Gigabyte's GA-Z170X-Gaming G1, their top-level Gaming board product, has been on my test bench. Featuring high-end audio with swappable OP-AMPs, support for Quad SLI and Quad Crossfire, USB 3.1, and a host of other features to meet the discriminate gamer's needs.
We've seen a GAMING board, but what about those of us who want the best while making use of all the features provided by a platform? With support for NMVe devices right in the box, the ASUS Z170-DELUXE hits the ground running. Mixed with great audio and one of the most extensive BIOSes ever, the ASUS Z170-DELUXE is exactly that - deluxe.
Today's the day Intel's latest launches, and here is MSI's Z170A GAMING M7 to help us take a look at what the new platform offers. Taken from the upper echelon of MSI's current GAMING motherboard line-up, the MSI Z170A GAMING M7 is an enthusiast-oriented GAMING product with a host of built-in features for today's gamer.
ASRock's updated X99 OC FORMULA is here, now called the ASRock OC FORMULA/3.1. Fitted with the latest in USB technology, the ASRock X99 OC FORMULA/3.1 is ASRock's top-level overclocking board built to smash clock records time and again. USB 3.1 isn't everything: we've got SATA Express, Ultra M.2, Xeon, and ECC support - every high-speed item you could ask for when overclocking X99 is here.
What do you do when you want a PC with a small footprint, but a powerful CPU? You buy an mITX motherboard. But what if you want EIGHTEEN CORES and THIRTY-SIX threads? You buy the ASRock X99E-ITX/ac. Doing the unexpected by bringing Intel's X99 Express to the mITX form-factor, the ASRock X99E-ITX/ac can push those 18-core Xeon chips and has an X-OC socket to push Intel's standard unlocked chips to the limit. And USB 3.1. And a CPU cooler is in the box.
Another dragon flies ashore! MSI's "high-end" Intel Z97 motherboard, the MSI Z97 GAMING 9 AC, swoops down onto my testbench after a long trip to me. The MSI Z97 GAMING 9 AC is MSI's answer for the ultra-dollar gamer, but does it breathe fire or just puff smoke out its nose?
The ASRock X99 Extreme11 is a true storage monster. With 18 built-in SATA ports, Eight of which are capable of SAS 12 Gb/s, the LSI 3008-equipped ASRock X99 Extreme11 is a wet dream for those of us whose heart skips a beat for ultra-fast, high-density storage capability.
We take our first look at ASUS's LGA 2011-3 products, starting with the ASUS X99 DELUXE. Wrapped in new clothing, the ASUS X99 DELUXE not only has DELUXE looks and DELUXE features, it also has a DELUXE socket for you to place your new Haswell-E CPU into, with an additional 48 pins.
Looking for an affordable, yet highly-featured Z97 board? ASUS has the board for you! The ASUS Z97-A is ASUS' mainstream Z97 product, yet you might wonder about whether ASUS made a mistake with the price once you get one and see what it packs. The $120 Z97-A definitely offers more than you would expect.
Another new Intel debut is upon us, and you just can't miss it if you use multiple monitors and videocards. Today, we take our first look at Intel's X99 Express platform with MSI's X99S GAMING 7 to show us what's in store. Including SATA Express, M.2, DDR4, and support for Intel's new Haswell-E CPUs, the MSI X99S GAMING 7 might just be what you're looking for.
Looking for a decent board to push that shiny new Pentium G3258 in an HTPC? Biostar has what you need in the Hi-Fi Z97WE, an affordable option that offers great audio and a high-level feature set you'd not expect for so cheap.
Black is really an absence of color, or light, all there was before time began. Now, there is the Z97X-GAMING G1 WIFI-BK, Gigabyte's top-tiered Black Edition board. So powerful it can create black holes itself, the Gigabyte Z97X-GAMING G1 WIFI-BK is here to take your gaming experience to a whole new level.
ASUS pushes the limits with its ROG branding by unleashing yet another HERO onto the battlefield to save the day. Built with ASUS ROG technology from top to bottom, the ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO just might be that new flashy board you buy.
If you're looking for a miniature board to toss into a portable LAN box, MSI has the board for you! The Z97I GAMING AC we are looking at today is a GAMING-centric mITX board, equipped with everything you need to blast your enemies into GAMING nirvana.
Hide your childrens, hide your wives! A KILLER is here! ASRock's Fatal1ty Z97X KILLER is on my test bench, after arriving in a plain white box. The only true Fatal1ty here is hopefully the one in the name, or this red and black gamer had better go back to training camp!
We have none other than the Z97-DELUXE (WLC & NFC), ASUS's expensive high-end Intel Z97 product, with us today. Packing everything you expect and perhaps a few things you do not, the ASUS Z97-DELUXE (WLC & NFC) has everything Intel's latest platform has to offer, all wrapped into a classy new esthetic.
Fresh on the market in just the past few days is Intel's Z97, and I get to take my first look at MSI's new Z97 GAMING 5, built from the ground up for gamers looking for great features at a great price. Featuring a new esthetic design as well as a host of new features.
We end our look at mITX Z87/Haswell boards with none other than the ASUS MAXIMUS VI IMPACT. After many requests from users all over the world for ASUS to make a tiny ROG board, those requests have finally been answered. Is the MAXIMUS VI IMPACT worth the wait?
New products from Intel are on their way, and today, we take our first look at what the next-gen Intel platforms have to offer, starting with MSI's Next-Gen GAMING 5. This 3rd-generation GAMING design by MSI takes all the best of past GAMING products and adds new features to solve some of the problems users ran into with past products, all with a new take on what motherboards have to offer.
We take our first look at AMD's FM2+ platform with a value-oriented product from Biostar that boasts some upgraded audio abilities. The Biostar Hi-Fi A88W 3D comes with the focus and feature set that has become Biostar's calling, as the company has its own take on entry-level enthusiast designs.
The intended base of any EVGA Hadron build, the Z87 Stinger is EVGA's answer to a high-end mITX OC solution. Built with a focus on features and overclocking, as with EVGA's high-end videocards and PSUs, the EVGA Z87 Stinger makes its mark, but does it sting like a bee, or is it only as annoying as a fly?
ASUS ROG is back at it again, tossing another bone our way - the RAMPAGE IV BLACK EDITION. Harkening back to the much older RAMPAGE III BLACK EDITION, this new board seeks to do the same with its ultimately-optimized ROG design and feature focus, but for Intel's X79 Express platform.
We continue our foray into mITX motherboards by taking a look at an high-end enthusiast option from ASUS, the P87I-PRO. Featuring a huge 12+2 VRM design, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, plus all Intel Z87 features, the ASUS P87I-PRO also carries the standard high-level ASUS experience we've all come to expect.
Whether you want to build a new Haswell-based HTPC or fully-fledged gaming box, like Valve's STEAMBox, ASRock's Z87E-ITX is ready to meet your needs at a decent price. We take a look at the ASRock Z87E-ITX and perhaps discover why Valve chose the ASRock Z87E-ITX board for their own STEAMBox.
Like a mad rush of level 60 rogues, the ECS GANK MACHINE launches its assault on the Intel Haswell platform in a way no other would even attempt, going straight for the kill. Built with gaming in mind, and a bit of overclocking, too, the ECS GANK MACHINE not only surprised me, but left me feeling helpless, and under-skilled.
