Gigabyte G1 Killer Sniper 3 Gaming Motherboard Review
Author: Dennis Garcia
Published: Thursday, August 23, 2012
Board Layout and Features
G1 motherboards follow a distinct green and black color scheme with subtle military undertones. The PCB features a matte black finish and the 2oz copper traces making it extremely sturdy. Green accent colors highlight the primary expansion slots and onboard heatsinks.
The back of the board has a few surface components near the motherboard PWM and you will find a black chrome cpu socket plate in the middle. We like showing the back of these motherboards since it helps decipher what is going on in terms of the PCI Express slots and chip placement. We'll talk more about these in the Multi GPU Index section of this review.
Even for a gaming motherboard it is important to have excellent power delivery under load and reduce power when the system is at idle. The Sniper 3 features a conservative dual mode 12 phase PWM design. Under normal operation both power channels are operational but can be reduced to six power phases using the included software. The extra power phases seen around the CPU are part of a four zone power delivery system that includes the CPU, Intel Graphics, VTT and Memory.
Even for a gaming motherboard it is important to have excellent power delivery under load and reduce power when the system is at idle. The Sniper 3 features a conservative dual mode 12 phase PWM design. Under normal operation both power channels are operational but can be reduced to six power phases using the included software. The extra power phases seen around the CPU are part of a four zone power delivery system that includes the CPU, Intel Graphics, VTT and Memory.
Behind the PWM cooler you'll find the 8 pin CPU power connector. The connector is easily accessible with plenty of room to remove the plug as needed.
Dual channel memory comes standard on the Ivy Bridge and the Sniper 3 supports DDR3 modules up to 2666Mhz (OC) with a maximum of 32GB usable. 24pin ATX power is located in the traditional location near the upper edge of the motherboard and out of the primary airflow.
Dual channel memory comes standard on the Ivy Bridge and the Sniper 3 supports DDR3 modules up to 2666Mhz (OC) with a maximum of 32GB usable. 24pin ATX power is located in the traditional location near the upper edge of the motherboard and out of the primary airflow.
We are glad to report that benchtop buttons are back!. Located in the upper right you will find a large lighted power button next to two smaller buttons for CMOS clear and system reset. A double digit DEBUG LED is located on the other side to help you diagnose problems with the boot process. Voltage test pads can be found along the front edge of the PCB and help you monitor actual voltages while the system is running.
