Intel S1150 by stefan @ 2014-06-23
The G1.Sniper 5 high-end Z87 board from Gigabyte is also available in a smaller form factor, while retaining some of the most important features like Killer NIC, dual BIOS, Creative Sound Core 3D DSP. The UEFI interface is pretty customizable, has three modes and features the same design as with the Gigabyte G1.Sniper 5.
At first we would like to thank Gigabyte for offering a sample of their G1.Sniper M5 Motherboard for testing and reviewing.
“GIGABYTE was founded in 1986, establishing our uncontested position in continuous technological innovation. By focusing on key technologies and achieving strict quality standards, GIGABYTE has been regarded as an innovative and trusted motherboard leader in the globe. To keep pace in a rapidly changing world, we have offered a comprehensive product line covering Motherboards, Graphics Cards, PC Components, PC Peripherals, Laptops, Slate Devices, Desktop PCs, Network Communications, Servers and Mobile Phones. We are dedicated to building up a full-range digital life, responding promptly and sonorously to consumer needs and desires.”
GIGABYTE G1-Killer 8 Series Motherboards
GIGABYTE 8 Series G1-Killer motherboards are packed with absolutely everything you'll need to build an uncompromising, high-performance gaming PC. Loaded with advanced audio technologies, networking, maxed out multi-card gaming support, advanced cooling and looks that could kill, GIGABYTE G1-Killer motherboards are the ultimate choice for serious PC gamers.
GIGABYTE OPT Fan Support
GIGABYTE 8 Series motherboards feature OPT fan support, an additional CPU fan pin header that can be used to connect a water pump and configured for continuous full speed operation. The OPT Fan is also useful for high performance coolers employing two fans.
GIGABYTE On/Off Charge™ 2
GIGABYTE On/Off Charge technology is revised and upgraded on all GIGABYTE 8 Series motherboards, with comprehensive and enhanced charging support for a broad range of devices that include those that run both iOS and Android. Users can enjoy fast AC charging over USB on mobile devices, even when the PC is turned off.
GIGABYTE AMP-UP Audio
GIGABYTE G1-Killer motherboards are the world's first to feature an onboard OP-AMP socket, allowing enthusiasts to swap out the motherboard's onboard operational amplifier (OP-AMP) and explore personal audio preferences using a range of nuanced OP-AMPs available on the market. GIGABYTE G1-Killer motherboards include an amplifier upgrade kit that includes a pair of specialized Operational Amplifiers and an IC Extractor for easy installation. Additional amplifiers can be purchased separately to further expand audio capabilities.
Creative Sound Core3D
GIGABYTE 8 Series G1-Killer motherboards feature a dedicated Sound Core3D™ audio processor from Creative, a multi-core sound and voice processor offering high-performance hardware audio processing, with cutting-edge audio technologies including the SoundBlaster software suite.
Nichicon High End Audio Capacitors
GIGABYTE 8 Series G1-Killer motherboards use the highest quality Nichicon high end audio capacitors at each channel layout. These professional audio capacitors deliver the highest quality sound resolution and sound expansion to create the most realistic sound effects for professional gamers.
Headphone Amplifier - Gaming Headphone Amplifier (Front Headphone)
Specially designed for gamers, GIGABYTE G1-Killer motherboards utilize a high-capacity amplifier which is able to drive 600Ω loads, giving gamers a fuller range of dynamic sound with crisper details and less distortion when using high quality professional headphones.
Audio Noise Guard - Audio Noise Guard with Path Lighting
To help protect and insulate the high fidelity Creative Sound Core3D™ audio processor and onboard amplifiers from electromagnetic interference (EMI), GIGABYTE G1-Killer motherboards feature an audio noise guard that essentially separates the board’s sensitive analog audio components from potential noise pollution at the PCB level. LED trace path lighting Illuminates to show the separation of the PCB layers.
Gold Plated Audio Hardware
GIGABYTE G1-Killer motherboards pack top quality gold plated audio and HDMI connectors for improved connectivity and long lasting durability. Gold has superb signal conductivity and will not tarnish over extended periods of use. The Creative™ Sound Core3D processor is also shielded by a gold plated cover which eliminates electrostatic interference.
4K Ultra HD Support
4K resolution is the next technological milestone in high-definition content delivery, utilizing approximately 4,000 pixels on the horizontal axis, more than four times today's standard HD pixel density. GIGABYTE 8 series motherboards provide native 4K support with integrated Intel® HD Graphics via HDMI.
Qualcomm Atheros Killer™ E2200
GIGABYTE G1-Killer motherboards feature the Killer™ E2200 from Qualcomm Atheros, a high-performance, adaptive gigabit Ethernet controller that offers better online gaming and online media performance compared to standard solutions. The Killer™ E2200 features Advanced Stream Detect technology, which identifies and prioritizes all network traffic to ensure important applications that require high-speed connectivity are prioritized over less important traffic.
Ultra Networking - Killer E2200 Series Gaming Networking Platform
Killer™ Network Manager
Gamers can also use the Killer™ Network Manager which allows custom prioritization for all network applications, increase or reduce the bandwidth each application uses, or block an application entirely – all in a unique graphical interface.
GIGABYTE Exclusive Ultra Durable Technologies
Durable Black Solid Caps
GIGABYTE 8 Series motherboards integrate the absolute best quality solid state capacitors that are rated to perform at maximum efficiency for extended periods, even in extreme performance configurations. This provides peace of mind for end users who want to push their system hard, yet demand absolute reliability and stability. With ultra-low ESR no matter how high the CPU loading, these exclusive capacitors also come in customized jet black, exclusively on GIGABYTE 8 series motherboards.
Gold Plated CPU Socket
GIGABYTE 8 Series motherboards come equipped with a gold plated CPU socket, which means that enthusiasts can enjoy absolute reliability and longevity for the CPU socket overtime, without having any concerns about corroded pins and bad contacts.
2x Copper PCB
GIGABYTE's exclusive 2X Copper PCBs design provides sufficient power trace paths between components to handle greater than normal power loads and to remove heat from the critical CPU power delivery area. This is essential to ensure the motherboard is able to handle the increased power loading that is necessary when overclocking.
Last time we have taken a look at the fully-featured G1.Sniper 5 motherboard from Gigabyte and were very impressed with its bundle, build quality and performances; now it is time to do a presentation of the smaller version which presents itself with a microATX form factor. The product ships inside a medium-sized box, with the product logo in the middle and some pictograms of the supported Intel technologies:
As with the more expensive variant, we will receive the OP AMP Upgrade Kit:
On the back side of the packaging all the main components get to be explained, which includes the I/O connectors:
After removing the top cover, we will get to see the main product, which is wrapped inside an anti-static bag:
Besides the bundle, we will also receive some documentation; some bundle items were missing from the kit but in the retail packaging you will receive one driver CD and case sticker, a SLI Bridge, 4 SATA cables but also the I/O Shield along with the Gigabyte OP-AMP upgrade kit:
With the OP-AMP upgrade kit we are receiving an additional LM4562NA amplifier, in order to replace the pre-installed OPA2134:
Inside the manual we will get full explanations regarding the installation procedure:
The I/O Shield also comes with the G1-Killer branding:
Same color scheme and matte black PCB finish can be found on the microATX board, which is great. Despite the fact that the form factor is noticeably smaller, Gigabyte has succeeded to keep the internal components well organized; we have only one complaint though and this is regarding the spacing between the first PCI-Express x16 slot and the CPU socket, but we will discuss this in more detail later:
The top left corner of the PCB is housing the 8-Pin ATX power connector:
Behind the I/O connectors we will find the PTN336008S video output signal conversion controller:
Further down we have the ASMedia ASM1442 which is a high speed TMDS level shift IC for HDMI and DVI:
A secondary PTN336008S is to be found nearby:
The themed heatsinks cover the 8-phase CPU VRM, which should be enough even for high-level overclocks:
For the audio interface, Gigabyte has used Nichicon high end audio capacitors at each channel layout and a dedicated gaming headphone amplifier is able to drive 600ohm loads, giving gamers a fuller range or dynamic sound with crisper details and less distortion when using professional headphones. In the left bottom corner we have the shielded Sound Core3D DSP from Creative which is able to offer high-performance hardware audio processing while using the SoundBlaster software suite. The audio interface PCB area is shielded from the rest in order to avoid interferences; Path Lighting is also used here which means that the PCB is illuminated with a row of LEDs and gives an overall pleasant effect:
The board is fitted with three PCI-Express x16 slots (the last two on the bottom are x8 electrical) and between the first and the second slot we also have one PCI-Express x1. If we look carefully, nearby we will get to see the two BIOS chips, the Main BIOS and the Backup BIOS. When the Main BIOS gets corrupted, the board will automatically download a working version from Backup. If we do a BIOS update via a bootable drive, both (Main,Backup) will be updated, while when we do the update procedure from inside the UEFI interface, only the Main BIOS will be brought at the latest version:
Between the VRM heatsink and the first PCI-Express x16 slot we also get to spot a 4-pin fan connector:
On the bottom side of the PCB we will get to see the F_Audio connector, two more 4-pin fan connectors but also two USB 2.0 headers:
The F_Panel headers are color coded so we can identify them much easier:
In the vicinity we have a large Z87 chipset heatsink, which sports the G1. Killer logo:
This board comes equipped with 6 SATA ports; the G1.Sniper 5 had 10 SATA ports, 4 which were controlled by a 88SE9230 6Gb/s SATA controller from Marvel:
Near the 24-pin ATX power connector we also have the LED display (Debug LED), along with one front USB 3.0 port header:
Besides the larger red Power button located on the top right side of the PCB, we will also get to find two BIOS switches, a Reset button which is accompanied by a CMOS Reset button:
The RAM slots are also color coded:
Between the slots and the VRM heatsink we will also get to see two additional 4-pin fan connectors:
On the I/O, we will get to find two USB 2.0 ports, one PS/2 combo port, one DVI, two HDMI and one DisplayPort output, four USB 3.0 ports, one LAN port but also the audio jacks which are backed by the Creative Sound Core 3D. Additionally, Gigabyte has also placed here one optical SPDIF connector:
Coming back at the same small issue we have encountered too with the G1.Sniper 5: the space between the CPU socket and the first PCI-Express slot is quite small and when installing beefy CPU coolers like the Noctua NH-D14 we must be attentive so the cooler won’t touch the back of the GPU in order to avoid short circuits which leads to permanent damage:
The UEFI interface of the Gigabyte boards is quite unique and pleasant to the eye. These can be viewed in three different modes (Normal, Full HD, Classic), while the Full HD mode shows the most live data around the settings menus. By live data we are referring to CPU Status, Memory Status, System Status details, but also live voltage, fan speed and temperature statistics on top. The Home menu can be customized by our own liking and contains by default two preset tabs like Performance and Standard, while the last four are empty:
The Performance menu is populated with the Frequency, Memory, Voltage, PC Health Status and Miscellaneous sub-sections. From the Frequency tab we will be able to adjust the CPU BCLK, CPU IGP clock, CPU multiplier, memory system multiplier and many more:
The Memory tab allows working with the memory frequency, XMP pre-programmed profiles, miscellaneous options like Enhancement Settings, Timing Mode, Boot Mode and more. The memory sub-timings are accessible through a separate menu:
From the Voltage tab we will be able to access different menus like Advanced Power Settings, CPU Core Voltage Control, Chipset Voltage Control or DRAM Voltage Control:
Advanced Power Settings takes care of the CPU VRIN LLC, Current Protection values, PWM Phase Control:
CPU Core Voltage Control allows adjustment of the CPU VCore, Graphics Voltage, Ring Voltage, System Agent Voltage, but also I/O Analog and Digital Voltage:
Chipset Voltage Control allows adjustment of the PCH Core and PCH IO voltages:
In the next tab we will be able to choose the DRAM Voltage value:
PC Health Status menu lets us adjust the Warning systems, but also the fan speeds of the included headers:
The next menu lets us choose the PCIe Slot Configuration menu along with the possibility to enable the 3DMark01 Boost feature:
The System Information menu allows us to choose the UEFI GUI language, adjust the passwords for both Administrator and User modes, toggle between the modes, go straight to the Classic Setup interface, choose a wallpaper, enable a visual style theme and more:
The BIOS Features menu lets us customize regular options like Bootup NumLock State, Full Screen Logo Show, Fast Boot and many more:
Peripherals menu contains another set of sub-menus like Device Config, SATA Config, Super IO Config or Intel Smart Connect. Device Config allows enabling the Processor Graphics, adjusting the memory, enabling the audio controller, initial display output priority and more:
SATA Config menu takes care of the included Serial ATA ports:
The Super IO Config menu only lists the code name of the included Super IO Chip:
Intel Smart Connect technology can be enabled from the next tab:
The regular Power Management options can be adjusted from the next menu:
Finally, we have the Save & Exit menu where we can Save, Discard, Load Defaults, Load/Save Custom Settings or enter the Q-Flash program for UEFI update:
CPU: Intel I5 4670K Retail
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14
Motherboard: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M5
RAM: GeIL Black Dragon 2x4GB DDR2133 (@1600)
Video: HIS 280X
Power Supply: Cooler Master 850W
SSD: OCZ Vector 150
Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840
Stability at 4.5GHz could be obtained with 5mV higher than the G1.Sniper 5, while LLC was set at the highest level:
With the latest version of AIDA64 utility, we can reveal more information regarding the motherboard, the CPU IMC and the Z87 chipset:
Motherboard
Haswell IMC
Z87 Chipset
Both online and on the supplied disks we will be able to find a lot of extra software. The Qualcomm Atheros Killer NIC has a refreshed Killer Network Manager interface, with multiple sections:
The Applications Page menu will let us sort by Name, Priority and more:
Further on, from the Network Settings menu we will be able to enable Bandwidth Control:
We will be able to collect in-depth statistics of the LAN interface by checking out the System Performance section:
The Killer Ethernet menu gives us overall Network Information:
With the coming of the Z87 generation, we have seen much better implementations of the audio interfaces compared to the systems before them. This board comes equipped with the Creative Sound Core3D DSP and along it we have available a nicely designed GUI which carries lots of options. From the SBX Pro Studio we can adjust the Surround, Crystalizer, Bass and Dialog Plus effects, along with the Crossover Frequency:
The CrystalVoice menu allows us to set the Microphone volume and boost, along with adding extra FX effects, enabling Smart Volume or using Noise Reduction and Acoustic Echo Cancellation:
The Core3D DSP supports Scout Mode, which is useful in games:
Depending on which type of setup we are using, we will be able to choose in the Speakers/Headphones tab:
The Mixer menu is available at the next section:
A 10-band EQ with presets can be accessed in the respective tab:
The final “Advanced Features” menu allows us to set one more option:
The rest of the Gigabyte applications can be installed from the “APP Center”. This type of organization makes access much easier to all modules at once:
The @BIOS app allows us to see the current BIOS information, update it to the latest version from a web server, update the BIOS from a file or dump it, but also to access Face-Wizard:
The USB Blocker app prevents certain types of USB devices from being connected to the system:
The latest version of Gigabyte EasyTune also comes with multiple sections from where we can see the current system information, enable different default overclocking profiles or power saving via Smart Quick Boost, change the fan profiles by navigating to the Smart Fan section, working with the System Alerts or setting some of the system voltages:
Several EZ modes can be set and configured from the EZ Setup app:
A backup application is also supplied:
Cloud Station utility helps Gigabyte Apps to communicate, share resources and control desktop PC systems:
By using a KingFast E-Drive 2.5'' SATAIII SLC 120GB SSD, we have performed ATTO runs in order to find the performance differences between the two motherboards:
In our RMAA loopback test, as expected, we see better performances when compared to the ECS GANK DRONE since the board does feature PCB shielding and isolation for the audio interface.
While we could consider the Gigabyte G1.Sniper 5 as residing in the high-end gaming segment, the M5 model is rather positioned on the mainstream, while retaining many good features from the ATX board variant. From the removed features we could remind the less beefy VRM, only one LAN controller (Killer NIC), no WiFi expansion as a bundle or no support for quad SLI.
The smaller form factor makes installation in more compact cases possible and the Creative Sound Core 3D DSP has been preserved, along with the PCB isolation in order to keep the fidelity to higher levels when compared to the regular solutions based on Realtek CODECs.
The UEFI interface is practically identical to fully-fledged model and here we can dial-in our preferred settings in order to achieve optimal results in overclocking environments. The dual-BIOS feature is available so if one gets corrupted, the system will automatically copy a working version from the backup in order to be able to boot-up successfully; we also have the option to choose between the two BIOSes by only working with the on-board switch.
Speaking about overclocking, we have succeeded to keep our 4670K stable with a little bit more voltage, but the extra heat build-up was insignificant.
The only thing we did not enjoy much was the fact that if we are using a large high-performance CPU cooler, very little space remains between the video card placed on the first PCI-Express slot and the heatsink fins so we must be very careful with the mounting; a better solution would be to use an all-in-one liquid cooling system which eliminates this small issue completely.
Gigabyte G1 Sniper M5 model is priced quite fair for the features we are getting, so it can be acquired for about 115 Euros.
We would like to thank again to Gigabyte for making this review possible!