Test System

Initial Setup

My first boot with the Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 went without any noticed issues, with the default Intel Turbo profile being used when the CPU is under load, as shown in the screenshot above. The memory booted in at 1333 MHz with 9-9-9-24-1T timings, and a 1.5 V voltage set to the DIMMs, exactly as expected.

PWM Power Consumption

Since one of our first tasks was to truly verify system stability, while doing so we measure CPU power consumption. We isolate the power coming through the 8-pin ATX connector using an in-line meter that provides voltage and current readings, as well as total wattage passed through it. While this may not prove to isolate the CPU power draw in all instances, it does serve as a good indicator of board efficiency and effective VRM design.


Power consumption numbers were a fair bit higher than expected, idle partially due to the SYS_FAN3 fan header drawing power off of the 8-pin, while load is something else, where I noticed power consumption a full 14 Watts higher than what I had expected. I'm not exactly sure why it's so much higher, other than as a result of the VRM design, which on the G1.Sniper M3, sees nearly half the VRMs without a heatsink, and the CPU EPS connector is only four pins, rather than the standard EPS 8-pin variety. In the end, it's not bad, but is a bit higher than some of the other products I've tested to date.