Question 1

Where can I find the serial number of the motherboard?

Accepted Answer

The serial number is on a label on the retail box and is not identified as being the serial number. Should be something like this KC9100G4####### followed by MADE IN CHINA. 
The serial number is also on a label located near the middle the mother board and right next to the CPU socket. It should be marked Z97-Machine, then a bar code and finally the serial number something like this KC9100G4#######.

Question 2

Can you boot from the m.2 drive?  Is the m.2 drive in the listed options for boot menu?

Accepted Answer

The BIOS does not list M.2 as one of the boot options. I assumed it would support/detect M.2 device booting as thought it was the purpose of the new expansion slot. I did not purchase one due to their cost and interface speed when compared with a SSD connected to one of the four 6 Gb/s SATA ports.

Question 3

What are DDR3 memory options?  Can I use DDR3 pc1600?

Accepted Answer

for exact answers on compatibility questions, would use pcpartpicker, to make sure that the specific memory that your looking at will work with it. My old DD3 1600 memory was compatible so I had no issues.

Question 4

With DDR3-1600 noted from other answers as compatible, was the memory compatibility meant to say "supports up to DDR3-3000" instead of saying "supports DDR3-3000" which implies the only ram it supports with only assuming what was typed in the page for what was supported?

Accepted Answer

The manual States "It can support four 240pin DDR3 3000+(OC)/2133(OC)/1866(OC)/1600/1333 Mhz." The 1600 MHz memory is the specified memory speed for 4th and 5th generation Intel processors. The BIOS allows the memory to be overclocked (OC) up to 3000 MHz with no guarantee of proper operation/stability. I purchased two 1866 DDR3 G. Skill Snipper 4096MBx2 memory and left the BIOS at 1600. The manufacture  ECS lists memory that has been tested on the Z97-Machine board at "Full speed". I suspect full speed means full default speed of 1600 MHz and not the max speed of the memory.

Question 5

Is the RAM slots dual channel RAM? Usually they're color coded.

Accepted Answer

Yes, I own this board and they are indeed dual channel.  The slots are just not color coated.  However there is a chart in the user manual that gives a diagram on different configurations. Enjoy!

Question 6

Is this SLI or Crossfire-capable?

Accepted Answer

That is a good question. CrossfireX Yes. SLI maybe? I have not tried either configuration. The ECS web site says it supports both SLI and Crossfire on the product home page and does not mention SLI under the specification tab. See home page features pasted below. In the User Guide that came with my board, all of CH. 5 is on CrossfireX technology support. I could not find SLI explicitly mentioned anywhere in the User Guide.

•Supports NVIDIA® SLI Technology to Intelligently scale graphics performance by combining 
    multiple NVIDIA® graphics
•Supports DirectX® 11.1 to enhance graphical performance
•Supports ATI® CrossFireX™ to expand your system’s graphics capabilities.
•Supports Intel® HD Graphics, InTru™ 3D, Quick Sync Video, Clear Video HD Technology, 
    Insider™

Questions & Answers