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2026 has opened up with a flurry of new motherboard releases featuring AMD Socket AM5. Today, we are reviewing one of the latest releases from GIGABYTE, the X870E AERO X3D WOOD. The AERO-branded motherboards are generally a singular release per chipset. GIGABYTE has made 11 such boards in the last few years, and they tend to be more creator-professional oriented in aesthetic. The AERO boards are generally full-featured, have abundant connectivity, and also have a rather custom look.

The motherboard arrived directly from GIGABYTE in a sealed retail box. This box and its construction is a bit more rugged than we generally have seen in recent releases. The package overall is quite heavy. GIGABYTE has chosen to use a double-boxed technique to protect the board. The box opens from the front to display the motherboard protected by a small empty carton covering about half the board. This little empty carton serves to protect the lower portion of the board.

Accessories are found underneath the motherboard, which is in a thick anti-static bag. Quite honestly, the accessories are scarce for $499: two SATA cables, one front panel quick-connector, three packs of rubber bumpers for M.2 slots, the WiFi antenna, and a couple of booklets. Oh, wait, there’s an “AERO” keychain, too.

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