EVGA Z170 Classified Motherboard Review

Sandra is a software collection of synthetic benchmarks that will give us a basic idea as to what a system is capable of. It should be noted that SiSoft numbers change depending on what hardware is being tested.  These were recorded using Sandra Professional Version 20.18.2014.2

One of the most difficult things about doing reviews is finding some kind of common ground to establish a benchmark on so that when we say something is good our readers know it is based on something they can try themselves.  In the case of audio reproduction there are too many factors to consider such as hearing quality, sound equipment (speakers) and room dimensions so we are turning to the RightMark Audio Analyzer to give us a set of audio specs.  We will then use those numbers to determine what kind of audio quality you can expect.

This test was performed using a loopback cable which is basically a jack that connects the analog line-out plug back into the analog line-in.  That way we can remove almost all of the variables and concentrate on what is actually being reproduced and recorded.

Specs
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: +0.34, -0.30
Noise level, dB (A):  -94.3
Dynamic range, dB (A): 94.4
THD, %:  0.0071
THD + Noise, dB (A):  -80.1
IMD + Noise, %:  0.018
Stereo crosstalk, dB:-91.2
IMD at 10 kHz, %: 0.013
General performance Very Good

Color coding indicates good to bad, Bright green = Excellent - Bright Red = Poor - Black = Good

Synthetic performance never really tells the entire story, but is a good indication of what the system would probably be capable of doing under the right conditions.  As I mentioned before the processor is down HyperThreading so the CPU and MultiMedia scores are down but the boost in DDR4 memory brought bandwidth up a couple of GB/s. 

The Rightmark audio benchmark is a great tool for exposing audio specs for the various chips and software used and read much like if you were buying an amplifier or sound system for your house.  What you can take away from this is that the sound quality is "Very Good" for an onboard audio solution.  The measure of audio performance comes down drivers and how they are configured for the test.  For the best results the input and output frequencies are matched, assuming the driver supports doing that.

Something that really surprised me is how performance is similar across all of motherboards including the older Z87.