Gigabyte x99m gaming 5 review

We continue with the analyzes and this time we have to stop at one of the best Micro ATX motherboards that has been designed so far. This is the Gigabyte X99M Gaming 5 with the ability to mount 4 Way SLI / CrossFireX, OP-AMP sound card ideal for sound lovers, USB DAC-UP, Killer E2200 network card and Dual M.2 technology . Although for many a powerful team is linked to a giant tower, we already saw in 2014 that the trend was changing and with this board we will find a reduced team but just as powerful as its € 400 older sisters. Don't miss our review!

We appreciate the trust placed by the Gigabyte Spain team in giving us this motherboard for analysis:

Technical characteristics

GIGABYTE X99M GAMING 5 FEATURES
CPU	Support for Intel® Core ™ i7 processors in the LGA2011-3 socket. L3 cache varies by CPU.
Chipset	Intel® X99 Express Chipset
Memory	4 x DDR4 DIMM connections. Architecture for 4 memory channels Support for DDR4 2800 (OC) / 2666 (OC) / 2400 (OC) / 2133 MHz memory modules Support for non-ECC memory modules Support for RDIMM 1Rx8 memory modules (operate in non-ECC mode) Support for Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory modules
Multi-GPU Compatible	1 x M.2 Socket 1 connector for the wireless communication module (M2_WIFI) 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x8 (PCIE_3) * When an i7-5820K CPU is installed, the PCIE_2 slot operates at up to x8 mode and the PCIE_3 operates at up to x4 mode. (All PCI Express x16 slots conform to PCI Express 3.0 standard.) 2 x PCI Express x16 slots, running at x16 (PCIE_1 / PCIE_2) * For optimum performance, if only one PCI Express graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIE_1 slot; if you are installing two PCI Express graphics cards, it is recommended that you install them in the PCIE_1 and PCIE_2 slots. 1 x PCI Express x1 slot Support for 2-Way AMD CrossFire ™ / NVIDIA® SLI ™ Technologies (PCIEX16 and PCIEX8)
Storage	(Socket 3, M key, type 2242/2260/2280 SATA & PCIe x2 / x1 SSD support) 4 x SATA 6Gb / s connectors SSATA3 0 ~ 3), support in IDE and AHCI mode (If the operating system is installed on SATA3 0 ~ 5, the sSATA3 0 ~ 3 connectors cannot be used.) Support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 * AHCI mode Only supported when installing a PCIe M.2 SSD or SATA Express device. (M2_10G, SATA Express and SATA3 4/5 connector can only be used one at a time. The SATA3 4/5 connector will stay disconnected when an M.2 SSD is connected to the M2_10G connector.) 1 x M.2 PCIe connector 1 x SATA Express connector 6 x SATA to 6Gb / s connectors (SATA3 0 ~ 5)
USB and ports.	Chipset: 10 x USB 2.0 / 1.1 ports (6 ports on the back panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB headers) 4 x USB 3.0 / 2.0 ports (available through the internal USB headers) Renesas® uPD720210 Chipset + USB 3.0 Hub: 4 x USB 3.0 / 2.0 rear connectors
LAN	1 x Qualcomm® Atheros Killer E2201 chip (10/100/1000 Mbit)
Rear connections	6 x USB 2.0 / 1.1 ports 2 x hole for Wi-Fi antenna connector 1 x S / PDIF Out Optical Connector 5 x audio jack connector (output to center / subwoofer speaker, output to rear speaker, line input, line output, microphone input) 4 x USB 3.0 / 2.0 port 1 x PS / 2 Keyboard port 1 x PS / 2 mouse port 1 x RJ-45 port
Audio	PnP 1.0a, DMI 2.7, WfM 2.0, SM BIOS 2.7, ACPI 5.0 License for the use of UEFI BIOS by AMI 2 x 128 Mbit flash DualBIOS ™ Support
WiFi connection	Not available in this serial version.
Format.	Micro-ATX Form Factor; 24.4cm x 24.4cm
BIOS	DualBIOS ™ Support 2 x 128 Mbit flash License for the use of UEFI BIOS by AMI PnP 1.0a, DMI 2.7, WfM 2.0, SM BIOS 2.7, ACPI 5.0 Q-Flash Plus support

Gigabyte X99M GAMING 5

Unlike the rest of the X99 range, we find a compact packaging with a very gamer design that shines at first sight. We found a cover with an aggressive design, since it uses the colors black and red. On the back we have an image of the motherboard and all its benefits. Once we open the box we find the following bundle:

X99M Gaming motherboard 5.I / O back cover. SLI bridge. 2 SATA cables. Manual, CD with drivers and quick guide.

The motherboard has a Micro ATX format with measurements of 24.4cm x 24.4cm. It has a matte black design on its PCB and has small red details on the heatsinks which makes it a product that is pleasing to the eye. Looking at its configuration we see that to be a reduced format motherboard each component is well spaced and will be compatible with any heatsink, graphics card or disk on the market.

Regarding cooling, we have a set of three heatsinks located in the power supply phases and in the southern area of the base plate. They are the inserts of keeping the magnificent Ultra Durable components of the motherboard at good temperatures. Like its sisters UD3, UD4 and Gaming 5 it has 6 + 4 pure digital phases for processor and each memory channel. Everything is controlled by the IR3580 Digital PWM, 50A IR3556 Mosfets, the Cooper Bussmann R15-1007R3 76 / 70A inductor and the high-end uF Black Metallic 5040 capacitors.

Gigabyte has chosen to include four RAM slots instead of the classic eight, basically because including them all would imply leaving the format. Even so, there is no need to worry since we can install 64 GB DDR4 at speeds of 2800 Mhz.

The layout of the PCI Express ports is very good, allowing us two graphics cards with Nvidia (SLI) or AMD (CrossfireX) technology. We detail how we can connect the cards and their speeds with a 28 LANES / 40 LANES processor:

1 Graphics card: x16. 2 Graphics cards: x8 - x8 / x16 - x16.

We also have a PCI Express 4x port to install any extended card we want such as a sound card, television tuner, network card…

We stand at the arrangement of the SATA ports. We have 10 SATA 6 Gbp / s connections shared with a SATA Express. It allows us to make RAID configurations 0, 1, 5 and 10. Personally what I like the most is the possibility of installing a Dual M.2. With speeds of 10 Gb / s, I have to confess that I am in love with this configuration.

Next to the control panel we find a Debug LED that will show us if there is a fault with the motherboard in your post or during the operation of the equipment. In the event that our system fails, you should consult the manual that will indicate what the failure is. In the upper area we will find some buttons to change the bios, restart, turn off and turn it on with a single press.

I have always been told that the small details are what make the differences. The first is found in its customizable OP-AMP sound card with ALC1150 audio chipset. What peculiarities does it have? It includes removable AMP-UP connectors that will allow us to modify the needs of our speaker system at our whim. Another of its benefits is the compatibility with headphones with amperes of 115dB in digital audio and it will be the perfect companion in our games or personalization of video.

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Finally we take a look at the back. We have 6 USB 2.0 connections, 4 USB 3.0, PS / 2, Killer network card and digital audio output. We have enough to use top-notch high-end equipment.

Test bench and tests

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	Intel i7 5820k
Base plate:	Gigabyte X99M GAMING 5
Memory:	16GB DDR4 @ 3000 MHZ
Heatsink	Raijintek Triton
HDD	Samsung 840 EVO 250GB.
Graphic card	Nvidia GTX 780.
Power supply	EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G2

To check the stability of the processor and motherboard, we've overclocked up to 4, 200mhz with Prime 95 Custom and air-cooled. The graphics that we have used is an Nvidia GTX780, without further distractions let's see the results obtained in our tests with a 1920 × 1080 monitor.

BIOS & Easy Tune

The BIOS is more refined than on previous occasions and to be a first platform it is going quite well. Although we still see that it is missing some other improvements. But overall and with future BIOS revisions it will be rock solid.

Another of the great advantages in its new and renewed Easy Tune software that allows us to overclock with several clicks from Windows: fast administration, advanced control of the processor, memory and power phases.

Final words and conclusion

The Gigabyte X99M Gaming 5 is a high-end motherboard with a micro ATX format. Its 6 + 4 power phases design, ultra durable components and excellent dissipation make it the perfect ally for gamers and consumers who need to assemble a compact but very powerful team. How powerful? Much… since it allows us to install 6-core processors (5820K or 5930K) and the most powerful 8-core on the market (5960X) along with 64GB of DDR4 RAM at 2800mhz through overclocking. If it seems too little, it also allows us to mount 4 Way SLI or CrossFire. Be careful, with two Dual graphics cards such as the GTX690 or the AMD Raderon 295 × 2. In total, it includes three PCI Express x16 and one x4 ports.

We will not have limits with the storage possibilities since it has 10 SATA 6Gbp / s connections shared with the controller for SATA Express. Additionally, we have two M.2 slots that are capable of reaching 10 Gbp / s transfers and that are slowly becoming fashionable.

As we have said during the analysis, it is the small differences that make a product. On this board we find the excellent sound card with headphone amplifier, a control panel to switch between its DUAL BIOS, shutting down the system or restarting it and a Killer E2200 network card that will reduce ping considerably while playing our games. These details are what will make us a little faster than other players.

The Gigabyte X99M Gaming 5 is available in an online store for an approximate price of € 240, making it the perfect solution for a compact and powerful next-generation device.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ INCREDIBLE DESIGN.	- WITHOUT CONTROLLER WIFI + BT 4.0.
+ 6 + 4 FEEDING PHASES.
+ DUAL M.2.
+ SOUND CARD COMPATIBLE WITH PROFESSIONAL HEADPHONES AND IDEAL FOR LOVERS OF SOUND.
+ NETWORK CARD.
+ EXCELLENT PRICE.