EVGA is among motherboard manufacturers attempting to get products ready in advance of Intel's upcoming Skylake CPU, showing Z170 boards that appear near production-ready. These include the Z170 Stinger, FTW, and Classified.
| Z170 StingerZ170 FTWZ170 ClassifiedForm FactorMini ITXATXATXExpansion Slots1x x16x8-x8-x4-x4-x1x8-x8-x8-x8-x4Memory Slots2x DDR44x DDR44x DDR4SATA Ports468Rear USB 6x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.06x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.06x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0VideoDisplayPort, HDMIDisplayPort, HDMIDisplayPort, HDMIAudio5 Analog, 1 Optical5 Analog, 1 Optical5 Analog, 1 OpticalNetwork1x Gig-E1x Gig-E2x Gig-E |
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Following EVGA tradition, the Stinger is a mini ITX part. Featuring a 6-phase voltage regulator for overclocking, it includes two DDR4 DIMM slots and a single PCIe 3.0 x16 slot internally.
FTW adds a few more slots and the ability to split the upper sixteen lanes across the first two x16 slots in x8-x8 mode. Z170 Classified adds third party controllers and PCIe bridges to support four graphics cards in x8 mode (or two in x16 mode), two extra SATA drives (totaling eight) including SATA-Express capable ports, an M.2 slot, an extra USB 3.0 front-panel header, and dual gigabit Ethernet.
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Any chance we can get Creative Labs Sound built in again?
No more sleek I/O coverplate?
Good luck plugging up the USB3.0 cable into that sideways header that's facing downwards. Maybe include an extension cable? Just maybe?
Its always bugged me that the debug LED is sideways.
The classy has nicer PCI-E retention locks than the FTW. What gives? I hated using a ruler to reach the top-lock when you have SLI'd a few cards together. Its a PITA.
I'm a fan of EVGA, but I want their products to hold up well against the competition. And just a few minor tweaks can make these boards soar above others.
It's been that way for a long time. Haswell is x16 for one card, or 8x8 for 2. As was ivy bridge. sandy bridge was the same, but I think it was only PCI-E 2.0.