Pros: I like the double-latched memory sockets. The Skylake motherboard in my last build had single-latched sockets which were more difficult to use. Works well, once I got the old software off my SSD. Reasonable price.

Cons: I transferred my old SSD from the Skylake build to the new computer. Got immediate BSODs which I traced to an old version of Gigabyte's App Center. Had to pull the SSD from the new box, re-install in the old computer, and delete all Gigabyte software there. Upon transferring back to new build, everything worked flawlessly. I will not be installing any Gigabyte software this time unless I absolutely have to.

Overall Review: I've used Gigabyte boards for several builds now, and they all seem to fit a pattern - very good hardware, but dodgy software. The UEFI seems to be working well on this board, and in the past I have used their flashing software without any problems, but the rest of the software I do not trust.

Pros: The motherboard itself is decent, and it's reasonably priced.

Cons: The whole system would lock up at random intervals with the F2 UEFI that shipped with my board. Flashing to the F4 version did not help - I was about to contact tech support again when I saw that the F5 version was available for download. Flashing to F5 solved the problem. The included software is poor quality. I generally try to install just what I absolutely need. I did install EasyTune6, just for the ability to have some rudimentary fan controls, but eventually decided I didn't really need it. However, this package installs its own copy of the Flash ActiveX control, and this control could not be removed by the uninstaller or by Revo Uninstaller. Tech support suggested booting to safe mode and then uninstalling. This did not work either. I finally gave up and secure erased the SSD and reinstalled OS and apps. There is no way I have found to disable MCE in the UEFI other than disabling TurboBoost. The UEFI documentation is rather spotty.

Overall Review: I would not recommend buying a Gigabyte motherboard until they can solve their software and UEFI problems. If you do buy a Gigabyte board, the first thing you should do is flash to the most recent UEFI. More about the MCE issue: it's not documented anywhere that I know of, but Gigabyte essentially overclocks the CPU without telling you about it. My Core i7-3770S is normally supposed to run at 3.1 GHz, but with TurboBoost on was running at 3.8 GHz (*continually*). I run all cores at nearly 100% CPU utilization 24/7, and the Ivy Bridge CPUs run very hot even under less stress. This should not be a problem for most users, but I fault Gigabyte for (a) not telling you what they are doing, and (b) not providing a UEFI setting to turn MCE (only) off.

Pros: Passively cooled - no fan and therefore no added noise Inexpensive alternative to integrated graphics

Cons: none that I know of

Overall Review: Obviously not the latest and greatest, but should be adequate for most uses

Pros: Nice-looking case

Cons: I wound up RMA'ing the unit because I could not figure out how to resolve error messages. The documentation is minimal, and the Zalman web site does not provide any additional help. I managed to get the firmware updated to the latest version, but couldn't get any further.

Overall Review: I don't absolutely need the Virtual ODD function, so I opted for a refund instead of replacement. Don't know if the problem was my error or not, but for me, the unit was nowhere near as intuitive as the manufacturer claims, and the lack of good documentation isn't helpful.

Pros: Good all-around performance. It may not win many benchmarks, but it's one of the best real-world performers. Good bundled software with the upgrade kit, including Norton Ghost backup software. Also includes a 3.5" to 2.5" adapter, but I found it was impossible to use with my case's drive mounting system.

Cons: I paid too much for it - the price has dropped significantly in the last couple of months.

Pros: Fanless and fully modular. Extremely efficient.

Cons: The usual price is very high.

Overall Review: I was intending to buy the SS-400FL since I don't really need even 400 W, but then I saw this on a Shell Shocker deal and snapped it up. I wish SeaSonic would make a similar model in say, 250-300 W as most PCs these days don't require as much power as they did even a few years back.