GIGABYTE Issues Recall on Z690I Aorus Ultra Motherboards, Citing PCIe Gen 4 Issues
GIGABYTE has officially announced that it will offer RMA replacement services to users who have purchased the Z690IA orus Ultra, one of the leading mini-ITX models for Intel’s 12th generation Core series processors. Following numerous user reports that using a PCIe 4.0 graphics card with a single full-length slot on the board causes compatibility and crash issues, GIGABYTE has a specific PCIe Gen4 issue for specific customers. We have launched a special return program that offers a modified replacement board.
GIGABYTE announced on its website that it has investigated customer reports of problems with the Z690I Aorus Ultra and concluded that the PCIe 4.0 slot is not working as intended. The basic user issue when using the GIGABYTE Z690I Aorus Ultra was a WHEA PCIe error. WHEA stands for Windows Hardware Error Architecture designed to report errors when the system becomes unstable.
GIGABYTE Z690IAorusUltra Customer Exchange / Refund Request Form Front Page
The “special” program applies to all customers who purchase the Z690IA orus Ultra, including DDR5 and DDR4 variants, from non-third-party retailers such as Micro Center. According to GIGABYTE, the program will run until November 30, 2022 and customers will have the option of either replacing or refunding the board. Of course, it comes with some terms and conditions, and the user needs a valid serial number and a purchase receipt to show that they purchased it from a qualified retailer or online store.
For users who do not swap (or cannot replace), GIGABYTE is not optimal, but it also provides a workaround for WHEAP PCIe errors. The fix consists of pressing the F2 or Delete key during the post to enter the BIOS and running the PCIe slot at Gen3 speed instead of the default Gen4 speed.
The link to the exchange / refund RMA service is as follows: https://member.aorus.com/z690i-aorus-ultra-exchange-refund
sauce: GIGABYTE
