple and easy-to-use interface that allows users to fine-tune their system settings or adjust system and memory clocks and voltages in a Windows environment. With Smart Quick Boost, one click is all it takes to automatically overclock your system, giving an added performance boost when you need it the most.
System Information Viewer
GIGABYTE System Information Viewer is a central location that gives you access to your current system status. Monitor components such as the clocks and processor, set your preferred fan speed profile, create alerts when temperatures get too high or record your system's behavior; these are the possibilities of the System Information Viewer.