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.