Skylake Lands In Chicago GIGABYTE Unveils Its Z170 Boards

As we were putting the final touches on our August issue, GIGABYTE, Corsair, and Intel invited us out to Chicago for a one-day press event to give us a hands-on preview of all the goodies that we’d be seeing from GIGABYTE’s Z170 motherboards, Intel’s new Skylake processors and chipsets, and the slightly less new DDR4 memory. The morning kicked off with a product deep-dive with GIGABYTE’s new Global Marketing Director, Jonathan Geoffroy. He spoke at length about GIGABYTE’s new Z170 chipset-based motherboards and the features that make them an ideal platform for the enthusiast looking to upgrade. GIGABYTE is releasing numerous 100-series motherboards in three categories that should already be familiar to our readers. They all feature new heatsink designs, reinforced PCIe x16 slots, and familiar color schemes. The red, black, and white G1 Gaming Series is for people who use their computer primarily for gaming. The orange and black Overclocking Series boards are for the performance perfectionists among us. And the black and gold Ultra Durable Series offers a balanced mix of performance and durability features to appeal to professionals and users who tend to perform more varied computing tasks

G1 GAMING 
One of the first innovations we were treated to, and one that is featured on GIGABYTE’s flagship Z170X-GAMING G1 motherboard, was the Intel USB 3.1 controller backed by a quartet of Gen 3 PCIe lanes. This unique chip supports bandwidth up to 32Gbps total, or up to 10Gbps per port. USB 3.1 is of course backward-compatible with USB 2.0/3.0, and a handful of GIGABYTE’s motherboards will come with both the familiar and ubiquitous USB Standard-A connector and the new USB Type-C connector, which is reversible and considerably more compact. Another GIGABYTE-exclusive feature is the USB 3.1 front bay accessory, available with select motherboards, which gives you a more convenient way to plug in your fancy new USB 3.1 devices. The Z170 chipset lets the PCIe controller wear an M.2 hat, with access to the same four lanes described above for per-device bandwidths up to 32Gbps. And because there are two of these M.2 connectors on the GAMING G1, RAID becomes a very enticing option. This board supports both the PCIe and 2.5-inch versions of Intel’s NVMe-capable 750 Series SSD, the latter of which utilizes the included M.2- to-U.2 mini-SAS card adapter. The gamer-centric motherboard also comes with discrete-quality sound processing, courtesy of its quad-core Creative Sound Blaster ZxRi audio components. Features include Burr- Brown High-End 127dB DAC, support for 120 dB+ SNR headphone jack output, and the same high-end Nichicon fine gold and WIMA FKP2 audio capacitors typically found on audiophileclass equipment. In addition to the hardware’s ability to produce richer bass and clearer high frequencies, Creative also lets you take greater control over your audio experience with its SBX Pro Studio software.

Overclocking Series 
GIGABYTE’s SOC (Super Overclock) motherboards are getting the Z170 treatment, as illustrated in the Z170X-SOC FORCE. Highlights of this board include three PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots that split a 32Gbps pipeline and support a handful of RAID configurations. Another thing that caught our eye (also available on the Z170X-GAMING G1 board) is the G1/4 fittings that let you add the VRM heatsink to your custom liquid-cooling loop. The board also features plastic shields over the entire I/O side of the board and around the newly redesigned OC Touch buttons, which give you an impressive amount of control over the CPU ratio, BCLK (Base Clock) ratio, BCLK steppings, PCIe slots, CMOS settings, and more without ever having to sift through BIOS screens. Additionally, the Z170X-SOC FORCE features OC Connect USB ports that make it easier to apply BIOS updates and perform other USB-based tasks without having to reach over to the lessaccessible I/O panel. The left side of the board also now sports an OC PEG connector for adding supplemental power to the PCIe slots. GIGABYTE bundles its OC Brace with this board, which gives overclockers the ability to install up to four graphics cards in an open bench without worrying about the PCIe slots snapping off. GIGABYTE’s Q-Flash Plus port is a time-saving feature directed at power users that lets you update the BIOS via USB without having a CPU or memory installed.

Ultra Durable 
The Ultra Durable line of motherboards doesn’t get the same attention regarding new exclusive features, but that’s part of the point. These motherboards are designed to offer the best of all worlds, with features for gamers, casual overclockers, and general PC enthusiasts. Standout features you’ll see on these boards include a dualport Intel GbE LAN controller with support for Teaming, up to three SATA Express ports for up to 16Gbps data rates for compatible storage devices, and multi-GPU support for 2- and 3-way CrossFire and SLI configurations. These boards, in addition to GIGABYTE’s G1 GAMING and SOC boards, all feature the firm’s familiar Ultra Durable components, such as Audio Noise Guard PCB layer separation and discrete digital and analog grounds to reduce EMI, 10,000-hour solid-state black capacitors, and 15μ gold plating on the socket pins for more reliable conductivity. They also come with a handful of onboard buttons for overclocking, clearing the CMOS, debugging, and managing your BIOS mode.

Skylake Sneak Peak 
Following the rundown of GIGABYTE’s latest motherboards, Intel Desktop Chipset Business Operations and Roadmap Manager Eric Ingersoll gave us a brief introduction to the new 14nm Skylake K Series processors that launched on August 5th (but would not become available until August 14th). Intel is keeping many of the architectural specifics under wraps until the Intel Developer Forum on August 18th, but we did glean a few notable facts. The flagship Core i7-6700K ($350 MSRP) features a 4GHz base clock, a 4.2GHz Turbo Boost clock, 8MB of Intel Smart Cache, Hyper-Threading support for processing up to eight threads at once, and a TDP of 91 watts. The more affordable Core i5-6600K ($243 MSRP) lacks its sibling’s Hyper-Threading and makes due with a 3.5GHz base frequency, a 3.9GHz Turbo Boost frequency, and 6MB of Intel Smart Cache. Both chips rely on Intel’s new HD Graphics 530 engine, which sports 24 execution units, a 350MHz base clock, and a 1,150MHz dynamic clock. Both also drive as many as three displays, with the Core i7-6700K supporting resolutions up to 4,096 x 2,304 and the Core i5-6600K supporting up to 3,840 x 2,160.As these are K Series processors, you can bet overclocking is a big part of the appeal of both 6th generation Core processors. Of course the unlocked multiplier is a big hit with us (and likely you), but Intel also adds much more granular clocking capabilities. Systems with either of these processors and a Z170-based motherboard no longer require PEG/DMI ratios, the PEG/DMI domain features an isolated 100MHz clock, and the BCLK has full fine-grain overclocking capabilities. To help you capitalize on these features, GIGABYTE’s motherboards feature a 4th generation International Rectifier digital controller and 3rd generation PowIRStage ICs, up to an impressive 22 phases. That’s enough to ensure your components have all the clean, reliable power they need, whether you’re pushing your system hard, or pushing it even harder to break some OC records.

DDR4 For All 
Colin Brix, the Corsair Technical Marketing and PR Director (formerly with GIGABYTE) spoke about the firm’s Hydro Series liquid coolers and how they make a great team with Intel’s new K Series processors, which won’t ship with CPU coolers of their own. He also talked about the DDR4 and DDR3L memory support on Z170 motherboards. Although the memory controller in Skylake is limited to dual-channel, the platform will benefit greatly from highspeed DDR4. By most early accounts, Skylake overclockers are seeing between 4.5GHz and 4.8GHz overclocks, and a liquid cooler is a must-have for anyone wanting to hit those numbers.

Fun At The Lake 
Intel’s CPU architectures have taken us from Bridges to Canyons and Wells, but the view from the Lake looks to be better than ever. In the coming weeks and months, CPU will be taking a much closer look at Skylake processors and numerous Z170 motherboards, so stay tuned.

Asus Z170 A Motherboard

At $165, power users might dismiss ASUS’ Z170-A as a budget-friendly Z170 motherboard, but one look at the board’s big heatsinks tells you this is not a run-ofthe- mill board that merely replicates the stock Z170 chipset. In particular, ASUS adds several overclocking and system optimization enhancements. The PRO Clock technology, for instance, is a dedicated base-clock control that works with the ASUS TPU (Turbo Processor Unit) to let you increase performance. With PRO Clock, you can extend the BCLK overclocking range well past Skylake’s standard 170MHz. If you’d rather, though, you can use ASUS’ 5-way Optimization to auto-tune your system. You can even set targets for CPU frequency and voltage, as well as temperature limits, so 5-way Optimization can help you reach specific performance objectives. One of our favorite features is the Turbo App, where you can save various overclocking profiles and assign network priorities to quickly load the ideal presets for the task at hand. Gamers will be able to load up the Z170-A with high-powered GPUs. There are three PCIe 3.0 x16 slots, and ASUS allows for up to quad-GPU SLI or CrossFire with dual-GPU graphics cards. If you plan on using single-GPU cards, the Z170-A supports a maximum configuration of 2-way SLI (x8/x8) and 3-way CrossFire (x8/x4/x4). (If you are considering a 3-way CrossFire build, be aware that the bottom PCIe x16 slot shares bandwidth with the fifth and sixth SATA ports.) The Z170-A also offers three PCIe x1 slots and one legacy PCI slot. The Z170-A is ready for high-capacity, high-speed DDR4. You can install up to 64GB of DDR4-3400 memory. ASUS uses its second-generation T-Topology that provides a customized trace layout, which the company says reduces crosstalk and coupling noise for better stability and compatibility. When it comes to cooling and system noise, ASUS gives you complete control of the fans, as well as the water pump headers, inside its UEFI BIOS. For example, you can control fan speed and fan spin down time to prevent rapid fluctuations in fan speed and noise. Storage enthusiasts will like that the Z170-A includes native M.2 and NVMe RAID 0 support. You can even create a RAID from a mix of M.2 storage and a PCIe add-in storage card. The onboard M.2 slot supports both SATA- and PCIe-based storage devices (types 2242/2260/2280/22110). There’s also a SATA Express port and six 6Gbps SATA ports. Above the third and fourth SATA ports, ASUS smartly adds an “OS Drive” sticker to forestall booting from the fifth and sixth SATA ports, which share bandwidth with the bottom PCIe x16 slot. Next-gen external storage is supported with two USB 3.1 ports on the rear panel. One port is of the reversible Type-C variety and the other is a standard Type-A port. High-fidelity audio is delivered by ASUS Crystal Sound 3. Here, you’ll find all of the big-time features with modern onboard audio, including audio shielding on the PCB, EMI protection, onboard amplification, and power regulation for a consistent, clean sound. The ASUS Z170-A might be up against higher-priced competition, but you wouldn’t know it from the benchmarks. This board delivered the top score in PCMark 8’s Creative Test (4865) and was second in many of Sandra’s processor-intensive benchmarks. ASUS T-Topology advantages shine through in SiSoftware Sandra’s Memory Bandwidth benchmarks, where the Z710-A produced 28.89GBps in the Integer test and 28.73 in the Floating test. Overall, the Z170-A did well in our game benchmarks, and it posted the best frames per second in Metro: Last Light (62fps). Despite its budget- friendly price tag, the Z170-A incorporates several of the most helpful hardware enhancements from ASUS’ higher-end motherboards, such as the PRO Clock, T-Topology, and 5-way Optimization features. The hardware and software additions allow performance enthusiasts to push the envelope, while smart design choices (such as the M.2 port that supports both SATA- and PCIe-based storage) maximize component flexibility without raising costs. Props to the ASUS team on a job well done.

Supermicro C7Z170 SQ Motherboard

With the arrival of Skylake, Supermicro has launched a new motherboard product family, titled Supero, and the C7Z170- SQ is the flagship of the group. The C7Z170-SQ looks the part, with a red and black color scheme that easily makes this the most attractive board we’ve seen from the company to date. The C7Z7170-SQ also has all the goodies we’d expect, including a USB 3.1 Type-C port and an M.2 port. Supermicro ports much of its server expertise over to the gaming arena with the Supero family. For example, the PCB is designed with extra layers and using material qualified by Supermicro’s server standards. Top-grade X5R or X7R ceramic chip capacitors populate the motherboard to help withstand heat, while Japanese NPCAP solid-state capacitors deliver low equivalent series resistance and outstanding ripple reduction, according to Supermicro. The result is improved stability when overclocking and greater reliability in general. Lastly, the Supero motherboards are validated using Supermicro’s full-load server testing, which includes 100% loads for at least 150 hours. The C7Z170-SQ allows for fine-tuning of the BCLK, which can be adjusted from 100MHz to up to 210MHz in 1MHz increments. Onboard power, clear CMOS, and BIOS Restore buttons allow you to easily recover from any overclocking missteps. We also like that the C7Z170-SQ comes with a new, modern UEFI BIOS interface. When overclocking, it’s now extremely easy to make quick adjustments to the clock speed, BCLK ratio, and voltages, for instance. You can run DDR4 clocked at up to 3,600MHz, and the board’s four DIMM slots can handle up to 64GB of memory. When it comes to graphics, the C7Z170-SQ sports the triple-PCIe x16 slot configuration that is common among Z170 motherboards in the $200 price range. Dual GPU setups will run at x8/x8 speed, and three-way CrossFire is supported at x8/x4/x4. Supermicro made an interesting choice with the position of the M.2 connector, which is above the top PCIe x16 slot, rather than in between PCIe slots near the bottom of the PCB. And first blush, the design would seem to unnecessary compress the PCIe x16 slots, but the open space could be extremely helpful if you wish to use the M.2 slot for an M.2- to-U.2 adapter. There are also three PCIe x4 slots, but we’ll note Supermicro’s C7Z170-SQ delivered the top frame rate in Aliens vs. Predator (64.5fps) and was near the top for many of the other graphics tests, including 3DMark’s Fire Strike Extreme, where it delivered a Score of 6465 and a Graphics Score of 6840. The C7Z170-SQ also posted the highest Sequential Write speeds in CrystalDiskMark 5.0.2 and did well in the 4K Write tests. Reliability is always going to be a key benefit for Supermicro’s products, and this board shows off how well Supermicro can take those stability additions and translate them over to better overclocks. Onboard controls, such as the BIOS Restore button and debug LED, further enhance the experience. There’s also enough core additions for performance enthusiasts, including the 32Gbps M.2 and USB 3.1 Type-C ports, to allow for component flexibility in the future.

MSI Z170A XPOWER GAMING TITANIUM EDITION MOTHERBOARDS

MSI’s XPOWER series is geared towards overclockers, so it’s no surprise that the Z170A XPOWER GAMING TITANIUM EDITION comes with voltage check points, an integrated clock generator that adds flexibility to your BCLK strap, and MSI’s premium Military Class powerhandling components. We’ve come to expect these power user additions to MSI’s XPOWER lineup. MSI raises the ante with the TITANIUM EDITION, however, by making it easier to access and manage overclocks. MSI includes an external OC Dashboard panel that connects via its own cable, so you’ll enjoy the convenience of push-button control of the CPU ratio and BCLK without having to reach inside the case. The OC Dashboard also lets you reset the BIOS, clear the CMOS, and power down the PC. If you prefer to make adjustments in the OS, you can use MSI’s Gaming Hotkey feature that uses a dedicated hardware chip to let you assign OC profiles and program OC commands, such as increasing or decreasing the CPU ratio. The TITANIUM EDITION’s overclocking chops extend beyond the CPU, as it supports DDR4 clocked at up to 3,600MHz. MSI is able to reach such lofty speeds in part because of its DDR4 Boost technology that isolates the memory circuitry; the company reports that overclockers have achieved a 4,605MHz memory clock speed on the TITANIUM EDITION. Previous iterations of MSI’s XPOWER series featured a yellow and black color scheme, but the TITANIUM EDITION is a complete departure, with its stunning silver and black look highlighted by a metallic silver PCB. MSI further complements the silver PCB with its Steel Armor on two of the PCIe x16 slots, which MSI says helps to prevent damage to the slots. The board supports up 2-way SLI and 4-way CrossFire. Next-generation storage—both internal and external—is part of the package, too. There are two M.2 ports that both support a maximum theoretical bandwidth of 32Gbps, two SATA Express ports that operate at up to 16Gbps, and eight 6Gbps SATA ports. An U.2 host card is separately available, if you want to add support for NVMe storage devices. For external storage and peripherals, you’ll find two USB 3.1 ports (Type-A, rear), 7 USB 3.0 ports (4 rear, 2 internal, and 1 for OC Dashboard), and 7 USB 2.0 ports (3 rear, 4 internal). (Note that MSI refers to the USB 3.0 ports as “USB 3.1 Gen1” ports in the user manual, but the ports operate at the 5Gbps maximum of USB 3.0.) The onboard audio is worth noting, as well. Many of MSI’s Z170 motherboards come with Audio Boost 3, which is powered by Nahimic Sound Technology’s software. This software provides virtual 7.1 surround sound, mic noise reduction, intensified bass, and more. The TITANIUM EDITION performed like a champ in our benchmark tests. It posted top marks in most all of SiSoftware Sandra 2015’s Processor Arithmetic and Processor Multi-Media tests, as well as the best scores in Cinebench 15 (907 points) and POV-Ray 3.7 (1908.42 pixels per second). In our game tests, it posted the highest frames per second in Dying Light (72.3fps), so it’s clearly more than a one-trick pony. In CrystalDiskMark, the TITANIUM EDITION also registered the best transfer rates in the Sequential Read tests. If you’re serious about overclocking your Skylake processor and want to wring the best possible performance f rom it, the Z170A XPOWER GAMING TITANIUM EDITION should be at the top of your list. MSI gets the best out of your hardware and provides you with tools that simplify the overclocking process.

Gigabyte GA Z170X Gaming G1 Motherboard

Let’s gets this out up front—the GAZ170X- Gaming G1 is $499. Now, before you think about skipping to the next review, this is possibly one of the most feature-filled boards you’ll ever find. There’s support for 4-way SLI and CrossFire (at x8/ x8/x8/x8), and both cards in a two-way GPU configuration will operate at the full x16 speed. For storage, the G1 provides a plethora of options with three SATA Express ports operating at 16Gbps, two M.2 slots that work at up to 32Gbps, and support for U.2 storage devices via the included M.2 to U.2 adapter. The VRM is also ready for liquid cooling. GIGABYTE also steps up its game when it comes to USB 3.1 support. To start, there are two USB 3.1 ports on rear panel—one standard Type-A USB connector and the reversible Type-C connector. The USB 3.1 ports are powered by Intel’s USB 3.1 controller that offers a maximum bandwidth of 32Gbps, so bandwidth won’t be limited if both 10Gbps USB 3.1 ports are active. The G1 also comes with a 5.25-inch front panel bay that adds another USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C connector. The USB 3.1 bay does require one of the board’s SATA Express ports, but you’ll still have two left over, which is equivalent to or more than what you’ll find on other Z170 motherboards. For audio, GIGABYTE implements Creative’s Sound Core3D quad-core audio processor that can deliver a 192KHz/24-bit audio signal. The discrete-level audio fidelity is further enhanced by Nichicon and WIMA audio caps and a front-panel headphone amplifier that supports up to 600ohm headphones. Want to customize the sound? GIGABYTE offers switchable OP-AMPS for the rear left and rear right channels, as well as an OP-AMP for the front audio jack. Creative’s SBX Pro Studio software suite rounds out this impressive audio feature list. You’ll find a host of onboard overclocking capabilities on the G1. There are voltage read points, a POST code display, main and backup BIOS chips, and power, reset, and clear CMOS buttons. GIGABYTE also adds a Turbo B-Clock IC, which lets you fine-tune the BCLK (base clock) frequency beyond the 5% ranges of traditional straps. Those loading up their rig with heavy GPUs will like that GIGABYTE uses stainless-steel shielding to reinforce the PCIe connectors. GIGABYTE indicates that in shearing tests, the PCIe slots are 1.7 times stronger with the shields. As you might imagine, the G1 breezed through our benchmarks. It took top honors in 3DMark’s Fire Strike Extreme with the best Score (6510), Graphics Score (6858), and Physics Score (12768). It was also one fps faster, on average, than the competition in The Witcher 3 with 46fps. On the whole, the G1 did well in our CPU-intensive tests, and it posted top marks in SiSoftware’s Sandra 2015’s Memory Bandwidth tests with 29.12GBps in the Integer test and 29.13GBps in the Floating test. The GA-Z7170X-Gaming G1 certainly falls under the “spare no expense” category, yet it’s more than a showcase piece. It’s ready for anything you throw at it and then some.

ASRock Z170 OC Formula Officially Launches & Grabs 3 World Records

ASRock finally launched its Z170 OC Formula motherboard, announcing at the same time that it has been used to claim three more world records by overclockers SPLAVE.ROM and Jon Lamm. The new Z170 OC Formula supports dual-channel DDR4 to 4133+(OC), 4-way Crossfire, and quad-SLI. It has 4 x PCIe 3.0 x16, 1 x PCIe 3.0 x1, 1 x PCIe 2.0 x1, and one vertical half-sized mini-PCIe slots. There are three SATA Express, 10 SATA 3, and three Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4 and SATA 3) ports. MSRP for the ASRock Z170 OC Formula is $180