ECS Z170 Claymore Motherboard Review
ECS Z170 Claymore Motherboard Review
Earlier this year, it was reported that Elitegroup Computer System (ECS) was no longer going to market its own branded motherboards, instead they were going to focus on OEM motherboards. While OEM system builds has been ECS’s main focus for many years, they have released products for the DIY crowd, with high end features while keeping the price down. With increased pressure from the top tier motherboard manufacturers, these budget minded motherboards often get overlooked. However, if you look at the features ECS builds into their motherboards, these budget boards are sometimes a great option.
Take for example, the ECS Z170 Claymore motherboard, here we have a motherboard designed for the latest Intel Skylake processors, that integrates some of the latest technology. This motherboard includes support for the latest technology that the Intel Z170 chipset permits; DDR4 memory, PCIe Gen 3, M.2, USB 3.1 and overclocking support. That is not all that the motherboard has to offer! ECS implemented several new features such as the Realtek DRAGON LAN 8118AS, which is new to the market and is looking to compete with the Killer NIC for online gaming traffic priority shaping, HDMI 2.0 makes an entrance offering 60FPS at 4K UHD resolutions and several other features. Once available, the ECS Z170 Claymore motherboard has a suggested retail price of $159.99, which makes the specifications of the motherboard look very enticing.
Features and Specifications
- Realtek DRAGON LAN 8118AS
- ASMedia ASM1142 USB 3.1
- HDMI 2.0
- LEET Boost
| ECS Z170 Claymore | |
| Chipset | Intel Z170 Express Chipset |
| CPU Support | Supports 6th gen Intel Core family/ Pentium / Celeron series processors for LGA 1151 socket 12 Phase Thermal Design Power 100% Solid capacitor design Supports Intel Hyper-Threading Technology Intel K Series Unlock CPU Support Low RDs(on) to minimize switching losses |
| Graphics | Supports DirectX 12 Supports HDMI 2.0 Technology ( resolution up to 3840 x 2160 pixels ) |
| Memory | Dual-channel DDR4 Memory architecture 4 X 288-pin DDR4 DIMM socket Support up to 64 GB |
| Expansion Slot | 5 X PCI Express X16 Gen 3.0 slot(s) Supports AMD CrossFire Technology 1 X M.2 slot for SSD |
| Storage | Support by Z170 Express Chipset RAID0, RAID1,RAID5, RAID 10 configuration |
| Audio | 8-Channel HD audio CODEC Realtek ALC1150 8-channel High Definition audio CODEC |
| LAN | Realtek DRAGON LAN Chip 8118AS |
| USB | Support by Z170 Express Chipset 6 X USB3.0 port(s) up to 5Gb/s Back Panel 4 port(s); Onboard 2 port(s) 8 X USB2.0 port(s) Up to 480 Mb/s Back Panel 4 port(s); Onboard 4 port(s) Support by ASMedia ASM1142 Controler 2 X USB3.1 port(s) up to 10Gb/s ECS EZ Charger (Gray USB header) |
| Rear Panel I/O | 1 X PS/2 Keyboard & PS/2 mouse connectors 1 X Audio port (Line-in,4x Line-out, Mic in) 1 X HDMI 2.0 port(s) 1 X Display port 2 X USB3.1 port(s) 4 X USB3.0 port(s) 4 X USB2.0 port(s) |
| Connectors & Headers | 1 X 24-pin ATX Power Supply connector 2 X 4-pin CPU_FAN connector 3 X 4-pin SYS_FAN connector 1 X Power on button 1 X Reset button 1 X Front Panel switch/LED header 1 X Front panel audio header 1 X USB 3.0 header – Support additional 2 USB ports 2 X USB 2.0 header – Support additional 4 USB ports 4 X SATA III 6Gb/s connector(s) 1 X CLR_CMOS header 1 X TPM header 1 X Debug LED 1 X Chassis intrusion header |
| Form Factor | ATX Form Factor 305*244mm |
| Warranty | 3 Year Part and 2 Year Labor |
After a brief look at the ECS Z170 Claymore packaging, we’ll take a closer look at the motherboard and get to installing it.