MSI Z170A Xpower Gaming Titanium Edition

MSI’s Xpower Gaming Titanium Edition is possibly the best-looking motherboard we’ve ever seen, sporting a striking light grey colour scheme across the PCB.

The layout is superb too. There are four 16x PCI-E slots and three 1x PCI-E slots, with ample space underneath slots 1-3 for a 3-way graphics setup using decent-sized coolers, and slots 1 and 3 are reinforced with steel. Meanwhile, the use of right-angled SATA connectors means your SATA cables won’t get in the way of longer graphics cards.

MSI Z170A Gaming Pro

Much like the other less expensive Z170 motherboards on test, the MSI Z170A Gaming Pro only omits a few of the main features found on its bigger siblings. What’s more, the Z170A Gaming Pro looks better than your average budget board. The black and red theme so loved by many PC component manufacturers is used to full effect here. The chunky VRM and chipset heatsinks are red on the top, while the rest of the board is a mix of black and grey.

MSI Z170A Gaming M7

There’s a strange assumption among motherboard makers that red and black is the colour scheme of choice for PC gamers. Not only is it used on the majority of Z170 motherboards, but it’s also seen on many cases and even gamingfocused displays. Assuming you like this colour combo, of all the boards on test, MSI has made the best use of these two colours with the Gaming M7. The VRM and chipset heatsinks are decorated with deep red go-faster stripes, and the same even goes for some of the connections directly on the PCB. There are some LEDs on the board too – a red strip outlines the audio isolation circuit, while a bright red light enables you to diagnose any network problems with the LAN port.

Asus Maximus VIII Ranger

Although the Maximus VIII Ranger is far from the cheapest board on test, it’s still notably less expensive than other Asus Republic of Gamers boards, giving enthusiasts a chance to get their hands on Asus’ ROG goodness without breaking the bank. It’s good to see solid, large heatsinks on the VRMs and chipset, although there’s no connecting heatpipe, as found on the other ROG boards. Free space around the power connectors isn’t that generous either, but that’s not a major problem. On the plus side, the main fan headers are positioned along the easily accessible top area of the board, including a connector for a pump, and the front and rear chassis fan headers are in the right places as well.

Asus Maximus VIII Gene

The differences between micro-ATX and ATX boards have now shrunk to the point where you don’t lose much by opting for a smaller board, especially if you buy the Asus Maximus VIII Gene. Aside from having fewer PCI-E slots, it offers all you get from an ATX board and, in some cases, more.

EVGA Z170 Classified 4-Way

EVGA’s Z170 Classified 4-Way is the only motherboard on test with 4-way SLI support. Normally, there aren’t enough PCI-E lanes on a Z170 system for four graphics cards, but with the addition of a PLX chip, which artificially increases the number of lanes via multiplexing, it’s possible to effectively squeeze more lanes from the Z170 chipset and run four Nvidia cards together. The Z170 Classified is also notable for its price. At £345, it’s significantly more expensive than any other board on test.