EVGA Z77 Stinger Pro Reviews

So what should we do if we really want to build a high-performance LGA 1155 computer on a Mini-ITX platform today? Our recommendation would be to start from the contrary. First of all you need to exclude those mainboards that limit the overclocking. These are Gigabyte GA-Z77N-WIFI, that doesn’t have any functionality to adjust the voltages, and EVGA Z77 Stinger, which doesn’t work with the memory and has several issues in the BIOS. Then we need to eliminate those mainboards, which cannot save power when the CPU is idle and disable all processor power-saving technologies during overclocking. This will take MSI Z77IA-E53 off the list. Finally, we will exclude slower mainboards, which will mean the end of the race for Zotac Z77-ITX WiFi. As a result, the only two choices remain ASUS P8Z77-I DELUXE and ASRock Z77E-ITX. Asus product boasts very well thought-through design, high performance and a WiFi controller supporting 5 GHz frequency range. However, it suffers from some frustrating issues in the BIOS, heats a lot and is quite expensive. ASRock mainboard, on the contrary, is very affordable, comes with a well-balanced BIOS and an additional mSATA slot, but doesn’t support Bluetooth and has somewhat awkward layout.

Sadly for EVGA though, even at that speed the Cinebench scores were slower than the P8Z77-I Deluxe at its lower top-end clock speed. That's rather disappointing considering the Asus mobo has been around for so long it's cheaper than this wee EVGA board. Comparing the Stinger with the £117 (about AU$185, US$175) ASRock board makes even more depressing reading for EVGA. Its stock performance is on par with the Stinger, and it manages better gaming performance too. However, thanks to the ASRock board's budget bent and the Stinger's more impressive componentry, the EVGA boasts a better standard of overclocking. That comparative lack of performance at stock speeds lets the Stinger down, however, especially given the relatively premium price point. It almost feels like it could've done with a bit longer on the EVGA test benches. There's a great mini motherboard in there somewhere, and maybe a few BIOS tweaks down the line will unlock it. That said, considering it's a mini-ITX board, it's still an impressive offering. It's just that other companies have already done it better.

Before anything else, we would like to take this opportunity to give our friends at EVGA a hearty “Thank You” for giving us the pleasure of reviewing the Z77 Stinger board. When I first heard that the board was a micro-ITX board, I did a double take. Normally micro-ITX or even micro-ATX boards for that matter are not marketed heavily to the enthusiast market. My opinion quickly changed as I unboxed the board and started putting it through its paces. The board has a very appealing color scheme, with a flat black base color used on the board’s surface to cut down on the reflection should you like to show off your system. The $199.99 base price tag is more than justified with the board’s build quality and included peripherals. EVGA went as far as including an Intel-based NIC, an additional micro-PCIe port for add-in cards, and even onboard power and reset buttons as well as a diagnostic display that is in a highly visible location. Coupled with its solid performance showing during stock and overclocked operation and you have yourself a winning board.