Up until the release of the Z97-Pro Gamer, ASUS didn't have much to offer a budget-minded gamer looking to build a Z97 based system. That all changes with the release of this board, and ASUS now joins other manufacturers in this very competitive arena. What really spurred this market segment was the release of Intel's G3258 Anniversary Edition processor and the potential to acquire a Z97 gaming motherboard and CPU for just over $200. That should leave most builders a substantial amount to invest in a high-end video card, which will ultimately result in a relatively low cost, but great performing gaming system. The Z97-Pro Gamer isn't limited to the G3258 processor however, and it stands ready to accept top of the line Haswell processors too. A full out gaming motherboard that doesn't bare the ROG emblem is something new for ASUS, so let's get started and see how they did.
