Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/9819/the-gigabyte-z170x-gaming-g1-review-quad-sli-on-skylake-and-now-with-thunderbolt-3
The GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1 Review: Quad-SLI on Skylake, and now with Thunderbolt 3
by Ian Cutress on December 1, 2015 9:30 AM EST- Posted in
- Gaming
- Intel
- Gigabyte
- Motherboards
- PLX
- PLX8747
- Z170
- Thunderbolt 3
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.
Other AnandTech Reviews for Intel’s 6th Generation CPUs and 100-Series Motherboards
Skylake-K Review: Core i7-6700K and Core i5-6600K - CPU Review
Comparison between the i7-6700K and i7-2600K in Bench – CPU Comparison
Overclocking Performance Mini-Test to 4.8 GHz – Overclocking
Skylake Architecture Analysis - Architecture
Z170 Chipset Analysis and 55+ Motherboards - Motherboard Overview
Discrete Graphics: An Update for Z170 Motherboards - PCIe Firmware Update
100-Series (descending price):
The ASRock Z170 Extreme7+ Review ($240)
The MSI Z170 Gaming M7 Review ($230)
The ASUS Z170-A Review ($165)
To read specifically about the Z170 chip/platform and the specifications therein, our deep dive into what it is can be found at this link.
GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1 Overview
Try thinking of an ultimate motherboard. Unless you’re really excited by motherboards, or know how intricate they can be under the surface, motherboards do not exude a lot of enthusiasm but there is always a chance to be creative, especially as how the Z170 chipset enables 20 PCIe lanes in five sets, where each set can be organized as any combination of x1/x2/x4 up to a total of four. This allows additional ports, controllers and features that wouldn’t normally be possible. Of course, adding those ports and controllers ultimately costs money as well.
But what if money was not an object? Several M.2 ports, extra SATA ports, add in a few USB 3.1, M.2 or Ethernet implementations, or go whacky with some RAID controllers? Well apart from that last one, GIGABYTE seems to have you covered with the Z170X-Gaming G1.
For sheer active functionality, especially as a gamer, you are covered. Here’s a basic list:
Dual Killer E2400 Network Ports + Killer AC-1535 2T2R 802.11ac WiFi with MU-MIMO support
USB 3.1-A and USB 3.1-C from Intel’s Alpine Ridge controller
A USB 3.1 front panel that coverts a SATA Express port into USB 3.1-A and USB 3.1-C
The USB 3.1-C on the rear panel, with updates, supports Thunderbolt 3
A PLX8747 PCIe multiplexing switch enables from x16/x16 to x8/x8/x8/x8 Support
10 SATA Ports (PCH and ASMedia ASM1061 Controllers)
3 SATA Express Ports
11 USB 3.0 Ports (Mix of PCH direct and via Renesas PCH Hubs)
Creative Sound Core 3D Audio and Software Suite
USB DAC-UP for clean USB power for DACs
Then there’s the passive functionality:
International Rectifier power delivery via 22 phases
Combination power delivery heatsink supporting air and water cooling
Enhanced Audio with gain switches and replaceable OP-AMPs
Performance Tuning IC for enhanced BCLK range
PCIe shielding for enhanced mechanical reinforcement for heavy GPUs
There are also nods to using black caps, increased gold count in the socket (15 micron) and other smaller differences, but this is starting to sound like a press release. The point is that the GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1 comes and throws everything including the metaphorical kitchen sink at you.
The BIOS we tested had MultiCore Turbo enabled by default which gave high stock performance numbers but also increased the power consumption at load, which is the usual tradeoff. Due to the use of Creative’s audio, our audio tests had issues getting to work and the beta BIOS gave a large DPC Latency, however non-quick boot POST times were certainly ballpark, as was USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 performance.
The GIGABYTE BIOS retains the look from X99 with iterative updates, but still feels indecisive about a clean classic look or a full HD mode – through the BIOS we achieved a 4.7 GHz overclock with the i7-6700K sample very comfortably at lower voltage and the same power as the stock settings, for just a few degrees extra. The software is perhaps where GIGABYTE has changed the most, with a new look APP Center and a more focused implementation of their original design.
All-in-all, $500 is a lot to spend on a Skylake motherboard. But for that cost, GIGABYTE provides a fair chunk of service that is hard to beat. Read on for the full review.
Quick Links to Other Pages
Page 2: In The Box and Visual Inspection
Page 3: BIOS
Page 4: Software
Page 5: System Performance (Audio, USB, Power, POST Times on Windows 7, Latency)
Page 6: CPU Performance, Short Form (Office Tests and Transcoding)
Page 7: Gaming Performance 2015 (R7 240, GTX 770, GTX 980)
Page 8: Conclusions
Quick Board Feature Comparison
Motherboard Comparison | ||
GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1 | ||
Socket | LGA1151 | LGA1151 |
MSRP at Review | $500 | $230 |
DRAM | 4 x DDR4 | 4 x DDR4 |
PCIe Layout | x8/x8/x8/x8 (PLX 8747) | x8/x8 |
BIOS Version Tested | F4p | 142 |
MCT Enabled Automatically? | Yes | Yes |
USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) | Intel Alpine Ridge 1 x Type-A 1 x Type-C |
ASMedia ASM1142 1 x Type-A 1 x Type-C |
M.2 Slots | 2 x PCIe 3.0 x4 | 2 x PCIe 3.0 x4 |
U.2 Ports | No | No |
Network Controller | 2 x Killer E2400 1 x Killer 1535 2x2 802.11ac |
1 x Killer E2400 |
Audio Controller | Creative SoundCore 3D | Realtek ALC1150 |
HDMI 2.0 | Yes, via LSPcon | No |
GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1 Overclocking
Experience with GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1
The Z170X-Gaming G1’s overclocking functions come in a variety of formats. Most users will notice the operating system software Easy Tune first through the GIGABYTE App Center which offers a set of overclock values or an Auto Tuning mode.
Within this interface, we also get sliding options for CPU, DDR and Power OC as represented by the tabs above the options, but also a hot-key setting. GIGABYTE also offers a simple interface of extreme overclockers through the website, but for most users the simple options will satisfy most. Admittedly the OC option at 4.4 GHz for our i7-6700K seems a little low for an automatic option, but there are more in the BIOS.
With the BIOS overclocking modes, GIGABYTE’s standard layout of splitting Frequency, Memory and Voltage into separate menus continues. Personally, this makes it a little frustrating when you want to change frequency and voltages at the same time because it requires navigating in and out of menus.
There are also a set of automatic CPU overclock options here as well under the CPU upgrade dropdown in the Frequency sub-menu.
Methodology
Our standard overclocking methodology is as follows. We select the automatic overclock options and test for stability with PovRay and OCCT to simulate high-end workloads. These stability tests aim to catch any immediate causes for memory or CPU errors.
For manual overclocks, based on the information gathered from previous testing, starts off at a nominal voltage and CPU multiplier, and the multiplier is increased until the stability tests are failed. The CPU voltage is increased gradually until the stability tests are passed, and the process repeated until the motherboard reduces the multiplier automatically (due to safety protocol) or the CPU temperature reaches a stupidly high level (100ºC+). Our test bed is not in a case, which should push overclocks higher with fresher (cooler) air.
Overclock Results
One of GIGABYTE’s quirks in recent generations is its lack to propagate automatic overclock settings. By this I mean that say I was to select the 4.6 GHz option, it would leave the CPU Voltage and Load Line Calibration listed as ‘Auto’ rather than their true values. This means that at POST it reads the CPU Upgrade option and then finds a look-up table of data, rather than when the CPU Upgrade option is applied to adjust the other registers so they are read directly at POST.
Nevertheless, if you want a pure CPU Upgrade option, our set of tests showed consistent load voltage of 1.416 volts. The default BIOS also showed a CPU voltage of 1.404 volts, due to MultiCore Turbo being enabled by default – this means that with the Z170X-Gaming G1, if users can overclock manually then we can hit 4.6 GHz and still be at a lower voltage, lower load temperature and lower power consumption than the stock MCT value and have higher performance.
It is also worth noting that GIGABYTE’s FCLK settings are found in the Frequency sub-menu in the BIOS, with the 8x ratio being set by default:
Board Features
The key features list for the Gaming G1 is a long one with multiple areas. From the top, alongside the 22-phase power delivery using IR controllers and chokes there is a combination air/water VRM heatsink, dual network ports (Killer E2400), 2T2R 802.11ac MU-MIMO WiFi (Killer AC-1535), a PLX chip to enable x16/x8/x8 or x8/x8/x8/x8 graphics arrangements, dual PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots for storage, ten SATA ports, three SATA Express, USB 3.1 A+C on the rear powered by an Intel Alpine Ridge controller which has recently achieved certification for Thunderbolt 3 use on this motherboard, a bundled SATAe to USB 3.1 A+C front bay for additional ports and then there’s the enhanced audio subsystem with replaceable OP-AMPs and features like USB.DAC-Up which helps provide cleaner power to USB DACs.
GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1 | |
Warranty Period | 3 Years |
Product Page | Link |
Price | Amazon US |
Size | E-ATX (305x264 mm) |
CPU Interface | LGA1151 |
Chipset | Intel Z170 |
Memory Slots (DDR4) | Four DDR4 Supporting 64GB Dual Channel Up to 3666 MHz |
Memory Slots (DDR3L) | None |
Video Outputs | HDMI 2.0 via LSPcon |
Network Connectivity | 2 x Killer E2400 1 x Killer AC-1535 2T2R 802.11ac Dual Band |
Onboard Audio | Creative Sound Core 3D + JRC NJM2114 + Burr Brown OPA2134 |
PCIe Slots for Graphics (from CPU) | 4 x PCIe 3.0 via PLX8747 (x16/x16, x16/x8/x8, x8/x8/x8/x8) |
PCIe Slots for Other (from PCH) | 3 x PCIe 3.0 x1 |
Onboard SATA | Six, RAID 0/1/5/10 Four via ASM1061, no RAID |
Onboard SATA Express | Three |
Onboard M.2 | 2x PCIe 3.0 x4 or SATA, RAID 0/1, NVMe |
Onboard U.2 | None |
USB 3.1 | 1 x Type-A 1 x Type-C Intel Alpine Ridge Controller USB 3.1 Front Panel bundled, 1xA + 1xC via SATA Express |
USB 3.0 | 4 x Rear Panel 2 via headers |
USB 2.0 | 2 x Rear Panel 4 via headers |
Power Connectors | 1 x 24-pin ATX 1 x 8-pin CPU |
Fan Headers | 2 x CPU (4-pin) 5 x CHA/SYS (4-pin) |
IO Panel | 1 x Combination PS/2 2 x USB 2.0 7 x USB 3.0 (4x PCH, 3 from Renesas Hubs) 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C w/ TB3 Support (Update Required) 2 x Network RJ-45 HDMI 2T2R WiFi Antenna Audio Jacks Optical SPDIF Out |
Other Features | Front Panel Header Front Audio Header 2 x USB 3.0 Headers (Renesas Hub) 2 x USB 2.0 Headers TP Header Clear CMOS Button Power/Reset Buttons ECO Button OC Button 2 x Audio Gain Control Switches BIOS Select Switch DualBIOS Switch Combination Air/Water Cooling VRM Heatsink 22-phase Power Delivery using IR Voltage Measurement Points |
A number of users will decry the use of Killer network ports over Intel ports based on their own expectations, or that the system includes XYZ which they will never use. But therein lies one issue that surrounds expensive flagship motherboards – to get the best value out of it, you have to use it all. So if a user ever wonders where the $500 they spent on the motherboard went, re-read the specification sheet, and look what came with it in the box as well.
In The Box
We get the following:
Driver CDs
User Manual
Rear IO Shield
Six SATA Cables
Wi-Fi Antenna
SATAe Cable for USB 3.1 Front Panel
USB 3.1 Front Panel
Two Long SLI Bridges
3-Way Rigid SLI Bridge
4-Way Rigid SLI Bridge
M.2 to U.2 adaptor
Quick Connector for Front Panel Cables
Rear IO Plastic Protectors
In order to get the most out of this package, you’ll need a good chunk of NVIDIA graphics cards, a large chassis, a few storage drives including one or two M.2/U.2 drives, need multiple network connections and own multiple USB 3.1 devices. One can dream for sure, or throw around the words ‘future-proof’.
Visual Inspection
At this point in time, GIGABYTE’s set of motherboard liveries are all very different, especially when we compare them to the past. We used to have blue and white on almost everything, then we saw some green on the G1 range, then orange for overclocking, then black and gold for the channel line, then full black for the server range. For the Gaming range this generation, we now go for a strong element of white with shades of red and black, because it seems red is the de facto color for gaming motherboards from 2013.
Like many of the other Z170 motherboards we’ve seen so far, the styling goes far to avoid rapid color changes over strictly horizontal barriers. I’m not sure if this has some psychological context, maybe because the PCIe slots are in that orientation by default. But a number of the motifs here are all at 45 degree angles.
The socket area is hard to ignore – along with no white boxes for machine placement guides, the area is black and clear, presumably a not to users who want to insulate this area for sub-zero processor cooling. The socket is backed up by a 22-phase power delivery that combines controllers and chokes from International Rectifier – GIGABYTE were the first to use IR’s 60A voltage regulator modules back with Z77, and we had a hint back then that these cost $2 each. Given that there are 22 in total here, even if they were a 40A or 50A model that is still a fair chunk of BOM cost on power delivery alone. On top of these we have the power delivery heatsink which is connected to the PLX heatsink and the chipset heatsink via a heatpipe but also contains two connectors for water cooling, enabling an air/water cooling mix solution. These come with G1/4 threading fittings by default, and any equivalent barb or conversion kits that support G1/4 can be used.
The socket has access to five of the seven fan headers on board, all of which are four-pin. The two CPU headers are above the socket and to the right as we look straight on, with one of these in white as the main CPU header and the black one is for any water cooling pump. There are two fan headers above the socket and two the left next to the 8-pin power connector, along with a header for the rear IO shield that offers customized lighting. The fifth fan header around the socket is just above the first PCIe slot on the left of the motherboard. The final two fan headers are on the bottom right of the board, below the SATA ports and chipset heatsink.
On the right hand side of the board are a few of the overclocking features and onboard buttons. Directly above the DRAM slots (to the right on the picture above, between the DRAM and the edge of the board) are a set of voltage read points. There is a small white switch which is a reset switch, a big red button for power, and a black button as a power switch to help completely reset the BIOS while still connected to power. This last point becomes useful if the system BIOS settings are too obscure to even allow entry, which can happen with extreme overclocking. There is also an obvious two-digit debug display, and to the left of this is an OC button for easy overclocking and an ECO button to put the board into a low power mode. Next to all of this is a long Gaming G1 logo on the PCB – this lights up when the system is powered on, and has a set of colors to choose from within the software.
Below the 24-pin ATX connector is a pair of USB 3.0 headers which come from a Renesas hub that splits a USB 3.0 port from the chipset into four, sharing bandwidth. The chipset heatsink as mentioned before is quite big but connected via heatpipes to the rest of the heatsinks. To the right of the chipset heatsink are the SATA ports with a total of ten which are also shared between three SATA Express connectors. These are also covered by what looks like an aesthetic shield, similar to the rear IO, but could also be acting as an EMI shield for components underneath.
On the bottom of the motherboard, from right to left, we have two of the fan headers, the front panel header (to be used with the boxed easy-connector provided), a switch to select between BIOS chips, a switch to enable DualBIOS, two USB 2.0 headers, a TPM header, a SATA power connector for the PCIe slots, two Audio Gain switches for the audio, a removable operational amplifier, the Burr Brown OPA2134 DAC and then a front panel audio header. The audio section in this bottom left uses a Creative Sound Core 3D chip along with additional filter caps, dual JRC NJM2114s, an EMI shield, PCB audio channel separation and other small tweaks to help improve the audio experience. The PCB separation is also fitted with LEDs which light up under use, and these can be controlled by part of GIGABYTE’s software package for Windows.
The PCIe slot arrangement on the Z170X-Gaming G1 is going to be a fairly rare one for the Z170 series for one main reason. Previously we saw most motherboard manufacturers using a PLX 8747 chip to bring quad-SLI using individual cards to the mainstream platform, and we even had a big review of four Z77 models explaining the technology. Between Z97 and Z170 however, the company behind making and selling the switches, PEX, was purchased by Avago. Avago has interests in supplying PCIe switches primarily to the server and enterprise markets who have bigger budgets, and almost overnight (or so we are to believe), the prices the chips made before the acquisition rose dramatically. Both the 8000-series here and the new 9000-series we reported on are both now aimed server side, and cost a fair whack. Back with Z77, we estimated they were around $40 each when bought in batches, with individual units costing $90+. I wouldn’t be surprised if the batch price was at least another 20-50% over that. There will be a number of server boards with this technology, such as the Z170 WS, which will also cost around the same price as the Gaming G1.
Nonetheless, on the Gaming G1 the PLX8747 switch multiplexes the sixteen PEG (PCI Express Graphics) lanes from the processor into 32, which are separated into two lots of sixteen for the first and third PCIe slots. These lots of sixteen also have additional basic switching, allowing for an x16/x0 or x8/x8 arrangement with the PCIe slot underneath. This gives an arrangement for x16/x0/x16/x0 to x8/x8/x8/x8, enabling a true four-way SLI rather than having to use dual-GPU based devices (or alternatively, with the right OS and compute workload, four dual GPU devices could be used). We have tested the PLX8747 in the past with PCIe 3.0 based gaming, only to find that the difference in performance for a single GPU was less than 1-2%, and within the margin for error.
The PCIe slots also have a bonded stainless steel shield with multiple anchor points over each graphics-focused PCIe slot. This helps with the mechanical rigidity when installing heavy graphics cards, as well as preventing damage when a random security airport check point decides to dismantle it without realizing there’s a lock release (I read it once on the internet, it was pretty brutal). Ultimately the hope is that it might reduce RMA incidents of this nature. In between the PCIe slots are a pair of M.2 slots which can both enable PCIe 3.0 x4 drives supporting NVMe, as well as RAID configurations under Intel’s RST. GIGABYTE also bundles a single M.2 to U.2 conversion adaptor for drives that support the U.2 standard.
The rear panel is also covered by a white shield, maintaining the aesthetic for the motherboard. On the rear panel we get a pair of USB 2.0 ports, a PS/2 combination port, the 2T2R 802.11ac WiFi Killer 1535 card, HDMI output, a total of seven USB 3.0 ports (four from PCH, three from a Renesas hub to the PCH), two Killer E2400 network ports, a USB 3.1 Type-A running at 10 Gbps, a USB 3.1 Type-C running at 10 Gbps which also supports Thunderbolt 3 with the latest firmware, and at the end are gold plated audio jacks to reduce corrosion. The USB 3.1/TB3 ports are provided through Intel’s Alpine Ridge controller.
Test Setup
Test Setup | |
Processor | Intel Core i7-6700K (ES, Retail Stepping), 91W, $350 4 Cores, 8 Threads, 4.0 GHz (4.2 GHz Turbo) |
Motherboards | GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1 |
Cooling | Cooler Master Nepton 140XL |
Power Supply | OCZ 1250W Gold ZX Series Corsair AX1200i Platinum PSU |
Memory | Corsair DDR4-2133 C15 2x8 GB 1.2V or G.Skill Ripjaws 4 DDR4-2133 C15 2x8 GB 1.2V |
Memory Settings | JEDEC @ 2133 |
Video Cards | ASUS GTX 980 Strix 4GB MSI GTX 770 Lightning 2GB (1150/1202 Boost) ASUS R7 240 2GB |
Hard Drive | Crucial MX200 1TB |
Optical Drive | LG GH22NS50 |
Case | Open Test Bed |
Operating System | Windows 7 64-bit SP1 |
Readers of our motherboard review section will have noted the trend in modern motherboards to implement a form of MultiCore Enhancement / Acceleration / Turbo (read our report here) on their motherboards. This does several things, including better benchmark results at stock settings (not entirely needed if overclocking is an end-user goal) at the expense of heat and temperature. It also gives in essence an automatic overclock which may be against what the user wants. Our testing methodology is ‘out-of-the-box’, with the latest public BIOS installed and XMP enabled, and thus subject to the whims of this feature. It is ultimately up to the motherboard manufacturer to take this risk – and manufacturers taking risks in the setup is something they do on every product (think C-state settings, USB priority, DPC Latency / monitoring priority, overriding memory sub-timings at JEDEC). Processor speed change is part of that risk, and ultimately if no overclocking is planned, some motherboards will affect how fast that shiny new processor goes and can be an important factor in the system build.
For reference, the GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1, on our testing with BIOS F4p, MCT was enabled by default. Also, the FCLK 10x ratio was not present in the BIOS for this review, but is found in later version of the BIOS (we have a strict cut off policy when we start testing unless there’s a major flaw). To enable Thunderbolt 3, we suggest updating to the latest BIOS and ME version.
Many thanks to...
We must thank the following companies for kindly providing hardware for our test bed:
Thank you to AMD for providing us with the R9 290X 4GB GPUs.
Thank you to ASUS for providing us with GTX 980 Strix GPUs and the R7 240 DDR3 GPU.
Thank you to ASRock and ASUS for providing us with some IO testing kit.
Thank you to Cooler Master for providing us with Nepton 140XL CLCs.
Thank you to Corsair for providing us with an AX1200i PSU.
Thank you to Crucial for providing us with MX200 SSDs.
Thank you to G.Skill and Corsair for providing us with memory.
Thank you to MSI for providing us with the GTX 770 Lightning GPUs.
Thank you to OCZ for providing us with PSUs.
Thank you to Rosewill for providing us with PSUs and RK-9100 keyboards.
GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1 BIOS
The graphical BIOS (or UEFI/EFI, we use BIOS for clarity) has been a permanent competitive fixture in the modern motherboard market – the ability to do more with less and provide a seamless experience to both enthusiasts and new users is a point that manufacturers can provide both a selling point and that unique aspect that makes it stand above the crowd. The big four motherboard manufacturers have now all adopted the same philosophy of an easier mode for a front screen that sits above an Advanced mode which is more enthusiast focused.
GIGABYTE’s easy mode, called the startup guide, will ask on first entry for a language selection. At present only GIGABYTE does this, which is an interesting fact in itself, but can be a good thing to see.
However, it will appear every time an enthusiast has to reset the BIOS, so if there was a lock that remained persistent across BIOS resets, it might be pertinent to have one.
The Startup Guide beyond language selection is different to the other easy modes we encounter, by virtue of not providing any real system information but just a simple set of options that most users can get to grips with. Personally I prefer at least a little bit of information here, such as the motherboard name, CPU and DRAM amount as a bare minimum just to help system admins in case of an issue.
The Fast Boot sub-menu offers a simple enable/disable (which could actually be adjusted to move to the front screen with all the options as a tick/cross which changes when the option is selected), with the system time, boot sequence, load defaults and exit buttons being self-explanatory. The SATA Controller sub-menu provides options for AHCI or RAID on PCH provided ports, while Security offers a quick password implementation and Start-up Options allows the user to select which mode to enter first with the BIOS (Startup Guide, Classic Mode, Smart Tweak Regular/HD).
Pressing F2 brings the user out of the Startup Guide and into the Classic Mode menus. With this mode, it should be pointed out that sometimes there is a disjoint when you enter between what you see and what the system thinks is selected – about 50% of the time it will show the first tab, MIT, rather than the one which is actually selected, System Information. Pressing left or right to select a tab usually fixes this.
The first tab from the left is MIT, the intelligent tweaking menu that provides some information about the system but acts as the main hub for overclocking options. The three main menus here are Frequency, Memory and Voltage, which all do what they say and offer options relating to those features.
The Frequency sub-menu offers base-clock and multiplier options for the CPU, including FCLK and advanced core settings. For an extra element, the DRAM multiplier can be selected here also, such that as the base frequency is adjusted the user can see the effect on the memory frequency. Automatic overclock pre-sets are also here under the Performance Upgrade drop down and the CPU Upgrade drop down. This latter option offers 4.2 GHz to 4.4 GHz for the i5-6600K and 4.4 GHz to 4.6 GHz for the i7-6700K. The downsides of using these options is that GIGABYTE doesn’t show the changes made to enable these (such as voltage or LLC), in which GIGABYTE is unique in that regard compared to the others of the big four manufacturers.
In our previous reviews, it was noted that a typical overclocker will want to adjust frequency and voltage often in the same sitting. With the GIGABYTE BIOS, that requires moving into this frequency menu for the first part, and navigating to different menus for the voltage. It would be ideal if the GIGABYTE BIOS duplicated some of those options, at least the CPU vCore and CPU Load-Line Calibration, to the frequency menu just as the memory multiplier has been duplicated.
The Memory sub-menu gives options to enable XMP, adjust memory sub-timings but also implement a form of memory enhancement. To the best of my abilities, this seems to be an option that adjusts a number of tertiary sub-timings that might affect certain workflows. As with any overclocking, this is not guaranteed and your mileage may vary.
The Voltage sub-menu actually opens another set of sub-menu options, including power, core voltage and DRAM voltage. We’ve spoken to GIGABYTE about their method of doing it this way in the past, and the answer is to make options easier to find by separating them out – personally some of these options could be joined up and still fit on screen very easily, such as a ‘simple’ and ‘advanced’ voltage sub-menu that provides some options duplicated but the simple set is just the few that most overclockers will want to use.
Nevertheless we find the processor load line calibration in the power settings menu, the processor voltage (CPU, GPU, Ring and PLL) in the Core Voltage Control, memory voltage in the DRAM menu and anyone extreme enough to enter the voltage regulation control can go nuts, with plenty of options that few engineers understand.
The MIT tab also offers a PC Health menu which contains all the sensor readings as well as the fan controls.
GIGABYTE is still lacking an interactive fan control option in the BIOS, while the other manufacturers have such a system with several points users can modify with a mouse. Instead from GIGABYTE we have a series of options relating to PWM/°C, which is a confusing metric if you do not understand fans. To explain it, basically the system can apply a value of 0 PWM to 255 PWM to the fan which relates to the fan voltage. This scale is not always linear, and what makes it frustrating is that the fan’s response is also non-linear to the voltage applied. Technically GIGABYTE could detect the fan RPM as a function of PWM and do the mathematics to provide gradients with actual RPM values, but instead we get basic PWM values. Just to put it into context, some fans are at 0 RPM until 40% PWM (40% of 255 is 102), and then shoot to 60% of their peak RPM speed. So at a gradient of 1 PWM value per degree, you would only see the fan turn on at 102 degrees, which by then it’s too late as the machine might have shut down due to overheating. Fan speed control is a very easy concept to fix, but for whatever reason is left like this.
After MIT, the next important tab is the BIOS Features one which allows boot sequence adjustments as well as fast boot, Windows 10 and secure boot options.
The Peripherals tab is where the extra controllers can be adjusted as well as the LED lighting, SATA Controller configuration (AHCI/RAID), NVMe support and Thunderbolt support.
The Chipset tab is for integrated graphics and audio options, as well as virtualization through VT-d (which is disabled by default).
For boot override options, in order to boot from a single device for just one boot, these can be found in the Save and Exit menu.
A lot of these options are mirrored in the Smart Tweak HD Mode, found by pressing F2 after Classic Mode. This is more akin to some of the other BIOSes we see, mixing an easy mode list of CPU/Memory/System status values with an advanced mode set of options. A full series of images for this can be found in the BIOS gallery.
It is no secret that GIGABYTE’s BIOSes, since the inception of the graphical BIOS, have been difficult to assimilate. Combinations of layout, interaction, color and choice of options has plagued most of the samples we have received over the years, and prove to be a barrier to a solid award beyond a mere recommendation. I have heard the line that ‘perhaps I’m not used to it’, or that there is some unconscious bias towards this way of thinking, but there’s a simpler explanation: it remains difficult for new users to understand and can irritate enthusiasts who have to cycle through menus. While it sounds harsh, and I know there are users (namely extreme overclockers for the most part) who enjoy the interface, but I would argue that the market is beyond a select few and either compromises or paradigm shifts have to happen. One potential avenue is that it is time to bring a user experience expert and designer on board, rather than limit layout ideas to a sphere of engineers. GIGABYTE is not unique in this regard, but it is a way of thinking that most are slowly starting to realize actually makes a lot of sense to improve the user experience rather than the pure engineer experience.
GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1 Software
I mentioned in the overview that GIGABYTE’s software stack has improved for the Z170 generation of motherboards, and that was no joke. Previously we had the high-contrast operations of APP Center and the small applications therein which might have strained the eyes of users as well as not making it easy to see what options were where. This changes for the Z170 platform, with a much smoother aesthetic and the options are split out into enough mini-applications that can be called on individually to increase loading time. This also enables GIGABYTE to update each mini-app independently of each other, giving smaller download updates.
But first, there are a few extra programs that come with the motherboard as a result of the hardware choices made.
Killer Networking Manager, for Killer DoubleShot-X3 Pro
For a name, DoubleShot-X3 Pro is in itself both a mouthful and non-descriptive. This is essentially Killer’s naming scheme for when a customer uses three products from their profile on the same system, allowing their software to direct network traffic from different software down different pipes. Thus, assuming a user is connected to their router through the two E2400 Ethernet ports as well as the Killer AC-1535 Wi-Fi connection, they can direct game data packets down one Ethernet connection, streaming and VOIP down the second, then background services over the Wi-Fi. The software can also tag packets with priority, which with any luck (though debatable outside the home) will prioritize certain data in order to maintain the experience.
While the concept sounds good in principle, there are a number of factors which go against the arrangement. Firstly, the chances that a user will have both two Ethernet connections and a wireless signal to a router in their home is somewhat minimal, especially if they live somewhere where the main router is in a public space. The best target group for this would be individuals that can wire up to a router in the same room as their system, which means networking enthusiasts or (typically) singles only, especially if we’re talking about a gaming system specifically here.
Second, the software is a pain to use. In the past it would be a horrendous mélange of badly design, and to be fair it still is, but the only way I understand it now is by having a meeting with the CEO of the company who makes Killer (it used to be Qualcomm, but has now spun out recently as Rivet Networks with a lot of the original Bigfoot team that first made the Killer brand). Teaching someone to set it up is more complex than a review will allow, and ideally done in person. What Rivet needs to do is modify the software in order to make that teaching process simple.
The next issue is the perception of Killer, along with the claims it makes. Many users see Killer as inferior to Intel, based on either bad experiences with Killer, good experiences with Intel, the bad Killer software, the potentially higher CPU usage with Killer, or that stick in the side that makes it feel that companies such as GIGABYTE and MSI are using them merely as an advertising extra rather than a genuine way to improve performance. There have been a number of tests of Killer hardware out in the media recently for specific reasons (namely reach-out by Rivet in response to a review whose author failed to understand anything he tested), but the explanations of any genuine benefit to Killer focus mostly on the software rather than a hardware solution. Also, some testing results beyond the priority settings put the Killer controller’s benefit in certain scenarios to only be a small percentage of the overall process (saving microseconds in a millisecond response time).
As I was in Austin for the Supercomputing 15 conference this November, I arranged a meeting with the Rivet Networks (i.e. the ex-Bigfoot) team. We had discussions around Killer, and I think we both got something out of it, especially from my perspective which might help Killer see how their product is perceived, or attack the low hanging fruit in order to change that perception, and an understanding with regards what scenarios and tests (again, beyond prioritization) which represent a real workload where their hardware benefits over others. As a result of this initial meeting, Rivet is going to keep us in the loop with new developments going forward, which is always a plus.
Creative Sound Blaster
With the use of Creative’s Sound Core 3D audio codec, Creative also ships to the OEM licenses for the SB Pro Center software. This includes the regular set of audio options including both simplified and advanced forms of EQ control, special modes to increase voice clarity (high-pass on-the-fly software filters), methods to increase the volume and SNR of gameplay involving footsteps (scout mode) and the ability to configure adjustments and placement of a multi-speaker system.
Compared to other software packages such as MSI’s Nahimic Audio, the Sound Blaster suite comes without the fanfare of the ‘we can improve your audio’ rhetoric which translates as ‘we hide the advanced options and settings’. Instead we still retain full control of the chain through the software, but there are simple modes if needed, and it remains the domain of the user if they want to fine-tune. There’s no pretentiousness here.
GIGABYTE’s APP CENTER
We could call it the APP CENTER, because all caps are clearly needed or at least that’s what the title says, but here is GIGABYTE’s new interface for their more integrated options.
As a visual display, barring the poor attempt to implement shadows by flat pictures on the icons, this is a lot easier to digest than the previous implementation. Apps are also moved apart, splitting several options into different menus and making it easier to find what you want. The base preferences for the App Center menu offer color changes and an update schedule, which worked well during our testing.
If we go straight in to the updates, it offers what software is currently due for update along with a description and the size of the download. For software that is not currently installed in the system but is offered as part of the package (such as Norton Antivirus or Chrome), these are siphoned off into the ‘not installed’ menu, which is a good thing. A very good thing indeed.
The 3D OSD app allows the user to put an on-screen display on their graphically demanding titles (via a hotkey) that provides information about the system, similar to many of the GPU overclocking tools today. So here we can see it has selected the GPU fan, CPU temperature and system temperature on the bottom half of the menu. The user can select the OSD font size, position on the screen and font color. I don’t suggest the size 72 in green, because I couldn’t play a game as a result. One option for GIGABYTE here is to also offer a series of fonts, in case one jars with the visuals of the game, or also to offer the text in the OSD with a per-character border to it stands out from the game in the background.
@BIOS is a stable of GIGABYTE’s software package, allowing updates either from a download or detecting what is new on their servers. Some vendors wrap this feature in with the App Center updates, which would perhaps be an idea for GIGABYTE to do so (or have two places where BIOS updates can be applied, in the App Center Updates and @BIOS).
With all the LEDs on the motherboard board, from the right hand side logo to the audio separation traces and the rear panel IO shield, GIGABYTE has enabled a 7-color system that can offer different modes that can be controlled through the Ambient LED App. The Still Mode keeps a constant color, whereas the Pulse Mode will bring the light on and off in a slow interval. The Beat Mode keeps tabs on the audio output and adjusts the intensity of the light accordingly. On top of all of these, the multi-color option can also cycle through the LED colors with an interval. Also, the LEDs can be turned off, as they may only appeal to a certain section of users.
Possible update suggestions for GIGABYTE to consider include the choice for a limited/custom set of colors, or to control the different LED colors independently around the motherboard. I would also offer the ability for custom time intervals (0.3 seconds on green, 2.2 seconds on red), or linking certain keys on the keyboard to different colors. That way for example, when playing a MOBA, MMO or FPS, when you activate a skill or select a weapon, the color of the system changes with that skill/weapon. If it could be hooked to change color or run a script of color with certain game events, then all the better. Time to get stabby on a knife round methinks, and make the system is red.
The USB Blocker app allows the administrator to block the use of certain USB devices to protect the system. This app is mainly for professional or public systems rather than a gaming rig, but is included here because it is easy for GIGABYTE to implement.
EasyTune is GIGABYTE’s graphical overclocking tool for Windows which offers this SmartBoost set of easy options alongside the deeper menus for manual overclocking. We tested both the OC option (a 4.4 GHz preset) and the AutoTuning overclock mode that tests for a peak frequency (we got 4.6 GHz) and both worked, although it is worth saying that the AutoTuning option is fairly basic with no room to select custom temperature ranges, voltage limits or stress test/stress test durations.
The other tabs in EasyTune give a similar set of options to the BIOS but with sliders and dropdowns. Users will have to download the GIGABYTE Tweaker tool if they want to adjust overclocks on the fly using a simple keyboard interface.
The Fast Boot software is something we use a fair bit, purely based on that ‘Enter BIOS Setup Now’ option which simplifies BIOS based overclocking without needing to break fingers or keyboards by hammering F2 during POST or entering the BIOS while in UEFI Quick Boot mode.
The System Information Viewer gives a breakdown of what is inside the system (we’re still waiting for a system browser, similar to MSI/ASRock), but also contains all the fan options as well.
For a series of simple presets, GIGABYTE offers these four: Quiet, Standard, Performance and Full Speed. For anything more than this, we move to the Advanced tab:
Through this we can test each fan for its fan RPM speed as a function of workload (that’s the PWM % value from the BIOS), and then configure a multiple point gradient for each of the fans. This is a great step up from what the BIOS offers, missing only one other feature worth suggesting to GIGABYTE - hysteresis. This means that if the system is running warm and slowly cools down, the fans stay running at a high workload to help cool the system down quicker until a threshold is met. So basically this means that as the system heats up it goes up the first gradient, and as the system cools down it goes down a different gradient.
Through this app we can also set the system alerts such that if one of the settings fluctuates beyond a safe range (e.g. temperature of the processor goes above 80) then a notification will appear. This software can also record the values of these sensors over time for a log file.
As part of the App Center, GIGABYTE has included a backup utility. This is good for keeping safe copies of hard drive partitions, or rescuing partitions to restore from an early date.
For parents that want to limit the time their children spend on the computer, or for users to limit their complete PC time, the TimeLock option will track the time the PC is on and take necessary steps to limit use after the allotted time. It doesn’t stop anyone rebooting the system with a Linux LiveCD though and accessing the internet through that.
The Smart Keyboard functionality is akin to the macro generator and sniper key apps we saw in previous generations of GIGABYTE software. While it is nice to see, it only remains useful for very simple macros (or Marco, as the text says above in the image).
System Performance
Not all motherboards are created equal. On the face of it, they should all perform the same and differ only in the functionality they provide - however this is not the case. The obvious pointers are power consumption, but also the ability for the manufacturer to optimize USB speed, audio quality (based on audio codec), POST time and latency. This can come down to manufacturing process and prowess, so these are tested.
Power Consumption
Power consumption was tested on the system while in a single MSI GTX 770 Lightning GPU configuration with a wall meter connected to the OCZ 1250W power supply. This power supply is Gold rated, and as I am in the UK on a 230-240 V supply, leads to ~75% efficiency > 50W, and 90%+ efficiency at 250W, suitable for both idle and multi-GPU loading. This method of power reading allows us to compare the power management of the UEFI and the board to supply components with power under load, and includes typical PSU losses due to efficiency. These are the real world values that consumers may expect from a typical system (minus the monitor) using this motherboard.
While this method for power measurement may not be ideal, and you feel these numbers are not representative due to the high wattage power supply being used (we use the same PSU to remain consistent over a series of reviews, and the fact that some boards on our test bed get tested with three or four high powered GPUs), the important point to take away is the relationship between the numbers. These boards are all under the same conditions, and thus the differences between them should be easy to spot.
GIGABYTE’s Z170X-Gaming G1 implements MultiCore Turbo with K-series processors by default, which seems to require an extraordinary amount of voltage when at stock frequencies (1.404 volts at load). This translates into a large power consumption at stock, which can be mitigated by some manual adjustments. For example, our 4.7 GHz overclock saw 1.392 volts at load at 73C max temperature for only 167W total system power draw.
Non UEFI POST Time
Different motherboards have different POST sequences before an operating system is initialized. A lot of this is dependent on the board itself, and POST boot time is determined by the controllers on board (and the sequence of how those extras are organized). As part of our testing, we look at the POST Boot Time using a stopwatch. This is the time from pressing the ON button on the computer to when Windows 7 starts loading. (We discount Windows loading as it is highly variable given Windows specific features.)
The BIOS we tested was more of an early beta BIOS, but even then the G1 comes with a large number of extra controllers that need to be checked at POST which adds on to the non-UEFI POST time. That being said, 16 seconds or so comes out well enough, but the ‘stripped’ POST time seemed to go awry.
Rightmark Audio Analyzer 6.2.5
Rightmark:AA indicates how well the sound system is built and isolated from electrical interference (either internally or externally). For this test we connect the Line Out to the Line In using a short six inch 3.5mm to 3.5mm high-quality jack, turn the OS speaker volume to 100%, and run the Rightmark default test suite at 192 kHz, 24-bit. The OS is tuned to 192 kHz/24-bit input and output, and the Line-In volume is adjusted until we have the best RMAA value in the mini-pretest. We look specifically at the Dynamic Range of the audio codec used on board, as well as the Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise.
As we’ve known in the past, audio is difficult to test outside of Realtek operations mainly due to the extra ‘enhancements’ offered by certain software packages that refuse to completely turn everything off. As a result, the GIGABYTE numbers seem low for what they should be, but this is usually some software tool always enabled that interferes with out result.
USB Backup
For this benchmark, we transfer a set size of files from the SSD to the USB drive using DiskBench, which monitors the time taken to transfer. The files transferred are a 1.52 GB set of 2867 files across 320 folders – 95% of these files are small typical website files, and the rest (90% of the size) are small 30 second HD videos. In an update to pre-Z87 testing, we also run MaxCPU to load up one of the threads during the test which improves general performance up to 15% by causing all the internal pathways to run at full speed.
Due to the introduction of USB 3.1, as of June 2015 we are adjusting our test to use a dual mSATA USB 3.1 Type-C device which should be capable of saturating both USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 connections. We still use the same data set as before, but now use the new device. Results are shown as seconds taken to complete the data transfer.
As a first look into the Alpine Ridge controller, the USB speeds for our transfer were a little down compared to the motherboards with the ASMedia, but in our case this also translates to Thunderbolt 3 being in this port as well. Unfortunately we do not have any TB3 devices to test it with at the minute.
DPC Latency
Deferred Procedure Call latency is a way in which Windows handles interrupt servicing. In order to wait for a processor to acknowledge the request, the system will queue all interrupt requests by priority. Critical interrupts will be handled as soon as possible, whereas lesser priority requests such as audio will be further down the line. If the audio device requires data, it will have to wait until the request is processed before the buffer is filled.
If the device drivers of higher priority components in a system are poorly implemented, this can cause delays in request scheduling and process time. This can lead to an empty audio buffer and characteristic audible pauses, pops and clicks. The DPC latency checker measures how much time is taken processing DPCs from driver invocation. The lower the value will result in better audio transfer at smaller buffer sizes. Results are measured in microseconds.
The DPC Latency on the G1 is clearly unoptimized at this point, or might be a victim of having a large number of controllers involved. Some manufacturers at this point would suggest ‘well, you need XYZ setting’, but then it becomes a game of ‘hunt the needle’ trying to get the best DPC Latency value. In that context, this is why we always say we test the out-of-the-box value, which is what most people are going to experience, rather than a few hours fiddling with BIOS options to squeeze out that extra microsecond to say one is better than the other.
CPU Performance, Short Form
For our motherboard reviews, we use our short form testing method. These tests usually focus on if a motherboard is using MultiCore Turbo (the feature used to have maximum turbo on at all times, giving a frequency advantage), or if there are slight gains to be had from tweaking the firmware. We leave the BIOS settings at default and memory at JEDEC (DDR4-2133 C15) for these tests, making it very easy to see which motherboards have MCT enabled by default.
Video Conversion – Handbrake v0.9.9: link
Handbrake is a media conversion tool that was initially designed to help DVD ISOs and Video CDs into more common video formats. For HandBrake, we take two videos (a 2h20 640x266 DVD rip and a 10min double UHD 3840x4320 animation short) and convert them to x264 format in an MP4 container. Results are given in terms of the frames per second processed, and HandBrake uses as many threads as possible.
Compression – WinRAR 5.0.1: link
Our WinRAR test from 2013 is updated to the latest version of WinRAR at the start of 2014. We compress a set of 2867 files across 320 folders totaling 1.52 GB in size – 95% of these files are small typical website files, and the rest (90% of the size) are small 30 second 720p videos.
Point Calculations – 3D Movement Algorithm Test: link
3DPM is a self-penned benchmark, taking basic 3D movement algorithms used in Brownian Motion simulations and testing them for speed. High floating point performance, MHz and IPC wins in the single thread version, whereas the multithread version has to handle the threads and loves more cores. For a brief explanation of the platform agnostic coding behind this benchmark, see my forum post here.
Image Manipulation – FastStone Image Viewer 4.9: link
Similarly to WinRAR, the FastStone test us updated for 2014 to the latest version. FastStone is the program I use to perform quick or bulk actions on images, such as resizing, adjusting for color and cropping. In our test we take a series of 170 images in various sizes and formats and convert them all into 640x480 .gif files, maintaining the aspect ratio. FastStone does not use multithreading for this test, and thus single threaded performance is often the winner.
Rendering – POV-Ray 3.7: link
The Persistence of Vision Ray Tracer, or POV-Ray, is a freeware package for as the name suggests, ray tracing. It is a pure renderer, rather than modeling software, but the latest beta version contains a handy benchmark for stressing all processing threads on a platform. We have been using this test in motherboard reviews to test memory stability at various CPU speeds to good effect – if it passes the test, the IMC in the CPU is stable for a given CPU speed. As a CPU test, it runs for approximately 2-3 minutes on high end platforms.
Synthetic – 7-Zip 9.2: link
As an open source compression tool, 7-Zip is a popular tool for making sets of files easier to handle and transfer. The software offers up its own benchmark, to which we report the result.
Gaming Performance 2015
Our 2015 gaming results are still relatively new, but the issue of FCLK settings might play a big role here. At launch, the default setting for the communication buffer between the CPU and PCIe stack was 800 MHz, even though Intel suggested 1000 MHz, but this was because of firmware limitations from Intel. Since then, there is firmware to enable 1000 MHz, and most motherboard manufacturers have this - but it is unclear if the motherboard will default to 1000 MHz and it might vary from BIOS version to BIOS version. As we test at default settings, our numbers are only ever snapshots in time, but it leads to some interesting differences in discrete GPU performance.
Alien: Isolation
If first person survival mixed with horror is your sort of thing, then Alien: Isolation, based off of the Alien franchise, should be an interesting title. Developed by The Creative Assembly and released in October 2014, Alien: Isolation has won numerous awards from Game Of The Year to several top 10s/25s and Best Horror titles, ratcheting up over a million sales by February 2015. Alien: Isolation uses a custom built engine which includes dynamic sound effects and should be fully multi-core enabled.
For low end graphics, we test at 720p with Ultra settings, whereas for mid and high range graphics we bump this up to 1080p, taking the average frame rate as our marker with a scripted version of the built-in benchmark.
Total War: Attila
The Total War franchise moves on to Attila, another The Creative Assembly development, and is a stand-alone strategy title set in 395AD where the main story line lets the gamer take control of the leader of the Huns in order to conquer parts of the world. Graphically the game can render hundreds/thousands of units on screen at once, all with their individual actions and can put some of the big cards to task.
For low end graphics, we test at 720p with performance settings, recording the average frame rate. With mid and high range graphics, we test at 1080p with the quality setting. In both circumstances, unlimited video memory is enabled and the in-game scripted benchmark is used.
Grand Theft Auto V
The highly anticipated iteration of the Grand Theft Auto franchise finally hit the shelves on April 14th 2015, with both AMD and NVIDIA in tow to help optimize the title. GTA doesn’t provide graphical presets, but opens up the options to users and extends the boundaries by pushing even the hardest systems to the limit using Rockstar’s Advanced Game Engine. Whether the user is flying high in the mountains with long draw distances or dealing with assorted trash in the city, when cranked up to maximum it creates stunning visuals but hard work for both the CPU and the GPU.
For our test we have scripted a version of the in-game benchmark, relying only on the final part which combines a flight scene along with an in-city drive-by followed by a tanker explosion. For low end systems we test at 720p on the lowest settings, whereas mid and high end graphics play at 1080p with very high settings across the board. We record both the average frame rate and the percentage of frames under 60 FPS (16.6ms).
GRID: Autosport
No graphics tests are complete without some input from Codemasters and the EGO engine, which means for this round of testing we point towards GRID: Autosport, the next iteration in the GRID and racing genre. As with our previous racing testing, each update to the engine aims to add in effects, reflections, detail and realism, with Codemasters making ‘authenticity’ a main focal point for this version.
GRID’s benchmark mode is very flexible, and as a result we created a test race using a shortened version of the Red Bull Ring with twelve cars doing two laps. The car is focus starts last and is quite fast, but usually finishes second or third. For low end graphics we test at 1080p medium settings, whereas mid and high end graphics get the full 1080p maximum. Both the average and minimum frame rates are recorded.
Middle-Earth: Shadows of Mordor
The final title in our testing is another battle of system performance with the open world action-adventure title, Shadows of Mordor. Produced by Monolith using the LithTech Jupiter EX engine and numerous detail add-ons, SoM goes for detail and complexity to a large extent, despite having to be cut down from the original plans. The main story itself was written by the same writer as Red Dead Redemption, and it received Zero Punctuation’s Game of The Year in 2014.
For testing purposes, SoM gives a dynamic screen resolution setting, allowing us to render at high resolutions that are then scaled down to the monitor. As a result, we get several tests using the in-game benchmark. For low end graphics we examine at 720p with low settings, whereas mid and high end graphics get 1080p Ultra. The top graphics test is also redone at 3840x2160, also with Ultra settings, and we also test two cards at 4K where possible.
GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1 Conclusion
When it comes to writing a conclusion on a motherboard, the typical explanation comes down to the most prominent feature or asset, and explaining how that pertains to the rest of the motherboard ecosystem as well as the perceptions it is likely to generate. This is tough when it comes to the GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1, as there is almost too much to talk about in your standard 1000 word conclusion.
As a result, there will be two important things you need to know about his motherboard. Firstly, the price – at $500 launch MSRP, it hits the high notes from day one. It has since seen a number of sale prices, and sits for around $465 at Newegg, but only a few other products (mainly workstation based) will top it.
Secondly is the specification list. Seriously, here is the list:
Dual Killer E2400 Network Ports + Killer AC-1535 2T2R 802.11ac WiFi
USB 3.1-A and USB 3.1-C from Intel’s Alpine Ridge controller
A USB 3.1 front panel that coverts a SATA Express port into USB 3.1-A and USB 3.1-C
The USB 3.1-C on the rear panel, with updates, supports Thunderbolt 3
A PLX8747 PCIe multiplexing switch enables from x16/x16 to x8/x8/x8/x8 Support
10 SATA Ports (PCH and ASMedia ASM1061 Controllers)
3 SATA Express Ports
11 USB 3.0 Ports (Mix of PCH direct and via Renesas PCH Hubs)
Creative Sound Core 3D Audio and Software Suite
USB DAC-UP for clean USB power for DACs
International Rectifier power delivery via 22 phases
Combination power delivery heatsink supporting air and water cooling
Enhanced Audio with gain switches and replaceable OP-AMPs
Performance Tuning IC for enhanced BCLK range
PCIe shielding for enhanced mechanical reinforcement for heavy GPUs
I’m sure there’s a feature or two missing from that list, but having this much on a single motherboard is certainly pushing some limits and wow factors.
Now for the critical points – at $500, with an i5-6600K processor at $260, you could buy an Haswell-E platform based on the i7-5930K with a $250 motherboard for about the same and end up with two more cores/four more threads, a total of 40 PCIe lanes and quad channel memory. What would make this system even more exciting is if we had a six-core Skylake processor. Those are features that you will never get with a Skylake system and the argument of Skylake vs Haswell-E at this price point is perfectly valid. It’s all a question of what you need from a system, because for sure the $250 X99 motherboard might not even have USB 3.1, let alone Thunderbolt 3, or M.2/M.2 in RAID, or Creative audio, or NVMe support, or almost anything on that list above. If your workload is suited for pure CPU/GPU throughput, then Haswell-E is the right choice there. For gaming, or functionality, it is arguable at best.
Another critical point will be the choice of Killer networking for both wired and wireless, whereas some users would prefer at least one Intel instead. Therein lies the crux of the PC market – who exactly is this motherboard marketed towards? Enthusiasts? Sure. Prosumers? Perhaps. Gamers? Absolutely. Workstations? Probably Not. I’m sure GIGABYTE would love it if it suited everyone, but there is no one big circle in a Venn diagram that fits all needs or marketing points. The main challengers here are ASUS’ Maximus VIII Extreme and the ASUS Z170-WS which are both at similar price points but offer different use cases. We have the Extreme in for a review fairly shortly.
At the end of the day, this is GIGABYTE’s halo motherboard for Skylake based systems. It will be one of the key elements in a system integrators high end build, and provides any gamer with enough features to be satisfied with a powerful rig. The competition is tough in this space, the volume is low, and GIGABYTE is making strides in most of the areas we have previously been cautious of in the past. Needless to say, even when considering the price, the Z170X-Gaming G1 would be a good foundation for that gaming PC you’ve saved up for. It’s worth a recommendation and GIGABYTE should be proud with what they’ve produced. I can only encourage them to make the minor tweaks to push it further.
Recommended by AnandTech
The GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming G1 Motherboard