BIOSTAR Racing Z170GT7 (Intel Z170) Motherboard Review

Introduction

When I first saw BIOSTAR's press release for their "Racing" series of motherboards, I was a little intrigued by their RGB LED usage. Their images of the LED "glow" seemed a little photoshopped, but then again, capturing LED output is not a walk in the park either. After turning the board on for the first time and engaging the RGB LEDs in the VRM heat sink, my jaw dropped.

Ladies and gentlemen, BIOSTAR has implemented RGBs into their VRM heat sinks the proper way. I have been a computer hardware enthusiast for over a decade, and ever since the beginning, I have wanted to light up my rigs. My issue is I do not want the light to shine; I want it to glow. The Z170GT7 offers this "glow" and at a very affordable price. Let us begin the journey into the Z170GT7.

Specifications

The BIOSTAR Z170GT7 has many high-end features such as SATA Express, M.2 (32Gb/s), USB 3.1 Type-C, 1Gbit Intel NIC, and support for up to 3-way CrossFireX. The motherboard does not support SLI.

Pricing

The BIOSTAR Z170GT7 is available from many large retailers for roughly $130.

UPDATE: The MSRP of the BIOSTAR Z170GT7 is $159.