Asus Z97-A is a new look for the LGA1150 platform. ASUS Z97-A motherboard review and test Z97 motherboards

One of the very first motherboards based on Intel Z87 that visited our laboratory was ASUS Z87-Plus. At that time, the manufacturer considered it necessary to equip its product with two additional SATA and USB 3.0 interface controllers, thus depicting the image of a modern platform. The simpler model Z87-A in many respects, starting with its size, was designated as a compromise.

The next stage in the evolution (with the release of the updated Intel Z97 logic) of equipping motherboards, as you know, was a new type of interface - SATA Express, which combines the usual SATA and PCI-E. Thus, today an increase is achieved bandwidth and the type of interface socket is also unified, which is best implemented with the introduction of its compact type - M.2.

All this was implemented by the company's engineers on the Z97-A. In foreign stores, the price of the device at the time of this writing has already dropped below $150. In addition, this model has acquired hitherto inaccessible features in the mainstream segment of the motherboard market.

Before dwelling on them in detail, we present the general characteristics of the device.

Model
Chipset	Intel Z97
Processor socket	socket 1150
Processors	Xeon, Core i7, Core i5, Core i3, Pentium, Celeron (Haswell)
Memory	4 DIMM DDR3 SDRAM 1333/1600/1866*/2000*/2133*/2200*/2400*/2500*/2666*/2800*/2933*/3000*/3100*/3200*(OC), 32 GB maximum
PCI slots	2 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 (x16+x0, x8+x8) 1 x PCI Express 2.0 [email protected] 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x1
M.2	1 x PCI Express 2.0 x2
PCI slots	2 (ASMedia ASM1083)
Integrated video core (in the processor)	Intel HD Graphics/4400/4600/P4600/P4700
Video connectors	DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI, DVI-D, D-Sub
Number of connected fans	6x 4pin
PS/2 ports	1 (keyboard/mouse)
USB ports	6 x 3.0 (4 connectors on the rear panel, Z97) 8 x 2.0 (2 connectors on the rear panel, Z97)
SATA Express	1 (Z97)
Serial ATA	6 x SATA 6Gb/s (Z97)
RAID	0, 1, 5, 10 (Z97)
Built-in sound	Realtek ALC892 (7.1, HDA), Texas Instruments RC4580
S/PDIF	Optical, connector on the board (output)
Networking	Intel I218V (Gigabit Ethernet)
firewire	-
LPT	-
COM	1 (internal)
BIOS/UEFI	AMI UEFI
Form Factor	ATX
Dimensions, mm	305x244
Additional features	TPM connectivity, Thunderbolt header, power button, support for AMD Quad-GPU CrossFireX and NVIDIA Quad-GPU SLI, Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED)

At first glance, being equipped with an increasing number of various interface outputs can only cause positive emotions, but not everything is as simple as we would like. There has not been a significant change in the construction of the PCH, and now the maximum number of its capabilities in the face of only eight PCI-E lanes is obviously not enough for everyone. We will take a closer look at this aspect in the UEFI review.

Packaging and equipment

ASUS 80 series products weren't overly flashy in their own packaging; the tradition was picked up with the only exception that now the abstraction on the topic of planar technologies has been replaced by a very specific image of a system logic cooler with a small part of the board itself. In this way, the proprietary approach 5-Way Optimization was simultaneously designed.

Actually, optimization should be understood as the possibility of using a set of five utilities that are part of Ai Suite 3, or rather one of the modules - Dual Intelligent Processors 5. Other utilities included in its composition are indicated on the back of the package with a brief explanation of the essence of the changes introduced or new capabilities acquired by the computer. In addition to the software component, the hardware component was not forgotten either: a full-fledged photo of the device and a table with specifications will allow you to evaluate the capabilities of the Z97-A without opening the package or visiting the official product page on the Web.

You can read more about the utilities in one of the brochures supplied with the kit. Inside the box are:

• user manual, which illustrates and describes the UEFI sub-items in detail (in English);
• DIY Guide QR code, leading to the page of the official website, which contains detailed instructions for assembling a PC;
• software product manual in English;
• disk with drivers and proprietary software;
• company logo sticker;
• plug for the body, standard version - with embossed symbols and icons for designating sockets;
• three SATA 6Gb / s cables, one of which has an L-shaped connector on one of the ends;
• one flexible bridge for organizing SLI from two video cards;
• a set of adapters for convenient connection of ASUS Q-Connectors case connectors.

A slightly more interesting package bundle compared to cheaper products, by the way, coinciding with the kit of the Z87-Plus that was once tested. The only remark is the lack of a mounting screw in the kit to secure devices connected to the M.2 socket. Perhaps it will be included in the delivery package of the latter.

Appearance and functionality

The image of the board looks complete, the abundance of expansion slots eliminates empty spaces on the PCB, and the dimensions correspond to the full-fledged ATX format. Listening to dissatisfied customers, the manufacturer changed the main leitmotif in the color scheme of the device. The golden color of the radiators has shifted towards brass shades, and some plastic elements have now become inconspicuously gray.

The back of the product is free of electronic components. Simple power cell heatsinks use spring-loaded plastic nails to fasten them, and the chipset cooler is securely fixed with screws.

It is a massive bar made of light-alloy material. It was decided to emphasize the development of the proprietary Dual Intelligent Processors solution up to the fifth generation. Its area will obviously not raise questions regarding the temperature of the "south bridge".

There are no problems with identifying serial numbers of SATA interface outputs. The fifth and sixth in a row are implemented in the SATA Express. All their cases are located along the surface of the PCB. There are no third party controllers here.

The lower right corner of the product is full of various connectors and switches. The bottom row is filled quite traditionally, but above it are: a DRCT block (although there is plenty of room for a full-fledged Direct Key button), a T_SENSOR contact group for connecting a thermocouple (not included in the kit), two status switches - a two-position TPU and a regular EPU. The latter are equipped with LED indicators soldered in their immediate vicinity. In the first active position, green lights up, and for the second position of the TPU, an orange glow element is implemented.

Do not lose sight of the presence of four indicators on the PCB, forming a solution called Q-LED. These are four red LEDs that light up when the corresponding system node is initialized during the POST procedure. So, BOOT_DEVICE_LED was placed next to the PCH.

DRAM_LED is located next to the MemOK! button, in the upper right corner of the product. Here, a never-before-seen EZ_XMP switch is also found, activating the XMP profile without user intervention in the system setup procedure via UEFI. In this case, the activation process is confirmed by a green LED, carefully soldered here. A slight surprise is the presence of the CPU_OV contact group, apparently especially for those users who decide to start their extreme experiments with a simple product without resorting to buying something more suitable.

Also, the Z97-A did not do without the system on indicator, which is again located at the corresponding PWR_SW button - literally on the bottom border of the board. Nearby is the TB_HEADER socket, which is useful for those who want to equip their board with the fastest interface today; this is possible when buying a ThunderboltEX II card, and the Z97-A is the youngest model at the time of writing the review, which allows such an expansion of the system's capabilities.

Somewhat controversial, in my opinion, placed PCI slots. The use of the number of video adapters is limited to two devices - the third slot, which is connected to the chipset, is content with only two PCI Express 2.0 lanes. The rest of the PCI-E x16 slots share sixteen processor lines of the third revision absolutely equally thanks to four ASM1480 switches from ASMedia Technology Inc.

A separate approach to the implementation of the sound component has now touched upon the base model, but for some reason it was not possible to ideologically refuse to use the budget ALC892 manufactured by Realtek. In addition, they decided to equip the Z97-A with a network controller from Intel. Next to it is a small coil with an open, non-insulated housing. Frankly, I was seriously surprised by the high-frequency squeak coming from the board in standby mode, and I put it in the first place among the main suspects.

The approach to the implementation of the VRM node is retained from the previous series; then it was the same for the Z87-Plus and Z87-A models. In addition, I note here the presence of the ASM1440 switch, whose role is to prioritize the use of the M.2 socket or the two simplest PCI-E.

Radiators for the needs of cooling power elements have become more complex, adding a little to their heat capacity. The role of the heat conductor is traditionally performed by a gasket about one and a half millimeters thick.

The PWM controller has been renamed and its model has managed to add one to its numbering, so now it is ASP1252. The implementation scheme of the power stabilizer has four channels with twice the number of elements in each of them. This is easy to verify by counting the number of auxiliary drivers. Power elements produced by NXP Semiconductors are used, which are typical for the budget class of products. These are PH6030L and PH4030L.

The back panel of the previous generation caused a number of comments. This time, its concept has been significantly revised, and now you can only complain about the close proximity of DVI-D and USB jacks. But if we take into account the likely involvement of the latter for the needs of interface cables, then problems should not arise. Otherwise, it is close to the standard, which I recently began to consider GA-Z97X-SOC Force. Apparently it was not so easy to place four USB sockets of the second revision here, but otherwise everything is fine. Traditionally, it was not without the participation of the ASM1442 level converter.

In the role of a small summary, I would like to call the Z97-A board a self-sufficient product, whose target audience is not system builders at all. Numerous various assistants, tools for simplifying system setup, overclocking and initial diagnosis of possible problems demonstrate the complete readiness of the product for experiments, and a variety of interface elements will allow you to equip a PC with the most modern equipment. Next up is software support. UEFI Capabilities

The microcode update procedure went without problems. For this, the EZ Flash Utility was used, whose version is now listed as 02.01.

The most active readers have probably already seen the updated interface in the Z97-Deluxe review. First of all, we reworked the simplified EZ Mode. A little more attention is now paid to drives - their number and device models can be seen without entering a separate menu. The mechanism for quick selection of the system functioning profile, which in fact means the activation of the TPU or EPU modules, was forced to give way - now it has become more compact. The rest of the tools remained in place: calendar and system clock, interface localization, XMP activation for DRAM, quick fan settings.

Q-Fan Tuning now has a few more features. Now in one click you can set the mode of operation of the desired channel. It is assumed that the processor cooler is controlled by the PWM method, while the other fans change their rotational speed by changing the supply voltage. In addition to the ready-made four work scenarios, including Full Speed, we added a manual mode for making changes to the control algorithm. Now everything is done in at its best, upsets only the impossibility to perform calibration in order to understand the correspondence between the percentage and the actual value of rpm for each of the products. Only proprietary software has such a luxury as part of the work from under the OS. However, this is not all the UEFI features, some deeper settings will be available in the Advanced Mode of the environment display mode.

The analogy of the updated UEFI with Modern UI from Microsoft suggests itself, and if everything looks very concise in EZ Mode, then in Advanced Mode, in my opinion, such trends have led to a deterioration in the perception of the picture of what is happening.

The very same concept in filling the sections remained unchanged. It was decided to move the reference field down, which is why the usable area in working with the settings has become even smaller. It is also a controversial point, because the information about the system that replaced it takes up an unacceptably large amount of space. In addition, at the top there are now illustrated symbols for starting some mechanisms, which also reduce the usable working area. The first of them has something in common with the first My Favorites tab, where you can choose the most commonly used mechanisms when setting up UEFI by pinning them to an empty field.

Qfan Conrtol turns out to be the same master of Q-Fan Tuning. Such discrepancies of the same windows look a little surprising.

EZ Tuning Wizard hides two mechanisms - system overclocking and RAID configuration settings. The first of these is really a somewhat wider toolkit than using a ready-made TPU profile. So far, not everything is going smoothly with its functionality, in particular, the displayed numbers are far from reality, but the mechanism itself is actually functional.

In the Main section, you can see for yourself the inconvenience of the new stylistic approach. Not only did such a modest section not fit on one page, but also the peculiar naming of subsections that do not have specific meanings, such as CPU or Memory Information, is in no way separated from other elements, and the groups themselves are also not delimited in any way. Thus, confusion arises, and it will only be more difficult for an unprepared user to navigate in such a monotonous array of information.

The contents of the sections have been developed by the manufacturer over the years, in particular, Ai Tweaker turned out to be literally unchanged relative to its ancestors based on the Intel Z87.

In other words, the Z97-A has the whole complex for overclocking, in addition, there are a number of proprietary mechanisms that simplify this task for beginner overclockers, we are talking about OC Tuner and EPU Power Saving Mode.

As for the possibilities in the field of supply voltage management, everything is in order here - no simplifications are observed, and the presence of Extreme Over-voltage only adds confidence in the strength of the VRM node.

The most important parameters are summarized in the table:

Parameter	Adjustment range	Step
BCLK Frequency (MHz)	80-300	0,1
PLL Selection	Auto/LC PLL/SB PLL
FilterPLL	Auto/Low BCLK Mode/High BCLK Mode
Internal PLL Overvoltage	Auto/Enabled/Disabled
CPU Core Ratio (Multiplier)	8-80	1
CPU Load-line Calibration	Auto/Level1…9	1
CPU Current Capability (%)	Auto/100…140	10
CPU Core Voltage Override (V)	0,001-1,92	0,001
CPU Input Voltage (V)	0,8-2,7	0,01
CPU Cache Ratio (Multiplier)	8-80	1
CPU Cache Voltage Override (V)	0,001-1,92	0,001
DRAM Frequency (MHz)	1400-3400 800-3200	200 266
DRAM Voltage (V)	1,2-1,92	0,01
CPU System Agent Voltage Offset (V)	(+/-) 0,001-0,999	0,001
CPU Analog I/O Voltage Offset	(+/-) 0,001-0,999	0,001
CPU Digital I/O Voltage Offset	(+/-) 0,001-0,999	0,001
PCH Core Voltage (V)	0,7-1,5	0,0125
PCH VLX Voltage (V)	1,2-2,0	0,0125
Max. CPU Graphics Ratio (Multiplier)	8(by CPU)-60	1
CPU Graphics Voltage Override (V)	0,001-1,92	0,001

The Advanced section contains system settings that are not directly related to its performance. PCH Storage Configuration succinctly replaced the SATA Configuration menu item. Of the interesting, I would like to note the maximum allocation of only 512 MB of memory for the needs of the built-in video processor.

One of the useful abilities of the board is the ability to independently control each of the USB channels, which we had a chance to use during the experiments. Enabling a new M.2 socket for use in the system is located in the Onboard Devices Configuration subsection, where two separately soldered PCI-E x1 are activated by default.

Another variation of the naming of the quick settings for the operation of system coolers is in the first place on the Monitor page. This time, it hides a kind of calibration, when the lower limit of its performance is determined for each device, after which this value is adjusted (again in percentage) for the corresponding channel. In addition, there are still remnants from the direct purpose of the section - information about the current temperature and voltages at important system nodes.

The most complete range of settings for the operation of system coolers in terms of UEFI capabilities is also located here. The main innovation is the choice of a reference temperature source for four fans (everything is clear for the CPU channel). Such functionality was previously available only to older models. But, speaking objectively, the only innovation is the ability to select T_SENSOR1 among others, because the temperature of PCH CORE and MB actually does not change during various loads or their absence. Do not forget that the Z97-A remote thermocouple is not supplied, so this mechanism can only be described as a nice option.

There were no problems with the POST procedure for the entire time of working with the board. The stage of initialization of the equipment passed quickly, because Fast Boot was initially activated. However, there are a number of settings that you can change if you wish. Of the most useful parameters, I note the fixation of the Setup Mode display mode.

In the Tool section, a new feature has appeared - disabling animation. It is implemented as a delay when moving from one section to another, again following the latest trends when working with the interface. It is completely incomprehensible why this is needed in UEFI, especially considering the obvious slowness of its operation when moving from section to section. We have already successfully tested the utility for updating the microcode version. The traditional eight profiles for saving settings are also in place, as is the ability to save an unlimited number of them to external media.

The ASUS SPD Information module surprised me a bit, not being able to read the first XMP profile of our RAM kit, although there were no problems before.

The Exit page was designed as a full-fledged section, but nothing new appeared there.

The ability to display a complete list of changes immediately before the procedure for applying new settings has not disappeared anywhere.

For those who are still not familiar with the set of hotkeys, there is a help window called by pressing F1.

There can be no complaints about the UEFI content, since it is borrowed from the products of the past generation, fully satisfying the needs of the modern user, and newfangled trends in interface design are a matter of purely individual preferences. The reworking of EZ Mode looks very successful, and the result of the system configured using the EZ Tuning Wizard will be described in the next section, where we will conclude on the advisability of introducing such a mechanism.

Complete software

And again, despite the next change in the generation of products, the approach implemented in the field of manufacturing a support disk remains unchanged. Obviously, fewer and fewer users resort to using it, and the mechanism itself, worked out over the years, does not give reasons for comments and, accordingly, the need to change anything there.

For some reason, among other things, there was no proprietary driver for USB 3.0 from Intel, but everything else is in place, as usual, with an abundance in the form of some third-party software. The installation wizard completed without errors.

The set of utilities is not so rich compared to competing products, but a large number of various utilities can overshadow the proprietary AI Suite of the same, unchanged third version.

The developers made an unfortunate oversight by not adding a very important, without exaggeration, very interesting Turbo LAN to this wizard. You can install it yourself, from the main menu of the support disc.

This utility is the work of a third party developer, cFos Software. It is known as cFosSpeed. It is noteworthy that for the domestic market it has a special price, so I strongly recommend that everyone who is interested carefully study its huge potential, which cannot be compared with Killer Network Manager. There is a great variety of ready-made presets for a variety of software, sorted by purpose and with the corresponding priority. There are four categories, and the general idea is to give the highest priority to games, streaming media, and VoIP applications while limiting peer-to-peer client functionality. But this is only its outer shell.

The true abilities are so wide that at least a separate review should be devoted to such a product. The settings are a treasure trove of tabs that true enthusiasts will appreciate.

In addition to performing direct tuning, a number of auxiliary tools are available. For example, a log with graphs of traffic accounting curves.

Next - monitoring of current connections with the ability to directly control each process based on the creation of a temporary or permanent rule.

At first, everything looks very intimidating for an unprepared user, so using the context menu of the program, you can use just a few, but therefore not at all secondary settings. I note that the line calibration works very mediocre, and the reason for this is the remote location of the company's server.

The next surprise was a close examination of the composition of what at first glance is a typical Realtek audio codec control console - ALC892. Inside there was a kind of proprietary software from Creative (Sound Blaster Cinema or Sound Blaster Pro Studio), which is equipped with a great many competing multimedia products. They called it DTS UlrtaPC II, and the whole essence of the changes made to the sound, as it should be, is a special manipulation, likened to the intervention of a conventional equalizer. But be that as it may, there are really a lot of ready-made options offered, and all of them seriously modify the sound picture.

In addition, in addition to scenarios for using the system, the choice of sound source is also important. Each option has its own set of presets.

AI Suite 3 does not include as much software as older motherboards.

There were no problems with obtaining information about the system, even with RAM, unlike the UEFI environment. I would like to note a slight shift in the design of the complex in color leitmotifs: they have become darker, having lost their original shades of blue.

Push Notice is a new vision for engineers on the relationship between portable gadgets and the desktop computer. And if everything is clear with the PC mode status page, then other tabs are depressing with their emptiness, obviously, the product is at the initial development stage. There were practically no reviews on the Play Market at the time of writing the review, and the restriction in the form of “Before using Push Notice, you must first connect your PC and mobile device to the same network, and register your mobile device on your PC” does not look very friendly .

The slightly updated Dual Intelligent Processors module (up to the fifth version) has already been touched upon in the Z97-Deluxe review. Its content for the Z97-A model is somewhat more modest, but the essence is unchanged, and all because the main modules wander from version to version without changing their content.

The content, in turn, also depends on the corresponding settings in the UEFI environment, because the AI ​​Suite is nothing more than a software add-on for the OS. So, for example, the settings of the DIGI + VRM submenu look much more modest.

Together with the whole complex, I added the Fan Xpert module to my serial number. Now his version is the third. At first glance, nothing significant appeared there.

Before a full-fledged adjustment of the operation mode of the coolers, as before, it is necessary to perform their calibration procedure, which occurs correctly here. Upon its completion, each of the channels receives a kind of passport with the characteristics of the product.

All that was found in the updated version is the presence of a button and the area corresponding to its positioning on the curve chart with the name Extreme Quiet. In other words, there are no radical innovations here, and it is still difficult to think of what the manufacturer could wish for, because the functionality of the product is already at an excellent, exemplary level of performance.

Now, after a protracted interlude, let's move on to the main highlight of the program, the new, fifth in a row, module from the complex, called the Turbo App. From the review of the older sister in the face of the Z97-Deluxe, it is known about the ability of this component to use some ready-made profiles with increased or decreased system performance for each individual application, or even individually activate, if necessary, the desired multiplier involved in the formation of the operating frequency processor.

But the main thing was missed at that time, because at the same time for each application you can apply (right from here) utility settings profiles for interacting with sound and network adapters. There are a number of controversial points: how the system will behave when running several programs with different settings, for example, an audio player and a game, with different profiles for the codec to work, remains a mystery. But the very possibility of maneuvers, as well as a convenient form for their implementation, evokes a feeling of knowing the fact of the onset of a new era of working with familiar applications.

Actually, there is nothing surprising in the fact that ASUS is still a pioneer in the development of various facets of the symbiosis of hardware and software components of its own products. The new Turbo App module is not just another useless utility, the number of which sometimes reaches indecent for some vendors, but becomes a dense series of other programs that have already been proven in practice, forming a kind of link between them. For this, the developers deserve only praise. Overclocking potential

First, let's touch on the standard capabilities of the product in the field of improving system performance, and start with a new mechanism - EZ Tuning Wizard. It was mentioned in the review of UEFI capabilities, and then we were promised an increase in processor speed in the amount of 32%, and for RAM - 36%; all this can be achieved by using the Gaming/Media Editing profile. Indeed, it is precisely these ratios (relative to the standard capabilities - 3.4 GHz and 1.6 GHz, respectively) that were demonstrated during practical tests. As a result, the processor frequency was 4488 MHz, and for RAM modules - 2176 MHz. Moreover, this formula turned out to be valid for any type of load. The CPU voltage rose to a modest 1.25 V during operation, and in idle time it dropped to the required 0.7 V. The RAM also functioned with delays according to the XMP profile.

The picture looks very idyllic, so the system was subjected to a more serious test with the same settings, since the possibility of successfully passing a stress test with such a low CPU voltage seemed very doubtful. It turned out that in more difficult conditions, it increased to a significant 1.37 V, which eventually led to overheating of the CPU and activation of throttling. It remains to wish the manufacturer not to stop there, but to continue to improve their own mechanisms, the number of which now reaches at least three.

Two more automatic overclocking modes can still be activated inside UEFI, or by resorting to the functionality on the PCB in the form of a TPU state switch. In any case, the first mode, now called Ratio Tuning, turns out to be very familiar to products of the past generation, made using the Intel Z87. When using it, the processor operates at a frequency slightly above 4 GHz, while there is no visible increase in voltage. RAM operates according to the XMP profile - the frequency is 2133 MHz.

In idle time, energy-saving technologies function correctly. In a word, nothing in this scenario has changed.

The next position of the switch on the board, or changing the selection inside UEFI to BCLK + Ratio Tuning, accordingly modifies the overclocking approach by fixing the base frequency at around 125 MHz. The final frequency of the processor is 4126 MHz, the RAM is 2 GHz, the delay formula is based on the XMP profile values.

In this case, the CPU voltage turns out to be fixed at around 1.17 V, which in the end is even a slightly lower figure compared to the previous case. At the same time, energy saving still successfully continues to fulfill its direct functional duties.

Both of these overclocking methods, although not in the least impressive, in retaliation, the operation of a system based on such settings is completely stable.

Self-tested durability began with the search for the maximum value of the reference frequency, at which the system operates absolutely stably. It turned out to be the number 186.2 MHz, which is a good result.

I liked the behavior of the board in case of setting inoperative parameters: several unsuccessful launches were replaced by a proposal to make changes to the settings, in which the POST procedure did not work properly.

Unexpectedly, there were problems when overclocking the CPU using previously tested settings. Literally in the first minute of stress testing, the operating system began to report a lack of power on a certain USB device, as a result of which it was removed from use.

Thanks to the extensive capabilities of UEFI, we managed to find out that the whole thing is in two ordinary USB 2.0 sockets located on the rear panel. Regardless of whether they were involved in exploitation, the message appeared again and again, so they had to be turned off. It is difficult to say whether this is due to design miscalculations in the design or whether this is a problem of a particular instance of the Z97-A. Whatever it was, after that everything worked without problems. With the total CPU supply voltage increased to 1.9 V, for the ring bus - up to 1.3 V, and on the computing units - up to 1.35 V, the Core i5-4670K was able to operate at a frequency of 4.7 GHz, and the ring bus at this is at 4.4 GHz.

A little more time was taken by the selection of a mechanism for stabilizing the supply voltage. As it turned out, none of the nine prepared profiles properly copes with the obligations imposed on the LLC mechanism itself. I finally made my choice in favor of Level 8: at maximum load, with its help, the required voltage increased by 0.02 V, and the average during testing turned out to be 1.914 V. Lower values ​​of LLC somehow lead to a voltage drop below the required 1.9 V , which threatens with possible instability during the operation of the system. In this mode, the test bench consumed energy within the 99-299 W range, which is somewhat more than we managed to fix in the GA-Z97X-SOC Force review; especially frustrating is the excessively high value characteristic of the idle time of the system. The temperature in the VRM zone reached 72°C, while the radiators could only warm up to 52°C at their highest point.

There were no problems with overclocking RAM, while we managed to fix a slight change in the configuration of secondary delays (relative to the line of boards based on the eightieth series), which are set according to the device's own preferences. The frequency was 2666 MHz with a supply voltage of 1.75 V and a delay formula of the form 11-13-12-30-1T.

In general, I was completely satisfied with the behavior of the subject. The revised concept in the design of UEFI at first introduces some element of confusion, but, gradually getting used to it, you can fully start working with the settings. The functionality of another switch - EZ_XMP has been successfully tested in practice. What wishes can be expressed to the manufacturer at the expense of all this abundance - unification into a single “remote control”, because their simultaneous activation threatens the system with complete confusion. Just imagine: automatic overclocking, forcing reduced power consumption and additional mechanical fixation of the XMP profile. All this (at the same time) should not happen, and testing such a fantasy in practice resulted in complete confusion.

test bench

The stand included:

• processor: Intel Core i5-4670K (3.4 GHz);
• cooler: Cryorig R1 Ultimate;
• thermal interface: Noctua NT-H1;
• memory: G.Skill F3-17000CL9D-8GBXM (2x4GB, 2133MHz, 9-11-10-28-2T, 1.65V);
• video card: Gigabyte GV-N580SO-15I (GeForce GTX 580);
• drive: ADATA Premier Pro SP900 (128 GB, SATA 6 Gb / s, AHCI mode);
• power supply: XFX XPS-850W-BES (850 W);
• operating system: Windows 8.1 Pro x64;
• drivers: Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility (10.0.14), Intel Management Engine Interface (10.0.0.1204), GeForce 335.23 (9.18.13.3523), PhysX 9.13.1220.

All OS updates available for download through Windows Update have been installed. No third-party anti-virus products were installed, no fine-tuning of the system was made, the size of the paging file was determined by the system itself.

The following applications were used as tests:

• AIDA64 4.30 (Cache & Memory benchmark);
• Futuremark PCMark 8 (in combination with Microsoft Office 2013 SP1 Standard);
• Futuremark 3DMark 13;
• Batman: Arkham City
• F1 2012;
• Hitman: Absolution.

During the testing of representatives of the Intel LGA1150 platform, the versions of software products are regularly updated. For a possible correlation of the results, they are summarized in a comparative table:

Product	Firmware Version	AIDA64	BenchDLL	PC Mark 8	3D Mark 13
	0902	4.30.2954	4.1.611-x64	2.0.228	1.2.362
Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SOC	F5	4.30.2946	4.1.611-x64	2.0.228	1.2.362

Test results

When the XMP profile is activated on the bench set of RAM, it seems that there is a direct interference with the operation of the Turbo Boost technology (relative to standard installations). As a result, the Core i5-4670K operated at 3.8 GHz, regardless of the type of applications being run.

Therefore, performance expectations are the most demanding.

In real games, everything turned out to be not so rosy - the test model lost all its confidence. Therefore, the overall result is still a draw. In general, this is how it should be when it comes to high-end products based on the same chipset and operating with similar settings.

System power consumption

Measurements were taken after passing all other tests in the "established" mode of the computer using the Luxeon AVS-5A instrument. The technique consisted in fixing the weighted average value of the consumption of the test stand "from the outlet" during the Prime95 test using the In-place large FFTs profile, as well as when the computer was idle after the test was completed.

Continuing to talk about the uniform behavior of devices with identical parameters, one cannot fail to note their absolutely identical level of electrical energy consumption. It would be possible to state a very energy-efficient VRM module in the Z97-A, but its strange behavior during overclocking does not allow this. The 99 W idle threshold indicated in the section above is not a definitive number. For a long time after the stress testing procedure, it turns out to be just that, but if you wait a long time (more than ten minutes), then gradually the system's appetites begin to fade, decreasing in numerical terms to the expected 88 watts. Repeated experiments only repeated such a scenario of events.

The manufacturer's proprietary solution in the field of increasing energy efficiency is the activation of the EPU. This time the behavior of the Z97-A almost coincided with its predecessor in the face of the Z87-Plus. The supply voltage of the computing units with all its might was kept at the border of 1.01 V, the CPU frequency was 3.6 GHz for a very short time, decreasing to the nominal value (3.4 GHz), especially when the load takes a long period of time. Such activities can reduce the final level of consumption to 79-137 watts.

Conclusion

To briefly summarize the information obtained while working with the device, this model turned out to be much more interesting than its closest predecessors in the face of the Z87-A and Z87-Plus. The current arsenal, both hardware and software, makes such a product the most attractive among this list due to the presence of the most up-to-date interfaces and equipment with advanced proprietary software.

It is the last point that deserves unconditional praise, and, apparently, it is not in vain that most of the back of the box is occupied by a description of the capabilities of these utilities. It is rather difficult to convey to experienced users the idea of ​​rethinking the approach to the purchased product as a software and hardware complex, and not just a physical device in the form of a board and related delivery elements. Beginners are even more unaware of their existence. ASUS does not provide some ridiculous experimental utilities, but allows the user to approach the process of working with a computer in a new way, and not only directly behind him.

Having reduced the notes of optimism, one cannot but recall the negative aspects. The insignificant savings on the audio codec are completely incomprehensible, while significant steps have been taken to improve the audio component, including those expressed in hardware innovations that are not entirely characteristic of such a market segment. Also, the full mechanism for using all new types of interface sockets is not clear: apparently, only one of them can be used at a particular point in time. It's somewhat disappointing to see two lone USB 2.0s on the rear panel, but they also had problems during serious overclocking; the conclusion is that there are only two of them on purpose. By the way, the new version of the microcode (1008) released during the preparation of the review did not resolve anything in this misunderstanding.

Be that as it may, it is the Z97-A that will now become a model of a modern, typical motherboard with all the richness of its equipment, which in the future can be guided by when choosing a motherboard for a new computer.

In the current difficult economic conditions, when purchasing a new personal computer, the question often arises: what would you save on? There can be many ways to optimize costs: you can choose a slower processor, reduce the amount of RAM, find a smaller SSD or completely abandon it in favor of an HDD, or, in the end, replace the flagship graphics card with a mid-range model. But resorting to such measures is not very pleasant, because all of them noticeably worsen the speed and responsiveness of the platform. However, fortunately, there is another way to save money, which, with the right approach, does not lead to painful consequences - the use of inexpensive motherboards.

In general, the motherboard does not directly affect the performance of the system - it only requires sufficient functionality and stable operation with all other equipment. Meanwhile, users often choose redundant and expensive boards, because they impress with promising features and advertised features. This is actively promoted by the motherboard manufacturers themselves, who have recently seriously expanded their product lines by creating separate lineups of gaming, overclocking and highly reliable motherboards. Such segmentation, additionally reinforced by aggressive (and not always crystal clear) advertising, provokes a shift in consumer interest towards more expensive specialized motherboard models, while in most cases you can limit yourself to a completely ordinary motherboard with a price one and a half to two times lower.

This material will be devoted to the proof of this thesis. We took several inexpensive full-size motherboards for LGA1150 processors based on the most popular Intel Z97 chipset - and we plan to show that their capabilities are enough for a modern high-quality and productive computer. The mere fact that the board is based on the Z97, that is, Intel's top-level chipset, actually guarantees that it has all the features necessary for a modern high-performance personal computer. And if you don't need any special things like connecting a lot of hard drives or supporting more than a dozen USB ports, then you are unlikely to need an expensive board. After all, almost any motherboard based on Intel Z97, even a budget one, can offer everything that is required in a modern high-speed platform: support for modern Haswell and Devil’s Canyon processors, as well as promising Broadwell processors; four slots for installing DDR3 SDRAM with speeds from 1333 to 3000 MHz; one or two PCI Express 3.0 x16 graphics slots; a set of several expansion slots PCI Express 2.0 and possibly PCI; six SATA 6 Gb / s ports and, most likely, one M.2 slot; six USB 3.0 ports and at least as many USB 2.0 ports; integrated gigabit network; as well as an integrated audio codec with six or eight channels. Moreover, any motherboard based on Intel Z97 must also have a set of overclocking features, allowing you to overclock the processor and memory.

There is no doubt that the above list of features can cover the needs of the vast majority of users, including those from the enthusiast community. Therefore, the only requirements that really make sense to put forward to inexpensive motherboards based on Intel Z97 are the equipment with a processor power converter with sufficient power and, if necessary, support for multi-GPU configurations built using SLI and CrossrireX technologies. In our comparative review, we will see how the motherboards available in stores with a price of no more than $150 meet these requirements. We asked manufacturers to provide us with their inexpensive LGA1150 ATX form factor platforms based on the Intel Z97 and not related to any special series, and received seven motherboards from all the leading companies on the market to experiment with. Meet the testers!

⇡ Comparative characteristics of tested boards

	ASRock Z97 Extreme4	ASRock Z97 Pro4	ASUS Z97-A	ASUS Z97-C	ASUS Z97-K	Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H	MSI Z97 Guard Pro
Processor socket	LGA1150	LGA1150	LGA1150	LGA1150	LGA1150	LGA1150	LGA1150
Chipset	Intel Z97	Intel Z97	Intel Z97	Intel Z97	Intel Z97	Intel Z97	Intel Z97
Memory slots	4 x DDR3 DIMMs	4 x DDR3 DIMMs	4 x DDR3 DIMMs	4 x DDR3 DIMMs	4 x DDR3 DIMMs	4 x DDR3 DIMMs	4 x DDR3 DIMMs
Memory support	Up to DDR3-3200	Up to DDR3-3100	Up to DDR3-3200	Up to DDR3-3200	Up to DDR3-3200	Up to DDR3-3100	Up to DDR3-3300
PCIe 3.0 x16 slots	3	1	2	1	1	2	1
Multi-GPU support	x8/x8/x0 or x8/x4/x4	Not	x8/x8	Not	Not	x8/x8	Not
PCIe 2.0 x16 slots	Not	1 (x4)	1 (x2)	1 (x4)	1 (x4)	1 (x4)	1 (x4)
PCIe 2.0 x1 slots	3	2	2	2	2	3	4
PCI slots	Not	2	2	3	2	1	Not
Audio codec	Realtek ALC1150	Realtek ALC892	Realtek ALC892	Realtek ALC892	Realtek ALC887	Realtek ALC1150	Realtek ALC892
Gigabit network controller	Intel I218V	Intel I218V	Intel I218V	Intel I218V	Realtek 8111G	Intel I217V	Realtek 8111G
Additional SATA controller	ASMedia ASM1061	Not	Not	Not	Not	Not	Not
Additional controller USB 3.0	ASMedia ASM1042AE	Not	Not	Not	Not	Not	Not
Form Factor	305×244 mm	305×218 mm	305×244 mm	305×218 mm	305×218 mm	305×225 mm	305×220 mm
Internal ports
SATA 6Gb/s	6 + 2	6	6	6	6	6	6
SATA Express	1	1	1	1	Not	1	Not
M.2 slot	There is	There is	Yes (PCIe only)	There is	There is	There is	There is
USB 3.0	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
USB 2.0	4	4	6	6	6	4	4
Serial port	1	1	Not	1	1	1	1
Parallel Port	Not	Not	Not	Not	Not	Not	1
External ports
USB 3.0	4 + 2	4	4	4	4	4	4
USB 2.0	2	4	2	2	2	4	2
gigabit network	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Analog audio	5	5	5	6	3	5	6
S/P-DIF output	There is	There is	There is	Not	Not	There is	Not
PS/2	1	1	1	1	2	2	1
Video		D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI	D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI, DisplayPort	D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI	D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI	D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI	D-Sub, DVI-D, DisplayPort

⇡ ASRock Z97 Extreme4

Over the past few years, ASRock has been able to achieve very good results in the motherboard market, becoming one of the top three manufacturers. She managed to achieve this largely due to her policy, in which ASRock boards are usually made more functional than similarly priced offerings from other companies. ASRock Z97 Extreme4 is not the cheapest offer in comparison with other participants in this review, its cost is about $130, but the specifications of this motherboard are more typical for products of the upper price category. Z97 Extreme4 has a high-quality audio codec, has additional SATA and USB 3.0 controllers, and is also equipped with tools popular with overclockers - and this allows us to say that it was justifiably attributed to the Extreme series.

The design of the board does not cause any special claims either. Z97 Extreme4 uses the entire area of ​​the ATX format, and therefore the slots and connectors are located quite freely. The distance between the PCIe x16 slots is enough to accommodate powerful video cards, and all cables are connected to connectors distributed along the bottom and right sides of the board. There is no excessive tightness in the vicinity of the processor socket. The first PCIe x16 slot is moved one position away from the LGA1150, the height of the power stabilizer radiators does not exceed 32 mm, and the memory slots are 28 mm apart from the processor socket. This means that it is quite possible to install massive coolers on the Z97 Extreme4, and the only problem that may arise in this case is mechanical incompatibility with memory modules with high heatsinks installed in the slot closest to the processor.

The processor power subsystem has a 12-phase design, which is almost impossible to find on inexpensive motherboards. However, ASRock engineers have not stinted on an advanced dual-stack MOSFET power supply system with lower RDS(on), long life Nichicon polymer capacitors and premium alloy core chokes. The heating elements of this circuit are cooled by two massive aluminum radiators, which are fixed with screws, however, without the use of reinforcing plates on the reverse side of the board. Such a heat sink is more than enough: during the tests, the temperature of the power converter did not exceed 45 degrees even during overclocking.

The scheme of operation of expansion slots is somewhat different from the typical one. The ASRock Z97 Extreme4 has three PCIe x16 slots at once, which are connected to the in-processor controller. This makes it possible to build on this board not only two-component multi-GPU configurations, but also CrossfireX arrays of three video cards (3-way SLI cannot be created, since NVIDIA cards require at least x8/x8/x8 operating mode). True, due to the fact that there are no additional PCIe bridges on the board, the usual formula for these slots is x16/x0/x0, and it can only be transformed into x8/x8/x0 or x8/x4/x4. When creating multi-GPU configurations, an additional MOLEX connector on the board can be useful, through which you can increase the power supply to the graphics slots. To install conventional peripheral expansion cards, the Z97 Extreme4 has three PCIe x1 slots, which are controlled by the chipset.

The use of an additional ASMedia ASM1061 controller on the board made it possible to place eight SATA 6 Gb / s ports on it at once (six of them are chipset). A pair of chipset SATA ports can be used as part of a SATA Express port, plus there is also an M.2 slot on the board, which can accommodate both PCI Express and SATA SSD models. The board not only supports all possible ways to connect modern drives, but also allows you to create RAID arrays, which means that the possibilities for building a disk subsystem on ASRock Z97 Extreme4 can be considered more than flexible. An interesting addition to this abundance is ASRock's proprietary HDD Saver technology, which allows you to hardware control the power supply of a pair of hard drives connected to the ASMedia controller.

ASRock has increased the capabilities of the Intel Z97 logic set in terms of supporting USB ports. By adding the ASMedia ASM1042AE chip, the engineers got two additional USB 3.0 ports, bringing their total number to eight. As a result, the rear panel of the ASRock Z97 Extreme4 is filled with all sorts of connectors. It has six USB 3.0 ports (two more are present in the form of a needle connector on the board); two USB 2.0 ports (and four more such ports can be connected to the board); gigabit network socket, working through the Intel I218V controller; PS/2 port for mouse or keyboard; as well as audio and monitor connectors. To use the graphics core built into the processor, all four connection options are offered - HDMI, DVI-D, D-Sub and DisplayPort, while up to three monitors can be used simultaneously.

As for sound, there are five analog audio jacks and an optical S/P-DIF output on the rear panel. One of the best eight-channel codecs, Realtek ALC1150, is responsible for the operation of the audio path, which, along with all its piping, is shielded from the rest of the board space. Also, when implementing the analog part of the audio circuit, ASRock did not stint on high-quality capacitors and a powerful amplifier, which allows using headphones with high internal resistance with the board.

Special mention deserves the attention that the developers of the Z97 Extreme4 paid to the needs of enthusiasts. Especially for this category of users, power and reset buttons, a BIOS reset button, a POST code indicator, and two independent BIOS chips with a switch that selects the active chip were added to the board. Such a functional set on inexpensive boards can be seen very infrequently, which - compared to other inexpensive motherboards of the same class - puts the Z97 Extreme4 one step closer to advanced users.

However, it is not difficult to find shortcomings in ASRock Z97 Extreme4 that are important for enthusiasts. For example, while this board has two CPU headers and four case fan headers, it's not easy to use them all. The four-pin connection is supported by only one processor and one chassis connector. And two three-pin case connectors are located in the center of the board - they will become hard to reach after installing a processor cooler and a video card. Adjusting the rotation speed depending on the temperature is also not supported everywhere, but only for processor and three case fans.

The Z97 Extreme4 comes with the usual set of accessories. At the same time, ASRock did not stint on a hard SLI bridge and HDD Saver cable, which allows you to connect the power of two hard drives not to the power supply, but directly to the board. Unfortunately, at the same time, the rear I / O Shield included in the package is completely ordinary: tinny and uncomfortable.

ASRock has lagged behind the rest of the manufacturers in redesigning the UEFI shell. While all the leading manufacturers have full GUI modes to simplify configuration, the Z97 Extreme4's UEFI is similar in structure to the old text-based BIOS Setup. At the same time, it works in graphics mode with a resolution of 1024 × 768 and supports a mouse, but its structure is completely inherited from products of past generations. The only fundamental change is the appearance of an additional My Favorite page, where you can transfer any frequently used options.

However, we still would not blame the ASRock developers for being passive, because instead of experimenting with the interface, they introduced many useful functions from a practical point of view. For example, Z97 Extreme4 not only can update its firmware via the Internet without using additional programs, but can also download a complete set of necessary Windows drivers directly from the Web from UEFI. Worthy of mention is the System Browser page, where you can get information about the equipment used in the system in a convenient way.

The possibilities for configuring the processor and memory look typical: all the options necessary for overclocking are in full. The timings of the memory subsystem are very conveniently implemented: UEFI allows you to access the SPD and XMP profiles and select only some parameters for use in them.

You can get a complete impression of the BIOS capabilities from our gallery.

uefi asrock z97 extreme4

In accordance with the latest fashion, ASRock has made an application store for its boards, which, however, does not have a very impressive content. The main utility for enthusiasts will be the A-Tuning program, which allows you to control frequencies and voltages directly from the Windows environment. In addition, the utility provides functions for system monitoring and obtaining information, driver updates, and some other service features, such as creating a RAM disk.

asrock z97 extreme4

On the whole, ASRock Z97 Extreme4 stands out not only for its wide range of features, in which it surpasses the solutions of competing manufacturers, but also for its clear focus on overclocking experiments. At the same time, although the board has a rather lapidary UEFI shell, not without some roughness in working out a number of options, it nevertheless does not cause serious complaints about itself. Only the set of connectors for connecting fans and their location are frustrating, as well as the slightly overestimated power consumption of the board in idle state.

⇡ ASRock Z97 Pro4

We expected to see a cheaper version of the Extreme4 described above in the ASRock Z97 Pro4 motherboard, but the reality turned out to be different. This board has an individual layout, and besides, it is ideologically built in a completely different way, not at all pretending to be a platform for enthusiasts. However, even though the Z97 Pro4 is priced at just $110, this board is a solid platform. Of course, its capabilities are not as rich as those of the Extreme4 modification, but from the point of view of the ratio of cost and equipment, Pro4 seems to be a very good option. However, let's move on from the general words to the details.

Let's start with the fact that the size of the ASRock Z97 Pro4 is slightly smaller than the standard ATX in depth: it has been cut from 24.4 to 21.8 mm. This is a common practice for inexpensive boards, but such savings in textolite entail two disadvantages at once. Firstly, the board cannot be fixed in the case at all four corners and its front edge sags, which leads to unpleasant deformation of the PCB plane when changing DIMM modules and when connecting the power cable. Secondly, a reduction in usable area automatically means a closer placement of components.

For example, ASRock engineers on their Z97 Pro4 were unable to achieve a free location of the LGA1150 socket. Although from the side of the power converter and DIMM slots, which are moved away from the processor socket by quite acceptable 28 mm, nothing can interfere with the installation of a processor with a cooler, problems can arise from the side of the graphics card. The first PCIe x16 slot is moved to the extreme position of the processor - and this entails two troubles at once. With a video card installed, coolers for 140mm fans will “rub” against its reverse side, plus the video card will partially hinder access to the latches of the DIMM slots. However, both of these problems can be overcome, because there are no complaints about the location of the remaining components, so when assembling a computer based on the Z97 Pro4, you just need to follow the correct sequence of installing components.

The motherboard in question differs from the more complex Z97 Extreme4 board not only in the absence of additional SATA and USB controllers, although this is striking in the first place. The reduction in price also affected the processor power converter, which is assembled on the Z97 Pro4 according to a six-channel scheme. However, at the same time, it remains quite powerful and completely covers the needs of the bulk of overclockers. It uses the same high-quality electronic components found on more expensive boards, and uses a 30mm high heatsink with a large surface area to cool the hot semiconductors. At the same time, this radiator is pressed with screws, although without the use of a reinforcing plate on the reverse side of the board. Nevertheless, during the tests, we did not encounter any signs of excessive heating of the power circuit, including during overclocking.

Z97 Pro4 noticeably stands out with a set of expansion slots. Although two PCIe x16 slots can be seen on this motherboard, only the first slot belongs to the processor. In other words, the board in question does not support SLI, and don't be fooled by the MOLEX connector for supplying additional power to the video subsystem, which is located next to the graphics slot. The second PCIe x16 slot is actually connected to the chipset controller, that is, it does not support the PCI Express 3.0 protocol and can only function in x4 mode. In other words, it is advisable to use it for drives or expansion cards, which can also be installed in two nearby PCIe x1 slots. It should be noted that if at least one of these PCIe x1 slots is occupied, the PCIe x16 chipset slot will switch from x4 logical mode to x2 mode - this point should be kept in mind. In addition to the PCIe slots, ASRock engineers have also added PCI slots to their board. To implement them, I had to resort to the services of the PICe-PCI ASMedia ASM1083 bridge, since the Intel Z97 chipset itself does not have a built-in PCI controller.

Closing the question regarding the slots available on the ASRock Z97 Pro4, we also note the presence of an M.2 connector on the board for installing solid state drives. This connector is compatible with both PCI Express and SATA models. However, unlike the older ASRock Extreme6 and Extreme11 boards, where the M.2 slot is connected to the PCI Express 3.0 processor lines, on the Pro4 it uses two PCI Express 2.0 chipset lines.

Exclusively the chipset capabilities are used on the ASRock Z97 Pro4 and to implement SATA 6Gb/s ports. There are six of them on the board, as expected. All of them support RAID and Intel's Rapid Storage and Smart Response technologies. There is also a promising SATA Express port that shares its resources with a pair of SATA ports and an M.2 slot.

Quite typical of ASRock Z97 Pro4 is the set of USB ports, which is also completely formed by a set of logic. In other words, the board can offer six USB 3.0 ports, four of which are easily found as connectors on the rear panel, and eight USB 2.0 ports, half of which are brought out there. The gigabit network connector is also placed on the rear panel, for which the usual Intel I218V controller, a PS / 2 port for a mouse or keyboard, as well as monitor and sound ports are responsible. With the activation of the in-processor integrated graphics, it will be possible to use the DVI-D, D-Sub and HDMI connectors, which can work both separately and simultaneously. The sound, for which the cheap eight-channel ALC892 codec is responsible, is output to five analog jacks and an optical S / P-DIF output.

ASRock Z97 Pro4 does not offer any special functions for enthusiasts - after all, first of all, it is a “workhorse”, and not a stand for experiments. Therefore, there are no buttons, POST controllers, indicator LEDs, or several BIOS chips on the board. Not too impressive are the possibilities of the board for connecting fans. In addition to the processor, for which there are two connectors to choose from - three-pin and four-pin, the board allows you to connect three more case fans. Moreover, with PWM control there can be only one of them, but this does not interfere with the interactive control of the rotation speed of all fans, which is configured through the UEFI shell.

The ASRock Z97 Pro4 package is typical for an inexpensive motherboard. In fact, it includes only the bare minimum of necessary accessories. Even the number of SATA cables included in the board box has been reduced to two.

The UEFI of the motherboard in question is unified with other models, which means that the interface has a standard look for ASRock. It does not strike the imagination with a convenient layout and does not have simplified start modes, but it offers an exhaustive set of settings in a hierarchical structure that has been formed over the years. The trends of the times in the UEFI shell are manifested only in the appearance of a multi-colored background and mouse support.

However, in the depths of UEFI, you can find some innovations in functionality that increase the usability. So, the My Favorite settings page appeared, the contents of which the user can create completely at will. Moreover, this page can even be made the start page.

UEFI also has a System Browser mode that allows you to get a very visual idea of ​​the system configuration and installed hardware.

The DRAM Tweaker function allows you not only to get comprehensive information about the settings "hardwired" into the memory modules, but also to apply selective parameters from the XMP, AMP and SPD profiles.

Conveniently done and updating UEFI versions. ASRock is the only motherboard manufacturer that has been able to implement the search, download and flashing of microcode over the Internet, directly from the UEFI environment.

Although the ASRock Z97 Pro4 board does not belong to the Extreme series, that is, it is not focused on overclocking experiments, it has a full set of settings necessary for overclocking the processor. In fact, the UEFI of this board has exactly the same list of options as the previously reviewed Z97 Extreme4. You can verify this by referring to our gallery of UEFI screenshots.

uefi asrock z97 pro4

Works with Z97 Pro4 and ASRock A-Tuning utility, which allows you to control frequencies and voltages directly from the Windows environment. In addition, this utility provides functions for monitoring, obtaining system information and updating drivers, and some other service features.

software asrock z97 pro4

All things considered, the ASRock Z97 Pro4 seems to be a very well-balanced product. This is a fairly simple but balanced board, which nevertheless fully reveals the capabilities of the Intel Z97 chipset - with the exception of support for multi-GPU configurations. And although it does not belong to the Extreme series, overclocking is not alien to this board - UEFI has a full arsenal of possibilities for its implementation. That being said, the Z97 Pro4 is only slightly over the $100 mark, making it an attractive mid-range platform. The favorable impression is overshadowed only by not the most convenient layout: other motherboards will be able to offer a noticeably greater level of comfort when assembling a computer.

⇡ ASUS Z97-A

The ASUS Z97-A motherboard is one of the most expensive in this review. Nevertheless, when creating it, ASUS did not resort to using a scattering of additional controllers, deciding to get by with the bare minimum, and also cut down solutions demanded by enthusiasts, typical for more expensive models. In other words, Z97-A embodies all the properties of the Intel Z97 chipset, but at the same time practically does not go beyond the Intel specifications. However, similar words can be said about almost any board from this review. The interesting thing about ASUS Z97-A is that, having taken the path of cheaper prices, the developers still did not cross the border beyond which the products high class turn into consumer goods.

In other words, ASUS Z97-A can be described as a model for economical enthusiasts. At a price of about $145, this board not only looks decent from the outside, but also, having all the overclocking features, allows you to easily overclock processors. The processor power circuit has a digital eight-phase design, high-quality electronic components are used in it, and the cooling system adequately copes with its role. It should be noted that at first glance, two heatsinks on a MOSFET, pressed with spring-loaded plastic nails, do not inspire much confidence, but in fact the heating of the power converter during operation turns out to be very insignificant.

At the same time, the developers cleared the space around the processor socket, which makes it possible to install arbitrarily massive cooling systems on the CPU. The PCIe x16 slot for the video card is further moved away from the LGA1150 by one position, and the voltage converter heatsinks are very low in height. The only worry is the fact that the distance from the edge of the processor socket to the first DIMM slot is only 28 mm - this can cause mechanical problems when using large air coolers and memory modules with high heatsinks in the slots closest to the processor, but the vast majority of most motherboards.

By the way, you should pay attention to the fact that the depth of ASUS Z97-A is 244 mm, standard for the ATX format. And this is good, because, firstly, it allows you to firmly fix the motherboard in the case with all nine bolts, and secondly, it allows engineers to comfortably distribute connectors and switches on the board. Actually, this is why the Z97-A has an extremely thoughtful design: all connectors are located on the bottom and right edge of the board, and this is an ideal option for easy cable routing inside the case.

The board in question offers a large set of expansion card slots, which is more typical for flagship boards than for low-cost boards. However, you need to keep in mind that out of the three available PCIe x16 slots, only two are connected to the processor, and when installing two-component multi-GPU systems, they work according to the formula 8x + 8x. The third, extreme slot is powered by PCI Express lines from the chipset and operates in 2x mode. In addition to this, the board offers two PCIe x1 slots as well as two PCI slots that work through an optional ASMedia ASM1083 controller. It should be noted that the places for PCI slots are not well chosen. Installed in any of the PCIe x16 graphics slots, a dual deck graphics card will block the adjacent PCI slot.

To connect storage media, the board has a full set of six regular SATA 6 Gb / s ports (with support for RAID levels 0, 1, 10 and 5), of which two can be combined into SATA Express. In addition, the board also has an M.2 connector, which, however, can accommodate only a few drives on the market that work via PCI Express 2.0 x2. Numerous SATA drives in M.2 format are not supported by the board. Also keep in mind that installing an M.2 PCIe SSD in the slot will disable both PCIe x1 slots on the board.

As for USB ports, all of them, like SATA, work through the chipset. Four USB 3.0 outputs to the rear panel, two more can be connected via a pin connector. There are two USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel, but six more are available as connectors on the board.

It is curious that ASUS engineers have implemented on the Z97-A a complete set of various connectors for connecting to the monitor's graphics core built into the processor. There are four different options: HDMI, DVI-D, D-Sub and DisplayPort, and the advanced Haswell processor graphics can handle up to three displays simultaneously.

In addition, a PS / 2 port for a mouse or keyboard, a gigabit network socket, which is controlled by the Intel I218V controller, as well as audio connectors: an optical S / P-DIF output and five analog jacks are displayed on the back panel of the board.

Until now, we have not had to say that ASUS has seriously saved on something in its Z97-A, but there are still such things. And it's an audio codec. Instead of the ALC1150, which is typical for motherboards of the highest and middle price categories, a cheap eight-channel Realtek ALC892 is used. However, ASUS developers have spent a lot of effort to achieve good sound from it, for which they have used all the complex of engineering solutions they have: shielding the analog part, spacing channels across different layers of the board, using high-quality Japanese capacitors in the audio path and using a powerful operational amplifier.

Along with the codec, some features that make ASUS boards so convenient when using them in overclocking experiments. For example, the Z97-A lacks a POST controller, convenient Reset and Clear CMOS buttons, and the ability to restore the firmware without installing a processor and memory on the board. Nevertheless, the ASUS Z97-A still retains the Power On button, the Q-LED diagnostic LEDs, the MemOK! memory settings override button, and the EZ XMP switch that allows you to activate the XMP profile.

The bundle of ASUS Z97-A looks somewhat richer than other boards of this price level. So, ASUS did not stint on the SLI-bridge and Q-Connector pads, which make it easier to connect small wires to the board during assembly. However, the included I/O Shield is not a soft-backed plug, but a standard tin one that causes multiple installation problems.

As for the BIOS shell, in this case we meet with a typical ASUS UEFI with its familiar pluses and minuses. Its undoubted advantage is the human-friendly EZ Mode and the modern graphical interface, but there are also disadvantages - poor shell configurability for individual user needs and work at a resolution of 1024 × 768.

EZ Mode offers the most basic settings and system information in a simplified interface. With it, the user can get information about the processor and hardware, change the order in which boot devices are polled, enable XMP, and access fan settings. In addition, the EZ Tuning Wizard is also available from here, allowing you to enable overclocking or configure a RAID array. However, these possibilities are far from exhaustive, so we recommend using the "advanced" interface mode.

It has all the typical classic BIOS settings, which are presented in a familiar hierarchical structure. Of course, the interface has become more modern, it works with a mouse and even has animation effects, but in fact it is the good old BIOS Setup. The main structural innovation is the appearance of the My Favorites page, which the user can design on his own, transferring frequently used options to it.

In addition, the BIOS has a very convenient window Last Modified, which allows you to see a list of the most recent settings changes.

One of the important advantages of the UEFI motherboard ASUS Z97-A is the ability to configure the fan speed. Any of the five fans that can be connected to the board allows flexible interactive control (up to stopping) depending on the temperature of a particular node. At the same time, both three- and four-pin connections are supported.

The UEFI features for configuring the processor and memory, as well as overclocking, look typical. We have no complaints about them: the corresponding section of Ai Tweaker provides a complete set of tools for changing frequencies, timings and voltages. A full list of these options can be found in the following gallery.

uefi asus z97-a

It should be noted that ASUS is developing quite an interesting Ai Suite 3 software package for its boards, which provides voltage, fan speed and power adjustments from the Windows environment. However, it should be understood that this is just a software add-on to the BIOS, so the capabilities provided by this set of programs are narrower than those implemented in UEFI, although they are wrapped in a very attractive shell.

software asus z97-a

As a result, ASUS Z97-A seems to be quite a board convenient for enthusiasts, providing flexible system configuration and space for overclocking experiments. However, the price for it is somewhat overpriced - boards of the same price category offered by other manufacturers usually have additional SATA and USB controllers, and are also equipped with high-quality codecs. The Z97-A has none of that. A well-functioning and user-friendly BIOS, as well as functional bundled software, can be considered some kind of compensation, but in general, Z97-A will be of interest primarily to fans of the ASUS brand, who are ready to pay a little more for owning a motherboard from their favorite manufacturer.

⇡ ASUS Z97-C

The ASUS Z97-C motherboard is only slightly cheaper than the ASUS Z97-A, but it is already beyond the point where high-quality products from the market leader turn into ordinary budget motherboards. In other words, it would be wrong to talk about the Z97-C as the younger sister of the Z97-A: we have a product of a completely different way and purpose. Obviously, when developing such a motherboard, ASUS engineers were primarily concerned about reducing the cost, and not at all about the possibilities that could interest sophisticated users. Of course, the Z97-C cannot be called completely empty - it even found a place for a SATA Express port and an M.2 slot, but you still shouldn’t associate any special expectations with it.

The fact that this time we have to deal with a seriously cheaper board can be seen at least from the fact that the size of the Z97-C is cut down relative to the standard ATX format. The board is only 21.8 cm deep, which means that it can be mounted in the case with only six, not nine bolts, and its front edge will be in a suspended state, bending when installing memory and connecting the power cable.

However, ASUS engineers should be given their due: the reduced size had almost no effect on the convenience of the board's layout. All connectors, as they should be, are located at the edges of the board, and there is enough free space around the processor socket. The first PCIe x16 graphics slot, like on the Z97-A, is moved one position away from the LGA1150, and a small but impressive-looking heatsink is used to cool the processor power converter, mounted on plastic latches. However, the distance between the LGA1150 and the first DIMM slot has been reduced to 25 mm, which means that the neighborhood of a massive "two-section tower" cooler and memory with high heatsinks is almost impossible.

However, saving textolite is one of the smallest troubles of ASUS Z97-C. The greatest claims are caused by the implementation of the processor power circuit. Although it has a six-phase design, its power and stability in practice is not enough to overclock older Haswell and Devil's Canyon processors. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that a heatsink mounted on the heating components of the power converter bypasses two phases that are forced to work without any cooling. And this is expected to lead to their excessive heating. For example, in our tests, MOSFETs were heated up to 100-degree temperatures and even more. As a result, when overclocking the processor, we even encountered the operation of the VRM temperature protection and an emergency shutdown of the test system, which was not observed on other boards.

In other words, savings led to the fact that ASUS Z97-C lost the cooling necessary for the power converter and became a non-overclocker board. Surprisingly, ASUS engineers did not skimp on the chipset heatsink. Despite the fact that it performs largely decorative functions, since the Intel Z97 logic set emits no more than 4-5 W, a massive and spectacular-looking branded round heat spreader is installed on it.

At first glance, ASUS Z97-C has a pair of PCIe x16 slots, but don't forget, we are talking about the most cheap board, and it does not support SLI. Only the first gray slot, which always works in x16 mode, is connected to the PCI Express 3.0 processor lines. The second PCIe x16 slot is a chipset one, it works in PCI Express 2.0 x4 or x2 mode, depending on whether a pair of additional PCIe x1 slots is enabled or disabled.

Special mention deserves the usual PCI slots, which are not often found on boards with the Z97 chipset, but are present on the ASUS Z97-C. An additional ASMedia ASM 1083 controller is responsible for their work. True, one of these slots is located close to the graphics PCIe x16, so it is likely to be unavailable in systems with discrete graphics. However, the remaining two PCI slots are more than enough for any configuration.

In accordance with the general ideology of ASUS Z97-C, it is not surprising that there are no other additional controllers on this board. All SATA and USB ports are implemented by the chipset. However, in addition to the standard six SATA 6 Gb / s ports (with RAID support), the board also has an M.2 slot, and a couple of the existing SATA connectors can be combined into a future SATA Express port. It's funny that the M.2 slot on the Z97-C supports both PCI Express 2.0 x2 and SATA drives, while the M.2 slots on more expensive ASUS boards are only compatible with PCI Express SSDs. ASUS Z97-C has a different limitation - M.2 and SATA Express cannot work simultaneously, but this is generally standard for more expensive boards.

USB ports are distributed on the board in one of the most common ways. There are four USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 on the back panel. Two more USB 3.0 and six USB 2.0 can be connected to the pin headers on the board. Also on the rear panel of the ASUS Z97-C, you can find a gigabit network port operating through the Intel I218V chip, and a PS / 2 port into which you can plug a mouse or keyboard.

I must say that there is a lot of unused space left behind the board, and this is partly due to the fact that there are only three monitor outputs: DVI-D, D-Sub and HDMI. All three outputs can work simultaneously, and HDMI allows you to connect including screens with 4K resolution (with a refresh rate of 24 Hz).

The sound path of the board under consideration is based on the inexpensive eight-channel codec ALC892. Despite the fact that in this case we are talking about a board with a simplified design, the entire sound circuit is placed on it separately, the channels are separated into different layers of the printed circuit board, a high-quality amplifier chip and special Japanese capacitors are used. There are six analog audio jacks on the rear panel of the board to connect sound devices. The digital S / P-DIF output is implemented as a pin connector.

Starting the story about the ASUS Z97-C, we immediately made a reservation that this board is unlikely to implement all the wishes of technically savvy users. And this is completely natural. The fact is that there are no tools on it that increase the convenience of experimentation. Even the XMP switch, diagnostic LEDs and contacts for the DirectKey button remained unrealized. In addition, Z97-C allows you to connect only three fans, in addition to the processor.

The delivery set is also poor. There are no pleasant trifles with the board, and the number of bundled SATA cables has been reduced to two.

The not-too-optimistic design impression of the Z97-C is corrected by its UEFI. The fact is that the BIOS of each generation of ASUS motherboards is unified. And this means that in terms of configuration options, the Z97-C is very similar to other boards, including much more expensive ones.

So, the user is greeted with a simplified EZ Mode, which provides information about the platform configuration in a convenient graphical form, and also allows you to change the basic settings. In particular, it is possible to change the order in which boot devices are polled, select a profile for system performance and power saving, enable XMP for memory modules, and manage Intel Rapid Storage Technology. In addition, from the start screen, you can immediately go to setting the fan speed, which is performed through the convenient Q-Fan Control graphical interface, or to the EZ Tuning wizard, in which you can overclock the system or create a RAID array with a few mouse clicks.

There is also an advanced mode in UEFI Advanced Mode. At its core, it is similar to the good old text-based BIOS Setup, but it works in graphical mode, supports the mouse, and generally looks more attractive, although it is displayed at a modest 1024 × 768 resolution by today's standards. Through Advanced Mode, all the usual settings for system configuration, including overclocking. A list of the main options can be found in our gallery.

uefi asus z97-c

Another innovation in the UEFI of ASUS boards based on the Intel Z97 chipset is the My Favorites page, which can be used to combine all frequently used settings in one place. The only inconvenience is that it is impossible to make this page the start page.

A couple more UEFI features of the board in question deserve special mention, which, however, can be found in any other modern ASUS motherboard. So, the shell keeps a log of settings changes, which allows you to get acquainted with the list of parameters changed last time at any time. In addition, the ability to record and save short notes in the BIOS is presented.

It should be recalled that ASUS is developing quite an interesting Ai Suite 3 software package for its boards, which provides voltage, fan and power adjustments from the Windows environment. This set of programs also works with ASUS Z97-C, though not without rough edges, misinterpreting some system monitoring parameters. It is easy to get an idea of ​​its main features from the screenshots collected in the following gallery.

software asus z97-c

In general, ASUS Z97-C produces a somewhat contradictory impression. On the one hand, software support and UEFI of this board are performed at the highest level, typical for all ASUS boards. But on the other hand, the board's hardware design shows clear savings, which resulted in the lack of support for multi-GPU configurations, a reduction in the PCB area, and the elimination of the whole range of additional functions demanded by enthusiasts. And what is most offensive, the ASUS developers have greatly reduced the processor power converter and its cooling system, artificially limiting the board's overclocking capabilities. And this means that the Z97-C, which is actually only slightly cheaper than the ASUS Z97-A, loses a lot to it in consumer properties that are interesting to enthusiasts.

⇡ ASUS Z97-K

The assortment of ASUS ATX motherboards based on the Intel Z97 chipset is extremely wide, so it is not surprising that there are several different low-cost offers in it at once. Along with the Z97-C and Z97-A, ASUS provided us with another motherboard for testing, the Z97-K, which is a little lower in the lineup hierarchy - they ask for something around $110. In other words, it can also be considered a direct alternative to the ASRock, Gigabyte and MSI products discussed in this material. But it will be especially interesting to see how the Z97-K differs from the more expensive Z97-C, which, as it seemed to us, cut everything that is possible.

With such introductions, Z97-K should have become an extremely primitive platform based on the older Intel LGA1150 chipset, but ASUS showed ingenuity and created a very original, but quite in-demand product. The differences between the Z97-K and competing variants are immediately evident: on the one hand, you can see savings on the PCB and processor power circuit, but on the other hand, the board boasts PCI slots and a proprietary Crystal Sound 2 audio path with improved quality. Is this a good compromise? Let's analyze.

The depth of the board has been cut down by 2.6 cm relative to the normal ATX format. This step is often used in the production of inexpensive ATX boards, and because of this, the board cannot be completely fixed in the case - its front edge sags, like the two other boards of this width we have considered. On the Z97-K, DIMM slots, a 24-pin power socket and SATA ports deployed perpendicular to the plane of the board are brought to this edge, so there is a certain danger of damaging the motherboard when assembling the system. However, this shortcoming is not too critical. If you are careful when connecting cables and installing memory modules, without applying too much effort, nothing bad will happen.

But the simplification of the processor power converter is much more frustrating. Even on the more expensive Z97-C, which uses a six-phase power supply, the CPU power regulator caused us very serious complaints. And on the Z97-K, it is assembled according to an even simpler four-phase circuit, and although it uses ferrite core chokes and solid capacitors, this power circuit may not be enough power when overclocking the processor. What, in fact, we have found in practice. Despite the fact that all MOSFETs have a small 22 mm high aluminum heatsink with plastic clips, they easily overheat when overclocking the processor. In our tests, we observed not only the temperature rise of the CPU power circuit above 100 degrees, but even emergency shutdowns of the board. In other words, the Z97-K is a board whose design does not allow the operation of processors in emergency mode. And this is a very offensive flaw for many economical enthusiasts.

If we approach ASUS Z97-K as a platform that puts an end to any overclocking experiments, then, perhaps, claims about the lack of enough space around the processor socket for installing massive coolers will be inappropriate. Therefore, we will not dwell on them, but only note that the distance between the LGA1150 and the DIMM slots is reduced on the board under consideration to an uncomfortable 25 mm. At the same time, the first PCIe x16 slot is still moved away from the processor socket by one position.

More unpleasant is that only three four-pin connectors (processor and two chassis) are provided for connecting fans on the board in question. In many cases, this amount may be clearly not enough even in the most common computers that are not focused on overclocking. Fortunately, ASUS engineers at least did not turn off proprietary advanced features for controlling rotation speeds depending on temperature on the Z97-K.

The set of slots for expansion cards on ASUS Z97-K is almost the same as on ASUS Z97-C. Naturally, such a cheap board cannot support multi-GPU configuration, so there is only one PCIe 3.0 x16 graphics slot on it - it has a gray color. The second PCIe x16 slot on the board is logically connected to the chipset - it has only four 2.0 lines. And by default, it generally works in PCIe x2 mode, since its resources are shared with adjacent PCIe x1 slots. In addition to modern PCIe slots, ASUS engineers decided to add two legacy PCI slots, which are operated by an additional ASMedia ASM 1083 bridge. are bypassed.

To connect disk drives ASUS Z97-K offers an almost typical set of features. There is no SATA Express port here, but the M.2 slot has been preserved, and it allows the installation of both SATA and PCI Express 2.0 x2 SSD models. The board also has the usual set of six SATA 6 Gb / s ports, which is reduced to four ports if the M.2 slot is used. Like all other boards based on the logic set, Z97-K allows you to create RAID arrays of levels 0, 1, 5 and 10.

The motherboard in question is not surprising in terms of USB ports either. There are six USB 3.0 ports: four on the rear panel and two on the board itself in the form of a needle connector. There are eight USB 2.0 ports, two of which are on the rear panel.

To implement a gigabit network, ASUS did not use the usual Intel controller on its inexpensive board, but installed a Realtek 8111GR chip. Also on the Z97-K there is another chip from the same manufacturer - the Realtek ALC887 eight-channel codec. I must say that this is an entry-level solution, but nevertheless, the sound circuit still uses shielding and channel wiring across different layers of PCB, high-quality capacitors and a powerful amplifier. True, only three analog connectors are displayed on the rear panel of the Z97-K, and therefore a direct connection to 7.1 audio systems is impossible. A digital S/P-DIF output is provided, but is represented on the board by a pin connector.

The space vacated on the rear panel of the board is filled with two PS/2 ports - for a mouse and a keyboard. Also, graphics connectors are displayed nearby: DVI-D, D-Sub and HDMI, which are activated when using the graphics core built into the processor. All three connectors can connect monitors either individually or simultaneously, and the HDMI port even supports 4K resolution screens.

Naturally, there are no proprietary features on ASUS Z97-K. All the functionality of the board almost fully complies with the specifications of the Intel Z97 logic set and does not include any solutions demanded by the enthusiast audience. The set of accessories supplied with the board is also minimal.

If, getting acquainted with the Z97-K, we now and then complained about various cuts in functions, its UEFI makes the opposite impression. Neither in appearance, nor in its content, the UEFI shell differs from what we saw on more expensive boards. This is certainly good news for potential buyers this board, but keep in mind that some Z97-K features will not work as well in practice as on more expensive boards.

The UEFI interface is divided into two modes - a simplified EZ Mode and an advanced Advanced Mode. Simplified mode is a colorful screen that collects the most basic system information and focuses on settings that may be of interest to an inexperienced user. In particular, it is possible to change the order of polling boot devices, select a profile for system performance and energy saving, enable XMP for memory modules, and manage Intel Rapid Storage technology, which allows using a small SSD to cache accesses to a capacious HDD. In addition, from the simplified mode, you can go to setting the fan speed, which is performed through the convenient Q-Fan Control graphical interface, or to the EZ Tuning wizard, in which you can either automatically overclock the system or create a RAID array with a few mouse clicks.

Advanced mode has the familiar hierarchical structure of older BIOSes and offers a complete set of settings for managing the system. The focus here is on the AI ​​Tweaker section, which contains settings for configuring the processor with memory and overclocking them. Our gallery gives an idea of ​​the contents of this section.

uefi asus z97-k

Also, the UEFI of the Z97-K motherboard has all the proprietary Asus features. These include the My Favorites page with user-selected settings, a log of recent settings changes, and the Q-fan Control GUI, which allows you to adjust the fan speed depending on the processor and system temperatures. It should be noted that, in addition to visibility, Q-fan Control is also good because it works with any fans. True, when using a three-pin connection, the possibility of reducing the rotation speed will be somewhat limited.

Along with the development of UEFI capabilities, ASUS is developing a rather interesting Ai Suite 3 software package for its boards, which provides voltage, fan and power adjustments from the Windows environment. This set of programs also works with ASUS Z97-K, although with some cuts. It is easy to get an idea of ​​its main features from the screenshots collected in the following gallery.

software asus z97-k

We are accustomed to the fact that ASUS products are distinguished by their wide features, flawless performance and excellent quality. With ASUS Z97-K this reputation, unfortunately, is not fully confirmed. With the software component, everything is fine - both UEFI and complete programs make a purely favorable impression. However, the hardware design of this board, to put it mildly, let us down. ASUS engineers were too carried away by cheapening and excessively cut the holy of holies - the processor power stabilizer. As a result, the Z97-K, a board based on the overclocker Intel Z97 chipset, turned out to be a non-overclocker product. In other words, it would be logical if the considered motherboard was based on a cheaper H97 logic set, and then there would be no complaints about it. But the Z97-K claims a higher rank and, unfortunately, clearly falls short of it.

⇡ Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H

Gigabyte is the second largest motherboard manufacturer after ASUS, and it's not surprising that the model range of full-sized LGA1150 motherboards based on Intel Z97 from this company is also very large. However, Gigabyte sent us only one product for testing - GA-Z97X-UD3H. The choice of this particular model is quite understandable. On the one hand, this is a really inexpensive board with a price of about $130, but on the other hand, it belongs to the Ultra Durable series, which means a certain level of quality and equipment. In other words, Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H may well claim to be one of the best options in terms of price and features in this review. But before drawing any conclusions, let's get to know her better.

It's worth mentioning right away that, unlike similarly priced motherboards from other manufacturers, the GA-Z97X-UD3H does not have a clear overclocking focus. In the sense that the developers did not add LED indicators, POST controllers, buttons and similar tools to this motherboard, which are interesting when the board is used out of the box. However, all this does not mean at all that it is impossible to overclock processors on the GA-Z97X-UD3H. On the contrary, the board is assembled using high-quality electronic components, uses a rigid textolite with protection against moisture and with conductive layers of increased thickness, has special protection for ports from static electricity discharges, has a processor socket with reinforced gold plating, and is also equipped with two BIOS chips. All this, if not directly, then indirectly affects the effectiveness of the board in achieving emergency modes.

Moreover, the processor power converter is made on the GA-Z97X-UD3H according to a full-fledged eight-phase scheme. True, its cooling system cannot boast of solidity, since it consists of two independent aluminum radiators 22 mm high, which are attached to the board with spring-loaded plastic nails. A more preferable screw fastening is applied only to the heatsink on the chipset. Nevertheless, the VRM module does not show any tendency to overheat during its operation.

A lot of attention has been paid to the fact that massive cooling systems can be installed on the processor. Gigabyte engineers moved both the first PCIe x16 graphics slot and DIMM slots away from the LGA1150. As a result, even double-tower coolers for 140mm fans will fit on the GA-Z97X-UD3H without any problems. And this is especially surprising when you consider that the depth of this board is 19 mm less than the standard ATX size.

Like the ASUS Z97-A and ASRock Z97 Extreme4, the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H can offer support for multi-GPU configurations based on SLI or CrossfireX technologies. The board has three PCIe x16 slots at once, but only the first two are connected to the processor controller. They can work according to the formula x16/x0 or x8/x8. The third slot is serviced by the chipset and logically has only four PCI Express 2.0 lanes. It is worth noting that, in addition to this slot, the chipset also serves three PCIe x1 slots that share PCI Express lanes with it. Therefore, it is impossible to simultaneously use PCIe x1 and x4 expansion cards on the board in question. In addition to PCI Express slots, the GA-Z97X-UD3H also has one regular PCI slot. It is implemented using the ITE IT8892E bridge.

I must say that the main idea behind the design of the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H should certainly find a response from zealous enthusiasts. The board's developers did not skimp on the power supply scheme and SLI support, but at the same time they did not stuff their product with additional controllers, relying solely on the capabilities of the chipset, which in most cases are more than enough for modern systems. So, it is thanks to the potential of the Intel Z97 that the GA-Z97X-UD3H boasts an M.2 slot compatible with both SATA and PCI Express drives, as well as a promising SATA Express port. True, either one or the other will work, but not SATA Express and M.2 at the same time. If these connectors remain free, then the GA-Z97X-UD3H is able to offer the user six familiar SATA 6 Gb / s ports with support for RAID arrays (otherwise, only four SATA 6 Gb / s ports).

As for USB ports, all of them, like SATA, also work through the chipset. Four USB 3.0 connectors are brought to the rear panel, two more can be connected via a needle connector. There are also four USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel, and two more pairs of such ports are available as connectors on the board. It is worth noting that almost all the connectors on the board are conveniently distributed along its edges, and access to them is not difficult in any way. Problems can only arise with SATA ports, which, after assembling the system, run the risk of being under the graphics card.

The back panel of the board is filled quite densely. In addition to eight USB ports of various types, there are two PS / 2 ports for a mouse and keyboard, a gigabit network socket based on the Intel I217V controller, three monitor outputs (D-Sub, DVI-D and HDMI), as well as an optical S /P-DIF output and five analog audio jacks.

It should be noted that Gigabyte, unlike ASUS, did not save on the audio subsystem. On the board in question, it is based on the popular and high-quality Realtek ALC1150 eight-channel audio codec, which is often installed on much more expensive motherboards. At the same time, all elements of the audio path on the GA-Z97X-UD3H are assembled in a separate zone, and the left and right channels are separated into separate layers of the printed circuit board. Also in the circuit there is a powerful operational amplifier that can cope with headphones with high internal resistance.

The GA-Z97X-UD3H comes standard, but in addition to the bare minimum, it includes a flexible SLI bridge. In addition, I would like to separately praise Gigabyte for the I / O Shield plug for the rear panel of the case, which is not an ordinary tin with tongues and holes, but has a soft substrate, which greatly facilitates system assembly.

There are five four-pin connectors on the board for connecting fans. Two of them are designed for connecting CPU cooler fans, three are assigned to case fans. Rotation speed adjustment is provided, but, firstly, it works only through PWM, and secondly, its flexible configuration is possible only from the Windows environment using a specialized utility, and not through the BIOS.

In the process of redesigning the UEFI interface, of all motherboard manufacturers, Gigabyte, perhaps, has achieved the most impressive success. When you first enter the shell on the motherboard in question, we are greeted by a simple and understandable Startup Guide start window. Here you can immediately change the system date, adjust the order in which boot drives are polled, and change the SATA mode.

In principle, for many users this set of settings is quite enough, but UEFI provides two other modes for fine-tuning the system - Smart Tweak Mode and Classic Mode. In the first case, the user is offered a convenient graphical shell that gives access to all the main parameters of the processor and memory, as well as to hardware monitoring tools. It should be emphasized that Smart Tweak Mode not only looks modern, but also fully supports Full HD resolution, using the screen space for various information panels. You can get acquainted with the main settings that are provided in this mode in our gallery.

uefi gigabyte ga-z97x-ud3h

It should be added that for convenience, the start page of this mode can not only be arbitrarily chosen from the available options, but also completely configured independently.

The second mode, Classic Mode, offers all the same settings in an older semi-text box. There are almost the same settings as in Smart Tweak Mode, and even more. For example, you can control the controllers built into the chipset only in the classic mode.

Gigabyte, like other manufacturers, bundles its board with a set of software, among which there is the most interesting for enthusiasts EasyTune utility, which allows you to control the processor and memory subsystem parameters (in other words, overclocking) from the Windows operating system environment. Compared to UEFI, the functionality of this utility is somewhat limited, but perhaps some of the users will like it.

software gigabyte ga-z97x-ud3h

Summing up our acquaintance with the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H board, we should admit that it made a favorable impression on us primarily due to the well-thought-out combination of characteristics. On the one hand, this is an inexpensive platform that uses only the capabilities of the chipset, but on the other hand, the developers did not skimp on support for multi-GPU configurations, a set of Ultra Durable technologies, and a high-quality processor power converter. In addition, the UEFI shell, which is easy to use and provides rich opportunities for overclocking, deserves special praise. As a result, Gigabyte turned out to be a solid platform that can satisfy not only the average user, but also enthusiasts.

⇡MSI Z97 Guard Pro

Speaking of inexpensive motherboards based on Intel Z97 ATX format, we couldn't ignore MSI Z97 Guard-Pro, which has been the cheapest solution in this segment for a long time. Today this motherboard can be bought for about $110, and it has worthy rivals from other manufacturers. Nevertheless, the Z97 Guard-Pro retained its individuality - it can be called one of the most memorable boards in this review. The reason is in the special appearance. MSI not only managed to come up with a piercingly contrasting black and blue color scheme, but also made the board with a very simple design, freeing it as much as possible from additional controllers and clutter of connectors.

In the name of simplifying and reducing the cost, the Z97 Guard-Pro has lost SLI support and therefore has only one full-fledged PCIe x16 3.0 slot. The second PCIe x16 slot on the board is connected to four PCI Express 2.0 lanes coming from the chipset. Based on a Z97 hub, the board features six SATA 6Gb/s ports with RAID 0/1/5/10 support and an M.2 slot that is compatible with both SATA and PCI Express x2 2.0 drives. All six USB 3.0 ports are also available - four can be found on the rear panel, and the remaining two are represented by a pin connector. In other words, Z97 Guard-Pro offers a typical and sufficient set of high-speed ports for most users.

More noticeable manifestations of savings can be seen in what additional chips the developers from MSI decided to equip their motherboard with. There is no PCI support, since an additional bridge would have to be added for it, and sound and network work through the Realtek ALC892 codec and the Realtek RTL8111G gigabit controller - these are purely budget solutions.

At the same time, MSI did not exclude its low-cost board from the list of products manufactured under the Military Class 4 brand, which means that the entire Z97 Guard-Pro element base undergoes enhanced reliability testing, the ports are protected from electrostatic discharges, and the printed circuit board is with a special coating is not afraid of moisture.

The location of the processor socket turned out to be very successful on the Z97 Guard-Pro. It is 28mm further from the memory slots, and the power converter heatsink behind it is only 28mm high. This allows you to easily install massive cooling systems on the processor, which can potentially conflict only with high memory modules inserted in the DIMM slot closest to the processor. Moved one position away from the processor and PCIe x16 graphics slot.

The processor power circuit is six-phase. Although the radiator installed on it seems to be sufficient for heat dissipation, especially since it uses a strong screw mount, in fact it is absolutely not enough, since it covers only part of the MOSFET. As a result, the components of the power circuit remaining outside get very hot, and during overclocking, we recorded temperatures close to 100 degrees. There are certain doubts that the board will be able to function without problems for a long time in this mode.

To connect fans, the board has four four-pin connectors, including a processor one. Any of the connectors allows interactive speed control based on temperature, but this feature requires PWM controlled fans. With a three-pin connection, the speed is not adjustable.

A 24-pin power connector, pin headers for connecting four USB 2.0 ports and two USB 3.0 ports, SATA ports, serial and (suddenly) parallel port connectors, and other connectors are located on the edges of the board, which is very convenient when assembling a system in a case . Surprisingly, the MSI developers managed to make a good design using a PCB with a reduced area. The only frustrating thing is the fact that when placed in the case, the leading edge of the Z97 Guard-Pro will remain loose.

Funny moment, when listing the strengths of their product, MSI talks about the Z97 Guard-Pro as a board ideal for cryptocurrency mining. Translated from marketing to human, this means that the four PCIe x1 slots on it can work simultaneously with the PCIe x4 chipset slot, allowing you to install a total of six graphics cards on the board. Although, of course, in modern realities, such configurations are no longer relevant.

The rear panel of the MSI Z97 Guard-Pro has a standard set of four USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an RJ-45 connector for a gigabit network, a PS / 2 port for connecting a mouse or keyboard, six analog audio jacks and D-Sub / monitor outputs. DVI-D/DisplayPort. Please note that neither HDMI monitors and TVs, nor audio devices with a digital interface can be connected to the board.

This is where the description of the MSI Z97 Guard-Pro features can be completed - this is really a very simple board. It does not have any additional controllers and "chips" for enthusiasts, and there is no high-quality sound path. The motherboard is positioned as the most simple, but reliable solution. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that the delivery package of this board also does not contain any add-ons other than the required minimum. However, unexpectedly, MSI did not stint on four SATA cables.

Despite the fact that the board itself is a minimalist solution for LGA1150 processors, its UEFI is not only very rich in settings, but also has an original interface. Upon entering, the shell is greeted with a colorful start screen, which contains basic system information, as well as options for setting the order for polling boot devices, auto-overclocking, and enabling XMP profiles. I must say that this screen could accommodate much more useful information if it were not for the giant Guard-Pro logo located in its center. However, the user can choose any other as the start page, thereby adding meaningfulness to the UEFI structure.

MSI has changed the look and feel of the BIOS beyond recognition. An information panel is permanently fixed at the top, the main menu of sections is located on the left side of the screen, and contextual help or information about current voltages is displayed on the right. The basic hierarchical structure of the entire UEFI shell menu has also been significantly altered. All settings related to the basic configuration of the processor and memory are placed in a special Overclocking section. Moreover, there are two options for filling this section - simplified and advanced. They differ in the completeness of the list of parameters that are offered to the user to change. In the maximum version, there are no complaints about the list of overclocking options - you can refer to our gallery for details.

uefi msi z97 ​​guard pro

However, note that among the options provided, there is no function to counteract the voltage drop with an increase in the current on the processor - CPU Load Line Calibration. Fortunately, for processors of the Haswell family, it is not very relevant.

Two very atypical UEFI pages, implemented by the MSI engineering team, deserve special mention. This is a Hardware monitor, where in addition to obtaining information about temperatures and voltages in graphical mode, the rotation speed of all fans is configured.

In addition, the Boards Explorer page draws attention, giving an idea of ​​the configuration of the assembled system and of the used and free connectors on the board.

MSI also has a set of bundled software, in which the Command Center utility occupies a central place. As an add-on for UEFI, this utility provides easy access to hardware monitoring and configuration of the processor and memory.

software msi z97 ​​guard-pro

Curiously, the Command Center even has a function for creating a RAM disk.

It seems that the MSI Z97 Guard-Pro motherboard can be an excellent workhorse. It is simple, but based on quality components, has a thoughtful design and provides very flexible settings. Only one thing is frustrating in it: the developers were somewhat careless about the design of the processor power subsystem, which raises some doubts that this board is capable of serious overclocking. As a result, if you are thinking about the possibility of operating the processor in modes far from the nominal, it is better to prefer some other board. Fortunately, there are more enthusiast-friendly options in the same price range.

⇡ Description of test systems and testing methodology

The main goal of our practical testing of inexpensive motherboards is to show the admissibility of their use as part of sufficiently productive computers, including those that use overclocking. Therefore, the tests were performed with the Core i5-4690K processor, which belongs to the Devil's Canyon series. This processor has a thermal package of 88 W, which is higher than the usual Haswell ones, and therefore it imposes increased requirements on the power supply system of the boards. The tests were carried out both when the CPU was running in the nominal mode, and when it was overclocked. It is known that the instance of the processor we use can function without problems (including when checking stability with the LinX 0.6.5 utility) at a frequency of 4.5 GHz with an increase in the supply voltage to 1.35 V. We also tested the ability of the boards to provide this overclocking mode in within the scope of this test.

As a result, the list of hardware components involved in testing looked like this:

• processor: Intel Core i5-4690K (Haswell Refresh, 4 cores, 3.5-3.9 GHz, 6 MB L3);
• CPU cooler: Noctua NH-U14S;
• motherboards:
  • ASRock Z97 Extreme4 (LGA1150, Intel Z97, BIOS 1.50);
  • ASRock Z97 Pro4 (LGA1150, Intel Z97, BIOS 1.80);
  • ASUS Z97-A (LGA1150, Intel Z97, BIOS 2012);
  • ASUS Z97-C (LGA1150, Intel Z97, BIOS 2306);
  • ASUS Z97-K (LGA1150, Intel Z97, BIOS 2401);
  • Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H (LGA1150, Intel Z97, BIOS F8e);
  • MSI Z97 Guard-Pro (LGA1150, Intel Z97, BIOS 1.7);
• memory: 2 × 8 GB DDR3-2400 SDRAM, 10-12-12-31 (G.Skill F3-2400C10D-16GTX);
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (4 GB/256-bit GDDR5, 1127-1216/7012 MHz);
• disk subsystem: Crucial M550 512 GB (CT512M550SSD1);
• power supply: Seasonic Platinum SS-760XP2 (80 Plus Platinum, 760 W).

Testing was carried out in operating system Microsoft Windows 8.1 Professional x64 with Update using the following driver package:

• Intel Chipset Driver 10.0.17;
• Intel Management Engine Driver 10.0.0.1204;
• Intel Rapid Storage Technology 13.2.4.1000;
• NVIDIA GeForce 347.25 Driver.

Description of the tools used to measure performance:

Benchmarks:

• Futuremark 3DMark Professional Edition 1.4.828 - testing in Sky Driver, Cloud Gate and Fire Strike scenes.

Applications:

• Adobe Photoshop CC 2014 - performance testing for graphics processing. Measured is the average execution time of a test script, which is a creatively redesigned Retouch Artists Photoshop Speed ​​Test, which includes a typical processing of four 24-megapixel images taken by a digital camera.
• Maxon Cinebench R15 - performance measurement of photorealistic 3D rendering in CINEMA 4D animation package. The scene used in the benchmark contains about 2 thousand objects and consists of 300 thousand polygons.
• WinRAR 5.1 - archiving speed testing. The time taken by the archiver to compress a directory with various files with a total volume of 1.7 GB is measured. The maximum compression ratio is used.
• x264 r2525 - testing the speed of video transcoding to H.264/AVC format. To evaluate the performance, the original [email protected] AVC video file with a bit rate of about 30 Mbps.
• x265 1.4+397 8bpp - testing the speed of video transcoding to the promising H.265/HEVC format. For performance evaluation, the same video file is used as in the x264 encoder transcoding speed test.

Games:

• Battlefield 4. Settings for 1280×800 resolution: Graphics Quality = Custom, Texture Quality = Ultra, Texture Filtering = Ultra, Lighting Quality = Ultra, Effects Quality = Ultra, Post Process Quality = Ultra, Mesh Quality = Ultra, Terrain Quality = Ultra , Terrain Decoration = Ultra, Antialiasing Deferred = Off, Antialiasing Post = High, Ambient Occlusion = HBAO. Settings for 1920×1080 resolution: Graphics Quality = Ultra.
• Civilization: Beyond Earth. Settings for 1280 × 800 resolution: DirectX11, Ultra Quality, Anti-aliasing = Off, Multithreaded rendering = On. Settings for 1920 × 1080 resolution: DirectX11, Ultra Quality, 8x MSAA, Multithreaded rendering = On.
• Metro: Last Light Redux. Settings for 1280×800 resolution: DirectX 11, High Quality, Texture Filtering = AF 16X, Motion Blur = Normal, SSAA = Off, Tessellation = High, Advanced PhysX = Off. Settings for 1920×1080 resolution: DirectX 11, Very High Quality, Texture Filtering = AF 16X, Motion Blur = Normal, SSAA = On, Tessellation = High, Advanced PhysX = Off. When testing, Scene 1 is used.
• Thief. Settings for 1280×800 resolution: Texture Quality = Very High, Shadow Quality = Very High, Depth-of-field Quality = High, Texture Filtering Quality = 8x Anisotropic, SSAA = Off, Screenspace Reflections = On, Parallax Occlusion Mapping = On, FXAA = Off, Contact Hardening Shadows = On, Tessellation = On, Image-based Reflection = On. Settings for 1920 × 1080 resolution: Texture Quality = Very High, Shadow Quality = Very High, Depth-of-field Quality = High, Texture Filtering Quality = 8x Anisotropic, SSAA = High, Screenspace Reflections = On, Parallax Occlusion Mapping = On, FXAA = On, Contact Hardening Shadows = On, Tessellation = On, Image-based Reflection = On.

⇡ Performance in nominal mode

Testing the performance of boards in the nominal mode is interesting because it allows you to find out how well they work with the default settings. Accordingly, in this part of the test, we did not perform any fine-tuning of the UEFI parameters, but simply loaded the universal optimized settings profile created by the board manufacturer. This approach simulates the behavior of a significant part of users who do not pay close attention to the selection of optimal parameters, but trust the system configuration option laid down by the board developers.

It should be noted that in this situation, most motherboards set timings for the memory subsystem taken from SPD, and not from XMP. The processor, on the other hand, is usually configured to operate in its normal mode, but with Turbo Boost technology enabled. This means that the results shown in the diagrams below were obtained with the Core i5-4690K running at 3.7 GHz with auto overclocking at low load to 3.9 GHz and with the memory running in DDR3-1333 mode with delays of 9-9-9 -24-1T.

There is, however, one unpleasant exception - the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H motherboard, which has a somewhat peculiar idea of ​​\u200b\u200bhow the regular mode of operation of the Core i5-4690K processor looks like. On this board, without any user intervention, the processor frequency is rigidly fixed at around 3.9 GHz, and Turbo Boost technology is disabled. In other words, even when using the default settings, the processor on the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H operates in a slightly overclocked form, which naturally affects the test results.

⇡ Energy consumption and temperature conditions in nominal mode

The performance of the same type of systems using different motherboards, but the same set of other components, differs slightly. Another thing is energy consumption. Power circuits on different boards have a heterogeneous design, manufacturers use different approaches to cooling them, and as a result, when measuring temperatures and power consumption between different boards, noticeable differences are revealed. Moreover, these differences are actually by no means a secondary argument when choosing a platform. An uneconomical board with a high temperature of the processor power converter will not only be more expensive to operate - it is also potentially less reliable. High temperatures do not have the best effect on electronic components, and with constant overheating, they can fail prematurely.

To get a complete picture of the level of power consumption and heat dissipation of all tested boards based on the Intel Z97 chipset, we conducted a special study. The following graphs show the total consumption of systems (without monitor) measured at the output of the socket into which the power supply of the test system is connected, which is the sum of the power consumption of all components involved in them. The efficiency of the power supply itself is automatically included in the total indicator, however, since the PSU model we use, Seasonic Platinum SS-760XP2 is 80 Plus Platinum certified, its impact should be minimal. During the measurements, the load on the test platforms was created by the 64-bit version of the LinX 0.6.5 utility with support for AVX2 instructions.

The best results in the idle state are shown by those boards that, at default settings, correctly activate processor power-saving technologies, and, moreover, have an efficient design of the processor voltage conversion circuit at low loads. Among these motherboards can be safely attributed to 3-5 W lower than that of competing products.

Under high load, the most important factor is the good efficiency of the power circuit. And the overall picture does not change here - ASUS boards are again at the top of the diagram. However, this happens not at all due to their high-quality power converter, but because of a defect they have. The fact is that ASUS boards, when the processor is under high load, reset its frequency to the nominal value of 3.5 GHz, while other boards do not turn off Turbo Boost under similar conditions, and the processor runs at 3.7 GHz. It should be noted that such anomalous behavior of ASUS products manifests itself only with a really prohibitive computational load, which so far only programs can recreate - stability tests that actively use AVX2 instructions. In real applications, as can be judged from the diagrams above, such negative phenomena do not yet appear. Nevertheless, this flaw in the default settings profile of ASUS boards should be taken into account: in order for the frequency not to decrease, user intervention in the BIOS settings is required.

You also need to pay attention to the high consumption of Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H. It is too side effect games of the company's engineers with default settings, as a result of which the processor frequency is somewhat overestimated. Operating at 3.9 GHz instead of 3.7 GHz, the Core i5-4690K on this board naturally consumes more. Therefore, the "nominal" mode on the Gigabyte board is characterized by increased power consumption.

Let's evaluate now temperature regime boards observed at maximum load on test systems. Temperature measurements were carried out on an open stand, but the heating components of the motherboards were blown only by air flows from the processor cooler.

Boards with the highest quality cooling for the processor power converter stand out from the rest of the products. The above diagram clearly indicates that eight-phase power converters equipped with high-quality heatsinks have a much greater margin of safety than cut-down power circuits with four or six phases. Six-phase converters suffer from especially strong heating, where the cooling system does not completely cover all the heating elements.

However, don't forget, for the time being we are only talking about the operation of the boards in the nominal mode, and therefore the temperatures and power consumption values ​​look quite decent in any case. The real "combat" test for the boards should be their operation when overclocking the processor. We now turn to the description of such experiments.

⇡ Overclocking

All motherboards are required to work well with processors in the nominal mode, by definition, so it is almost impossible to reveal any flaws in their design during regular testing. Another thing is overclocking the processor. The load on the platforms in this case increases noticeably, which makes it possible to clearly see the weaknesses in the design of certain products. Since the Intel Z97 chipset is overclocking in nature, all motherboards participating in this test support overclocking. Accordingly, the BIOS of any of the boards under consideration has a complete set of tools for changing the base frequency and multipliers of the processor, its Uncore part, and memory. All boards, of course, also have options that allow you to control the voltage on individual platform nodes, including memory and CPU cores.

In other words, at first glance, there are no fundamental differences in the overclocking capabilities offered by different motherboards. To illustrate all this, we have summarized the description of the main BIOS settings of different boards that can be used when overclocking the processor into a single table.

	ASRock Z97 Extreme4	ASRock Z97 Pro4	ASUS Z97-A	ASUS Z97-C	ASUS Z97-K	Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H	MSI Z97 Guard Pro
CPU overclocking
BCLK frequency	90-300 MHz	90-300 MHz	80-300 MHz	80-300 MHz	80-300 MHz	80-266 MHz	90-300 MHz
CPU frequency multiplier	8-120x	8-120x	8-80x	8-80x	8-80x	8-80x	8-80x
CPU core voltage	0.8-2.0V	0.8-2.0V	0.001-1.92V	0.001-1.92V	0.001-1.92V	0.5-1.8V	0.8-2.1V
CPU Input Voltage	1.2-2.3V	1.2-2.3V	0.8-2.7 V	0.8-2.7 V	0.8-2.7 V	1.0-2.4V	1.2-3.04V
CPU Load-line Calibration	5 levels	1 level	9 levels	5 levels	5 levels	4 levels	Not
Cache frequency multiplier	8-120x	8-120x	8-80x	8-80x	8-80x	8-80x	8-80x
Cache voltage	0.8-2.0V	0.8-2.0V	0.001-1.92V	0.001-1.92V	0.001-1.92V	0.8-1.8V	0.8-2.1V
CPU System Agent Voltage Correction	±0.0-1.0 V	±0.0-1.0 V	±0.0-0.999 V	±0.0-0.999 V	±0.0-0.999 V	±0.0-0.4V	±0.0-0.99V
CPU Analog I/O Voltage Correction	±0.0-1.0 V	±0.0-1.0 V	±0.0-0.999 V	±0.0-0.999 V	±0.0-0.999 V	±0.0-0.4V	±0.0-0.99V
CPU Digital I/O voltage correction	±0.0-1.0 V	±0.0-1.0 V	±0.0-0.999 V	±0.0-0.999 V	±0.0-0.999 V	±0.0-0.4V	±0.0-0.99V
Memory overclocking
DDR3 SDRAM frequency	800-4000 MHz	800-4000 MHz	800-3400 MHz	800-3400 MHz	800-3400 MHz	800-2933 MHz	800-3200 MHz
Memory voltage	1.165-1.8V	1.165-1.8V	1.2-1.92V	1.185-1.8V	1.185-1.8V	1.16-2.1V	0.24-2.77 V

As you can see, any of the seven boards participating in our testing has quite sufficient tools for ordinary, non-extreme overclocking. However, in practice, it turns out that boards behave quite differently during overclocking. What's more, some of them weren't even capable of the maximum frequency boost our test Devil's Canyon could potentially achieve with conventional air cooling.

It was known in advance that the instance of the Core i5-4690K processor used in the tests can work stably at a frequency of 4.5 GHz with a voltage increase of up to 1.35 V. The G.Skill F3-2400C10D-16GTX memory modules used are initially positioned as DDR3-2400 SDRAM with 10-12-12-31-1T timings, capable of operating in this state at a voltage of 1.65 V. The essence of checking the overclocking functions of the boards was to try to reproduce these modes on each motherboard. And, unfortunately, it turned out that completely problem-free overclocking is possible only on two of the seven platforms participating in the tests - on ASRock Z97 Pro4 and ASUS Z97-A. The rest of the boards turned out to be more capricious and either required additional tweaking in the settings, or could not ensure the functioning of the processor and memory at the target frequencies at all.

• ASRock Z97 Extreme4. The board managed to overclock the Core i5-4690K to 4.5 GHz and clock the memory at DDR4-2400, however, after applying overclocking settings, the system showed signs of short-term (for a split second) freezes - lags, which were especially noticeable in games. As it turned out, in order to overcome this problem, it is necessary to additionally disable the Package C-State processor power-saving modes.
• ASRock Z97 Pro4. This board was able to please us with a simple and flawless overclocking of the processor and memory. To achieve the target modes, it was only necessary to increase the processor multiplier and the multiplier for the memory frequency, as well as increase the voltages on the CPU and DIMM slots.
• ASUS Z97-A. Another motherboard on which we cannot make any claims about the overclocking procedure.
• ASUS Z97-C. This board, unfortunately, could not overclock the processor to 4.5 GHz. Increasing the CPU voltage to 1.35V overloaded the CPU power converter, which overheated and caused a system crash. As a result, we had to limit ourselves to increasing the voltage on the CPU to 1.3 V - in this state, the board no longer showed symptoms of overheating. However, the maximum processor frequency achievable in this case has been reduced to 4.4 GHz. There were no problems with memory operation in DDR3-2400 mode.
• ASUS Z97-K. Another inexpensive ASUS board - and the same problems. Due to the weakness of the power converter of the Core i5-4690K processor, it was not possible to overclock to 4.5 GHz. The maximum frequency that we managed to achieve, like on the ASUS Z97-C, was 4.4 GHz. The memory in DDR4-2400 mode worked stably.
• Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H. On this board, we were able to overclock our test Core i5-4690K to 4.5 GHz. However, achieving stability in this state required additional tuning. As it turned out, just increasing the voltage on the processor to 1.35 V on the GA-Z97X-UD3H is not enough, and, in addition, you need to raise the CPU I / O Voltage. In our case, a 0.05-volt increase was enough. The board coped with memory clocking at DDR3-2400 without any problems.
• MSI Z97 Guard Pro. There were no problems with overclocking the processor to 4.5 GHz on this motherboard. Everything worked immediately and without any additional tweaks. But changing the memory to DDR3-2400 mode on this board led to instability, which could not be corrected with some additional settings. As a result, the operating frequency of DDR3 SDRAM had to be rolled back to 2133 MHz.
Energy consumption and temperature in nominal mode



Even when platforms are overclocked, idle consumption is low. This is partly due to the fact that for this test we manually configured the operation of all processor power-saving technologies that can function effectively even when the processor multiplier is forcibly increased. The most economical boards are ASUS Z97-A and ASUS Z97-C. It is curious that these are far from the simplest participants in today's testing.



At full load on the processor, the best consumption is expectedly allocated to those boards on which overclocking had to be limited for one reason or another. If we talk about those motherboards that made it possible to achieve the maximum frequency of the processor and memory, then the best power consumption is characteristic of ASRock Z97 Extreme4 and other motherboards with an eight-phase or more complex CPU power converter. However, it should be noted that, in general, the spread in the consumption of various inexpensive motherboards turned out to be extremely small.

Let's now take a look at the maximum board power converter temperatures that were noted during stability testing.



The diagram is more than revealing. The most heat The power converter is observed on those motherboards where the developers saved on a radiator and did not cover the entire set of heating elements with it. Naturally, MOSFETs without cooling are able to reach extreme temperatures, which they do under significant load.

The ASUS Z97-K board also got into the company of outsiders. The entire VRM block is covered with a radiator, but it is made according to a four-phase scheme that is not efficient enough to work with an overclocked Core i5-4690K.

Small heating of the processor power circuit is observed on ASRock Z97 Extreme4 and ASUS Z97-A. On these boards, it has an advanced 12- and 8-phase design, respectively, and is covered with heatsinks with a fairly significant surface area. And as we can see, this is a really necessary measure, and not a marketing technique.

⇡ Conclusions

Based on the results of the tests, we can now reasonably say that many inexpensive full-size motherboards based on the Intel Z97 logic set are really capable of acting as full-fledged platforms for modern computers. In other words, saving on the system board is not only acceptable, but even with budget restrictions, it makes quite obvious practical sense. True, testing also showed that some manufacturers, carried away by the promotion of more expensive motherboards from specialized series, began to treat their simple rootless products somewhat dismissively. Therefore, among the inexpensive boards based on the Z97, there were both successful and clearly unsuitable for advanced users, which made a far from the best impression on us.

The good news is that it is very easy to identify attractive platforms that have a convenient design, have sufficiently developed functionality and can effectively overclock processors. The main thing in an inexpensive board is that its development team does not try to save on a processor power converter, otherwise the sufficiency of characteristics is provided by the Intel Z97 chipset itself. Therefore it is easy to formulate general principle choosing a cheap but high-quality motherboard for LGA1150 processors: you should prefer those models whose VRM is assembled at least according to a six-channel (even better - according to an eight-channel) scheme, and the radiator covers all the power elements.

Speaking specifically about the boards that took part in this test, we would like to note the following products.

• ASUS Z97-A is an excellent motherboard from the market leader. It is a stable and functional platform with virtually no major flaws. It has good performance, supports SLI and CrossfireX, and even inherited some proprietary ASUS technologies for enthusiasts from older brothers. There is only one thing that does not please in it - the cost of this board will not suit all buyers who are interested in saving the budget.



• ASRock Z97 Extreme4 - suitable option for those consumers who want to get the most opportunities for the lowest possible price. Although this board is a relatively inexpensive offering, not only does it support SLI and CrossfireX and has a large selection of overclocking features, but it also has additional SATA and USB controllers that expand its specifications. True, this board also has some flaws - problems with energy-saving technologies and slightly worse performance than competitors.



• Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H is a good alternative to ASUS Z97-A with a similar set of features, a beautiful and functional BIOS, and a high-quality audio codec. Gigabyte's offer looks very attractive because of the proprietary Ultra Durable technology suite. However, we still cannot put it in the first place because of this manufacturer's love for tricks and forced overclocking of the processor even with the default settings selected.



Summing up, it is worth noting one more fact. Somehow, it turned out by itself that among the boards we recommend, there were only offers no cheaper than $130. It is very likely that a symbolic limit passes through this amount, and you can go below it only if you do not plan to build a high-performance system and subsequently overclock the processor.

In connection with the upcoming update of the Intel processor line, which announced that during the year we will see three new series: Intel Haswell Refresh (May 2014), Intel Devil`s Canyon (June 2014) and Intel Broadwell (late 2014 - early 2015), then quite logically a new line of system logic sets was announced, the solutions of which are designed to fully support all the functions embedded in the new processors.

At the moment, we only have information about the Intel Z97 Express and Intel H97 Express chipsets. The first is the flagship solution with the maximum set of available features. The second one does not support overclocking of processors with an unlocked multiplier and the distribution of sixteen PCI Express 3.0 lines according to x8 + x8 and x8 + x4 + x4 schemes, but it offers the implementation of the Intel Small Business Advantage technology package.

However, we will postpone our acquaintance with the Intel H97 Express for now, and let's talk about the flagship - fortunately, we have a motherboard for testing ASUSZ97- A - the first swallow, made on the basis of Intel Z97 Express.

In fact, the Intel Z97 Express logic set is just a slightly updated version of the Intel Z87 Express, the block diagram of which is shown in the image above. The chipset architecture remained unchanged: the same 16 PCI Express 3.0 processor lanes with the possibility of their distribution according to x16 / x8+x8 / x8+x4+x4 schemes, 8 PCI Express 2.0 chipset lanes, 14 USB 2.0 ports, 6 USB 3.0 and 6 SATA 6 Gb/s interfaces.

In fact, there are literally a few key differences from the Intel Z87 Express, namely the implemented support for the SATA Express interface, PCI Express and M.2 PCIe (NGFF SSD) drives. Note that the bandwidth of these interfaces significantly exceeds the capabilities of the current generation of SATA 6 Gb / s, and it can reach 10 Gb / s. Also, drives with M.2 PCIe interface (NGFF SSD) can act as the main boot device, which will significantly increase the speed of system startup.

Additionally, support for Intel Device Protection Technology with Boost Guard is highlighted, which is designed to protect the PC boot sector and block malware.

The main change in the new platform concerns the requirements for the power subsystem to work with Intel Broadwell processors, so the future CPU family will not be backward compatible with motherboards based on Intel 8-series chipsets.

For greater clarity, here is a comparative table of supported processors by the previous and current generation of chipsets:

		Intel Haswell Refresh	Intel Devil's Canyon
Intel Z87 Express			Limited support *

*unconfirmed information

And since there are no more differences between the chipsets, we offer you to go directly to the acquaintance with ASUS Z97-A.

Since the Intel Z97 Express chipset does not support the PCI bus, the functioning of the two corresponding slots is implemented using a PCIE-PCI bridge based on the ASMedia ASM 1083 controller.

Multi I / O capabilities are assigned to the NUVOTON NCT6791D chip, which controls the operation of system fans, COM and PS / 2 ports, and also provides monitoring.

The sound subsystem of the motherboard under consideration is based on the Realtek ALC892 8-channel HDA codec, which supports 2/4/5.1/7.1 audio systems and has a number of proprietary features (Crystal Sound 2 concept), which we mentioned at the beginning of the review.

The ASUS Z97-A interface panel includes the following ports:

• 1 x HDMI;
• 1 x Display Port;
• 1 x DVI-D;
• 1 x D-Sub;
• 1 x PS/2 for connecting a mouse or keyboard;
• 1 x LAN (RJ45);
• 4 x USB 3.0;
• 2 x USB 2.0;
• 1 x optical S/PDIF out;
• 5 x audio ports.

This layout of the interface panel can be safely called excellent, since it includes all the most popular video outputs, a large number of USB ports, convenient connection of multi-channel acoustics, the ability to use peripherals with a PS / 2 interface, and an optical audio output. It is also possible to put the COM port on the rear panel of the PC using an internal connector.

UEFI BIOS

The ASUS Z97-A motherboard uses a modern preloader based on the UEFI graphical interface, which can be configured using the mouse. It offers two main use cases.

The "Monitor" section provides access to monitoring the temperature of the processor and chipset, as well as the speed of rotation of installed fans. Additionally, in this section, you can monitor the voltage on the processor core and on the power lines +12V, +5V and +3.3V.

The ability to monitor the supply voltage of memory modules is implemented in the right column, which is also visible in other sections.

Separately, it is worth noting the possibility of taking "screenshots" in the BIOS and support for the Russian language.

Overclocking options

According to the results of manual overclocking of the Intel Core i7-4770K processor, by increasing the multiplier and voltage to 1.210 V, its stable operating frequency was 4600 MHz, which is a good result for a quality motherboard.

Using the automatic overclocking capabilities using the ASUS Dual Intelligent Processors 5 utility in the "Ratio only" mode (overclocking by increasing only the multiplier) made it possible to increase the processor frequency to 4300 MHz at a voltage of 1.224 V.

You can also use this function through the BIOS or using the TPU switch in mode "1".

BCLK First

After activating the automatic overclocking function of the CPU in the "BCLK First" mode (overclocking via the BCLK bus), its frequency was fixed at around 4251 MHz at a voltage of 1.200 V. You can also use this function through the BIOS or using the TPU switch in mode "2".

Manually increasing the system bus frequency allowed us to reach the level of 188.03 MHz, which is an excellent indicator.

Testing

The following equipment was used to test the capabilities of the ASUS Z97-A motherboard:

CPU	Intel Core i7-4770K (LGA1150, 3.5GHz, L3 8MB) Turbo Boost: enable C1E: enable
	Scythe Kama Angle Rev.B
RAM	2 x 4 GB DDR3-2400 TwinMOS TwiSTER 9DHCGN4B-HAWP
video card		AMD Radeon HD 6970 2 GB GDDR5
Video capture device		AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable
HDD	Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS, 500 GB, SATA-300, NCQ
optical drive	ASUS DRW-1814BLT SATA
Power Supply	Seasonic X-560 Gold (SS-560KM Active PFC)
	CODEGEN M603 MidiTower (2x 120mm fans for intake / exhaust)

Test results

Model ASUS Z97-A demonstrates excellent performance, which is on par with competitive counterparts. This allows us to talk about the high quality of its performance, the selection of a good element base and the successful optimization of BIOS settings.

Testing the audio path based on the Realtek ALC892 codec

Test report in RightMark Audio Analyzer

16-bit, 44.1 kHz

Noise level, dB (A)
Dynamic range, dB (A)
Harmonic distortion, %		Very good
		Very good
Intermodulation at 10 kHz, %
Overall score		Very good

Operating mode 24-bit, 192 kHz

Frequency response unevenness (in the range of 40 Hz - 15 kHz), dB
Noise level, dB (A)		Very good
Dynamic range, dB (A)		Very good
Harmonic distortion, %		Very good
Harmonic distortion + noise, dB(A)
Intermodulation distortion + noise, %		Very good
Interpenetration of channels, dB		Very good
Intermodulation at 10 kHz, %		Very good
Overall score		Very good

The Crystal Sound 2 design, preloaded with the Realtek ALC892 codec, delivers excellent audio quality that will be more than enough for your everyday use.

conclusions

The motherboard is a high-quality solution made in ATX format, which is distinguished by a very competent layout, the highest quality workmanship, a well-thought-out cooling system and very good equipment.

Describing the key advantages of this model, it is necessary to note the rich possibilities for organizing a disk subsystem, namely: the implementation of support for SATA 6 Gb / s, SATA Express and M.2 (NGFF) interfaces at the level of the Intel Z97 Express chipset. Additionally, we note a nice design, a good layout of the interface panel, the ability to install two video cards with a three-slot cooling system, support for a large number of proprietary technologies, an enhanced digital power subsystem, and a high-quality sound subsystem.

Separately, we highlight the “5-Way Optimization” function in the AI ​​Suite III software, with which you have the opportunity to customize the system to suit your needs, operating with parameters such as performance, temperature and power consumption.

As for the features of ASUS Z97-A, before buying, you should take into account the impossibility of using the M.2 (NGFF) connector and two PCI Express 2.0 x1 expansion slots at the same time. Otherwise, the novelty is completely devoid of any shortcomings.

As a result, ASUS Z97-A will be an excellent choice for building a high-end work or gaming system with one or two video cards.

Advantages:

• reliable 8-phase digital power subsystem DIGI + VRM;
• improved element base for more reliable and stable operation of the motherboard;
• support for a large number of USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb / s ports;
• the presence of connectors SATA Express and M.2 (NGFF);
• good package; SeaSonic and TwinMOS Technologies for the equipment provided for the test bench.

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- people are savvy. It is understood that the site visitor is either a qualified specialist or wants to learn more about technology. We are trying for you. When a motherboard manufacturer uses the term "mainstream", we understand that we are talking about a budget product. A few weeks ago, we sent out invitations to manufacturers to participate in the first review of motherboards based on the new "mainstream" Intel Z97 Express chipset. In the invitation, we explained that we are waiting for products aimed at enthusiasts, although, in any case, for most of us, solutions in the $120 - $160 price range are massive.

In an effort to differentiate their products from competitors, motherboard manufacturers are introducing more and more aggressive segmentation. The request to send a board in a certain price range with an eye on enthusiasts lacks specifics. Is acceleration necessary? Or for games? And are there any models that are really optimized for games? Although we are glad that the development of the gaming industry has pushed the boundaries of motherboard design.

So, here are the more precise wishes for the reviewers: the board supports multiple PCI Express graphics cards, high-end audio, and also provides a high level of flexibility and stability necessary for powerful overclocking. Of course, you can classify a board with a combination of these features as a gaming board. We just do not want to be limited to one type of tasks.

What can be said about the new chipset for the mass consumer? He is good. We know this because it has been on the market for about a year. Several motherboard manufacturers have confirmed that the Z97 Express is at least a functionally new stepping of the Z87. See the ME 9.1 firmware block in the diagram above? This is a great achievement for Intel.

But even if you intend to buy an already proven board, we still recommend that you familiarize yourself with the possibilities of new solutions. These boards have new features that you might like and are more likely to encourage you to upgrade your CPU to the next generation. This is because the new beta firmware that the company released to support next-generation processors based on the Z87 chipsets preceded the premiere of the Z97. Of course, we cannot promise anything until we test the next generation Intel processor on the Core architecture in our laboratory.

Functionality of motherboards based on the Z97 chipset
	ASRock Z97 Extreme4	Asus Z97-A	Gigabyte Z97X Gaming 5	L337 Gaming Z97 Machine	MSI Z97 Gaming 5
PCB revision	1.02	1.03	1.0	1.0	1.1
Chipset	Intel Z97 Express	Intel Z97 Express	Intel Z97 Express	Intel Z97 Express	Intel Z97 Express
Voltage regulator	12 phase	8 phase	8 phase	6 phase	8 phase
BIOS version	P1.03 (05/20/2014)	0604 (04/15/2014)	F2 (03/26/2014)	5.6.5 (04/16/2014)	V1.1B1 (04/24/2014)
BCLK 100 MHz	99,94 (-0,06%)	99,98 (-0,02%)	99,98 (-0,02%)	100,12 (+0,12%)	100,01 (+0,01%)
I/O panel connectors
P/S 2	1	1	2	1	1
USB 3.0	6	4	4	4	4
USB 2.0	2	2	4	2	4
Net	1	1	1	1	1
CLR_CMOS Button	No	No	No	No	No
Digital audio output	optics	optics	optics	optics	No
Digital audio input	No	No	No	No	No
Analog audio ports	5	5	5	5	6
Video connectors	VGA, DVI-D, HDMI, DisplayPort	DisplayPort, HDMI, VGA, DVI-D	VGA, DVI-D, HDMI	VGA, DVI-D, HDMI	VGA, DVI-D, HDMI
Other devices	No	No	No	No
Internal interfaces
PCIe 3.0 x16		2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8)	2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8)	2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8)	3 (x16/x0/x0, x8/x8/x0, x8/x4/x4)
PCIe 2.0 x16	No	1 (2 - channels)	1 (4 - channels)	No	No
PCIe 2.0x1	3	2	3 (shared with slot above)	3	4
USB 3.0	1 (2 - connectors)	1 (2 - connectors)	1 (2 - connectors)	1 (2 - connectors)	1 (2 - connectors)
USB 2.0	2 (4 - connectors)	3 (6 - connectors)	2 (4 - connectors)	1 (2 - connectors)	2 (4 - connectors)
SATA 6Gb/s	8 (Common: M.2, SATA-E)	6 (Common: SATA-E)	6 (Common: M.2, SATA-E)	4	6 (generic M.2)
SATA Express	1 (uses 2x SATA)	1 (uses 2x SATA)	1 (uses 2x SATA)	No	No
4-pin fan connector	2	5	5	4	5
3-pin fan connector	4	No	No	2	No
Front panel audio ports	1	1	1	1	1
S/PDIF I/O	No	only way out	only way out	only way out	No
Buttons on the board	CLR_CMOS	MemOK, food	No	power, reset	No
Internal switch	Dual ROM Selector	EPU, TPU, EZ XMP	No	No	Audio Power Source
Diagnostic Panel	number	No	No	number	number
Other devices	M.2 (Sub 1x SATA, SATA-E), COM	M.2 (Sub 2x PCIe x1), 2x PCI, TB_Header, COM	M.2 (Sub 1x SATA, SATA-E), PCI, COM	M.2 (Didicated SATA	COM
Drive Controllers
SATA chipset		6x SATA 6Gb/s (includes SATA-E)	6x SATA 6Gb/s (includes M.2, SATA-E)	4x SATA 6Gb/s 1x M.2	6x SATA 6Gb/s (includes M.2)
Chipset RAID modes	0, 1, 5, 10	0, 1, 5, 10	0, 1, 5, 10	0, 1, 5, 10	0, 1, 5, 10
Add. SATA ports	ASM1061 PCIe 2x SATA 6Gb/s	No	No	No	No
USB 3.0	ASM1042AE PCIe	only built into Z97	only built into Z97	only built into Z97	only built into Z97
Net
Primary LAN	WGI218V PHY	WGI218V PHY	Killer E2201 PCIe	WGI218V PHY	Killer E2205 PCIe
Secondary LAN	No	No	No	No	No
WiFi	No	No	No	No	No
Bluetooth	No	No	No	No	No
Sound
HD Audio codec	ALC1150	ALC892	ALC1150	ALC1150	ALC1150
DDL/DTS Connect	DTS Connect	DTS Connect	No	No	No
Guarantee	three years	three years	three years	three years	three years

SATA Express (SATA-E) is a much-anticipated feature in newer mainstream gaming motherboards, but it's also a bit of a disappointment. Combining two standard SATA ports with a dual lane PCIe link is a cabled version of the Intel M.2 interface. But there are also problems: it cannot be enabled simultaneously with M.2, since M.2 and SATA-E "eat" the PCIe lanes on the chipset, of which there are only eight; both technologies take up SATA ports on the chipset, which has six; the total bandwidth between the chipset and the CPU is only 2 GB/s.

We are of the opinion that the popularity of M.2 found in the notebook market can be achievable in desktop PCs using standard cables with RAID. In addition, PCIe-based SSDs have already achieved the goals for which SATA-E was created. Moreover, the higher flexibility of external devices means little when the chipset's DMI channel is so limited. Add to that the possibility that SATA-E devices next year will have compatibility issues with third-party controllers, and all the hype around SATA-E will seem like nothing more than a marketing gimmick (for now).

Model	MSI Z97 Gaming 5	Gigabyte Z97X Gaming 5	Asus Z97-A	ASRock Z97 Extreme4
Best price in the USA, $	160	160	150	145

Postponing the discussion new technology"to the background, let's pay attention to the design of motherboards and their features.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | ASRock Z97 Extreme4

ASRock gives the user the choice between M.2 or SATA-E via traditional chipset connections, and if you don't have drives with those interfaces, you can get similar performance with a pair of SATA ports over RAID.

The ASM1042AE controller adds two USB 3.0 ports to the rear panel, for a total of six ports without losing the front panel USB 3.0 header on the chipset. There are also two USB ports, VGA, DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort for the integrated graphics core on the CPU.

GbE is powered through the Intel i218V PHY and provides connectivity without occupying a PCIe lane thanks to an additional network channel on the chipset.

The Z97 Extreme4 also provides two additional SATA ports through one single lane PCIe controller. Unfortunately, one line limits the combined throughput of the two ports to 5Gbps. It's unlikely that you'll want to use the third PCIe x16 drive slot, because when activated, it takes four lanes out of sixteen on the CPU in the second slot.

If you're building a three-card CrossFire configuration, or simply installing a third card to connect additional monitors, then it's better to use a PCIe 3.0 x4 slot instead of the PCIe 2.0 x4 slot, which will be available on the chipset anyway. On the other hand, users of SLI bundles will have to use the middle slot to get all eight available channels.

The Z97 Extreme4 has a switch that allows you to manually select one of two firmware ROMs, instead of the often unreliable "smart" switch that some competitors use. It's even better to use a socketed ROM, it will provide the cheapest insurance against burnt chips.

With the Z97 Extreme4, ASRock engineers are particularly proud of the "Purity Sound" audio system with improved headphone amplification and DTS Connect support.

With eight internal Z97 Extreme4 connectors, you will find only four SATA cables in the package. But there is a nice addition - the HDD-Saver cable. Using the included application, the user can power cycle the drive to prolong its life, conserve power and reduce system noise when the drives are not in use.

A hard SLI bridge is also provided.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | ASRock Z97 Extreme4 Software

ASRock's new "App Shop" window provides links to free software downloads, as well as BIOS and driver updates. We weren't impressed with the selection of programs, but the free download is certainly a delight.

The Intel Core i7-4790 is not yet available in an unlocked K version, so the ASRock EZ overclocking menu is limited to a small GPU frequency range. In the more advanced OC-Tweaker menu, we found CPU multiplier adjustments limited to the new CPU settings.

In the Tools menu, you can find the ASRock XFast RAM program and the CFOS-based XFast LAN packet prioritization utility.

The ASRock Restart-to-UEFI utility is designed (what a surprise!) to reboot into UEFI.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | ASRock Z97 Extreme4 Firmware

To unlock the overclocking capabilities of ASrock's UEFI motherboard, we installed an unlocked Core i7-4770K processor. Overclocking begins with a group of preset parameters, which, as a rule, set too high voltage values. At maximum load and maximum frequency, our processor reached its thermal limit at 1.25V.

The 1.25V voltage was reached faster than we thought, since this value corresponds to the 1.225V setting in the firmware settings. DRAM settings are more realistic. Our meter showed 1.65 - 1.66 V at a setting of 1.645 V.

In the DRAM Configuration submenu, you can adjust the primary, secondary, and tertiary memory timings.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | Asus Z97-A

Asus was so inspired by SATA-Express (especially the ability to stand out) that they developed their own mSATA dual SSD enclosure for the new connector called "Hyper Express". We could just RAID a couple of our own 2.5" SSDs using the chipset's native interface, but that would require two 2.5" drive bays.

Lacking additional SATA or USB controllers, the Z97-A has four of the Z97 chipset's six USB 3.0 ports on the rear I/O panel, along with two USB 2.0 ports. Also on the panel you'll find DisplayPort, HDMI, VGA and DVI-D outputs connected to the GPU on the processor and capable of outputting to three separate monitors.

The two saved PCIe 2.0 lanes that remained due to the lack of additional controllers have been moved to the lower PCIe x16 slot. We wouldn't recommend using it for multi-GPU arrays, although for tasks that don't require high bandwidth, like adding more monitors or installing an old graphics card for PhysX acceleration, it's just fine.

Despite its relative simplicity, the Z97-A still used up PCIe lanes when connecting all of our devices. For example, an M.2 slot uses as many lanes as two PCIe x 1 slots, which is likely why Asus disables M.2 by default. Instead, engineers are leaving two PCIe lanes for SATA Express as the company seeks leadership in SATA-E development.

Features unique to Asus such as TPU (automatic overclocking), EPU (energy saving underclocking) and MemOK (memory tuning that improves stability) have their own buttons and switches as always. In addition, Asus has added another firmware modification element to the EZ-XMP switch. Beginners who may be intimidated by the UEFI menu can now use this overclocking technology with little effort, and builders preparing systems for sale can use the full speed of RAM so that buyers do not have to reset the settings later.

The Z97-A comes with four SATA cables, an SLI bridge, and several front-panel connector extensions to help group cable ends (such as Power, Reset, and LED).

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | Asus Z97-A Software

Asus AI Suite provides Familiar voltage, fan and power controls, however, many of them are limited due to the locked multiplier of the new Intel processor Core i7-4790.

Those who have the patience to optimize their network will find a ton of settings in the Asus Turbo LAN app.

The Z97-A also includes two media streaming applications.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | Asus Z97-A Firmware

Asus has completely rethought the GUI for the Z97-A, although the settings remain the same. The menu starts with two overclocking options, Manual or XMP, where XMP actually stands for "manual mode with XMP".

If you are not using a K-series processor, overclocking will be limited to a few hundred megahertz above the original value. Therefore, for testing overclocking, we used the Core i7-4770K. This CPU reaches its thermal limit at full load when using the 1.25V voltage we got with the 1.245V setting on the board. We like this ratio.

It feels like only a lazy person hasn't cheated with memory voltage to maximize DRAM stability. Our voltmeter showed a target voltage of 1.65 - 1.66V when the board was set to 1.62V, while the board's voltmeter read 1.63V.

The little info box at the bottom of the new GUI version also forces you to scroll through an additional settings page; if we compare this version with the previous version of the Asus interface, there are also settings for primary, secondary and tertiary RAM timings.

Two additional submenus provide access to voltage stabilization technologies that protect system stability during overclocking, and power limit settings to protect the CPU from the effects of a failed overclock. Asus said last year that the default settings are fine for most systems, and we followed their advice during testing.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming 5

The effect of the boom in the international PC gaming market has affected Gigabyte so much that the company now sells boards that have similar names to competitors. Gigabyte asks $135 for its product, but prices vary, for example, reaching $160.

At this price, Gigabyte decided not to shell out for additional storage controllers, but brought four USB 3.0 ports and two USB 2.0 ports to the rear panel.

Sticking with the gaming theme, the company has invested in a GbE port with Qualcomm's Killer E2201 controller.

Realizing that most gamers wouldn't want to limit the average x16 slot to x4 mode, Gigabyte is allocating sixteen CPU lanes to only the first and second x16 slots. By analogy with competitors, this solution allows you to use the x16-x0 and -x8 modes for one or two video cards. However, the third slot differs by PCIe 2.0 support.

Only four of the eight PCIe 2.0 lanes on the chipset are dedicated to this slot, and installing an x4 card (or more) in the bottom x16 slot disables three x1 slots. If instead you install a card with one line, then the remaining slots will work. This explains why the Z97X-Gaming 5 has an extra pair of PCIe channel switches in the center.

The two remaining PCIe lanes power either the M.2 slot or the SATA Express cable, the other lane is for the network controller, and the last lane serves as a PCIe to PCI bridge.

Here we usually delve into board layout features and issues, but as with ASRock and Asus, the Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming 5 doesn't change the layout much from earlier models, and we didn't find any layout issues. The front panel audio jack is a bit close to the bottom right corner, and cables from some low-end cases may not reach it, although this trait is common to all test participants.

The Z97X-Gaming 5 comes with an SLI flex bridge, four SATA cables, an I/O panel blank, and a case badge.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | Software Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming 5

Gigabyte EasyTune prevents access to some overclocking settings, and all because of the locked Core i7-4790. However, we have a full set of customization options that will be available when you install a processor with a K suffix. Compared to previous versions, the interface has become more compact and now includes a sidebar with system status information.

Gigabyte now includes the Face Wizard utility in a single interface along with the @BIOS firmware update utility.

Gigabyte Cloud Station handles remote management and home server tasks, and even allows users to control overclocking settings from another device. Some utility components, such as HotSpot, require a Wi-Fi device on the local system.

Some Gigabyte applications, such as Fast Boot and Game Controller, are shortcut interfaces to built-in Windows functions.

Others, such as Smart Recovery, Smart TimeLock, and USB Blocker, have more advanced features than Windows systems.

Gigabyte System Info has several settings, including fan speed control and monitoring of other systems.

The Creative X-Fi MB3 app does not work with real-time multi-channel encoders like DTS Connect, but it does offer surround sound through headphones. Scout Mode is one of the most interesting features as it increases the noise of approaching opponents in the game.

Since the Z97X-Gaming 5 uses the Killer network controller, there are control applications included in the package.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | Firmware Z97X-Gaming 5

It seems to us that Gigabyte's new graphical interface has become almost useless for enthusiast users. Fortunately, pressing the F2 key on the keyboard brings up the familiar settings in "Classic Mode".

Replacing a locked Core i7-4790 processor with a Core i7-4770K unlocks options to get 4.5GHz at 1.25V core voltage. Of course, there are a few menus to jump through.

The board supports DDR3-2800 modules even in a 4 x 8 GB configuration. Primary, secondary and tertiary timings can be set in two-channel (manual) or per-channel (advanced manual) mode.

Wandering through the numerous submenus to get to the Advanced Voltage Settings menu and then adjusting the voltage settings is quite tedious, but you need to be patient.

Leaving other settings at their original settings, as well as providing a target value of 1.25 V on the CPU core and 1.65 V on DRAM, we got 1.22 V and 1.62 V at these settings, respectively. The actual DRAM voltage was 1.644V, since the Z97X-Gaming 5 changes this setting in 20mV steps. The 1.64V setting provided a RAM voltage of 1.67 volts!

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | L337 Gaming Z97 Machine

ECS marketers successfully use the terminology familiar to gamers of the past, calling the game-oriented product L337 Gaming. Z97-Machine is the cheapest solution in our sample.

Gone is the template Port 80 display, replaced by more functional solutions. The company does not equip the board with third-party controllers, but focuses on the features of the Z97: support for one video card in an x16 slot or two in a pair of x8 slots, M.2 without the new SATA Express cable interface and USB 3.0 on the rear I/O and front panel.

ECS brings four additional USB 2.0 connectors to the rear panel and implements a GbE port connection through the Intel i218V controller.

The M.2 module occupies two of the six SATA 6Gb/s ports available on the chipset.

Also, the company's engineers eliminate the slot under the top video card, since it still becomes useless when installing standard dual-slot video cards. We are glad that at least someone paid attention to this, although we do not know where the three freed lines of the chipset have gone.

ECS discards the inferior bottom slot, so the Z97-Machine has no bottom slot at all. Although at this point the x1 slot would not hurt. But the engineers decided to place voltage detection points and part of the Port 80 port in this place.

Looking for other missing items, we only came across a lack of internal USB 2.0 connectors. For the front panel, builders have two USB 3.0 ports and two USB 2.0 ports, so additional devices built into drive bays will most likely have to be crossed out of the plans.

If you're planning on building a simple system, the Z97-Machine is perfect for that. The only thing we missed in the package was the SLI bridge.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | Software L337 Gaming Z97-Machine

ECS offers on the installation disk for the Z97-Machine (as well as for other models) free and shareware free programs. The company has its own configuration utility, but it should be considered as an addition to the downloadable Intel XTU package.

The ECS eOC is somewhat limited in functionality given the locked multiplier processor we used for testing, although the utility allows you to set your own boot options.

Other ECS applications worth mentioning are fan speed monitoring utilities, BIOS updates, and links to a web page with software updates.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | Firmware L337 Gaming Z97-Machine

Can't figure out what the icons are for? Clicking the Advanced icon in the upper right corner of the firmware start screen brings up the traditional menu.

On the unlocked Core i7-4770K, we had no problem getting 4.6 GHz.

The Z97-Machine also easily recognized the DDR3-2800 modules and set them to maximum settings, however, we had to look around for some of the limitations in the menu. Enabling XMP disables manual clock selection, but if you select XMP mode first and then switch to manual mode, the board will store the XMP timings in manual mode.

But why not use the default XMP multiplier? For starters, the board only supports XMP mode with two modules installed, and we wanted to see the board's capabilities with four modules installed at similar timings. But then we found another workaround: lowering BCLK to 98 MHz and then increasing it to 100 MHz allows you to boot with four modules at the declared speed.

In general, the Z97-Machine can surprise. We spent about half an hour (at intervals of two minutes) waiting for a rollback to the settings when using the CLR_CMOS jumper. Although there were some minor difficulties, in the end the result was excellent.

The Z97-Machine allows you to save up to eight overclocking profiles, which is very useful when you are trying out new settings.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | MSI Z97 Gaming 5

MSI definitely draws attention with red decorative inserts against a black PCB. But from a hardware point of view, this model mainly focuses on the integrated functions of the Z97 platform. Four USB 2.0 ports on the I/O panel expand the connectivity options of the board, which offers six USB 3.0 ports (four of which also go to the rear connector panel).

One GbE port gets a slight boost from the Killer PCIe controller, but the other PCIe lanes are for slots and the M.2 interface. The chipset only offers eight PCIe lanes, so in addition to the network controller and dual-lane M.2 interface, the Z97 Gaming 5 offers four x1 slots. Installing a card in an M.2 port disables the two SATA ports.

Notice the Z97 Gaming 5 doesn't offer a SATA Express cable option? It's just that MSI agrees with us that the M.2 interface is most useful in laptops that don't have enough space for RAID arrays, and RAID arrays are most practical in desktop PCs. Thus, the company solves the problem with the limited lanes on the chipset, which is typical for some competing products, but involuntarily wonders how to use the remaining PCI lane. MSI could easily ditch the x1 slot under the top graphics card in favor of this interface.

However, it looks like MSI has bypassed the PCIe x16 slot limitations of some competitors. This is because the bottom slot takes four lines from the middle slot. Nvidia insists that its cards in SLI require at least eight lanes, so using the bottom slot does not allow cards in the top and middle slots to be configured in SLI. Instead, MSI could make the bottom slot switchable to x1/x4 modes to support slower cards, but according to the documentation, this is not intended. These restrictions make this slot unsuitable for SLI. Though it can be used for CrossFire, OpenCL acceleration or multiple display connection.

Along the front edge of the Z97 Gaming 5 are a row of voltage indication dots and two double-digit POST code displays at the bottom. Both that, and another - pleasure for the overclocker. The engineers also added a three-pin audio power input to boost the output current, along with a switch for external or internal power supply (a feature that seems useless to us).

The Z97X Gaming 5 comes with a flexible SLI bridge and a 4-pin to 3-pin audio power input adapter. You will also find two SATA cables. I would like to note that for the standard assembly we use three cables.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | Software MSI Z97 Gaming 5

Our Core i7-4790 with the multiplier locked does not allow the MSI Command Center to take full advantage of the settings, however, all possible adjustments are available.

The "Advanced" button at the bottom of the Control Center menu brings up additional voltage adjustments, advanced fan settings, and DRAM timings that don't normally work.

The board has a utility for recording graphs with system information. This time it didn't work, but we've run it on other MSI products and we're sure it will be fixed soon with an update.

The "Setting" button surprised us with the implementation of the home server/hotspot function for the Wi-Fi card.

The "Information" button provides information about the status of the system (motherboard, VPU, and memory).

The mini-panel, when activated, displays the frequency and temperature readings.

The MSI Gaming App provides several overclocking modes via firmware that require a reboot. Our test CPU has a locked multiplier, so we jumped right into XMP mode.

MSI Live Update 6 automatically checks for updates for MSI applications, drivers and firmware.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | Firmware MSI Z97 Gaming 5

MSI retains a graphical interface that has been used in several generations of motherboards and is well known to fans of the brand. The importance of the information on the top bar is related to the font size, and the settings are in a tiny window in the center.

Our goal is 4.6 GHz and DDR3-2800 with a CPU core voltage of 1.5 V and DRAM of 1.65 V. We obtained the actual voltage values ​​at 1.24 and 1.63 volts, respectively.

We like that MSI brings all the essential settings to the fore instead of spreading them out across multiple menu levels.

Primary, secondary and tertiary timings are easy to set up, but first you need to switch "DRAM Timing Mode" on the main page from "Auto" to "Manual".

The Z97 Gaming 5 also offers DRAM training and voltage regulation settings.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | Test stand and benchmarks

Test bench configuration
CPU	Intel Core i7-4790 (Haswell): 3.6-4GHz, 8MB shared L3 cache, LGA 1150
CPU cooler	Thermalright MUX-120, Zalman ZM-STG1 Thermal Grease
Memory	Patriot Viper 3 PV316G240C1K (16GB) @ DDR3-1600 C9 default Corsair CMY32GX3M4A2800C12R (32GB) @ XMP-2800 C12 timings
video card	PowerColor PCS+ AXR9 290X 4GBD5-PPDHE: 1050MHz GPU, 4GB GDDR5-5400
Storage device	Samsung 840 Pro MZ-7PD256 256 GB SSD
Sound	Built-in HD Audio
Net	Built-in Gigabit Ethernet
Power Supply	Corsair AX860i: ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80PLUS Platinum
Operating system	Microsoft Windows 8 Professional RTM x64
Video driver	AMD Catalyst 14.4
Chipset	Intel INF 10.0.13

After addressing many complaints about the memory stability of one of our award winning boards, we decided to make our overclocking tests more difficult and use a set of four 8GB DDR3-2800 modules.

However, these modules are set to DDR3-1333 mode by default, and when XMP is enabled, some boards surreptitiously overclock the CPU at the same time. To be fair, we decided to use the minimum recommended level of DDR3-1600 CAS 9. For this purpose, 8 GB modules from the Patriot PV332G240C1QK 32 GB DDR3-2400 kit are suitable.

The kit magically transforms into a 16GB Patriot Dual Channel Kit (part number PV316G240C1K) by simply removing the two modules.

The overclocked PowerColor PCS+ AXR9 290X is fast enough to pull the maximum performance out of the platform.

Working Applications
ABBYY FineReader	Version 10.0.102.95 PDF Reader Saved in Doc, source - Political Economy (J. Broadhurst 1842) 111 pages
Adobe Acrobat 11	Version 11.0.0.379: Print PDF from 115 page publication, 128-bit RC4 encryption
Autodesk 3ds Max 2013	Version 15.0 x64: Space Flyby Mentalray, 248 frames, 1440x1080
Blender	Version 2.68 a, Cycles Engine, Syntax blender -b thg.blend -f 1, resolution 1920x1080, 8x AA, rendering THG.blend frame 1
Visual Studio 2010	Version 10.0, Compile Google Chrome, Scripted
Data compression
winzip	Version 18.0 Pro Script THG (1.3 GB) in ZIP, command switches "-a -ez -p -r"
WinRAR	Version 5.0: THG script (1.3 GB) in RAR, command switches "winrar a -r -m3"
7-Zip	Version 9.3: THG script (1.3 GB) in .7z, command switches "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5"
Synthetic benchmarks and settings
3D Mark 11	Version 1.0.5.0, benchmark only
3D Mark Professional	Version: 1.2.250.0 (64-bit), Fire Strike benchmark
PC Mark 8	Version 1.0.0 x64, full test
SiSoftware Sandra	Version 2014.02.20.10, processor - CPU Arithmetic / Cryptography, memory - bandwidth test

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | Test results

Intel's dedicated efforts to integrate all sorts of features on the CPU and PCH die surface leaves motherboard manufacturers with little ability to influence platform performance. Some manufacturers even try to cheat with overclocking to get a victory in performance tests (however, we quickly recognized them). In fact, in tests, we are trying to detect this kind of deviation or cheating.

Everything seems to be in place in 3DMark or PCMark, so we move on to even more realistic tests.

SiSoftware Sandra

Sandra's CPU benchmarks show nothing out of the ordinary, and subtle differences are within the margin of error.

Gigabyte is slightly behind in the Sandra Memory Bandwidth module, and repeated tests show that the difference is stable. Perhaps the company is aiming for higher stability at the cost of less aggressive timings?

3D games

Games at low graphics settings tend to be limited by the speed of the CPU or DRAM, while high levels of detail are more dependent on the capabilities of the GPU. However, this is not entirely true if you use a powerful graphics card, such as the Radeon R9 290X.

MSI unexpectedly performed better on low settings for Arma 3 and Far Cry 3, and we went back to the firmware settings to test the Turbo Boost ratios. However, when using a locked processor, this menu is not even displayed, and there are no settings that allow it to be activated.

Audio/video encoding

MSI's inexplicable lead in some games disappeared in the A/V encoding tests. This is especially important for iTunes, as the result of this test is strongly affected by clock speed.

Adobe Creative Suite

A difference of one second looks huge on a thirty-second chart, but don't forget about rounding.

Working Applications

In this section of tests, we see stable results with minimal difference between products. On the one hand, this is good (no cheating), but on the other hand, not very good (boring graphics).

Data compression

We have already said that a difference of one second means nothing when rounded to thousandths. Therefore, in tests for compression speed, we again see the same results.

Power consumption, heating and efficiency

All manufacturers make big claims about the effectiveness of the voltage regulator, but only ASRock and Asus confirm the claims at full load in their Z97 Extreme4 and Z97-A models. Again, lowering the core voltage slightly can provide similar results without causing a system crash.

The lower power consumption also translates into lower CPU temperatures, so the most obvious reason for saving power is the lower voltage at full load. But how does this affect acceleration?

The difference in overall performance does not exceed half a percent. Thus, energy savings almost directly indicate higher efficiency.

The efficiency race is won by the Z79 Extreme4, followed by the Z97-A.

Overclocking

We conducted our main tests with the new Core i7-4790 processor. However, overclocking analysis required switching to the Core i7-4770K. The maximum stable clock speed for this processor is 4.6 GHz at 1.25 V. Higher voltages result in throttling at 100% load. Naturally, when throttling, the frequency does not become higher.

Most of the motherboards in this review have successfully achieved the desired overclocking of the processor. Gigabyte is a little behind. The difference is perhaps a couple of millivolts that other builders with slightly different overclocking targets may not notice.

On the other hand, the Z79X Gaming 5 showed the highest base clock at 100 MHz. For processors with a locked multiplier, only this coefficient is available, which will be of interest to buyers of the new Core i7-4790.

ECS had no problems with memory, including after the presentation of our award, however, L337 Gaming is in the tail of the memory overclocking tests. The Z97-A ran fine with the XMP DDR3-2800 settings, but didn't let us overclock. The Z97 Gaming 5 is almost on par with the Z97 Extreme4, although it depends on the number of memory modules installed.

Review of 5 motherboards on Z97 Express from $120 to $160 | We determine the most profitable solution

The easiest way to determine the value of a product is by comparing its cost and performance. However, this comparison does not take into account additional features, such as USB and SATA controllers, which greatly increase platform flexibility, but do not affect performance. So it's not just test scores that need to be taken into account.

In this price range, only ASRock decided to add third-party controllers to the layout. However, MSI offers a six-month license for the XSplit Gamecaster as a bonus. If you use this program, then you probably know that this is equivalent to two three-month subscriptions for $15. In other words, MSI makes up for the high cost with a deal on a service that many gamers love.

Thus, in this review, the cheapest model is the ASRock Z97 Extreme4, rich in controllers. MSI also includes a lot of "extras" for $160. Gigabyte asks the same price for its product. Asus is somewhere in the middle.

The L337 Gaming Z97-Machine is now available for $140 online, about $6 less than its competitor from ASRock. While it should be better value for money at this price point, we believe the more convenient overclocking and additional features of the ASRock board (such as Orbweb.me's 1-year professional cloud hosting license) are worth more than $6. If you don't personally need these features and don't plan on overclocking, the Z97-Machine offers the cheapest solution.

With boards based on the Intel Z97 chipset, which can do almost everything, we wondered if budget motherboards, in particular ASUS Z97-A, which is actually the youngest representative in the line, will be able to demonstrate capabilities similar to top boards in terms of system overclocking, stability and functional opportunities.

The Intel Z97 system logic set is still a very expensive pleasure. This statement applies not only to motherboards based on it, but also to central processors that are installed in the corresponding Socket LGA 1150 socket.

One of the key features of the ASUS Z97-A, like all ASUS motherboards based on this chipset, is the ability, after updating the BIOS, to work with Devil's Canyon architecture processors. , and they will start up perfectly on this motherboard, and, accordingly, will reveal all the powerful overclocking potential, we dare to assure you.

Board layout along with 8-phase power subsystem contributes to the creation of a powerful and productive system with a processor with an unlocked multiplier, as well as DDR3 RAM, which is capable of operating at frequencies up to 3200 MHz. In addition to PEG graphical interfaces, ASUS Z97-A has PCI-E x1, as well as PCI, which is useful in everyday life, which for some reason is neglected by many models. For the disk subsystem soldered in large quantities: SATA III, SATA Express and the most important M.2 connector.

ASUS Z97-A is a budget product, and that is why ASUS did not implement hot buttons for turning on and rebooting the system, as well as a POST code indicator. In our opinion, this is an unfortunate omission.

But of course, all these are trifles that you can safely close your eyes to, because the main thing in the motherboard is the software capabilities (UEFI BIOS), as well as stability when working both in nominal mode and on overclocker profiles.

The graphics BIOS of the ASUS Z97-A is in no way inferior to that of the ROG series boards. All settings are in place. To overclock the processor, if the range of options (especially voltage) confuses you, we recommend using the OC Tuner function, thanks to which the system will automatically increase the voltage on the main keys PC. Of course, in automatic mode, high overclocking is not to be expected. But after such a manipulation, you will only have to manually set the required multiplier on the processor or increase the value of the BCLK bus, because the rest of the parameters will be at bullied heights thanks to automation. So much easier and more convenient. Another tip: don't neglect the DIGI+ tab, which in Extreme mode allows you to work wonders with the processor. Stability in this position is guaranteed.

Our test stand:

The test processor overclocked to stable 4700 MHz at voltage 1.350 V. At a higher voltage, 5 GHz can also be achieved, but it is still recommended to set records with a water cooling system.

Note that when overclocking one of the components, for example, RAM, ASUS Z97-A is not always able to independently exit the cyclic reboot. You have to manually turn off the system and start it again. This is another disadvantage of budget systems.

On the other hand, the potential of ASUS Z97-A is absolutely no worse than that of top motherboards from ASUS. This does not mean that there is no point in the latter and that it is not worth acquiring them. For a lot of money, the user gets improved stability, simplified work during system overclocking, useful accessories, etc. There are no such options in budget boards, but the price of ASUS Z97-A is already lower today 5500 rubles. And this is a great reason to think about moving to a more modern system without any significant compromises.