Sniper M3 is LGA1155 and uses the Intel Z77 chipset meaning it has full support for Intel’s 3rd Generation CPUs – Ivy Bridge. There is also support for Sandy Bridge too of course.

As we saw with Z77MX-D3H there are less heatsinks around the CPU socket because GIGABYTE are using Lower Rds(on) MOSFETs which don’t generate as much heat – only a vertical heatsink is required. This does make the Sniper M3 less aggressive but if it isn’t actually needed then there is no point in sourcing materials and slapping on more than is necessary. There is a 6+2 phase power design used on Sniper M3 and a single 4-pin CPU power socket sits just behind the heatsink covering the MOSFETs/VRM.



Moving our attention to the memory slots there are 4x slots for dual channel DDR3 – with support for Intel XMP and a maximum capacity of 32GB. There is support for 1066MHz kits all the way up to 2400MHz (OC).

Next to the memory slots is the native USB 3.0 header for getting USB 3.0 functionality at the front of your computer chassis.



Next up is the HDD storage which is in short supply. There are 2x ports for SATA 2 (Black - 3GB/s) and 2x ports for SATA 3 (White - 6GB/s) – via Intel Z77. There is also another SATA 2 port just behind the ports but ideally, we would have liked to see another 2x ports to give the motherboard a bit more flexibility since most will be using an optical drive plus primary OS drive (usually a small SSD) and this only leaves another two ports free.



On the other side of the SATA ports is the Intel Z77 chip with a substantial, passive heatsink covering it. In the picture below you can see the SATA 2 port next to the front panel header.



Casting our eyes over the PCI-E section of the Sniper M3, for a MATX there are quite a nice selection of slots. At the top is a green PCI Express x16 slot running at x16, beneath this is a black PCI Express x1 slot and a further 2x PCI Express x16 slots have been placed at the bottom. These run at x4 and x8. These PCI-E x16 slots are all Gen 3 ready – you just need an Ivy Bridge Processor, if you are planning to run a single graphics card configuration then the top slot is best one to use but if you are using a dual card configuration then the top and bottom slots are the best options to take since this will only bring the speed down to x8. The middle (green) PCI-E x16 slot is x4 – so if you do happen to go with Quad-SLI or Quad-CrossfireX then x4 mode is the only viable option.



Earlier we saw the SoundCore 3D logo on the packaging. This alludes to a collaboration with Creative, GIGABYTE have used the CA0132 chip on Sniper M3 and have given this section an EMI shield for preventative measures. There are also some Nichicon Audio CAPs (significantly less compared to G1 Sniper 2 though.



Lastly we come to the rear IO ports on Sniper M3 and for a MATX motherboard there are quite a generous assortment. From left to right:

• 2x USB 2.0 ports
• PS2 keyboard/mouse
• VGA/DVI ports
• HDMI/Display port
• 2x USB 2.0 ports
• 1x eSATA 3GB/s
• Gigabit LAN (RJ45) port
• 2x USB 3.0 ports
• 5 audio jacks with optical S/DIF