Review: gigabyte sniper g1. sniper 2

Gigabyte has developed a specific motherboard for gaming and overclocking lovers. It is the Gigabyte G1.Sniper 2. With a spectacular design, a special network card for Gaming and an integrated sound card "Creative XF-I" never seen before.

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GIGABYTE G1.SNIPER 2 FEATURES
CPU Support	2nd Generation Intel ® Core Processors
CPU socket	LGA 1555
Chipset	Intel Z68 chipset
Onboard Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 2000/3000
Graphics Interface	2 * PCI-E 2.0 x16 slot (x16, x8) / HDMI
Memory type	Dual Channel 2133/1333/1066
Memory DIMM	2 * PCI-Ex1 + 2 * PCI
SATA connector	4 * SATA 6Gb / s + 3 * SATA 3Gb / s + 1 * eSATA 3Gb / s
USB	4 * USB 3.0 + 14 * USB 2.0
Audio	Creative HW audio 20K2 Front audio headphone amplifier Front audio headphone amplifier Nichicon MUSE capacitor
LAN	Bigfoot Killer 2100
TPM	Onboard LPC pin header for Infineon TPM module
Features & Software	Touch BIOS, EZ Smart Response, Intel Smart Response, Lucid Virtu, 8 power phase, Ultra Durable 3, On / off Charge, Smart 6, 2 way CrossFireX / SLI, Driver MOSFET, X-Fi, EAX
Form Factor (mm)	ATX (305 × 264)

The Z68 chipset is the combination of the P67 B3 and H67 chipsets. From the healthy P67 B3 it brings the possibilities of further overclocking to the K processors and integration with MultiGPU SLI and Crossfire. Of the H67 chipset, the compatibility of the improved Intel HD3000 graphics chipset , although as it happens in this motherboard, it incorporates HDMI output, although not all the boards include the outputs.

It is time to delve into the exclusive features of the Gigabyte G1. Sniper 2.

The G1. Sniper 2 comes equipped with 2-Way CrossFirex and 2-way SLI support that allows enthusiastic gamers to install multiple graphics cards. It is also the first motherboard with native PCI Express Gen.3 support.

Gigabyte does not forget any detail and integrates a Creative SoundBlaster X-FI (20k2) sound card. It is a high-end sound card for players, with it we can hear all kinds of details when we are playing and enjoy the best music. It incorporates an amplifier with a capacity of 150 ?, "Nichicon" professional capacitors and protection against electromagnetic and power supply interference.

It also includes a gaming network card: "Bigfoot Killer E2100" designed with a Network Processing Unit (NPU) of 1Gb of DDR2 memory and exclusive Killer Network Manager software. Thanks to the Killer E2100, network delays will be reduced when we play.

This new Intel Z68 chipset offers us the new Intel Smart Response Technology. That will help us increase the speed of our SSD. It also incorporates the LucidLogix Virtu technology that allows users to switch the integrated graphics with our physical graphics card. Significantly reducing consumption and increasing graphics performance.

Front of the box:

Once we open the box, we find a briefcase that stores the G.1 Sniper 2. The motherboard is perfectly protected:

Top view of a Gigabyte G1.Sniper 2.

The box includes:

• Gigabyte G1 Motherboard. Sniper 2.Long bridge SLI. Back plate. Manual and Quick Guide. 2 set of SATA cables. Posters and stickers.

Posters and attached stickers:

The south bridge heatsink emulates a gun magazine.

On the left side we can see the Creative sound card, the chip of the Killer E-2100 network card, and the distribution of the PCI Express.

More detailed view of the sound card:

Rear connectors on the motherboard. Highlight its HDMI output and OC button

AUDIO and USB connections:

And from the control panel.

It is the first motherboard on the market with native support for PCI-E 3.0

The support of USB 3.0. is under the charge of the Chip Etron EJ168A.

The heatsinks of the Gigabyte G1.Sniper 2 are the best we have had in our hands. After many hours practicing overclocking it is surprising its great power of dissipation.

And in the dark, it shows off its green LEDs:

We used the SSDNOW100V + 64GB and DDR3 Kingston KHX1600C9D3P1K2 / 4GB RAM for our tests.

Gigabyte has surprised us by including a high-end sound card. With a 20k2 digital processor, X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity technology, Dolby Digital, Dts and Eax Advanced HD 5.0. That will allow us to enjoy playing and listening to music.

Thanks to the copper shielding around the audio components, protection against electromagnetic interference and power interference is improved. Thanks to this system, it provides us with the highest sound quality and an unforgettable experience.

Creative app:

As we have previously discussed, the Killer E2100 network card integrates a 1GB DDR2 NPU. Which allows us greater stability when we play online with our PC.

The Killer E2100 attaches an advanced application for managing our network. Let's take a closer look:

As we can see in the following images. The BIOS maintains its classic format. Although with a particular start:

Gigabyte has developed a utility called " TOUCH BIOS ". The application allows us to adjust and monitor the hot BIOS from the Operating System itself.

The application allows us to apply any modification at the moment. Let's continue to take a closer look:

Smart Quick Boost allows us a slight OC to the processor:

And the option to update the BIOS from Windows:

TEST BENCH:
Box:	Silverstone FT-02 Red Edition
Source feed:	Antec HCG-620w
Base plate	Gigabyte G1. Sniper 2
Processor:	Intel i7 2600k @ 4.6ghz ~ 1.34v
Graphic card:	Gigabyte GTX 560 Ti SOC
RAM:	Kingston KHX1600C9D3P1K2 / 4GB
HDD:	Kingston SSDNOW100V + 64GB SSD

We have tested the 4800mhz processor with Linx and Prime 95.

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Although the performance has been very good: 73180 points with 3d Mark Vantage . The plate offers great stability and its cooling is very good. We have tried some games and we have obtained the following results:

RESULTS
3dMark06			25400 PTS
3dMark11 P (FULL VERSION)	P5450
Heaven Benchmark v2.1		1350 PTS
THE PLANET DX11 1920X1080 X8	63.7 FPS
Metro 2033 D10 1920 x 1080 HIGH	53.8 FPS

Gigabyte continues to innovate in the design of its new motherboards and this time it brings us a motherboard different from the rest. The first change is found in its appearance, from its classic corporate blue to a matte black / radioactive green. As usual Gigabyte maintains its Japanese capacitors and its Ultra Durable 3 certificate. The design and robustness of its heatsinks allow rapid heat dissipation.

Among its novelties we find the high-end network card. The "BigFoot Killer E2100" will offer us the stability that we have always wanted in our online games. We can also manage and monitor their behavior via software. The second most notable innovation is the Creative X-FI 2k20 integrated sound card with support for X-FI Xtreme, EA Advanced HD 5.0, Dolby Digital and DTS technologies. Although we must highlight its amplifier with a capacity of 150? (Allows us to connect almost any high-end headset) and professional Nichicon capacitors.

The Gigabyte G1. Sniper 2 is a fantastic motherboard for Extreme Overclocking. In our test bench we have increased the speed of our i7 2600k processor to 4800 mhz. Always with an excellent vdroop and perfect stability. But the Professional Review Team has wanted to go a little further and we have raised our CPU to 5200 mhz. Although when we pass the 5GHZ barrier it demands more voltage (1.50v). Which we've kept at bay thanks to our Antec Khüler 620 liquid cooling kit.

The aspect that we liked the least is the distribution of the PCI Express 3.0 ports. Perhaps insufficient for efficient extraction of the hot air left by our graphics cards. Another disadvantage that we have found is its high price of € 415. Only a specific sector can make this disbursement, and there are cheaper solutions that can offer great performance.

In short, the Gigabyte G.1 Sniper 2 is possibly the best Z68 motherboard on the market. Its components are of quality and allow us to perform a powerful overclock. If you can afford the outlay on this motherboard, you won't regret your purchase.

To finish the analysis we leave you our usual table of advantages and disadvantages.

ADVANTAGE		DISADVANTAGES
+ INNOVATIVE DESIGN	- HIGH PRICE (€ 400)
+ QUALITY COMPONENTS
+ NATIVE PCIE 3.0 SUPPORT
+ ULTRA DURABLE JAPANESE CAPACITORS 3
+ HIGH RANGE KILLER 2100 NETWORK CARD
+ CREATIVE SOUNDBLASTE X-FI 2K20 SOUND CARD
+ ALLOWS US A POWERFUL OVERCLOCKING AND GREAT STABILITY PLAYING.

The Professional Review team awarded him a well deserved gold medal: