Test Setup
We are retiring our trusty MSI GTX 970 GAMING Twin Frozr V as our baseline test bench card in favour for a Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti, but we have a couple more reviews before that day comes, including this one.
| Test Platform | Intel Z270 |
|---|---|
| Processor | i7-7700K |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Pro 64-bit |
| Storage | Crucial MX200 500Gb SSD |
| Memory | Ballistix Sport LT 16GB Red DDR4 2666Mhz Memory Kit |
| Graphics | MSI GTX 970 GAMING Twin Frozr V |
| CPU Cooler | Cryorig H5 Universal CPU Cooler |
| PSU | Corsair HX1000i |
| Chassis | MicroCool Banchetto 101 |
All synthetic tests are carried out three times with the best result taken. All game tests, multiplayer or otherwise, are carried out three times with the best average taken. If the game is an online multiplayer, a ping constantly under 30ms is required before a test is valid.
Synthetic Tests
- PCMark 08 Professional
- 3DMark Professional
- AIDA64 Engineer
- CrystalDiskMark
- CINEBENCH R15
- wPrime
- Super Pi
- Realbench
- CPU-Z
Real World Tests
- Alien Isolation
- Batman Origins (Low Quality)
- Battlefield 1
- Battlefield 4
- Bioshock
- Star Wars Battlefront
- Dirt Showdown
We test with the Intel Core i7-7700K, and this is our last test with this CPU. We have an 8700K we are already using in reviews. With all the generational blockers Intel push on the consumer, we’ll be waving goodbye to the 7700K after this review, more on that later.
The Intel Core i7-7700K is still a ‘latest’ generation of CPU, and many will see this as a good option, especially when so many are coming on to the secondhand market. The Kaby Lake processor has four cores and eight threads, with 8Mb of Level 3 Smart Cache, and a base frequency of 4.20Ghz, some impressive numbers.
ASRock Z270 Pro4 Motherboard Review
Package - 7
Performance - 8
Price - 7.5
Consumer Experience - 8
7.6
We bought the ASRock Z270 Pro4 for a project before the Z370 CPU upgrade fiasco happened. It's working as planned and it's got a 7700K installed and the owner is very happy. We persevered with the review because it's a good motherboard, and the only element that makes it last generation is the CPU. It's a modern Z270 chipset motherboard with a couple of throwbacks to yesteryears, such as the PCI slot, and a VGA graphics port.