Supermicro C7Z170-SQ Motherboard Review

1. Introduction2. Supermicro C7Z170-SQ: Packaging and Bundle3. SuperMicro C7Z170-SQ: Board Layout and Features4. Supermicro Z170 UEFI & Software5. Testing Methodology6. Tests: System-related7. Tests: Gaming-related8. Overclocking: Frequencies9. Overclocking: Performance10. Tests: Motherboard-related11. Closing Thoughts12. View All Pages

SATA

For SATA 6Gb/s testing, we use a Chronos Deluxe SATA3 120GB SSD.

The C7Z170-SQ features only SATA ports controlled by the PCH, this allows for maximum speed without any confusion to what port to choose when installing new storage drives. The speed is well within tolerance and wouldn't be a bottleneck to any current SSDs.

USB 3.0

We tested USB 3.0 performance using the Chronos Deluxe SATA3 120GB SSD connected to a SATA 6Gb/s to USB 3.0 adapter powered by an ASMedia ASM1053 controller. The test system uses Windows 8.1 Pro as the OS.

The speeds presented here are slightly lower than the other UASP enabled options, this could be due to a different SSD being used for this particular article. However, Windows 8.1 features UASP as standard which gives a boost to the performance to all motherboards rather than motherboards that featured it specifically.

Audio

We use RightMark Audio Analyzer (RMAA) to analyse the performance of the motherboard’s onboard audio solution. A sampling mode of 24-bit, 192 kHz was tested.

The test shows that the onboard audio is a viable option to use without an additional soundcard. The lack of any onboard amplifiers shows through here during the listening section with a distinct lack of Bass.

Power

We measured the power consumption with the system resting on the Windows 8.1 desktop, representing idle values.

The power consumption of our entire test system (at the wall) is measured while loading only the CPU using Prime95′s in-place large FFTs setting. The rest of the system’s components were operating in their idle states hence, the increased power consumption values (in comparison to the idle figures) are largely related to the load on the CPU and motherboard power delivery components.

Power consumption for this motherboard is well within the acceptable tolerances of the Z170 range. It isn't the most efficient option, which is odd considering the use of efficient server components. When the overclock is set, the efficiency increases compared to the competition and the higher quality components start to make sense.

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