Small yet powerful, those three words would sum up what the Gigabyte GA-X99M-Gaming 5 is all about. Quad channel DDR4 with four DIMM slots, four expansion slots, two M.2. slots. As small as the motherboard is, it comes at a bigger price though, $235 USD.
GIGABYTE X99 series motherboards use an all digital CPU power design from International Rectifier® which includes both 4th Generation digital PWM Controllers and industry-leading 3rd Generation PowIRstage® controllers. These 100% digital controllers offer incredible precision in delivering power to the motherboard’s most power-hungry and energy-sensitive components, allowing enthusiasts to get the absolute maximum performance from their new Intel® Core™ i7 Extreme Edition CPUs. IR Digital PWM & IR PowIRstage® ICs This new generation of IR® digital power controllers and PowIRstage® ICs feature Isense technology, which provide more precise current sensing accuracy. This helps evenly distribute the thermal loading between the PowerIRstage® ICs, preventing the overheating of each individual PowerIRstage®, resulting in longer lifespan and better reliability.
Networking is managed by Killer NIC, audio is led through a high-end Realtek codec likely 1150. The integrated audio has a socketed amplifier chip. There are also four "DAC-UP" ports tuned to deliver cleaner power to USB audio devices. The M.2 slots don't connect to the CPU though.
- Supports New Intel® Core™ i7 Processor Extreme Edition
- 4 Channel DDR4, 4 DIMMs
- Genuine All Digital Power Design with IR Digital PWM & IR PowIRstage® ICs
- 2-Way Graphics with Premium PCIe Lane
- Dual M.2 Technology for SSD Drive and WIFI card
- 6x(30µ) Gold Plating for CPU socket, Memory DIMMs and PCIe slots
- AMP-UP Audio technology with exclusive Upgradable OP-AMP
- Independent Right and Left Audio Channel PCB Layers
- LED lighting for the audio guard light path
- Quad DAC-UP USB ports
- Gold plated audio ports
- High end Nichicon audio capacitors
- Killer™ E2200 gaming networking
- SATA Express support for 10 Gb/s data transfer
- Long lifespan Durable Black™ Solid caps
- APP Center including EasyTune™ and Cloud Station™ utilities
