ASUS Z170-Pro Skylake Motherboard Review

Conclusion; Success or Identity Crisis?

Just as with previous ‘Pro’ models from ASUS, the Z170-Pro has been designed for very specific niche of buyers: those who want a value orientated motherboard but are willing to spend a touch more than what an entry level Z170-A costs. They’re willing to do this as long as they get additional features for this the added expense. At this goal the Z170-Pro is a resounding success but there are still some lingering doubts about whether or not it and the Z170-A should both be products within the same lineup.

While it is indeed based upon the same foundation as the Z170-A, and may lack the PS/2 port and PCI slot of the -A model, ASUS has included features that make the additional twenty-dollar investment a veritable no-brainer. For this modest increase, consumers not only get an additional PCIe slot (instead of the near useless PCI the -A uses), but also receive the ALC1150 audio chipset which is arguably a big upgrade over the ALC892. Then there’s that Intel USB 3.1 controller which pushes this critical I/O element’s performance through the proverbial roof. These features alone easily justify the extra twenty dollar asking price.

Believe it or not, the aforementioned additions can be considered mere bonuses, as the one area that really pushes the Z170-Pro over the edge is the much improved RAM overclocking abilities. As we saw throughout the testing stages this additional headroom did make the task of overclocking much easier and more enjoyable.

This increase in value added features and performance is how ASUS has always made their Pro models stand out from their cheaper -A siblings without cutting into higher end models’ sales. In the past this has been a winning formula that allowed the ASUS ‘Pro models to nearly dominate this corner of the market. Sadly, the Z170-Pro does not exist in a vacuum nor is this still the Z87 or even Z97 days. Other companies, such as Gigabyte and MSI, have significantly upped their game in the critical $170-$180 price range this time around. So much so that the ASUS Z170-Pro is not the slam dunk success its predecessors were. Unlike previous generations, this corner of the marketplace is now so highly contested it will come down to a case by case basis on which motherboard someone should purchase.

Of the various competing motherboards available today there is one model that stands out as the stiffest competition: the Gigabyte Z170 Gaming 5. It not only costs ten dollars less than the ASUS Z170-Pro but offers numerous features the Pro cannot match. For example, the ASUS Z170-Pro lacks a whole list of items some buyers may find to be mission critical: a secondary BIOS chip, the Gaming 5’s removable op-amp, the secondary NIC (Killer E2201 NPU), PCIe slot shielding and slot reinforcement. It even goes without a onboard diagnostic LED display, a secondary M.2 x4 port and even lacks the secondary and tertiary SATA EXPRESS ports the Gigabyte Gaming 5 offers.

That is a lot of value added features that ASUS could have included but chose not to. In many ways the Z170-Pro is a byproduct of the utter and complete saturation going on in the Z170 market and within ASUS’ own lineup. There are so many models that differentiating one from another becomes extremely difficult and that’s exactly the situation ASUS ran into with the Z170-Pro.

All is not lost though as ASUS did do a better job at the layout of the features they do include, at least when compared to the Gaming series from Gigabyte and MSI. For example, the USB 3.0 headers are much easier to work with, the single M.2 port supports all M.2 cards including longer 110mm models, and best of all the Z170-Pro includes a much better fan controller. On top of all this ASUS also uses an all-digital power delivery system instead of a ‘hybrid’ based VRM like Gigabyte and MSI use. When you mix in the superior AI SUITE III’s automatic overclocking abilities there’s no doubt this board is extremely competitive in its own right. So much so it will come down to what you the system builder prize the most: quantity or quality.

So where does this leave the ASUS Z170-Pro? In a pretty decent position actually. It may no longer reside in the driver’s seat among its peers but for buyers who absolutely cannot stretch their budget another $30 to afford the ASUS RoG Hero or Genes of the marketplace, the Z170-Pro is still a very good choice. Just be aware of the still competition around its price point.