Here are the winners of the TechPowerUp and BIOSTAR Racing GT giveaway. Three lucky winners from the United States and Mexico, win one of BIOSTAR's finest socket LGA1151 Racing GT series motherboards, which includes one winner for the Racing Z270GT6 and two winners that get a Racing B250GT5, each. These motherboards feature powerful CPU VRM, RGB LED lighting preparation, and BIOSTAR's Puro Hi-Fi onboard audio solutions. Without further ado, the winners:

• Daniel from the United States, wins a Racing Z270GT6
• William and John, both from the United States, win a Racing B250GT5, each

TechPowerUp will return with more such interesting giveaways.

BIOSTAR and TechPowerUp are back with a 'racing' new giveaway, to celebrate the launch of BIOSTAR's Intel 200-series chipset based Racing GT series motherboards. These socket LGA1151 motherboards by BIOSTAR are designed with high-durability electrical components, and the grooviest RGB LED lighting. Open to participants from the United States and Mexico; up for grabs, are one BIOSTAR Racing Z270-GT6 high-end motherboard; and two BIOSTAR Racing B250-GT5. That's three lucky winners who stand to win one of BIOSTAR's very best! To stand a chance to win, all you have to do is fill up a short form (to help us identify you). Good Luck!For more information, and to participate, visit this page.

Team Group, the world's leading memory brand, today officially announces the launch of the popular ASUS ROG certified memory product, the T-FORCE DARK memory. ROG (Republic Of Gamers) is a gaming brand established in 2006. It represents the ultimate performance and top quality that gamers around the world keep pursuing. Team Group's T-FORCE DARK memory is rigorously tested and certified by ASUS officials to obtain the ROG certification. Together with ASUS motherboards, the consumers can have all the top gaming hardware at once to fully enjoy an extreme gaming and entertainment experience.

T-FORCE DARK is both unique and eye catching thanks to its unique feature of being the first and only to utilize a four-piece heat-spreader in the industry. In addition to advancing from previous two-piece heat spreaders, it also adds a combination of two more arched fins to increase radiating area and provide up to 8% better dissipation performance than traditional heat spreaders. Besides ROG certification and performance improvements, its killer look of a dark knight's armor is combined with ROG's unique elements such as the ROG abstract patterns together with the mighty ROG log. Consumers can freely choose from the eye catching colors of black and red, or the calming colors of black and grey to build up the perfect gaming memory.

EK Water Blocks, the world renowned premium liquid cooling manufacturer, is proud to release the monoblock liquid cooling solution for GIGABYTE Z270X motherboards. EK-FB GA Z270X RGB Monoblock is compatible with GIGABYTE RGB Fusion, thus offering a full lighting customization experience!

EK-FB GA Z270X RGB Monoblock is a complete all-in-one (CPU and motherboard) liquid cooling solution for Intel LGA-1151 socket Kaby Lake and Sky Lake CPU's. This monoblock is compatible with the following GIGABYTE motherboards: GA-Z270X-Gaming 7; GA-Z270X-Gaming K7; GA-Z270X-Gaming 5; GA-Z270X-Gaming K5; GA-Z270X-Ultra Gaming; GA-Z270-Phoenix Gaming; GA-Z270-Gaming 3; GA-Z270-Gaming K3; GA-Z270X-UD5.

MSI, world leading in gaming motherboard innovation, is thrilled to announce four new ARCTIC white GAMING motherboards, the Z270/H270 TOMAHAWK & H270M/B250M MORTAR ARCTIC, are added to the Arsenal GAMING Series. The second generation of ARCTIC models not only inherited the spirit of the unique ARCTIC design, it also adopted a plethora of features from other 200 series GAMING motherboards for an improved gaming experience. Enjoy never seen before low latency online gaming with MSI GAMING LAN, while benefiting from enhanced, studio grade sound with Audio Boost. Featuring heavy plated heat sinks, fully styled to perfectly match the ARCTIC look and feel, the new ARCTIC motherboards are ready to conquer the battlefield.

MSI is giving finishing touches to its Z270 Gaming Plus motherboard. Positioned around the $120-140 mark, the Z270 Gaming Plus covers the essentials, but lacks support for NVIDIA SLI, with its second PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot being electrical x4, and wired to the Z270 PCH. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors; and conditions it for the CPU using a simple 7-phase VRM. The CPU socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, and a single PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot.

The MSI Z270 Gaming Plus features a red LED lighting element. Storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and a 32 Gb/s M.2 slot. There are no 10 Gb/s USB 3.1 ports, you get eight 5 Gb/s USB 3.0 ports (four on the rear panel, four by headers). Display outputs include one each of DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI. Networking is care of a single gigabit Ethernet interface, driven by an Intel-made controller. The 8-channel HD audio solution features a 90 dBA SNR CODEC, ground-layer isolation, and electrolytic capacitors over the front output. The board will be available later this week.

ASUS today unveiled the Z270-WS socket LGA1151 motherboard targeted at DIY workstation builds. Based on the Intel Z270 Express chipset, the board supports 7th generation Core "Kaby Lake" processors. What sets this board apart from most of the company's Z270 motherboard lineup is its PLX PEX8747 PCI-Express 3.0 x48 bridge chip. The board features a 12-phase CPU VRM with server-grade electrical components. The CPU socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, and three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots over the bridge chip (x16/NC/x16 or x16/x8/x8). The fourth x16 slot is electrical x4 and wired to the PCH. An open-ended PCI-Express 3.0 x4 completes the expansion area. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and 6-pin PCIe power connectors.

Storage connectivity on the Z270-WS includes six SATA 6 Gb/s, two 32 Gb/s M.2, and two 32 Gb/s U.2 ports. The board supports Intel Optane (3D X-point SSD) technology. Network connectivity includes two gigabit Ethernet interfaces, one driven by an Intel I210-AT controller, and another by Intel I210-LM. USB connectivity includes six USB 3.0 and four USB 3.1 ports (including one type-C port). The board offers 8-channel HD audio driven by a 115 dBA SNR CODEC. The company didn't reveal pricing.

The "Game Boost" overclock automation feature the UEFI setup program of MSI Z270 motherboards, apparently is successful in overclocking Core i7-7700K processors to 5.20 GHz with liquid CPU cooling. Most motherboard vendors include some degree of automated overclocking with their motherboards, which let overclocking novices squeeze a little bit of extra performance out of their CPU and memory without having to tinker with settings they know nothing about. These technologies use automated trial-and-error overclocking and stability testing over multiple reboots, to achieve a somewhat high overclock setting that takes system stability and temperatures into account.

The highest automated overclock setting of MSI "Game Boost" within its UEFI setup program of the company's Z270 XPower Gaming Titanium motherboard is having success in getting the CPU to run at 5.20 GHz. The program presents the user with 11 grades of overclock. At its highest grade, the program pushes the CPU all the way to 5.20 GHz, with 52x 100 MHz multiplier/base-clock setting, a vCore voltage of 1.507V, vDIMM of 1.2V, and disabled C-states. Keeping this overclock stable, however, took AIO liquid CPU cooling.

At the 2017 International CES, ASRock showed off some of its first socket AM4 motherboards for AMD Ryzen processors and 7th generation A-Series "Bristol Ridge" APUs. Leading the pack is the X370 Taichi. Built in the ATX form-factor, the board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors. It uses a 16-phase CPU VRM with high-capacity Super Alloy chokes. The AM4 socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, and two PCI-Expres 3.0 x16 slot (x8/x8 when both are populated). The third x16 slot is electrical x4 and wired to the chipset. Two other x1 slots make for the rest of its expansion area.

Connectivity on the X370 Taichi include two USB 3.1 ports (one type-A and one type-C), ten USB 3.0 ports, 8-channel PureSound 4 onboard audio solution (of the same grade the company is deploying on its high-end Intel Z270 motherboards), gigabit Ethernet with an Intel-made controller, and 802.11ac WLAN. Storage options include one 32 Gb/s M.2 slot, one 16 Gb/s M.2 slot, and eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Next up, is the X370 Professional Gaming. This board is practically identical to the X370 Taichi. The two boards share a common PCB, and differ only with the red+black color scheme on the X370 Professional Gaming, as opposed to white+black on the X370 Taichi.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, professional manufacturer of graphics cards and motherboards, is proud to announce its latest motherboard for enthusiasts and gamers featuring the latest Intel Z270 chipset to support LGA1151 processors including the newly announced 7th generation Core processors from Intel with their new iGame Z270 Gamer. Customization motherboard. This latest products joins the family of iGame enthusiast and performance series of motherboards and graphics cards which focuses on not just the needs of gamers for a faster and robust system but serves as a canvas to promote their creativity and idea with great customization options.

The leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, is pleased to announce the launch of its Intel 200 series motherboard range. These new ASRock boards are the first to unleash the extreme performance of the latest 7th generation Intel Core i7/i5/i3/Pentium and Celeron Socket 1151 processors - by providing all the advanced features necessary to make the most of their raw power. The ASRock range offers something for everyone with the Gaming series, Extreme series, high performance Pro series, and Killer series.

The design of ASRock's flagship Z270 SuperCarrier motherboard evokes the style and power of the world's mightiest warship, the supercarrier, with features that will blast the competition out of the water. The Z270 SuperCarrier's PCI-E Steel Slots provide ultimate graphics with 4-Way SLI and 4-Way CrossFireX, plus full NVIDIA Quadro SLI support. The advanced PCI-E Steel Slots packed with solid cover that prevents any signal interference with graphics cards. It also ensures the heavy graphics cards to be well-installed in the PCI-E slots safely. Two Thunderbolt 3 connectors with a 40Gb/s data rate are able to drive super high resolution displays up to 4K x 2K (4096 x 2304) at 60Hz, plus high speed external storage, and other advanced devices. The highly desirable reversible USB 3.1 Type-C interface delivers the breathtaking 10 Gb/s data transfer speeds and also supports USB PD 2.0 charging up to 12V@3A (36W).

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, announces new high-speed DDR4 memory specifications designed for the latest 7th Gen Intel Core processors and Z270 motherboards under the extreme performance Trident Z series.

With 16GB (8GBx2) and 32GB (8GBx4) kits becoming the mainstream memory capacities in PC systems, 8GB-based kits are in greater demand for higher performance than ever. Upon the launch of Intel's latest Kaby Lake platform, G.SKILL bumps up the maximum frequency speeds to a blistering DDR4-4266MHz at CL19-19-19-39 for 16GB (8GBx2) kits and DDR4-4133MHz CL19-21-21-41 for 32GB (8GBx4) kits.

MSI showcases the future of PC gaming technology with an award-winning selection based on the latest Intel 7th gen platform. Over 30 models in 4 segments will be shown during CES 2017, including CES Innovation Honoree Z270 GAMING M7. The next generation MSI GAMING motherboards are once again packed with unique features such as M.2 Shield to protect against thermal throttling on super-fast M.2 SSDs and VR Boost to deliver a lag-free VR experience with lower latency and less chance of motion sickness. These features help gamers to enjoy more immersive games with better quality than ever.

The MSI ENTHUSIAST GAMING motherboards usher in a new era of gaming. With a unique look and feel, packed with more exclusive gaming features than ever, these GAMING motherboards are sure to offer you the best possible experience in games. One of the most powerful ENTHUSIAST GAMING models, the Z270 GAMING M7, is an incredibly versatile and complete foundation for a high-end gaming system. Features such as Audio Boost 4 PRO and Nahimic 2 provide gamers two sets of audio modules with isolated circuits for a pure sound experience to deliver the competitive edge on the battlefield.

ASUS today announced its complete 2017 lineup of Z270 motherboards designed to maximize the potential of 7th Generation Intel Core processors. The new range includes the highly-anticipated next-generation Republic of Gamers (ROG) Maximus IX gaming motherboards - with Maximus IX Apex having already secured its place in history by claiming eight world records and 13 global first places in some of the world's toughest benchmarks.

Also included in the lineup are the latest ROG Strix gaming motherboards for style-conscious enthusiast, the all-new ASUS Prime series for everyday customization and tuning, and the latest ASUS TUF boards with 24/7 stability and newly-added overclocking abilities. The ASUS workstation motherboard series has also been updated for the Z270 revolution - and all boards are loaded with exclusive technologies to enable users to extract every ounce of performance from Intel's latest CPUs.

BIOSTAR is proud to announce its latest motherboard supporting the 7th-generation of Intel Core series processors with the announcement of the BIOSTAR RACING Z270GT9. Featuring the latest Intel Z270 chipset, this motherboard supports LGA1151 processors for the latest in performance and power as well as the best features including support for DDR4-3600+ high-speed memory, six PCI-E x16 3.0 slots, and two USB 3.1 (TYPE A+C) ports amongst others.

Built upon reliability, the new BIOSTAR RACING Z270GT9 features enhanced endurance and stability under intense conditions which is a great advantage for gamers thanks to its improved power design named Digital Power+ which features IR digital PWM controller and PowIRstage IC which offer excellent stability and voltage delivery whilst operating cooler and more reliable under load than competing designs. The BIOSTAR RACING Z270GT9 features 14-phase power design complimented with all solid capacitors for a stable overclocking experience.

The STRIX series of motherboards for ASUS are characterized by their multi-color (RGB) LED flair over practical mid-segment motherboards. These boards come with headers that simplify RGB LED case lighting using the ASUS Aura software. The company is ready with four such boards, the STRIX Z270H-Gaming and STRIX Z270E-Gaming in the ATX form-factor; the STRIX Z270G-Gaming in the micro-ATX form-factor; and the STRIX Z270I-Gaming, in the mini-ITX form-factor. The Z270H-Gaming is the lighter of the two ATX boards in terms of features, although you still get a 6-phase VRM, two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots with SLI support, two M.2 slots, 8-channel gaming-grade audio, and two USB 3.1 ports. The PCH heatsink has a groovy RGB LED ornament. The Z270E-Gaming leads the series, with a 10-phase VRM, 802.11ac WLAN, reinforced PCIe x16 slots, and RGB LED elements located in a large I/O area shroud that extends into the VRM heatsinks.

The Z270G-Gaming is the micro-ATX offering from this lineup. It has more features than the Z270H-Gaming, but fewer slots than the Z270E-Gaming. You get the same 10-phase VRM, and connectivity that includes gaming-grade audio, USB 3.1 ports, two M.2 slots, but no I/O shroud, and the RGB LED element is located in the PCH heatsink. The Z270I-Gaming is brimming with features, including concealed M.2 slot, a reinforced PCIe slot, 8-channel HD audio, 802.11ac WLAN, four SATA 6 Gb/s ports. RGB LED lighting is care of an LED strip located in the reverse side of the PCB, along the right edge of the PCB.

Here are some of the first pictures of ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) Maximus IX Apex, the company's flagship motherboard based on the Intel Z270 Express chipset. The board has many first-in-segment features. To begin with, it features a non-rectangular PCB, which probably lets you quickly pull the board out of bench-tables. Designed for extreme overclocking, the Maximus IX Apex draws power from a 24-pin ATX, two 8-pin EPS, and one 4-pin Molex. The CPU is wired to three memory slots, two of these are DDR4, and make up the dual-channel DDR4 interface. The third slot is DDR3, and can be enabled at the flick of a switch, for troubleshooting the DDR4 memory OC.

The Maximus IX Apex features four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, from which two are wired to the CPU (topmost slot and third slot), and run at x8/x8 when both are populated. The second and fourth x16 slots are electrical x4 and wired to the Z270 PCH. Although not visible, it's likely that this board features one or two M.2 slots, at the reverse side of the PCB. 8-channel HD audio, Intel gigabit Ethernet, four USB 3.1 ports (including type-C), and display outputs that include DisplayPort and HDMI, make for the rest of the connectivity. The board appears to feature a great deal of onboard OC buttons and switches. ASUS will reveal these features when it launches the motherboard a little later this month.

A massive leak of marketing material gives us a peak into MSI's upcoming socket LGA1151 motherboard lineup based on Intel Z270 Express chipset, which will be launched alongside the 7th generation Core "Kaby Lake" processor family. The lineup begins with the Z270 PC Mate. This is likely the cheapest motherboard in the lineup, and gets you started on a cost-effective build. The board covers all the essentials, even if it's not designed for multi-GPU builds. Notice the 2x DVI connectors. This board could be priced closest to the $100 mark.

Next up, is the Z270 SLI Plus. This board could likely be priced in the neighborhood of $120-150, and is the cheapest board from the lineup that has NVIDIA SLI support. You get most of the features of the Z270 PC Mate, plus a stronger CPU VRM reinforced slots, a rear I/O shroud, 8-channel audio, and additional USB 3.1 ports. The Z270 Krait Gaming is a variant of this exact board, with a white+black color scheme, which could be sold at a $10-15 premium over the Z270 SLI Plus.

Here are some of the first pictures of ASRock Z270 Extreme4, the company's mid-range socket LGA1151 motherboard based on Intel's upcoming Z270 Express chipset, with out of the box support for 7th generation Core "Kaby Lake" processors, and support for Intel Optane 3D X-point solid-state storage. Built in the ATX form-factor, the Z270 Extreme4 draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connectors, and conditions it for the CPU with a 12-phase VRM.

The CPU socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory; and two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (electrical x8/x8 when both are populated). The third PCIe 3.0 x16 slot is electrical x4 and wired to the PCH. Three open-ended PCIe 3.0 x1 slots make for the rest of the expansion area. Storage connectivity includes eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and two 32 Gb/s M.2 slots. Display connectivity includes one each of D-Sub, DVI, and HDMI. You get a total of eight USB 3.0 ports (four on the rear panel four by headers), and two USB 3.1 ports (one each of type-A and type-C, both on the rear panel). Eight channel HD audio and gigabit Ethernet make for the rest of the connectivity.

Back in early November it was reported that GIGABYTE is planning to open a new front against rivals ASUS Republic of Gamers and MSI Gaming, with Aorus-branded motherboards and graphics cards, in 2017. The company appears to be ready with the motherboards. A teaser pic posted on its Facebook page reveals at least one enthusiast-segment socket LGA1151 motherboard, which is likely based on the Intel Z270 Express chipset. The few features that stand out are four PCI-Express x16 slots (of which two could be wired to the Z270 chipset and electrical x4, given the chipset's 4 additional PCIe downstream lanes); a smattering of RGB LEDs all over the board, and premium overclocking features.

Update (09/12): Here are some of the first press-shots, courtesy of VideoCardz. Apparently GIGABYTE decided to keep its conventional naming scheme.Many Thanks to Chaitanya for the tip.

Tis the season of 'leaks.' A marketing image of an upcoming socket LGA1151 Z270 chipset based motherboard by MSI bearing its Gaming Series Tomahawk branding was teased on Facebook. It appears to be feature-rich given that MSI positions its "Tomahawk" branded motherboards in the mid-tier of its lineup. One of the features that caught our attention is MSI's claim to have achieved true 1000 MB/s bandwidth for USB 3.1 (gen 2.0) using a custom software feature. MSI is calling this the X-Boost. The company is also guaranteeing full 8 Gb/s bandwidth per port, since it's using ASMedia AS2142 controllers to drive its USB 3.1 ports.Many Thanks to TheLostSwede for the tip.

On their Facebook page, MSI have given a little tease regarding their upcoming next generation Intel Z270 boards. Details are scarce at the moment, but these motherboards are to be marketed under MSI's PRO series, with the Z270 SLI Plus featuring a clean, high-contrast black and white color scheme, while the Z270 SLI opts for an almost totally black design.

The Z270 SLI Plus is the higher-end product of the two. It sports a 10-Phase PWM circuitry, cooled with the aid of two heatsinks in the ATX form-factor. As usual, it has four DIMM slots which leverage MSI's DDR4 Boost feature, and support for XMP profiles. All of these four DIMM slots are protected by metal shielding, and expansion slots include three PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x8 electrical), three PCIe 3.0 x1 and two Turbo M.2 NVMe slots. Storage options include 6 SATA III ports and a dual USB 3.0 front panel header. It also features MSI's latest Audio Boost panel for premium audio quality, with what they call a "Mystic Light" RGB solution, and the I/O panel is covered by a black and white shroud.

Finally putting the lid on all of ASUS' leaked and detailed motherboards, comes, the PRIME Z270-A, which doesn't belong to a special, bang-and-whistle-filled product line, and is just concerned with getting the job done. It clads itself in a simple and appealing white and gray color-scheme, and is expected to keep most of the important features in ASUS' more expensive product lines.

The PRIME Z270-A comes with ASUS' 8+2+2 Phase Digital power design, fed by an 8-pin connector, that features 10K black metallic capacitors, MicroFine Alloy Chokes, NexFET PW (Power) block MOSFET and DIGI+ Power Control Utility for real-time adjustment, courtesy of the new ASUS Extreme Engine Digi+ technology that improves CPU stability and overclocking. It features four DDR4 DIMM slots that can support up to 64 GB of memory with speeds of up to 3866 MHZ (O.C+), and expansion slots on the motherboard include three PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x4 electrical), four PCIe 3.0 x1 and dual M.2 slots that deliver up to 32 GB/s transfer speeds, with the PCIe slots being armored for higher resistance.

Moving on from the Strix series, ASUS' TUF Z270 Mark 1 has also been detailed. Designed around so-called military standards purported to ensure longer stability and extreme durability, the new TUF Z270 motherboards incorporates features such as Tough Inside, Thermal Armor, TUF Networking, TUF Audio, Ultimate Cooling, 24/7 Durability and high speed transfer. This motherboard is one of ASUS' most premium and feature-packed products, so you should expect to pay a pretty, pretty penny for it, if history - and pricing history in particular - is anything to go by (and it usually is).

The LGA 1151 socket supports the latest 6th and 7th generation Intel Core processors, with the MARK 1 sporting an aggressive heatsink design that features ASUS' AURA RGB technology and a full cover TUF Thermal Armor and Fortifier shield. The chassis of the board houses a 40mm fan that offers significant cooling performance to the VRMs.

Continuing the trend of revealing ASUS' ROG lineup of motherboards based on the Z270 chipset, and zipping down the product line, comes the ROG STRIX Z270F Gaming, which also sports the standard ATX form factor. The motherboard features an all around solid design with an impressive metallic black / silver color scheme. The LGA 1151 socket supports the latest 6th and 7th generation Intel Core processors. ASUS went with an aggressive heatsink design that features their AURA RGB technology for a full LED illuminated color showcase. In terms of features, the ROG STRIX Z270F Gaming continues the trend of intelligent cost-cutting so as to achieve a product with an (expectedly) lower price-point. Compared to the ROG STRIX Z270E, this mobo cuts on the 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11ac WI-FI on the back I/O, and the USB front header is downgraded to a 2.0 solution.

The ASUS ROG Strix Z270F comes with a 8+2+1 Phase Digital power design that features 10K black metallic capacitors, MicroFine Alloy Chokes, NexFET PW (Power) block MOSFET and DIGI+ Power Control Utility for real-time adjustment. All of these components are part of the new ASUS Extreme Engine Digi+ technology that improves CPU stability and overclocking. Power is fed through a single 8-Pin connector.