Conclusion

Performance

The Z370 Lightsaber motherboard performed within expectations under stock conditions easily matching performance with other Intel Z370-based boards. No overclocking results were shown because of non-board related processor issues we encountered with our test CPU.

Pricing

As of April 02, the ECS Z370 Lightsaber motherboard was not available from any US retailers.

Conclusion

The Z370 Lightsaber is a very well designed product, illustrating ECS' ability to design an enthusiast-friendly product in this crowded marketplace. The board featured matte-black aesthetics, guaranteed to blend in almost any build. Design-wise, ECS did integrated high-end features normally found on more costly board like the 14-phase digital power system, a slew of ports, and top-notch sound. They even integrated a dual BIOS design to ensure proper system operation under any circumstances.

Strengths

  • Stock performance
  • Price
  • Overclocking potential
  • Board aesthetics, layout, and design
  • li>UEFI BIOS design and usability
  • No bandwidth sharing between PCIe slots and M.2 port
  • GigE network controller performance
  • M.2 port placement
  • Inclusion of enthusiast-friendly features – dual CMOS chips, on-board power / reset / Quick OC / BIOS function buttons, 2-digit LED diagnostic display

Weaknesses

  • Lack of US retail availability
  • CMOS battery placement
  • BIOS reset button in rear panel
  • Motherboard manual details
« PreviousNext »