GIGABYTE B550M X AORUS ELITE WIFI7

AM4 · B550 · Micro-ATX · DDR4

Published

★★★★☆ 4.5 / 5.0

How this page was written

GIGABYTE announced the B550 X series on 31 July 2026 and this board is one of the first models in it to be listed individually. We have not tested one, and nothing here is a measured result. Every figure below is based on published specifications, taken from the AORUS Official Store listing and from igor's Lab reporting what GIGABYTE says about the board, both listed under Sources. GIGABYTE's own specification page returns an error to us, so where the two sources we can read disagree we say so rather than pick a winner.

Published 15 September 2026. We will change that date only when the content of this page actually changes.

Overview

The B550M X AORUS ELITE WIFI7 is a Micro-ATX board for Socket AM4 on AMD's B550 chipset, and the headline is in the model name: Wi-Fi 7 on a platform that launched in 2020. It sits alongside our preview of the B550 X series, which covers why GIGABYTE is still building AM4 boards in 2026.

The rest of the specification is a mainstream 2026 board rather than a budget one. An 8+2 phase VRM, four DDR4 slots, two M.2 slots, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet and the ALC1220 codec are a step above what a B550 Micro-ATX board usually carries. What it cannot change is the platform underneath: DDR4 memory, Ryzen 3000 to 5000 processors, and one PCIe 4.0 graphics slot.

Security advisory: check your BIOS

AMD published bulletin AMD-SB-7064 on 11 August 2026. It covers two high-severity flaws in AMD's firmware TPM: CVE-2026-6726, an information-leakage flaw that lets a forged TPM key be certified as genuine, and CVE-2026-6727, a timing side-channel. AMD scores them 8.5 and 8.3 on CVSS 4.0. Affected processors run from Ryzen 3000 to Ryzen 9000, plus Threadripper, Ryzen AI and Ryzen Embedded parts. Both attacks need local privileged access, so neither is remotely exploitable. The underlying flaw is in the Trusted Computing Group's TPM 2.0 reference code, which AMD ships as fTPM.

The fix arrives as a motherboard BIOS update. Windows Update will not install it. Check GIGABYTE's security page and this board's own support page, install the latest BIOS, then look for an fTPM or TPM security fix in the release notes. Coverage varies by board, and we have not verified that a fixed BIOS exists for this one.

Before you flash: if this machine uses BitLocker, save your recovery key first. A firmware update can trigger BitLocker recovery, and Windows will then ask for a 48-digit key before it unlocks the drive. Our BIOS update guide covers the safe order.

Advisory added 2026-08-20.

Full Specifications

SocketAM4
ChipsetB550
Form FactorMicro-ATX
MemoryDDR4, 4 DIMM slots, up to 128GB
PCIe Slots1x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1x PCIe 3.0 x4
M.2 Slots2x M.2
SATA Ports4
Rear USB7x USB
WiFiWiFi 7
BluetoothBT 5.4
LAN2.5G
AudioALC1220
Power Phases8+2

Storage & Slots

There are two M.2 slots and they are not a matched pair. igor's Lab, reporting GIGABYTE's own figures, describes them as one PCIe 4.0 x4 slot and one PCIe 3.0 slot. Put the drive you boot from in the PCIe 4.0 one. Alongside them are four SATA 6 Gb/s ports, which is the usual count on a Micro-ATX board this size.

Expansion is one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot for a graphics card and a second slot wired for four PCIe 3.0 lanes. That second slot is a capture card, a sound card or a network card, not a second graphics card.

One spec our two sources disagree on

The AORUS Official Store lists the second expansion slot as an x16-length Gen 3 slot; igor's Lab describes it as PCIe 3.0 x4. Both readings can describe the same slot — an x16-length connector wired for four lanes is common — but only the lane count is stated by a source we can read, so that is what our table records. The physical length of that slot is not something we are able to confirm until GIGABYTE's own specification page becomes readable.

VRM & Power Delivery

GIGABYTE lists a "Hybrid Digital twin 8+2 phases VRM solution", and igor's Lab adds 60 A DrMOS power stages. For a B550 Micro-ATX board that is a solid arrangement rather than a token one, and based on published specifications it is sized for the 105 W Ryzen parts this platform tops out at. Power comes in through a 24-pin ATX connector and a single 8-pin EPS connector.

Processor support covers the Ryzen 5000, 4000 and 3000 series. Check GIGABYTE's support list for your exact model before buying.

Connectivity & I/O

Wireless is a Realtek RTL8922AE module: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. Wi-Fi 7 on a board for a 2020 platform is unusual, and it only pays off with a Wi-Fi 7 router on the other end — our networking guide explains what the generation actually buys you. Wired networking is a Realtek RTL8125 controller at 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet.

The rear panel carries seven USB ports: four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C and two USB 2.0. Video output is one HDMI 2.1 and one DisplayPort 1.4, which matters on AM4 because a good number of its processors have integrated graphics. Audio is a Realtek ALC1220 driving 7.1 channels, a better codec than the ALC897 most boards at this level fit.

GIGABYTE names three convenience features on this board: PCIe EZ-Latch Plus for releasing a graphics card without reaching behind it, WIFI EZ-Plug for the antenna, and Q-Flash Plus for updating the BIOS.

What GIGABYTE has not published

Or, more precisely, what we could not read on a page that would let us state it:

  • A US price. The AORUS Official Store lists the board in euros only.
  • Which regions the board is sold in, and when.
  • The physical length of the second expansion slot, as covered above.
  • Which of the two M.2 slots is connected to the processor and which to the chipset.
  • A memory QVL we could read. Check GIGABYTE's before buying a high-speed DDR4 kit.

We will fill these in when we can read them, and not before.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, rare on a board for a platform that launched in 2020
  • 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet rather than the Gigabit port common on Micro-ATX B550
  • An 8+2 phase VRM with 60 A DrMOS stages, generous for this class of board
  • The ALC1220 codec, a step up from the ALC897 most mainstream boards fit
  • Four DDR4 slots and 128GB support on a Micro-ATX board

Cons

  • Only one of the two M.2 slots runs at PCIe 4.0
  • AM4 is a closed platform: Ryzen 5000 is the end of the processor road
  • DDR4 only, so memory cannot come with you to a later build
  • Wi-Fi 7 needs a Wi-Fi 7 router to be worth anything over Wi-Fi 6E
  • No US price or availability date has been announced

Who Should Buy This Board?

Someone who already owns an AM4 processor and DDR4 memory, wants a Micro-ATX build, and wants the networking and audio to be current even though the platform is not. That is a narrow description, and it is the honest one: everything this board does well is on the board rather than in the socket.

If you are buying a whole platform from scratch, look at current sockets first. Our AM4 upgrade path page sets out what this socket still takes and what it does not.

Build Tips & Recommendations

  • Put your boot drive in the PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot. The other one runs at PCIe 3.0 and will hold back a fast drive.
  • Fit the supplied antenna and keep it clear of case metalwork. Wi-Fi 7 uses the 6 GHz band, which has the shortest range of the three.
  • Check GIGABYTE's processor support list for your exact chip. Published support covers the Ryzen 5000, 4000 and 3000 series.
  • Q-Flash Plus lets you update the BIOS from a USB stick. Our BIOS update guide covers the safe order.
  • Micro-ATX fits both Micro-ATX and ATX cases. In a small case, check graphics card clearance first.
  • A Wi-Fi 7 router is what turns the wireless spec into real throughput. Without one the module falls back to whatever the router supports.

Sources

GIGABYTE B550 AORUS Elite V2

AM4 · B550 · ATX

ASRock B550M Steel Legend

AM4 · B550 · Micro-ATX

GIGABYTE B450M D3HP WIFI6E

AM4 · B450 · Micro-ATX

Best for Ryzen 5 5600X

Our AM4 buying guide