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Review: MSI Z97 MPower Max AC Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2014-05-20 16:11:20 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Ian Cutress @ AnandTech
At $260, today’s review of the MSI Z97 MPower Max AC is the odd one out of our initial Z97 reviews. The previous two reviews both use SATA Express to expand their storage options; however the Z97 MPower Max AC diverts this investment towards other features, such as an integrated power delivery water cooling system and more USB 3.0 ports. Given the lack of SATA Express drives on the market today, we examine the MSI motherboard to see if this means much for future-proof system building.
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Review: ASUS Z97-A LGA 1150 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2014-05-13 16:49:31 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By MAC @ Hardware Canucks
The Z97-A actually resides near the bottom of ASUS' extensive Z97 motherboard lineup but it also competes within some of the most popular alternatives around. This is due to its price of $150 filling the gap in one of the market's most desired price points; one which feeds the needs of budget-minded gamers while also offering something to price conscious overclockers.
Now despite being at the lower-end of the spectrum, ASUS have really shot for the moon with this $150 model. It's usual for motherboard manufacturers to exclude key features from lesser priced models, but that doesn't seem to be the case with this new Z97-A. Its got a solid DIGI+ 8-phase CPU power design, a high-speed M.2 slot and SATA Express port, a bunch of SATA and USB connectivity, CrossFire and SLI capabilities, a high-quality Intel GbE NIC, DisplayPort/DVI/HDMI/VGA video outputs, and all the new BIOS and software advancements found on the higher-priced models. Frankly, the only place were the specs are less than ideal is in the use of the older Realtek ALC892 8-channel HD audio CODEC, which is a generation behind the very latest ALC1150 part used on all the other pricey motherboards.
So on the surface this model looks extremely promising giving its reasonable price tag, but will it hold up during up our testing? Keep reading to find out.
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Review: GIGABYTE G1.Sniper 5 LGA 1150 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2014-05-08 16:02:52 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Author: Daniel Dobrowolski @ HardOCP
We evaluate GIGABYTE’s G1.Sniper 5 in an attempt to see if GIGABYTE hit the target or missed its mark. It comes prepared to water cool the chipset as well as a robust air cooling system on the motherboard's power components if you wish to go sans water. Along with 9 fan headers down on the PCB, it should support about any cooling you want.
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Review: ASUS Z97 Deluxe LGA 1150 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2014-04-28 13:42:43 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Author: Daniel Dobrowolski @ HardOCP
ASUS is the leading motherboard manufacturer on the planet. Its product portfolio is rich with solutions covering all manner of computing related products and price points. Motherboards are what ASUS is best known for and once you work with a few of its motherboards it’s easy to understand why. ASUS is known for making quality, innovative motherboard designs which often set the standard by which others are judged. The Z97 Deluxe motherboard we are reviewing today builds on this tradition and attempts to set the bar even higher than before.
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Review: GIGABYTE F2A88X-UP4 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2014-03-25 17:01:38 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Ian Cutress @ AnandTech
In terms of motherboard output, there seems a clear dichotomy between AMD based motherboards and Intel motherboards. Innovation starts on the higher selling Intel ATX products, whereas AMD is more focused on smaller form factors. With the Kaveri APUs moving to more integrated graphics power, this makes sense. However some of those high-end innovations do make it over to the AMD + ATX crowd, which is what GIGABYTE has done with the F2A88X-UP4. The F2A88X-UP4 is an AMD FM2+ motherboard with reinforced power delivery which we are reviewing today.
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Review: ASRock FM2A88X Extreme6+ Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2014-03-21 13:36:30 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Ian Cutress @ AnandTech
For the AMD Kaveri launch, a number of review publications received the FM2A88X Extreme6+ from ASRock. This is a motherboard that was released several months before the Kaveri processors hit the market, but adhered to specifications for both Richland and Kaveri APUs. Today we are reviewing this motherboard, which threw up a surprise or two.
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Review: GIGABYTE Z87X-UD7-TH LGA 1150 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2014-03-14 15:14:31 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Author: Daniel Dobrowolski @ HardOCP
We've covered a lot of budget motherboards lately and shown that you can get quite a lot for your dollar. The GIGABYTE motherboard we are looking at today is neither a value, or a budget motherboard. In fact it’s on the complete opposite of the spectrum, competing with ASUS’ WS offerings and MSI’s Big Bang XPower series. It is neither an overclocking or gaming oriented motherboard but rather a bit of both with some design features making it more competitive with the ASUS Z87 WS. Like the Z87 WS you can’t really call it a workstation motherboard either though it does offer connectivity on par with what you would expect or even demand from such a motherboard. The Z87X-UD7-TH is in fact GIGABYTE’s top Z87 offering that doesn’t have a specific gamer slant to It like the OC / OC Force or G1 motherboards. Expectations for motherboards in this market space are high and that’s absolutely reasonable given the price point. At the time of this writing the Z87X-UD7-TH is a $429 motherboard.
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Review: GIGABYTE Z87X-UD5 TH Intel Z87 Thunderbolt Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2014-01-31 14:19:14 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Written By: Dan Stoltz @ Legit Reviews
GIGABYTE recently sent out one of their latest boards for me to play with, the GIGABYTE Z87X-UD5 TH. The Z87X-UD5 TH is is an Intel based motherboard with an Intel Z87 chipset at its heart. Having the Intel Z87 chipset at its core means that it supports the latest and greatest Intel 4th Generation Core i-series processor like the Core i7-4770K ‘Haswell’ CPU that I will be using for testing. If you’re already sold on the GIGABYTE Z87X-UD5 TH, you can pick it up from Amazon for only $254.99 shipped, if not keep reading and you may be by the end of the day!
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Review: ASUS A88X-PRO AMD FM2+ Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2014-01-28 15:28:48 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Steven Kean @ Legit Reviews
ASUS recently released their latest motherboard for the new AMD Kaveri FM2+ APU, the A88X-PRO. Based on the A88X platform, the A88X-PRO is ASUS’s high end enthusiast motherboard that supports both the FM2 Trinity and Richland processors, as well as the new Kaveri. The FM2+ motherboard adds support for eight SATA 6Gbps ports with RAID 5, PCI-Express 3.0, which requires the Kaveri processor. While it is a high end motherboard, it maintains a friendly mid-level price of $123.99 shipped with a 3 year warranty.
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Review: ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition X79 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2014-01-21 16:33:43 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By: Hilbert Hagedoorn @ GURU3D
ASUS recently released an update to their Rampage IV series motherboards with a Black Edition. It's big, fast, black and has tweaking written all over it. The board is just gorgeous and totally pimped out with an OC dock and even stuff like Wireless AC. Today we review the product armed with a Core i7 4960X (Ivy Bridge-E) processor onto this seriously high-end LGA2011 infrastructure. Can we overclock it? Yes we can!
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Review: Gigabyte G1.Sniper B5 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-12-20 12:37:21 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By: Hilbert Hagedoorn @ GURU3D
Let's review the Gigabyte G1.Sniper B5, which is based on the budget B85 chipset from Intel. See B85 based motherboards typically end up in business desktops and normally are limited from overclocking. Well, that changes with the Gigabyte G1.Sniper B5! So small price, nice features and tweakability? We just have to check that out. Oh and you'll get many USB 3.0 ports and of course an improved and enhanced audio solution (albeit that really is a software layer sitting on top of the Realtek ALC 898 codec). Be sure to check out this review.
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Review: ECS GANK Drone Z87H3-A3X L337 Gaming Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-11-26 15:05:24 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Written By: Dan Stoltz @ Legit Reviews
ECS is working on making a bigger name for themselves. Recently they have been coming out with motherboards like the GANK Machine Z87H3-A2X Extreme that are targeted at the enthusiast level market. Today we have a second motherboard from the ECS L337 gaming series of boards, the GANK Drone Z87H3-A3X. The Drone is still targeted at enthusiasts, though more at the enthusiast on a budget as the Drone Z87H3-A3X is hitting the streets with a price tag of only $119.99!
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Review: GIGABYTE G1.Killer Sniper 5 Intel Z87 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-11-19 13:14:53 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Written By: Dan Stoltz @ Legit Reviews
For years GIGABYTE has been among the best of the best when it comes to motherboards and other computer components. Today we will have the pleasure of looking at one of their flagship products, the G1.Killer Sniper 5 motherboard.
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Review: ASRock Fatal1ty Z87 Professional Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-10-29 16:55:05 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Author: AkG @ Hardware Canucks
ASRock may have started out from humble beginnings by offering some oddball, relatively low quality motherboards but that ship has since been turned around. Over the last three years to so, they have quickly gained the respect of PC enthusiasts by offering a blend of features and performance at a price that is usually more palatable than the competition. The latest Fatal1ty Z87 Professional exemplifies many of these characteristics and while it is priced at $250, it is still a relatively good deal compared many other ‘gaming’ orientated motherboards.
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Review: MSI Z87 MPower LGA 1150 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-10-15 15:27:40 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Author: Daniel Dobrowolski @ HardOCP
The "M" series motherboards from MSI have gained a lot of recognition recently being an upper quality not-so-high-priced motherboard for the computer hardware enthusiast. However while MSI brings us some of the best hardware you’ll find on the current market seemingly goes a bit off course with firmware and software.
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Review: GIGABYTE Z87X-OC Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-10-15 14:29:10 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Ian Cutress @ AnandTech
Last generation saw a new type of product in motherboards: the cheap OC oriented SKU. At $200-250 we had a single option specifically designed for OC. This generation, we have several options around that price point, but the GIGABYTE Z87X-OC which we are reviewing today hits it on the nose, or even with a small discount to $186 from time to time.
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Review: EVGA X79 Dark Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-09-12 14:52:22 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Author: Dennis Garcia @ NinjaLane
In this review we will be looking at the EVGA X79 Dark. The Dark is the latest edition motherboard from EVGA that is specially designed for the enthusiast and their computer activities including custom system builds, multi gpu setups and any level of overclocking you can imagine.
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Review: ECS Z87H3-A2X Extreme Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-09-06 14:48:40 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Written By: Dan Stoltz @ Legit Reviews
The ECS L337 series of motherboards are the top tier boards from ECS. Today we just happen to have one of them to put through the paces and see how it’ll hold up. The ECS Z87H3-A2X Extreme motherboard is based on the latest Intel Z87 Express chipset for CPU’s in the LGA1150 package, more commonly known as the Haswell series of processors. The GANK Machine Z87H3-A2X is currently available for as little as $239.99. It may not be the lowest cost Intel Z87 motherboard out there, but there are a number of features that are included with the ECS Z87H3-A2X, let’t take a peek.
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Review: GIGABYTE Z87X-UD5H Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-08-06 15:25:18 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Author: MAC @ Hardware Canucks
Gigabyte’s new Z87X-UD5H may be targeted towards the upper end of the mid-range market but it incorporates features normally found on flagship models. But with such cutthroad competition among Haswell motherboards, will this be enough?
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Review: Upgrading from Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 to Core i7-4770K
Posted by Donster on: 2013-08-06 15:17:03 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Written By: Brian Nyhuis @ Legit Reviews
We all love doing computer upgrades, but sometimes we have to ask ourselves if a full system upgrade is worth it or necessary. There are times that you may only gain a small percentage of a performance boost, where there are other times that you gain significant increases. Today I am going to compare my original Intel Kentsfield CPU and X38 motherboard to a shiny new Haswell CPU and Z87 motherboard.
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Review: GIGABYTE Z87X-OC Force Overclocking Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-07-31 15:13:29 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Written By: Dan Stoltz @ Legit Reviews
Being one of the top tier manufacturers of computer parts, GIGABYTE isn't a new comer to the performance and overclocking scene. Today we have the latest entry from their OC Series of motherboards. It started with the X58A-OC a few years ago, and now we are on the Intel Z87 platform with the Z87X-OC Force! First glance at the board and specifications look promising! Will it hold true to first impressions? Read on to find out!
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Review: ASRock Z87 OC Formula/AC Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-07-26 15:02:03 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Ian Cutress @ AnandTech
When we tested the ASRock Z77 OC Formula, I described it as ‘the best ASRock motherboard I have ever tested’. Today we test the Z87 version to see if it can beat it.
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Review: MSI Z87 XPower Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-07-17 15:15:10 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Luke Hill @ KitGuru
MSI is aiming for all-out performance with its flagship LGA 1150 motherboard – the Z87 XPower. Can the 32 phase VRM, overclocking-orientated features, host of add-on controllers, and support for 4-way graphics configurations give MSI’s Z87 XPower motherboard success in the enthusiast sector?
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Review: MSI Z87-G43 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-07-11 15:04:43 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Stuart Davidson @ Hardware Heaven
Over the last month or so we have covered Intel's latest generation of CPUs in a number of ways from the initial CPU article, through system reviews and motherboard comparisons. In that last category we looked at MSI's Z77-G45 Gaming board and it scored well against a slightly cheaper offering from another manufacturer. Having seen that MSI felt they could compete really well with their G43 board so today we have that very product on our test bench to see how it compares.
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Review: ASUS Republic Of Gamers Maximus VI Hero Intel Z87 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-06-05 15:29:48 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Written By: Dan Stoltz @ Legit Reviews
ASUS is known for their quality, the Republic of Gamers motherboards and Graphics cards are known for an excessive amount of quality! Today we have one such board for you, the ASUS Republic of Gamers Maximus VI Hero Intel Z87 Motherboard. The ASUS ROG Maximus Hero is a Republic of Gamers board at a value price, well at least compared to other ROG motherboards. It retails well below the top branded ROG Maximus VI Extreme and will give those that couldn't get an ROG board before, the opportunity now! Read on to see how our first ASUS Z87 Motherboard does!
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Review: Gigabyte Z87X-UD3H Intel Z87 'Haswell' Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-06-03 16:07:23 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Written By: Dan Stoltz @ Legit Reviews
The Gigabyte Z87X-UD3H is going to be one of many Intel Z87 motherboards from Gigabyte and, at first look it might just be a winner! Though would we expect much else from Gigabyte? Before we start delving into the features of the Gigabyte Z87X-UD3H, it's worth noting that it will hit the streets with a MSRP of $179.99. The Gigabyte Z87X-UD3H isn't at the top of the Gigabyte Z87 product stack, but that doesn't mean that it wont be a great board. Join us as we look at our first Intel Z87 motherboard from Gigabyte!
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Review: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming vs. Gigabyte Z87-D3HP
Posted by Donster on: 2013-06-03 15:54:39 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Stuart Davidson @ Hardware Heaven
Today we take a look at two boards which look to offer a value option in the Z87 market while maintaining as many features as possible from high end products. First up is Gigabytes Z87-D3HP and then we have the MSI Z87-G45 Gaming. Both will be tested in a selection of synthetic and real world tests which include Crysis 3, Grid 2 and the brand new PCMark 8... all with the i7-4770K on board.
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Review: ASRock Fatal1ty X79 Champion Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-05-28 15:04:36 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Stuart Davidson @ Hardware Heaven
One of the more recent additions to the high end X79 market is ASRock's Fatal1ty X79 Champion motherboard. With a bunch of high end features such as enhanced on-board audio (including headphone amp) and support for quad SLI as well as the fastest CPUs around there is a lot to make this product worth more than a little consideration. So today we take a look at the Fatal1ty X79 Champion board.
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Review: MSI Z77A-GD65 Gaming LGA 1155 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-05-14 14:58:14 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Author: Daniel Dobrowolski @ HardOCP
MSI enters the "gaming" motherboard market segment, albeit a lot later than many of its competitors. The GD65 series of motherboards from MSI has been a longtime favorite of ours and are easily some of the best motherboards that MSI has produced in the last few years. Does the GD-65 Gaming live up to the legacy of the GD-65 moniker?
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Review: ASRock 990FX Extreme 9 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-04-09 14:40:57 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Kenny @ PureOC
When it comes to looking for an AMD motherboard with the 990FX chipset, there are few new options right now. The 990FX chipset from AMD has been around for more then a few years now and we have recently only seen manufacturers doing revisions to the existing chipset boards. We are unsure on when the launch of a possible new chipset will be for AMD so for now it looks like it will remain at the top. Today we will take a look at one of the newest of these current top-tier motherboards, the ASRock 990FX Extreme 9. ASRock's previous top motherboard was the Fatal1ty 990FX Professional. How will this board stack up with today's new FX series processors and the piledriver architecture? We will put that to the test.
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Review: ASRock Z77 OC Formula Motherboard - Living In The Fast Lane
Posted by Donster on: 2013-01-17 14:59:40 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Ian Cutress @ AnandTech
Enthusiasts and speed freaks are always looking for an edge – a little something that will help push their gear that little bit faster. There is already a market for pre-overclocked GPUs and now SSDs are coming with internal RAID to push the boat over the SATA connections. These require little-to-no knowledge of overclocking and are essentially plug and play. When it comes to pushing GPUs higher, and motherboards, we get a dichotomous nature of ‘easy to OC’ against ‘advanced options to push the limits’. In order to meet these two markets, the top four motherboard manufacturers have all come out with their respective weapons for Z77 and Ivy Bridge, aiming for either ~$220 or ~$380, and all of them have broken overclocking records at one stage or another since their release. First up on our battle bridge is the ASRock Z77 OC Formula, designed by ASRock’s in-house overclocker Nick Shih, and commands a paltry $240 for all the goodies.
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Review: ASUS Maximus V Extreme Z77 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2013-01-10 15:08:58 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Author: Daniel Dobrowolski @ HardOCP
The Maximus V Extreme falls in line with ASUS' latest design philosophies and succeeds the older Maximus IV Extreme which was introduced during the P67 Express chipset days when the Core i7 2600K was the top end LGA1155 CPU. The last iteration of the Maximus was an absolutely incredible motherboard and like all ROG boards has big shoes to fill.
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Review: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP7 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-10-19 15:27:12 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By James Baranski @ PureOC
Halloween is coming soon and the eerie light of the moon shines down upon the tech-world. The sounds of howling wolves fill the air. Children dance in the pumpkin patch, and everyone is anxious to go trick or treating. Even the computer enthusiasts are hoping for a special treat. What better treat could there be than a really special motherboard?
That’s exactly what we have today. Halloween is bearing down on us, and we have a special treat review in store today. Gigabyte has released their newest motherboard named the GA-Z77X-UP7, and by the look of things, they have brought some real cool Halloween colors into the mix. Is this a coincidence? Probably. However, we certainly appreciate the synergy. Regardless of the season, this new look is great, and the features of the board are massive, so let’s see what it can do!
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Review: Gigabyte X79S-UP5 WiFi Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-09-07 15:36:05 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Ian Cutress @ AnandTech
As part of the Computex 2012 show, Gigabyte demonstrated to us their new version of Ultra Durable. This fifth iteration of their power delivery combines their previous features with a new phase from International Rectifier, which is marketed to offer up to a 60°C lower temperature than traditional MOSFET solutions. Initially this new design is being paired with six motherboards, all designated with UP rather than UD in the name. The first of these we have in is the X79X-UP5 WiFi, which combines Ultra Durable 5 with the C606 chipset. The C606 chipset is the server version of the X79 chipset, which enables increased IO and up to eight SAS ports. Read on for the analysis and review.
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Review: ASRock X79 Extreme11 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-09-04 16:23:53 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Ian Cutress @ AnandTech
The end of summer marks the start of the X79 refresh line. We are, at best estimates, coming up to half-way in the Sandy Bridge-E life as the top of the line processor range before Ivy Bridge-E comes to market. Both chips will be expected to run on X79 and the next chipset. But in the meantime, manufacturers are coming up with ways to reinvigorate their X79 line up. So insert ASRock, and the ASRock X79 Extreme11. This motherboard comes with two PLX PEX 8747 chips, making up to 72 PCIe lanes available. This are split into 64 for the PCIe slots (x16/x16/x16/x16 capable), and eight are directed to an LSI SAS 2308 PCIe 3.0 chip, which allows RAID 0, 1 and 10 on eight SATA ports, for a peak throughput of up to 4.0 GBps from eight drives in RAID-0. Read on for the full review.
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Review: MSI Big Bang Z77 Mpower Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-08-30 16:04:09 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By: Hilbert Hagedoorn @ GURU3D
Today we test the Z77 MPower version, which as you'll notice is a pleasant upgrade from their Z77A-GD65 motherboard -- yet with an improved CPU VRM, more friendly warranties and a new black and yellow color-scheme which merges the Lightning series graphics cards and these motherboards a little closer together. Have a peek at what was just released, this is the MSI Big Bang Z77 MPower motherboard. You just have to be impressed by the overall looks ...
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Review: ASUS P8Z77-V Premium Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-08-14 15:21:31 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Ian Cutress @ AnandTech
In the car industry, there is a large variety of cars to choose from - both the cheap and the expensive will get you from A to B, but in various amounts of luxury, with different engines and features under the hood. In comparison the motherboard industry, we have nothing like this - products are built to specifications and have to remain price competitive. Very rarely do we get a price competitive motherboard with a ton of features that also stretches the wallet in the same way a luxury car might do. For this analogy, we have the P8Z77-V Premium from ASUS to review, which comes in at $450 MSRP, but features Thunderbolt connectivity, dual Intel NIC, an onboard 32GB mSATA SSD, a PLX chip for 4-way PCIe devices, onboard WiFi, Bluetooth, and extra SATA/USB ports.
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Review: Biostar TZ77XE4 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-07-24 15:32:20 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Ian Cutress @ AnandTech
Biostar have always been on the radar for motherboard builders, occupying that niche of ‘bang-for-buck’ if your wallet is looking a little empty this month. In the grand scheme of things they usually do okay, perhaps a little imperfect in the design or not exactly the premium BIOS and software package we have come to expect from top-tier motherboard manufacturers, but today we look at one of their Z77 range, the Biostar TZ77XE4. Visually in orange, it provides something different, but is that true of the whole package? Read on to find out more.
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Review: Gigabyte G1.Sniper3 Z77 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-07-17 15:32:53 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Seth Colaner @ HotHardware
Over the last few months, we have looked at plenty of Z77 based motherboards here at HH, covering a wide range of price points. But today we dive deep into one of the higher-end models available, the Gigabyte G1.Sniper3.
The Gigabyte G1.Sniper3 supports Sandy and Ivy Bridge LGA 1155 processors and features support for up to 32GB of DDR3-2066 (OC) system memory. As a gaming motherboard, Gigabyte saw fit to include support for up to 4-way SLI and CrossFireX (up to PCI-E x8 with four cards and PCI-E x16 with two), Creative Labs audio, and a Killer NIC too...
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Review: EVGA Z77 FTW Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-07-12 15:44:43 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By: Hilbert Hagedoorn @ GURU3D
We review the EVGA Z77 FTW motherboard. As always EVGA separates itself from the herd by manufacturing a motherboards that might not be the most pleasing one to the eyes, but does make technology that will raise the heartbeat of many enthusiast PC aficionado's. The motherboard also comes with triple BIOS, Clear CMOS, Power and Reset buttons. Along with its 100% solid state capacitors, EVGA Dummy OC tech and EVGA E-LEET Tuning support. 5 x16 PCie slots -- that will boil down to four x8 gen 3.0 with an added PLX (+16 lanes Gen 3.0) chip so the board also supports quad SLI and Crossfire. Aimed and priced at roughly 329 USD/300 EUR the board really is keen to get us all interested.
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Review: Z77 Mobo Roundup II: EVGA, ASRock, Gigabyte, Zotac
Posted by Donster on: 2012-06-28 16:17:29 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Seth Colaner @ HotHardware
This round of Z77 mainboards consists of entries from ASRock, EVGA, Gigabyte, and Zotac. To date, the EVGA Z77 FTW and Zotac Z77-ITX WiFi we're going to show you here are the only Z77 boards from their respective companies (though more are surely on the way), while the ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional and Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H are high-end offerings, although not quite at the tip top of their respective product line-ups.
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Review: ASRock Z77 Extreme9 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-05-23 15:24:20 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By AFQ @ Maximum-Tech
ASRock Z77 Extreme9 is company’s flagship motherboard. It supports all LGA 1155 socket processors and comes with many nifty features like 4-Way SLI and CrossfireX support, WiFi, Bluetooth and ASRock XFast 555. Along with all that, it also comes with a huge price tag which can put a big hole in your pocket. We test it to its core to see if its worth that big hole in your pocket.
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Review: MSI Z77A GD80 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-05-22 15:56:54 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By: Hilbert Hagedoorn @ GURU3D
We review the MSI Z77A GD80 motherboard. Albeit the GD80 shares 95% of the DNA of the GD65 it comes with one feature that some of you will be very interested in, a ThunderBolt controller. So have a peek at what was just released, this is the MSI Z77A-GD80 motherboard.
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Review: MSI Z77A-GD65 LGA1155 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-05-17 16:02:29 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Author: Daniel Dobrowolski @ HardOCP
MSI has been on a roll with its motherboards as of late. It’s because of this that our expectations for MSI’s foray into the world of Z77 chipset based motherboards are so high. MSI’s "GD65" series of motherboards have been an especially solid value and the Z77A-GD65 looks to be no different.
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Review: ASUS P8Z77-V LGA1155 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-05-07 16:01:43 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Written by George Cella @ HiTech Legion
The ASUS P8Z77-V sits dead in the middle of the new V series, sporting top quality components across the board and a plethora of truly useful features. While the ASUS P8Z77-V boasts many enthusiast class qualities, such as DDR3-2600 capabilities with T-Topology, tri-SLI/Crossfire and quad GPU capable PCIe 3.0, LucidLogix VirtuMVP, Smart DIGI+ VRM with dual processors and Intel and Asmedia SATA III and USB 3.0 controllers. It also offers great usability and features for other segments. Built in Wi-Fi b/g/n with access point capabilities and ASUS’ new Wi-Fi GO! with DLNA server capabilities and remote device capabilities make the P8Z77-V a natural fit for entertainment. To add to this, 7.1 audio with optical out features DTS enhancements, and HDMI/Display Port/VGA/DVI outputs make the P8Z77-V a multimedia powerhouse. To make transferring your media files easier, ASUS’ USB 3.0 Boost with UASP capabilities increase transfer rates up to 170%, while USB Charger+ will keep smart devices charged at 3x charge rate. Business and SOHO users will surely appreciate the inclusion of COM and TPM headers, as well as 6 USB 3.0 and 10 USB 2.0 ports. Tuners and tweakers will appreciate the security of USB BIOS Flashback, while all will appreciate the cooling and silence flexibility of ASUS’ new Fan Expert 2. The ASUS P8Z77-V has the features to fit well in almost any environment and do it well, from hardcore gamer to energy conscious office user.
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Review: Intel Z77 Chipset Launch Roundup
Posted by Donster on: 2012-04-10 16:31:20 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Intel Z77 Chipset Launch Featuring ASRock, ASUS, ECS, Intel and MSI
By Stuart Davidson @ Hardware Heaven
Today we have the official Z77 launch and can talk about the boards based upon it without restrictions. So we have gathered a bundle from ASRock, ASUS, ECS, Intel and MSI to compare and find out which offers the best features and performance on Intels new chipset.
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Review: 990FX Motherboard Roundup with Thuban and Bulldozer
Posted by Donster on: 2012-04-05 15:12:30 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
A Second Wind for ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI and Biostar
By Ian Cutress @ AnandTech
Ever since the launch of the Bulldozer range and 9-series motherboards, the initial reviews of the processors were not encouraging to say the least. Since then, AMD has decided to pull out of the enthusiast end of the CPU market, to focus in on the mainstream and low power processors. This is despite the fact that Windows 7 (and Windows 8, natively) is now receiving updates so the operating system can understand the processor architecture a little better, and hopefully boost performance. This gives a second wind to those owning (or thinking of owning) a Bulldozer based processor, and in turn, a 900-series motherboard. With the updates in hand, today we are looking at five 990FX boards that may feature on the consumer or system builders’ radar.
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Review: GIGABYTE X79-UD5 LGA2011 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-03-28 15:28:01 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Author: MAC @ HardwareCanucks
Unlike some of the ultra-pricey X79 motherboards that we have reviewed so far, the GIGABYTE X79-UD5 carries a fairly reasonable price tag, yet still has an exhaustive specs list. Does it come short in any area? We find out in this review.
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Review: MSI Z77A-GD55 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-03-05 15:48:38 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
By Stuart Davidson @ Hardware Heaven
One of the first manufacturers to demonstrate a board based on Intel's latest chipset is MSI and we have their mainstream and enthusiast orientated Z77A-GD55 on our test bench today. We will take a detailed look at the performance, including multi-GPU 7900 series gaming, USB 3.0, PCIe, SATA 3.0 and overclocking to find out how it compares with the Z68.
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Review: ASRock X79 Extreme9 LGA 2011 Motherboard
Posted by Donster on: 2012-02-09 16:11:41 in category: Motherboards [ Print ]
Author: Daniel Dobrowolski @ HardOCP
Our experiences around here with ASRock haven’t been the best. Though the last one we tested actually did really well. As a result of our great experiences with the Extreme4 we can only hope the ASRock X79 Extreme9 follows suit. The Extreme9 is ASRock's most expensive Sandy Bridge E motherboard, we hope it acts like it.
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