# Asus Z97-A motherboard review - Part I: Overview



## itsakjt (Aug 29, 2014)

*1. Introduction
*
Hi everyone, hope you are all doing fine. This time I am reviewing the Asus Z97-A motherboard. I will be splitting the review into two parts. Part I: Overview and Part II: Performance

The Asus Z97-A motherboard is based on Intel's new Z97 chipset and supports the newly released Intel "Haswell Refresh" series CPUs.

*i.imgur.com/A0ltpG3.jpg


Here is the link to the motherboard(Asus official site) : ASUS Z97-A motherboard

This motherboard features the latest Intel Z97 chipset which supports the latest Intel Haswell refresh series of processors based on the LGA 1150 socket. This is a budget friendly Z97 series motherboard from Asus and packs a lot of features in an ATX form factor. Lets move on to the specs as shown on Asus official website.



CPUIntel® Socket 1150 for the 5th/New 4th/4th Generation Core™ i7/Core™ i5/Core™ i3/Pentium®/Celeron® Processors 
Supports Intel® 22 nm CPU
Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 
* The Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 support depends on the CPU types.
* Refer to ASUS
 for CPU support listChipsetIntel® Z97Memory4 x DIMM, Max. 32GB, DDR3 3200(O.C.)/3100(O.C.)/3000(O.C.)/2933(O.C.)/2800(O.C.)/2666(O.C.)/2500(O.C.)/2400(O.C.)/2200(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/2000(O.C.)/1866(O.C.)/1600/1333 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory 
Dual Channel Memory Architecture 
Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
* Hyper DIMM support is subject to the physical characteristics of individual CPUs. 
* Refer to ASUS
 for the Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors Lists).GraphicIntegrated Graphics Processor- Intel® HD Graphics support 
Multi-VGA output support : HDMI/DVI-D/RGB/DisplayPort ports 
- Supports HDMI with max. resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz
- Supports DVI-D with max. resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz
- Supports RGB with max. resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz
- Supports DisplayPort with max. resolution 4060 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz 
Maximum shared memory of 512 MB
Supports Intel® InTru™ 3D, Quick Sync Video, Clear Video HD Technology, Insider™
Supports up to 3 displays simultaneously
DP 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport compliant, supports DP 1.2 monitor daisy chain up to 3 displaysMulti-GPU SupportSupports NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ Technology 
Supports AMD Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ TechnologyExpansion Slots2 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8) 
1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x2 mode) 
2 x PCIe 2.0 x1 *1
2 x PCIStorageIntel® Z97 chipset : 
1 x SATA Express port, compatible with 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports
1 x M.2 Socket 3, , with M Key, type 2260/2280 storage devices support (PCIE mode)
4 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), gray
Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10
Supports Intel® Smart Response Technology, Intel® Rapid Start Technology, Intel® Smart Connect Technology *2LANIntel® I218V, 1 x Gigabit LAN, Dual interconnect between the Integrated Media Access Controller (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY)
Gigabit Intel® LAN Connection- 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) applianceAudioRealtek® ALC892 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC featuring Crystal Sound 2
- Supports : Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel MIC Jack-retasking
Audio Feature :
- Absolute Pitch 192kHz/ 24-bit True BD Lossless Sound
- DTS Ultra PC II
- DTS Connect
- Optical S/PDIF out port(s) at back panel
- Audio Shielding: Ensures precision analog/digital separation and greatly reduced multi-lateral interference
- Dedicated audio PCB layers: Separate layers for left and right channels to guard the quality of the sensitive audio signals
- Audio amplifier: Provides the highest-quality sound for headphone and speakers
- Premium Japanese-made audio capacitors: Provide warm, natural and immersive sound with exceptional clarity and fidelity
- Unique de-pop circuit: Reduces start-up popping noise to audio outputs
- Top notch audio sensation delivers according to the audio configuration
- EMI protection cover to prevent electrical noise to affect the amplifier qualityUSB PortsIntel® Z97 chipset : 
6 x USB 3.0/2.0 port(s) (4 at back panel, blue, 2 at mid-board)
Intel® Z97 chipset : 
8 x USB 2.0/1.1 port(s) (2 at back panel, , 6 at mid-board)Special Features5-Way Optimization by Dual Intelligent Processors 5
- Whole system optimization with a single click! 5-Way Optimization tuning key perfectly consolidates TPU, EPU, DIGI+ Power Control, Fan Xpert 3, and Turbo App together, providing better CPU performance, efficient power saving, precise digital power control, whole system cooling and even tailor your own app usages.
ASUS 5X Protection :
- ASUS DIGI+ VRM - 8 Phase digital power design
- ASUS Enhanced DRAM Overcurrent Protection - Short circuit damage prevention 
- ASUS ESD Guards - Enhanced ESD protection 
- ASUS High-Quality 5K-Hour Solid Capacitors - 2.5x long lifespan with excellent durability 
- ASUS Stainless Steel Back I/O - 3x more durable corrosion-resistant coating 
ASUS TPU :
- Auto Tuning
- GPU Boost 
- TPU switch
ASUS EPU :
- EPU 
- EPU switch
ASUS Digital Power Design :
- Industry leading Digital 8 Phase Power Design
- CPU Power Utility
ASUS Exclusive Features :
- Remote GO!
- AI Suite 3
- Anti-Surge
- ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode featuring friendly graphics user interface 
- USB 3.0 Boost
- Disk Unlocker
- Turbo LAN
- Crystal Sound 2
ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution :
- Stylish Fanless Design Heat-sink solution
ASUS EZ DIY :
- Precision Tweaker 2
- ASUS O.C. Tuner
- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 
- ASUS EZ Flash 2 
- ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode
- Push Notice
ASUS Q-Design :
- ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED)
- ASUS Q-Slot
- ASUS Q-DIMM 
- ASUS Q-Connector
Special Memory O.C. Design
Overclocking Protection :
- ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall)
Media Streamer
Turbo App
Fan Xpert 3Operating System SupportWindows® 8.1 
Windows® 8 
Windows® 7Back I/O Ports1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port(s)
1 x DVI-D
1 x D-Sub
1 x DisplayPort
1 x HDMI
1 x LAN (RJ45) port(s)
4 x USB 3.0 (blue) 
2 x USB 2.0 
1 x Optical S/PDIF out
5 x Audio jack(s)Internal I/O Ports1 x USB 3.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 2 USB 3.0 port(s) (19-pin)
3 x USB 2.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 6 USB 2.0 port(s)
1 x SATA Express connector: , compatible with 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports
1 x M.2 Socket 3 for M Key, type 2260/2280 devices
1 x TPM header
4 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(s)
1 x CPU Fan connector(s) (1 x 4 -pin)
1 x CPU OPT Fan connector(s) (1 x 4 -pin)
4 x Chassis Fan connector(s) (4 x 4 -pin)
1 x S/PDIF out header(s)
1 x Thunderbolt header(s)
1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector(s)
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector(s)
1 x EZ XMP switch
1 x Front panel audio connector(s) (AAFP)
1 x System panel(s) (Q-Connector)
1 x DRCT header(s)
1 x MemOK! button(s)
1 x TPU switch(es)
1 x EPU switch(es)
1 x Power-on button(s)
1 x Clear CMOS jumper(s)AccessoriesUser's manual
I/O Shield
3 x SATA 6Gb/s cable(s)
1 x SLI bridge(s)
1 x Q-connector(s) (2 in 1)BIOS64 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.7, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.8, ACPI 5.0, Multi-language BIOS, 
ASUS EZ Flash 2, CrashFree BIOS 3, F11 EZ Tuning Wizard, F6 Qfan Control, F3 My Favorites, Quick Note, Last Modified log, 
F12 PrintScreen, F3 Shortcut functions, and ASUS DRAM SPD (Serial Presence Detect) memory informationManageabilityWfM 2.0, DMI 2.7, WOL by PME, PXESupport DiscDrivers
ASUS Utilities
EZ Update 
Anti-virus software (OEM version)Form FactorATX Form Factor 
12.0 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm )Note*1 : The PCIe x1_1/2 slots share bandwidth with M.2 Socket 3. The M.2 Socket 3 is default disabled. 
*2 : These functions will work depending on the CPU installed.


*2. Unboxing and packaging:
*
The box is slightly different this time. It is not glossy as compared to other boxes but it looks good. Some special features are stated. 


*i.imgur.com/0JNe7lm.jpg


The back side of the box has detailed write up of the overview of the board and special features are explained.


*i.imgur.com/ferKOPW.jpg


The board is protected with a ESD bag to prevent it from damage due to static electricity.


*i.imgur.com/XV5Lj2S.jpg


Packaging was good. The accessories were well packed inside the box below the motherboard which was separated by another layer. 


In box accessories:


*i.imgur.com/CIuhUFy.jpg


Accessories were common and includes:






User Guide and Quick start guide
Driver disc(Powered by Asus sticker inside)
Total 3 SATA 6 Gb/s cables
Back panel I/O shield
ASUS Q-Connector
NVIDIA SLI™ bridge



*3. **Layout:
*
*The board:*


*i.imgur.com/gbZsBYS.jpg


The motherboard is based on the black and yellow theme which we have seen on other Asus motherboards as well released this year. 


*i.imgur.com/LDRy3vV.jpg


I was happy this time. There were minimal soldering flux residue and most of the board was perfectly clean. The only place where some residue was there was near the back panel I/O ports. 


*Back I/O ports:*


*i.imgur.com/JHfvGdH.jpg
The back panel features:






A PS/2 port supporting a keyboard or mouse
Two USB 2.0 ports
Four USB 3.0 ports
VGA, DVI, HDMI and display port
RJ-45 ethernet port
HDMI, DVI and VGA port for video output
Six audio jacks for 8 channel audio support with support for optical S/PDIF output.

*
Power connectors:


*The board is powered using the standard 24 pin EATX and 8 pin EPS plugs.


*i.imgur.com/rxPzwpf.jpg


*i.imgur.com/wnshYhH.jpg
*
Expansion capabilities
*
*SATA ports:
*
*i.imgur.com/zDVQXqI.jpg


The motherboard has four SATA ports at 6 Gbps conforming to the SATA-III specification, one SATA Express port with support for two SATA 6 Gbps ports. All the ports are controlled by the Intel Z97 chipset.


*i.imgur.com/WRgCYHZ.jpg


The board also has support for the latest PCIe M.2 slot having bandwidth of 10 Gbps. Please note that PCIe M.2 was formerly known as Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF). Please note that the motherboard supports M.2 standard on PCIe mode only.
*
PCI-E slots:
*
*i.imgur.com/tmqNhP0.jpg


Top to bottom: PCIe 2.0 x1 slot 1, PCIe 2.0/3.0 x16 slot @x16, PCI slot 1, PCIe 2.0 x1 slot 2, PCIe 2.0/3.0 x16 slot @x8, PCI slot 2, PCIe 2.0 x16 slot @x2.
The motherboard supports NVIDIA® SLI™ Technology and AMD CrossFireX™ Technology. Maximum dual GPU bandwidth is x8 + x8 mode. Also note that the bandwidth of the PCIe x1 slots are shared with the PCIe M.2 slot. The M.2 slot is disabled by default. 


*RAM slots:
*
*i.imgur.com/MRa7u1t.jpg


4 DIMM slots are provided supporting up to 32 GB of memory each memory module being 8 GB in size. The board supports memory overclocking up to 3200 MHz. Please note that this much overclock depends primarily on the capability of the CPU since the memory controller is integrated within the CPU. Additional cooling might be required.


Layout is very good and I was very happy with the placement of the fan headers.


*4. Component analysis, Internal headers, front panel headers, switches:
*
*i.imgur.com/uiGfGQy.jpg


The Intel Z97 chipset lies underneath a stylish heatsink. It is brushed in texture and carries a yellowish theme. 


*i.imgur.com/HmJUT4H.jpg


The heatsink is mounted by two screws behind the board.


*i.imgur.com/qWJ66VJ.jpg


The DRAM VRM is made with two R68 chokes along with coupled 8 pin flat lead package MOSFETs from NXP. Those MOSFETS are driven by a Richtek 8120 controller. There is an EZ_XMP switch. Turning it on enables XMP(Extreme Memory Profile) mode by default. We also have the DRAM_LED which lights up during DRAM initialization and also have the MemOK key to patch memory compatibility issues. 


*i.imgur.com/tdhY2wR.jpg


The CPU VRM section is built with an 8 phase design with a total of 8 chokes. The MOSFETs are cooled by the heatsinks. The heatsinks are yellow and black in color and are of good quality. Lets take them out and check what's inside:


*i.imgur.com/YaFtwjD.jpg


*i.imgur.com/4hzI1F8.jpg


*i.imgur.com/hy4dUAC.jpg


There are coupled MOSFETs(total eight pairs) for each power phase. They are from NXP again, carrying the model numbers 6030DLB and 4030DLA. However each MOSFET driver drives 4 MOSFETs or simply two phases. That was done to cut down costs. So the VRM is okay to do the job but a very high voltage might cause instability. 


*i.imgur.com/S76UXFN.jpg


*i.imgur.com/IIapcBQ.jpg


The voltage controller is Asus Digi+ VRM branded. It carries the label of ASP 1252. Asus used 5K hrs rated at 105 degree C solid state capacitors.


*i.imgur.com/f1mUKB6.jpg


The VRM heatsinks have thermal pads beneath them. They are of good quality. 
So the VRM is adequate enough for a good overclock. 


*i.imgur.com/CHCDKvP.jpg


An ASM 1442K chip takes care of switching between the onboard display output ports. 


*i.imgur.com/rDz9Tvk.jpg


A CPU_OV jumper enables even higher voltage options for the CPU core. 


*i.imgur.com/tkYx65A.jpg


The UEFI/BIOS is stored in a 64 MB Winbond chip. It is user replaceable in case the chip needs to be replaced. 


*i.imgur.com/ObKxvnZ.jpg


The ASM 1440 chip switches between the PCIe M.2 slot and the PCIe x1 slots since you can only use one at a time. 


*i.imgur.com/uGZS04e.jpg


*i.imgur.com/ulsrI9b.jpg


The multiplexers and demultiplexers for the PCIe x16 ports are done by a number of ASM 1480 chips.


*i.imgur.com/Ypx9nFH.jpg


There are two CPU fans. One is marked as CPU_FAN and another as CPU_OPT(Optional). 


*i.imgur.com/7FDHk9b.jpg


*i.imgur.com/6bgbfOF.jpg


*i.imgur.com/RLPU94H.jpg


*i.imgur.com/YElQloB.jpg 


Here are all the fan headers available on the board. We have the TPU(TurboV Processing Unit) switch which overclocks the system automatically. There are two modes. We also get an EPU(Energy Processing Unit) switch which saves power. 
The front panel headers are normal with the front panel power and reset buttons and some USB 2.0 headers. 


*i.imgur.com/au60ENX.jpg


The TurboV chip handles the automatic overclocking feature along with the BIOS. 


*i.imgur.com/sY3psXN.jpg


*i.imgur.com/Qcrxuyx.jpg


We also have a COM port header, Thunderbolt header, onboard power LED and switch and Trusted Platform Module(TPM) header.


HD front panel audio header and S/PDIF header is also included. 


*i.imgur.com/pjLQWnM.jpg


*i.imgur.com/XOD3pWg.jpg


Nichicon premium Japanese-made capacitors are used for the audio filter. 


*i.imgur.com/nVukpef.jpg


*i.imgur.com/ZNY8HST.jpg


The Audio IC is a Realtek ALC 892 chip having a Signal-to-Noise Ratio(SNR) of 97 dB. A metallic shield is given surrounding the IC for electric screening which prevents EMI(Electro-Magnetic Interference) of the board with the audio chip. The audio section is separated from the rest of the components of the board to isolate the audio from the interference of other components.


*i.imgur.com/eeobJdH.jpg


*i.imgur.com/GcqSH0A.jpg


A Nuvoton 6791D is used for Super I/O and monitoring. 


*i.imgur.com/Vg8mSvQ.jpg


An Asmedia ASM 1083 chip provides support for legacy PCI ports. It actually converts PCIe signals to PCI(acts as a bridge).


*i.imgur.com/pCHk5D0.jpg


The Ethernet support is provided with an Intel I218V chip. This is a good approach from Asus as Intel is well known to make very good Ethernet ICs. 


There are a lot of LEDs throughout the board to indicate initialization stages. Here are some of them:


*i.imgur.com/FwIA70h.jpg


*i.imgur.com/CvPSNxK.jpg


*i.imgur.com/LCl9gFj.jpg


Notes: The CPU socket is very delicate. Install the CPU with utmost care to prevent damage to the socket. Do not touch the socket pins or the base of the CPU. 


*i.imgur.com/8TZhnYK.jpg


When opening the socket lever, just be careful of not scratching the board with the lever. This can be redesigned by using a plastic cap on the end of the lever and/or using a membrane on the surface of the board near this area. 


*i.imgur.com/wjwEPFg.jpg


*5. Test system:*


CPU: Intel Core i7 4770K
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A
RAMs: Kingston HyperX Blu DDR3 1600 MHz 9-9-9-27(2*4 GB)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120V with push pull configuration
Graphics card: Sapphire Radeon HD 6770 1 GB DDR5
Hard disk(s): Seagate ST500DM002(primary) and Western Digital WD10EARS(storage)
Power Supply: Corsair GS 700 2013 edition
Monitor: Dell S2240M
Chassis: Open test bench table
Software: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Service Pack 1 and all updates till then. 


* 5. **UEFI/BIOS walk through:
*
The first screen is simple and displays all the required information. You can configure the boot priority as well. 


*i.imgur.com/sOyWCN3.jpg


There is an easy tuning wizard which will automatically overclock the components based on offset likely stable settings for most components.


*i.imgur.com/8u6SsUC.jpg

The rest of the screens are self explanatory. I will explain where required. 


*i.imgur.com/Zl7WIVw.jpg


*i.imgur.com/aRyttxQ.jpg


*i.imgur.com/3KbbMH1.jpg


*i.imgur.com/vstg4iE.jpg


*i.imgur.com/Yv3nVqy.jpg


Overclocking is very well covered and mostly everything required is there for people who want to push their hardware to the limits.


*i.imgur.com/feI7fGo.jpg


*i.imgur.com/ih1qZLh.jpg


*i.imgur.com/0FjWApX.jpg


Memory tweaking also includes a lot of options. You can configure advanced level sub-timings as well. 


*i.imgur.com/7pm8ZKl.jpg


Here is the Digi+ VRM settings screen. You can configure Load Line Calibration, current capability, switching frequencies etc from here. 


The advanced menu brings you here:


*i.imgur.com/DbYiqjt.jpg


CPU settings:


*i.imgur.com/nYA8BFQ.jpg


SATA configuration:


*i.imgur.com/FmNiFcm.jpg


PCIe configuration:


*i.imgur.com/UoXm7z8.jpg


You can configure the link speed as 1.0, 2.0 or 3.0 standards.


Onboard devices configuration:


*i.imgur.com/XpoZ3Rm.jpg


Hardware monitor:


*i.imgur.com/2Yz5her.jpg


Boot settings:


*i.imgur.com/wxkEjGJ.jpg


You get all the UEFI/Legacy mode and Secure Boot settings here. 


Asus Overclock profile: Store your OC settings as you experiment.


*i.imgur.com/HLN8cjv.jpg


UEFI/BIOS is very good. Simple and easy to use. 

There ends the overview i.e. Part I. Link for Part II is here: *www.digit.in/forum/reviews/186671-asus-z97-motherboard-review-part-ii-performance.html


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## bhvm (Sep 26, 2014)

ROCK-ON review mate. Don't know how i missed it all these days. kudos!


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## itsakjt (Jan 3, 2015)

bhvm said:


> ROCK-ON review mate. Don't know how i missed it all these days. kudos!



Thanks a lot bhvm.


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