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Black ATX motherboard with blue accents, silver CPU socket, four black RAM slots, multiple PCIe slots, six SATA ports

GIGABYTE

GIGABYTE GA-970-Gaming (rev. 1.0) AMD motherboard

SKU CH-QHX4-44FQK

ATX board for AM3+/AM3 CPUs with four DDR3 slots up to 32 GB, one PCIe x16 and two PCIe x1 slots, six SATA 6Gb/s ports, one M.2 connector.

  • CPU Socket TypeAM3+/AM3
  • ChipsetAMD 970
  • South BridgeAMD SB950
  • Number of Memory Slots4x240pin
  • Memory StandardDDR3 2000(O.C.)/ 1866/ 1600/ 1333/ 1066 * To support a DDR3
  • Maximum Memory Supported32GB
  • Supports AMD AM3+ and AM3 CPUs for flexible processor choice
  • Dual-channel DDR3 up to 32 GB across four DIMM slots
  • USB 3.1 Type-C port delivers 10 Gb/s data transfer
  • M.2 Socket 3 accepts 2242, 2260 and 2280 SATA or PCIe x2 drives
  • Killer E2201 Gigabit LAN optimises gaming traffic

Socket AM3+ Platform

The GA-970-Gaming (rev. 1.0) is an ATX motherboard built around the AMD 970 chipset and SB950 south bridge. It accepts AM3+ and AM3 processors, giving builders a path to run AMD FX, Phenom II or Athlon II CPUs on a single board. Four 240-pin slots support dual-channel DDR3 up to 32 GB, with speeds from 1066 to 2000 MHz when overclocked.

DDR3 1866 Upgrade Path

Moving to DDR3 1866 or 2000 MHz requires an AM3+ processor installed first, so the memory jump is only worth it when you also upgrade the CPU. The board adds a 10 Gb/s M.2 socket (2242, 2260, 2280) that handles both SATA and PCIe x2 drives, replacing slower SATA-only storage. Six SATA 6 Gb/s ports with RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 and JBOD give flexible array options for larger mechanical drives.

Build Integration

One PCI Express x16 slot runs at x16 (Gen 2.0) for a primary graphics card, while a second x16 slot and two x1 slots provide extra expansion room. Legacy PCI slots remain for older add-in cards. Rear I/O includes USB 3.1 Type-C, USB 3.0, Killer E2201 Gigabit LAN and Realtek ALC1150 audio with 115 dB SNR. UEFI DualBIOS and APP Center utilities handle firmware updates and tuning without extra software.

Highlights

  • Supports AMD AM3+ and AM3 CPUs for flexible processor choice
  • Dual-channel DDR3 up to 32 GB across four DIMM slots
  • USB 3.1 Type-C port delivers 10 Gb/s data transfer
  • M.2 Socket 3 accepts 2242, 2260 and 2280 SATA or PCIe x2 drives
  • Killer E2201 Gigabit LAN optimises gaming traffic

Specifications

BrandGIGABYTE
ModelGA-970-Gaming
CPU Socket TypeAM3+/AM3
ChipsetAMD 970
South BridgeAMD SB950
Number of Memory Slots4x240pin
Memory StandardDDR3 2000(O.C.)/ 1866/ 1600/ 1333/ 1066 * To support a DDR3 1866 MHz (and above) memory, you must install an AM3+ CPU first.
Maximum Memory Supported32GB
Channel SupportedDual Channel
PCI Express 5.0 x161 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x16 (PCIEX16) * For optimum performance, if only one PCI Express graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIEX16 slot. 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x4 (PCIEX4) * The PCIEX4 slot shares bandwidth with the M2F_10G connector. The PCIEX4 slot will operate at up to x2 mode when a PCIe SSD is installed in the M2F_10G connector.
PCI Express x12 x PCI Express x1 slots (All of the PCI Express slots conform to PCI Express 2.0 standard.)
PCI Slots2 x PCI Slots
Serial ATA (SATA)6 x SATA 6Gb/s
M.21 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 2242/2260/2280 SATA and PCIe x2/x1 SSD support)
SATA RAID0/1/5/10/JBOD
Audio ChipsetRealtek ALC1150
Audio Channels2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
LAN ChipsetKiller E2201 LAN chip
Max LAN Speed10/100/1000Mbps
PS/21 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse port
USB 3.11 x USB Type-C port, with USB 3.1 support 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A port (red)
USB 3.02 x USB 3.0
USB 1.1/2.06 x USB 2.0
S/PDIF Out1 x Optical
Audio Ports5 x audio jacks (Center/Subwoofer Speaker Out, Rear Speaker Out, Line In, Line Out, Mic In)
Onboard USB1 x USB 3.0/2.0 header 3 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
Other Connectors1 x CPU fan header 2 x system fan headers 1 x power fan header 1 x front panel header 1 x front panel audio header 1 x S/PDIF Out header 1 x serial port header 1 x Clear CMOS jumper 1 x audio gain control switch
Form FactorATX
Dimensions (W x L)12.01" x 9.61"
Power Pin1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
FeaturesHyper Transport Bus: HyperTransport 3.0 Support up to 5200MT/s Multi-Graphics Technology: Support for 2-Way AMD CrossFire technology I/O Controller: iTE I/O Controller Chip H/W Monitoring: System voltage detection CPU/System temperature detection CPU/System/Power fan speed detection CPU overheating warning CPU/System/Power fan fail warning CPU/System fan speed control * Whether the fan speed control function is supported will depend on the cooler you install. BIOS: 2 x 32 Mbit flash Use of licensed AMI UEFI BIOS Support for DualBIOS PnP 1.0a, DMI 2.7, WfM 2.0, SM BIOS 2.7, ACPI 5.0 U

Questions about this item

What size M.2 SSD fits the Socket 3 M-key connector on the GA-970-Gaming?

The M.2 slot accepts 2242, 2260 and 2280 form-factor drives in both SATA and PCIe x2 or x1 modes.

How do I enable DDR3 1866 MHz memory on this board?

Install an AM3+ processor first; the memory controller in AM3+ CPUs unlocks 1866 MHz and higher speeds, while AM3 CPUs cannot.

Which SATA ports should I use for a RAID 0 array with the AMD SB950 south bridge?

All six SATA 6Gb/s ports are wired to the SB950 and support RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 and JBOD configurations.

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