We like to look at motherboards in quarter segments, quarter by quarter as we call it.
We always use a stock cooler for motherboard tests, so we didn’t have an issue with clearance. Other coolers, including water blocks, shouldn’t be an issue, though the top left of this CPU socket mount looks a little close for comfort.
The top right is relatively free from clutter and though it’s a little slim for space around the PSU connector and the front panel connectors, it makes for a nice unrestricted area.
Bottom right is a little different. One sided memory guides are a blessing on a motherboard this size and although they are becoming common place, we are glad they are included here. The SATA, PCIe and memory slots make for one tight area.
Bottom left is a little better, not too much in the way here, but the front panel audio connector is going to be hard to reach after installation, especially with the graphics card in place. To be honest, a lot mITX motherboards do this, one to note if you are installing in a small chassis.
Note the tight arrangement of the caps and CPU cooler mount, we don’t think a lot of water blocks are going to have an easy time in there.
Gigabyte GA-Z97N GAMING-5 Motherboard Review
Package - 8.5
Performance - 9
Price - 9
Consumer Experience - 8.5
8.8
If push came to shove, we would chose the MSI Z97I GAMING AC Motherboard over the Gigabyte GA-Z97N GAMING-5, though mainly down to the BIOS and the FPS performance at times. The Gigabyte GA-Z97N GAMING-5 is currently 113.99 on Amazons UK site which is £25 cheaper than the MSI Z97I GAMING AC Motherboard, another plus point and good value for a top of the line mITX gaming motherboard.