Biostar’s Hi-Fi H170Z3 Motherboard Helps Users Upgrade To Skylake As Cheaply As Possible

Upgrading from one platform to another can get expensive quick, especially if it’s been a while and many new components are needed. Such would be the case for many if Intel’s Skylake is in their sights. The move to DDR4 alone means that their old RAM can’t be ported over, and at $100 or so for a 16GB kit, that money could easily go on beefing-up the processor or graphics card.

Well, if you happen to be lucky enough to own low-voltage DDR3 – we’re talking 1.35V – Biostar might have a solution. Its just-launched Hi-Fi H170Z3 motherboard can support both DDR3L and DDR4 modules, and with an asking price of $105, the board could become a popular go-to choice for those looking to make the move to the latest and greatest platform from Intel.

This microATX motherboard offers two slots for each type of memory, and only one type can be used at a given time. If you’re going to go the DDR3L route, you’ll cap at 16GB, while DDR4 boosts that to 32GB. Given the pricepoint of the board, I can’t imagine that either of those limits would prove a problem for owners of the board.

This might be a smaller motherboard, but Biostar has packed four PCI slots into it. At the very top is an x1 slot, and below it, an x16 for graphics purposes. At the bottom are dual legacy PCI slots. Connectivity-wise, the board offers 4x USB 3.0 and 2x USB 2.0 ports at the back, as well as a PS/2 port, full assortment of audio jacks, and four video connectors to choose from: HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, and DVI.

Perhaps more impressive than anything is that despite the inexpensive cost of the board, it still supports some luxury features, like M.2 (32Gbps) and SATA Express. Not too shabby.

I couldn’t find the Hi-Fi H170Z3 in stock anywhere yet, but it’s sure to pop-up at your favorite etailer before long.