Upgrading a system while maintaining a strict budget doesn't come easy these days. By and large, Intel Z170-based systems aren't inexpensive since the motherboards with the features people want come at a significant premium and there's also the additional expense of DDR4 memory which has to be factored into that equation. GIGABYTE has a solution though: their Z170-HD3 supports DDR3 memory modules and also comes with a pretty extensive feature set.

The history behind Skylake processors and their dual compatibility with DDR4 and DDR3 memory is a somewhat convoluted one. When the architecture was first announced, Intel made it apparent that support for low voltage 1.35V DDR3L was included, which meshed perfectly with the reduced current needs of current generation DDR4 modules. On the other hand, they issued a warning that utilizing standard voltage 1.5V+ DDR3 modules could damage the processors' integrated memory controller (IMC) and thus were not officially supported.

So where does this leave GIGABYTE's 170-HD3? It still provides a viable upgrade path since there have been certain checks and balances put in place the insure a certain amount of safety is built into GIGABYTE's ecosystem. However, if you choose to operate outside those "safe zones" then the risk is entirely in your court. When it comes to upgrading in this manner there's no such thing as a free lunch.