ASRock Z97 Extreme6
Motherboard Layout:
The ASRock Z97 Extreme6 is packed full of features -- much more than the recently reviewed Gigabyte Z97-HD3 -- but the PCB isn't too troubling crowded. In the upper right hand corner of the ATX motherboard are the four DDR3 memory slots that can handle up to DDR3 3200MHz speeds when overclocking. Along the edge of the PCB and parallel to the memory slots is the 24-pin ATX power connector and one of the USB3 headers.
The ASRock Z97 Extreme6 motherboard has a total of ten Serial ATA 3.0 ports that run along the edge of the PCB beneath the DDR3 system memory slots. Next to the ten SATA3 slots is also one SATA Express connector. Other items in this lower corner of the Extreme6 motherboard is a chassis 3-pin fan connector, BIOS selection switch (for handling the backup/dual BIOS), built-in power and reset switches, the HDD saver connector, and the system panel header.
Moving further along the bottom edge of the Z97 Extreme6 motherboard are two USB 2.0 headers, another USB 3.0 header, a Thunderbolt AIC connector, and a 4-pin power connector for additional power to the PCI Express slots. Worth pointing out in the expansion slot area are two PCI Express x16 slots, two PCI Express x1 slots, a mini PCI-E connector, an ultra H.2 socket, TPM header, and M.2 SSD socket. The CMOS battery is located above the expansion slot area near the CPU socket.
While there's a number of heatsinks on this motherboard and other circuitry, they are all located far enough away from the LGA-1150 socket area that they shouldn't interfere with any after-market heatsinks for cooling the processor.
The rear I/O panel ports on the ASRock Z97 Extreme6 include one combination mouse/keyboard PS/2 port, one DVI, one HDMI, one DisplayPort 1.2, one eSATA, six USB 3.0 ports (four via the Z97 chipset and two via a ASMedia ASM1042AE ASIC), dual Gigabit Ethernet, one clear CMOS switch, one S/PDIF output, and the usual analog HD audio jacks.