EVGA Z87 Classified Motherboard Review

Something big happened after the Haswell launch and it would seem that every Z87 motherboard lost the ability to run multi-GPU configurations.  Given the limited amount of PCI Express lanes available on Haswell the 2-way SLI/Crossfire configuration is the logical solution but a radical change from what seemed commonplace on Z77 and Z68.  Some speculate this was a response to NVidia nerfing the GTX 770 to 3-way SLI while others contend that the added cost of expanding PCI Express lanes doesn’t make sense on the LGA 1150.  As hardware enthusiasts we cannot concern ourselves too much with politics but are glad to see that some companies aren’t afraid to do something exceptional.

In this review we will be looking at the EVGA Z87 Classified.  As the name suggests this is a Z87 enabled motherboard and is currently sitting atop of the EVGA Z87 product offerings.   The motherboard is designed as a high-end product for the computer enthusiast who are looking to get the most from their computer activities including custom system builds, multi-GPU setups and any level of overclocking you can imagine.

As was expected the EVGA Z87 Classified comes with a whole list of enthusiast friendly features that place it in a very unique position.  Not only is the board at the top of the EVGA product line but is also one of the few Z87 motherboards capable of running 4-way SLI.  At last count we can only recall five such motherboards and many of them have been extremely difficult to get.

Performance
Based on Intel Z87 chipset
Memory
4 x 240-pin DIMM sockets
Maximum of 32GB of DDR3 (2666MHz+ in dual channel configuration)
Storage I/O
8 x Serial ATA 600MB/sec (8 Internal) with support for RAID 0 and RAID1
Expansion Slot
1x16, 2x16, 3x8, 4x8
Multi I/O
Audio connector (Line-in, Line-out, MIC)
Integrated Peripherals
6 Channel Creative Sound Core3D
2 x 10/100/1000 (Intel i217/i210)
Form Factor
EATX Form Factor
Length: 12in - 304.8mm
Width: 10.375in - 263.5mm