ASRock Z87 Extreme6 Motherboard
Conclusions
Contents
The ASRock Z87 Extreme6 is clearly targeted to the savvy user who wants to build an above-the-average computer using one of the new LGA1150 CPUs.
One of the main highlights of this motherboard is its audio section, which uses the best codec available today, the Realtek ALC1150, which provides signal-to-noise ratios above 100 dB. The audio section is physically separated from the rest of the motherboard, so its theoretical signal-to-noise ratio can be achieved. And the motherboard comes with an amplifier for analog headphones.
The third PCI Express x16 slot of the Z87 Extreme6 is controlled by the CPU and therefore follows the 3.0 specification and can be used to build CrossFireX arrays (the other two slots are also compatible with SLI). Other highlights include a 12-phase voltage regulator circuit; an HDMI input; 10 SATA ports; eight USB 3.0 ports; one eSATA-600 port (but shared with one of the SATA-600 ports); two BIOS chips; and a Mini PCI Express slot for the installation of a Wi-Fi card (not compatible with mSATA devices).
The only drawback with this motherboard is the way the external USB 3.0 ports are configured: they are connected to a single USB 3.0 port of the chipset, by way of a hub chip. If you use two or more of these ports at the same time, the performance will drop.