Coming from the ASUS TUF Series, SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1 is the Mad Max of motherboards; equipped with robust Thermal Armor and jam-packed with innovative features.
Product on Review: Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1
Manufacturer & Sponsor: ASUS
Street Price: £200 GBP / $250 USD
Tough. Durable. These are the words ASUS most often associate with the signature SABERTOOTH series. The line has grown out of the TUF series to have a distinct branding all its own, and is now one of the most recognisable designs in a market where finding your own niche is often a monumental struggle. It’s no wonder that when a new chipset is released one of the questions most widely asked by enthusiasts is “where is the new SABERTOOTH?”.
So it has been with Intel’s Z170-chipset for Skylake CPUs, and finally ASUS has delivered in the form of the SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1. The timing of the release was obviously designed to coincide with the initial Skylake launch window of September, rather than the accelerated launch date that transpired, but that shouldn’t take away from how significant the release should be. SABERTOOTH designs are eye-catching, feature advanced cooling, and in no way compromise the toolset that any user would be pleased to see on their performance-orientated Z170 system; the question is whether the motherboard excels in the same way it does aesthetically.
ASUS on their SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1
A mark of new era. With the next era of technological progress, we challenged ourselves to evolve into bringing a completely new design language to TUF line of motherboards. By harnessing our best technology paramount design credentials, SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1 envisions futuristic fighting forces, with sleek, stealthy Thermal Armor reimagined in black and metal greyto make a powerful statement of both high style and extreme strength.
Technical Specifications
CPU
Intel® Socket 1151 for 6th Generation Core™ i7/Core™ i5/Core™ i3/Pentium®/Celeron® Processors
Supports Intel® 14 nm CPU
Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0
* The Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 support depends on the CPU types.
* Refer to www.asus.com for CPU support list
Chipset
Intel® Z170
Memory
4 x DIMM, Max. 64GB, DDR4 2400/2133 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory
Dual Channel Memory Architecture
Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
* Hyper DIMM support is subject to the physical characteristics of individual CPUs.
* Refer to www.asus.com for the Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors Lists).
Graphics
Integrated Graphics Processor- Intel® HD Graphics support
Multi-VGA output support : HDMI/DisplayPort ports
– Supports HDMI with max. resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz
– Supports DisplayPort with max. resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz
Maximum shared memory of 1024 MB
Supports Intel® InTru™ 3D, Quick Sync Video, Clear Video HD Technology, Insider™
DP 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport compliant, supports DP 1.2 monitor daisy chain up to 3 displays
Multi-GPU Support
Supports NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ Technology
Supports NVIDIA® 2-Way SLI™ Technology
Supports AMD Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Technology
Supports AMD 3-Way CrossFireX™ Technology
Expansion Slots
2 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8)
1 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (max at x4 mode) *1
3 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x1
Storage
Intel® Z170 chipset :
2 x SATA Express port, Compatible with 4 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports
1 x M.2 x4 Socket 3, with M Key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (both SATA & PCIE mode)*2
6 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), gray
Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10
Intel® Rapid Storage Technology supports*3
Supports Intel® Smart Response Technology*4
ASMedia® SATA 6Gb/s controller : *5
2 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), beige,
LAN
Intel® I219V, 1 x Gigabit LAN Controller(s)
Realtek® RTL8111H, 1 x Gigabit LAN
Gigabit Intel® LAN Connection- 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) appliance
ASUS Turbo LAN Utility
ASUS LAN Guard
Audio
Realtek® ALC1150 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC featuring Crystal Sound 3
– Supports : Multi-streaming, Front Panel MIC Jack-retasking
– High quality 112 dB SNR stereo playback output (Line-out at rear) and 104 dB SNR recording input (Line-in)
Audio Feature :
– Optical S/PDIF out port(s) at back panel
– BD Audio Layer Content Protection
– Audio Shielding: Ensures precision analog/digital separation and greatly reduced multi-lateral interference
– Dedicated audio PCB layers: Separate layers for left and right channels to guard the quality of the sensitive audio signals
– Audio amplifier: Provides the highest-quality sound for headphone and speakers
– Unique de-pop circuit: Reduces start-up popping noise to audio outputs
– Top notch audio sensation delivers according to the audio configuration
– Absolute Pitch 192khz/24bit true BD lossless sound
Separate layer for left and right track, ensuring both sound deliver equal quality
USB Ports
Intel® Z170 chipset :
6 x USB 3.0/2.0 port(s) (2 at back panel, blue, 4 at mid-board)
Intel® Z170 chipset :
8 x USB 2.0/1.1 port(s) (4 at back panel, black, 4 at mid-board)
ASMedia® USB 3.1 controller :
1 x USB 3.1/3.0/2.0 port(s) (1 at back panel, teal blue, Type-A)
ASMedia® USB 3.1 controller :
1 x USB 3.1/3.0/2.0 port(s) (1 at back panel, , Type-C, Reversible)
Special Features
OC Design – ASUS PRO Clock Technology
– Full BCLK range for extreme overclocking performance
TUF Features:
TUF ENGINE! Power Design :
– 8 +4 Digital Phase Power Design
– TUF Components (New Alloy Choke, Ti-Cap. & MOSFET; certified by military-standard)
– ASUS DIGI+ Power Control Utility
Ultimate COOL! Thermal Solution :
– TUF Thermal Armor with Flow Valve
– TUF Thermal Radar 2 with Thermistors
– TUF ICe
Safe & Stable! Guardian Angel :
“We Got Your Back!” Shape Force
– TUF Fortifier
– Dust Defenders with connector covers and back I/O dust filter
– TUF ESD Guards 2
ASUS Exclusive Features :
– GPU Boost
– USB BIOS Flashback
– MemOK!
– AI Suite 3
– Ai Charger
– Ai Charger+
– M.2 & SATA Express
– Anti-Surge
– Front Panel USB 3.0 Support
– ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode featuring friendly graphics user interface
– USB 3.1 Boost
– Disk Unlocker
– Turbo LAN
– PC Cleaner
ASUS EZ DIY :
– ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
– ASUS EZ Flash 3
– ASUS USB BIOS Flashback
– ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode
– Multi-language BIOS
ASUS Q-Design :
– ASUS Q-Shield
– ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED, HDD LED)
– ASUS Q-Slot
– ASUS Q-DIMM
– ASUS Q-Connector
Overclocking Protection :
– ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall)
Operating System Support
Windows® 10 , 64bit
Windows® 8.1 , 64bit
Windows® 7 , 32bit/64bit
Back I/O Ports
1 x DisplayPort
1 x HDMI
1 x USB 3.1 (teal blue)Type-A
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C
4 x USB 2.0
2 x USB 3.0 (blue) (one port can be switched to USB BIOS Flashback)
1 x Optical S/PDIF out
5 x Audio jack(s)
1 x USB BIOS Flashback Button(s)
1 x 8-channel Audio I/O
1 x TUF Detective USB port
Internal I/O Ports
1 x AAFP connector
2 x USB 3.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 3.0 port(s) (19-pin)
2 x USB 2.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 2.0 port(s)
2 x SATA Express connector: , Compatible with 4 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports
1 x M.2 Socket 3 with M Key design, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (Supports both SATA & PCIE SSD)
8 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(s)
1 x CPU Fan connector(s) (4 -pin)
1 x CPU OPT Fan connector(s) (4 -pin)
6 x Chassis Fan connector(s) (4 -pin)
3 x Assistant Fan connector(s) (1 x 3 -pin, [White])
1 x S/PDIF out header(s)
1 x Thunderbolt header(s)
1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector(s)
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector(s)
1 x System panel(s) (Q-Connector)
1 x 5-pin EXT_FAN(Extension Fan) connector
1 x Chassis Intrusion connector(s)
1 x DRCT header(s)
1 x MemOK! button(s)
3 x Thermal sensor connector(s)
1 x CPU OV
1 x Clear CMOS jumper(s)
1 x Water Pump header (4-pin)
1 x 14-1 pin TPM connector
Accessories
User’s manual
Accessory Guide
ASUS Q-Shield
4 x SATA 6Gb/s cable(s)
1 x M.2 Screw Package
1 x CPU installation tool
1 x Supporting DVD
1 x HYPERM.2 X4 with M Key design, type 2230/2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (Support PCIE SSD only)
1 x SLI bridge(s)
1 x Q-connector(s) (1 in 1)
2 x Accessory Fan(s) ( 35 /40 mm )
1 x TUF Certification card(s)
1 x TUF 5 Year Warranty manual(s) (by region)
1 x TUF Inside sticker(s)(white)
1 x STAY COOL BE TUF sticker(s)(white)
1 x Bead Chain for Metalic Cover
1 x Accessory Package(s):
– 3 x PCIe x16 slot dust cover(s)
– 2 x DRAM slot dust cover(s)
– 3 x PCIe x1 slot dust cover(s)
– 2 x Short fan screw(s)
– 4 x Long fan screw(s)
– 3 x Thermistor cable(s)
– 1 x back I/O dust frame
– 1 x back I/O dust grid
– 1 x connector dust cover collection (On board USB 3.0, DVI, HDMI, DP, LAN)
– 2 x On board USB 2.0 connector dust cover(s)
– 8 x back I/O USB connector dust cover(s)
– 7 x On board SATA connector dust cover(s)
– 2 x SATA Express conector dust cover(s)
– 5 x Audio connector dust cover(s)
BIOS
128 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI3.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 3.0, ACPI 5.0, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ Flash 3, CrashFree BIOS 3, F11 EZ Tuning Wizard, F6 Qfan Control, F3 My Favorites, Quick Note, Last Modified log, F12 PrintScreen and ASUS DRAM SPD (Serial Presence Detect) memory information
Manageability
WfM 2.0, DMI 3.0, WOL by PME, PXE
Form Factor
ATX Form Factor
12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm )
Intel® Socket 1151 for 6th Generation Core™ i7/Core™ i5/Core™ i3/Pentium®/Celeron® Processors
Supports Intel® 14 nm CPU
Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0
* The Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 support depends on the CPU types.
* Refer to www.asus.com for CPU support list
Chipset
Intel® Z170
Memory
4 x DIMM, Max. 64GB, DDR4 2400/2133 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory
Dual Channel Memory Architecture
Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
* Hyper DIMM support is subject to the physical characteristics of individual CPUs.
* Refer to www.asus.com for the Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors Lists).
Graphics
Integrated Graphics Processor- Intel® HD Graphics support
Multi-VGA output support : HDMI/DisplayPort ports
– Supports HDMI with max. resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz
– Supports DisplayPort with max. resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz
Maximum shared memory of 1024 MB
Supports Intel® InTru™ 3D, Quick Sync Video, Clear Video HD Technology, Insider™
DP 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport compliant, supports DP 1.2 monitor daisy chain up to 3 displays
Multi-GPU Support
Supports NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ Technology
Supports NVIDIA® 2-Way SLI™ Technology
Supports AMD Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Technology
Supports AMD 3-Way CrossFireX™ Technology
Expansion Slots
2 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8)
1 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (max at x4 mode) *1
3 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x1
Storage
Intel® Z170 chipset :
2 x SATA Express port, Compatible with 4 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports
1 x M.2 x4 Socket 3, with M Key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (both SATA & PCIE mode)*2
6 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), gray
Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10
Intel® Rapid Storage Technology supports*3
Supports Intel® Smart Response Technology*4
ASMedia® SATA 6Gb/s controller : *5
2 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), beige,
LAN
Intel® I219V, 1 x Gigabit LAN Controller(s)
Realtek® RTL8111H, 1 x Gigabit LAN
Gigabit Intel® LAN Connection- 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) appliance
ASUS Turbo LAN Utility
ASUS LAN Guard
Audio
Realtek® ALC1150 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC featuring Crystal Sound 3
– Supports : Multi-streaming, Front Panel MIC Jack-retasking
– High quality 112 dB SNR stereo playback output (Line-out at rear) and 104 dB SNR recording input (Line-in)
Audio Feature :
– Optical S/PDIF out port(s) at back panel
– BD Audio Layer Content Protection
– Audio Shielding: Ensures precision analog/digital separation and greatly reduced multi-lateral interference
– Dedicated audio PCB layers: Separate layers for left and right channels to guard the quality of the sensitive audio signals
– Audio amplifier: Provides the highest-quality sound for headphone and speakers
– Unique de-pop circuit: Reduces start-up popping noise to audio outputs
– Top notch audio sensation delivers according to the audio configuration
– Absolute Pitch 192khz/24bit true BD lossless sound
Separate layer for left and right track, ensuring both sound deliver equal quality
USB Ports
Intel® Z170 chipset :
6 x USB 3.0/2.0 port(s) (2 at back panel, blue, 4 at mid-board)
Intel® Z170 chipset :
8 x USB 2.0/1.1 port(s) (4 at back panel, black, 4 at mid-board)
ASMedia® USB 3.1 controller :
1 x USB 3.1/3.0/2.0 port(s) (1 at back panel, teal blue, Type-A)
ASMedia® USB 3.1 controller :
1 x USB 3.1/3.0/2.0 port(s) (1 at back panel, , Type-C, Reversible)
Special Features
OC Design – ASUS PRO Clock Technology
– Full BCLK range for extreme overclocking performance
TUF Features:
TUF ENGINE! Power Design :
– 8 +4 Digital Phase Power Design
– TUF Components (New Alloy Choke, Ti-Cap. & MOSFET; certified by military-standard)
– ASUS DIGI+ Power Control Utility
Ultimate COOL! Thermal Solution :
– TUF Thermal Armor with Flow Valve
– TUF Thermal Radar 2 with Thermistors
– TUF ICe
Safe & Stable! Guardian Angel :
“We Got Your Back!” Shape Force
– TUF Fortifier
– Dust Defenders with connector covers and back I/O dust filter
– TUF ESD Guards 2
ASUS Exclusive Features :
– GPU Boost
– USB BIOS Flashback
– MemOK!
– AI Suite 3
– Ai Charger
– Ai Charger+
– M.2 & SATA Express
– Anti-Surge
– Front Panel USB 3.0 Support
– ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode featuring friendly graphics user interface
– USB 3.1 Boost
– Disk Unlocker
– Turbo LAN
– PC Cleaner
ASUS EZ DIY :
– ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
– ASUS EZ Flash 3
– ASUS USB BIOS Flashback
– ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode
– Multi-language BIOS
ASUS Q-Design :
– ASUS Q-Shield
– ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED, HDD LED)
– ASUS Q-Slot
– ASUS Q-DIMM
– ASUS Q-Connector
Overclocking Protection :
– ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall)
Operating System Support
Windows® 10 , 64bit
Windows® 8.1 , 64bit
Windows® 7 , 32bit/64bit
Back I/O Ports
1 x DisplayPort
1 x HDMI
1 x USB 3.1 (teal blue)Type-A
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C
4 x USB 2.0
2 x USB 3.0 (blue) (one port can be switched to USB BIOS Flashback)
1 x Optical S/PDIF out
5 x Audio jack(s)
1 x USB BIOS Flashback Button(s)
1 x 8-channel Audio I/O
1 x TUF Detective USB port
Internal I/O Ports
1 x AAFP connector
2 x USB 3.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 3.0 port(s) (19-pin)
2 x USB 2.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 2.0 port(s)
2 x SATA Express connector: , Compatible with 4 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports
1 x M.2 Socket 3 with M Key design, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (Supports both SATA & PCIE SSD)
8 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(s)
1 x CPU Fan connector(s) (4 -pin)
1 x CPU OPT Fan connector(s) (4 -pin)
6 x Chassis Fan connector(s) (4 -pin)
3 x Assistant Fan connector(s) (1 x 3 -pin, [White])
1 x S/PDIF out header(s)
1 x Thunderbolt header(s)
1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector(s)
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector(s)
1 x System panel(s) (Q-Connector)
1 x 5-pin EXT_FAN(Extension Fan) connector
1 x Chassis Intrusion connector(s)
1 x DRCT header(s)
1 x MemOK! button(s)
3 x Thermal sensor connector(s)
1 x CPU OV
1 x Clear CMOS jumper(s)
1 x Water Pump header (4-pin)
1 x 14-1 pin TPM connector
Accessories
User’s manual
Accessory Guide
ASUS Q-Shield
4 x SATA 6Gb/s cable(s)
1 x M.2 Screw Package
1 x CPU installation tool
1 x Supporting DVD
1 x HYPERM.2 X4 with M Key design, type 2230/2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (Support PCIE SSD only)
1 x SLI bridge(s)
1 x Q-connector(s) (1 in 1)
2 x Accessory Fan(s) ( 35 /40 mm )
1 x TUF Certification card(s)
1 x TUF 5 Year Warranty manual(s) (by region)
1 x TUF Inside sticker(s)(white)
1 x STAY COOL BE TUF sticker(s)(white)
1 x Bead Chain for Metalic Cover
1 x Accessory Package(s):
– 3 x PCIe x16 slot dust cover(s)
– 2 x DRAM slot dust cover(s)
– 3 x PCIe x1 slot dust cover(s)
– 2 x Short fan screw(s)
– 4 x Long fan screw(s)
– 3 x Thermistor cable(s)
– 1 x back I/O dust frame
– 1 x back I/O dust grid
– 1 x connector dust cover collection (On board USB 3.0, DVI, HDMI, DP, LAN)
– 2 x On board USB 2.0 connector dust cover(s)
– 8 x back I/O USB connector dust cover(s)
– 7 x On board SATA connector dust cover(s)
– 2 x SATA Express conector dust cover(s)
– 5 x Audio connector dust cover(s)
BIOS
128 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI3.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 3.0, ACPI 5.0, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ Flash 3, CrashFree BIOS 3, F11 EZ Tuning Wizard, F6 Qfan Control, F3 My Favorites, Quick Note, Last Modified log, F12 PrintScreen and ASUS DRAM SPD (Serial Presence Detect) memory information
Manageability
WfM 2.0, DMI 3.0, WOL by PME, PXE
Form Factor
ATX Form Factor
12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm )
Packaging & First Look
SABERTOOTH is presented in an attractive looking box which lists the associating technologies. ASUS are keen to promote this board as offering 5 years warranty.
Inside the box there are a vast array of bundled accessories. The included items are extensive and consist of:
• User’s manual
• Accessory Guide
• ASUS Q-Shield
• 4 x SATA 6Gb/s cable(s)
• 1 x M.2 Screw Package
• 1 x CPU installation tool
• 1 x Supporting DVD
• 1 x HYPERM.2 X4 with M Key design, type 2230/2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (Support PCIE SSD only)
• 1 x SLI bridge(s)
• 1 x Q-connector(s) (1 in 1)
• 2 x Accessory Fan(s) ( 35 /40 mm )
• 1 x TUF Certification card(s)
• 1 x TUF 5 Year Warranty manual(s) (by region)
• 1 x TUF Inside sticker(s)(white)
• 1 x STAY COOL BE TUF sticker(s)(white)
• 1 x Bead Chain for Metalic Cover
• 1 x Accessory Package(s):
– 3 x PCIe x16 slot dust cover(s)
– 2 x DRAM slot dust cover(s)
– 3 x PCIe x1 slot dust cover(s)
– 2 x Short fan screw(s)
– 4 x Long fan screw(s)
– 3 x Thermistor cable(s)
– 1 x back I/O dust frame
– 1 x back I/O dust grid
– 1 x connector dust cover collection (On board USB 3.0, DVI, HDMI, DP, LAN)
– 2 x On board USB 2.0 connector dust cover(s)
– 8 x back I/O USB connector dust cover(s)
– 7 x On board SATA connector dust cover(s)
– 2 x SATA Express conector dust cover(s)
– 5 x Audio connector dust cover(s)
Inside the accessories package there are some “TUF Defender” which are essentially covers for closing off ports to protect from dust.
ASUS on their TUF Defenders:
TUF design protects back I/O ports, expansion and memory slots, and prevents dust and other airborne particles from entering critical connectors. Dust Defenders guards against dust build up, helping your PC perform in an optimal and stable state for longer.
Unpacking SABERTOOTH from the box we have a rather distinct looking motherboard. In keeping with the values of the TUF series, SABERTOOTH comes furnished with armour. This armour protects the motherboard from damage, strengthens key areas as we’ll see later on, allows the supplementary cooling fans to be installed to drive airflow.
The visual appearance of SABERTOOTH is especially unique and may not be to everyone’s taste but we can certainly see the appeal. The overall look is bold, strong and aggressive.
SABERTOOTH conforms to the ATX form factor measuring: 12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm ).
Closer Look
SABERTOOTH is designed to work with Intel’s 6th Generation of processors – Skylake. We therefore have the LGA1151 socket, around the socket there are mounting holes for LGA115X so if you have a cooler that has been used on another socket such as LGA1150/55 then it will work fine here too. On the top edge of the motherboard there are dual CPU fan headers for twin-fan configurations.
ASUS are using a Digi+ 8+4 digital phase power design for SABERTOOTH with TUF components dotted around the socket including: TUF Alloy Chokes, TUF 10K Ti-CAPs and TUF MOSFETs. These military-grade components extend lifespan and durability.
The TUF Thermal Armor extends to covering the MOSFET area and has two switches labelled “Flow Valve”. For those using closed loop coolers which do not direct any airflow over the VRM, the flow valves should be closed to allow the chipset fan to blow air while those who have a cooler that directs airflow onto the motherboard (such as a top-flow solution) can have the valves open to permit the airflow through.
Immediately next to the socket we have four DIMM slots which support dual-channel DDR4. ASUS specify support for 2000/2133MHz kits but we confirm support for up to 3200MHz in our testing analysis. Nearby to the memory there is a MemOK! button – this guarantees memory compatibility.
Beside the 24-pin ATX power port there is a single USB 3.0 header.
Moving to the storage, there are four dedicated SATA III (6GB/s) ports and another four as part of the two rows of SATA Express which can be used for regular storage – such as mechanical drives and SSDs etc. Directly behind these ports resides the Intel Z170 heatsink and a series of labelled LEDs to identify which devices are plugged in.
ASUS has had to leave fan headers exposed throughout the motherboard – there are a total of six dotted around the motherboard – three are located near storage.
The Thermal Armor plays an integral role over the PCI Express region. Slots sit below the cover for added protection and this has an additional benefit – graphics cards are supported and given extra stability rather than flopping to the side.
The slots available in this area include:
• 2 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8)
• 1 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (max at x4 mode)
• 3 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x1
Along with these slots there is support SLI and CrossFireX technologies.
Underneath the Thermal Armor reside the TUF audio components, consisting of audio shielding, de-pop circuit, audio amplifier and separate layers for left/right channels.
Looking at the rear IO section of SABERTOOTH there are a plethora of ports available. These consist of:
• 4 x USB 2.0
• 1 x TUF Detective USB port
• 1 x USB BIOS Flashback Button(s)
• 1 x DisplayPort
• 1 x HDMI
• 2 x USB 3.0 (blue) (one port can be switched to USB BIOS Flashback)
• 1 x USB 3.1 (teal blue) Type-A
• 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C
• 2 x Gigabit LAN ports
• 1 x Optical S/PDIF out
• 5 x Audio jack(s)
Above the TUF USB port and BIOS Flashback there is a large opening for airflow to pass out the rear of the system.
The TUF USB port allows a user to connect up their android device to the SABERTOOTH motherboard and experience real-time management – monitoring POST status, fan control, EZ system control and voltage status.
Over the page we’ll look at some of the TUF features in a bit more detail.
Trademark TUF Features
The TUF features continue onto the reverse of SABERTOOTH by offering protection and strength to the underside. Complete protection for the front and back of SABERTOOTH means that damage caused by knocks and scrapes are kept to a minimum. Furthermore, this design also prevents the bending and bowing of devices which are heavy.
In the very centre of the motherboard there is a metal TUF badge. This badge conceals a small area and a fan header. The idea behind this area is to allow the supplied 35mm fan to be installed and provide cooling for the shielded components.
Another detachable cover sits over the M.2 location at the bottom of the motherboard. Detaching this fascia provides access to the battery should a user need to replace/remove and M.2 drives which are 2200, 2280, 2260 and 2242 are supported – allowing up to 32GB/s.
Intel Z170 Features
Intel’s initial release schedule for Skylake was planned well in advance, long before Microsoft officially announced the launch date of Windows 10. Most of August was set aside for conferences and seminars including the Intel Developers Forum in San Francisco, all with the aim of taking the wraps off and going deep into the technology within this new CPU architecture. Unfortunately bringing forward the release date of ‘K-series’ SKUs has meant that they’re unable to furnish detailed technical info to reviewers and members of the press, and won’t be releasing this information until IDF. The following is information which has been released thus far.
Developed under the codename Sunrise Point, Intel’s 100-series chipset is designed to operate hand-in-hand with an Intel ‘Skylake’ 6th Generation core processor. It utilises an LGA 1151 socket, underscoring the fact that neither CPU nor motherboard are backwards compatible with any of the previous generation hardware. As a result Sunrise Point is free to add additional features not present in x90-series and earlier chipsets.
Memory and Overclocking
Most notably from a consumer perspective Sunrise Point is the first Intel mainstream computing platform to be compatible with DDR4, and most Z170 and H170 designs are indeed likely to feature this memory technology rather than continue with DDR3L (a memory spec which Skylake CPUs can also handle). Default support is at DDR4-2133, however speeds above this are possible if a Z170 motherboard and K-Series CPU are used in tandem. One year on from the release of Haswell-E DDR4 pricing is quickly becoming more bearable, and so whilst it’s an additional expense to swallow compared with Haswell/Z97 it may not be quite the price premium you expect.
With Skylake Intel are, for the first time in many generations of Core architectures, once again re-enabling fine grade overclocking of memory at the Base Clock (BCLK) level. The PCI subsystem clock is now independent of BCLK, allowing for robust overclocking support which dispenses with coarse ratios in favour of a MHz by MHz stepping to far higher levels. Pre-launch testing by board partners have ascertained that stable BCLK’s of up to 400MHz are possible (with a stepping down of CPU multiplier), a far cry from even last year’s Haswell Refresh.
It should be noted that overclocking support has also been improved through greater control over individual CPU voltage inputs. Haswell made use of a Fully Integrated Voltage Regulator on the CPU itself; in essence, the motherboard supplied one input voltage and the FIVR divided this into individual on-board component inputs. With Skylake/Z170 the motherboard chipset controls each of these voltages individually, allowing direct adjustment for greater stability where necessary. This could theoretically be a great boon to enthusiast overclockers eager to get every last smidgen of performance out of a system.
Chipset and PCH Features
As we noted in our review of the two launched Skylake CPUs, up to 16 PCI-Express 3.0 lanes exist as a direct low-latency connection between CPU and 3rd party hardware such as graphics cards. These can operate in a 1×16 lane, 2×8 lane or 1×8 lane and 2×4 lane setup for multi-GPU configurations depending on the hardware implementation chosen by the board partners, but aren’t sufficient alone to support additional hardware options such as PCI-Express storage. The Platform Controller Hub therefore provides additional PCI-Express lanes to peripheral controllers.
In contrast to Intel’s 9-series motherboards Sunrise Point can supply up to an additional 20 PCI-Express 3.0 lanes, potentially resulting in double the bandwidth compared with the 20 PCIe 2.0 lanes of the previous generation. These new lanes augment the chipset storage options, most notably in respect to PCIe storage with many designs now featuring multiple next-generation storage options rather than a singular M.2 or SATA-Express port. Whilst not the low-latency connection you require for effective graphics processing, they will be more than suitable for new high-speed storage options including RAID for PCI-Express thanks to an upgraded DMI connection between PCH and CPU.
Further augmenting the platform’s storage capabilities is the adoption of new Intel Rapid Storage Technology protocols allowing PCI-Express storage to be used as caching drives for slower media. Potentially still a niche technology, the stark benefits of next-generation SSDs over mechanical drives as well as future SSDs could be just the breakthrough Intel RST needs to capture mainstream adoption.
In an additional change from the 9-series motherboards support has been added for up to 10 native USB 3.0 ports and 14 USB 2.0 ports, with a maximum of 16 ports in some combination thereof. It should be noted that so far as we can tell USB 3.1 isn’t actually native to the Sunrise Point chipset. Implementation is up to motherboard vendors through 3rd party controllers, and it’s to their credit that many have adopted the new high-speed standard without any fuss. For some both USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C connectors are available, with Type-C the most common otherwise.
Those who make use of on-board CPU graphics can now enjoy support for up to three digital display outputs, or make use of the Intel 530 Graphics capabilities in tandem with discrete graphics. Microsoft Windows 10 (via DirectX 12) includes new options which allow disparate graphics hardware to be used in tandem, making best use of processing power where possible. Even without this, the transcoding capabilities of Intel QuickSync make it a tempting proposition for fast and efficient h.265 encoding and decoding, even if your discrete graphics hardware is formidable.
With unchanged support for six conventional SATA III storage ports, Intel 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet, Intel Audio options and comprehensive UEFI BIOS options, Sunrise Point (and by extension all Z170 motherboards) are choc-full of features. That’s not to say that there aren’t some omissions – lack of native USB 3.1 support being the most obvious, whilst native U.2 connectors are a premium feature supplied by board partners – but as a whole the platform is a significant step forward overall.
TUF Series BIOS Video Tour
Below is a video tour showing the interface of the ASUS SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1 BIOS and the options which are available. As you can see, movement is very smooth and the overall look is refined and professional. Advanced tweaking and customisation options are available from a variety of different menus:
Test Setup, Methodology & Overclocking
Test Setup
CPU Intel Core i7-6700K
Cooling Corsair H100i GTX
Motherboard ASUS SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1
Memory 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200MHz
Graphics XFX R7970 Black Edition
Storage OCZ Vector 180
PSU Corsair HX1050 80 Plus Gold Certified PSU
Cooling Corsair H100i GTX
Motherboard ASUS SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1
Memory 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200MHz
Graphics XFX R7970 Black Edition
Storage OCZ Vector 180
PSU Corsair HX1050 80 Plus Gold Certified PSU
Benchmarks
Cinebench R15 – CPU/OpenGL Score
x264 HD 4.0 – 1st and 2nd pass encoding
SiSoftware SANDRA 2014 – CPU & Memory benchmarks
AIDA64 – CPU benchmarks
PCMark 8 – Home Suite
3DMark FireStrike – DX11 3D Benchmark
Games – Tomb Raider, THIEF
x264 HD 4.0 – 1st and 2nd pass encoding
SiSoftware SANDRA 2014 – CPU & Memory benchmarks
AIDA64 – CPU benchmarks
PCMark 8 – Home Suite
3DMark FireStrike – DX11 3D Benchmark
Games – Tomb Raider, THIEF
Other Software
Temperature Analysis: Real Temp
Stress Testing Software: AIDA64 Stability Test
CPU Specification Monitoring: CPU-Z
Stress Testing Software: AIDA64 Stability Test
CPU Specification Monitoring: CPU-Z
Overclocking
Overclocking with Skylake is now fully flexible since we can adjust many variables including BCLK and ratio/multiplier.
Our current milestone is 4.7GHz with the Intel Core i7-6700K and we’re happy to report that SABERTOOTH achieved this result – though we couldn’t push it further. To achieve this we used 32/150 with the CPU voltage set to 1.35v.
Thermal Armor Cooling – Does It Really Work?
The TUF Thermal Armor stands out as one of the primary features of SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1. Not only does this Thermal Armor protect the motherboard, but ASUS claim it will provide a more efficient method of cooling components. ASUS say the following:
“TUF Thermal Armor is more than a futuristic shield: it employs dual fans to provide maximum airflow and rapid cooling board-wide, and a new interior shunt design to boost air cooling to the M.2 slot. Reversible-airflow technology blows dust up and away from the heatsink VRM, while the exclusive flow-valve design controls the heat-pipe’s air contact — great for liquid-cooling setups.”
Sounds great doesn’t it? But does adding the supplied cooling fans really work? Well, we have installed the 35/40mm cooling fans in the designated locations — middle and rear IO. In this test the idea is to ascertain whether there is any improvement over system temperatures when the cooling fans are detached and installed. The test involves two 30 minute runs using AIDA64 Stability/Stress Test. After 30 minutes have expired, we then take a screenshot of the ASUS Thermal Radar Software which highlights a wide selection of temperature recordings. This should demonstrate the validity of the Thermal Armor design with its cooling fans.
The results whilst not ground-breaking, show marginal success for ASUS. We expect the results to be even better when the motherboard is placed within a computer chassis with good airflow (We used the Cooler Master Test Bench). One thing to note, with the small cooling fans exceeding 6000RPM there is noise to contend with but thankfully this can be adjusted.
Benchmarks: Power Consumption
It’s interesting to note the power consumption across all motherboards. Although they are using the Z170 chipset, energy results can fluctuate between manufacturers due to the features and specifications that are integrated. First of all, for the idle tests the system is cold booted into Windows and no additional applications are executed – the watts are noted on the external energy monitor we use and then the system is loaded with 3DMark FireStrike – watts are again monitored for the duration of the test and the highest rated wattage result is then noted down. Below are the results of this energy test.
Benchmarks: X264 HD
Simply put, this test measures how fast your machine can encode a short, DVD quality MPEG-2 video clip into a high-quality x264 video clip. What’s x264, you ask? It’s more or less the next-generation Xvid/DivX codec. I think it’s ideal for a benchmark because the application (x264.exe) reports fairly accurate compression results (in frames per second) for each pass of the video encoding process, and it uses multi-core processors very efficiently.
Benchmarks: AIDA64
AIDA64 Product PageThis simple integer benchmark focuses on the branch prediction capabilities and the misprediction penalties of the CPU. It finds the solutions for the classic “Queens problem” on a 10 by 10 sized chessboard. At the same clock speed theoretically the processor with the shorter pipeline and smaller misprediction penalties will attain higher benchmark scores. For example — with HyperThreading disabled — the Intel Northwood core processors get higher scores than the Intel Prescott core based ones due to the 20-step vs 31-step long pipeline. CPU Queen test uses integer MMX, SSE2 and SSSE3 optimizations.
Benchmarks: Cinebench R15
CINEBENCH is a real-world cross platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON’s award-winning animation software CINEMA 4D, which is used extensively by studios and production houses worldwide for 3D content creation. MAXON software has been used in blockbuster movies such as Iron Man 3, Oblivion, Life of Pi or Prometheus and many more.
Benchmarks: SiSoftware SANDRA
SANDRA isn’t always a benchmark that is included in hardware reviews but I believe it shouldn’t be ignored. SANDRA provides a vigorous package that tests your system in a rather large array of benchmarks. There are many aspects of benchmark that can be executed. We will be considering – CPU and memory tests.
Benchmarks: 3DMark
3DMark FireStrike Product PageFire Strike is our new showcase DirectX 11 benchmark designed for high-performance gaming PCs. It is our most ambitious and technical benchmark ever, featuring real-time graphics rendered with detail and complexity far beyond what is found in other benchmarks and games today. Fire Strike will only be available in the Windows editions of 3DMark initially.
Benchmarks: PCMark 8
PCMark 8 combines performance benchmarking with battery life measurement and includes tests based on popular Adobe and Microsoft applications. Whether you are looking for long battery life, or maximum power, PCMark 8 will help you find the devices that offer the perfect combination of efficiency and performance for your needs. It’s the complete PC performance benchmark for home and business.
Benchmarks: Tomb Raider & THIEF
It’s important for us to perform a number of game benchmarks as well as the synthetic tests because gamers will want to know if there are any significant benefits. So here we have two popular and recent gaming titles which feature a dedicated benchmark tool within them to display results.
Conclusion
It’s been a while since we last had any hands-on experience with the TUF Series – in fact, our last review for this series featured a motherboard using the Intel P67 chipset. So has much changed in the last four years? Indeed, it has.
The SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1 is unlike anything currently available. Not only is this motherboard unique in its physical appearance but ASUS has carefully designed this board to carry with it feature after feature. Many of the characteristics point towards functionality, durability and control.
In a practical sense the Thermal Armor acts as a protective vest to prevent any accidental knocks or bangs and as well as assisting with better temperatures, having components such as the PCI Express slots depressed below the point of contact give the added bonus of holding heavy graphics cards in place for better stability. An area which we especially like are the QLED indicators near the SATA ports; LEDs correspond to power, boot, VGA, DRAM and CPU – giving you a visual representation of activity.
Turning to the performance, SABERTOOTH is no stranger to consistent and strong results. We found this motherboard to react very well to the selection of benchmarks from our suite and achieving a decent overclock was easy thanks to the easy to use BIOS and responsive hardware. Our milestone has been 4.7GHz with the Intel Core i7-6700K and SABERTOOTH attained this figure without any problems at all.
ASUS has certainly refined their TUF series by way of the SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1. Proof to this statement lies in the plethora of included hardware and software related features; this motherboard comes with a huge selection of bundled accessories including cooling fans, dust defenders and an M.2 adapter to name just a few.
Priced at £200 GBP / $250 the SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1 is placed in the mid-high end sector but we can whole heartedly vouch for its value for money but if you aren’t convinced, 5 years of warranty should seal the deal.
SABERTOOTH Z170 is the Mad Max of motherboards. Those who demand durability and extensive control over their hardware should look no further. This motherboard is highly functional and doesn’t shy away from being distinct in its appearance.
VIDEO REVIEW – VORTEZ TV
Pros
+ Appealing to the eye
+ Rock solid durability
+ Extra cooling supplied
+ Workstation grade components
+ Extensive accessories bundle
+ Packed with useful features
+ Excellent performance
+ Five year warranty
Cons
– May not appeal to all tastes
+ Appealing to the eye
+ Rock solid durability
+ Extra cooling supplied
+ Workstation grade components
+ Extensive accessories bundle
+ Packed with useful features
+ Excellent performance
+ Five year warranty
Cons
– May not appeal to all tastes
