Motherboard

Now that Kaby Lake desktop processors are officially available at retail, it is time for motherboard makers to start pushing out their new Z270 designs. To celebrate the launch of the Z270 platform, MSI is offering up a free M.2 NVMe SSD with some of its new GAMING series motherboards …

Earlier this month, AMD officially announced Ryzen, its next CPU due for release in Q1 2017 with performance that can compete with the likes of the Core i7 6900K. Obviously a new CPU also means new motherboards and at CES, it seems that MSI has a couple on show from …

Gigabyte is introducing its Aorus brand to the desktop components market in an effort to segregate its higher-end product offerings. Aorus is to Gigabyte what ROG is to ASUS, or at least that's what the board maker is aiming for. We examine the high-end Aorus Z270X-Gaming 7 which is packed …

Biostar has joined a number of motherboard manufacturers with the release of its new Z270GT9 board, adding full support for the seventh generation of Intel's core processors. But that's not all, the new board also comes with support for 10GbE LAN, has M.2 cooling and a new digital power controller for …

The Gigabyte Ultra Gaming motherboard is a fairly new model which was first released for the Z170 chipset shortly after Computex 2016. Only half a year later and Gigabyte has released a Z270 variant of the Ultra Gaming, the Z270X-Ultra Gaming, to coincide with the launch of Intel's new Kaby …

Today sees the launch of Intel's new Z270 chipset and the Kaby Lake CPUs. There's no change to the LGA 1151 socket but the new chipset brings with it additional features that may tempt users into an upgrade over their ageing system. ASRock's Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming K6 sits towards the …

The Maximus IX Formula is the latest top-tier ASUS Republic of Gamers motherboard for Intel's new Kaby Lake CPUs and Z270 chipset. While below the Maximus IX Extreme in the ROG product hierarchy, the Formula is likely to be more popular as it targets a lower price, has a more …

Biostar isn't the first brand that comes to mind for a mid-range gaming motherboard as the big four, ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI, dominate this segment. However, with the Racing Z170 GT7 motherboard Biostar is throwing its hat into the ring. Biostar's Racing Z170 GT7 isn't just another mid-range gaming …

In just one week, we will be getting our best look at AMD's upcoming Zen processors yet at the ‘New Horizon' event, just before the rumoured January launch. However, Zen will be just one element, we will also be getting a good look at the new X370 chipset and some …

Spoilt for choice would be an understatement for any prospective buyers of the X99 platform. MSI alone has a motherboard for almost every possible price point, use-case scenario and type of user. Add other motherboard vendors into the mix and the amount of choice is dizzying. With its high-end price …

We have two huge CPU launches on the horizon at the moment, with both Intel and AMD debuting new desktop processors in the new year. As you might imagine, this is also quite a big occasion for motherboard makers, who will get the chance to refresh their lineups with new …

The Intel Broadwell-E generation is where the top end of the enthusiast market crosses over into the professional space. MSI’s X99A Workstation motherboard is based on the same consumer-oriented Intel X99 chipset as its high-end gaming products, rather than the business-focused C612, but with extra features aimed at the workstation …

X99 holds a relatively exclusive status in the PC market, even among DIY builders and enthusiasts, since the entry costs to the platform are higher in a variety of areas. ASRock addresses this price-limitation directly with the new X99 Taichi – a motherboard that promises a mid-range feature-set for an …

Just last week both MSI and Asus announced that they would be rolling out BIOS updates for their current Z100-series motherboards to introduce support for Intel's upcoming Kaby Lake processors. If you an MSI user and have already installed the Kaby Lake update, then you may want to keep an …

MSI has been keenly expanding its range of X99 motherboards, particularly gaming-oriented varieties, in reaction to Intel's Broadwell-E CPUs for LGA 2011-3. Prospective X99 buyers now have a formidable number of options to choose from in the wider X99 marketplace, as well as from within MSI's own range. One of …

Intel's Kaby Lake CPUs are coming up in early 2017 and according to recent reports, they may end up being a tad more powerful than initially predicted compared to Skylake. With that in mind, some of you already on the Z170 platform may think about upgrading and thanks to a …

With ‘Racing Super 5' styling, the Biostar Z170GT7 mainboard includes both USB Type C and 32Gb/s M.2 for fast data transfer as well as Vivid LED DJ which allows for on-board colour customisation – guaranteeing that you'll be able to get your rig's internals to match your system's overall palette. We have one …

Since the launch of Intel's Broadwell-E CPU family for the X99 platform KitGuru has seen and tested a of variety refreshed motherboards from ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI. However, no assessment of new X99 motherboards would be complete without examining what ASRock has to offer. The ASRock motherboard on test today …

Today is a big day for AMD, not only is the company coming out with its new seventh generation of APUs but it is also launching the new AM4 platform, bringing along support for DDR4, next generation I/O standards and of course, the upcoming Zen processors, which will be arriving …

Intel's next-gen CPU architecture, Kaby Lake, is expected at some point in the coming months but for now Skylake remains the prominent choice for PC builders.  Z170 continues to be the flagship chipset for Intel's mainstream CPUs until it is replaced by Intel's 200-Series chipset with Kaby Lake. It is …

Gigabyte has taken the Broadwell-E launch as an opportunity to update its X99 motherboard line-up. Today we will be examining the X99-Ultra Gaming – a feature-rich motherboard with premium offerings which include multiple PCIe storage interfaces, Intel USB 3.1, and user-customisable RGB lighting. Alongside the new LGA 2011-3 socket that …

Founded in 2006, Asus is celebrating 10 years of creating gaming-orientated enthusiast hardware through its Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand. And what better way to celebrate a 10-year anniversary than with a special edition of the company’s flagship motherboard? An enhanced version of the Rampage V Extreme, the Rampage V …

Intel's Broadwell-E processors are now out in the wild, which means this is also the perfect time for some exciting new motherboard launches. This week, ASRock has announced that its new Taichi and Fatal1ty Professional Gaming i7 motherboards are now available, both of which are stable and feature-rich offerings. The …

MSI's Godlike Gaming X99 motherboard first made an appearance mid last year with a striking design and a brazen claim to X99 motherboard superiority. Positioned against the ASUS Rampage V Extreme, now the Rampage V Edition 10, the Godlike Gaming motherboard is MSI's no holds barred X99 implementation. The refreshed …

With Intel's new range of Broadwell-E enthusiast grade CPUs now available, including the 10-core Core i7 6950X, it's only fitting that motherboard vendors have refreshed ageing X99 portfolios. ASUS was quick off the mark releasing the X99-A II, X99-DELUXE II, Rampage V Edition 10 and ROG STRIX X99 Gaming. The …

KitGuru has seen a lot of evidence that new HEDT CPUs from Intel could be around the corner, under the name of Broadwell-E, including leaked benchmark results and a fumble from motherboard vendor ASRock. ASUS seems to be preparing for the launch of this new Intel CPU by refreshing its …

It seems that several motherboard makers are preparing for the upcoming launch of Intel's Broadwell-E CPUs, as Asus has become the latest to unveil their new line-up of X99 Signature and ROG Strix motherboards. There are several new models joining the Asus enthusiast-grade line-up including the: ASUS Signature X99-Deluxe II, …

Back at CES this year, MSI announced the X99A GODLIKE GAMING Carbon Edition motherboard, it's top-tier model built for Intel's enthusiast-grade CPUs. After a few months of waiting, this feature-packed board is now available here in the UK, just in time for the impending arrival of Intel's Broadwell-E line-up that …

MSI has delivered a bold and uniquely styled range of gaming motherboards for the Z170 platform since it's launch, the XPower Gaming Titanium and Gaming M7 are two excellent examples that we've tested here at KitGuru. Yet those motherboards are relatively expensive for any buyer looking for an affordable entry …

Gigabyte’s Z170-Gaming K3 motherboard plays along nicely with that idea, costing just £95 which makes it the most affordable Gaming branded Z170 motherboard in the UK. Yet, you may still be pleasantly surprised by how much you get for your money with the Z170-Gaming K3 – few sacrifices have been made to reach such an aggressive price point.