14 DAY TRIAL // You'd think that a new gaming motherboard would have the best chipset possible, especially with AMD's new rush of graphics cards, but Gigabyte decided to defy expectations with the G1. Sniper B5.
Then again, while Advanced Micro Devices has launched new Radeon R9 and R7 graphics cards, those cards aren't the best it has prepared.
So, assuming Gigabyte is reserving its Z87-powered platforms for next week, when the R9 290/290X are scheduled, it's less of a shock to see the G1.Sniper B5 using the B85 Express mid-range platform.
Besides, the only limitation of the B85 is the lack of overclocking support. Everything else inherent in Core “Haswell” LGA 1150 CPUs is supported.
The Gigabyte G1.Sniper B5 uses a 4+1 phase VRM (voltage regulation module), 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connectors, four SATA 6 Gbps ports and two SATA 3 Gbps ports.
It also features a Realtek ALC898 Audio CODEC (110 dBA SNR), Nichicon audiophile-grade electrolytic capacitors on the AMP stage, and ground-layer isolation.
Gigabyte also included a pair of PCI Express 3.0 slots, one of which is wired straight to the CPU and supports x16 graphics card.
The other slot can only work in x4 mode and is wired to the B85 PCH instead. It's the sort of interface that high-end sound and network cards are supposed to occupy.
Before anyone asks, though, Gigabyte didn't include a Bigfoot Killer add-in network board, even though the motherboard is branded within the G1.Killer series.
It also didn't use a killer chip to power the on-board LAN. Instead, it chose an Intel-made GbE LAN chip.
Other specifications include AMI UEFI Dual-BIOS, a bunch of USB 3.0 ports at the back, audio outputs and PS/2 mouse/keyboard ports. Sadly, the price of the Gigabyte G1.Sniper B5 gaming motherboard is unknown at this time. Retailers should expose it soon though.
