Gigabyte Intel Z77 LGA 1155 AMD CrossFireX/NVIDIA SLI W/ HDMI,DVI,DispayPort Dual UEFI BIOS ATX Motherboard GA-Z77X-UD3H
I made a gaming rig with a Coolermaster HAF 922, GA-Z77x-UD3H
Motherboard, GTX 560 Ti Graphics Card, Intel i5 3570k CPU, Corsair
Vengeance memory DDR3 2x4GB, and a CX600w power supply. This motherboard
is big but very useful. Get a nice big case like the HAF 922 which
works great for only $100. This motherboard has tons of slots and can
support SLI easily. I have had good success with the BIOS and I like the
build. Running skyrim in ultra with no lag, I recommend this build.
works like a dream, running two SSD drives, one HD, Intel Core i5-3570K
Quad-Core Processor, EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SUPERCLOCKED 2048MB GDDR5,
Antec Kuhler H2O 620 Liquid CPU Cooler, Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB)
DDR3 1600 MHz , Cooler Master Elite 430 - Mid Tower Computer Case with
All-Black
Extremely worthwhile purchase and very much worth the price. The only
issue that I have with it, although it's one that doesn't rate a star
being taken away, is that it doesn't support ram above 1600. I
mistakenly purchased 2133, as I plan on using this board for gaming.
However, due to the fact that it would not be compatable, I had to
return and buy 1600 RAM. My fault on not reading as thoroughly as I
should, but it's still a very much worthwhile motherboard.
This is a really great board. I have it paired with a I7 2600K and have overclocked this processor to
5.3 Ghz with no problems.
Just
found out that the motherboard USB connectors are USB 2.0. Use these
for your USB mouse and keyboard for installation. Just hook them to your
front panel USB or use them with a USB panel plate at the rear. Also
the owners manual states to use two USB ports next to or behind the
internet connection port on rear panel.
After finding this out my mouse and keyboard work great before windows boot (Bios setup)
Runs very cool at 5.3 Ghz with a Antec Kuhler 620 idle is 29 degrees C and Max 100% load is 65 degrees C.
Highly recommended. Bought this after returning 2 Asus top of the line boards. One no boot and the other no internet controller.
Very happy with Gigabyte. Have used them for years.
This motherboard has some nice features, including a built in
troubleshooting readout LCD and an internal power button if you need to
do extensive testing without having to mess with front panels. Another
feature I like on this model is the dual BIOS which means if I ever get
one of them into a non working state, I can just flip a switch on the
motherboard and boot into some fail-safe settings.
The board I
received works a-okay so far and I would recommend it to anyone who is
building their own machine, if only for the ease of troubleshooting
which means easier times with the multitude of components that someone
could install.
This is an EXCELLENT entry/mid level motherboard packed with the latest
technical features, and at a VERY good price ($149) for what you get!
Includes things like; (6) USB 3.0 ports, (2) SATA 3.0 ports, a
PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot, Intel's new z77 chipset (optimized for Ivy
Bridge CPUs), an mSATA SSD slot (for a solid-state hard drive), an
onboard 2-digit LED diagnostics display, an "all-digital" voltage
regulator, and Gigabyte's standard dual BIOS chips. The board instantly
recognized my Intel Ivy Bridge CPU with no problems. The mobo arrived
pre-installed with BIOS version "F7", and I updated it to the newest
"F17" BIOS with no complications. Gigabyte boards are among the highest
quality mobo's on the market (IMO), and they have a long-standing
reputation for stability & reliability. As a result, I didn't have a
single problem on the build or initial boot-up. I have been building
my own computers for the past 16 years, and have never had a single
problem with Gigabyte motherboards. And with their new "Ultra Durable
4" construction features, (which are designed to fight against humidity,
electrostatic discharge, high temperatures, and power surges), this is
one of their best entry/mid-level boards.
Some Tips...
BIOS:
The best and most reliable way to update the BIOS is with the "Q-Flash"
option located directly within the BIOS settings (just press the DEL key
upon first boot-up to enter the BIOS settings). The other option of
updating the BIOS through the "Windows OS" can sometimes be unreliable.
And for the "best" compatibility in flashing the BIOS with a USB
thumbdrive (through the Q-Flash option), use a thumbdrive that is
formatted to FAT-16 or FAT-32, and 4GB or under. It's also recommended
to select "Load Optimized Defaults" before doing a BIOS update, then
just re-tweak all your preferred BIOS settings after the reboot.
USB
PORTS: Also, the exact (2) USB ports to use for both flashing the BIOS,
and to later plug your mouse & keyboard in to install the Windows
Operating System, are the 2 side USB ports DIRECTLY UNDER the RJ-45
Ethernet port. The reason being is that those are the only (2) "Intel"
brand USB ports that are already USB 2.0 compatible, with no need to
install any drivers. The other (4) USB ports are all "VIA" brand USB
ports, and will NOT work at all until AFTER the VIA USB 3.0 drivers are
installed, which of course you can't do until after the OS is fully
installed and you have a functioning CD drive, or have Internet access.
These VIA USB 3.0 drivers are located on both the Gigabyte installation
CD and the Gigabyte website. (Unfortunately, many reviewers claim to
have a defective board because these 4 USB ports didn't work upon first
boot-up, but all they simply needed were the VIA drivers installed).
OR...if your computer case has a couple of USB ports on the front panel,
you can simply use these for your mouse & KB (and USB BIOS
flashing) simply by hooking the USB case cables into any of the (3) USB
2.0 headers located directly on the front of this motherboard. SIDENOTE:
Though many say that USB 3.0 was developed too quickly and can be a bit
"quirky" at times with Windows OS's, I'm sure these issues will
eventually be resolved with future Windows Service Packs.
RAM:
Though my 1600 MHz RAM defaulted at 1333 MHz in the BIOS, (this was
before I updated to the latest BIOS however) this was easily fixed in
the BIOS settings by simply selecting "Extreme Memory Profile 1" (XMP),
which is located in the "Advanced Frequency Settings" section (this is a
very common fix). FYI, 1600 MHz is the highest intended/native RAM
speed to run with Intel's Ivy Bridge CPU's, and 1333 MHz is the
highest/native speed for the Sandy Bridge CPU's...without being
overclocked that is. Which BTW, to overclock beyond those native
speeds, you will need an Intel CPU with a "K" at the end of its title,
(ex: Intel i5-3570K), which simply means the Intel CPU is not "locked",
and various settings can be manually tweaked in the BIOS. Then the RAM
speed can be safely overclocked (amung many other things relating to the
CPU) and the CPU will be "fully compatible" with the faster RAM speeds.
Plus, for maximum compatibility, make sure you buy RAM that rated at
1.5 volts. Using RAM with a higher voltage (say 1.65 volts for example)
should still work perfectly fine. But according to Intel's return
policy, using a voltage higher than 1.5 volts will then officially void
the Intel CPU warranty. With that said however, some Intel customers
have had success in disputing this return policy since the retail
packaging on their higher voltage RAM modules state that it is "fully
compatible" with their particular Intel CPU (even when Intel says the
higher voltage voids the warranty). Yes, at best it's somewhat of an
overly-cautious Intel policy, and perhaps just a convenient "grey-area"
excuse for Intel not send out a replacement CPU. So, the voltage is
something you may want to consider when purchasing RAM for this
motherboard.
HARD DRIVE: If you buy a SATA-3 mechanical hard
drive for this motherboard, don't expect to get the rated 6 Gb/s, or
even the rated 3 Gb/s on SATA-2 hard drives. This max. spec is the
maximum "potential transfer rate" at a full-speed spin. In real-world
applications, no "mechanical" hard drive in existance will reach
anything NEAR those read/write speeds. More realistic expectations for
typical transfer rates on these mechanical SATA-3 or SATA-2 drives will
range between 70-115 Mb/s, and there is really not a huge differance
between the two drives. However, the mSATA SSD's (Solid State Drives)
CAN and DO reach these blazing 6 Gb/s speeds, simply because there are
no moving parts to slow it down (just chips). But, they are somewhat
limited in size (currently anyway) and are much more expensive.
However, if you can afford it, this motherboard does have one open mSATA
SSD slot. Keep in mind though, that unlike a simple "plug-n-play"
mechanical hard drive, this SSD drive will take some special set-up
procedures, so keep that in mind as well.
VIDEO CARD: When buying
a video card for this motherboard, and you are a hard-core gamer, there
is currently no real need to pay the higher price for a PCI-Express
3.0 video card (vs. a PCI-Express 2.0 card). No video game on the
market can max-out the bandwidth of a PCI-E 2.0 slot (at the time of
this review anyway). Though it IS recommended to install your PCI-E 2.0
video card in this motherboard's PCI-E 3.0 slot, it's not required to
spend the extra money on a PCI-E 3.0 card right now, for it will perhaps
be a few years before a 3.0 video card will make enough of a
significant difference to warrant the higher-priced purchase. By then,
it will be time to upgrade your card anyway...if your a hard-core gamer
that is. However, if you do NOT plan on upgrading your video card for a
very long time, then I actually WOULD recommend investing in a PCI-E
3.0 video card. This whole card thing is just a case where the video
card industry is simply way ahead of everyone else right now, and the
gaming industry has yet to reach the potential bandwidth of the 3.0
cards, but there is no doubt that they will eventually. Simply put, the
PCI-E 3.0 slot on this mobo is a GREAT "future-proof" slot to have, but
the future is not today. But hey, if you can get a 3.0 card on sale for
about the same price of the 2.0, then of course go for it. NOTE: If
buying a PCI-E 3.0 video card with an Intel CPU on this motherboard,
keep in mind that currently only the "Sandy Bridge E" CPUs (the 2nd
generation of Sandy Bridge) and the Ivy Bridge CPUs (and anything after
that) will "officially" support the max bandwidth of a PCI-E 3.0 video
card. Otherwise with an older CPU, (since the CPU must also process the
video card's bandwidth) the PCI-E 3.0 video card will simply default to
PCI-E 2.0 bandwidths, even if it is in a PCI-E 3.0 slot. It will not
hurt anything to have a 3.0 card in either PCI-E slot, or with any CPU,
it's just something to be aware of to avoid any unrealistic
expectations.
MY NEW BUILD:
CPU: Intel i5-3570K, Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz
CPU COOLER: Zalman LED, 100% Copper, 92mm
CPU COMPOUND: "Coollaboratory Liquid Pro" (better than "Artic 5")
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 4GB DDR3, 1600 MHz, 1.5v (model: CMZ4GX3M2A1600C9)
VIDEO CARD: EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti, PCI-E 2.0
HARD DRIVE: Western Digital Caviar Black, SATA-3, 1TB
CD DRIVE: ASUS 24x DVD Burner
KEYBOARD: Corsair Vengeance K90 LED Gaming Keyboard
PSU: SeaSonic S1211, 80 Plus Bronze, 520 Watt
OS: Windows 7, 32-Bit
*
Though a 64-bit Operating System IS the future, it is still a bit too
early for my taste to commit (but that's just me). For "some" 3rd-party
software programs have still not ironed-out all the bugs and they can
still be somewhat quirky with the still "relatively new" 64-bit
programming structure. However, if you need more than the 32-bit OS's
max spec of 4GB of installed RAM, (though the LARGE majority of home
systems won't) the 64-bit OS is of course the way to go.
NOTE:
The above CPU thermal compound mentioned is pretty awesome stuff to help
keep your CPU cool (with the benchmarks to prove it). It looks like
liquid mercury, comes in a thin-needle syringe, and it is 100% pure
"liquid metal alloy" for optimal thermal transference. BUT, the company
does NOT recommend it for CPU coolers with an "Aluminum" bottom base,
but is perfectly fine for a Copper base. I just wanted to mention that
very important requirement.
