ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming K6 Motherboard Review

1. Introduction2. ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming K6: Packaging and Bundle3. ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming K6: Board Layout and Features4. ASRock Z270 UEFI & Software5. Testing Methodology6. Tests: CPU Related7. Tests: Memory & System Related8. Tests: Gaming Related9. Overclocking & Power Consumption10. Tests: Motherboard Features Performance11. Closing Thoughts12. View All Pages

The ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming K6 is a very good mid-range offering that provides a host of features and currently has a well-tuned BIOS profile which gives it a performance advantage against our ASUS and Gigabyte comparison solutions.

ASRock's performance is superb throughout testing, with the Z270 Gaming K6 leading more charts than it doesn't. Manual overclocking was simple and the board's voltage accuracy was superb thanks to well-designed and clear LLC settings. The power delivery system seemed to do a good job despite not being being a fully digital operation.

Motherboard layout is superb and the inclusion of small add-ons, such as a second USB 3.0 internal header and two additional SATA 6Gbps ports, enhances the premium feel of the Z270 Gaming K6. I am, however, disappointed to see no consideration given to M.2 cooling as competing vendors such as MSI and ASUS have clearly done. With that said, the ability to run dual PCIe M.2 SSDs alongside a pair of CrossFire/SLI graphics cards shows good thought for lane distribution.

The colour scheme is consistent and should appeal to users who like the red and black style. RGB LEDs are situated in three individual zones, with the option to add an external strip using the 4-pin AURA header. The onboard RGBs are, however, of limited use as they are barely visible and quite dim (especially beneath the chipset). This may appeal to some but if you want clearly visible RGB LEDs, you will need to purchase an external strip to use with this board.

I like ASRock's UEFI thanks to its ease-of-navigation, superb fan control abilities, and inclusion of smart tools such as System Browser. Other than the basic overclocking presets that only had mediocre optimisation, I don't really have any complaints for the UEFI. The OS software tools are limited and are nowhere near as good as the options provided by ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI. It is, however, likely that ASRock will improve the variety of software tools available via updates following release.

The ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming K6 is available at Overclockers UK for £189.95. A smart selection of features, solid UEFI, and good performance make the Gaming K6 a clear option for mid-range Z270 buyers. No 4K60-capable display output is disappointing and the onboard RGB LEDs are not great but there is an AURA RGB header to compensate for that.

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Pros:

• Great performance despite the early pre-release BIOS used for testing.
• Good overclocking capability with superb voltage accuracy thanks to smart, clear LLC profiles.
• Excellent UEFI design with superb fan control abilities.
• Smart lane distribution decisions – dual M.2 PCIe SSDs alongside a pair of SLI/CrossFire graphics cards is possible.
• Small add-ons combine to make a good impact – M.2 Key E for a WiFi card, two more SATA 6Gbps ports, additional USB headers.
• Onboard buttons and 2-digit LED are good for diagnostics (in addition to the UEFI System Browser).

Cons:

• Limited light from the RGB LEDs and the AURA RGB LED tool cannot control partnering hardware such as graphics cards.
• No M.2 SSD cooling solution or U.2 connector like competing products offer.
• Mediocre CPU overclocking presets and no good automated tuning method.
• No high-resolution 60Hz-capable display output onboard (no DisplayPort or HDMI 2.0).

KitGuru says: A great feature set, very good performance, and a strong UEFI implementation make the ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming K6 a smart choice.

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