Gigabyte Z170N-Gaming 5 Mini-ITX Motherboard Review

The mini-ITX form factor is becoming extremely popular with gamers who will be using a single graphics card because it allows them to build a system with premium components that is small and easy enough to take with them to LAN parties or other events. The problem with mini-ITX motherboards has been that they lack many features that their larger ATX counterparts offer. Well Gigabyte is changing that with their Z170N-Gaming 5 motherboard that has all of the features you would want in a full-size ATX motherboard, but in the tiny mini-ITX form factor. Gigabyte was able to pack in Killer E2200 gaming networking, Sound Blaster X-Fi MB3 support, a PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 slot, two USB 3.1 ports (1x Type-C, 1x Type-A), and even 802.11ac dual band wireless. Gigabyte wants this to be the perfect board for gamers building in the mini-ITX form factor. Is it? Let’s take a look and find out!

Special thanks to Gigabyte for providing us with the Z170N-Gaming 5 Mini-ITX Motherboard to review.

Features
– Supports 6th Generation Intel® Core™ Processor
– Dual Channel DDR4, 2 DIMMs
– Intel® USB 3.1 with USB Type-C™ – The World’s Next Universal Connector
– 11ac 867 Mbps dual band wireless connection + BLUETOOTH 4.2
– Exclusive Ultra Durable Metal Shielding over the PCIe Slot
– PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 Connector with up to 32Gb/s Data Transfer (PCIe NVMe & SATA SSD support)
– 2 SATA Express Connectors for up to 16Gb/s Data Transfer
– 115dB SNR HD Audio with Built-in Rear Audio Amplifier
– Killer™ E2200 Gaming Networks
– High Quality Audio Capacitors and Audio Noise Guard with LED Trace Path Lighting
– APP Center Including EasyTune™ and Cloud Station™ Utilities
– GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS™ Technology

For full detail on all of the features and specifications please visit the product page.

Packaging
The Gigabyte Z170N-Gaming 5 comes in a box that is not much larger than the motherboard itself. On the front it lets us know some of its main features and has a character from Blizzard’s Heroes of the Storm. Gigabyte is the exclusive motherboard partner of Blizzcon.

Gigabyte Z170N-Gaming 5 Mini-ITX Motherboard

Moving around to the back of the box many of the features are detailed and there is an overview of the rear I/O ports, which is a good thing to know before you are buying a motherboard.

Gigabyte Z170N-Gaming 5 Mini-ITX Motherboard

As far as accessories go for the Z170N-Gaming 5 you have 2 SATA cables, your WiFi antenna, I/O shield, Heroes of the Storm door hanger, software and drivers installation CDs, G1 gaming sticker, multilingual installation guide, and a user’s manual.

Gigabyte Z170N-Gaming 5 Mini-ITX Motherboard

For a full unboxing & overview of the Z170N-Gaming 5 be sure to check out our video below.

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