Gigabyte GA-X99M-Gaming 5 (LGA 2011-3) Motherboard Review

Introduction, Specifications and Packaging

Intel’s current flagship consumer chipset, X99 has been around since August 2014. The X99 chipset was the first motherboard range to fully utilise DDR4 memory modules and put the much higher speeds to use. Previously the X## chipset was only available in ATX and upwards size, then vendors slowly made the transition to m-ATX. This smaller form factor is sure to entice a wider range of users to upgrade to X99 if they previously didn’t have a case that could accommodate E-ATX or ATX motherboards.

Today we have the Gigabyte G1 Gaming Ga-X99M-Gaming 5 Motherboard; the world’s first X99 based m-ATX motherboard available to consumers. Gigabyte is famous for producing some very high-quality motherboards with some amazing features, some being the best that we’ve ever tested here at eTeknix. The G1 Gaming series of motherboards are aimed at the higher end enthusiast market, bundling all of the quality and aftercare that Gigabyte are renowned for with amazing performance and overclocking capabilities. With the recent move into the m-ATX X99 market, let’s see if Gigabyte have managed to cram in all the goodness of what made the G1 Gaming X99 series so good into a smaller form factor board.

Key Features

Manufacturers nowadays need to find innovative ways to stand out from the crowd, Gigabyte is no different and has brought a huge array of features to this motherboard.

• App Center
  • @BIOS
  • Ambient LED
  • EasyTune
  • EZ Setup
  • Fast Boot
  • Game Controller
  • Cloud Station
  • On/Off Charge
  • Smart TimeLock
  • Smart Recovery 2
  • System Information Viewer
  • USB Blocker
  • V-Tuner
• Q-Flash
• Smart Switch
• Xpress Install

For more information on these functions, please visit the Gigabyte GA-X99m-Gaming 5 product page.

Packaging and Accessories

Keeping in style with the rest of the Gaming series from Gigabyte. Very nice feeling box, with a few goodies inside. Matching I/O plate, 4x SATA 6 cables, SLi bridge, stickers and the general ‘light reading material’.