Introduction

Last year, AMD released the Ryzen 5000 series desktop processors in one of the most monumental hardware launches of the modern era. This final step completed the Red brand's ascent back into the forefront of the desktop processor market that began with the launch of the first generation of Ryzen CPUs. Now, while Intel prepares to fire back with the launch of the 11th Generation Intel Core processors, we take a look at a less common specification of the forward-compatible 400 series.

While the 10th Gen Intel Core processors did not support PCIe 4.0 connectivity due to signal integrity issues, many of the 400 motherboards are designed to support the PCIe 4.0 specification. This is accomplished by adding clock generators to help clean up the signal. Generally speaking, when it comes to long-term platform support, AMD has been the trendsetter. Has AMD's long support of the AM4 socket on its newer generation processors inspired Intel to take similar steps?

So what is the 400 series offering right now? For starters, there has been a large focus on VRM and VRM cooling design. With the top-level Intel Core i9-10900K featuring ten cores along with HyperThreading, the ability to deliver clean, continuous power is going to be one of the primary factors that separates a good 400 series board from the competition. With the introduction of HyperThreading on Intel's mid-range line-up, power delivery is going to be vital in all segments.



The Vision line from Gigabyte targets content creators with a focus on connectivity, performance, and durability. The Gigabyte W480 Vision D features a direct 12-phase VRM for clean power delivery, as well as a direct-touch heatpipe for optimal cooling. An ample helping of USB ports, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and 2.5 Gb/s Ethernet promote superior connectivity while the white aesthetic lends visual flare. The W480 chipset supports Xeon W and ECC memory at the cost of locked down CPU overclocking.

Let's take a look at the Gigabyte W480 Vision D and see how it stacks up against its Z490 counterparts!

Specifications

Packaging and Contents

The front of the Gigabyte W480 Vision D box features a white background with a gold pattern. "W480 Vision D" is printed in white, with the brand badging on the right. The back of the box has all the highlights: a top-down shot of the board, several panels detailing prominent features, a shot of the rear I/O, and the specification list. The box design is well executed and matches the board perfectly.


The accessories are mostly standard-fare, with a few extras. Notably absent is any kind of rear I/O shield because the shield is integrated into the board.

The full list of accessories includes:

• Manual and support DVD
• 4x SATA 6 Gb/s cables
• Q Connector
• 2x Thermistors
• WiFi antenna

Board Layout

The W480 Vision D features a black PCB with black and white heatsinks and white shrouds.


The CPU socket is open enough for most air coolers.


There are three M.2 slots on the Gigabyte W480 Vision D. All three slots are covered by a single monolithic heatsink.


The Gigabyte W480 Vision D offers three metal-reinforced PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots. The board has a total of six SATA 6 Gb/s ports on the side, angled 90 degrees from the board.


The Gigabyte W480 Vision D has a good I/O offering with lots of USB connectivity.

• DisplayPort In port
• 2 x Thunderbolt™ 3 connectors
• HDMI port
• 2 x SMA antenna connectors
• 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red)
• 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
• 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
• 2 x RJ-45 ports
• optical S/PDIF Out connector
• 5 x Audio jacks

Networking on the Gigabyte W480 Vision D is handled by Intel's new 2.5 Gb/s controller, as well as an Intel I219-LM Gigabit controller.