USB 3.0 Performance
The EVGA Z97 FTW provided the best USB 3.0 performance in the AS SSD Benchmark sequential read test with a throughput of 256MB/s. The slowest Z97 motherboards were the Asrock Z97 Extreme9 and MSI Z97 MPower Max AC with just 244MB/s, while the Asus Z97-Deluxe was a fraction faster with 245MB/s.
The AS SSD Benchmark sequential write results show quite a large variation in performance. Gigabyte's Z97X-UD5H-BK sat on top ahead of the EVGA Z97 FTW, which also performed well, while Asus' Z97 motherboards failed to break 220MB/s and the Asrock Z97 motherboards got over 230MB/s.
The Asus Z97 motherboards again displayed slightly weak USB 3.0 performance as the Asus Z97-Deluxe managed just 58MB/s while the Asrock Z97 Extreme9 and Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H-BK both sustained 66MB/s. The Asrock Z97 Extreme6 was slightly faster taking top spot with 67MB/s.
There isn't a lot to talk about here as just 3MB/s separated the fastest motherboard from the slowest, and that equated to a 2% variation.
Again we see almost no performance variation, this time in the starting applications test, as there was just 2MB/s separating the fastest and slowest motherboards.
The PCMark7 gaming test provides us with our closest margins yet. Just 1MB/s separates these Z97 motherboards.