Introduction and Technical Specifications
Boom! Headshot! Gigabyte gives gamers mATX board with awesome performance and looks!
Introduction
Courtesy of Gigabyte
PC gaming is alive and well and hardware vendors are working to create unique features in their product lines to entice this niche audience. Gigabyte has always had a soft spot for gamers who want the best components for their LAN rigs so they can own their friends in any game genre they choose to play. Gigabyte has broadened their product line to include performance gaming mice, keyboards, and PC cases. They also have a line of "G1-Killer" motherboards that Gigabyte claims is designed with 3D gaming in mind. One of their latest boards in the G1-Killer series is the G1.Sniper M3, and just happen to have a sample that we are reviewing today.
Courtesy of Gigabyte
The G1.Sniper M3 was designed into a micro ATX form factor that sports Intel's latest Z77 Express chipset and supports the third generation of Intel's LGA 1155 "Ivy Bridge" processors. It is challenging to pack enough performance features and overclocking options onto a micro ATX footprint, but Gigabyte's G1.Sniper M3 has broken the code in this department. This $180 board includes a digital power phase design with auto voltage compensation, dual UEFI BIOS, and an onboard Creative Sound Core3D quad-core audio processor for rich, high-definition audio.
Courtesy of Gigabyte
The G1.Sniper M3 comes with a three-year warranty and a host of features courtesy of the Z77 chipset. The rear panel supports a PS/2 keyboard and mouse combo port, D-SUB, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, eSATA, optical out, and five audio jacks. These options should make for a interesting home theater PC configuration for users wanting an excellent system for high-definition gaming and movies.
Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Technical Specifications (taken from Gigabyte's website)
CPU |
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Chipset |
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Memory |
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Onboard Graphics |
Chipset:
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Audio |
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LAN |
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Expansion Slots |
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Multi-Graphics Technology |
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Storage Interface |
Chipset:
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USB |
Chipset:
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Internal I/O Connectors |
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Back Panel Connectors |
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I/O Controller |
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H/W Monitoring |
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BIOS |
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Unique Features |
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Bundle Software |
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Operating System |
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Form Factor |
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Remark |
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It would be nice if the
It would be nice if the comparison was against the ASUS Maximus V Gene. That way we can see two gaming z77 micro atx boards going head to head.
We are looking to have the
We are looking to have the board in very soon!!
Did you notice any issues
Did you notice any issues with the audio drivers? Creative is notorious for having a bad(unstable) drivers.
Great thing that mATX market
Great thing that mATX market seems to be thriving, and not just limited to ultra-low-end budget office mobos.
I definitely like this review
I definitely like this review and mATX z77. It would be great if we could push it a bit with a faster cpu/gpu config and then we can compare it to some other boards in its class. Not so sure a 5770 is uh, worthy?, either way good rev, def want to see what this board does with a fast kepler gpu and an IB part.
Thanks again!
I’d definitely like to use a
I'd definitely like to use a higher-end GPU, but we try to evaluate the motherboard exclusively with mid-range hardware to differientate if the added performance comes from the mobo or the other hardware. =)
I don’t understand the market
I don’t understand the market for mATX. Who is looking to make a high end gaming build — possibly with multiple GPUs — but has to make it in a very small form factor?!
My personal opinion is the
My personal opinion is the micro ATX form factor caters mostly to LAN party gamers and HTPC builders because it is a smaller form factor that can be used in portable, lower-wattage PCs. They aren't typically used for "high end" gaming PCs, but more for gaming systems with single or dual graphics cards that aren't comparable to ATX-size boards with higher-end specs.
Steve – Was there contact
Steve – Was there contact between the CNPS12X cooler and video card? Is that why the 5770 was installed in the middle PCI express slot (x4) rather than the top PCI express x16 slot? I ask because I have this motherboard and am thinking of getting the same cooler. Any help would appreciated. Thanks
It says right on the
It says right on the motherboard PCIEX16, 4 and 8 – not 2×16 and 1×8.