CPU Cooler Fit and Included Accessories
CPU Cooler Fit
To test the amount of space surrounding the CPU socket, we mounted the Noctua NH-D15 cooler to the CPU socket. This behemoth CPU air cooler sports a dual fan construction and two huge vertical cooling towers.
When oriented in its default configuration with air blown towards the rear panel of the case, the Noctua cooler fits into the CPU socket area of the Strix Z270E Gaming without issues. Further, the spacing between the CPU socket area and the primary PCIe x16 slot are sufficient to seat a video card with the cooler mounted. Note that you may have spacing issues between a large cooler and a card mounted in the primary PCIe x1 slot however.
The closeup views of the cooler seating and mounting further display just how well the Noctua cooler fits to the board. Even though fit between the cooler and the upper VRM heat sink looks tight, there is sufficient clearance between the two.
The Noctua hold down mechanism is large enough to quickly determine exactly how much space is available around the CPU socket. The Noctua mounts fits the socket with no tight areas or contact points evident between it and the on board capacitors, chokes, or heat sinks.
The cooler's backplate rests on the socket backplate, minimizing the risk of direct board contact. Further, there is no circuitry in close proximity to the socket to pose risks.
Included Accessories
The Strix Z270E Gaming motherboard comes with all the necessary components to get the board up and running, as well as some nice to have accessories to further customize the board's look.
The manual included with the Strix Z270E Gaming does not disappoint, written in the clear and detailed language we've come to expect from ASUS motherboard manuals. Also included is a driver DVD with all necessary hardware drivers and Window's utilities, ROG cable labels, and an ROG drink coaster. The cable labels can be used to label and identify SATA cables and other case cables.
The board's rear panel shield consists of a black surface with the port identifying text and icons printed in white text. Under good lighting, the text and icons are easy to read, but may be challenging to see under poor lighting conditions.
ASUS bundled in four black 6Gb/s rated SATA cables for use with the integrated port. The cables have integrated port locks and a mix of straight and 90 degree connectors.
For multi-GPU use, ASUS included a single two-way NVIDIA SLI HB adapter.
For use with the integrated WIFI adapter, ASUS includes a dual-plug antennae with gold-plated screw-in connectors. The antennae can be used in a flat or upright orientation with its flat surface optimized for broadcast and reception of 802.11ac type signals.
ASUS included a CPU installation tool with the motherboard to ensure easy and proper CPU installation into the board's socket. You simply snap the plastic guide over top of the CPU and place the CPU in the socket with the "This Side Up" arrow placed near the socket hinge. The plastic guide remains in place when you lock the CPU into the socket.
For use with an external RBG LED strip, ASUS included an extension cable that plugs into the board's RBG LED header for powering and syncing the external strip with the board's illumination settings.
Lack of SATA-Express…
Lack of SATA-Express… That’s not a con.
I have yet to see one single
I have yet to see one single sata express device on the market.
This board is all positive
This board is all positive for me:
– I am happy to see a board WITHOUT sata express – A useless added expense
– Could not care less about any RGB lighting – just an unnecessary added expense.
– My Memory will be less than 3866 MHz
So all good
Has Asus completely dropped
Has Asus completely dropped Alpine Ridge for Z270 ? They had it on the Maximus Formula for Z170.
For this board, it looks like
For this board, it looks like it, but not sure about the rest of them…
Haven’t been able to find
Haven’t been able to find one… maybe it’s unjustified, but for me Asmedia and premium don’t go together.
ASUS supports TBIII via
ASUS supports TBIII via theThunderbolt EX III add in card. This is done via firmware and PCH design support. All that is required is connecting the corresponding cable from the TB header to the card and you are good. It is natively on the board due to it’s inclusion would considerably increase the cost of the board. It is not on this board but you can at the similar Z270-A if you want support for it or any ASUS board that supports the TB header.
Is the CMOS battery thing a
Is the CMOS battery thing a joke?
I see that as a pro or con in every review. At first I thought you were joking, but now I’m thinking you are serious. What a miniscule issue. My current build is 3+ years old and still on the original CMOS battery.
Not a joke, a minor
Not a joke, a minor inconvenience and pet peeve of mine. You normally don't have to mess with the battery, but when you do, its a PITA if you have to take apart half your system to get to it…
Remember having to do this
Remember having to do this last year on an older system it really was a pain!
Looks like a lot of reviewers are liking the Strix z270e, have read a few and they all seem to speak highly… Off to amazon I go 🙂
https://www.esportsource.net/best-gaming-motherboards/z270/
This is perhaps the worst
This is perhaps the worst review I’ve seen on this site. Hopefully it was from an unpaid freelancer.
DVI? really? be done with it
DVI? really? be done with it already!
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