With the Z87 launch, Asus made a few big changes with their mainstream motherboard line, the biggest being the change to the gold color scheme. That change came with a mixed response but the high quality and big feature set that Asus includes on all of their boards they were still very popular. With the Z97 launch, they have stuck with the gold theme but they have softened the color slightly to make it a little less polarizing. Today I will be taking a deeper look at the Z97-A, one of Asus’s mid ranged mainstream boards. I can’t wait to see what they changed for the Z97 launch and to see how the softer gold looks as well.
Product Name: Asus Z97-A
Review Sample Provided by: Asus
Written by: Wes
Pictures by: Wes
Specifications |
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CPU |
Intel® Socket 1150 for the 5th/New 4th/4th Generation Core™ i7/Core™ i5/Core™ i3/Pentium®/Celeron® Processors Supports Intel® 22 nm CPU Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 |
Chipset |
Intel® Z97 |
Memory |
4 x DIMM, Max. 32GB, DDR3 3200 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory Dual Channel Memory Architecture Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) |
Graphic |
Integrated Graphics Processor- Intel® HD Graphics support Multi-VGA output support : HDMI/DVI-D/RGB/DisplayPort ports - Supports HDMI with max. resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz - Supports DVI-D with max. resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz - Supports RGB with max. resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz - Supports DisplayPort with max. resolution 4960 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz Maximum shared memory of 512 MB Supports Intel® InTru™ 3D, Quick Sync Video, Clear Video HD Technology, Insider™ Supports up to 3 displays simultaneously 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 AMD Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Technology |
Expansion Slots |
2 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8) 1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x2 mode) 2 x PCIe 2.0 x1 *1 2 x PCI |
Storage |
1 x SATA Express port, compatible with 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports 1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M Key, type 2260/2280 storage devices support (PCIE mode) 4 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), gray Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10 Supports Intel® Smart Response Technology, Intel® Rapid Start Technology, Intel® Smart Connect Technology *2 |
LAN |
Intel® I218V, 1 x Gigabit LAN, Dual interconnect between the Integrated Media Access Controller (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Gigabit Intel® LAN Connection- 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) appliance |
Audio |
Realtek® ALC892 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC featuring Crystal Sound 2 - Supports : Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel MIC Jack-retasking Audio Feature : - Absolute Pitch 192kHz/ 24-bit True BD Lossless Sound - DTS Ultra PC II - DTS Connect - Optical S/PDIF out port(s) at back panel - 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 - Premium Japanese-made audio capacitors: Provide warm, natural and immersive sound with exceptional clarity and fidelity - Unique de-pop circuit: Reduces start-up popping noise to audio outputs - Top notch audio sensation delivers according to the audio configuration - EMI protection cover to prevent electrical noise to affect the amplifier quality |
USB Ports |
Intel® Z97 chipset : 6 x USB 3.0/2.0 port(s) (4 at back panel, blue, 2 at mid-board) Intel® Z97 chipset : 8 x USB 2.0/1.1 port(s) (2 at back panel, , 6 at mid-board) |
Special Features |
5-Way Optimization by Dual Intelligent Processors 5 - Whole system optimization with a single click! 5-Way Optimization tuning key perfectly consolidates TPU, EPU, DIGI+ Power Control, Fan Xpert 3, and Turbo App together, providing better CPU performance, efficient power saving, precise digital power control, whole system cooling and even tailor your own app usages. ASUS 5X Protection : - ASUS DIGI+ VRM - 8 Phase digital power design - ASUS Enhanced DRAM Overcurrent Protection - Short circuit damage prevention - ASUS ESD Guards - Enhanced ESD protection - ASUS High-Quality 5K-Hour Solid Capacitors - 2.5x long lifespan with excellent durability - ASUS Stainless Steel Back I/O - 3x more durable corrosion-resistant coating ASUS TPU : - Auto Tuning - GPU Boost - TPU switch ASUS EPU : - EPU - EPU switch ASUS Digital Power Design : - Industry leading Digital 8 Phase Power Design - CPU Power Utility ASUS Exclusive Features : - Remote GO! - AI Suite 3 - Anti-Surge - ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode featuring friendly graphics user interface - USB 3.0 Boost - Disk Unlocker - Turbo LAN - Crystal Sound 2 ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution : - Stylish Fanless Design Heat-sink solution ASUS EZ DIY : - Precision Tweaker 2 - ASUS O.C. Tuner - ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 - ASUS EZ Flash 2 - ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode - Push Notice ASUS Q-Design : - ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED) - ASUS Q-Slot - ASUS Q-DIMM - ASUS Q-Connector Special Memory O.C. Design Overclocking Protection : - ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall) Media Streamer Turbo App Fan Xpert 3 |
Operating System Support |
Windows® 8.1 Windows® 8 Windows® 7 |
Back I/O Ports |
1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port(s) 1 x DVI-D 1 x D-Sub 1 x DisplayPort 1 x HDMI 1 x LAN (RJ45) port(s) 4 x USB 3.0 (blue) 2 x USB 2.0 1 x Optical S/PDIF out 5 x Audio jack(s) |
Internal I/O Ports |
1 x USB 3.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 2 USB 3.0 port(s) (19-pin) 3 x USB 2.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 6 USB 2.0 port(s) 1 x SATA Express connector: , compatible with 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports 1 x M.2 Socket 3 for M Key, type 2260/2280 devices 1 x TPM header 4 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(s) 1 x CPU Fan connector(s) (1 x 4 -pin) 1 x CPU OPT Fan connector(s) (1 x 4 -pin) 4 x Chassis Fan connector(s) (4 x 4 -pin) 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 EZ XMP switch 1 x Front panel audio connector(s) (AAFP) 1 x System panel(s) (Q-Connector) 1 x DRCT header(s) 1 x MemOK! button(s) 1 x TPU switch(es) 1 x EPU switch(es) 1 x Power-on button(s) 1 x Clear CMOS jumper(s) |
Accessories |
User's manual I/O Shield 3 x SATA 6Gb/s cable(s) 1 x SLI bridge(s) 1 x Q-connector(s) (2 in 1) |
BIOS |
64 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.7, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.8, ACPI 5.0, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ Flash 2, CrashFree BIOS 3, F11 EZ Tuning Wizard, F6 Qfan Control, F3 My Favorites, Quick Note, Last Modified log, F12 PrintScreen, F3 Shortcut functions, and ASUS DRAM SPD (Serial Presence Detect) memory information |
Support Disc |
Drivers ASUS Utilities EZ Update Anti-virus software (OEM version) |
Form Factor |
ATX Form Factor 12.0 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm ) |
Packaging and Accessories
Once again, Asus has changed up their packaging design. This time around they focused on the round heatsink found on their mainstream motherboards with a zoomed in image of it taking up most of the top of their box. The top right has the Asus logo as well as the model name and then along the bottom edge you will find all of the standard required logos for technologies used in the board as well as Intel’s socket support. On the back of the box, Asus has packed it full of information. Here we have an actual photo of the board, a specification listing, and a breakdown of how a few of their key features work.
Inside the board is wrapped up in a static protective bag with cardboard holding it up over the documentation and accessories. For documentation you get an in depth user guide and a book that goes over the Z97 exclusive features. You also get a drive/software disc and a blue case badge. For accessories, you get three black and white SATA cables, front panel connection helpers, an SLI bridge, and the rear I/O panel. The rear I/O panel is silver with no color coding on it, this isn’t something we see often anymore and it’s obvious that Asus decided to save a little money here. The SLI bridge is copper in color as well, with the board having a black PCB it would have been nice to see this be blacked out as well.
Board Layout and Pictures
Last year Asus dropped their blue color scheme for their mainstream boards and went with a gold design with a little bit of teasing from some enthusiasts. This time around, they have stuck with the gold color scheme but toned it down slightly to more of a champagne color that looks a little classy. I still don’t think the color will go as well with some builds as the blue did, Asus has refined the gold look a little and they continue to set themselves apart from the competition that was also pushing the blue theme at the time. Let’s take a look around the board to see what Asus packed into the Z97-A.
Typically I would do two photos of the top section of a motherboard but with the Z97-A there is just the 8-pin power connection over on the left so I bundled it in with the right side of the board. For power, we have the 8-pin as well as the 24-pin power connections, nothing out of the ordinary here. Up above the four DDR3 DIMM slots we have two 4-pin PWM fan headers for the CPU cooler. Along the right side edge, Asus included their MemOK button that you can use when having memory compatibility issues to get your PC booted. There is also a new switch called EZ XMP that automatically turns on your memory XMP settings without having to jump into the BIOS. There are two more 4-pin PWM fan headers above the 24-pin power connection and just above the PCI Express slots over on the left of the photo giving us 4 so far. In the bottom right corner of this photo we also have a USB 3.0 header for those front panel USB 3.0 ports.
Lastly, in this photo we can see our M.2 port. M.2 is a small form factor implementation of the SATA Express interface and the replacement for mSATA. With this connection, you can add a small PCB that will give you a SATA Express connection or you can connect M.2 SSD’s. If you don’t know what SATA Express is, it is the latest in connection type that combines two SATA 3 ports along with a third smaller port to increase overall data transfer up to 10 Gb/s, exactly what we will need to break past the performance of our current day SSD’s.
Down along the right side Asus has put all of your SATA connections. We end up with four SATA 3 connections as well as a single SATA Express connection. Including that SATA Express connection should help keep this board relevant for a long time and allow you to take advantage of tomorrows high speed SSDs.
Down in the bottom right corner we have a lot going on. First, we can see both the TPU and EPU switches. As mentioned in the past the EPU is an on board controller that helps turn things down to lower power usage. TPU is similar but it bumps performance up slightly, although not as much as you can get by manually overclocking. We have two more 4-pin PWM fan headers giving us a total of 6 on the entire motherboard, an impressive number even on a more expensive board let alone this one. Just to the left of fan header 3 we have the clear CMOS jumper. Down in the bottom corner are the front panel connections. Asus made sure to put labels on the PCB in addition to the installation helpers they included in the box. I would still prefer color labels on the header itself like some other boards have, but I can’t complain too much. Lastly, you get three internal USB 2.0 headers.
Over on the bottom left in the corner we can just barely see the onboard sound for the Z97-A. There are just the four capacitors and the audio chipset, in comparison to the mid to high end motherboards this is extremely tiny, but to keep costs down Asus had to save money somewhere. Moving from left to right along the bottom edge we have the front panel audio connections, a communication port, a built in power switch, and the TPM header. I was surprised to see Asus include a power button considering the other cost cutting measures, but as someone who tests on an open bench the button was very welcomed.
For PCI connections, we get a full mix. You get two legacy PCI slots, two PCI Express x1 slots and three PCI Express x16 length slots. Of the three x16 slots only two run in PCIe 3.0. Those two can run in full x16 speed if running a single card or x8/x8 if you run things in both slots. The third x16 length slot is only PCIe 2.0 and runs in x2 speed at all times so be careful to not use that slot for anything requiring bandwidth like a video card.
Back on the rear I/O panel Asus has changed things around a little. Typically, we would see your USB/PS2 port on the left for your mouse and keyboard. This time around, they put all of the video connections up top and there are plenty of them. You get full sized HDMI and Display Ports, VGA, and DVI. For USB you get two USB 2.0 ports and four USB 3.0 ports. Above the left USB 3.0 ports you get a legacy PS2 port for those of you who still prefer to use their old keyboards and above the other USB 3.0 ports you have an Intel NIC. Lastly, over on the right there is a fairly standard 5 port audio connection array as well as an optical out.
For their cooling design on the Z97-A Asus stepped things up slightly compared to the similarly configured Z87 boards that I tested last year. The cooling design features two black and light cold heatsinks around the CPU socket and the round puck that we saw on the cover of the Z97-A’s box. The chipset cooler is smaller than most other boards so I expect this to be the only area of concern when running the chipset hard, but with this board being a mainstream board and not a gaming or overclocking board this is to be expected.
When we flip the board over we can see the “black” PCB better, but here we can see that the black looks a little different when there are copper traces near the surface giving the board a dark copper look.
UEFI and Software
Asus has lead the market for a few years now on the software front. They were the first to combine everything into a single program to make their software easy to use and give more reason to even install the software at all. On top of that their AISuite has made it almost unnecessary to even work in the BIOS for most situations. Overclocking, voltage, and VRM settings can all be made right in windows. For Z97 this software hasn’t really changed, not that it needed too. For the Z97-A still have full DIGI+ VRM control as well as a new feature called the Turbo App that lets you select specific running applications to give them CPU priority as well as network priority. You can even select the audio preset that you would like to use when hearing sound from that specific program. If you like to tweak and tune you could really have fun with this and improve your user experience. For example, you could set steam to have a low network priority and your games to have a high CPU and network priority so steam updates wouldn’t cause a latency issue when playing an online game.
With everything that you can do in their AiSuite software, it’s surprising that Asus still managed to make using their UEFI BIOS so easy. If you are looking to make a simple change or two you can stay on the EZ Mode page. They have even included a few small overclocking features like the ability to turn X.M.P. mode on or off. If you want to get into more in depth features the Z97-A does have them in the advanced section. Navigating the BIOS easier and more fluid than the Gaming 5 that I took a look at yesterday. This says a lot because the Gaming 5’s BIOS was actually really nice. Asus’s BIOS is a little more refined and doesn’t have any of the quirks that the MSI BIOS had. I highly recommend that you take a look at the video below that flips through all of the options available in the Z97-A’s BIOS. It is a lot more than I expected from a mainstream board!
Test Rig and Procedures
Intel LGA1150 Test System |
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CPU |
Intel i7-4770K CPU |
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Cooling |
Noctua NH-U12S for cooling Noctua NT-H1 Thermal Paste |
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Memory |
Kingston DDR3 HyperX Genesis Blue 1600Mhz Ram |
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Storage |
Kingston HyperX 3K 240Gb SSD (OS) |
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Video Card |
Nvidia GTX 780 |
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Power Supply |
Cooler Master V1000 |
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Case |
Microcool Banchetto 101 Test bench |
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OS |
Windows 7 Pro 64-bit |
Motherboard Testing |
|
Passmark Performance Test 8.0 |
We now just use the overall CPU mark score that takes into account all of the CPU oriented results |
PCMark 7 |
We run the basic PCMark test suite and use the overall score to get a general idea of system performance. |
3DMark |
We run the 2013 Fire Strike test on the performance setting |
In Game Tests |
|
Bioshock Infinite |
Using the Adrenaline Action Benchmark Tool, we run Bioshock Infinite on the “Xtreme” quality setting. |
Tomb Raider |
Using the Adrenaline Action Benchmark Tool, we run Tomb Raider on the “Xtreme” quality setting. |
Hitman: Absolution |
Using the Adrenaline Action Benchmark Tool, we run Hitman: Absolution on the “Xtreme” quality setting. |
Sleeping Dogs |
Using the Adrenaline Action Benchmark Tool, we run Sleeping Dogs on the “Xtreme” quality setting. |
Subsystem Testing |
|
RightMark Audio Analyzer |
We use this to test the on board audio on all motherboard that come in, this gives us an idea of their audio performance beyond subjective testing. When testing we always have our audio set to 24 bit. |
Crystal Disk Mark |
We use this benchmark for USB 3.0 and SATA speed tests. Testing is done with Crystal Disc Mark with a Corsair Force GT 60 Gb. USB 3.0 testing is hooked up through a Thermaltake BlackX with USB 3.0 support |
Passmark |
Passmark Advanced network test |
Performance
As I mentioned previously in my last Z97 review, I cut back on the number of performance benchmarks to focus on more subsystem tests because they are really the only way to spot performance differences between motherboards anymore. This is backed up by all of the performance numbers for the Z97-A. When compared to the Gaming 5 in the numbers below the numbers are almost spot on exactly the same. This is a good thing though, the Z97-A is a mainstream board and the Gaming 5 is a gaming focused motherboard, but if you notice below you are going to get the same in game performance no matter what motherboard you end up going with. Be sure to check out the other performance sections to see how well the Z97-A holds up against the competition in other performance metrics though.
3DMark |
|
MSI Z97 Gaming 5 |
Overall Score 8714 Graphics Score 9784 Physics Score 11082 |
Asus Z97-A |
Overall Score 8715 Graphics Score 9777 Physics Score 11119 |
PCMark 8 |
|
MSI Z97 Gaming 5 |
5133 |
Asus Z97-A |
5287 |
Passmark |
|
MSI Z97 Gaming 5 |
5186.1 |
Asus Z97-A |
5500.0 |
Bioshock Infinite |
|
MSI Z97 Gaming 5 |
106.54 |
Asus Z97-A |
110.74 |
Tomb Raider |
|
MSI Z97 Gaming 5 |
57.1 |
Asus Z97-A |
57.2 |
Hitman: Absolution |
|
MSI Z97 Gaming 5 |
45.8 |
Asus Z97-A |
46.7 |
Sleeping Dogs |
|
MSI Z97 Gaming 5 |
62.4 |
Asus Z97-A |
62 |
USB 3.0 and SATA 3
To see how well the SATA and USB 3.0 controllers performed I took the same SSD and benchmarked in when connected via USB 3.0 as well as SATA 3. To add a little spice to things I did a third benchmark using Asus’s USB 3.0 Boost to see if the performance using that feature is still as noticeable as with previous motherboards. As you can see below, when using SATA and USB 3.0 the Z97-A performed on par with the competition. But when you setup your USB 3.0 device using the included software and the USB 3.0 Boost you can see numbers that are nearly as fast as running over SATA3. Truthfully it is rare that I remember to set this up, but if you have a drive that is hooked up all of the time you could save yourself a lot of time with the additional speed it will get you.
SATA3 |
Read Speed |
MSI Z97 Gaming 5 |
459.2 |
Asus Z97-A |
460.6 |
USB 3 |
Read Speed |
MSI Z97 Gaming 5 |
279.0 |
Asus Z97-A |
277.4 |
Asus Z97-A w/USB3 Boost |
427.6 |
Audio
Typically with our audio testing I am able to compare the performance numbers between each motherboard to have a non-subjective way to compare them. Sadly my testing cables were both damaged and I wasn’t able to get a replacement in time for this review. I did have a chance to give the Z97-A’s built in sound card a listen both in game and with music. My initial impressions weren’t all that amazing but after finding the amplifier setting that allowed me to move the headphone amp to the rear connection that I was using for my headset I was happy with the overall performance. Another peak at Asus’s audio configuration on the Z97-A did show that they isolated the audio on the Z97-A just like we have seen on higher end Asus boards for the past few years. Considering this is a mainstream motherboard I don’t think you could ask for better, especially at this price point.
Network
After doing the USB benchmarks and seeing how far ahead the Z97-A was in performance I was a little disappointed when I ran our network benchmark. Asus did include an Intel NIC but its performance wasn’t anything to write home about, especially when compared to the Gaming 5. This is still worlds above wireless and almost no one will notice the difference in day to day usage, but this is the only documented benchmark where the Z97-A performed considerably less than the Gaming 5 (audio testing didn’t have a benchmark).
Motherboard |
Average Network Speed |
MSI Z97 Gaming 5 |
820 Mbps |
Asus Z97-A |
678.1 Mbps |
Overclock
Asus may not have designed the Z97-A for overclocking, but they did include their TPU chip that when paired with their software allows the board to automatically overclock itself and test for stability over and over to give you the highest benchmark. After letting the software run the benchmark that we ended up with was an impressive 4.5 Ghz, a half of a Ghz higher than what the MSI did using its OC Genie. This is in line with that I have experienced with past Asus motherboards as well. With the ability to slowly overclock and test after each overclock they are able to get you much closer to the limit of your individual CPU. Standard overclock buttons that don’t test can’t do this because they have to overclock to the lowest possible CPU.
Motherboard |
Highest Auto Overclock |
MSI Z97 Gaming 5 |
4.0 Ghz |
Asus Z97-A |
4.50 Ghz |
Overall and Final Verdict
My time with the Z97-A has been extremely interesting. As always I was extremely impressed with Asus’s attention to detail when packing the Z97-A full of features. Typically with a low to mid ranged motherboard like this manufactures seem to try their best to put only the bear minimum in effort into everything. Asus did a great job of giving the Z97-A the best software available as well as the best UEFI BIOS. I was also really impressed with the USB 3.0 performance when using Asus’s USB 3.0 Boost. In contrast to all of that I was a little disappointed in the network performance of the Intel NIC on the Z97-A. The same goes for the built in audio card, this is to be expected at a price point like the Z97-A’s though.
In the end I can’t be too upset. Asus did put together a motherboard that is going to be extremely hard to beat at a price point of $149.99 as of today. It has its downsides, but you can’t really expect something to be perfect when it is priced on the low to mid-range. Asus did end up putting together a good package at a price point that isn’t the cheap but fitting for the product you are getting.