GIGABYTE G1.Sniper Z87 Review

GIGABYTE G1.Sniper Z87 Conclusion

Intel 8-series motherboards range a great deal in price.  The cheapest motherboards offer little more than access to memory slots and a few connectors, whereas the expensive models try and do everything possible.  The G1.Sniper Z87 from GIGABYTE sits in a very tentative position at $170, around the price point I would expect a majority of the self-build community might be considering.

The motherboard is designed as part of GIGABYTE’s gaming range, the G1.Sniper series.  Recently they have extended the range beyond the high end and micro-ATX models to fill in some of the cheaper price points.  We recently reported on two models similar to the G1.Sniper Z87, perhaps somewhat confusingly called the G1.Sniper Z5 and G1.Sniper Z5S.  These trio have a few differences worth noting:

Based on these few differences, it looks like the Creative audio solution as well as DisplayPort implementation is the key differentiator in cost.  At this price point users will select the motherboard which has their specific need and function enabled, with some pricier than others.  All of them feature the audio upgrades as part of the G1.Sniper range:

- The analog audio pathways separated from the digital signals on the PCB (what GIGABYTE call the ‘audio noise guard’),
- Front Audio Headphone Amplifier (600ohm support),
- Audio Gain switches to boost rear headphone output,
- Swappable OP-AMP technology on the rear audio.

The G1.Sniper Z87 is designed to sit at the top of this stack with the Creative Sound Core 3D audio codec:

The GIGABYTE G1.Sniper Z87 performs well in our benchmark suite, indicative of a motherboard that implements MultiCore Turbo when XMP is enabled.  The overclocking options are numerate, although they applied a little more voltage than I was expecting, especially as our CPU is quite sensitive when it comes to load temperatures. 

The software stack from GIGABYTE is continually improving, and it is good to see that the Update software is on track and will rival some of their competitors’ offerings.  Fan controls are also expanding, and users of the G1.Sniper Z87 have access to both Atheros Killer networking utilities and Sound Blaster Cinema.

When we award motherboards at AnandTech, it often comes down to the product punching well above their weight for their price band and having relatively little competition around it that offers more bang-for-buck.  The G1.Sniper Z87 unfortunately has direct competition by its own brethren around it (the Z5 and Z5S), and there are motherboards at the same price point featuring a Creative Sound Core 3D codec.  But none combine the different audio technologies like the G1.Sniper Z87, which has the Creative codec as well as USB-DAC.UP and Audio Gain.  GIGABYTE has attempted to make the audio the focus of the point, it this will be the main comparison point against the competition.