Gigabyte recalls AORUS Z690I Ultra Mini-ITX motherboard due PCIe 4.0 Issues

Gigabyte has announced that it would recall and offer an exchange for its Z690I AORUS Ultra motherboard after the discovery of various PCIe 4.0-related issues. Gigabyte learned about cases of "system instability and WHEA PCIe errors" when the motherboard is connected with specific PCIe 4.0 graphics cards and devices. While the company has offered replacement motherboards, the company stated that setting PCIe to Gen 3.0 within the BIOS would eliminate the problem.

Gigabyte has created a program to give users experiencing this issue an upgrade to the Z690I AORUS ULTRA PLUS motherboard, or one very similar to the model mentioned. If customers do not want to proceed with a replacement, they are free to apply for a product refund.

The motherboard appears to be an updated version of the non-PLUS motherboard, minus the unstableness of the device. Users are urged by GIGABYTE to register the motherboard purchased regardless of whether the version purchased is the DDR4 or DDR5 variant board.

The special program will be applicable to all customers who have purchased the “Z690I AORUS ULTRA DDR4” or “Z690I AORUS ULTRA DDR5” motherboard from non-third-party retailers. Users who have just started or already completed their RMA process will also qualify. Please note program details may differ according to region.

GIGABYTE's replacement program will run from May 10, 2022, through November 30, 2022, for applicable customers. Please travel over to the program website for more details to see if you qualify. Remember that with programs such as this, users will be required to provide proof of purchase, the serial number of the motherboard, and some general information to initiate a replacement or refund.

Supports 12th Gen Intel Core Series Processors

Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4 (or DDR5, depending on the model), 2 DIMMs

Intel Optane Memory Ready

Direct 10+2+1 Phases Digital VRM Solution with 105A Power Stage

Advanced Thermal Design with Fins-Array II, Thermal Guard III, and Heatpipe

Blazing Fast Intel 2.5GbE LAN with cFosSpeed

Intel WIFI 6E 802.11ax 2T2R & BT5 with AORUS Antenna

AMP-UP Audio with ALC4080 and WIMA for Rear 120dB SNRHDMI 2.0 supports Premium 4K

Dual Ultra-Fast NVMe PCIe 4.0* x4 M.2 with Thermal Guard III

RGB FUSION 2.0 with Multi-Zone Addressable LED Light Show Design, Support Addressable LED & RGB LED Strip

Smart Fan 6 Features Multiple Temperature Sensors, Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP, and Noise Detection

Q-Flash Plus Update BIOS without Installing the CPU, Memory, and Graphics Card

* Power Stage maximum current capacity is based on VCORE Phase.

The other difference between the DDR4 and DDR5 variations of the Z690I AORUS ULTRA PLUS is the "DDR5 MEMORY Design with SMD DIMM and Shielded Memory Routing."