The ability of Intel’s Skylake processor to work with DDR4 or DDR3(L) memory is well-known but until now few motherboard makers have released boards that support both DDR3 and DDR4 memory. Fortunately for people who want to keep their DDR3 memory sticks, yet get a Skylake chip, Biostar has released a new motherboard that offers support for both.
The new motherboard is called Hi-Fi H170Z3 and as you can see from the name the new board features the Intel H170 chipset. The Hi-Fi H170Z3 also comes with support for iGPU, which allows users to enjoy the latest Intel HD 530 integrated graphics. The name of the board suggests the presence of Hi-Fi technology inside and it is there – the Hi-Fi H170Z3 features an integrated independent audio power design with a built-in amplifier. The technology utilizes audio components with an independent power delivery design for a significant reduction in electronic noise producing superb sound quality. The Hi-Fi H170Z3 supports USB 3.0, PCIe M.2 (32Gb/s), SATA Express (16 Gb/s) and 4K monitors for triple display configurations. Then there’s Biostar’s Smart Speed LAN technology, which is a free software application that monitors and manages your PC’s network behavior. With user-friendly GUI, it allows you to select and prioritize different types of network traffic, including gaming, media streaming, communications or web surfing. You can also set any specific applications, choosing to prioritize or block accordingly. Smart Speed LAN can feature automatic management options that use adaptive networking intelligence to ensure that you are getting the best online experience possible. Then you get X.D.C. (eXtreme Durable Capacitors) technology, which makes use of quality solid capacitors for excellent stability. Biostar says the lifespan of these capacitors is 6.25 times longer than the one of ordinary liquid caps. With the Hi-Fi H170Z3 updating the system BIOS is easy as well – the board comes with user-friendly tools such as BIOS Flasher and BIOS Online Update for easy updating and restoration of the BIOS. Finally thanks to the included BIO-Remote2 technology you can use either an Apple or Android device to control your PC remotely.
The Hi-Fi H170Z3 is compatible with Windows 7 or newer and sells for USD 104.99 (MSRP).
Source: Biostar