Motherboards

By Hilbert Hagedoorn @ Guru3D

As we plow through our many Z270 motherboards reviews we have looked at budget, mainstream but also we need to look at high-end the enthusiast class. That’s where we meet the MSI Z270 XPOWER GAMING Titanium. A breathtaking motherboard with metal colored coating, extra overclock features, DDR4 boost functions not one, not two but three M.2. slots and just so much more. Titanium edition – it probably is the most interesting looking motherboard released ever thanks to a new PCB coating. Combined with a few extra’s and an overall high class build MSI might have a true winner here. A motherboard that promises to deliver a high amount of features and provide that Sky- or Kaby Lake processor the full infrastructure is needs for a kick-ass gaming PC.

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By MAC @ Hardware Canucks

So far this year we have had the privilege of reviewing the entry-level GIGABYTE Z170-HD3, the gaming-oriented Z170X-Gaming 3, and the still gamer-focused but slightly higher-end Z170X-Gaming 5.

All of these proved to be very good motherboards in their respective niches, so it shouldn’t come as any surprise that we have been looking forward to reviewing another one of GIGABYTE’s offerings. With this in mind, we are happy to present you with the Z170X-UD5 TH, which retails for about $200 USD / $265 CAD. While this model shares a lot of DNA with its Z170X-UD5 sibling, it is the cutting-edge connectivity options that really make it special. GIGABYTE’s Z170X-UD5 TH has it all; awesome overclocking headroom, a great price and Thunderbolt 3 compatibility but is that enough to differentiate this board from its countless competitors?

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By Hilbert Hagedoorn @ Guru3D

We review the Z170A Gaming PRO CARBON from the MSI Gaming PRO Series motherboards. Armed with a competitive and affordable price at €150/$170,- this motherboard has refined looks, an RGB LED lighting system and next to that, this is Z170 meaning it is fast, feature rich and tweakable as well. A motherboard that offers features plentiful to provide your Intel Core i3/i5/i7 Skylake processor the full infrastructure is needs for a delicious gaming PC. Dressed in black and with added benefits like USB 3.1, M.2. slot and DDR4 support the product will offer a lot of value for your money.

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Author: Daniel Dobrowolski @ HardOCP

GIGABYTE’s GA-Z170X-SOC FORCE is touted as the ultimate Z170 “Super OverClock” solution from GIGABYTE. It also offers an impressive array of features for the enthusiast and gamer alike. 22 phases of digital power, cool new OC Touch buttons, metal shielded PCIe slots, pretty lights, and an impressive set of three PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 Connectors!

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By Thomas Soderstrom @ Tom’s Hardware

Today, ASRock gets another bite at the value-supremacy apple with its Z170 Extreme4, the next model down from the Extreme6. The Extreme4′s largest downgrade appears to be its loss of the add-in SATA controller in Extreme6. We’re even treated to the same I/O panel configuration, with its six USB 3.0 ports, two USB 3.1 ports, triple video outputs, full array of digital and analog audio connections, and handy CLR_CMOS button. ASRock’s Z170 Extreme4 is cheaper than the previously tested Extreme6, but is it also a better value? We examine the features and push our overclocks to find out!

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Author: AkG @ Hardware Canucks

Since the release of the Z170 series of motherboards we have looked at numerous ASUS offerings. Everything from entry level -A, to the impressive Deluxe and even multiple Republic of Gamers motherboards. However, we have not taken a close look at one of ASUS’ more popular lines: The Ultimate Force (TUF) series. As a perennial favorite amongst users who want durability above all else this oversight is rather glaringly obvious in hindsight. Today we fix this issue by reviewing the Z170 Sabertooth, what may be one of the best looking and arguably most advanced ASUS boards on the market today.

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By Ian Cutress @ AnandTech

This is a review of a $500 motherboard for Skylake processors. For some readers, there’s going to an instant reaction of a series of question marks, confused emoji and an interrobang or two. You might ask why would anyone want to spend this much on a Skylake motherboard, when at this price point with a K-series processor, one could flip it around and go for a six-core Haswell-E and motherboard, get more cores and more PCIe lanes? The answer is usually simple – more cores only helps with certain non-gaming workloads, and the Z170 chipset has the potential to offer more than X99. With the GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1, that means full quad-SLI while also using dual M.2 at PCIe 3.0 x4 speeds, with three Killer networks in tow, up to four USB 3.1 ports, ten SATA ports, and due to a recent update, all this comes with Thunderbolt 3 as well as numerous overclocking features and customizable lighting. It’s the first list of features on a motherboard that stretches the Z170 chipset to the limit.

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By Steven Kean @ Legit Reviews

Earlier this year, it was reported that Elitegroup Computer System (ECS) was no longer going to market its own branded motherboards, instead they were going to focus on OEM motherboards. While OEM system builds has been ECS’s main focus for many years, they have released products for the DIY crowd, with high end features while keeping the price down. With increased pressure from the top tier motherboard manufacturers, these budget minded motherboards often get overlooked. However, if you look at the features ECS builds into their motherboards, these budget boards are sometimes a great option. Take for example, the ECS Z170 Claymore motherboard, here we have a motherboard designed for the latest Intel Skylake processors, that integrates some of the latest technology.

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By Steven Kean @ Legit Reviews

Depending on the specific features, there are multiple chipsets that support the Intel Socket 1151 processors, the Z170, H170 and B150. Biostar has motherboards that support all three of these chipsets, with the Z170 chipset being the main enthusiast grade chipset. For the Z170 chipset, Biostar has four motherboards that offer a range of features. Their flagship model is the BIOSTAR Gaming Z170X Ver 5x.

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By Hilbert Hagedoorn @ GURU3D

In this review we test the ASUS Z170 ROG Maximus VIII Extreme. Wanna see how the best that ASUS has to offer for Z170 works? The Maximus VIII Extreme comes with a ROG black & grey design with red accents. Add to that of course the OC Panel and the hippest features of 2015.

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