Tom’s Hardware readers are a savvy bunch. Simply visiting this site means that you’re either a knowledgeable technologist or eager to learn more. We keep it real for you. When a motherboard manufacturer uses the term mainstream, we know they're talking about budget-oriented. A couple of weeks ago, we sent out the invitations for our first round-up of boards based on Intel's brand new "mainstream" chipset, Z97 Express. In the invite, we had to tell vendors we were looking for enthusiast-class products, even though, to most of us, that range between $120 to $160 really is mainstream.
In the quest to differentiate, motherboard companies are getting more aggressive about segmentation. Simply requesting a batch of enthusiast-oriented submissions between those price posts isn't specific enough. Did we want overclocking-focused boards? Gaming-oriented? Is there really such a thing as a motherboard optimized for gaming? We're certainly excited that the explosion of high-profile games is pushing the boundaries of product design, at the very least.
Here's exactly what we're looking for, though: boards that support a couple of PCI Express graphics cards, high-end audio output, a high level of configurability, and enough stability to push a top overclock. However that combination of capabilities is classified, sure, gaming is in there. We just don't like limiting our performance pursuits to a single type of task.

And how about that new, mainstream chipset? It’s a good one. We know this because it’s been on the market for a year, more or less. I've confirmed with several motherboard manufacturers that Z97 Express is—at least functionally—a new stepping of the Z87. See that ME 9.1 firmware box in the above diagram? That’s Intel’s big achievement.
But before you dodge off to buy a motherboard we’ve already reviewed, you’ll want to look at the new crop anyway. These boards have new features that you’ll probably want, and are more likely to support your next-generation CPU upgrade out-of-the box. That’s because the new beta firmware that companies are releasing to support next-generation processors on Z87 products…preceded the launch of Z97. Of course, we won’t be able to make any promises until someone passes along a sample of Intel’s next-generation Core architecture.

| Z97 Mainstream Motherboard Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Phases | Eight Phases | Eight Phases | Six Phases | Eight Phases |
| BIOS | P1.03 (05/20/2014) | 0604 (04/15/2014) | F2 (03/26/2014) | 5.6.5 (04/16/2014) | V1.1B1 (04/24/2014) |
| 100.0 MHz BCLK | 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 |
| Network | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| CLR_CMOS Button | None | None | None | None | None |
| Digital Audio Out | Optical | Optical | Optical | Optical | None |
| Digital Audio In | None | None | None | None | None |
| Analog Audio | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Video Out | VGA, DVI-D, HDMI, DisplayPort | DisplayPort, HDMI, VGA, DVI-D | VGA, DVI-D, HDMI | VGA, DVI-D, HDMI | VGA, DVI-D, HDMI |
| Other Devices | None | None | None | None | None |
| Internal Interfaces | |||||
| PCIe 3.0 x16 | 3 (x16/x0/x0, x8/x8/x0, x8/x4/x4) | 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 | None | 1 (2-pathways) | 1 (4-pathways) | None | None |
| PCIe 2.0 x1 | 3 | 2 | 3 (shared w/slot above) | 3 | 4 |
| USB 3.0 | 1 (2-ports) | 1 (2-ports) | 1 (2-ports) | 1 (2-ports) | 1 (2-ports) |
| USB 2.0 | 2 (4-ports) | 3 (6-ports) | 2 (4-ports) | 1 (2-ports) | 2 (4-ports) |
| SATA 6.0 Gb/s | 8 (Shares: M.2, SATA-E) | 6 (Shares SATA-E) | 6 (Shares: M.2, SATA-E) | 4 | 6 (Shares M.2) |
| SATA Express | 1 (Uses 2x SATA) | 1 (Uses 2x SATA) | 1 (Uses 2x SATA) | None | None |
| 4-Pin Fan | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| 3-Pin Fan | 4 | None | None | 2 | None |
| FP-Audio | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| S/PDIF I/O | None | Output Only | Output Only | Output Only | None |
| Internal Buttons | CLR_CMOS | MemOK, Power | None | Power, Reset | None |
| Internal Switch | Dual ROM Selector | EPU, TPU, EZ XMP | None | None | Audio Power Source |
| Diagnostics Panel | Numeric | None | None | Numeric | Numeric |
| Other Devices | M.2 (Sub 1x SATA, SATA-E), Serial COM port | M.2 (Sub 2x PCIe x1), 2x PCI, TB_Header, Serial COM | M.2 (Sub 1x SATA, SATA-E), PCI, Serial COM port | M.2 (Didicated SATA) | Serial COM port |
| Mass Storage Controllers | |||||
| Chipset SATA | 6x SATA 6Gb/s (Includes M.2, SATA-E) | 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-In SATA | ASM1061 PCIe 2x SATA 6Gb/s | None | None | None | None |
| USB 3.0 | ASM1042AE PCIe | Z97 Integrated Only | Z97 Integrated Only | Z97 Integrated Only | Z97 Integrated Only |
| Networking | |||||
| Primary LAN | WGI218V PHY | WGI218V PHY | Killer E2201 PCIe | WGI218V PHY | Killer E2205 PCIe |
| Secondary LAN | None | None | None | None | None |
| WiFi | None | None | None | None | None |
| Bluetooth | None | None | None | None | None |
| Audio | |||||
| HD Audio Codec | ALC1150 | ALC892 | ALC1150 | ALC1150 | ALC1150 |
| DDL/DTS Connect | DTS Connect | DTS Connect | None | None | None |
| Warranty | Three Years | Three Years | Three Years | Three Years | Three Years |
SATA Express (SATA-E) is one of the anticipated features accompanying many of today’s new gaming-mainstream motherboards, but turns out to be a bit of a letdown. Pairing two standard SATA ports with a dual-lane PCIe link, it’s the cable-interface version of Intel’s M.2. Problems abound though, including the fact that it can’t be enabled simultaneously with M.2, that both M.2 and SATA-E eat PCIe lanes on a chipset that only offers eight, that both technologies also gobble up to SATA ports on a chipset that has six, and that the total bandwidth between the chipset and CPU is a scant 2 GB/s.
None less than our own Christopher Ryan opines that the popularity of M.2 in notebook PCs can be better-addressed in a desktop by using standard cables with RAID, that PCIe-based SSDs are already accomplishing what SATA-E hopes to add, and that the even greater flexibility of external devices really doesn’t mean much when the chipset’s DMI link is so restrictive. Add to that the likelihood that next-year’s SATA-E devices will more-than-likely have compatibility issues with third-party controllers, and the entire move appears little more than a marketing gimmick (for now).
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With the “new technology” conversation now on the back burner, let’s turn our attention to these new motherboard designs and see what they bring to the table.
ASRock gives users interested in the latest drive interface their choice between M.2 or SATA-E though traditional chipset connections, and if you don't have a storage device compatible with either technology, you can get similar performance through a couple of SATA ports via RAID.
An ASM1042AE controller adds two USB 3.0 ports to the rear panel, bringing the total to six without sacrificing the chipset-driven USB 3.0 front-panel connector. Two USB 2.0 ports are also seen here, along with VGA, DVI-D, HDMI, and DisplayPort display outputs for the CPU’s integrated graphics engine.
Fed by Intel’s i218V PHY, the single GbE port provides connectivity without consuming a PCIe lane, thanks to the chipset’s dedicated networking link.
The Z97 Extreme4 also provides two additional SATA ports via a single-lane PCIe-based controller. Unfortunately, that one lane limits those two attached drives to 5 Gb/s combined throughput. And you’ll not likely use the third PCIe x16 slot for a storage device because it steals four of the CPU’s sixteen total lanes from the second slot when it's active.
If you were building a three-way CrossFire rig or simply adding three cards to support a wall of displays, you’d probably prefer that PCIe 3.0 x4 link to the PCIe 2.0 x4 interface that would have otherwise been available from the chipset. On the other hand, SLI users will find that they need the middle slot to keep all eight of its available pathways.
One of the Z97 Extreme4’s smarter features is a switch allows you to manually select one of two firmware ROMs, rather than relying on the often-unreliable “smart” switching certain competitors use. Better still, the use of socketed ROMs provides cheap insurance against dead ICs.
ASRock is particularly proud of the Z97 Extreme4’s “Purity Sound” audio solution with enhanced headphone amplification and DTS Connect support as well.

The Z97 Extreme4 includes only four SATA cables to serve its eight internal headers, but one potentially-nice added feature is its HDD-Saver cable. Using a bundled application, users can switch power on and off to their storage drives to increase drive longevity, save energy, or reduce noise when the devices aren’t being used.
A rigid SLI bridge is also provided.
New from ASRock, its “App Shop” window provides download links to freeware, as well as BIOS and driver updates. While we weren’t particularly excited about the selection of apps, we were happy to shop without spending any money.

Intel’s Core i7-4790 isn’t available in its unlocked K-series form yet, limiting ASRock’s EZ OC menu to a small selection of internal GPU frequencies. Moving toward the more advanced OC-Tweaker menu, we find CPU multiplier selection similarly limited by our new CPU.
ASRock’s XFast RAM software and CFOS-based XFast LAN packet prioritization utility are both accessible from the Tools menu.

ASRock Restart-to-UEFI simplifies its namesake process.
We had to switch to our unlocked Core i7-4770K processor to reveal overclocking settings in ASRock's UEFI, which begin with a group of presets that typically push far too much core voltage for our liking. Under maximum stress and maximum clock, our processor reaches its thermal threshold at a mere 1.25 V.




Hitting 1.25 V happens a little faster than expected, since it corresponds to the firmware’s 1.225 V setting. DRAM settings are a little more realistic; our meter shows 1.65 to 1.66 volts at the shown 1.645 V selection.
Primary, secondary, and tertiary timings are all adjustable over a wide range within the Z97 Extreme4’s DRAM Configuration submenu.
Asus is so excited about SATA-Express (and its potential for differentiation) that the firm developed its own “Hyper Express” drive enclosure to leverage two mSATA SSDs against the new interface. We could have simply configured a couple of our own 2.5” SSDs in RAID using the chipset’s native interface, but that would have required two 2.5” drive bays.
Lacking added-in SATA or USB controllers, the Z97-A places four of the Z97’s six USB 3.0 ports on the I/O panel along with two of the chipset’s USB 2.0 ports. Higher up that panel are DisplayPort, HDMI, VGA, and DVI-D outputs that interface with the processor's GPU, which can drive three independent monitors.
The two PCIe 2.0 lanes saved by not adding a bunch of extra controllers are instead sent to the bottom PCIe x16 slot. I wouldn’t recommend using that slot for any sort of multi-GPU array, though it's still suitable for lower-bandwidth applications like building a display wall or even dedicating an older board to PhysX acceleration.
In spite of its relative simplicity, the Z97-A does eventually run out of PCIe lanes as it's filled with devices. The M.2 slot, for example, uses the same lanes as the two PCIe x1 slots, and that’s probably why Asus disables M.2 by default. Focus instead shifts towards keeping the two PCIe lanes of SATA Express open, since the company wants to be on the leading edge of SATA-E's development.
Asus-exclusive features like TPU (automatic overclocking), EPU (energy-saving underclocking), and MemOK (stability-enhanced memory setting) are still addressed by on-board buttons and switches. But Asus adds one more firmware-modifying piece of hardware in its EZ-XMP switch. New builders who might be afraid of UEFI menus can now enable this overclocking technology without losing their nerve, and commercial builders can enable full memory performance without concern that their customers might reset it.

The Z97-A includes four SATA cables, an SLI bridge, and some front-panel connector extenders that ease the bundling of loose cable ends (such as Power, Reset, and LED).
Asus Ai Suite still provides familiar voltage, fan, and power controls, but many of its tweaks are limited by the multiplier-locked nature of Intel’s new Core i7-4790 CPU.


Anyone with the patience to optimize a network will find a plethora of settings within Asus’ Turbo LAN application.
The Z97-A also includes a media streaming application.

Asus completely revamps its UEFI GUI in the Z97-A, though it contains the same settings as the firm’s previous firmware generation. The menu still starts with two overclocking options, Manual or XMP, where XMP actually means “manual with XMP enabled”.


Unless you're using a K-series CPU, overclocking is limited to a handful of 100 MHz speed bins over stock. So, we reverted to our Core i7-4770K to test it. That CPU reaches its full-load thermal threshold at 1.25 volts, which we achieved using the board's 1.245 V setting. That's the sort of correlation we like to see.


It seems that everyone cheats on memory voltage to maximize DRAM stability. Our voltmeter showed the target 1.65 to 1.66 volts at the board’s 1.62 V setting, even though the board’s volt meter reported only 1.63 volts.
Occasionally informative, the little information box at the bottom of this GUI version also makes us scroll through an extra page of settings—compared to Asus’ previous GUI—to reveal its full set of primary, secondary, and tertiary memory settings.

Two additional submenus provide voltage stability techniques to protect your overclock, and power-limiting settings to protect your CPU from your overclock. Asus told us last year that its defaults are best-suited to the majority of hardware, and so we follow that guidance.
The effect of the booming global PC gaming market has been so profound on Gigabyte that some of its motherboards now sport names similar to one of its competitors. Gigabyte shoots for a lower target price of $135, though a quick check on Newegg indicates that the board is actually going for $160 at press time.
Gigabyte doesn’t toss in a bunch of added drive controllers at that price, but it does fill out the I/O panel by supplementing the four native USB 3.0 ports with four native USB 2.0 ports.
Keeping with the gaming theme, the firm also puts a little extra money behind its GbE port with a Killer E2201 controller by Qualcomm.
Understanding that most gamers won't want to cut the middle x16 slot to x4 mode, Gigabyte wires the CPU’s sixteen lanes only to x16 slots 1 and 2. Like its competitors, that still makes x16-x0 and x8-x8 modes possible for one or two cards. But the third slot is a different animal: it’s PCIe 2.0-capable.
Only four of the chipset’s eight PCIe 2.0 lanes go to slots, and running a x4 (or greater) card in the bottom x16-length slot disables the three x1 slots. If you'd rather put a x1 card there, you can without sacrificing connectivity. That explains why the Z97X-Gaming 5 has an extra pair of PCIe pathway switches in the middle.
Two of the remaining PCIe pathways feed either the M.2 slot or an SATA Express cable, another lane hosts the network controller, and the final lane serves a PCIe to PCI bridge.
This is where I normally delve into layout features and problems, but, like the previously-described ASRock and Asus boards, Gigabyte's Z97X-Gaming 5 doesn’t advance layout in any significant way or present any issues. The front-panel audio connector is a little too close to the bottom-rear corner for the cables of some poorly-designed cases, but that potential snag is common to most of its competitors.

The Z97X-Gaming 5 installation kit includes a flexible SLI bridge, four SATA cables, an I/O shield and a case badge.
Gigabyte EasyTune responds to our multiplier-locked Core i7-4790 by preventing access to several related settings. But we can still see the full range of tuning options that get unlocked if you have the right K-series processor. The interface is somewhat more compact compared to previous versions, and now includes a side panel that reports system status.

Gigabyte now includes its Face Wizard splash image modification tool in the same interface as its @BIOS firmware update tool.
Gigabyte Cloud Station includes both remote management and home server tasks, even allowing uses to operate overclocking controls from another device. Parts of the utility, such as HotSpot, require users to add a Wi-Fi device to the local system.

Some Gigabyte applications, such as Fast Boot and Game Controller, are quick-access interfaces for features already offered in Windows.
Others, such as Smart Recovery, Smart TimeLock, and USB Blocker, are a little more advanced compared to Windows features.
Gigabyte System Info enables a few settings, such as fan speed control, in addition to its namesake monitoring function.

Creative’s X-Fi MB3 application doesn’t work with real-time multi-channel encoders like DTS Connect, but it does offer virtual 3D audio though a pair of headphones. Scout Mode is one of its more interesting features, because it raises the noise of approaching opponents in games.
Since the Z97X-Gaming 5 uses a Killer network controller, it includes the firm’s management application.

This is just my opinion, but Gigabyte’s new firmware GUI has become nearly useless to enthusiasts. Fortunately, a click of the keyboard’s F2 key brings up all the familiar settings of “Classic Mode”.

Switching from our locked Core i7-4790 to an unlocked Core i7-4770K gives us all the options we need to reach 4.5 GHz at 1.25 V core. There are, of course, several menus to jump through.

The board also supports our DDR3-2800 samples, even at 4 x 8 GB. Primary, secondary, and tertiary timings are adjustable in dual-channel (manual mode) or per-channel (advanced manual mode) arrangements.
If you’re like us, you might be tired of jumping through submenus only to find that the Advanced Voltage Settings menu is nothing more than a list of submenus. But we’re almost through!
Leaving other settings at motherboard defaults, we found our 1.25 V CPU core and 1.65 V DRAM core voltage targets approximated at 1.22 and 1.62 volts, respectively. The actual DRAM voltage was measured at 1.644 V, but the Z97X-Gaming 5 only supports increasing that setting in 20mV increments. The 1.64 V setting pushed our RAM to nearly 1.67 volts!
ECS' marketing team is getting pretty good at using terminology familiar to gamers of the past, rebranding its game-centric product line under the L337 Gaming banner. Today’s candidate, the Z97-Machine, represents the value-oriented starting point of that family.
Gone are the stenciled-on Port 80 displays of the past, replaced with actual functioning parts. The firm doesn’t bundle in a bunch of third-party controllers, but instead focuses on the things that Z97 does best: one graphics card in a x16 link or two on a pair of x8 slots, M.2 without the new SATA Express cable interface, and USB 3.0 via four I/O panel ports and a front-panel header.
ECS even fills out the I/O panel with four additional USB 2.0 ports, and backs the GbE port with Intel’s i218V controller.
ECS doesn’t surprise neophytes by killing off two SATA ports when an M.2 module gets installed. Instead, the Z97-Machine dedicates two of the chipset’s six ports to M.2 and leaves only four SATA 6Gb/s cable headers.
The firm also gets rid of the slot beneath the top graphics card, because its designers know that slot become inaccessible anyway once a typical dual-slot graphics card is installed. We’re glad someone finally figured that out, though we’re not sure where three of the chipset’s eight lanes went.
ECS doesn’t offer builders a crippled bottom slot; the Z97-Machine doesn’t even have a bottom slot. A x1 link might have been nice. But designers instead placed voltage detection points and part of the Port 80 display there.
Noticing that, I went in search of other things that might be missing, but only came across the scarcity of USB 2.0 internal headers. Builders get two front-panel USB 3.0 and two front-panel USB 2.0 ports, and any bay panel devices they might have added should probably be scratched from the build sheet.

Assuming you’re going to build a simple performance machine and aren’t afraid of being ganked by the packaging, the Z97-Machine might be a great choice The only thing missing from the box was an SLI bridge, but we’re asking ECS to fix that little oversight.
ECS fills the installation disc of most motherboards—including the Z97-Machine—with shareware, trial software, and freeware. The company still has its own tuning software, but it should probably be treated as a supplement to Intel’s downloadable XTU package.
ECS eOC looks even more restricted when paired with the locked CPU we’re using for benchmarks, but it does at least have a setting to enable your custom settings at boot.

Other ECS applications includes fan control, BIOS update, and a webpage link to software updates.
Trouble figuring out what all of those icons do? Clicking the Advanced icon at the top of the firmware’s opening screen brings up a traditional menu set.


With our old and factory-unlocked Core i7-4770K installed, 4.6 GHz is within easy reach.

Our DDR3-2800 kit also reached its full rated settings on the Z97-Machine, but we did need to find a couple of workarounds for menu limits. Enabling XMP disables manual frequency selection, but selecting XMP first and then switching to manual mode causes the board to keep XMP timings when entering manual mode.


But why would we want to use anything other than the stock XMP multiplier? To begin with, the board only runs in XMP mode with two modules installed, and we wanted to see how far the board could push four modules at the same timings. But then we found another workaround: setting BCLK to 98 MHz and sneaking up to 100 MHz allowed the board to finally boot with all four modules at their rated speed.

Basically, the Z97-Machine acts like a timid human when it gets surprised by a major change in settings, and I spent over half an hour in two-minute intervals waiting for the system to discharge while using the CLR_CMOS jumper. Conversely, small steps got us eventually to huge gains, without those lock-ups.

The Z97-Machine can even save up to eight overclocking profiles, just in case you’re afraid of screwing up your good settings when trying new settings.
MSI certainly grabs attention with its matte black PCB and red accents. But the hardware focuses primarily on the Z97 platform’s integrated features. Four I/O panel USB 2.0 ports bolster connectivity on a board that offers a total of six USB 3.0 ports (four of which are also found around back).

The single GbE connection gets a slight boost from its PCIe-based Killer controller, but other PCIe connections are dedicated to slots and the M.2 interface. The chipset has only eight PCIe lanes, so the Z97 Gaming 5 presents four x1 slots in addition to the network controller and two-lane M.2 interface. The M.2 port also steals two SATA ports when a card is installed there.
Notice that the Z97 Gaming 5 has no SATA Express cable provision? That’s because MSI agrees with my boss that the M.2 interface is mostly useful in notebooks that lack space for RAID arrays, and that RAID arrays are most practical in desktops. That certainly gets around the chipset lane limitations experienced in several competing products, but it makes me question where the single-remaining lane might have otherwise been used. MSI could have just as easily omitted the x1 slot beneath the top graphics slot to get the second lane needed for that interface.

And yet it still sounds like MSI is getting around the PCIe limits of some competitors in its x16 slots. That's because the bottom slot steals four lanes from the middle slot. Nvidia insists its cards need at least x8 for SLI, so using the bottom slot could prevent the top and middle slots from supporting SLI. MSI could have instead made the bottom slot x1/x4 switchable to support slower cards without that issue, but its documentation says it didn’t. Those limitations effectively make it a non-SLI graphics slot, whether those cards are used for CrossFire, an OpenCL-oriented accelerator, or just a massive wall of displays.
The Z97 Gaming 5 features a row of voltage detection points along the front edge and a two-digit POST code display at the bottom edge, both to make overclockers happy. The firm also adds a three-pin audio power input header for output current enhancement, along with a switch to select internal or external power sources (but that sounds just a little gimmicky to us).

The Z97X Gaming 5 includes a flexible SLI bridge and a four-to-three-pin audio power input adapter. But it also only includes two SATA cables. I typically use three cables in a basic build.
Our multiplier-locked Core i7-4790 doesn’t give MSI’s Command Center much to work with, but the possible settings are still visible.
The “Advanced” button at the Control Center’s bottom brings up additional voltage controls, redundant fan settings, and a DRAM timings menu that doesn’t usually work.
The board also includes a utility for recording system status charts. It didn’t work this time, but it did work on MSI’s previously-reviewed products, so we’re somewhat certain that this will be updated soon.

The “Setting” button surprised us with a home server/hotspot application for your own Wi-Fi card.

The “Information” button did just what it said, offering four system status menus for the motherboard, CPU, and memory.

A mini panel displays frequency and temperatures, when it's enabled.

MSI Gaming App provides several overclocking modes through firmware, which require a reboot. Our benchmark CPU is multiplier-locked, so it went straight for our memory’s XMP mode.

MSI Live Update 6 provides automatic update checking for MSI applications, drivers, and firmware.
MSI retains the same firmware GUI that we've seen though several motherboard generations, making it familiar to any fan of the brand. The importance of any information on the top bar is inversely proportional to its font size, and settings are found in a tiny box at in the middle.

We like reaching 4.6 GHz and DDR3-2800 with the CPU core at 1.25 V and DRAM at 1.65 V, and we reached those actual voltage levels at set values of 1.24 and 1.63 volts, respectively.
Moreover, we like that MSI puts all of the settings we really want to adjust up front, rather than making us jump through several levels of submenus.

Primary, secondary, and tertiary timings are easily adjusted, but only after changing “DRAM Timing Mode” on the main page from “Auto” to “Manual”.

The Z97 Gaming 5 also provides DRAM training and voltage regulation controls.
| Test System Configuration | |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-4790 (Haswell): 3.6 to 4 GHz, 8 MB Shared L3 Cache, LGA 1150 |
| CPU Cooler | Thermalright MUX-120 w/Zalman ZM-STG1 Paste |
| RAM | Patriot Viper 3 PV316G240C1K (16 GB) at DDR3-1600 C9 Defaults Corsair CMY32GX3M4A2800C12R (32 GB) at XMP-2800 C12 Timings |
| Graphics | PowerColor PCS+ AXR9 290X 4GBD5-PPDHE: 1050 MHz GPU, 4 GB GDDR5-5400 |
| Hard Drive | Samsung 840 Pro MZ-7PD256, 256 GB SSD |
| Sound | Integrated HD Audio |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
| Power | Corsair AX860i: ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Platinum |
| Software | |
| OS | Microsoft Windows 8 Professional RTM x64 |
| Graphics | AMD Catalyst 14.4 |
| Chipset | Intel INF 10.0.13 |
After seeing a broad number of memory stability complaints surrounding a motherboard that previously won one of our awards, we decided to up the stress level of our overclocking test to include a four-pack of DDR3-2800 8 GB modules.

Those modules default to DDR3-1333 though, and enabling XMP still causes some boards to stealthily apply a CPU overclock at the same time. To keep things fair in benchmarks, we wanted to run those tests at our minimum-recommended DDR3-1600 CAS 9 default. The only 8 GB DIMMs we had that could do that came from Patriot’s PV332G240C1QK 32 GB DDR3-2400 kit.

That kit magically transforms into Patriot’s 16 GB dual-channel part number PV316G240C1K by simply removing two of its modules.

PowerColor’s overclocked PCS+ AXR9 290X provides all the performance we need to extract maximum performance from the rest of the platform.
| Benchmark Settings | |
|---|---|
| 3D Games | |
| Battlefield 4 | Version 1.0.0.1, DirectX 11, 100-sec. Fraps "Tashgar" Test Set 1: Medium Quality Preset, No AA, 4X AF, SSAO Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Preset, 4X MSAA, 16X AF, HBAO |
| Grid 2 | Version 1.0.85.8679, Direct X 11, Built-in Benchmark Test Set 1: High Quality, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra Quality, 8x MSAA |
| Arma 3 | Version 1.08.113494, 30-sec. Fraps "Infantry Showcase" Test Set 1: Standard Preset, No AA, Standard AF Test Set 2: Ultra Preset, 8x FSAA, Ultra AF |
| Far Cry 3 | V. 1.04, DirectX 11, 50-sec. Fraps "Amanaki Outpost" Test Set 1: High Quality, No AA, Standard ATC, SSAO Test Set 2: Ultra Quality, 4x MSAA, Enhanced ATC, HDAO |
| Adobe Creative Suite | |
| Adobe After Effects CC | Version 12.0.0.404: Create Video which includes 3 Streams, 210 Frames, Render Multiple Frames Simultaneously |
| Adobe Photoshop CC | Version 14.0 x64: Filter 15.7 MB TIF Image: Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates |
| Adobe Premeire Pro CC | Version 7.0.0 (342), 6.61 GB MXF Project to H.264 to H.264 Blu-ray, Output 1920x1080, Maximum Quality |
| Audio/Video Encoding | |
| iTunes | Version 11.0.4.4 x64: Audio CD (Terminator II SE), 53 minutes, default AAC format |
| LAME MP3 | Version 3.98.3: Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min, convert WAV to MP3 audio format, Command: -b 160 --nores (160 Kb/s) |
| HandBrake CLI | Version: 0.99: Video from Canon Eos 7D (1920x1080, 25 FPS) 1 Minutes 22 Seconds Audio: PCM-S16, 48,000 Hz, Two-channel, to Video: AVC1 Audio: AAC (High Profile) |
| TotalCode Studio 2.5 | Version: 2.5.0.10677: MPEG-2 to H.264, MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec, 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG-2), Audio: MPEG-2 (44.1 kHz, 2 Channel, 16-Bit, 224 Kb/s), Codec: H.264 Pro, Mode: PAL 50i (25 FPS), Profile: H.264 BD HDMV |
| Productivity | |
| ABBYY FineReader | Version 10.0.102.95: Read PDF save to Doc, Source: Political Economy (J. Broadhurst 1842) 111 Pages |
| Adobe Acrobat 11 | Version 11.0.0.379: Print PDF from 115 Page PowerPoint, 128-bit RC4 Encryption |
| Autodesk 3ds Max 2013 | Version 15.0 x64: Space Flyby Mentalray, 248 Frames, 1440x1080 |
| Blender | Version: 2.68A, Cycles Engine, Syntax blender -b thg.blend -f 1, 1920x1080, 8x Anti-Aliasing, Render THG.blend frame 1 |
| Visual Studio 2010 | Version 10.0, Compile Google Chrome, Scripted |
| File Compression | |
| WinZip | Version 18.0 Pro: THG-Workload (1.3 GB) to ZIP, command line switches "-a -ez -p -r" |
| WinRAR | Version 5.0: THG-Workload (1.3 GB) to RAR, command line switches "winrar a -r -m3" |
| 7-Zip | Version 9.30 alpha (64-bit): THG-Workload (1.3 GB) to .7z, command line switches "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5" |
| Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings | |
| 3DMark 11 | Version: 1.0.5.0, Benchmark Only |
| 3DMark Professional | Version: 1.2.250.0 (64-bit), Fire Strike Benchmark |
| PCMark 8 | Version: 1.0.0 x64, Full Test |
| SiSoftware Sandra | Version 2014.02.20.10, CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / Multimedia / Cryptography, Memory Bandwidth Benchmarks |
Intel's integration tightens control over its technology to the point that the only ways for a motherboard company to win big in our benchmarks is to cheat. That means overclocking. And we look for it.



Nothing looks out of place in 3DMark or PCMark, so we move on to even more restrictive real-world tests.
Sandra’s CPU benchmarks show nothing spectacularly unusual, and most of its barely-noticeable differences are within a margin of error.




Gigabyte falls a little behind in Sandra's Memory Bandwidth module, and a retest shows that this is consistent. Perhaps the firm is aiming for greater stability through the use of slower tertiary timings?
Lower graphics quality levels are usually restricted by either the CPU or DRAM, and higher detail levels are typically limited by GPU performance. That might not be true with a card as powerful as the Radeon R9 290X, however.




MSI enjoys an unexpected lead in the lower settings of Arma 3 and Far Cry 3, so we went back into the firmware to check for Turbo Boost ratio enhancements. That menu isn’t even present when using a locked processor, however, and we weren’t using any settings that might have enabled it.
MSI’s mysterious lead in a couple games goes away in our Audio and Video encoding suite. That’s particularly important to note in iTunes, since this benchmark is so heavily influenced by clock rate.




A one-second difference looks huge in a graph that’s only 30-seconds long, but can truthfully be as insignificant as rounding down at 29.49 seconds and up at 29.50 seconds.




Performance across our entire productivity suite looks very consistent between products, which is something we like to know (no cheating) but really don’t care to see (boring charts).




Having noted that one-second differences really don’t matter when rounding occurs in the thousandths of a second, we see again that all of the boards are playing on a level field throughout our file compression suite.



All manufacturers make great claims about voltage regulator efficiency, but ASRock and Asus bolster those claims at full load in the Z97 Extreme4 and Z97-A. Then again, a slight decrease in core voltage could produce similar results without causing a system crash.

Those reductions in power consumption are also seen in lower CPU temperatures, so lower full-load voltage does appear the most likely reason for saved energy. The question is, does this hurt overclocking?

Anyone really keen on overall performance charts can find one in this article’s image gallery. But the overall performance difference comes down to less than half of one percent. That means power savings translate almost directly into an efficiency improvement.

The Z79 Extreme4 wins the efficiency race, followed by the Z97-A.
We conducted our general benchmarks with a brand new Core i7-4790. But overclocking tests require switching back to our faithful Core i7-4770K. Using that processor, 4.60 GHz is the ragged edge of stability at 1.25 V, and any greater voltage causes it to throttle under full load. It’s not clocked higher when it’s throttled.

Most of the motherboards in today’s round-up successfully reach the full measure of our processor’s overclocking capability. Gigabyte comes up a little short, but that could seriously be the difference of a few millivolts that might not impact other builders with different overclocking needs.

Conversely, the Z79X Gaming 5 reached the highest base clock frequency when using the 100 MHz strap. That’s the only ratio available on multiplier-locked processors, so this might be important to anyone running the new Core i7-4790.

ECS wasn’t the company that ran into memory trouble after receiving an award from us, yet its L337 Gaming is the trailing brand in our memory overclocking test. The Z97-A was happy with our DDR3-2800 XMP settings, but wouldn’t let us overclock. And the Z97 Gaming 5 roughly matches the Z97 Extreme4 depending on the number of modules installed.
The easiest way to rate value is comparing performance to price. But that doesn’t inspire anyone to add extras like USB and SATA controllers, which improve the flexibility of a platform, but don't move the needle on speed. We have to think more broadly than just looking at benchmark results.

Only ASRock was willing to add third-party controllers in this price range, but MSI has a value card up its sleeve in the form of a six month license for XSplit Gamecaster. If you use this program, you probably know that it's the equivalent of two $15 three-month memberships. In other words, MSI overcomes the expected difference in value anyway by cutting a deal with a service company that many gamers love.
That leaves ASRock's controller-rich Z97 Extreme4 as the lowest-priced model in our comparison. MSI also includes a lot of "other stuff" at the same $160 price point as Gigabyte, and Asus falls somewhere in the middle. We haven't seen ECS' solution for sale yet, but we're keeping an eye out for that one. Until it shows up, we're calling a tie between the ASRock and MSI solution for Approved recognition.


Update 5-13-2014
ASRock sent us a friendly reminder that it also offers bonus software in the form of a one-year professional license for cloud hosting by Orbweb.me.
Update 2: 5-13-2014
Newegg began listing the L337 Gaming Z97-Machine today for the low price of $140, undercutting competitor ASRock by $6. Though that would have placed the product higher on our price-to-performance chart, we believe that ASRock's easier overclocking and added features are probably worth slightly more than its $6 premium. If you personally don't want some of those features and won't overclock, the Z97-Machine offers a lower price for your consideration.
























































































