- Memory Slot 4 x DIMM; Max. 64GB DDR4
- Maximum Capacity 3866MHz (OC)
- Graphics Output HDMI/DP/HDMI
- PCIe 3.0 x16 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (@x16 or x8/x8) 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (max. @x2)
- M.2 1 x 22110 (PCIe 3.0 x4 & SATA) 1 x 2280 (PCIe 3.0 x4)
- USB 2 ports @ PCIe 3.0 x2 Rear: 1 * Type-A + 1 *Type-C
- ASUS Aura Sync RGB Lighting Yes (with 1*Aura RGB Strip Header)
Review By :
CCHon
Style: Z170-A
DISCLAIMER: I purchased the Z170-AR, the same exact model as the Z170-A except for a lack of onboard analog video ports.
Setup:
I'm currently running this motherboard with an Intel Boxed Core I5-6600K 3.50 GHz, 6 M Processor Cache 6 for LGA 1151 (BX80662I56600K) to replace my 4-year-old i3-2100.
Accessories:
Inside of the box ASUS includes the usual accessories, including 3 SATA cables, manual, and I/O shield. Also included is an SLI bridge, as the board is certified for dual-SLI in an x8/x8 configuration, and a screw for the M.2 slot, a CPU installation tool, and a Q-connector.This CPU installation tool is supposed to make installing the CPU easier; I happily dropped my CPU in without it, but perhaps new builders would be interested. The Q-connector is a single connector that makes front-panel connection much easier to plug in: Simply plug all those tiny cables into this connector, then plug the entire block onto the header.
Design:
When choosing a new motherboard, I was torn between this motherboard and the similarly priced, very aesthetically pleasing MSI Z170A Krait. A few factors made me choose this board:
1. The right-angled SATA ports, which means that I can utilize all of the SATA ports even with two long video cards extending past the PCI-E slot
2. The inclusion of a USB Type-C connector, which can provide up to 100w of power through USB PD (the MSI only includes a Type-A connector
3. Previous experience with Asus' hardware and software.
Overall the board looks really great installed into my (sort of) black and white themed system. There is a white LED trace light on the left side to highlight the PCB separation of the audio section which can be turned on and off in the BIOS. One thing that you must pay attention to: If you have a case such as my NZXT S340, with a fan on the back with very little clearance from the I/O ports, you may need to remove the white decorative shield which is covering the I/O section of the board. The expansion slot spacing is perfect for my dual-CrossfireX system, with one slot of space in between the two cards, and adequate spacing between the top of the card above and my rather large CPU air cooler (Cryorig H7). The motherboard includes plenty of fan options, including two CPU fan headers (CPU_FAN and CPU_OPT, note CPU_OPT cannot be voltage controlled), 4 chassis fan headers, and 1 pump header, for water coolers. I'm not a particularly big fan of the position of the chassis fan headers, particularly the two that are positioned on the left side of the motherboard, far from any grommets or cable management holes in most cases. Other than that, not too much else to say here; an adequate amount of SATA, USB 2.0, and USB 3.0 headers are provided for any normal user.
Software:
I've had a good amount of previous experience using ASUS' UEFI BIOS. Here ASUS includes plenty of features, such as fan control via 3-pin voltage control and 4-pin PWM and options for setting fan curves, and an auto-tuning utility to find the settings for each individual fan. This goes hand in hand with ASUS' AI Suite software, which can provide the same tweaking functionality within Windows.
Overclocking:
On the lower right of the board is a TPU dip switch, which is on the "off" position by default. Setting it to the first setting (TPU I, for air coolers) will enable an approximately 4.3 Ghz overclock. Using ASUS' built-in Five-way Optimization feature to generate an automatic overclock and fan tuning, I was able to push the CPU up to 4.7 Ghz with the click of a button. After some manual tweaking I eventually settled on a 4.6 Ghz overclock at 1.360v. This motherboard has no problems delivering higher voltages to enable higher overclocks.
Conclusion:
Overall the ASUS Z170-A/AR is no doubt my first choice Z170 motherboard in its price range in respect to its wide range of functionality and flexibility. Before this purchase I'd never spent more than $100 on a motherboard, but in my opinion it was well worth the purchase.
