Click here if you missed part 1 of the Z97 review roundup, which contained previews, reviews and videos!

Asus' Z97-A motherboard reviewed @ Tech Report

Link:Tech Report

Titled as "A good start to the new generation", the Tech Report guys get behind the new Z97-A with a recommended award. Here's a short portion pulled from the UEFI discussion, but be sure to read the full review above!

"EZ Mode consolidates basic system information and a handful of configuration options in a simplified interface meant for newbies. The presentation is very slick, with smooth animations, a real-time CPU temperature graph, and a drag-and-drop boot priority list, among other functions. The UI wouldn't look out of place in Windows software, which is a testament to how far motherboard firmware interfaces have come in the past few years.

As part of its mission to simplify tweaking for less experienced users, EZ Mode now has configuration wizards for overclocking and RAID. Again, the presentation is slick:"

Asus Maximus VII Ranger Review @ bit-tech

Link: bit-tech

One of the first Ranger reviews on the net has received bit-tech's ultimate Premium Grade award! Here's a bit of what they had to say:

"With an updated design that sticks to the traditional red and black colour scheme, the Ranger looks rather swanky. The matt black PCB contrasts nicely with the red highlights dotted around the slots, connectors and heatsinks. It's a full width (244mm) ATX board so it's unsurprising to see a nice and spacious CPU area. The layout is excellent too, as of all the connectors and buttons the CHA_FAN3 one is the only one not situated along one of the edges, and its position beneath the VRM heatsink makes it perfect for a rear exhaust fan. Unlike ASRock's effort, the Ranger also come equipped with SATA ports mounted parallel to the board, which is handy for cable routing and aesthetics."

(ASUS Z97) MAXIMUS VII Hero Revew @ Play3r

Link: Play3r

An alternative to Ranger is the Hero, reviewed and awarded at Play3r:

"To sum it up in a few short words, the ASUS Z97 MAXIMUS VII HERO motherboard is the bee’s knees and it’s with great pleasure I award the HERO the Gold award based on the testing done today"

Asus Z97-A review @ Expert Reviews

Link: Expert Reviews

If you want to read a quick, to the point review: Expert Reviews has the Z97-A on the block and awards it Best Buy.

"We like the Asus Z97-A, and we’d certainly choose the Z97-A over the Z87-A, especially as there is very little difference in price. If you want a Z97 motherboard with lots of features, great overclocking potential and an attractive price, you should buy the Asus Z97-A."

 

ASUS Z97-A and Z97 Deluxe motherboard review @ Guru3D

Link: Guru3D

On the opposite end of the wordy scale, Guru3D has 24 pages of info and tests for your reading pleasure, eventually culminating in a recommended award. Here's a short cut:

"Both the Z97-A and Z97 Deluxe motherboards are honestly really good. With the DNA of Z77 and Z87 these Z97 motherboards have evolved into an extremely stable and tweakable platform. The Z97-A offers everything you need for a kick-ass gaming PC including great overclock functionality and the new PCIe M.2 SSD interface. This motherboard however lacks WIFI, which we feel should be a standard these days. Other than that it is a really good motherboard."

Asus Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1 Motherboard Review @ KitGuru

Link: Kit Guru

Kit Guru is also one of the first with a Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1 review, detailing the new upgrades to the Armor wearing TUF range. With a packed 13 pages to read and a Must Have award delivered, here's a small clip from the introduction:

"Since its inception many generations ago (P55, if I remember correctly), Asus has been onto a winner with The Ultimate Force (TUF) series motherboards. A distinctive design straying away from the typical gaming and overclocking products made TUF components desirable parts to users wishing for a unique motherboard.

Longevity is the key philosophy behind the design of TUF series motherboards. Asus tackles the issue of durability in two distinct manners: reliability-certified electronic components and an all-out war on thermal degradation.

I see the Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1 motherboard as a ‘hybrid’ of sorts – an approaching-workstation level motherboard that also offers potent gaming and general usage features. The target market? Users, perhaps such as myself, who desire stable operation for their demanding, home-accessed academia/employment workloads, but also value gaming features when they are called upon."