Gigabyte makes some interesting choices with the GA-Z68X-UD4-B3

Subject: Motherboards | June 7, 2011 - 01:12 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: z68, gigabyte, GA-Z68X-UD4-B3

The GA-Z68X-UD4-B3 does not have any video out connectors, a choice which seems very strange for a Z68 based motherboard since it removes the GPU switching ability which is so popular with the new high end SandyBridge board.  Theoretically that should reduce the price of the board, though Gigabyte instead chose to pack it with other extras, a wide variety of output ports on the back panel, the new Touch BIOS and even an ability to switch between two separate 8 phase power planes.  See if the trade offs make sense to you by reading iXBT Labs' full review.

"If the lack of support for integrated graphics doesn't bother you, Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD4-B3 is a good and promising choice. It stands out among typical mid-end solutions by having richer functionality (two USB 3.0 and two additional SATA 6Gbps controllers), comes with a lot of software utilities, and you don't have to pay for extra hardware features you might not need. Also, the Touch BIOS adds nice variety to all those implementations of UEFI."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

Motherboards

• Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H-B3 Detailed Review - Z68 Done Right @ The SSD Review
• MSI P67A-GD65 Motherboard Review @Hi Tech Legion
• Zotac H67-ITX WiFi H67 Motherboard Review @ eTeknix
• ASUS Sabertooth P67 Sandy Bridge Motherboard Review @ Hardware Canucks
• Introducing Gigabyte Touch BIOS @ PCSTATS
• A Quick Look at GIGABYTE's TouchBIOS @ Techgage
• Gigabyte GA-X58-USB3 Motherboard Review @ eTeknix
• BIOS Option Of The Week - SDRAM Command Leadoff Time @ TechARP
• ECS A890GXM-A2 Motherboard Review @ Neoseeker

MSI shows Gen3 PCIe, X79 Motherboard and GTX 580 Extreme

Subject: Graphics Cards, Motherboards, Shows and Expos | June 1, 2011 - 07:57 AM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: computex, msi, pcie, x79, 990fx, z68

MSI had quite a showing at this year's Computex starting with a host of new motherboards based on the Z68 chipset.  The most interesting of which was the new Z68A-GD80 (G3) that in addition to including all the features of the Sandy Bridge processor, SLI, CrossFire, Lucid Virtu and things like OC Genie II and Military Class Components II, is the first motherboard we have seen that integrates support for the PCI Express 3.0 specification.

MSI was able to do this by simply adhering to the already existing PCIe 3.0 specifications and claims the performance doubles from 8 GB/s up to 16 GB/s (for a x16 connection).  Even though there are no PCIe 3.0 accessories or graphics cards on the market today, MSI has seen performance improvements when testing PCI Express based solid state drives like the OCZ Revo.  We are eager to get this board in the hands of our storage guru and see what advantages it offers users today.

Next up is the new MSI 990FXA-GD80 motherboard based on AMD's latest 990FX chipset.  We actually have one of these in the office and should have a review up shortly.  With support for today's Phenom processors and tomorrow's Bulldozer-core based designs, I think the 990FX chipset will find its way into a lot of users machines.

Even further out into the future, we saw a glimpse of an MSI engineering sample for the pending Socket 2011 processors from Intel, the MSI X79A-GD65.  Supporting the upcoming Sandy Bridge-E processor family and a new quad-channel memory controller, you can clearly see the 2011 socket is HUGE and requires the memory slots to be divided up on either side of it. A lot will change more than likely between now and this boards release but it is cool to see a preview of what is in store for us!

Finally, MSI did have another card in the Lightning series to show off, the N580GTX Lightning Xtreme Edition.  This card has all the same engineering features of the previous Lightning models but adds in a couple of unique features called Smart Temp Sensor and Dust Removal.

The Smart Temp Sensor is actually a coating on the fan that changes from blue to white in appearance as the ambient temperature increases.  If the inside of your chassis hits the 45C mark then the fans will be completely white and should give you an indication of system stability.  My only concern is that even users with windows on their cases will have trouble seeing the fans on the graphics card cooler posted at a right angle. 

The Dust Removal feature is more interesting in that it runs the fans on the Xtreme Edition in the reverse direction for the first 30 seconds of the power cycle and then return to the proper direction for cooling the heatsinks.  The idea is that the 30 second reverse interval will help clear out dust from the heatsink and from the fan blades itself saving users in the long run.

Another interesting feature coming very soon to Android phone users is the ability to monitor and overclock your MSI graphics cards via an Afterburner app for your phone.  This will be available this month or early in July for Android and *maybe* by the end of the year for iPhone.

Computex 2011 Coverage brought to you by MSI Computer and Antec

ASUS Launches new line of ROG Motherboards for Core i7, Bulldozer

Subject: Motherboards, Chipsets | May 31, 2011 - 02:35 AM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: computex, ROG, asus, crosshair, z68, maximus

On the first day of Computex 2011, ASUS held an event in Taipei to announce a host of new ROG (Republic of Gamers) branded devices including motherboards, displays, headphones, notebooks and even a desktop system.

For the Intel Sandy Bridge platform ASUS is releasing the Maximus IV GENE-Z and Maximus IV Extreme-Z that will both obviously use the Intel Z68 chipset and support the host of new features it introduces including Smart Response Technology and dual-graphics capability with Lucid Virtu. The GENE model is the micro-ATX variant that that supports SLI and CrossFire in addition to the Sandy Bridge graphics technology. For a full size solution the Maximus IV Extreme-Z offers four full-size PCIe x16 slots and support for 3-Way SLI and CrossFireX.

For the AMD platform the Crosshair V Formula is the first ROG board to use the new AMD 990FX chipset as well as the first AMD board in a LONG time with support SLI in addition to CrossFire graphics scaling. Not only that, but this board will be the first ASUS option to offer the innovative UEFI BIOS that users on the Intel front have had access to for some time. While the Crosshair V Formula will work with current Phenom processors the big selling point is that it will support the upcoming AMD Bulldozer-based processors with the AM3+ socket due later in 2011.

A slightly more expensive Crosshair V Formula/Thunderbolt SKU will be available as well that will include an ASUS Thunderbolt card that combines ASUS Xonar audio capability (and built-in headphone amplifier) with the BigFoot Networks Killer NIC E2100 NPU. We can debate the value of Killer NIC addition to your system all day, but if you want it, that option will be available from ASUS in July.

All three boards will include the overclocking and performance features that users of the ROG brand have come to expect and will be available this month. Be sure to check out PC Perspective for reviews of all the new ROG offerings!

Computex 2011 Coverage brought to you by MSI Computer and Antec

Gigabyte Offers Z68 Motherboard With Bundled Intel 311 mSATA SSD

Subject: Motherboards | May 27, 2011 - 10:25 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: z68, intel 311, gigabyte

Gigabyte has been on the ball as far as new Intel based Z68 motherboard launches go, and today is no different as they announce a new motherboard that will ship with an included Intel 311 mSATA SSD that is ready to power Intel's Smart Response Technology.

The new motherboard has been dubbed the Gigabyte Z68XP-UD3-iSSD, and is a Z68 based affair with an included 20GB SLC caching-ready solid state drive. Richard Chen, the VP of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for the motherboard manufacturer was especially enthusiastic about the launch, stating that "our customers realize the performance benefits that Intel Smart Response Technology has to offer, and the Z68XP-UD3-iSSD is the easiest way for them to instantly take advantage of the performance boost."

The bundle in question will be available from “selected online retailers” worldwide stating in early June of this year. Unfortunately, there is no word on pricing for the motherboard plus SSD; however, if priced right it will no doubt be a boon to first time builders in making their DIY rig that much easier to assemble.

More high end SandyBridge goodness, the ASUS P8Z68-V Pro

Subject: Motherboards | May 16, 2011 - 05:00 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: asus, z68, sandybridge

The expiration of the NDA on the Z68 chipset has launched an impressive amount of reviews, which represents just how much choice you will have if you upgrade to a high end SandyBridge motherboard.  That is also easy to see if you search NewEgg for Z68 based boards, which range from $120ish to over $350 depending on the features.  One possibility is the ASUS P8Z68-V Pro, a middle of the road $210 board sporting two PCIe x16 slots running 8x is you use dual GPUs along with an impressive array of output and input ports and 7.1 sound.  Legit Reviews didn't hand it an Editors Choice Award for nothing, this board has a lot going for it.

"Prior to the Intel Z68 chipset, you would have to choose. Either you could have integrated graphics and no overclocking capabilities, or overclocking abilities as well as the need to invest in a discrete graphics card. Fortunately that is no longer the case. We now have the best of both worlds at our fingertips with motherboards like the ASUS P8Z68-V Pro that we have been looking at today. Every gaming benchmark that we ran, the ASUS P8Z68-V Pro was able to out perform the GIGABYTE P67A-UD7..."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

Motherboards

• MSI Z68A-GD80 (B3) Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
• ASUS P8Z68-V Pro @ Bjorn3D
• ASRock Z68 Pro3 @ Tweaktown
• Gigabyte Z68X-UD5-B3 Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
• MSI Z68A-GD80 @ Tweaktown
• Gigabyte Z68X UD5 @ OC3D
• Asus Sabertooth P67: an Armored LGA1155 Mainboard @ X-bit Labs
• ASUS P8P67 WS Revolution @ Overclockers.com
• MSI P67A-G43 LGA 1155 Motherboard Review @ ReviewDesk
• Gigabyte G1.Assassin Review @ Neoseeker
• GIGABYTE X58-USB3 @ Tweaktown
• How To Fix The PCI Express x1 Bug @ TechARP
• BIOS Option Of The Week - SDRAM ECC Setting @ TechARP

First Look At The Asus Maximus IV Gene FLP

Subject: Motherboards | May 13, 2011 - 06:56 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: z68, motherboard, asus

Interested in a first look at Asus' latest Gene series offering for z68? PC Perspective has you covered with quite a few photos of the up and coming motherboard for you to drool over!

To start off with, here is the proposed box art along with a view of the entire motherboard:

As you can see, the motherboad is adorned in bright red and dark black colors, and the area around the LGA 1155 socket is accented with black finned heatsinks covering the VRMs.  A close-up of the heatsinks can be seen below:

For even more detailed shots, and a run down of the connectivity and overclocking friendly hardware, please use the "Read More" link.

Testing out the Intel Z68's "best of both worlds" mode with a 20GB SSD

Subject: Motherboards, Storage | May 13, 2011 - 03:26 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: z68, ssd, larson creek, intel 311, smart response technology

One of the more interesting things about the Z68 is Intel's SRT which allows you to utilize a small SSD as a cache for your HDD, allowing you the speed benefits of an SSD in most applications without having to spend the money to buy an SSD large enough to hold all your favourite programs. Legit Reviews tests a 20GB Intel 311 SSD paired with a 600GB WD Velociraptor in both modes, enhanced and maximized to see which offers the greatest benefits. Check out their findings.

"The Intel SSD 311 Series 20GB 'Larson Creek' drive proved itself to be a great cache drive. If you have an Intel Z68 platform that can run Intel Smart Response Technology, it's worth looking into if you have a hard drive for the primary drive and don't want to splurge on an SSD and having to re-install your OS!"

Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:

Storage

• Intel 311 Solid State Drive Tests @ Benchmark Reviews
• Z68 SSD Caching with Corsair's F40 SandForce SSD @ AnandTech
• OCZ Vertex 3 (240GB) @ AnandTech
• Intel Smart Response Technology and Intel 311 Larson Creek SSD @ PC Stats
• Enabling and Testing SSD TRIM Support Under Linux @ Techgage
• OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G 240GB Solid State @ Tweaktown
• Solid State Drive Performance Comparison Guide @ TechARP
• Kingston HyperX Max 3.0 @ HardwareBistro
• Mach Xtreme GX 16 GB USB 3.0 @ techPowerUp
• Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5 TB Portable (USB 3.0) Hard Disk @ TechARP
• Thermaltake Max 5G Active Cooling 3.5'' External HDD Enclosure Review @ Madshrimps
• Patriot Supersonic 32GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review @ ThinkComputers
• ineo I-NA559N Pro 5-Bay NAS Server @ Tweaktown

Podcast #154 - Intel Z68 Chipset release, Intel SRT SSD caching technogy, OCZ Agility 3 and Solid 3 and more!

Subject: Editorial, General Tech | May 12, 2011 - 02:30 PM | Ken Addison
Tagged: z68, ssd, srt, solid, smart response technology, smart response, podcast, ocz, Intel, agility

PC Perspective Podcast #154 - 5/12/2011

This week we talk about the Intel Z68 Chipset release, Intel SRT SSD caching technogy, the OCZ Agility 3 and Solid 3, Viewer Questions and more!

You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still access it directly through the RSS page HERE.

The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!

• iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
• RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader
• MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file

Hosts: Jeremy Hellstrom, Josh Walrath and Allyn Malventano

This Podcast is brought to you by MSI Computer, and their all new Sandy Bridge Motherboards!

Program length: 1:15:39

Program Schedule:

• 0:00:39 Introduction
• 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
• http://pcper.com/podcast
• http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
• 0:02:10 Intel Z68 Chipset Review: dGPU and iGPU living together, SSD Caching and Overclocking
• 0:09:40 Intel Smart Response Technology: SSD Caching on Z68 Tested
• 0:30:40 This Podcast is brought to you by MSI Computer, and their all new Sandy Bridge Motherboards!
• 0:31:24 Gigabyte Launches World's First Z68 Motherboards With Support for mSATA Intel SLC SSDs and Smart Response Tech
• 0:36:50 Discrete Graphics Card Shipments See Slight Increase Versus Previous Quarter
• 0:40:18 OCZ Technology Announces the Agility 3 and Solid 3 SATA III Solid State Drives
• 0:43:17 Intel Atom Processors Will Not Use Intel Graphics, PowerVR GPUs Planned
• 0:46:59 Rumors point to Apple moving to ARM processors for future notebooks
• 0:53:30 Email from TK about server memory
• 0:58:24 Email from Ralph about SRT and SSD sizes
• 1:01:26 Email from Jesse about hyperthreading
• 1:06:04 Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
  1. Ryan: Z68 motherboards, so far the ASUS P8Z68-V Pro is a great option
  2. Jeremy: This is great, this is scary, but I'll pick the $25 USB computer.
  3. Josh: Fast, good USB 3.0 Flash
  4. Allyn: Linksys WRT400N
• http://pcper.com/podcast   
• http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
• 1:14:55 Closing