Z170 - Gigabyte Gaming 7 (Rev. 1.0) vs MSI Gaming M7

[northtexas55693]

Title asks the overall question

Here is my thought process:

I typically create a new build every 5-6+ years.

I typically focus on the best raw computing power in the $500- $750 total build cost bracket (read less than 10% gaming)

Aside, from the GPU, my main hindrance over my build cycles has been connection types (Sata 2 vs 3, USB 2 vs 3.0/+)

Asus VIII hero, the board people would probably say will eventually "win", is severely limited given my main limitation. I mean, WTF? (2) USB 3 and (4) USB 2 on board?

That said, I want to purchase the Gigabyte or MSI Z170 Gaming 7 boards but I've seen mixed to semi-positive reviews on both respectively.

Of the two, both have:
(2) m.2 slots
USB 3.1 Gen 2 slots

Gigabyte has:
(8) SATA 3 slots
(3) SATA E slots
(3) PCIe 3.0 x1 slots
(2) USB 3.0 headers

MSI has:
(6) SATA 3 slots
(2) SATA E slots
(4) PCIe 3.0 x1 slots
(2) USB 3.1 Gen 1 headers

Essentially I am asking for an opinion between the two boards with 3 questions in mind:
1) Which Mfg. is more likely to get it right the fastest for the skylake, AKA BIOS revisions?
2) Which Mfg. is better suited to build quality/customer service?
3) Which Mfg. is better suited for CPU overclock?

 

[Tradesman1]

GigaByte is better on BIOS and for Customer Service, plus the QC (quality Control) is much better so much less likely to get a dead mobo or one that dies within 60 days 😉 The poor QC is a big reason their sales have continued to fall behind the big 3 (Asus, GB and the Rock)

 

[northtexas55693]

I bought the GB board end of December on a good deal. During that time interval, more reviews came in on the purchasing sites that leaned toward GB being the better board when compared to the MSI.

Running the build with an i7-6600k. GTX 960, and 16gb G.skill Trident ram. Spent more than I set out for, but couldn't be happier.

USB 3.1 gen 2 slots can be added via PCI cards in the future.
M.2 slots are better on GB