ASUS shows off its TUF Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1

Posted on Friday, August 28 2015 @ 11:10 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
ASUS announces its TUF Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1, a new motherboard described as built to last. This motherboard comes with thermal armor that features a dual-fan solution to keep the VRM area up to 20°C cooler compared to Z170 boards from other brands, and comes with a sturdy back plate to prevent the motherboard from warping when using heavy heatsinks. The TUF Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1 also comes with plenty of other features to enhance durability:
ASUS today announced TUF Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1, an enduringly-tough new ATX motherboard with many exclusive TUF features, including trailblazing TUF Thermal Armor and TUF Fortifier technologies, TUF ICe, TUF Thermal Radar 2 and TUF Detective 2 for ultimate cooling, strength and easy monitoring and control.

The new Intel® Z170 Express-based motherboard for 6th-generation Intel Core™ processors also boasts bang-up-to-date connectivity with both USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A and reversible Type-C on board, and delivers 24/7 durability with military-grade TUF Components, upgraded TUF ESD Guards 2 to fend off electrostatic discharge and a five-year warranty[1] for complete peace of mind.

Designed tough, built to last: Thermal Armor, TUF Fortifier and Dust Defenders
TUF Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1 heralds a completely new design language for the ASUS TUF motherboard line, with the sleek, stealthy Thermal Armor reimagined in black and gunmetal grey. Thermal Armor employs dual fans to provide maximum airflow and rapid cooling board-wide, reducing temperatures in the area around the voltage-regulator module (VRM) by up to 20°C. It even includes a new interior shunt design to boost air cooling to the M.2 slot. The innovative design beneath the armor strengthens the PCI Express® (PCIe®) slots to minimize the risk of damage.

TUF Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1 also has TUF Fortifier to improve rigidity and endure heavy loads. The reinforced backplate ensures that the motherboard doesn’t buckle under the weight of heavy graphics cards and CPU coolers, minimizing the risk of damaged circuitry from bowing and bending up to weights of 10kg. TUF Fortifier even reduces internal temperatures by up to 13°C — an 18% improvement on the previous design.

TUF Dust Defenders protect Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1’s rear input/output (I/O) ports, expansion and memory slots, preventing dust and other airborne particles from entering these critical connectors.

As part of its outstanding new design, Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1 even has a detachable metal badge bearing the iconic TUF emblem to use as a unique TUF key chain or necklace, and Q-LED illumination to give users the power to see and act on the alerts, with a clear indication of the available actions.

Total cooling solution: TUF ICe, Thermal Radar 2 and TUF Detective 2
TUF Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1 combines three thermal-management technologies to ensure the ultimate cooling for any build — TUF ICe, TUF Thermal Radar 2 and TUF Detective 2.

TUF ICe is a dedicated onboard processor that monitors onboard temperature sensors and fan speeds for ultra-accurate cooling.
TUF Thermal Radar 2 offers 12 fan connectors. The multiple onboard sensors and the bundled thermistor cable hand users the power to monitor graphics-card temperatures and other key components in real time, as well as the ability to adjust manually or optimize cooling automatically with one click.

The free TUF Detective 2 companion app has been upgraded, putting detailed system information and a user-friendly interface one a smartphone or tablet display — right at users’ fingertips. With TUF Detective 2, users are able to have fan control and monitor system information wirelessly, while key parameters can be monitored and errors detected and diagnosed errors with a cable connection.

24/7 durability, latest connectivity: TUF Components, ESD Guards 2, 5-year warranty and USB 3.1
TUF Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1 is engineered with TUF Components so it’s tough enough for the most demanding conditions, even under heavy loading. Japanese-made 10K black metallic capacitors offer 20%-better temperature endurance for a lifespan that’s up to ten times (10X) longer, and TUF alloy chokes are manufactured using high-grade anti-oxidization materials to provide heat dissipation that’s 13% better than before for unbeatable durability.

It’s also constructed with upgraded TUF ESD Guards 2 to defend numerous ports against sudden electrostatic discharge. Engineered to be two times (2X) stronger than before, TUF ESD Guards 2 covers all USB sockets and audio connectors — and exclusive pin-level testing on specific rear I/O connectors is 30% higher than the previous TUF standard.

Every TUF motherboard undergoes the industry’s most-punishing tests to ensure they’re ready for permanent duty in all scenarios. In our development labs we heat them, chill them, bend them, shock them and drop them — so TUF Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1 is certified for 24/7 durability, and backed by a five-year warranty.
ASUS TUF Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1

SPECIFICATIONS

ASUS TUF Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1

Processor/CPU socket

LGA1151 socket for 6th-generation Intel® Core™ i7 / i5 / i3 / Pentium®/ Celeron® processors

Chipset

Intel Z170 Express

Memory

4 x DIMMs, up to a maximum of 64GB DDR4 2400/2133MHz

Expansion slots

2 x PCI Express® 3.0/2.0 x16 (at x16 or x8/x8)

1 x PCI Express 3.0/2.0 x16

3 x PCI Express 3.0/2.0 x1

Graphics (VGA)

Integrated Intel HD Graphics processor

DisplayPort 1.2 with maximum resolution of 4096 x 2160 (4K x 2K) at 24Hz and 3840 x 2160 at 60Hz

HDMI with maximum resolution of 4096 x 2160 (4K x 2K) at 24Hz / 2560 x 1600 at 60Hz

Intel InTru™ 3D / Quick Sync Video / Clear Video HD Technology / Insider™

Multi-GPU support

Quad-GPU NVIDIA® SLI and quad-GPU AMD® CrossFireX

Audio

Realtek® ALC1150 eight-channel high-definition audio codec

Storage

2 x SATA Express (10Gbit/s)

6 x SATA (6Gbit/s, four from SATA Express)

Networking/LAN

Intel I218-V Gigabit Ethernet

USB

1 x USB 3.1/3.0/2.0 Gen 2 Type-C port

1 x USB 3.1/3.0/2.0 Gen 2 Type-A port

6 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports

8 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports

ASUS TUF-exclusive features

Thermal Armor with Flow Valve, Thermal Radar 2, TUF ICe, TUF Fortifier, TUF Engine power design, TUF Components, ASUS Digi+ power-control utility, TUF ESD Guards 2,TUF Detective 2, Dust Defenders, MemOK!

Dimensions / form factor

ATX 12-inch x 9.6-inch (30.5cm x 24.4cm)



About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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