Introduction and Technical Specifications
The Z370-Lightsaber is ECS’ newest member of their L337 motherboard line, featuring the Intel Z370 chipset…
Introduction
Courtesy of ECS
The ECS Z370 Lightsaber motherboard is the latest offering in ECS' L337 product line, offering support for the Intel Z370 chipset. Similar to previous iterations of the Lightsaber board, the Z370-Lightsaber builds on the those board by adding dual-m.2 slot support, enhanced power support, as well as support for the latest Intel Coffee Lake-based processors. With an MSRP of $199, ECS priced the Z370 Lightsaber to be price-competitive with other mid-tier Z370-based offerings.
Courtesy of ECS
ECS designed the Z370 Lightsaber with a 14-phase digital power delivery system, using high efficiency chokes and MOSFETs, as well as solid core capacitors for optimal board performance. The following features into the Z370 Lightsaber board: six SATA 3 ports; two PCIe X2 M.2 ports; a Rivet Networks Killer E2500 GigE NIC; three PCI-Express x16 slots; three PCI-Express x1 slots; a 3-digit diagnostic LED display; on-board power, reset, Quick overclock, BIOS set, BIOS update, BIOS backup, and Clear CMOS buttons; a dual BIOS switch; Realtek audio solution; integrated DVI and HDMI video port support; and USB 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1 Gen2 port support.
Courtesy of ECS
For the integrated audio solution, ECS used a Realtek chipset on a separate PCB to minimize audio crosstalk and interference. The also include a removable audio amplifier chipset and high-end Nichicon audio capacitors for a superior audio experience.
Courtesy of ECS
The Z370 Lightsaber's rear panel contains the following integrated ports: USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and 3.1 ports, a Rivet Networks Killer E2500 RJ-45 GigE port, a CMOS clear button, DisplayPort and HDMI video ports, and both digital and analogue audio ports.
Technical Specifications (taken from the ECS website)
| CPU | 14 Phase Thermal Design Power 100% Solid capacitor design Intel® K Series Unlock CPU Support ECS Digital Power Design |
| CHIPSET | Intel® Z370 Express Chipset Supports Intel® Rapid Start technology Supports Intel® Smart Response technology |
| GRAPHICS | Supports DirectX® 12 |
| MEMORY | Dual-channel DDR4 Memory architecture Supports DDR4 2400 non-ECC, Un-buffered SDRAM Memory Supports up to 3200+(OC) 4 X 288-pin DDR4 DIMM socket Support up to 64 GB* Intel® extreme Memory Profile (XMP) 1.3/1.2 Memory Modules |
| EXPANSION SLOT | 3 X PCI Express X16 Gen 3.0 slot(s) (x8+ x8 + x4) 3 X PCI Express X 1 Gen 3.0slot(s) Supports AMD CrossFire™ Technology 1 X M.2 slot for SSD For 2242/2260/2280 PCI-e x4 / SATA SSD Supports Intel® Optane™ technology 1 X M.2 slot for SSD (Optional) 2242/2260/2280 PCI-e x4 SSD Support |
| Storage | Support by Intel® Z370 Express Chipset 6 X Serial ATAIII 6Gb/s Located in SATA3_1/2,SATA3_3/4,SATA3_5/6 Port RAID0, RAID1,RAID5, RAID 10 configuration |
| Audio | 8-Channel HD audio CODEC Realtek ALC1150 8-channel High Definition audio CODEC Onboard TI NE5532AP EAR Phone Amplifier IC< |
| LAN | Killer E2500 Gigabit Fast Ethernet Controller Wake-On-LAN |
| USB | Support by Z370 Express Chipset 6 X USB3.0 port(s) up to 5Gb/s Back Panel 4 port(s) Onboard 2 port(s) * 2 port(s) with EZ Charger 7 X USB2.0 port(s) Up to 480 Mb/s Back Panel 4 port(s) Onboard 3 port(s) Support by ASMedia ASM1142 Controller 2 X USB3.1 port(s) up to 10Gb/s Back Panel 2 port(s) |
| REAR PANEL I/O | 1 X PS/2 combo connector 1 X Audio port (Line-in,4x Line-out, Mic in) 1 X HDMI port(s) 1 X Display port 1 X Optical S/PDIF Out port(s) 2 X USB3.1 port(s) 6 X USB3.0 port(s) 4 X USB2.0 port(s) 1 X Clear_CMOS Button |
| CONNECTORS & HEADERS | 1 X 24-pin ATX Power Supply connector 1 X 8-pin ATX 12V Power Connector 2 X 4-pin CPU_FAN connector 2 X 4-pin SYS_FAN connector 1 X 4-pin PWR_FAN connector 1 X Power on button 1 X Reset button 1 X Front Panel switch/LED header 1 X Front panel audio header 1 X Speaker header 1 X USB 3.0 header Support additional 2 USB ports 2 X USB 2.0 header Support additional 3 USB ports 6 X SATA III 6Gb/s connector(s) 1 X CLR_CMOS header 1 X 7S-LED Display 1 X Chassis intrusion header 1 X 80P Switch button 1 X Quick OC button 1 X BIOS set button 1 X ROM Backup button 1 X BIOS Update button 4 X RGB header |
| SYSTEM BIOS | AMI BIOS with 128 MB SPI Flash ROM Supports M.I.B X Utility ACPI & DMI F7 hot key for boot up devices option Over-Clocking Dual Display Support ECS EZ BIOS Support GUI UEFI BIOS Plug and Play, STR (S3) / STD (S4) , Hardware monitor, Multi Boot Multi-Language BIOS Dual BIOS * Adjustable CPU Voltage * Memory Voltage Adjustable * Support CPU over-clocking function: Adjustable CPU Clock Multiplier |
| FORM FACTOR | ATX Form Factor 305mm x 244mm |
| OS Support | Windows 10 64-bit * Intel 8th Generation CPUs support Windows 10 64bit only |
| Certifications | CE/FCC Certification WHCK Certification |
| Bundled Software | ECS Intelligent EZ Utility : eBLU, eDLU, eSF |
| Review Terms and Disclosure All Information as of the Date of Publication |
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|---|---|
| How product was obtained: | The product is on loan from ECS for the purpose of this review. |
| What happens to the product after review: | The product remains the property of ECS but is on extended loan for future testing and product comparisons. |
| Company involvement: | ECS had no control over the content of the review and was not consulted prior to publication. |
| PC Perspective Compensation: | Neither PC Perspective nor any of its staff were paid or compensated in any way by Corsair for this review. |
| Advertising Disclosure: | ECS has not purchased advertising at PC Perspective during the past twelve months. |
| Affiliate links: | This article contains affiliate links to online retailers. PC Perspective may receive compensation for purchases through those links. |
| Consulting Disclosure: | ECS is not a current client of Shrout Research for products or services related to this review. |
Golden audio connectors!!!
Golden audio connectors!!!