ASUS SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1 motherboard overclocking performance excavator?

In August, Intel's sixth-generation CPU was fully launched on the market and is no longer compatible with the old platform. As a result, the motherboards were updated and the new motherboard models include (Z170, H170, H110, B150 and Q170, Q150, etc.). Among them, the Z170 motherboard is a representative of high-end motherboards.

Since its launch two months ago, major manufacturers have launched their own new generation motherboards. ASUS has also launched several series of new motherboards. TUF Z170 motherboards will also be launched soon. TUF motherboards are from ASUS's special forces series. As high-end motherboards, the special forces series motherboards have a domineering appearance, are stable and durable, and have high heat dissipation performance, which has always left a deep impression on people. So what updates has this motherboard made compared to the previous generation of motherboards? Can overclocking satisfy people? Let's find out.

This time, we selected three motherboards from ASUS (Z170, B150, and Z97), and the parameter comparison is clear at a glance.

In terms of processor specifications, B150 and Z170 motherboards use LGA1151 slots to support the latest sixth-generation Intel processors, while Z97 does not support the latest Intel processors. As both are ATX motherboards, the BIOS performance of the Z170 motherboard has been greatly improved over that of the Z97 motherboard. The simple BIOS interface makes users feel comfortable.

In terms of memory, Z97 motherboards only support DDR3 memory, Z170 motherboards support DDR4 memory, ASUS B150 PRO GAMING D3 supports DDR3, and most B150 motherboards support DDR4 memory. The biggest differences between DDR4 memory and DDR3 memory are three points: 16-bit pre-fetch mechanism (DDR3 is 8-bit), the theoretical speed is twice that of DDR3 at the same core frequency; more reliable transmission specifications, further improving data reliability; the operating voltage is reduced to 1.2V, which is more energy-efficient.

Expansion slot, the Z170 motherboard has increased to 3×PCI-E slots, and the SATA interface has also been upgraded to 22Gb/s compared to the Z97 motherboard M.2 interface. At the same time, 2×SATA Express interfaces have been added to make the hard disk transmission rate faster.

The difference in the backplane I/O interface is that the new generation motherboard has 1×USB3.1 Type-C interface and 1×USB3.1 Type-A interface compared to the previous generation motherboard. The continuous read and write speed of USB 3.1 is around 500MB/s to 600MB/s, and the highest score can even exceed 700MB/s. As for the USB 3.0 interface, its continuous read and write speed is around 300MB/s to 400MB/s. The ASUS SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1 motherboard does not have a PS/2 keyboard and mouse interface, but adds a BIOS Flashback button TUF Detective interface. The HDMI interface and Display Port interface can also be connected to external high-definition devices for output even if the machine does not have a discrete graphics card installed.

ASUS SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1 motherboard has rich accessories. Including user manual, ASUS Q-Shield, accessory manual, SATA 6.0Gb/s data cable x4, SLI bridge, Q-connector (1 in 1), driver and application CD, M.2 screw package, CPU installation tool, TUF certification card, TUF 5-year after-sales manual, HYPERM.2 X4, two accessory fans (35/40mm), TUF sticker, PCIe x16/x1 slot dust cover, DRAM slot dust cover, long/short fan screws, thermistor cable, I/O backplane dust cover and dust net, integrated interface connector dust cover, onboard USB2.0 slot dust cover, STAY COOL BE TUF sticker (s) (white), onboard SATA interface dust cover, audio interface dust cover, Bead Chain for Metalic Cover, SATA Express interface. Compared with Z97 motherboard and B150 motherboard accessories are much more luxurious.

Compared with the network card chip and display chip of the Z170 motherboard, the motherboard chip has higher performance, the dual gigabit network card has faster transmission speed and the network is smoother.

CPU overclocking test

Test platform CPU: Intel Core i7 6700k, motherboard ASUS SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1, memory G.SKILL DDR4 3200MHz 16GB (4GB×4) set, Antec water cooling fan, Delta NX650 power supply, hard disk is Samsung 850 PRO 128G solid state drive, operating system win10 professional version.

Under normal circumstances, the core frequency of the CPU is 4.0GHz. Through the CPU-Z test, the score of the single-core processor is 970 and the score of the multi-core processor is 3528. Compared with the i7 4790K, the single-core processor performance is improved by 5%, and the multi-core processor performance is improved by 4%. Such improvements are obviously not satisfactory. In the test of the B150 motherboard 6700K, the single-core performance is improved by 7% compared with the 4790K, which is higher than the test score of the Z170 motherboard with 6700K. The multi-core performance is the same as the Z170 motherboard with 6700K. Such results seem a bit disappointing, but the B150 motherboard itself does not have overclocking capabilities, so it is reasonable that the single-core capability has improved.

Overclocking via BIOS

The BIOS interface of ASUS SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1 motherboard is simple to operate. It has three modes (optimized game mode, power saving mode, normal mode) and the unique F11 EZ mode. One-click overclocking only takes 4 steps. When the interface settings are completed, you can see that the CPU performance is improved by 15%. The core frequency is increased to 4635MHz. Compared with extreme overclocking, one-click "fool" overclocking is safer and more reliable, and has high stability and is not easy to damage hardware.

After the settings are completed, enter the Windows interface. Through the CPU-Z test, the single-core test score is 1103, which is a 19% improvement over 4790K. The multi-core test score is 4080, which is a 20% improvement over 4790K. It is 5% higher than the data given on the BIOS.

The rendering capability is also significantly improved under overclocking conditions. Through the CIMENEMCH R15 test, the CPU rendering capability is 1020cb, while without overclocking it is only 868cb, and the 4770K is 822cb. Under overclocking, the rendering capability is improved by 17%. The one million-bit operation time is improved. The SUPER PI one million-bit operation time test is 7.925S. Without overclocking, it is above 8.2S, which is an improvement of 0.3S.

In the chess computing power test, the normal mode is 15698 thousand steps per second, and the overclocked mode is 18543 thousand steps per second, an increase of 18%.

From the test point of view, the CPU overclocking performance is improved by about 20%, and the computing and rendering have been greatly improved. The "fool-style" overclocking shows an improvement of 15% and the actual improvement is 20%, which is very powerful performance mining.

The significance of high-end motherboards lies in maximizing platform performance and highlighting gaming. ASUS SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1 motherboard's "foolproof" overclocking is simple and practical, allowing the CPU to perform at its most stable performance after overclocking. The self-guiding armor design allows the motherboard's internal temperature to be well controlled. The dual fans provide greater airflow and rapid cooling channels. The air volume control switch design can control the amount of air contact with the heat pipe, and the metal backplate protects the components and also improves heat dissipation.

Compared with the previous generation Z97 motherboard, the Z170 motherboard has significantly improved overclocking capability, heat dissipation capability, memory, and hard disk storage. It is only a matter of time before the Z170 motherboard replaces the Z97 motherboard and becomes the next generation "king of motherboards".

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.