Designed for 7th generation Kaby Lake processors and VR (virtual reality) applications, the GA-Z270-HD3 LGA 1151 ATX Motherboard from Gigabyte is designed to fit in cases that support the ATX form factor. It supports 6th and 7th generation Intel Core i7, i5, i3, Pentium, and Celeron processors in the LGA 1151 package and the Intel Z270 Express chipset. This motherboard supports Windows 10 (64-bit) with 7th generation processors and Windows 10 (64-bit), 8.1 (64-bit), and 7 (32/64-bit) with 6th generation processors.

The ATX form factor of the GA-Z270-HD3 has four DIMM slots that can support up to 64GB of non-ECC DDR4 UDIMM RAM, as well as dual-channel memory architecture and Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory modules. The supported memory speeds are DDR4 3866 (OC), 3800 (OC), 3733 (OC), 3666 (OC), 3600 (OC), 3466 (OC), 3400 (OC), 3333 (OC), 3300 (OC), 3200 (OC), 3000 (OC), 2800 (OC), 2666 (OC), 2400 (OC), and 2133 MHz memory modules.

The GA-Z270-HD3 has a total of 6 x SATA III 6 Gb/s ports, 1 x SATA Express port, and 1 x M.2 Socket 3 port that supports type 2242, 2260, 2280, and 22110 SATA SSDs and PCIe 3.0 x4/x2 SSDs. Internal expansion is accomplished using 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slot running at x16, 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots running at x4, 2 x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots, and 1 x PCI slot, while USB connectivity is achieved using 8 x USB 3.0 ports (4 on the back panel, 4 internal) and 6 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports (2 on the back panel, 4 internal). There is also 1 x PS/2 port (back panel). Using the Realtek ALC887 codec, this motherboard can support 2, 4, 5.1, and 7.1-channel HD audio using its 6 x 3.5mm audio jacks.

The GA-Z270-HD3 supports integrated Intel HD Graphics and can support up to three simultaneous displays. It is equipped with an HDMI 1.4 port that supports maximum resolutions of 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz and both DVI-D and VGA ports that support a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz. This motherboard has also been designed with Gigabyte's UEFI DualBIOS, Quad-GPU CrossFireX and 2-Way CrossFire technology, Gigabit Ethernet, high quality audio capacitors, Ambient Surround LED lighting, Smart Fan 5, and more. It is protected by a limited 3-year warranty.

General Features

Smart Fan 5

With Smart Fan 5, users can help ensure that their gaming PC can maintain its performance while staying cool. Smart Fan 5 allows users to interchange their fan headers to reflect different thermal sensors at different locations on the motherboard. Not only that, with Smart Fan 5, more hybrid fan headers that support both PWM and Voltage mode fans have been introduced to make the motherboard more liquid cooling friendly.

• Four fan pin headers
• Six temperature sensors
• Supports high current fans up to 24W (2A x 12V) with over-current protection

Hybrid Fan Pin Headers

Hybrid Fan Headers detect whether the cooling device uses PWM or Voltage mode and automatically switches settings accordingly. It supports up to 2A with built-in over-current protection.

Smart Fan 5 Software

Choose from different modes, Quiet to Full Speed, to match your system usage scenario. For each fan or pump, you can use the intuitive fan curve to define trigger thresholds and corresponding fan speeds.

Interoperable Sensors and Fans

Each fan can be customized to operate at different speeds according to any defined temperature source input (except the CPU fan).

Fan Curve

Customize fan curves based on specific temperatures with the intuitive graphical UI.

Enhanced BIOS Interface

The enhanced BIOS interface also has the advanced features seen in the Smart Fan 5 UI, such as: the ability to set triggers based on different temperature sensors on the board, fan curve definition, and the temperature interval setting, which can prevent fan rotation noise caused by sudden temperature change-all without having to load Windows.

VR Gaming Experience

VR requires more performance than Full HD graphics for a steady 90 fps or greater. The recommended configuration for a VR Gaming PC is:

• Graphics Card: NVIDIA GTX 1050 / AMD R9 290 or greater, compatible HDMI 1.3 video output
• CPU: Intel i5-7600K equivalent or greater
• Motherboard: Gigabyte X99, Z270, Z170, H170, and B150 motherboards
• Memory: 8GB of RAM or greater
• USB Ports: 3 x USB 3.0 ports plus 1 x USB 2.0 port or greater
• OS: Windows 7 SP1 (64-bit) or newer

Intel GbE LAN with cFosSpeed Internet Accelerator Software

Intel Gigabit LAN features cFosSpeed, a network traffic management application which helps to improve network latency and maintain low ping times to deliver better responsiveness in crowded LAN environments.

Fast Onboard Storage with NVMe PCIe Gen3 x4 110mm M.2 (Up to 32 Gb/s)

This Gigabyte M.2 solution offers considerably faster storage performance and support for both PCIe and SATA interfaces for M.2 SSD devices.

2-Way CrossFire Multi Graphics

Multi-graphics configuration offers better graphics performance for gaming enthusiasts who demand the highest frame rates without compromising on resolution.

Support for DDR4 XMP up to 3866 MHz and Beyond

Gigabyte is offering a tested and proven platform that helps ensure proper compatibility with profiles up to 3866 MHz and beyond. All users need to do to attain this performance boost is to ensure that their memory module is XMP capable and that the XMP function is activated and enabled on Gigabyte motherboard.

What is XMP?

DDR4 memory modules are available at a stock frequency of 2133 MHz, but as frequency tweaking requires a considerable amount of effort and knowledge, memory vendors encode XMP profiles which can automatically modify the timings of the supported memory modules to work with your CPU and to achieve increased performance.

Anti-Sulfur Resistor Design

Sulfur compounds in the air can penetrate tiny onboard resistors creating chemical change and causing these resistors to open or short. If either of these occurs the motherboard will fail to function. By equipping resistors with an anti-sulfur design, Gigabyte gives Ultra Durable Motherboards a whole new meaning.

High Quality Onboard Audio Design

Audio Noise Guard with LED Trace Path Lighting and high-end audio components deliver high quality sound resolution and sound expansion to create realistic sound effects for professional gamers.

High Definition Digital Outputs

Enjoy true HD display capability using the most commonly integrated digital output technologies on today's HD displays and TVs - HDMI, DVI-D, and VGA.

Diagnostic LEDs

Onboard LEDs controlled by the system BIOS indicate if a malfunction is occurring, allowing users to quickly diagnose which major component (CPU/DDR/VGA/HDD) is malfunctioning so they may take action promptly.

Refreshed BIOS: Easy, Smart, and Friendly

The BIOS is essential for users during initial setup to allow for the most optimal settings. With a new GUI and easier to use functionalities, Gigabyte has been able to reinvent the BIOS to give users a better experience while setting up their new system.

Gigabyte APP Center

The Gigabyte APP Center gives you easy access to a wealth of Gigabyte apps that help you get the most from your Gigabyte motherboard. Using a simple, unified user interface, the Gigabyte APP Center allows you to easily launch all Gigabyte apps installed on your system, check related updates online, and download the latest apps, drivers, and BIOS.

EasyTune

Gigabyte's EasyTune is a simple and easy-to-use interface that allows users to fine-tune their system settings or adjust system and memory clocks and voltages in a Windows environment. With Smart Quick Boost, one click is all it takes to automatically overclock your system, giving an added performance boost when you need it the most.

System Information Viewer

Gigabyte System Information Viewer is a central location that gives you access to your current system status. Monitor components such as the clocks and processor, set your preferred fan speed profile, create alerts when temperatures get too high, or record your system's behavior.

@BIOS

The Gigabyte @BIOS app allows you to update your system's BIOS from within Windows using a simple graphical user interface. @BIOS can automatically download the latest version from the Gigabyte servers or you can update your BIOS from a file on your computer. @BIOS also allows you to save your current BIOS to a file, recover your previous BIOS from an image, and backup your BIOS to an image.

3D OSD

3D OSD automatically detects and displays your system information during games, allowing you to easily get a hold of your system information without switching between screens.

Gigabyte Patented DualBIOS (UEFI) Design

Gigabyte Ultra Durable motherboards feature Gigabyte DualBIOS, an exclusive technology from Gigabyte that protects arguably one of your PC's most crucial components, the BIOS. Gigabyte DualBIOS means that your motherboard has both a 'Main BIOS' and a 'Backup BIOS', protecting users from BIOS failure due to virus, hardware malfunction, improper OC settings, or power failure during the update process.

"G-Connector" Design

The tiny cables of the front panel connectors can be hard to manipulate as space is restricted and indicators being tiny. With the G-Connector, you can connect all the FP cables at once, simplifying the process of building your next PC and saving you some frustrations.

XSplit Gamecaster + Broadcaster

Now set up your stage and share the greatest gaming moments with XSplit Gamecaster + Broadcaster. Fully optimized social media integration is ready for real-time chats - keeping you notified yet focused in the game. It takes just one click to stream your gameplay to Twitch.

TriDef SmartCam - Custom Stream Modding

To facilitate being a full streaming solution, each Gigabyte motherboard includes TriDef SmartCam software, enabling you to remove backgrounds without the hassle of using a green screen. Through the SmartCam application, you can now apply live filters and fully control your background, not only while streaming, but also through other video applications such as Skype.