Z170 vs Z170A vs Z170X vs Z170E vs Z170M

[felix5]

Can someone please explain the difference between these types of skylake motherboards? I tried searching Google a few times but no luck finding clear differences for each type.

 

[UsandThem]

The best way to see the differences is to use the compare feature on Asus's website.

Out of all the manufacturers, they make it a little confusing with all the different motherboard versions they offer with very little difference.

I'm on mobile, so it is tough to see the differences right now.

I miss the days when each Intel chipset didn't have 30 different versions from each manufacturer.

I do know the z170-a was one of the first z170 boards they launched, and is their mainstream model.

Edit:

I just checked Asus's website from my desktop, and you really should compare them there as there are a lot of little differences. The Z170-A is the most feature rich board, but maybe they are features you don't care about. The biggest ones I saw are the P and K boards aren't Nvidia SLI-certified, they don't have display port connections, no SATA Express ports, and lower-end audio, and only the A has a 4x M.2 Socket 3 slot.

 

[bonehead123]

The best way to see the differences is to use the compare feature on Asus's website.

Why should anyone limit themselves to only the Asus website....unless they have already decided on that brand...

There are plenty of mfgr's out there that make all of the different types of boards, me thinks the OP just need to refine his/her search methods a bit.....

Here is something to start reading on until someone finds something better

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9485/...-asrock-asus-gigabyte-msi-ecs-evga-supermicro

which btw, took me all of ~2.3 seconds to find...

 

[arandomguy]

There are no variants of the z170 chipset itself.

That additional letter is just a suffix added by manufactures for differentiation. So the difference will vary depending on the spec of the actual motherboard by manufacturer.

 

[nerp]

There are no variants of the z170 chipset itself.

That additional letter is just a suffix added by manufactures for differentiation. So the difference will vary depending on the spec of the actual motherboard by manufacturer.

Yup.

Just pick a board that has the ports/connectors/audio chipset/nic that you want.

 

[felix5]

Thanks everyone. I thought they were all different chipset types. Quite confusing.

 

[UsandThem]

Why should anyone limit themselves to only the Asus website....unless they have already decided on that brand...

I thought he was asking about Asus boards specifically because that is how they name them.

My bad.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

There are no variants of the z170 chipset itself.

That additional letter is just a suffix added by manufactures for differentiation. So the difference will vary depending on the spec of the actual motherboard by manufacturer.

That's about it. Their model codes reflect a differentiation of features. For instance, the difference between "Pro" and "Deluxe" might be a bundled 3.5" front-panel 2-port USB3. Or a cheaper board with the same chipset has a more modest selection of mobo components, so more modestly overclockable. Or some submodels may vary in their phase-power design.

 

[RussianSensation]

Thanks everyone. I thought they were all different chipset types. Quite confusing.

I'll make it as easy as possible for you.

Always spend as much $$$ as possible on the CPU before you spend it on a more expensive Skylake motherboard. This is because all the fancy Skylake boards have mostly useless features and do not contribute much to improved overclocking potential. In other words, an i7 6700K with a budget Z170 board is better than an i5 6600K with any Z170 board. Unless you know for sure you will use certain features, you are paying extra for something you won't use. The faster CPU is a measurable investment. Unless you need to run 2x PCIe SSDs in RAID, 8-10 Sata 3 SSDs, Tri-Fire (which makes no sense since 1070 SLI >> any AMD setup now), need tri-band WiFi natively, at this current time you work backwards => Pick the fastest 1151 CPU you can afford, then whatever is left in your budget, you pick a mobo.

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_1207_1206_1460&item_id=086881

The vast majority of PC gamers overspend on their motherboard thinking that it helps with overclocking or system stability, etc. For most mobos today you are mostly buying extra features, not performance.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I'll make it as easy as possible for you.

Always spend as much $$$ as possible on the CPU before you spend it on a more expensive Skylake motherboard. This is because all the fancy Skylake boards have mostly useless features and do not contribute much to improved overclocking potential. In other words, an i7 6700K with a budget Z170 board is better than an i5 6600K with any Z170 board. Unless you know for sure you will use certain features, you are paying extra for something you won't use. The faster CPU is a measurable investment. Unless you need to run 2x PCIe SSDs in RAID, 8-10 Sata 3 SSDs, Tri-Fire (which makes no sense since 1070 SLI >> any AMD setup now), need tri-band WiFi natively, at this current time you work backwards => Pick the fastest 1151 CPU you can afford, then whatever is left in your budget, you pick a mobo.

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_1207_1206_1460&item_id=086881

The vast majority of PC gamers overspend on their motherboard thinking that it helps with overclocking or system stability, etc. For most mobos today you are mostly buying extra features, not performance.

No truer words ever spoken. Every generation cycle, I ponder the possibilities of a Maximus or Rampage board. But it always boils down to "phase-power-design" and the quality or type of VRM components and mosfets. This continues to lead me toward mid-range boards for over-clocking potential. The only thing I might give a closer consideration is the number and type of PCI-E slots and the chipset choice.

As for processors -- I might understand if someone simply wanted to build a computer for the least outlay, and with the needs of my family members, I may not choose top-end or K processors. But -- really -- the difference can be maybe $50 to $100. If you don't know what you will do in six months or a year, and unless you know absolutely that you don't want to fiddle with the BIOS, the voltages and clocks, why short-change yourself?

 

[Thinker_145]

Absolutely true, people spend a ridiculous amount of money on motherboards.

I always go for the cheapest full size motherboard on the required chipset. When I got my Skylake build the ASUS Z170-K was that motherboard but now I don't know what the pricing is.

Sent from my HTC One M9

 

[Thinker_145]

The best way to see the differences is to use the compare feature on Asus's website.

Out of all the manufacturers, they make it a little confusing with all the different motherboard versions they offer with very little difference.

I'm on mobile, so it is tough to see the differences right now.

I miss the days when each Intel chipset didn't have 30 different versions from each manufacturer.

I do know the z170-a was one of the first z170 boards they launched, and is their mainstream model.

Edit:

I just checked Asus's website from my desktop, and you really should compare them there as there are a lot of little differences. The Z170-A is the most feature rich board, but maybe they are features you don't care about. The biggest ones I saw are the P and K boards aren't Nvidia SLI-certified, they don't have display port connections, no SATA Express ports, and lower-end audio, and only the A has a 4x M.2 Socket 3 slot.

I have the Z170-K it has both SATA Express and M.2 3 slot.

Sent from my HTC One M9