Five Z87 Motherboards Under $220, Reviewed

Z87-Pro Applications

Asus Ai Charger+ adds fast-charge capability (similar to Apple’s) to BC 1.1-compliant devices. Devices that can’t use these technologies can still be boosted by the board’s added-current capability demonstrated by the USB Charger+ menu.

Network iControl is Asus’ packet prioritization suite.

Asus’ “Wi-Fi GO!” menu is a universal starting point for advanced Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functions. Users can set their mobile devices up for instant transfers (either locally or to Asus WebStorage), as remote control, or even as a playback device for local content.

The Z87-Pro’s Wi-Fi Engine menu configures its wireless controller as either a network client or access point. As one whose computer sits next to the modem, I choose option two.

Asus Ai Suite also has a Web updater function for drivers and BIOS. Users can set it to automatically load their new BIOS to a USB flash drive for use with Asus’ USB BIOS Flashback feature.

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Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.