Gigabyte Z97X Gaming G1 Motherboard Review

The Z97 Gaming motherboards follow a distinct red and black color scheme.  The military undertones are now gone and follow a new standard unique to Gigabyte.  The PCB features a matte black finish and the 2oz copper traces making it extremely sturdy.  Color variation is virtually non-existent on the Gaming G1 with red accents on the heatsinks and light grey on the primary memory slots.  The rest of the board is completely black.

Looking at the back of the motherboard we can get an indication as to how the PCI Express slots are wired and determine which slots are primary and secondary in terms of bandwidth.  You won't find any surface components aside from the cpu backplate and a few screws for the various heatsinks.  Along the lower right you’ll find a void in the PCB indicating where the physical separation is for the audio components.

On the Z97X Gaming G1 you will find a total of eight power phases for the CPU, Ring and internal graphics.  This might be one of the smallest PWMs we have seen on any high-end Gigabyte motherboard but, there is a reason for that.  The G1 uses the new PowIRstages which can supply more power to the CPU, with less heat and better efficiency.  While 32 phases would be pretty impressive the smaller number of traces also helps with signal integrity and stability at high frequencies.

Behind the PWM cooler you'll find the CPU Power connection made up of a single 8-pin connector.  Given the location the cables they should be easy to hide in any modern chassis and easy to remove given the space between the power plug and I/O panel.