Gigabyte has quietly introduced a new premium motherboard to flesh out the upper echelons of its Gaming series. The Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 6 is, in essence, an ATX form-factor board, supporting socket LGA1151 (Skylake) via Intel's Z170 Express Chipset. It sports modern platform niceties including USB 3.1 with USB Type-C, PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 storage, DDR4 RAM and built-in DisplayPort. As part of its Gaming range, Gigabyte has also furnished the Z170X-Gaming 6 with the likes of 3-way graphics support, upgraded audio components, upgraded networking and overclocking friendly features.
Gigabyte Z170X-Gaming 6 key specifications
- Supports 6th Generation Intel Core Processor
- Dual Channel DDR4, 4 DIMMs
- Intel USB 3.1 with USB Type-C-The World's Next Universal Connector, supports up to 16Gb/s
- 3-Way Graphics Support with Exclusive Ultra Durable Metal Shielding over the PCIe Slots
- Dual PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 Connectors with up to 32Gb/s Data Transfer (PCIe NVMe & SATA SSD support)
- 3 SATA Express Connectors for up to 16Gb/s Data Transfer
- 115dB SNR HD Audio with Built-in Rear Audio Amplifier
- Killer E2200 and Intel Gaming Networks
- High Quality Audio Capacitors and Audio Noise Guard with LED Trace Path Lighting
- APP Centre Including EasyTune and Cloud Station Utilities
- GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS Technology
As noted by TechPowerUp, which first noticed this new motherboard which arrived without fanfare, Gigabyte enables fairly high overclocks for CPU and RAM. There is a 11-phase CPU VRM and large heatsinks extending over the I/O area.
In its promotional overview Gigabyte ranks this board's USB connectivity most highly. It claims that its implementation of USB 3.1 offers better bandwidth than rivals and is made more attractive with the USB Type-C connectors available. The built-in audio capabilities are drawn to our attention; the capabilities of the Realtek ALC1150 115dB SNR HD audio chip and Sound Blaster X-Fi MB3 software suite are spelled out. Gigabyte's audio solution allows OP-AMP switching and gain boost selection and features Nichicon audio capacitors.
Networking is catered for by a pair of (Intel/Killer) gigabit Ethernet connections. For storage devices, users have access to six SATA 6Gb/s connectors, three SATA Express connectors offering up to 16Gb/s, and Dual PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 connectors with up to 32Gb/s. Aiding and abetting the EasyTune software Gigabyte's Z170X-Gaming 6 features an onboard TURBO B-Clock Tuning IC and long lifespan durable black solid caps.
Full specifications can be found on the product page. Gigabyte hasn't published any availability and pricing information.
