I've been using the Intel Z68 Express-baased G1.Sniper motherboard for some time now, and I must say, I am very very happy with that product. This new G1.Sniper M3 is going to replace that board, and while making that move, I don't think I'm going to lose out on any functionality, and if anything, I'm going to gain a bit more, thanks to the improvements the Intel Z77 Express platform offers. Gigabyte really has made a big change in how their motherboards work with these new products, although appearances at first may not indicate such changes.
First and foremost, there's THE major change for Gigabyte...a transition to AMI EFI-based BIOSes, which offer far more possibilities than anything Gigabyte has used before, and the new audio and LAN chips are a complete change as well. The asking price is a bit high for some, but this is par for the course with the G1.Killer series, and is very competitively priced compared to other mATX gaming options with similar features, which are priced within just a few dollars of the Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3. I'm quite eager to put this gaming warrior to use playing online, and I'll be doing a full performance review in the coming weeks too.