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WTF?! Several manufacturers have started to embed some wooden elements in their hardware products recently. Blending plastics, capacitors and wood doesn’t seem like the most environmentally friendly design, but Gigabyte thinks that a touch of natural materials can greatly improve the aesthetics of a PC’s innards.
Gigabyte Technology recently introduced the X870E Aero X3D Wood motherboard, a peculiar piece of hardware that theoretically aims to blend natural aesthetics with uncompromising hardware features. The Taiwanese manufacturer said that the new motherboard is a statement of sorts, although it…
Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust.
WTF?! Several manufacturers have started to embed some wooden elements in their hardware products recently. Blending plastics, capacitors and wood doesn’t seem like the most environmentally friendly design, but Gigabyte thinks that a touch of natural materials can greatly improve the aesthetics of a PC’s innards.
Gigabyte Technology recently introduced the X870E Aero X3D Wood motherboard, a peculiar piece of hardware that theoretically aims to blend natural aesthetics with uncompromising hardware features. The Taiwanese manufacturer said that the new motherboard is a statement of sorts, although it doesn’t provide any specific info about the product’s price.
The board employs elements that have been meticulously considered to bring a natural-looking design to a DIY PC setup. The wood stylings should turn a cold piece of PC hardware into a more authentic, warm piece of home furniture that would look good in a user’s living space.
Wooden finishes cover the motherboard’s edges, the voltage regulator module, and the M.2 heatsink. Gigabyte also highlights the "premium" leather pull tabs at the end of the M.2 and SATA storage slots. The company suggests that having leather on the motherboard can evoke a sense of "luxurious warmth" in a desktop system, though we’re not sure how we feel about that.
Besides the unusual natural touch, the X870E Aero X3D Wood motherboard should pack enough power and hardware features to satisfy the needs of a high-end PC system. Based on AMD’s AM5 platform, the board supports Ryzen CPUs in the 7000, 8000, and 9000 Series. Hardware specs include two PCIe 5.0 slots for a potential dual-GPU configuration, four M.2 slots with PCIe 5.0/4.0 x4 support, dual 5GbE LAN ports, Wi-Fi 7, and more.
Speaking of Wi-Fi, X870E Aero X3D Wood includes a pre-installation feature to make wireless connectivity ready to go from the first power-on. Gigabyte also highlights the comprehensive thermal solutions designed to keep the excessive Ryzen heat in check, including a VRM Thermal Armor Advanced with "superior" heat pipes, M.2 Thermal Guard L, M.2 Thermal Guard Ext., and a PCB Thermal Plate. All in all, these additional components should provide a 14 percent cooling improvement for enhanced platform stability.
Gigabyte stated that its motherboard "represents a new era where motherboards integrate beautifully into living spaces as elegant extensions of lifestyle. By embracing natural materials and organic design principles, X870E Aero X3D Wood transforms high-performance computing into an art form that enhances any environment."
The idea of adding wood elements inside a PC case to evoke a natural feeling may sound odd, but hardware manufacturers are increasingly adopting organic materials in their devices. You can now find many tower cases with wood finishes, while Taiwanese manufacturer Apacer chose bamboo and a fragrance diffuser to try and offer something new in the overcrowded external storage market.