Gigabyte G1.Sniper Z87 Review

Up Close

Considering the price point of the G1.Sniper it’s not a great surprise to find it slightly lacking in artistic flair, but it’s also a far cry from the cheaper boards of old. In keeping with the amount of motherboard that you can get for your money we still find on board power and reset buttons, things that were once the purveyance of the extreme models.

      

There is plenty of space between the two PCI Express 3.0 slots, ensuring that your twin-card setup remains cool at all times. The CPU area isn’t the most beautiful we’ve seen, but equally it’s roomy and has plenty of space for an exotic cooling solution.

      

The separate PCB for the sound seems to be the flavour of the month lately, with every recent motherboard we’ve reviewed utilising the technology. The inclusion of the SoundBlaster Recon 3D makes a nice change from the regular RealTek ALC options we normally see.

      

The G.Killer heatsink used to be an amazing replica of a gun, but international laws has mean it’s become ever more standardised. At least the £116 G.Sniper retains the horizontal SATA ports that are so often dropped on more affordable offerings.