GIGABYTE's entry into the Z97 motherboard market will be built atop the shoulders of their new Z97X-Gaming, the newest iteration in the G1-series. It represents a new direction for their design, hardware and marketing teams; one which hopes to bring the G1 series onto a more neutral ground without sacrificing its gaming roots.

Gigabyte's gaming orientated motherboards have had a rather tumultuous history with seemingly equal portions of detractors and aficionados. Whether you consider yourself part of the former or the latter group one thing is for certain: there are very few enthusiasts who don't know about these boards and their pedigree. With such firmly entrenched brand recognition, Gigabyte has taken a risk by moving in another direction. Gone is the overly aggressive firearm motif that adorned previous versions, and so too is the whole "Sniper" and "Killer" taglines. In its place is a much tamer, more civilized naming scheme which literally states what these motherboards are made for: Gaming.

At the very top of the new Gaming series is the GIGABYTE Z97X-Gaming G1 WIFI Black Edition. While this is quite the mouthful and a long way away from the G1.Sniper 5 that it replaces as the de-facto halo gaming product from GIGABYTE , the core features will certainly make it a clear Sniper successor. In relation to the rest of GIGABYTE's Z97 lineup, this one sits near the top.