Product Comparison: ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E vs ASRock Z270 Gaming K4

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Best Pick

ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E GAMING LGA1151 DDR4 DP HDMI DVI M.2 ATX Motherboard with onboard AC Wifi and USB 3.1

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ASRock Z270 Gaming K4 Fatal1ty Motherboard

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General Specifications

Brand

ASUS

ASRock

Model

ROG STRIX Z270E

Z270 Gaming K4

Origin

China

About the Product

Experience next-level performance and personalization options with the ROG STRIX Z270E GAMING, supporting 7th generation Intel Core processors. Unlock full calibration and customization with 5-Way Optimization, Aura Sync RGB lighting and 3D printing mounts. Dual M.2, onboard AC Wifi and front panel USB 3.1 deliver maximum connectivity speeds.

Prepare yourself well to enjoy the impressive world of Virtual Reality. Before that, you have to make sure everything is qualified, including hardware, software and drivers. Motherboard is the key to connect every critical components and ASRock’s VR Ready products are definitely the one you’re looking for. The premium quality is assured by rigorous testing during development. The sturdy components and rock-solid performance makes you completely immersive in the VR scenario. Users can be assured to experience VR enjoyments without any compatibility problems.

Key Specs

Form Factor

ATX

Socket

Intel® Socket 1151

Chipset

Intel® Z270

Supported Processors

7th/6th Generation Core™ i7 Processor, 7th/6th Core™ i5 Processor, 7th/6th Core™ i3 Processor, 7th/6th Pentium® Processor, 7th/6th Celeron® Processor

Memory Slot Type

288 pin

What customers say about "Key Specs"

ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E GAMING LGA1151 DDR4 DP HDMI DVI M.2 ATX Motherboard with onboard AC Wifi and USB 3.1

If you use an M.2 PCIe SSD in the M.2_2 socket be sure to go into BIOS (the advanced mode BIOS, under the "advanced" tab of that BIOS, under onboard device configuration) and make sure that socket is set to X4 rather than X2. X4 ups the speed at the cost of disabling SATA ports 5&6
A very awesome, rock solid board. I bought this for gaming and gaming. It is great choice for someone looking for a gaming board with tweaking options. It has two NVMe places and plenty Sata 3 connections.
Just be careful that choose the right Motherboard Z270 or Z370 for your Cpu.. Intel changed the Socket so i7-8700k will only work on the Z370. Also make sure if you go with Water cooling that you Disable the Cpu warning in the Bios.
Z270 so the latest i7 Intel chip. It allows two video cards connected by SLI. As I said. I love the MB. It will help me learn and grow and have a lot of fun!!
Good VRM implementation. Great on board audio performance. Very detailed and intuitive BIOS interface
Flukey! Could only use m.2 drive - no other hard drive recognized by UEFI bios! When current SATA driver for Windows 7 64-bit applied, result was BSOD. Several coolers did not fit lga1151 socket as well.
Just got my board today and found bent pin/pins in my CPU socket. Other parts looked fine by inspection.

ASRock Z270 Gaming K4 Fatal1ty Motherboard

outstanding mother board does everything I need, works well with win10pro
What is it with this hideously ugly white plastic "premium" trend? The black board with gold heatsinks of even cheapo H110 boards 1/2 to 1/3rd of the price looks way better.

Size & Weight

Height

12 in.

Width

9.6 in.

Depth

1 in.

Weight

3.04 lbs.

2.2 lbs.

ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E

ASRock Z270 Gaming K4

ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E

ASRock Z270 Gaming K4

ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E

ASRock Z270 Gaming K4

ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E

ASRock Z270 Gaming K4

Memory

Memory Type

DDR4

Maximum Speed

3866 MHz

3733 MHz

Number Of Memory Slots

Max. Memory Supported

64 GB

ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E

ASRock Z270 Gaming K4

ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E

ASRock Z270 Gaming K4

ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E

ASRock Z270 Gaming K4

What customers say about "Memory"

ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E GAMING LGA1151 DDR4 DP HDMI DVI M.2 ATX Motherboard with onboard AC Wifi and USB 3.1

It has two M.2 sockets. once would lay down under the main cover. The other mounts perpendicular to the MB in the bottom right corner.
Hands down, one of the best motherboards I have ever owned. Easy to setup, built in features for cooling and lighting, and a excellent BIOS. This is a great motherboard if you are building a rig. I run the Intel i7 KabyLake processor on this with Corsair LED memory.
Installed the CPU and heatsink, and fired it up. The board demanded memory, so I installed just one DIMM. Then it demanded a boot device, so I installed my M.2 drive. Each of the boot lights lit in order and then: BEEP! <3 Fastest build I've ever done; fastest Windows install too!
paired with the i7-7700K and 32GB of G.Skill DDR4 3000 memory modules, this motherboard didn't disappoint. Running the i7-7700K @ 4.950GHz with 1.260v.
That being said, this board rocks. Speeds are great (SATA 6Gb/s and USB 3). Easy set up (use the enclosed driver disk BEFORE allowing Windows 10 64 bit v. 1709 to do driver updates of MS drivers. Nice layout, sturdy pcie slots, memory insertion is a snap. I'm very pleased with this motherboard.
The only real problem I had was memory compatibility. As this time of writing, the latest BIOS is 0607 which is just the first release version + optane update.
Out of the box WIFI driver can be problematic (windows 10). VRM design is good but not great as their last gen, Z170 impact ITX

Connectivity

PCI-E

2 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8), 1 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (x4 mode), 4 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x1

2 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slots (PCIE2: x16 mode; PCIE4: x4 mode), 4 x PCI Express 3.0 x1 Slots (Flexible PCIe)

HDMI

USB

6 x USB 3.0 port(s) (4 at back panel, (Blue), 2 at mid-board), 6 x USB 2.0 port(s), 1 x USB 3.1 front panel connector port(s), 2 x USB 3.1 port(s) (Type-A + Type-C, Support 3A power output)

1 x USB 2.0 Port (Supports ESD Protection, 1 x Fatal1ty Mouse Port (USB 2.0), 3 x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A Ports, 1 x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C Port

SATA

Other Interfaces

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wireless LAN (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth V4.1, 1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port(s), 1 x DVI-D, 1 x DisplayPort, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A + Type-C, 4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ((Blue)), 1 x Optical S/PDIF out, 5 x Audio jack(s), 1 x ASUS Wi-Fi GO!, 1 x AAFP connector, 2 x RGB Header(s), 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 connector(s) support(s) additional 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 port(s), 3 x USB 2.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 6 USB 2.0 port(s), 1 x M.2 Socket 3 with M Key, type 2242/2260/2280 storage devices support (PCIE mode only), 1 x M.2 Socket 3 with M Key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (SATA mode & X4 PCIE mode), 1 x CPU Fan connector(s), 1 x CPU OPT Fan connector(s), 2 x Chassis Fan connector(s), 1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector(s), 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector(s), 1 x Front panel connector(s), 1 x System panel(s) (Chassis intrusion header is inbuilt), 1 x 5-pin EXT_FAN(Extension Fan) connect, 1 x Thermal sensor connector(s), 1 x CPU OV, 1 x Clear CMOS jumper(s), 1 x ROG extension (ROG_EXT) header(s), 1 x 14-1 pin TPM connector, 1 x COM port header, 1 x High AMP Fan header (4-pin), 1 x T_Sensor Connector, 1 x AIO PUMP Header, 3 x 3D Mount screw port(s), 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 front panel connector

DVI-D port, D-Sub port, Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s, 2 x Ultra M.2 Sockets, 1 x COM port header, 1 x TPM Header, 1 x Chassis Intrusion Header, 1 x Power LED and Speaker Header, 1 x AURA RGB LED Header, 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin), 2 x Chassis Fan Connectors (4-pin), 1 x Chassis Optional/Water Pump Fan Connector, 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector, 1 x Thunderbolt™ AIC Connector, 1 x Thunderbolt™ AIC Connector (10-pin), 2 x Antenna Ports, 1 x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port, 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port

What customers say about "Connectivity"

ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E GAMING LGA1151 DDR4 DP HDMI DVI M.2 ATX Motherboard with onboard AC Wifi and USB 3.1

I absolutely love the onboard wifi and Bluetooth. This was the distinguisher for me for the Code vs the Hero. I wanted wifi and Bluetooth. The antennae has a magnetic base, so it is very easy to use.
I noticed was that everything (fan headers, usb headers, etc.) was easy to get to. The next thing I noticed was that when I fired it up for the first time everything worked - which is always nice.
Up and running after spending a couple days guessing the poorly documented tower cables that were identified partially. I started with one simple OS drive and am adding a couple drives at a time. Bios discovered my Cpu,memory and os drive easily.
Bought this to replace yet another Gigabyte MB that nearly toasted the other components. Worked out of the box, reinstalled the Core i7 6th gen processor, memory, CLC, and the video card. Easy to do firmware upgrades.
Some of the connectors are behind the cover, so not as easy to access
The front case USB 3.0 connector had some pins that were a bit crooked. I ended up bending a pin. Luckily I had a good tool set and slowly and carefully bent it back and made it work.

Features

Native Audio

SupremeFX

7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec)

Additional Accessories Included

User's manual, ASUS Q-Shield, 4 x SATA 6Gb/s cable(s), 1 x M.2 Screw Package, 1 x CPU installation tool, 1 x Supporting DVD, 1 x ASUS 2T2R dual band Wi-Fi moving antennas (Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compliant), 1 x SLI HB BRIDGE(2-WAY-M), 1 x ROG Strix stickers, 1 x 10-in-1 ROG cable label, 1 x Extension Cable for RGB strips (80 cm), 1 x 3D printing mount package, 1 x ROG coaster(s)

Quick Installation Guide, Support CD, I/O Shield, 4 x SATA Data Cables, 3 x Screws for M.2 Sockets

Extras

OC Design - ASUS PRO Clock Technology, 5-Way Optimization by Dual Intelligent Processors 5, TPU, Gamer's Guardian:, ASUS Exclusive Features, ASUS EZ DIY, ASUS Q-Design, Gaming Aesthetics, Digi+VRM, Turbo APP, M.2 Onboard

ASRock Super Alloy, ASRock Intel® 4-Layer Memory POOL, ASRock Steel Slots, ASRock Ultra M.2, ASRock Full Spike Protection, ASRock Live Update & APP Shop

What customers say about "Features"

ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E GAMING LGA1151 DDR4 DP HDMI DVI M.2 ATX Motherboard with onboard AC Wifi and USB 3.1

I absolutely love this MB. It has nearly everything. I am new to building PCs and this was great to start, with lots of room to grow.
In the upper right corner, the MB has a two digit code that tells you what is going on. It helped me during start up. I had plugged in my water cooled cpu cooler into the wrong plug... the code showed on the MB and it stated something was wrong when I started up, before I could get to the bios
It supports a full blown water cooling system, control and temperature. I did not use this, just a water cooled CPU cooler, that does not use this.
Very nice looking board with a tasteful color scheme. Overclocks my 7700K 5.2GHz easily at 1.392V. The on-board audio is alright I guess, a step down to a $30 Creative sound card in my old system.
The board itself is gorgeous! I personally like the shifting colors, it's a very nice effect with my NZXT s340 White Steel Case. I look forward to all the case mods I can do with this board.
very good board only problem I had was when installing hyper 212 evo cooler. if tightened a little too much one memory bank will not register so if your having an issue with one of your dimm slots try loosening your cpu cooler after many frustrating hours that was my issue all along.
DVD for installation software and driver - its 2017 and you would wonder why manufacturers still prefer DVDs? especially for mini ITX motherboards where the target audience are SFF builders, they would not have imagined a DVD drive even in their dreams to consider it on their system

ASRock Z270 Gaming K4 Fatal1ty Motherboard

Honestly one of the best motherboards i have ever unboxed. The packaging is great, it felt like i have unboxed a 900$ motherboard

Power

Power Connectors

1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector(s)

1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector 1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector

What customers say about "Power"

ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E GAMING LGA1151 DDR4 DP HDMI DVI M.2 ATX Motherboard with onboard AC Wifi and USB 3.1

The lights make this a cool looking MB especially if you couple in RGB memory. I put in an Intel Kaby Lake 7700K and instructions made installation a snap.
I hooked the MoBo up to my wifes desktop power supply(an evga 750W) still same results. Hooked up my psu to her desktop and it fired right up. So no issues there(Mine is a "Beast 700w" or somehting like that)
The build power/ reset buttons makes it easy for first time builders, it is super easy and they look nice.
It has a dedicated base-clock chip & Digi+ power control to really push the BCLK frequency, micro-fine alloy chokes, and Texas Instruments NexFet MOSFET's which are twice as efficient as standard MOSFETS, as well as anti-static & surge protection built in all around.
I assembled it, turned on my power supply. Immediately, I had pretty lights. I had an orange LED on the board indicating it was getting power. I hit the power switch and the rest of my parts lit up. (OMG, so pretty!) But there was no beep.
I did not have much idea to assemble the PC myself. Be careful when purchasing this board, this requires minimum 350 watt PSU and since its mini itx form factor, its not a good idea to buy a high watt PSU which are mostly big.

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

3 year(s)

Certifications

FCC, CE

CE, FCC