ECS Reveals its First Motherboard with Thunderbolt Support the Z77H2-A5X Deluxe
Subject: Motherboards | November 14, 2012 - 05:26 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: ECS, Z77H2-A5X Deluxe, thunderbolt, Z77, lga 1155
November 13, 2012, Taipei, Taiwan - Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) today reveals its first motherboard with Thunderbolt support, the Brand-New Black Series Z77H2-A5X Deluxe, based on the new Intel Z77 chipset. The Black Deluxe Series was created with power users and overclockers in mind. The Z77H2-A5X Deluxe embodies these qualities by providing all solid capacitors, triple thickness gold plating and overclocking friendly heatsinks and heatpipes.
The Z77H2-A5X Deluxe combines the latest motherboard technology with the above industry quality control standards set by ECS on the Black Series.
Power user features
For overclockers, the ECS Z77H2-A5X Deluxe provides a wealth of tweaking, control and adjustment features. ECS' Hyper Alloy Chokes give overclockers more stability because of their high energy efficiency and heat reduction. Long-life capacitors in all critical areas guard against failure even in the most challenging conditions. Triple thickness gold plating on CPU, memory and add-on card sockets ensures the Z77H2-A5X Deluxe always provides a reliable connection, even with heavy use and in hostile environments. Improved heavy duty heatsinks and heatpipes help dissipate heat efficiently when overclocking. Thor Ultra Protection offers complete electrostatic discharge protection for VGA, USB, LAN and HDMI ports against component damage from static electricity in dry climates. ECS' latest UEFI II: EZ BIOS also provides a modern high resolution BIOS and Window 8 ready to work with.
Thunderbolt Support
A single Thunderbolt port lets you connect high-performance data devices and high-resolution displays to a single port with up to blazing fast 10Gbps data transfer rates. USB 2.0 in comparison only has a max throughput of 480Mbps, about 20x slower. Not only is Thunderbolt fast, but it's also convenient. Up to six Thunderbolt devices can be connected to a single connector on the PC and a native DisplayPort display can be connected at the end of the daisy chain.
Support for 3 way NVIDIA SLI or ATI CrossFireX
The Z77H2-A5X Deluxe is at the forefront of the performance desktop PC market with support for three PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots and additionally, 3-way NVIDIA SLI or ATI CrossFireX support, providing astonishingly realistic high speed graphics and physics performance for the latest games and entertainment.
The latest high speed storage connectivity
The Z77H2-A5X Deluxe provides enormous capacity for ultra high speed storage. The Z77H2-A5X Deluxe is equipped with 2 x SATA 6Gb/s, 3 x SATA 3GB/s, 1 x mSATA 3GB/s (from mini PCIe) and RAID 0,1,5,10 support.
Fast external connectivity
The Z77H2-A5X Deluxe is equipped with all the external connections you need, including on-board Wireless LAN, Gigabit LAN, Bluetooth, 2x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0, and 8 channel HD audio with ATX software support. The new Intel Z77 chipset at the heart of the Z77H2-A5X Deluxe is the first to include USB 3.0 support without external chips, bringing greater performance, expandability and reliability.
Unprecedented reliability – ECS Nonstop Certified
To ensure maximum reliability and customer satisfaction, ECS has enhanced its already stringent quality control procedures by increasing the testing cycle for its Black Series to three times longer than the industry standard and by raising the burn in testing temperature to 125% of the industry standard. Only those boards that pass ECS' 72 hours burn in test as well as a 50 degrees Celsius severe environment test can be deemed ECS Nonstop Certified.
BioStar's Hi-Fi Z77X is aimed at HTPC users
Subject: Motherboards | October 15, 2012 - 03:44 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Z77, biostar, Hi-Fi Z77X, lga 1155, htpc, atx
While you might not think of a full ATX board being the basis for an HTPC system, BIOSTAR is hoping that you will consider their Hi-Fi Z77X when you next spec out a possible system. The extra size allows you to have more add-in card options with three 16x PCIe slots (8x, 8x, 4x) and two PCIe 1x slots, which simply would not fit on a mATX board. The back panel offers VGA, HDMI and DVI out, so even without a discrete card you have quite a few output options as long as Intel onboard graphics are enough to meet your needs. They also include a Realtec CODEC which is better than [H]ard|OCP expected on a sub-$150 motherboard and were also impressed by the overclocking ability on this value board, not as good as an enthusiast board but still pleasantly capable.
"BIOSTAR generally has a reputation for making low end or budget oriented motherboards. Fortunately that isn't all BIOSTAR designs and builds. The Hi-Fi Z77X is an unusual motherboard in that it seems to be targeted towards HTPC and media type duties while still addressing enthusiast hardware and overclocking concerns."
Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:
- Gigabyte Z77X-UP4-TH @ [H]ard|OCP
- ASUS Maximus V Formula @ Bjorn3D
- Gigabyte Z77MX D3H TH @ Guru of 3D
- ASRock Z77 OC Formula @ X-bit Labs
- ASRock Z77 OC Formula Intel LGA 1155 @ techPowerUp
- LGA 1155 Mainboard with Everything You Need and Nothing You Don’t: Asus P8Z77-V LX @ X-bit Labs
- ASRock Z77 OC Formula @ Hardware.info
- MSI Z77A-G43 Socket 1155 Motherboard Review @ Madshrimps
- MSI Z77IA-E53 Mini-ITX @ Kitguru
- MSI Z77 MPower @ Hardware.info
- Biostar Hi-Fi Z77X Intel ATX Motherboard @ Benchmark Reviews
- Gigabyte Z77X-UP4 TH Motherboard Review @ Hi Tech Legion
- ASUS P8Z77-V LE Plus LGA1155 Motherboard Review @ Hi Tech Legion
- BIOS Option Of The Week - Byte Merge @ TechARP
- Sapphire Pure Black 990FX Motherboard Review @ Neoseeker
- Gigabyte 990FXA-UD7 Rev 1.1 Review @ OCC
- MSI FM2-A85XA-G65 (A85X) Motherboard Preview @ eTeknix
- MSI FM2-A85XA-G65 (A85X) Motherboard Review @ eTeknix
- MSI FM2-A85XA-GD65 Motherboard Review @ Hi Tech Legion
- Gigabyte F2A85X-UP4 (A85X) Motherboard Review @ eTeknix
- Gigabyte GA-F2A85X UP4 @ Guru of 3D
- Asus F2A55-M (A55) Motherboard Review @ eTeknix
- ASUS F2A85-V Pro Review: A Look at FM2 with A85X @ AnandTech
- GIGABYTE GA-A75-D3H FM1 Motherboard Review @ Legit Reviews
- ASRock FM2A85X Extreme6 Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
- MSI FM2-A85XA-GD65 Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
Introduction and Technical Specifications
Introduction
Courtesy of ASUS
It's been a couple months since we've had a chance to evaluate a Z77-based motherboard, so we are taking this opportunity to throw ASUS's P8Z77-V Deluxe on our test bench to put it through our comprehensive real-world and synthetic benchmarks. This $279 board has been available for several months and supports the LGA 1155 platform that includes Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge processors.
Courtesy of ASUS
There are many features to drool over about the ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe, but my favorite ones include the board's unique power management features, Wi-Fi functionality with remote access, and customized UEFI BIOS. This board also includes other enhancements that focus on support for faster USB 3.0 and PCIe 3.0 integration as well as extra SATA 6GB/s ports that provide double the bandwidth of current bus systems.
Continue reading more about our review of the ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe!
MSI's new budget board, the Z77A-G41
Subject: Motherboards | September 12, 2012 - 07:06 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: msi, MSI Z77A-G41, lga 1155
MSI adds to the value end of their Z77 based motherboard lineup with the Z77A-G41 at a mere $100, $90 after MIR. For that price you get a board with a pair of PCIe 16x slots as well as a pair of both PCIe 1x and PCI slots. [H]ard|OCP were less than impressed with the SATA ports, while there are six in total they are vertical and so add to the clutter of the machine as well as being in the way of the second PCIe slot. They have never been fans of MSI's ClickBIOS, an opinion this board did not change nor were theu impressed with the overclocking abilities of the board, no matter how long they spent adjusting setting in the UEFI implementation. That is not to imply that this board is not a good choice for everyone, it is only the enthusiast that will be disappointed, those looking for a stable motherboard to build an inexpensive machine will find this board fully up to the task.
"While it's usually the high end boards that get the most attention, it's often the lower end and mid-range boards that many people purchase. With this in mind we get back to basics with the Z77A-G41 which is an entry level offering from MSI that boasts many enthusiast features."
Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:
- Intel DZ77GA-70K Motherboard Review @ Techgage
- Gigabyte X79S-UP5 WiFi Intel LGA 2011 @ techPowerUp
- Gigabyte X79S-UP5 WiFi Review: Ultra Durable 5 Meets the C606 Chipset @ AnandTech
- ASUS P8Z77-I Deluxe mainboard @ Hardwareoverclock
- ASRock X79 Extreme11 Review: PCIe 3.0 x16/x16/x16/x16 and LSI 8-Way SAS/SATA @ AnandTech
- GIGABYTE Z77X-UP5 TH @ Bjorn3D
- Asrock Z77 OC Formula Socket 1155 Motherboard @ Pro-Clockers
- ASRock Z77 OC Formula Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
- Sapphire and ECS X79 Motherboard Review @ OCC
- ASRock X79 Extreme11 Intel LGA 2011 @ techPowerUp
- Super Mainboard for a Mega-Computer: ASRock Z77 Extreme9 @ X-bit Labs
- ASRock Fatal1ty X79 Champion Motherboard @ Kitguru
- ASRock Z77 Extreme6 Motherboard Review @ Madshrimps
- MSI Big Bang Z77 Mpower @ Guru of 3D
- BIOS Option Of The Week - Frame Buffer Size @ TechARP
Gigabyte's Z77X-UD5H is sitting at the high end of mid-range
Subject: Motherboards | August 28, 2012 - 04:18 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: gigabyte, z77x-ud5h, Z77, lga 1155
For just under $200 you can pick up the Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H, a board that is a mix of high end and mid-range motherboard. On the negative side [H]ard|OCP once again were disappointed by the performance of the mouse in Gigabyte's UEFI, not a big issue but very annoying when you are used to competitors implementations that don't force you back to the keyboard. There were also a few aesthetic choices that [H] were not impressed by but the actual physical layout was done well. As there is no PLX chip you will be best off using a pair of GPUs as the maximum which makes it a great mid-range board but misses the high end mark. Check out how easy it is to overclock this motherboard in their full review.
"The Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H is a high end board with a mid-range price. Sound too good to be true? Well as it turns out it's still mostly a high end board with a few cost cutting measures here and there. The question I had to ask myself was: Is the Z77X-UD5H a high end dud or a mid-range marvel?"
Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:
- ASRock Z77E-ITX Mini ITX Motherboard Review @ Legit Reviews
- Gigabyte Z77X-UP5 TH Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
- Four Multi-GPU Z77 Boards from $280-$350 - PLX PEX 8747 featuring Gigabyte, ASRock, ECS and EVGA @ AnandTech
- Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H Socket 1155 Motherboard @ Pro-Clockers
- ASUS Maximus V Formula/ThunderFX Intel LGA 1155 @ techPowerUp
- Gigabyte G1 Killer Sniper 3 Gaming Motherboard Review @ Ninjalane
- Gigabyte X79S-UP5-WIFI (with Intel Xeon E5 2660) @ Kitguru
- BIOS Option Of The Week - Graphic Win Size @ TechARP
Intel brings skulls back to the motherboard with the DZ77GA-70K
Subject: Motherboards | August 13, 2012 - 04:26 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: lga 1155, Intel, DZ77GA-70K
The DZ77GA-70K is not exactly the rebirth of Intel's SkullTrail series but it certainly does bear similar branding. Instead it is a high end Z77 based board which features integral Bluetooth and WiFi, 8 USB 3.0 ports, three PCIe 3.0 16x slots, a pair of PCIe 1x slots and even two PCI slots. [H]ard|OCP liked the UEFI BIOS that Intel has included, though they feel it is lacking in the overclocking settings you would expect from an 'Extreme Motherboard'. They have only good things to say about the stability of the board, so if you need a rock solid system with a lot of expansion capabilities more than you need a good overclocker, this might be the board for you.
"We'll be taking a look at one of Intel's motherboards today, specifically the Intel DZ77GA-70K which is part of its Extreme Motherboard series. How can you tell it's an extreme motherboard? Why it has a skull on it of course! All kidding aside there is more to the DZ77GA-70K than just marketing."
Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:
- ASRock X79 Extreme11 Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
- ASUS P8Z77 WS @ Bjorn3D
- ASUS P8Z77-V Premium Review: A Bentley Among Motherboards @ AnandTech
- ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 @ Tweaktown
- Gigabyte GA-Z77-UP4 TH @ eTeknix
- Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H @ Funky Kit
- ASUS ROG Maximus V @ VR-Zone
- Gigabyte Z77X-UP4 TH Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
- ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE Motherboard Review @ Techgage
- Asrock X79 Extreme11 @ Legion Hardware
- ASRock Fatal1ty X79 Champion Intel LGA2011 @ techPowerUp
- BIOS Option Of The Week - NVIDIA GPU Ex @ TechARP
Gigabyte has a new Ivy Bridge motherboard; introducing the B75M-D3H
Subject: Motherboards | August 3, 2012 - 06:41 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: gigabyte, lga 1155, b75, b75m-dh3
At first glance the Gigabyte B75M-DH3 looks to have a typo as you would expect a Gigabyte board to start with the letter G and contain upwards of 11 numbers and letters afterwards, but this name indicates it is using the B75 Express chipset. That means full Ivy Bridge support, with a PCIe 3.0 16x slot, a pair of SATA 6Gbps ports and four USB 3.0 ports and it also sports Gigabyte's Ultra Durable 4 technology and a UEFI BIOS. Since this is a business oriented board it lacks some of the overclocking ability common to enthusiast boards and TechPowerUp found the back panel to be a little sparse, however at $80 this is a solid choice for any budget minded tech looking to put together an Ivy Bridge system.
"Gigabyte sent me one of their entry-level products to check out, called the B75M-D3H. Yet make no mistake, just because this product is value-oriented, does not mean it by any means cheap! What makes Gigabyte's B75M-D3H so great? We'll find out in our review."
Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:
- ASUS Republic of Gamers and X79 ROG Review – Rampage IV Gene, Formula and Extreme @ AnandTech
- Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H WiFi Review @ HardwareLOOK
- MSI Z77A-GD55 Motherboard Review @ Techgage
- Zotac Z77-ITX WiFi (Z77ITX-A-E) @ FunkyKit
- ASRock Z75 Pro3 @ Tweaktown
- ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional: The Most Feature-Rich LGA 1155 Mainboard @ X-bit Labs
- ASUS Maximus V Extreme @ Hardware.info
- ASRock Z77 Pro3 @ Tweaktown
- Gigabyte Z77X-UP4 TH @ Kitguru
- ASUS P8Z77-I Deluxe Mini-ITX @ Tweaktown
- ASUS P8Z77-V Thunderbolt Motherboard @ Benchmark Reviews
- Eight Intel H77 motherboards round-up @ Hardware.info
- Gigabyte Sniper M3 Motherboard Review @ HardwareLOOK @ HardwareLook
- Everything You Need to Know About Chipsets @ Hardware Secrets
- BIOS Option Of The Week - Display Card Priority @ TechARP
Introduction and Technical Specifications
Introduction
Courtesy of Gigabyte
PC gaming is alive and well and hardware vendors are working to create unique features in their product lines to entice this niche audience. Gigabyte has always had a soft spot for gamers who want the best components for their LAN rigs so they can own their friends in any game genre they choose to play. Gigabyte has broadened their product line to include performance gaming mice, keyboards, and PC cases. They also have a line of "G1-Killer" motherboards that Gigabyte claims is designed with 3D gaming in mind. One of their latest boards in the G1-Killer series is the G1.Sniper M3, and just happen to have a sample that we are reviewing today.
Courtesy of Gigabyte
The G1.Sniper M3 was designed into a micro ATX form factor that sports Intel's latest Z77 Express chipset and supports the third generation of Intel's LGA 1155 "Ivy Bridge" processors. It is challenging to pack enough performance features and overclocking options onto a micro ATX footprint, but Gigabyte's G1.Sniper M3 has broken the code in this department. This $180 board includes a digital power phase design with auto voltage compensation, dual UEFI BIOS, and an onboard Creative Sound Core3D quad-core audio processor for rich, high-definition audio.
Continue reading our review of the Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 LGA 1155 Micro ATX Motherboard!!










