<![CDATA[ASUS offers a very large variety of motherboards, from efficient but basic home PCs to high-end but costly gaming PCs. In this review, I will be talking about the ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E Gaming motherboard. This motherboard costs $209.99 (£206.99).

AsusTek Computer Inc. is a Taiwanese multinational computer and phone hardware and electronics company headquartered in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. Its products include desktops, laptops, netbooks, mobile phones, networking equipment, monitors, WIFI routers, projectors, motherboards, graphics cards, optical storage, multimedia products, peripherals, wearables, servers, workstations, and tablet PCs (Asus Wikipedia).
There are many aspects to consider when reviewing a motherboard that has been made for gaming. Especially one that will cost you almost $210. The  ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E Gaming motherboard in question today has a very mixed blend of pros and cons to it, according to many reviews from sites including PC TeK Reviews, KitGuru, and Bit-Tech.

The Z370-E motherboard is the newest product from Intel‘s “Coffee Lake” family of CPUs. With RGB LED lighting complimenting silver heatsinks, the style and aesthetics of this motherboard are definitely there. According to Bit-Tech, this style is much different from the dark grey/black colors we have been seeing in boards.
However, the most important part is the performance. A review by PC TeK Reviews led me to believe that this motherboard had no cons. It is a very well performing board for gamers and mainstream users. It has good overclocking performance and is perfect for user- customization. Although, another review by Bit-Tech disagreed. They argued that the main issue for this motherboard was that it didn’t offer much for its price. There are much cheaper options by ASUS, but at the same time there’s very little for this price option that offer more (Bit-Tech).
Specifications:
Chipset Intel Z370
Form factor ATX
CPU support Intel Socket LGA 1151-V2
Memory support Dual-channel, four slots, max 64GB
Sound Eight-channel SupremeFX S1120A
Networking 1 x Intel Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2
Ports 2 x M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 32Gbps (1 x PCIe/SATA 6Gbps up to 2280, 1 x PCIe/SATA 6Gbps up to 22110) , 6 x SATA 6Gbps, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 1 x USB 3.1 header, 4 x USB 3.0 (2 via headers), 6 x USB 2.0 (4 via headers), 1 x LAN, audio out, line in, mic, Optical S/PDIF out
Dimensions (mm) 305 x 244
Extras Wi-Fi aerials, RGB LED extension cable, 40/60mm fan mount (Bit-Tech).
Overall, the ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E Gaming Motherboard is a solid contender when looking at high-performance motherboards with solid gaming compatibility. Although the price may seem pretty steep for what you’re getting, there’s really not much more you can get for the same price. All in all I would recommend this motherboard for anyone looking for a high-end gaming experience.
Note: This review is part of a classroom project.
References:
bit-tech.net.   https://www.bit-tech.net/reviews/tech/motherboards/asus-rog-strix-z370-e-gaming/8/
pctekreviews.com. http://www.pctekreviews.com/Reviews/STRIX_Z370E.aspx
kitguru.net. https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/ryan-martin/asus-rog-strix-z370-e-gaming-motherboard-review/
wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
asus.com. https://www.asus.com/sg/
Newegg.com. https://www.newegg.com
 
 
 ]]>

<![CDATA[

This is a review of the MSI Z370 SLI PLUS motherboard for high-end gaming use. A review by AnAndTech is what spurred my interest in the MSI Z370 SLI Plus. On Newegg, you can find this motherboard for $149.99. The  motherboard’s purpose is to fully utilize the Intel® Coffee Lake 6 core processors, ready to deliver world class performance when gaming (MSI). The MSI Z370 SLI PLUS is 12.0″ by 9.6″ with a form factor of ATX.

The MSI Z370 SLI PLUS motherboard is made by Micro-Star International, a Taiwanese multinational information technology corporation. MSI’s current global success can be credited to their computer motherboards, which made their company popular when it was established in the late 1980s (Wikipedia).

Specifications:

• Supports 8th Generation Intel Core Processors, and Intel Pentium and Celeron Processors for Socket LGA1151, *Not backward compatible with older generation of LGA 1151 CPUs
• Four DDR4 slots that can support a maximum of 64GB
• Native motherboard speed of 2667 MHz
• Video (supported by CPU with graphics)
• Supports NVIDIA 2-Way SLI & AMD 3-Way Crossfire
• Integrated Audio (Realtek ALC1220, 7.1 channels)
• Integrated LAN (Intel l219-V)
• 3 x PCI Express 3.0 x16
• 3 x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots
• 6 x SATA III ports (6Gb/s)
• 2 x M.2 slots, can reach speeds up to 32GB/s
• 8 USB Ports

The MSI Z370 SLI PLUS is a great motherboard for gaming; in the game Fire Strike, overclocked, the MSI motherboard hit a high score of 23902, winning first place. The two Steel Armor PCle 3.0 x16 slots ensure that the motherboard will be able to physically support the high-end graphics cards needed for a gaming PC. Not only can you use this MSI Z370 for gaming, but you can also personalize it. With the click of a mouse, you can change the variety of color schemes to one of your liking adding a flare of colors to your gaming rig. Overall, the MSI Z370 SLI Plus is an excellent choice for a quality gaming motherboard at a price that will not empty your savings.
Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.

AnAndTech <https://www.anandtech.com/show/11860/z370-motherboards-asus-asrock-    ecs-evga-biostar-msi-gigabyte/28>.                                                                                                     eTeknix <https://www.eteknix.com/msi-z370-sli-plus-motherboard-review/>.                       MSI <https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/Z370-SLI-PLUS.html>.                                             Newegg <https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813144111>.    Steel Armor <https://www.eteknix.com/msi-z370-sli-plus-motherboard-review/2/>.                Wikipedia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro-Star_International>.
 ]]>

<![CDATA[
MSI was established on August 1986. The headquarters are located in New Taipei. MSI started from the motherboard and graphics card industries and extended into consumer and electronics including notebooks, All-in-One PCs, servers, workstations, industrial PCs, household appliances, car products, multimedia, communication devices, and others. If you want to learn more about them, click here.
The motherboard I am going to tell you about today is the MSI Z97-G45 Gaming. It has a socket of LGA 1150, which means that any CPU socket like that will be able to fit into this motherboard. This motherboard has 4 banks of DDR3 memory that can have up to 32GB at the maximum. With such a large amount of memory you may be able to upgrade your computer to make it faster. This motherboard also has 2 PCI express x16 slots that can hold a new video card that you may want to put into it.
Specifications:
VGA: Integrated
Audio: Realtek ALC1150
8 HD Channels
LAN: Qualcomm Killer E2205
Max LAN Speed: 10/100/1000Mbps
Bus Speed: 3000 FSB
Expansion Slots: PCI Express 3.0 x16: 2
PCI Express 2.0 x16: 1
PCI Express x1: 4
SATA 6Gb/s: 6 x SATA 6Gb/s
Specifications for the back panel:
Video Ports: 1xDVI
1xD-SUB
HDMI: 1xHDMI
USB 3.0: 4xUSB 3.0
USB 1.1/2.0: 4xUSB 2.0
Audio Port: 6 ports

Overall this motherboard is a pretty good motherboard to buy if you like to use your computer to play games. This motherboard can be purchased on Newegg at the good price of $139.99. Although before you buy I would check over the specifications to make sure that it is the one you are looking for.]]>

<![CDATA[
Here is a motherboard from the company ASUS.
A little basic background on ASUS; They are a worldwide company, their main headquarters are located in Taipei, Taiwan.  Their company located in the U.S. Is located in Fremont California. ASUS is the number one motherboard manufacturer in the world.  ASUS is a well known computer hardware company.  Even though they are the number one motherboard manufacturer in the world, they also produce many other things such as; Desktops, Laptops, LCDS (Liquid Crystal Display) Mobile Phones, Video cards…etc.( If you want to know more about other products they make you can check out here)  ASUS has brought in an annual revenue of NT $463.3 billion, and US $15.2 billion in U.S. dollars.
This motherboard here would be a motherboard you can use for a gamer PC.  Details about this motherboard are as follows:
Specifications:

• CPU Socket Type: AM3 +
• Processors: Phenom II, Athlon II, Sempron 100 series, Vishera, Zambezi
• Generation: 3th
• Memory: 4×240 pins
• DDR3
• Speed: 2133  (OC) / 1866 / 1600 / 1333 / 1066
• Max. Memory supported: 32 GB
• Dual Channel
• Bus Speed: 2600 MHz

More Information on what specifications it has can be found on their website if you click here
Back panel:

• PRICE: $122.99

You can purchase this off of the NewEgg.Com
 
 ]]>

<![CDATA[
 
This is a great Intel Motherboard created by Gigabyte. This Motherboard can function sufficiently as a mid-ranged to high-ranged gaming motherboard. Gigabyte Technology  is an international manufacturer and distributor of computer hardware products. Gigabyte is one of the the highest ranked motherboard vendors along with other products. Gigabyte was Established in 1986, and since then has been working with “core values of innovation and inspiration to become one of the world wide leaders in computer technology,” (Gigabyte).
The Motherboard I will be reviewing today is the GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-Gaming 7. It has an LGA of 1150, which means it will only be occupied by a CPU that fits this type of socket. This Motherboard has 4 banks of DDR3 memory that can support up to 32Gb.  With this much memory space there is plenty of room to upgrade. This motherboard also holds 2 PCI Express x16 slots, which can both hold video cards. You can find more specifications here. I also have listed some major ones below.
Specifications:

• LGA 1150 CPU Socket
• Accepts  Intel® Core i7/ i5/ i3 Pentium / Celeron (LGA1150) processors
• Support for DDR3 3200/ 3100 / 3000/ 2933 / 2800/ 2666/ 2600 / 2500 / 2400 / 2200 / 2133/ 2000 / 1866/ 1800/ 1600 / 1333 MHz memory
• Dual Channel Memory Architecture
• 2 PCI Express x16 slot
• 3 x PCI Express x1 slots
• 1 x PCI slot
• supports 8 SATA 6Gb/s
• Has onboard video supported by a CPU with integrated graphics
• Realtek ALC1150audio with 7.1 channels. 

Supports:

•  4 USB 3.0
• 4 USB 2.0
• 1  DVI-D and 1 VGA video
• 1 HDMI
• 5 Audio Ports

Overall this is a great motherboard for any moderate to frequent gamer. It is extremely compatible and easy to upgrade. The Motherboard can be purchased on Newegg at a fantastic  price of $174^.99.  I would highly recommend this motherboard to any gamer who is getting a new computer or plans on upgrading over time. So check out this impressive motherboard, it may just be the one for you.

Works Cited

“GIGABYTE – About GIGABYTE – Contact Us.” GIGABYTE – About GIGABYTE – Contact Us. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2015. <http://www.gigabyte.us/about-gigabyte/contact-us.aspx>.
“GIGABYTE – Motherboard , Graphics Card , Laptop ,Tablet , Mini-PC , Server , PC Peripherals and More.” GIGABYTE – Motherboard , Graphics Card , Laptop ,Tablet , Mini-PC , Server , PC Peripherals and More. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2015. <http://www.gigabyte.us/>.
“GIGABYTE – Motherboard – Socket 1150 – GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 (rev. 1.0).” GIGABYTE – Motherboard – Socket 1150 – GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 (rev. 1.0). N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2015. <http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4959#sp>.
“GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard.” – Newegg.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2015. <http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128708>.
N.p., n.d. Web. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gigabyte.com%2Fproducts%2Fproduct-page.aspx%3Fpid%3D4959%23sp>.
“What Is Dual-channel Memory?” What Is Dual-channel Memory? N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2015. <http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/d/dual-channel-memory.htm>.
 

]]>