that the G1.Gaming board is
for the most part a superior
product, that houses many of
the core features found on the
SOC-FORCE and more where
audio and network capabilities
are concerned for example.
For the G1.Gaming, the audio
solution is par none the best
on the market and that can
be its killer feature, however
there isn’t any one part of
the SOC-Force that is the end
all be all justification for its
purchase.
Ultimately this is going to be
a decision that doesn’t come
down to price but specific
needs for any potential buyer.
This motherboard is best when
paired with at least 3-GPUs
and all three M.2 connectors
occupied. In that configuration
there simply isn’t any
alternative on the market
that can do that. For those
users and for that purpose,
you’ve really no choice but to
buy the Z170X SOC-FORCE.
That combination of features
exists uniquely within this
package and when you factor
in the $399.99 price tag, it
isn’t much to ask for at all.
As such, one has to conclude
that the Z170X SOC-FORCE,
despite its lineage in extreme
overclocking, is best utilized
within a powerful workstation
or high end enthusiast gaming
machine with only the fastest
and best components attached
to it. We are talking here, 32
to 64GiB of memory, multiple
GPUs again and three NVMe
high speed, high capacity M.2
drives for instance. In that
context you’ll not find a more
suitable motherboard for the
Z170 platform anywhere as
the SOC-FORCE simply walks
away from its own stable
mates and the competition.
[ The Overclocker ]
Summary
GIGABYTE’s board packs
in an alarming number of
tuning and connectivity
features on this board.
Enough so that there’s a
clear distinction between
purpose when compared
against the G1.Gaming
offering. At a lower price
and potentially easier or
rather more accessible
tuning options, it is no
doubt the better board for
enthusiasts and perhaps
gamers who dabble in
overclocking a little.
One is still partial to the
G1.Gaming motherboard,
but if that isn’t an
option the SOC-FORCE
makes for an excellent
alternative
Would you buy it?
If we couldn’t find the
G1.Gaming, yes
Issue 37 | 2016 The OverClocker 29