Motherboards Socket 1151

[Jorge-Vieira]

Asus to install LGA1151 O.C. socket on new Intel Z170 mainboards

In a bid to enhance overclocking potential of Intel Corp.’s upcoming Core i7-6700K and Core i5-6600K “Skylake-S” central processing units, Asustek Computer plans to install modified LGA1151 sockets on its Intel Z170-based mainboards.
Intel’s default LGA1151 socket features exactly 1151 pins, but Asustek will use a different socket with higher amount of pins to improve power delivery to Intel “Skylake” central processing units, reports BenchLife. The more advanced “deluxe socket” is expected to noticeably improve overclocking potential of Intel’s new microprocessors. The new socket will not be compliant with Intel’s specification for commercial LGA1151 sockets since it will feature pins that Intel uses only for diagnostic and other purposes.

Asus already installs its so-called “O.C. sockets” on its Intel X99 mainboards to boost overclocking potential of Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition microprocessors. Moreover, other makers of motherboards, including Gigabyte Technology, have introduced their LGA2011-3 sockets that improve overclocking capabilities of microprocessors and use additional pins.
The first range of Asustek’s motherboards to use LGA1151 “deluxe sockets” will be Asus Z170-K, Z170-Deluxe, Z170-AR, Z170-A, Z170 Pro Gaming, ROG Maximus VIII Ranger, ROG Maximus VIII Hero and ROG Maximus VIII Gene and so on.
Asus and Intel did not comment on the news-story.

Noticia:
http://www.kitguru.net/components/mo...70-mainboards/


Era mais que obvio que a Asus implementasse um sistema seu de OC nas motherboards, dado que todos os outros seus concorrentes o fazem, agora isto cheira mais a puro marketing do que a reais beneficios que se possa tirar destas modificações.

[Jorge-Vieira]

Intel Z170 Board with Three Intel 750 SSDs Equals Ludicrous Speed

Earlier this month ASRock released a press release that showed off their USB 3.1 front panel, but further down in that press release were also the test results for a 3-way RAID 0 setup using their latest U.2 kit (M.2 to U.2 adapter). ASRock’s U.2 Kit is a tiny add-on card that is installed into an onboard PCIe Gen3 x 4 Ultra M.2 slot transforming the traditional M.2 slot into one that supports a Mini-SAS HD connector (also known as a U.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 slot). This means you’ll be able to support the fastest Intel SSD 750 series SSDs!
image: http://www.legitreviews.com/wp-conte...it-645x460.jpg

After looking closer at the picture ASRock used in the press release (below) it’s fairly obvious that the upcoming ASRock Z170 Extreme 7 motherboard was being used, so we have one of the first glimpses at some of the improved storage performance capabilities that Intel Z170 boards will be offering. For example some boards will feature three M.2 PCIe slots and obviously the Z170 PCH now supports PCIe Gen 3 lanes as ASRock is using 12 of them on the ASRock Z170 Extreme 7 motherboard. Each M.2 slot is capable of 32 Gbps (4000 MB/s), so this should allow for some interesting storage numbers provided the DMI 3 connection to the CPU isn’t limiting the performance.
image: http://www.legitreviews.com/wp-conte...it-645x452.jpg

ASRock used three Intel SSD 750 NVMe 1.2TB drives (Intel SSDPE2MW01) in RAID for the demo and was able to reach sequential read speeds of 3561 MB/s and 3245 MB/s write. One of the Intel SSD 750 1.2TB NVMe drives is capable of 2400 MB/s read and 1200 MB/s write, so looks like something is limiting the read speeds to ~3500 MB/s, but the write speed is scaling as expected. You can check out our review on one Intel SSD 750 NVMe 1.2TB SSD here if you’d like to know more about Intel’s fastest NVMe storage drive.
image: http://www.legitreviews.com/wp-conte...70-645x294.jpg


We are excited to learn that you’ll be able to run multiple M.2 drives for some insane speeds and it will be very interesting to see what is limiting the sequential read speeds, but it’s likely the Direct Media Interface (DMI) as DMI 3.0 runs at 8 GT/s and there are likely four PCIe Gen 3 lanes being used for the DMI 3.0 path between Skylake and the Z170 PCH. Since PCIe Gen 3 lanes top out at 8 GT/s or 985MB/s you are looking at a theoretical speed cap at 3940 MB/s. ASRock is hitting just shy of 3600 MB/s and by the time you factor in the overhead that makes sense why we are seeing performance top out at 3600 MB/s and not any higher as one might think when putting three drives in RAID that each have a 2400 MB/s sequential read speed!
It will be interesting to see how many U.2 adapters ASRock includes with their Intel Z170 boards and how much they’ll cost if you need to buy them.

Noticia:
http://www.legitreviews.com/intel-z1...A07HABcTSwu.99

[Jorge-Vieira]

MSI’s Flagship Z170A XPOWER Gaming Titanium Edition Motherboard Unveiled – Pure White and Black Design With Military Class V Components

With the launch of Skylake processors closing on us, we are looking at more and more leaks of Z170 chipset based motherboards. The latest boards we have for you to feast your eyes upon is MSI’s flagship and totally enthusiast targeted, Z170A XPOWER Gaming Titanium Edition motherboard. The new motherboard that will launch on 5th August will feature a fully loaded design that is geared towards overclocking the latest 6th gen Skylake K-Series processors.

MSI Z170A XPOWER Gaming Titanium Edition Motherboard Unveiled

Starting off with the design that is a step away from the traditional black and yellow color scheme we found on MSI’s OC lineup, the Z170A XPOWER Gaming Titanium Edition packs a neat white and black color scheme that’s looking really great on the high-end motherboard. The motherboard is purely designed for the hardcore gamer audience that want best stability and best features that motherboards can deliver to them. The motherboard is also suited well for overclockers. Talking about the design scheme, the motherboard sticks to a ATX form factor and the heatsinks have a rough metallic texture which goes well with the Titanium branding on the product.


The MSI Z170A Gaming motherboard features the LGA 1151 socket that will support Intel’s 6th generation CPU that arrive on 5th August. The socket is powered by a 8-Pin plus 4-Pin power configuration while the board is fed power through a 24-Pin ATX connector. The socket is surrounded by a 16 Phase PWM that features the new Titanium chokes, ensuring higher efficiency, longer life cycle and better overclocking, This along with the latest black capacitors are part of MSI’s Military Class V components which deliver top quality. The PWM is cooled off by two sets of heatsinks that are interconnected with a heatpipe to transfer heat load. There are four DDR4 slot located on the board which come with MSI’s DDR4 Boost technology that automatically adjusts DDR4 clocks with the clock of a button. Next to the DIMMs is a new tool called MSI OC Dashboard. This dashboard can be manually equipped on the board to offer CPU tuning and several OC essential buttons. This is similar to MSI’s previous XPOWER boards but only this is an enhanced PCB that is bundled with the board and can be easily removed when not needed.
MSI Z170A XPOWER Gaming Titanium Edition:







There are voltage read points along with other tuning buttons that include Easy Button 3 (Power On/Off/Reset) , a complete Discharge switch, CPU Ratio OC +/-, BCLK OC +/-, Slow Mode and a Go2BIOS switch. Expansion slot include two PCI-e 3.0 x16, two PCI-e 3.0 x8 and three PCI-e 3.0 x1 slots. There’s a 6-Pin power connector that is used to add more power to the slots when the motherboard is loaded. We can’t tell if there’s a PLX chip hidden beneath one of those heatsinks but it means that the extra PCI-E lanes should not be needed even though the Z97 XPOWER did feature one. Other expansion slots include two M.2 slots. For storage, there’s 8 SATA III 6 GBs ports, two SATA Express ports. Two USB 2.0 connectors, a right angled USB 3.0 connector and a USB 2.0 port is found internally on the board.
The latest Audio Boost 3 system powers a 7.1 channel audio jack with SPDIF. Rest of the rear panel I/O includes two USB 2.0, 6 USB 3.0 ports, a PS/2 Gaming port, LAN port, two HDMI display connectors and a single Display port connector. Pricing for this motherboard would be above $299 US limit. Aside from the Z170A XPOWER, we have also covered high-end motherboards from other manufacturer’s such as Gigabyte’s Z170X SOC Force, EVGA’s Z170 Classified, ASUS’s Z170 ROG Maximus VIII Extreme and ASRock’s Z170 OC Formula. We will let you know of more motherboards as soon as we get additional information.

Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/msi-z170a-xpower-gaming-titanium-edition-motherboard-unveiled-military-class-v/#ixzz3hDo0vH1w


Linda e fantastica esta motherboard

[LPC]

Boas!
Bem que board mais linda!!!

MSI pode ser manhosa, mas na verdade as boards são de aspecto fenomenais...

Cumprimentos,

LPC

[Igor Evaristo]

la isso e verdade

[Jorge-Vieira]

MSI Z170A Gaming M7 Motherboard photos

So we have the green light from MSI to show you a couple of photos on the upcoming MSI Z170A Gaming M7 motherboard.
The product is in our lab as we speak. If features, performance and aesthetics matter to you then the MSI Z170A Gaming M7 might just be what the dockter ordered for you. A matte black PCB with red shielding and heatsink accents. Features wise you may expect triple PCI-Express 3.0 ports, Audio Boost 3 audio solution, the usual quality components and a Killer NIC E2400 gigabit jack. Then you will spot USB 3.1 dual M.2. slots.

• Intel Z170 Chipset
• Supports 6th Gen Intel Core Processor family
  (codename Skylake)
• DDR4 support
• Enables overclocking on Unlocked Intel Core Processors
• Intel Rapid Storage Technology for PCI Express Storage
• Supports M.2 x4 and SATA Express x2 connectors
• Up to 10 USB 3.0 Ports; 14 total USB
• Up to 20 PCI Express 3.0 lanes
• 2X DMI bandwidth
• 6 x SATA ports

Noticia:
http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/msi...rd-photos.html

Mais uma motherboard da MSI com um aspecto muito bom.

[Jorge-Vieira]

MSI Z170A Motherboards Round-Up – XPOWER Gaming, Gaming M9 ACK, KRAIT Gaming Detailed

The latest MSI Z170A motherboards have been showcased in China, unveiling new and powerful designs. The MSI Z170A motherboard lineup includes several boards and six of them were showcased by the company that retain the gaming and enthusiast focused feature sets. These new motherboards have been in the talk for quite some time now so don’t worry if the information you are reading sounds familiar. (Images courtesy of 4Gamer, PC.Watch, ASCII.JP)

Images Credits To: 4Gamer, PC.Watch, ASCII.JP

MSI Z170A Motherboards Round-Up – XPOWER, M9 ACK, KRAIT

The focus of this round-up is on 6 top-tier motherboards that MSI will be launching, based on the Z170 chipset. These include the MSI Z170A XPOWER Gaming Titanium Edition, MSI Z170A KRAIT Gaming, MSI Z170A Gaming M9 ACK, MSI Z170A Gaming M7, MSI Z170A Gaming M5, MSI Z170A Gaming Pro and the MSI Z170A PC Mate. All of these motherboards will feature the LGA 1151 socket and support Intel’s Skylake processors that will be launching next week. MSI has positioned their motherboards in three gaming tiers; Enthusiast Gaming, Performance Gaming and Arsenal Gaming. Some of the key features on all of these boards include the Killer E2400 + 15KV surge protection circuit, Killer Wireless AC 1535 (M9 ACK only), USB 3.1 (Type-A/Type-C), Twin Turbo M.2 (Support for Turbo U.2 card), MSI Ramdisk, SABRE HiFi (M9 ACK only), Steel Armor design, DDR4 Boost, Military Class V components and OC Dashboard (Z170X XPOWER only).
MSI Z170A XPOWER Gaming Titanium Edition


Starting off with the design that is a step away from the traditional black and yellow color scheme we found on MSI’s OC lineup, the Z170A XPOWER Gaming Titanium Edition packs a neat white and black color scheme that’s looking really great on the high-end motherboard. The motherboard is purely designed for the hardcore gamer audience that want best stability and best features that motherboards can deliver to them. The motherboard is also suited well for overclockers. Talking about the design scheme, the motherboard sticks to a ATX form factor and the heatsinks have a rough metallic texture which goes well with the Titanium branding on the product.
The MSI Z170A XPOWER Gaming motherboard features the LGA 1151 socket that will support Intel’s 6th generation CPU that arrive on 5th August. The socket is powered by a 8-Pin plus 4-Pin power configuration while the board is fed power through a 24-Pin ATX connector. The socket is surrounded by a 16 Phase PWM that features the new Titanium chokes, ensuring higher efficiency, longer life cycle and better overclocking, This along with the latest black capacitors are part of MSI’s Military Class V components which deliver top quality. The PWM is cooled off by two sets of heatsinks that are interconnected with a heatpipe to transfer heat load. There are four DDR4 slot located on the board which come with MSI’s DDR4 Boost technology that automatically adjusts DDR4 clocks with the clock of a button. Next to the DIMMs is a new tool called MSI OC Dashboard. This dashboard can be manually equipped on the board to offer CPU tuning and several OC essential buttons. This is similar to MSI’s previous XPOWER boards but only this is an enhanced PCB that is bundled with the board and can be easily removed when not needed.
There are voltage read points along with other tuning buttons that include Easy Button 3 (Power On/Off/Reset) , a complete Discharge switch, CPU Ratio OC +/-, BCLK OC +/-, Slow Mode and a Go2BIOS switch. Expansion slot include two PCI-e 3.0 x16, two PCI-e 3.0 x8 and three PCI-e 3.0 x1 slots. There’s a 6-Pin power connector that is used to add more power to the slots when the motherboard is loaded. We can’t tell if there’s a PLX chip hidden beneath one of those heatsinks but it means that the extra PCI-E lanes should not be needed even though the Z97 XPOWER did feature one. Other expansion slots include two M.2 slots. For storage, there’s 8 SATA III 6 GBs ports, two SATA Express ports. Two USB 2.0 connectors, a right angled USB 3.0 connector and a USB 2.0 port is found internally on the board. The latest Audio Boost 3 system powers a 7.1 channel audio jack with SPDIF. Rest of the rear panel I/O includes two USB 2.0, 6 USB 3.0 ports, a PS/2 Gaming port, Killer E2400 poweredLAN port, two HDMI display connectors and a single Display port connector.
MSI Z170A XPOWER Gaming Titanium Edition Gallery:





















MSI Z170A Gaming M9 ACK



The MSI Z170A M9 ACK is another beefy motherboard with tons of features on-board. The motherboard comes with the LGA 1151 socket that is powered by a 8-Pin connector. The CPU socket is surrounded by a 12-Phase VRM that features Titanium alloy chokes and Military Class V components. This motherboard has beefy heat sinks that allow water cooling through two inlets on the PWM area. A heatsink can also be found located over the Z170 PCH and the shield armor that is integrated on the I/O and the audio PCB. The motherboard has a nice layout with red and black color scheme. A few switches such as OC Engine, Reset, Power On/Off can be found at the bottom of the board.
The Expansion slots on the motherboard include three PCI-e 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x8 electrical), three PCI-e 3.0 x1 and two Turbo M.2 slots. The motherboard storage includes 6 SATA III 6 GB/s ports and two USB 3.0 headers can be found next to these ports (one of which is right-angled). MSI has a single USB 2.0 header on the board that is located beneath the dual BIOS. There are several USB ports on the board which include four USB 3.0 and a single USB 3.1 Type-C port. A 7.1 channel audio jack is powered by the MSI Audio Boost 3 system that has its own PCB isolated from the rest of the board while a Killer E2400 + 15KV surge protection circuit and the Killer Wireless AC 1535 offer LAN (Network) support. Display outputs include two HDMI and a single display port.




MSI Z170A Gaming M9 ACK Gallery:



















MSI Z170A Gaming M7



The MSI Z170A Gaming M7 features the LGA 1151 socket that is powered by a 8-Pin connector while the board itself is powered by the 24-Pin ATX connector. The board features a nice red and black color layout with three heatsinks cooling off the 12 Phase VRM and the Z170 PCH. The motherboard has the shield armor that covers the rear panel I/O and adds to the aesthetic scheme of the board. Four DDR4 DIMM slots offer support of up to 64 GB of memory capacity with rated speeds of 3400 MHz (O.C+).
Expansion options include three PCI-e 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x8 electrical), four PCI-e 3.0 x1 and two Turbo M.2 slots with performance rated up to 64 GB/s in transfer speeds ensuring the best possible performance from NVMe SSDs. Other features include Game Boost dial which ensures better clock speed boost while gaming and MSI LAN Protect that has 15KV anti-surge protection. Storage options on this motherboard include 6 SATA III 6 GB/s ports and two SATA Express port. There’s the MSI Audio Boost chip allocated to its own isolated PCB. Internal USB headers include two USB 2.0 and a single USB 3.0 header. Rear panel I/O for the motherboard includes 3 USB 2.0, three USB 3.0, PS/2 Gaming, two HDMI, single Display port, a single USB 3.1 (Type-C) port and a 7.1 channel audio jack.
MSI Z170A Gaming M7 Gallery:










MSI Z170A Gaming M5



The MSI Z170A Gaming M5 features the LGA 1151 socket that is powered by a 8-Pin connector while the board itself is powered by the 24-Pin ATX connector. The board features a nice red and black color layout with three heatsinks cooling off the 10 Phase VRM and the Z170 PCH. Four DDR4 DIMM slots offer support of up to 64 GB of memory capacity with rated speeds of 3400 MHz (O.C+). The motherboard being one of the budget offering doesn’t come with the shield armor but retains most of the feature set from the other Gaming M series boards.
Expansion options include three PCI-e 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x8 electrical), four PCI-e 3.0 x1 and two Turbo M.2 slots with performance rated up to 64 GB/s in transfer speeds ensuring the best possible performance from NVMe SSDs. Other features include Game Boost dial which ensures better clock speed boost while gaming and MSI LAN Protect that has 15KV anti-surge protection. Storage options on this motherboard include 6 SATA III 6 GB/s ports and two SATA Express port. There’s the MSI Audio Boost chip allocated to its own isolated PCB. Internal USB headers include a single USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 header. Rear panel I/O for the motherboard includes 2 USB 2.0, five USB 3.0, PS/2 Gaming, one HDMI, one DVI-I, a single USB 3.1 (Type-C) port and a 7.1 channel audio jack.
MSI Z170A Gaming M5 Gallery:










MSI Z170A Gaming Pro



The MSI Z170A Gaming Pro features the LGA 1151 socket that is powered by a 8-Pin connector while the board itself is powered by the 24-Pin ATX connector. The first thing we notice from the design of this board is that it falls in the extended ATX category since the PCB is extended to the right to make room for the fully illuminated RGB LEDs strip that runs from top to bottom of the board. The board features a nice red and black color layout with three heatsinks cooling off the 8 Phase VRM and the Z170 PCH. The The most notable thing about the Pro gaming motherboard is the RGB LED strip which allows users to choose from 16.5 Million colors and 8 different LED effects.
Aside from the fancy details adopted by the Z170A Gaming Pro, the motherboard comes with four DDR4 DIMM slots that can support up to 64 GB of capacity with speeds of 3300 MHz (O.C+). Expansion options include two PCI-e 3.0 x16, two PCI-e 3.0 x1 and three legacy PCI slots. There are not M.2 ports on this motherboard but MSI is designing gaming boards which will make use of up to two Turbo M.2 slots with performance rated up to 64 GB/s in transfer speeds ensuring the best possible performance from NVMe SSDs. Other features include Game Boost dial which ensures better clock speed boost while gaming and MSI LAN Protect that has 15KV anti-surge protection. Storage options on this motherboard include 6 SATA III 6 GB/s ports and a single SATA Express port. There’s the MSI Audio Boost chip allocated to its own isolated PCB. Internal USB headers include two USB 2.0 and a single USB 3.0 header.
MSI Z170A Gaming Pro Gallery:




MSI Z170A KRAIT Gaming



The MSI Z170A KRAIT Gaming was the first Z170 series motherboard officially revealed by MSI. Featuring a white and black color scheme, the motherboard comes with a nice array of features and a great design. The motherboard has a 8 Phase PWM with Military Class V components that is powered by a 8-Pin connector. A set of white and black colored heatsinks cool off the PWM.
The board features the obvious LGA 1151 socket as well as the accompanying 4 DDR4 DIMM slots. The board also has three PCI-e slots out of which two are protected against EMI and have the full x16 lanes while as the last one is wired for only x8. Three PCI-e x1 slots and a plain ol PCI slot as well. An M2 connector is also included as well as the customary SATA connectors. Two of these will be able to provide SATA Express with over 16 Gb/s of throughput. The Audio Boost 3.0 chip can also be seen as well as the border dividing the PCB fabic of the sound circuitry from the rest of the board. This is done to minimize EMI interference in sound output from the chip. The rear panel I/O on the motherboard includes two USB 2.0, four USB 3.0, PS/2 port, DVI-I, HDMI, 7.1 Channel Audio jack and a Gaming LAN port.
MSI Z170A KRAIT Gaming Gallery:







MSI Z170A PC Mate



Last up, we have the entry level MSI Z170A PC Mate motherboard. This entry level Z170 board that will house Intel’s 6th generation Skylake processors is powered by a single 8-Pin connector and comes with a 6 Phase VRM that is composed of several Military Class V components that ensure long lasting stability and operation under high loads while efficiently handling voltage regulation. The PWM area is cooled off by two standard heatsinks that are more than enough for the board. There are four DDR4 DIMM slots which allow support for up to 64 GB of DDR4 memory with speeds of 3400 MHz (O.C+). Expansion slots include two PCI-e 3.0 x16 (x16/x8 electrical), three PCI-e 3.0 x1 and two legacy PCI slots. In terms of storage, the motherboard comes with 5 SATA III 6 GB/s ports and a single SATA Express port. A USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 internal header can also be found on the board. IO on the motherboard includes six USB 3.0, HDMI, Gaming LAN port, DVI-I, VGA, 3 channel audio jack and two PS/2 ports.
MSI Z170A PC Mate Gallery:

Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/msi-z170a-motherboards-round-up-xpower-gaming-gaming-m9-ack-krait-gaming/#ixzz3hZDurKEp


As motherboards da MSI estão com um aspecto fantastico

[Jorge-Vieira]

MSI’s no-Frills Z170A PC Mate Motherboard Pictured

The majority of Z170 motherboards have adopted a rather bold and ostentatious aesthetic design aimed at the gaming market. However, the MSI Z170A PC Mate is an unusual LGA 1151 motherboard which provides a stable, simplistic layout at an ultra-cheap price point. This particular board is quite bare-bones and features a 6-phase CPU power delivery and subtle heatsinks.

MSI’s Z170A PC Mate adopts an understated black theme with white accents to add a degree of visual flair. The PCB thickness is currently unknown but probably uses 4 layers to improve rigidity and help withstand component installation. MSI’s Military Class V branding is present throughout and includes 2 PCI-E x16 slots. Additionally, there are 2 legacy PCI slots, 5 SATA ports and a single SATA-E connection. In terms of rear IO, the board contains 6 USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, RJ45, DVI-I, VGA and audio jacks.

Despite the board’s budget focus, you can easily use DDR4 RAM with speeds up to 3400MHz and a maximum capacity of 64GB. From the picture above, we can see a EZ Debug LED which helps with diagnostics and cheaper to implement than a post readout. It will be fascinating to see what kind of overclock is possible on the PC Mate. However, I’m not entirely sure if this will make its way to the US and European market but it might become a popular choice in China.
Do you think it’s worth spending the extra on a premium motherboard?

Noticia:
http://www.eteknix.com/msis-no-frill...oard-pictured/

[Jorge-Vieira]

ASUS Z170 Motherboards Round-Up – Maximus VIII ROG Extreme, Maximus VIII ROG Hero, Z170 Deluxe

The ASUS Z170 Motherboards lineup has been revealed, showcasing the diverse products that are going to be part of their Legacy and ROG lineups. The lineup that launches with Skylake in just a few hours from now will be the first mainstream platform to support DDR4 memory and Intel’s latest 14nm processor family with two fully unlocked chips, the Core i7-6700K and Core i5-6600K.
ASUS Z170 Motherboards Roundup – ROG and Legacy Boards Detailed

ASUS is splitting their lineups into two parts, the ROG (Republic of Gamers) lineup which is the high-end gaming and enthusiast aimed lineup with a load of features on board. The second lineup falls in the legacy market and is aimed towards everyone from the hardcore enthusiast to the budget user. The Deluxe series motherboards that are part of this lineup are some of the best looking boards ever made while the entry level lineup keeps the cost low for users who want to enter the DDR4 based Z170 platform. The details for each motherboard is provided in the information below.
ASUS Z170 Deluxe Motherboard:








The ASUS Z170 Deluxe is going to be a flagship legacy offering with a neat white and black color scheme which was featured on the ASUS X99 series motherboards. The ASUS Z170 Deluxe retains the design scheme with a thermal armor design that covers the I/O ports. The ASUS Z170 Deluxe features the socket LGA 1151 which supports Intel’s Skylake processors. This motherboard features a Digi+ VRM with 18 phase power design that is powered by a 8-Pin connector. The motherboard has four DDR4 DIMM slots that can support up to 64 GB of memory with speeds of 3400 MHz (O.C+).
Expansion slots include three full length PCI-e 3.0 slots (x16/x8/x8 electrical) , four PCI-e 3.0 x1 slots and a single M.2 Ultra slot. For storage, ASUS has featured 8 SATA III 6 GB/s ports and a single SATA Express 16 GB/s port. There are several switches and buttons laid out on the board that can be used for overclocking support and turning on/off the expansion slots, DIMM slots and switch between the dual BIOS on the board. There are two of each USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 internal headers on the board. A large white heatsink is integrated on top of the power phases for adequate cooling that can dissipate heat through a single heatpipe that runs through the three sets while a single PCH heatsink bearing the ASUS logo keeps the Z170 chip cooled. The board also makes use of a PLX chip which is hidden beneath the bottom most PWM heatsink to add more PCI-e lanes when using multiple graphics cards. For I/O, the motherboard features ASUS WiFi GO adapter, 5 USB 3.1 (Type-A), 1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 3.1 (Type-C), Gigabit Ethernet LAN, 6 channel audio jack, SPDI/F port, HDMI and Display port.
ASUS Z170 ROG Maximus VIII Extreme:



Starting off with the flagship ROG Maximus VIII Extreme, we are looking at a beast of a design with a full silver metal and red color scheme that looks great on the black PCB. The motherboard features the LGA 1151 socket that supports 6th generation Skylake processors and is powered by a 8-Pin and 4-Pin power configuration. The board is supplied power through the 24-Pin ATX connector. On the PWM, we see a 12 Phase DIGI+ VRM that is surrounded by a large heatsink that incorporates heat pipe cooling for stability while operation and even under overclocks. Four DDR4 DIMMs offer support for 64 GB of memory with speeds of up to 3400 MHz (O.C+). The motherboard is loaded with tuning buttons and switches along with voltage check-points for overclocking and tuning.
Expansion slots include four PCI-e 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x8/x8 electrical), two PCI-e 3.0 x1 aand a single M.2 NGFF SSD slot. A PEG connector adds more power to the board when it is loaded with several expansion cards and graphics cards. There’s a PLX chip hidden beneath the heatsink to the bottom of the LGA 1151 socket which adds more PCI-E lanes. Storage includes 8 SATA III 6 GB/s ports, two SATA Express ports and a U.2 SSD port that leads to a Mini-SAS connector to connect to NVMe SSDs. On top of the ports are two USB 3.0 internal headers with one right angled headers and at the bottom, we can see the Dual BIOS’s and two USB 2.0 internal headers. We can also see SupremeFX audio system powering the on-board audio on the Maximus VIII Extreme which is going to drive the 7.1 channel audio. The whole I/O is covered in a protective armor which looks cool.
ASUS Z170 ROG Maximus VIII Hero:








The ROG Maximus VIII Hero is a more toned down version of the Maximus VIII Extreme that retains the color scheme and the protective armor. The LGA 1151 socket is powered by a 8-Pin connector and the CPU socket is surrounded by a 10 Phase DIGI+ VRM. Four DDR4 DIMMs offer 64 GB memory support while expansion slots include three PCI-e 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x8 electrical), three PCI-e 3.0 x1 and a single M.2 SSD slot. Storage options include 8 SATA III 6 GB/s ports and two SATA Express ports rated at 16 GB/s. Two USB 3.0 header is found on the board along with two USB 2.0 headers. I/O includes Supreme FX powered 7.1 channel audio jack, USB 3.1 Type-C ports, 6 USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI 2.0, Display port and a LAN port.
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ASUS Z170 ROG Maximus VIII Gene:








The ROG Maximus VIII Gene is the Micro-ATX form factor motherboard of the ROG lineup. This motherboard being small in size, keeps things on the extreme level with its loaded design scheme. The LGA 1151 socket is powered by a 8-Pin power connector. A 10 Phase DIGI+ VRM that comes with high-end components and black capacitors drives the CPU to its limits and is cooled down by a heatpipe based heatsink solution which blends in with the design nicely. Four DDR4 DIMMs offer support for 64 GB memory (3400 MHz O.C+). A few OC switches can be found to the bottom of the board with the diagnostic LED allocated in the top-right section of the PCB. Expansion slots include two PCI-e 3.0 x16 slots (x16/x8 electrical) and a PCI-e 3.0 x4 slot.
A single M.2 SSD slot is also located on this board which is useful for NGFF SSDs. Storage includes 6 SATA III 6 GB/s ports, two SATA Express port and USB 3.0/USB 2.0 internal headers. I/O includes a Supreme FX powered 7.1 channel audio jack, ASUS ROG Connect port, HDMI, DVI, 6 USB 3.0 ports, USB 3.1 Type-C port, PS/2 and a Ethernet LAN port.
ASUS Z170 ROG Maximus VIII Ranger:








The ROG Maximus VIII Ranger is the most basic and entry level motherboard of the ROG lineup that comes with a 10 Phase PWM, powered by a single 8-Pin connector. This motherboard has two heatsinks covering the PWM that feature heatpipe based cooling design. Four DDR4 DIMMs are located on the board while expansion slots include three PCI-e 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x8 electrical), two PCI-e 3.0 x1 and a single M.2 SSD slot. Storage includes 6 SATA III 6 GB/s ports. Internal I/O includes two USB 3.0 headers and a single USB 2.0 header. I/O includes 6 USB 3.0 connectors, USB 3.1 (Type-C) connector, 7.1 Channel audio jack, a LAN port and a few display connectors.
ASUS Z170 Pro Gaming Motherboard:








The Z170 Pro Gaming, as the name suggests, is a gaming motherboard that’s part of the legacy lineup. The motherboard comes with a 10 Phase PWM, powered by a single 8-Pin connector. This motherboard has two heatsinks covering the PWM that feature heatpipe based cooling design. Four DDR4 DIMMs are located on the board while expansion slots include three PCI-e 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x8 electrical), three PCI-e 3.0 x1 and a single M.2 SSD slot. Storage includes 6 SATA III 6 GB/s ports. Internal I/O includes a single USB 3.0 header and two single USB 2.0 header. I/O includes 6 USB 3.0 connectors, USB 3.1 (Type-C) connector, 7.1 Channel audio jack, a LAN port and a few display connectors which range from VGA, DVI and Display port.
ASUS Z170-A Motherboard:







The ASUS Z170-A motherboard is a good looking motherboard that retains the new design that ASUS has on their X99 and Z170 Deluxe boards. The motherboard comes with a 10 Phase DIGI+ PWM that features high quality components to keep the board up and running with stable operation. A single 8-Pin connector supplies power to the LGA 1151 socket while four DDR4 DIMM slots offer support for up to 64 GB of memory with speeds of up to 3400 MHz (O.C). Expansion slots include three PCI-e 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x8 electrical), three PCI-e 3.0 x1 and a single PCI legacy slot. Storage options include 6 SATA III ports while internal USB headers include two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports. For I/O, the motherboard has a single USB 3.1 (Type-C) and a USB 3.1 (Type-A) port. Others include two USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, DVI, VGA, HDMI, Display port, Gigabit Ethernet LAN and a 7.1 Channel audio jack.
The rest of the motherboards can be seen below which come with lots of features for the budget users. Do note that these motherboards come with ASUS Pro Clock technology that allow 6.5x the BCLK O.C range for enthusiasts, 1-step BCLK boost, keep the system more stable and add more flexibility to the overall overclock process.






ASUS Z170-K Motherboard:









ASUS Z170-P Motherboard:









ASUS Z170-P D3 Motherboard:










ASUS Z170M Plus Motherboard:

Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/asus-z170-motherboards-round-up-maximus-viii-rog-extreme-z170-deluxe/#ixzz3hvM1Soav


Nada de muita inovação em questões de aspecto destas novas motherboards da Asus, mantém praticamente o mesmo esquema que estão nas actuais Z97

[Jorge-Vieira]

ASRock Unveils the Z170 Gaming ITX ac Motherboard

ASRock unveiled its smallest socket LGA1151 motherboard, the Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac. Built in the mini-ITX form-factor, the board is based on Intel's new Z170 Express chipset, and supports 6th generation Core "Skylake" processors, with DDR4 memory support. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connectors, and conditions it for the CPU using an 8-phase VRM. The CPU is wired to two standard-size DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory; and a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. Connectivity on the Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac appears to include six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, one SATA Express 16 Gb/s, roundup up the storage; two HDMI and one DisplayPort making up the display connectivity; Intel-made gigabit Ethernet and 802.11 ac with Bluetooth 4.0 making up the networking; and 6-channel HD audio.

Noticia:
http://www.techpowerup.com/214940/as...therboard.html

[LPC]

Boas!
Possivelmente as boards mais bonitas até agora feitas pelas várias marcas...

Sem dúvida que tendo em conta que não havia grande coisa para inovar em relação ao Z97, esmeraram-se em design e extras para as boards...
Não fosse ser mais do mesmo... e penso que isto seria um homerun...

Deixa a porta aberta para pensar como vão ser as boards quando o ZEN sair...

Cumprimentos,

LPC

[Jorge-Vieira]

Asus Z170-Deluxe Review

There's a fairly short supply of CPUs and motherboards for the Intel Skylake launch today but Asus appears to have got one up on everyone else and has a number of boards inbound with the flagship mainstream board landing on our desks with enough time for us to tear through a review and meet Intel's NDA today.

The Z170-Deluxe, which is the flagship of its new Signature series, looks like it's the sign of things to come for Z170 boards, with hefty heatsinks and some snazzy aesthetics that see the white colour scheme of its X99 mainstream boards filter down to its mainstream Z170 boards. No argument from us - it looks fantastic.

In terms of raw features, there's not that much to distinguish it from a high-end Z97 board. It's behind the scenes that the extras have landed. There's obviously M.2/NVMe PCI-E support and Asus has also included an NVMe U.2 adaptor as well - the added bonus here is that you're able to RAID two M.2/NVMe devices.

With the faster SSDs around currently able to dish out speeds in excess of 2GB/sec, this is more of a willy-waving feature than something that will see real-world benefits for most people, but Z170 brings the ability to use these devices without any of the bottlenecks on graphics PCI-E lanes of Z97 (read more about Z170 in our Skylake review here).

The Z170-Deluxe includes a handy array of extras too. There's a WiFi aerial for the included 802.11ac 1300Mbps adaptor, a Hyper M.2 x4 Mini PCI-E adaptor for an additional M.2 port plus the aforementioned NVMe U.2 adaptor as well.

Click to enlarge

The PCB is bristling with features; you get the full complement of overclocking/testing tools, which are all located together at the bottom of the PCB, including power, reset and CMOS clear buttons plus an LED POST code display. There are two USB 3 headers as well although USB 3.1 is definitely the main talking point here. As well as both Type-A and Type-C connectors, Asus offers an optional dual USB 3.1 (Type-C) add-on device that, thanks to being powered by a Molex connector, offers 100W charging as well. A similar device offers Type-A ports but both connect to the otherwise largely redundant SATA Express port - finally a way to use them for something.

Click to enlarge

Another feature we liked that looks set to be included on a range of Asus Z170 boards is a watercooling pump connector. Unfortunately, this is only likely to be of use to all-in-one liquid cooler owners, namely as it's a 3-pin fan header, but it removes the worry that the motherboard's fan control will interfere with the pump speed, which you generally want at 100 percent all the time with such products. The audio has received a makeover too and currently stands at Crystal Sound 3 - still a Realtek ALC1150-based processor but with an audio amplifier, premium japanese capacitors and audio shielding as well as a premium power pre-regulator. Asus claims that all this gives Crystal Sound 3 the industry's lowest audio input power noise.

Click to enlarge

As if the pizazz of the colour scheme wasn't enough, you can change the colour of the LEDs that illuminate the PCH heatsink too, and also allow it to pulse to music or just in a regular fashion and it's also CPU temperature-responsive as well. Layout is generally excellent with the only snag we found in testing being the 8-pin EPS 12V connector, which has the locking latch facing downwards. The proximity of the heatsinks makes it difficult to remove the connector, especially if you have large fingers.

Other than this there's little to complain about. The onboard M.2 slot is well away from the primary graphics slot so unlike many Z97 boards, using a double or even triple slot GPU won't restrict access to the port. The port itself supports the full range of M.2 SSD sizes, and Asus has had the forseight to include one of the four 1x PCI-E slots above the primary graphics slot too - even if you opt for a two-way GPU setup, you'll still be able to use the included M.2 to PCI-E adaptor or a sound card.

Click to enlarge

Specifications

• Chipset Intel Z170
• Form factor ATX
• CPU support Intel Socket LGA1151 (Skylake)
• Memory support DDR4, Dual-channel, 4 slots, max 64GB
• Sound 8-channel Realtek ALC1150
• Networking 1 x Intel I219V, 1 x Intel I211AT, 802.11ac WiFi
• Ports 1 x M.2 PCI-E x4, 6 x SATA 6Gbps (Intel Z170), 2 x SATA 6Gbps (ASMedia) 5 x USB 3.1 (Type-A), 1 x USB 3.1 (Type-C) 5 x USB 3 (4 via header), 4 x USB 2.0 (via header), 2 x LAN, audio out, line in, mic, Optical S/PDIF out
• Dimensions (mm) 305 x 244
• Extras WiFi aerial, NVMe U.2 adaptor, PCI-E x4 M.2 adaptor, Chipset lighting control.

Toda a review:
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/201...eluxe-review/1

[Jorge-Vieira]

Review: Asus Z170 Pro Gaming

Introduction


The arrival of Intel's latest mainstream and desktop-oriented platform is finally upon us. The platform arrives in two parts, the first of which is the 100-series chipset family, spearheaded by the Z170 chipset, and the second is a new generation of 14nm CPUs based on the Skylake microarchitecture. These CPUs make use of a new LGA1151 socket as well as a DDR3/DDR4 memory controller that retains no backwards compatibility with the LGA1150 socket which provided a home for Haswell and Broadwell CPUs.
As is typical of any new platform launch motherboard vendors have spent the last year or more preparing new designs, features and innovations to set themselves apart from the competition when the all-important launch day arrives. Leading the innovation charge is typically the high-end Asus Republic of Gamers product line, as is indeed the case this year too, but such prestigious innovations and premium styling come with a price point to match. Asus responds to this with its latest budget-oriented gaming motherboard, the Z170 Pro Gaming.
The company learnt a few things from its Z97 Pro Gamer that HEXUS reviewed earlier this year, with the most obvious being the branding Gamer was less familiar to consumers than Gaming. That minor naming technicality aside, the philosophy of the Z170 Pro Gaming is similar to its predecessor - Asus wants to bring the price point of the Gaming motherboards to a level that can compete with the increasingly affordable offerings from rival brands.
In layman's terms, the Z170 Pro Gaming motherboard is similar to Republic of Gamer motherboards of a few generations ago. It may not provide all the bravado-laden extras and expensive wizardry of flagship ROG products, but it still makes a solid foundation for a gaming system.

Styling follows along with the well-trodden black-and-red theme assigned to PC gaming hardware while Pro Gaming is inscribed upon the chipset heatsink to provide some clear product segmentation. Compared to its predecessor, the Z97 Pro Gamer, not much has fundamentally changed with the Z170 Pro Gaming having the CPU socket and chipset alterations associated with a new platform. There's still support for SLI and CrossFire, a high-quality Realtek ALC1150-based audio on an isolated PCB and Intel Gigabit Ethernet.

USB 3.1 is provided in the form of Type-A and Type-C connections from ASMedia while four USB 3.0 and a pair of USB 2.0 round up the USB connectivity. The Intel Gigabit Ethernet port comes with the Asus LAN Guard protection as well as support for the company's GameFirst III packet prioritisation and optimisation software.

Another notable boost for the Z170 Pro Gaming versus its Z97-predecessor is the bolstered CPU power solution. The 8-phase CPU VRM has been buffed up to a 10-phase implementation, something that is welcomed given that Skylake overclocks in a different way to Haswell. Motherboard vendors have a lot more voltage control and granularity giving them scope to differentiate in terms of overclocking capabilities.

Toda a review:
http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/mainbo...70-pro-gaming/

[Jorge-Vieira]

Asus Maximus VIII Hero (Z170) Motherboard Review

The launch of Intel’s Skylake CPUs sees the introduction of a whole new platform based around the LGA 1151 socket. Making use of Intel’s feature-healthy Z170 chipset, Asus is targeting gamers who value premium aesthetics and enhanced gaming-grade features with the Maximus VIII Hero. Will the Republic of Gamers (ROG) features and branding tempt gamers to part with the Hero’s £171.99 asking price?
You can read our review of the Skylake processors HERE.

Offering support for a pair of graphics cards in addition to high-speed storage, Asus is clear in its targeting of gamers who are willing to spend a little more on a motherboard that comes equipped with a solid supply of features. Forming the aforementioned set of features are Asus’ enhanced – SupremeFX – audio solution, an Intel NIC with network prioritisation software, a diverse range of gaming-centric software applications, and a customisable lighting scheme for the chipset heatsink LED.
Other noteworthy features include USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C ports, a PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 connector, and support for up to 64GB of DDR4 memory with 4000MHz+ operating speeds. With its gaming-orientated styling and focus on overclocking capabilities, how does Asus’ Maximus VIII Hero fair in our test suite?
Features:

• Intel Ethernet with LANGuard and GameFirst III
• SupremeFX 2015 Audio.
• Lighting Control.
• Extreme Engine Digi+.
• USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C.
• PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2.

Toda a review:
http://www.kitguru.net/components/mo...rboard-review/

[Jorge-Vieira]

Gigabyte Z170 motherboards are built enthusiast-tough

Skylake is here, and Gigabyte has a raft of Z170 motherboards to go with Intel's sixth-generation Core CPUs. The G1 Gaming, Super Overclocking, and Ultra Durable-series boards are targeted at three distinct classes of system builder. Let's discuss each model line's particular appeal.

First off, there are some common features shared among all three board lines. Gigabyte uses Intel's own USB 3.1 controller, code-named Alpine Ridge, across all of its Z170 boards, which it's usually pairing with the reversible USB 3.1 Type-C port. Mobos from other manufacturers tend to use an ASMedia chip for USB 3.1 connectivity. We'll have to get our hands on a Gigabyte board bearing this controller to run some comparison tests.
Gigabyte also touts the use of metal reinforcement shields on its Z170 mobos' PCIe slots. These shields are claimed to provide 1.7 times the resistance to shearing forces and 3.2 times more strength in card-retention tests. Builders can rest easy knowing that their extra-beefy graphics cards won't overburden these mobos' PCIe slots.

Now, on to the product families. The G1 Gaming series is the flashiest of the lot. These boards' critical components are shrouded in white plastic covers bearing the G1 Gaming logo. They also feature RGB LED accent lighting under the shrouds that could let builders better coordinate their mobos' bling with the rest of a lighting scheme in tricked-out rigs.
Higher-end G1 Gaming-series boards get amenities like liquid-cooling-ready VRM heatsinks and Creative-powered onboard audio, with premium components like Burr-Brown DACs and upgradeable op-amps in the analog signal path. As for USB 3.1 connectivity, the Alpine Ridge controller gets four PCIe 3.0 lanes for a potential 32Gb/s of peripheral I/O bandwidth. A practical feature that builders will love is Gigabyte's take on a front-panel block connector that's similar to Asus' Q-connector.
G1 Gaming boards are also bedecked with Killer Networking's wired and wireless networking controllers. The fanciest boards in the series get dual Killer E2400 Gigabit Ethernet controllers and the company's Wireless-AC 1535 Wi-Fi card. The full array, working in concert with Killer's own software, is supposed to provide better networking performance by way of packet prioritization for games, Internet, and system traffic.

Super Overclocking boards are, as the name suggests, targeted at those shooting for record-setting overclocking attempts. To that end, these boards feature extensive on-board controls for modifying key system parameters. Other tweaking-friendly design touches include a pair of edge-mounted USB ports for easy BIOS flashing or software installation, plus an extra PCIe power connector that's meant to provide more juice to the PCIe slots with demanding setups like 4-way SLI. For good measure, the SOC Force Z107 board seen above has pre-tapped VRM heatsinks for liquid-cooling loops, and triple M.2 slots.

Finally, the Ultra Durable line looks like it could be Gigabyte's Z170 bread-and-butter. These more subdued boards get some nice features of their own, with perks like twin Intel Gigabit Ethernet ports headed for what we'd assume to be the highest-end mobos of the lot. Those boards will be bundled with cFos' network-optimization software, as well. Realtek's ALC1150 codec and a built-in headphone amp for the rear audio connectors should provide good analog audio output, and overclocking-friendly features like a debugging LCD, dedicated Clear CMOS and reset buttons, and dual firmware chips could make tweaking a breeze. The SOC line's extra PCIe power connector should make an appearance on some Ultra Durable boards, too.
It appears that Gigabyte is only giving the Alpine Ridge USB 3.1 controller two lanes of PCIe connectivity on Ultra Durable boards, however, for a total of 16Gb/s of bandwidth, and we'd like to see the G-connector front panel port block make an appearance on these boards, as well. That's too good a feature for the G1 Gaming series to get to itself.

Noticia:
http://techreport.com/news/28758/gig...thusiast-tough