Gigabytes W480M Vision W, Intel W480 mainboard - Socket 1200 [W480M VISION W]

Thanks to the micro-ATX form factor, the mainboard can be used for regular desktop use or as the motherboard of a gaming computer, but the main focus is on professional content creation. The W480M Vision W is ideally suited as the basis of a workstation and, with multi-GPU support, is also equipped for complex video editing and the rendering of 3D content.

Workstations depend on stable system operation. In combination with Xeon processors, the Gigabyte W480M Vision W therefore also supports ECC RAM, which can be overclocked to up to 4,266 MHz. With two M.2 slots and eight SATA connections, the mainboard has more than enough connections for data storage modules. The Gigabyte W480M Vision W has no optical frills and the focus is on performance.

The features of the Gigabyte W480M Vision W motherboard at a glance:
1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16) / 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x8) / 2x PCIe 3.0 x1
Supports max. 128 GB DDR4-RAM up to 4,266 MHz as well as ECC-RAM
Internal: 2x USB 3.0 (max. 5 GBit / s), 4x USB 2.0 / 1.1
External: 2x USB 3.1 Type-A (max. 10 GBit / s), 4x USB 3.0 (max. 5 GBit / s)
1x M.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4 / SATA, 2280/22110) and 1x M.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4, 22110-2242)
8x SATA 6 GB / s
Multi-GPU support for AMD graphics cards
A total of four PWM connections for fans
Fast 2.5 gigabit and 1 gigabit LAN

The motherboard for content creators and workstations
The Gigabyte W480M Vision W is a mainboard in the Micro-ATX form factor and provides a total of two PCIe x16 slots for plug-in and expansion cards. Of these, one slot is connected with 16 lanes, the other with 8 lanes. In addition, the mainboard offers two PCIe slots with one lane. In order to meet the high performance requirements of 3D rendering, the mainboard offers multi-GPU support for a maximum of two AMD graphics accelerators (AMD 2-Way Quad-GPU CrossFire).

The four DIMM slots support up to 128 GB DDR4 memory in dual-channel mode. The W480 chipset supports clock rates of up to 2,933 MHz natively. However, the Gigabyte W480M Vision W also enables the operation of RAM kits up to 4,266 MHz via overclocking. The workstation mainboard supports the use of ECC memory in combination with Xeon processors.

Internal connections
The Gigabyte W480M Vision W offers two M.2 slots for SSDs. Eight SATA connections are also available for additional SSDs, hard drives and optical drives. This is particularly relevant for use as a workstation, as this requires both vast amounts of memory and data security. So that the system works with high performance and stable even with long-term use, it has a heat sink with a fin design. To guarantee trouble-free operation, all fan connections are 4-pin and therefore compatible with dynamic pulse width modulation. The W480M Vision W is also convincing when it comes to internal USB connections. It offers a header for USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 headers.

External connections
The Gigabyte W480M Vision W has a PS / 2 connection on the I / O panel, which guarantees downward compatibility for peripheral input devices. There are also numerous USB ports on the back, including two of the USB 3.1 type A (USB 3.2 Gen 2, max. 10 GBit / s) and four of the USB 3.0 type (USB 3.2 Gen 1, max. 5 GBit / s).

For the integrated graphics unit of the CPU, the mainboard has a D-Sub, an HDMI and two DisplayPort connections with a maximum resolution of 4,096 x 2,304 at 60 Hz.

Furthermore, the Gigabyte W480M Vision W offers dual LAN with 2.5 Gigabit and 1 Gigabit. An M.2 slot can optionally be equipped with an Intel CNVi module to expand the mainboard with WLAN and Bluetooth connectivity. The audio performance of the Realtek ALC1220 is also convincing across the board. This supports 7.1 surround sound from the factory. There are five 3.5 mm jack sockets and an optical TOSLINK output on the back, via which audio devices such as speakers, headphones and amplifiers can be connected.

Technical details:
Format:
- Micro-ATX (244 x 244 mm)
- Chipset:
- Intel W480
- Base:
- LGA 1200 (for Intel CPUs of the 10th and 11th core generation and Xeon W processors)
- GPU support:
- Support for AMD 2-Way Quad-GPU CrossFire
- R.A.M:
- 4x DDR4 (2,133 / 2,400 / 2,666 / 2,800 / 2,933 MHz, up to 4,266 MHz via OC)
- Dual channel
- Max. 128 GB
- ECC support (only Xeon processors) and non-ECC unbuffered DDR4 memories
- Slots (physical):
- 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16)
- 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x8)
- 2x PCIe 3.0 x1
- 1x M.2 socket for Intel CNVi
- Internal connections:
- 1x M.2 (M-Key, PCIe 3.0 x4 & SATA / 2280, 22110)
- 1x M.2 (M-Key, PCIe 3.0 x4 / 22110, 2280, 2260, 2242)
- 8x SATA 6 GB / s (RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10)
 - 2x SATA detection headers
- 1x front panel audio header
- 1x front panel header
- 2x USB 3.0 (one header, USB 3.2 Gen 1, max. 5 GBit / s)
- 4x USB 2.0 / 1.1 (two headers)
- 2x Thunderbolt add-in card connector
- 1x Trusted Platform Module header (only for GC-TPM 2.0 / GC-TPM SPI 2.0)
- 2x serial port headers
- 1x Clear CMOS jumper

Fan header:
- 1x CPU fan (4-pin)
- 3x system fan headers (4-pin)
- External connections:
- 1x PS / 2 keyboard / mouse connection
- 1x HDMI 1.4 (max. 4,096 x 2,160 pixels @ 30 Hz, HDCP 2.3)
- 2x DisplayPort 1.4 (max. 4,096 x 2,304 pixels @ 60 Hz, HDCP 2.3, HDR)
- 1x D-Sub (max. 1,920 x 1,200 @ 60 Hz)
- 2x USB 3.1 Type-A (USB 3.2 Gen 2, max. 10 GBit / s)
- 4x USB 3.0 (USB 3.2 Gen 1, max. 5 GBit / s)
- 2x RJ-45 (Intel max. 1 GBit / s + Intel max. 2.5 Gbit / s)
- 1x optical S / PDIF output
- 5x 3.5 mm jack (Realtek ALC1220 codec)
- Power supply:
- 1x 24-pin ATX 12V
- 1x 8-pin ATX 12V
- Manufacturer's guarantee: 3 years