The Board - A Closer Look

Here are the two ASMedia ASM1061 SATA 6 Gb/s controllers I mentioned on the last page. I found both close to the PCH cooler on the ASRock Z87 Extreme6/ac.


The TMDS and additional USB 3.0 controllers are also provided by ASMedia.


I found dual Intel LAN controllers on the ASRock Z87 Extreme6/ac. These seem to be a common design choice for Intel's Z87, making me wonder whether dual Intel LAN controllers are part of Intel's design specifications.


The PCI slots are added via another ASMedia controller riding on the PCIe bus, since the Intel Z87 PCH doesn't support PCI devices natively. The WiFi/Bluetooth card stuck between the PCIe slots is 100% Intel-based, so you can use Intel's WiDi (Wireless Display) functionality.


The ASRock Z87 Extreme6/ac features an audio design similar to what I've found on other boards recently--one that focuses on isolating the audio from the noise of other installed devices. There's a clear line that goes through the board's PCB to help with isolating the audio circuit, and I used a light behind the board to highlight the line in my pictures since I found, unlike some designs from other brands, no LEDs to make it stick out on the ASRock Z87 Extreme6/ac.


For cooling, the ASRock Z87 Extreme6/ac is equipped with large, chunky heatsinks featuring black and silver esthetics. The VRM coolers are joined by a large heatpipe to effectively spread the heat around.