ASRock Z170 Extreme4 Review

Reviews
By Thomas Soderstrom
last updated

ASRock's Z170 Extreme4 is cheaper than the previously tested Extreme6, but is it also a better value? We examine the features and push our overclocks to find out!

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Software And Firmware

Software

ASRock has removed most of its software from motherboard driver DVDs, instead relying on its Live Update utility to provide users the latest software of its applications. The company has even re-added its A-Tuning application to the downloads sheet of Live Update, and that probably means that updates for the Z170 PCH (and LGA 1151 platform) are complete.

Live Update also includes a BIOS & Drivers update utility, which checks the version you're using against the latest version on its update server, and scheduling, in case you'd like automatic update reminders. Classic ASRock apps include the Dehumidifier synthetic load cycling app (to remove condensation), USB Key for using a USB key as your login identifier, and the X-Fast RAM utility for creating a virtual drive partition on excess RAM. The above image is solitary this time so that interested users can click through (twice) to see it at full scale.

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A couple of other things found on the DVD include X-Fast LAN traffic shaping by cFos and the associated applications for drivers. ASRock includes a DTS Neo PC with the Z170 Extreme4, which adds 5.1 and 7.1 virtualization to the traditional DTS Connect live multichannel encoding technology.

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ASRock A-Tuning provides pre-defined overclock settings, automatic overclocking with stability tests, and manual overclocking controls. Auto Tuning runs automatically, but only got our CPU to 4.3 GHz; Optimized CPU Settings are copied from firmware and require a reboot, and Advanced Turbo adds a jump from DDR4-2133 to DDR4-2400 to the 4.6 and 4.7 GHz profiles of Optimized CPU OC.

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A-Tuning's hardware monitor is a little better than the one found in firmware, but its System Browser and Fan-Tastic Tuning apps are nearly identical. Those apps are good in firmware, too.

Firmware

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Z170 Extreme4 firmware opens to EZ Mode, though there is a switch in Advanced Mode to change that setting. CPU EZ OC is a basic 4.4 GHz setting copied from Advanced-mode's Turbo 4.40 GHz setting at stock settings, and Turbo 4.6 GHz bumps maximum core voltage to 1.296V. Turbo 4.7 GHz and Turbo 4.8 GHz use 1.36V and 1.39V core settings with Level 1 Load Line Calibration to boost load voltage by up to 60mV beyond initial settings.

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This particular Core i7-6700K sample routinely reaches 4.60 GHz at 1.30V, and the Z170 Extreme4 got it there with some voltage variation since the closest Load Line Calibration setting, Level 3, was still a little too aggressive. Dropping the core voltage setting to 1.28V fixed the over-voltage condition, but also pushed the CPU's maximum stable frequency to 4.45GHz. DRAM voltage was also a little high, where the 1.330V setting pushed 1.350V to the memory slot.

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The Z170 Extreme4 has more than enough memory settings to reach super-high clocks, yet it couldn't even push the tested DDR4-3600 modules to a mere DDR4-3200. The best bet for performance and stability on this motherboard should be tightly-timed DDR4-2933 or DDR4-3000.Test

Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
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22 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Giltintur
    According to ASRocks site, it seem that the z170 Extreme4 has is 10 phase...
    http://www.asrock.com/mb/compare.asp?SelectedModel=Z170+Extreme4&SelectedModel=Z97+Extreme4
    Reply
  • Crashman
    17395267 said:
    According to ASRocks site, it seem that the z170 Extreme4 has is 10 phase...
    http://www.asrock.com/mb/compare.asp?SelectedModel=Z170+Extreme4&SelectedModel=Z97+Extreme4
    The picture from the top is a picture of the board that was tested, count them. It's probably 10+2, but since some companies don't specify the split for some products we usually list the total.

    Reply
  • Michael_189
    I own this motherboard and am very pleased with it's wealth of features for it's price, you may also find it now performs better with the latest bios updates which have been focused on Memory performance upgrades. Bios 2.40 and 2.60. I bought it as a replacement for a MSI Z170 Gaming 3 which went belly up after 3 months of use.
    Reply
  • blazorthon
    Wouldn't the lack of USB 2.0 ports potentially cause a compatibility problem with some computer mouses or keyboards?
    Reply
  • Michael_189
    Quote:
    Wouldn't the lack of USB 2.0 ports potentially cause a compatibility problem with some computer mouses or keyboards?

    Nope I'm using an old usb MS sidewinder keyboard and cheap logitech mouse and works perfectly remember for the most part USB3 has to be backwards compatible, thing they haven't mentioned in the article is that if you want to load Windows & you have to create a special boot-able version yourself
    Reply
  • Michael_189
    "if you want to load Windows & you have to create a special boot-able version yourself" sorry that's meant to be WINDOWS 7.
    Reply
  • Non-Euclidean
    Thank God it has the PS/2 port. I dont know what I would do with, err, without one.
    Reply
  • Non-Euclidean
    Thanks for the DVD/Update screenshots. Its a nice preview of what I will be expecting when my Fatality X99M Killer/3.1 arrives. (I had to put in the obligatory PS/2 connector remark before someone beat me to it).
    Reply
  • blazorthon
    Quote:
    Wouldn't the lack of USB 2.0 ports potentially cause a compatibility problem with some computer mouses or keyboards?

    Nope I'm using an old usb MS sidewinder keyboard and cheap logitech mouse and works perfectly remember for the most part USB3 has to be backwards compatible, thing they haven't mentioned in the article is that if you want to load Windows & you have to create a special boot-able version yourself

    Problem is that it's only for the most part. Most USB 3.0 ports are USB 3.0 or USB 2.0, but lack USB 1.0/1.1 support, which is supported by USB 2.0 ports. Some keyboards and mouses only support those older versions (especially cheap peripherals), but maybe ASRock wired both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 to the ports to fix this or something like that.
    Reply
  • Crashman
    17395809 said:
    17395673 said:
    Wouldn't the lack of USB 2.0 ports potentially cause a compatibility problem with some computer mouses or keyboards?

    Nope I'm using an old usb MS sidewinder keyboard and cheap logitech mouse and works perfectly remember for the most part USB3 has to be backwards compatible, thing they haven't mentioned in the article is that if you want to load Windows & you have to create a special boot-able version yourself
    To be more specific, it depends on the controller. Legacy USB modes are supported by the chipset's controllers, but often not third-party controller. On some motherboards, whether or not it works depends on which port you plug your legacy peripherals into.

    This makes more sense when we remember that the USB 3.0 connector has separate USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 connections.

    Reply