Introduction

Specifications

Specifications CPU SUPPORT: 6th Gen Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processors, and Intel Pentium and Celeron processors for Socket LGA1151 POWER DESIGN: CPU Power: 14 phase

Memory Power: 2 phase CHIPSET: Intel Z170 Chipset INTEGRATED GRAPHICS: Dependent on installed CPU MEMORY: 4 x DIMM, Max. 64 GB; Support 3200 MHz+(OC) BIOS: 2 x 128Mb AMI UEFI BIOS SLOTS: 3 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots

3 x PCIe 3.0 x1 slot

1 x M.2 slot HDD CONNECTIVITY: 4 x SATA 6 Gb/s port

1 x M.2 (Support up to PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6 Gb/s)

4 x SATA 6 Gb/s port (ASMedia) NETWORKING: 1 x Killer E2400 Gigabit LAN REAR PORTS: 1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse port

4 x USB 2.0 ports

6 x USB 3.0 ports

2 x USB 3.1 ports

1 x DisplayPort

1 x HDMI port

1 x LAN (RJ45) port

1 x Optical S/PDIF Out connector

6 x Audio port AUDIO: Realtek ALC1150 7.1-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC FAN HEADERS: 5 x 4-pin FORM FACTOR: ATX Form Factor; 30.5cm x 24.4cm EXCLUSIVE FEATURES: Windows 10 Workable support

14 Phase Power Design

Supports Intel K Series unlock CPU

Applied 100% Solid capacitor design to maximize component reliability

ECS Durathon Technology ensure the stability, reliability and performance of system.

ESD Protection prevents computers from electrostatic discharge damage to enhance its durability and lifespan

ECS EZ charger provides a fast way to charge your smart devices, even if the PC is off

Supports GUI UEFI for tweaking BIOS in Graphical interface within a multi language environment

ECS MIB X - A friendly interface for overclocking, especially for gamer

Intel 14nm 6th generation Multi-Core CPU support

Supports DirectX 12 to enhance graphical performance

Supports AMD CrossFire to expand your system's graphics capabilities.

Supports Intel HD Graphics

Supports Display Port 1.2 Technology

ECS Intelligent EZ Utility : eBLU, eDLU, eSF

Free Bundle: CyberLink Media Suite

Although a smaller company, we all know who ECS is. They've had some pretty unforgettable board names in the more recent past and keep introducing others. ECS sent me their ECS Z170-LIGHTSABER motherboard to take a look at. That name MUST create certain expectations for the majority of us, right?I like ECS, although that opinion might not be a popular one. Hardware-wise, their motherboards are pretty solid, but BIOS and software don't always have the same features than some of the bigger brands. That's not that big a deal for base-level CPU overclocking on modern Intel platforms as long as you can play with multipliers and the CPU's voltage, and that functionality is part of the CPUs themselves and, as such, almost guaranteed. High-speed memory support, on the other hand, well, you can only expect so much. With so many users saying that memory performance matters little that should be no big deal, right? It is not like ECS claims to offer a feature without providing it; they do pretty good on their delivery. You're not going to get what you do from other brands all the time, though.The ECS LIGHTSABER seems to be a departure from the products ECS has offered in the past; there's buttons all over, a dual BIOS, headphone OP-AMP in a socket, and a 14-phase VRM. Overclocking Skylake isn't hard, so you don't need a lot of software or a ton of BIOS features, either. Just the basics are required.