ECS launches Golden Limited Edition Z77 motherboards

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) in a grand launch in Mumbai, introduced their Golden Limited Edition Z77H2-AX & Z77H2-A2X motherboards. Available in two models - Z77H2-AX and Z77H2-A2X, these boards are the top-of-the-line motherboards in the ECS Black Extreme Series and are designed for hardcore enthusiasts in mind. 


The ECS Z77 Black Extreme Series - Golden Limited Edition features triple-thickness gold plated connectors and has passed the strictest quality tests, giving power users the security that the gold plating won't wear out after extensive component upgrades, safe guarding the board from the threat of corrosion. The Z77H2-AX and Z77H2-A2X models are already available worldwide.


Each of these high-end Z77 Black Extreme Series - Golden Limited Edition motherboards is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity personally signed by the Director of Research and Development of ECS. The individually-numbered, handcrafted motherboards are outfitted in cool black with dazzling gold plated key components, giving both the Z77H2-AX and Z77H2-A2X a sophisticated and classy appearance.


Key features include, ATI CrossFireX and Nvidia SLI graphics support with next generation PCI Express 3.0 to achieve the ultimate in 3D gaming performance and visual quality, Qool Tech IV visible temperature technology to protect your valuable PC components. On the launch of the gold motherboard, Rajesh Goenka, Vice President (Sales & Marketing, Rashi Peripherals, India) said, “ECS 15u gold contact is the technology with excellent gold plating on CPU pins, memory sockets and PCI express slots offering system stability add more plug-in opportunity.


Golden components provide best anti-oxidation, anti-rust and anti-moisture protection.” ECS weren’t kidding around about the gold as almost everything is gold plated, including the heatsinks near the VRM area, the socket itself, all the solid state capacitors, the rear panel, etc. 


That’s a lot of bling, even for Liberace! As for the pricing, don’t expect this to come cheap obviously and if you are considering buying one then you better get in line quick, as they are in limited quantities.


Source: Tech2

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MSI makes use of Intel's Z77 Thunderbolt support

Motherboard Maker MSI has released its first Thunderbolt motherboard based on Intel's Z77 chipset.

Intel's Z77 Panther Point chipset has largely the same features as its Z68 chipset, however one startling addition was support for two Thunderbolt channels. Intel told journalists that it didn't expect many motherboard vendors to make use of this, but MSI has with its Z77A-GD80 motherboard.

MSI's Z77A-GD80 motherboard is, for the most part, a bog standard Z77 motherboard with support for Intel's Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge LGA1155 processors, four DIMM sockets, three PCI Express Gen 3 slots supporting three-way Crossfire and two-way SLI, plus four SATA3 ports and four SATA2 ports. However the firm's standout feature is the 10Gbit/s Thunderbolt controller it has tacked on.

Intel's Thunderbolt technology has been implemented by Apple and while few other vendors have gone down this route so far, it is likely that the Z77 marks a push by Intel to move the technology away from just being seen as an Apple exclusive. Intel's 10Gbit/s Thunderbolt interface that uses the PCI-Express bus can be used to drive monitors or storage devices, but there are relatively few of either around at the moment, so MSI also includes mini-Displayport, HDMI and D-Sub video outputs.

MSI's stab at bundling Thunderbolt in its Z77A-GD80 motherboard is commendable, as the interface is particularly useful for mass storage devices, but without motherboard makers supporting it, devices are likely to remain rare and cost a considerable premium over ones that use USB.

Source: Theinquirer

Tags: Motherboards, MSI, Z77, Ivy Bridge

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Biostar'sTZ75B Motherboard is Ready to Cross Intel's Ivy Bridge

Before you go crossing over Intel's Ivy Bridge, which the Santa Clara chip maker is ever-so-close to laying down, you have to make sure you have all your ducks in a row. It starts with the proper foundation, and if you're still shopping a compatible motherboard, Biostar hopes you'll give its brand-spanking-new TZ75B motherboard more than just a passing glance.

The TZ75B is a socket LGA 1155 motherboard built on top of Intel's Z75 chipset. That means it's ready to rock and roll with upcoming 22nm Ivy Bridge processors. It also means native SuperSpeed USB 3.0 support, as opposed to previous chipsets, which relied on third-party USB 3.0 chips from companies like NEC and Marvell.

Biostar built the TZ75B using a 6-phase VRM power design and high quality components like 100 percent solid capacitors. Feature highlights include four DDR3 DIMM slots with support for up to 32GB of 2133MHz (OC) memory, a single PCI-E x16 3.0 slot, a PCI-E x16 2.0 slot, two PCI-E x1 2.0 slots, a pair of old school PCI slots, four SATA 3Gbps connectors, two SATA 6Gbps connectors, RAID 0/1/5/10 support, 10/100/1000 LAN, and various other odds and ends.

"The board also supports the new BIOS with the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI BIOS) which delivers flexibility and simplicity of tuning thanks to a clear graphics interface," Biostar says. "Like all modern Biostar boards, the TZ75B comes with the maximum suite of utilities for simple tuning, overclocking and running."

Biostar neglected to mention how much the board will cost or when it will ship.

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Asrock Z77 Extreme6 Socket 1155 Motherboard

Introduction to the Asrock Z77 Extreme6 Socket 1155 Motherboard

Well the time has come. It is like Christmas time for many. Santa has delivered a brand new toy. In this case it is Christmas in April. Santa is Intel. And the elves are every motherboard manufacturer on the planet. The gifts contain motherboards with the brand new Panther Point Z77 chipset. Definitely just what the kiddies have been waiting for.

The new chipset brings new features and vast improvements of others. One of the featured improvements would be to the PCIe lanes as the new chipset has been upgraded to PCIe 3.0 compliances and speeds. But we are still limited to just sixteen of them. There are many more attributes we will talk about but figured I will just hit you with one for now.

Asrock wants to remain in the mouths of buyers after the successful release of the X79 Extreme9. And in order to do you they would have to put out another great board. And we do believe they have done so with the upcoming Z77 Extreme6. Looking at it for the first time all I could think about was the X79. A awesome looking motherboard with features galore. But with all the new motherboards being released is this a keeper? We will see.

Specifications

CPU	- Supports 3rd and 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7 / i5 / i3 in LGA1155 Package - Digi Power Design - 8 + 4 Power Phase Design - Supports Intel® Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology - Supports Intel® K-Series unlocked CPU - Supports Hyper-Threading Technology
Chipset	- Intel® Z77 - Supports Intel® Rapid Start Technology and Smart Connect Technology *Intel® Rapid Start Technology and Smart Connect Technology are only supported under Windows® 7 OS or later versions.
Memory	- Dual Channel DDR3 memory technology - 4 x DDR3 DIMM slots - Supports DDR3 2800+(OC)/2400(OC)/2133(OC)/1866(OC)/1600/1333/1066 non-ECC, un-buffered memory - Max. capacity of system memory: 32GB* - Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) 1.3 / 1.2 *Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size may be less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows® 32-bit OS. For Windows® 64-bit OS with 64-bit CPU, there is no such limitation.
BIOS	- 64Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with GUI support - Supports "Plug and Play" - ACPI 1.1 Compliance Wake Up Events - Supports jumperfree - SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support - CPU Core, IGPU, DRAM, 1.8V PLL, VTT, VCCSA Voltage Multi-adjustment
Audio, Video and Networking
Graphics	- Supports Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals : Intel® Quick Sync Video 2.0, Intel® InTru™ 3D, Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, Intel® Insider™, Intel® HD Graphics 2500/4000 - Pixel Shader 5.0, DirectX 11 with Intel® 22nm CPU. Pixel Shader 4.1, DirectX 10.1 with Intel® Sandy Bridge CPU. - Max. shared memory 1760MB - Multi VGA Output options: D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort - Supports HDMI 1.4a Technology with max. resolution up to 1920x1200 @ 60Hz - Supports DVI with max. resolution up to 1920x1200 @ 60Hz - Supports D-Sub with max. resolution up to 2048x1536 @ 75Hz - Supports DisplayPort with max. resolution up to 2560x1600 @ 60Hz - Supports Auto Lip Sync, Deep Color (12bpc), xvYCC and HBR (High Bit Rate Audio) with HDMI (Compliant HDMI monitor is required) - Supports HDCP function with DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort ports - Supports Full HD 1080p Blu-ray (BD) / HD-DVD playback with DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort ports *Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals and the VGA outputs can be supported only with processors which are GPU integrated. **Due to chipset limitation, the Blu-ray playback of Intel® HD Graphics is only supported under Windows® Vista™ and Windows® 7. ***Intel® InTru™ 3D is only supported under Windows® 7 and Windows® 7 x64.
Audio	- 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC898 Audio Codec) - Premium Blu-ray audio support - Supports THX TruStudio™
LAN	- PCIE x1 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s - Broadcom BCM57781 - Supports Wake-On-LAN - Supports Energy Efficient Ethernet 802.3az - Supports PXE
Expansion / Connectivity
Slots	- 2 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots (PCIE2/PCIE4: single at x16 (PCIE2) / x8 (PCIE4) or dual at x8/x8 mode) - 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot (PCIE5: x4 mode) - 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slot - 1 x mini-PCI Express slot - 2 x PCI slots - Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX™ , 3-Way CrossFireX™ and CrossFireX™ - Supports NVIDIA® Quad SLI™ and SLI™ *PCIe Gen3 is supported on 3rd Generation of Intel® Core™ i5 and Core™ i7 CPUs.
SATA3	- 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by Intel® Z77, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10, RAID 5, Intel® Rapid Storage and Intel® Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and "Hot Plug" functions - 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by ASMedia ASM1061, support NCQ, AHCI and "Hot Plug" functions (SATA3_A2 connector is shared with eSATA3 port)
USB 3.0	- 2 x Rear USB 3.0 ports by Intel® Z77, support USB 1.0/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s - 2 x Rear USB 3.0 ports by Etron EJ168A, support USB 1.0/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s - 1 x Front USB 3.0 header by Intel® Z77 (supports 2 USB 3.0 ports), supports USB 1.0/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s
Connector	- 4 x SATA2 3.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, Intel® Rapid Storage and Intel® Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug functions - 4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors - 1 x Floppy connector - 1 x IR header - 1 x CIR header - 1 x COM port header - 1 x HDMI_SPDIF header - 1 x IEEE 1394 header - 1 x Power LED header - CPU/Chassis/Power FAN connector - 24 pin ATX power connector - 8 pin 12V power connector - SLI/XFire power connector - Front panel audio connector - 3 x USB 2.0 headers (support 6 USB 2.0 ports) - 1 x USB 3.0 header (supports 2 USB 3.0 ports) - 1 x Dr. Debug with LED
Rear Panel I/O	I/O Panel - 1 x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port - 1 x D-Sub Port - 1 x DVI-D Port - 1 x HDMI Port - 1 x DisplayPort - 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port - 2 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports - 1 x eSATA3 Connector - 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 3.0 Ports - 1 x RJ-45 LAN Ports with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED LED) - 1 x IEEE 1394 Port - 1 x Clear CMOS Switch with LED - HD Audio Jack: Rear Speaker / Central / Bass / Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone
Other Features / Miscellaneous
Unique Feature	- ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU) - ASRock Instant Boot - ASRock Instant Flash - ASRock APP Charger - ASRock SmartView - ASRock XFast USB - ASRock XFast LAN - ASRock XFast RAM - ASRock Crashless BIOS - ASRock OMG (Online Management Guard) - ASRock Internet Flash - Lucid Virtu Universal MVP - Hybrid Booster: - CPU Frequency Stepless Control - ASRock U-COP - Boot Failure Guard (B.F.G.) - Combo Cooler Option (C.C.O.) - Good Night LED *Lucid Virtu Universal MVP can be supported only with processors which are GPU integrated. **LucidLogix Virtu MVP is only supported under Windows® 7 OS or later versions.
Smart Switch	- 1 x Power Switch with LED - 1 x Reset Switch with LED - 1 x Clear CMOS Switch with LED
Support CD	- Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version), CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, ASRock MAGIX Multimedia Suite - OEM
Accessories	- 1 x ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card - Quick Installation Guide, Support CD, I/O Shield - 4 x SATA Data Cables (optional) - 1 x Front USB 3.0 Panel - 4 x HDD Screws - 6 x Chassis Screws - 1 x Rear USB 3.0 Bracket
Hardware Monitor	- CPU Temperature Sensing - Chassis Temperature Sensing - CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Tachometer - CPU/Chassis Quiet Fan (Allow Chassis Fan Speed Auto-Adjust by CPU Temperature) - CPU/Chassis Fan Multi-Speed Control - Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, CPU Vcore
Form Factor	- ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 9.6-in, 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm - Premium Gold Capacitor design (100% Japan-made high-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors)
OS	- Microsoft® Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista™ / Vista™ 64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit compliant
Certifications	- FCC, CE, WHQL - ErP/EuP Ready (ErP/EuP ready power supply is required)

Features

• Premium Gold Caps
• Digi Power Design, 8 + 4 Power Phase Design
• Supports Dual Channel DDR3 2800+(OC)
• 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 Slots, 1 x mini-PCI Express slot
• Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX™, CrossFireX™ and NVIDIA® Quad SLI™, SLI™
• PCIE Gigabit LAN
• Supports Intel® HD Graphics with Built-in Visuals
• Multi VGA Output options: D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort
• Combo Cooler Option (C.C.O.)
• 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC898 Audio Codec), Supports THX TruStudio™
• Supports ASRock XFast RAM, XFast LAN, XFast USB, OMG, Internet Flash, UEFI System Browser
• Supports Intel® Smart Connect, Intel® Rapid Start, Lucid Virtu Universal MVP
• Free Bundle : 1 x Front USB 3.0 Panel, 1 x Rear USB 3.0 Bracket, CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, ASRock MAGIX Multimedia Suite.

Closer look

Right off the bat Asrock is offering seven motherboards based off the Z77 chipset. Three under the Fatal1ty branding Pro, Pro-M and Performance, three within the Extreme series (6, 4 and 4-M) and a Pro-M. M in the title reflects the motherboard is mATX in size.

We will be taking a look at the Extreme6 which is looking to be the overclocking favorite of the series. And just like the Extreme9 we reviewed it also shared the new look in heat sinks, several PCIe 16x slots and a host of other features like gold Japanese caps and a power phase setup for good overclocks.

First of all, we are delighted to tell you that the Z77 does support the current Sandy Bridge processors i.e. 2700K, 2600K and so on down the line. But it also supports the soon to be here Ivy Bridge processors which we cannot discuss as of now. For those sitting on the P67 and Z68 chipsets may find it hard to upgrade to the Z77. Many may not find the new or updated featured worth the time and effect.

If you feel that you own a good enough cooler from your socket 775 days then you are in luck. Just like on the P67 and Z68 motherboards Asrock allows for a easy transaction to the new motherboard which will accommodate your older cooler. Asrock calls this feature Combo Cooler Option or C.C.O.

Look any great motherboard the PCIe slots are plentiful. And it has to be in order to be considered a gamers’ dream. There are a lot of three of them on the Extreme6. When a single GPU is used you are blessed with a full x16 bandwidth. Once a second card is introduced the bandwidth becomes x8/x8. The last slot operated from the chipset at x4. Both SLI and Crossfire setups are supported.

Between the two top PCIe slots is an mSATA connector. This connector can be used for several different devices but we see it being used more for an mSATA connected solid state drive. And with that being said the user can take advantage of the cache feature of the chipset.

Just like the Z68 chipset, the Z77 only supports two SATA III and four SATA II ports. And additional ports will be motored along from a separate controller. The third and forth SATA III ports on the Extreme6 are supported by an ASMedia ASM1061 controller. Only the Intel-based ports support RAID in any form.

The Extreme6 supports 32GB through four DIMM supports. The current Sandy Bridge supports memory naively up to 1333MHz which the Ivy Bridge chips are rumored to be up to 1600MHz. The motherboard itself supports up to 2800MHz DDR3.

The Extreme uses a digital Digi Power Design phase power as they call it. The design is suppose to allow better and cleaner distribution of power to the CPU, memory and PCIe slots. The configuration is an 8+4 arrangement. This means eight phases dedicated to the CPU voltage while two are geared towards memory and the last two towards the slots of the motherboard.

The board offers an onboard power and reset switches but the CLR CMOS button is located on the rear I/O panel.

• PS/2 (mouse/KB)
• 6x USB ports (2x USB 2.0 & 4x USB3.0, Intel Z77 & Etron EJ168A)
• 1x Firewire (VIA VT6315N)
• 1x eSATA (Marvell 88SE9172)
• 1x LAN port (Broadcom BCM57781)
• 7.1 channel audio (Realtek ALC898)
• 4x Graphic ports (DVI, VGA, HDMI, DisplayPort)
• 1x CLR CMOS

Testing Setup

Test Hardware:
Motherboard: Asrock Z77 Extreme6
Processor: Intel Core i5 2500K
Ram: Crucial Ballistix 8GB (XMP Profile 1)
Video Card: ASUS Nvidia GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores
HDD: Hitachi 1TB
Power: Thermaltake Tough Power XT 850 (Sponsored by Thermaltake)
Case: NA
Cooling: Scythe Yasya
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 64-bit
Thermal compound: Arctic Silver 5

Test Software:
wPrime
Futuremark PCMark Vantage
SiSoftware Sandra 2011
Super PI Modded 1.5
Geekbench 2.2.7
PiFast

Overclocking

I cannot tell you just how an Ivy Bridge processor overclocks as I was not fortunate enough to receive one. And if I did I still couldn’t tell you as the official date have not arrived to tell that type of information. But I can tell you how the Sandy Bridge processor does it.

We all know that the Sandy Bridge has very little play when it comes to upping the BCLK frequency. This was something we knew about before the processor was even release. So, that being the case we have to rely on the changing of the CPU ratio and playing with the voltage to get the desired results we want. The results are also governed by Intel and your luck on CPU selection.

Overclocking Results

The overclocking aspect of the Extreme6 was okay but not great. With a bump in voltage to 1.45v in the BIOS we was only able to manage 4.5GHz when this particular CPU has done 4.7GHz in the past. The board does post at 4.6 but was unstable and at 4.7 we got on post at all. Maybe updates in the BIOS will allow for better overclocking in the future.

Conclusion

The Asrock Extreme6 is designed and aimed to the individual looking for something better than average but not quite super high end. The motherboard provides a lot of the look that we loved in the X79 Extreme9 which targets people looking for everything in a motherboard. The black and gold theme is great to the eyes, cooling is more than adequate for anyone looking to buy the board including overclockers and more than enough PCIe slot to build a gaming powerhouse.

With the help of the Z77 chipset the Extreme6 helps to support features than the Z68 and P67. Are the added features worthy of the upgrade from the previous Intel chipset? Honestly, that is totally up to the individual. Features like Intel Smart Connect Technology which allows the system to wake from a low power mode and update programs and return to the lesser mode. Or Intel Rapid Start Technology which allows the system to wake from a hibernate mode quicker than before.

The Extreme6 promises to be a pretty good motherboard. The overclocking abilities could use some help with new BIOSs. But overallwe were very pleased with the board. Reason being multiple GPU support, all the new features in the Z77 chipset is present and [retty damn well made.

Stay tuned for more from the Extreme6 in a few weeks ...

Source:http://pro-clockers.com

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Asus launches Maximus V Gene Z77-based motherboard

In its fifth successive generation, ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamers) has launched its Maximus V Series motherboards with the Maximus V GENE. This micro ATX powerhouse is built using the latest Intel Z77 chipset, which supports Intel 3rd and 2nd Generation LGA1155 processors and PCI-Express Gen-3 for single or multi-GPU. The Republic of Gamers team has endeared the black and red-styled Maximus V GENE with exclusive features, such as the Extreme Engine DIGI+ II, SupremeFX III gaming audio, Intel Ethernet with ROG GameFirst and the newly added mPCIe Combo card. The board is priced at Rs.15,350, excluding taxes.

The mPCIe Combo card is a new innovation by the ROG team, combining the twin functions of mPCIe with mSATA into a single, extensible add-in card that still allows full use of the PCI-Express slots for multi-GPU graphics. With the addition of an mSATA SSD for use with Intel Smart Response Technology or simply installing the entire OS, this frees up standard SATA ports for other uses. The combination of a standard mPCIe socket on the other side allows unique upgrades such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G/4G, GPS and other connectivity. The Maximus V GENE is true to the Republic of Gamers core, as a motherboard built for overclocking. Featuring the upgraded Extreme Engine DIGI+ II that includes 8+4+2 phase (CPU, iGPU, DRAM) and precise digital power control from two DIGI+ controllers combined with ROG UEFI BIOS functions, such as the new pre-configured memory IC profiles, yield a fantastic overclocking experience for enthusiasts. Its 10k Black Metallic capacitors offer a 5x longer lifespan with 10k hours at 105C, and 20 percent better low temperature endurance – specifically selected for extreme cooling scenarios.

The DRAM trace layout has also been further optimized over the previous Maximus IV generation to allow even higher frequencies as well. Designed to bring gamers the best possible integrated audio, the SupremeFX III sound is a wholly separate sound PCB, identified by its ‘redline’ adjoining the main GENE motherboard. SupremeFX Shielding technology maximizes the audio quality by further isolating the audio processing from EMI, encasing the chipset under an aluminum cap. Combined with a large 1500uF buffer capacitor to provide sufficient energy to even the loudest sounds, SupremeFX III attains a lossless audio of up to 110dB SNR.

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EVGA Z77 FTW flagship LGA 1155 motherboard announced

Plenty of Ivy Bridge overclocking headroom

As many Intel hardware enthusiasts are well aware of, yesterday and today mark the company's official 24-hour debut of its flagship Z77 mainstream chipset based on Socket LGA 1155. Of course, the reason why the launch spans two days is because it fell on Easter Sunday, a day which many businesses around the world were closed and therefore unable to get their greedy capitalist hands around prospective dollars surrounding new Z77-based motherboard products.

Nevertheless, EVGA in Orange County, Southern California has just announced its first motherboard powered by the Z77 chipset, dubbed the EVGA Z77 FTW (151-IB-E699-KR). This is the company's flagship Z77 board, denoted by its "For The Win" branding, and features support for both second-gen 32nm Sandy Bridge and third-gen 22nm Ivy Bridge mainstream chips based on Socket LGA 1155.

In particular, the EVGA Z77 FTW supports up to 32GB of DDR3 2133MHz+ memory on four slots, includes five PCI-Express x16 / x8 slots (supporting Nvidia 2-way, 3-way, 4-way SLI plus PhysX or CrossFireX), one PCI-Express x1 slot, four SATA III 6Gbps ports, four SATA II 3Gbps ports, six USB 3.0 ports (four from Intel Z77 PCH, two from ASMedia ASM1042), two E-SATA ports and two Marvell Gigabit Ethernet ports.

The board is currently available for pre-order directly from EVGA's site for $329.99, and we definitely expect those pre-orders to sell out as quickly as possible considering the massive demand for this new flagship LGA 1155 chipset.

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Intel “DZ77GA-70K” Z77 Ivy Bridge motherboard pictured

As we know from the last couple of generations of Intel chipsets, Intel likes to make its own motherboards. Z77 will bring no exceptions, The Intel DZ77FA-70K is an LGA 1155 Z77 based motherboard. The DZ77FA-70K is an exact replica of the DZ77RE-75K except that the former lacks Thunderbolt support whilst the latter is equipped with the latest Cactus Ridge Thunderbolt controller. Intel has provided two PCI Express Gen 3 slots along with a couple of legacy PCI slots, some PCI Express Gen 2 1X and 4X slots to finish things off. SATA wise it looks like there will be eight SATA ports, 4 SATA III and 4 SATA II. 2 of those SATA III ports are provided by a Marvell controller. There is also a PLX PCI Express bridge chip as the Z77 doesn’t provide http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifenough lanes to support all the PCI Express connectivity Intel has added to this board.

On the motherboard Intel has included a power and reset button, ideal for those using this on a test bench. There are also some diagnostic LEDs for users to play with in addition to four 4 pin PWM fan headers. The VRM is reportedly 10 phase for the CPU with another 2 phases for the integrate graphics. The VRM and Z77 chipsets are both covered by Intel blue heat sinks. Intel will also supply a front USB 3.0 bracket with the board and a RazerZone discount voucher. More detailed specs at the Intel website here.

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Asus P8Z77-V Deluxe Intel Ivy Bridge Motherboard Starts Selling in China

With one month to go until the official release of the Intel 7-series chipset family, a Chinese online store has listed Asus’ upcoming P8Z77-V Deluxe motherboard for Ivy Bridge processors with pricing being set at 2,499 RMB ($396 US).

The motherboard is based on Intel’s Z77 chipset, which is the most advanced controller available in the 7-series PCH family.

Designed to be compatible with both Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge processors the Asus board comes fitted with a Digi+ VRM, DDR3-2800MHz overclocking support, EPU, and a TurboV Processing Unit (TPU).

The board’s expansion features include two PCI Express x16 slots Gen 3.0, one PCIe x16 Gen 2.0 slot (x4 electrical), four PCIe x1 slots, as well as eight SATA ports, TechPowerUp reveals.

Four of these support SATA 6Gbps transfer speeds, two driven by the Intel Z77 chipset, while the other two are controlled by a third-party controller.

As far as the PCIe x16 slots are concerned, only the first of these can work at full x16 speeds as the second one has only eight PCIe lanes routed to it, but SLI or CrossFireX multi-GPU technologies are both supported.

Moving to the back, the connectivity options available include everything that we expect to see from a high-end Z77 board, such as HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs, two Gigabit Ethernet interfaces (one driven by Intel 82579V, one by Realtek RTL8111F PHY), wireless b/g/n (quad-band), Bluetooth 3.0, as well as a pair of eSATA 6Gbps ports.

Asus has also added eight USB 3.0 ports, six installed on the rear I/O header, while the remaining two can be routed to the front of the case by connecting them to the provided on-board header.

The Asus P8Z77-V Deluxe is expected to be officially announced on April 8, when rumors indicate that Intel plans to introduce its new 7-series chipsets.

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MSI Z77A-GD65 Motherboard Preview - Intel Z77 w/ Sandy Bridge

It's not often that we can preview a motherboard before the official launch of the chipset, but today we have exactly that for you. The MSI Z77A-GD65 is based on the upcoming Intel Z77 chipset. The Intel Z77 chipset uses the Intel LGA1155 socket and will support the latest 22nm processors from Intel. From what we can tell, the only real design change between the Intel Z68 chipset and the Intel Z77 chipset is the addition of SuperSpeed USB 3.0. There may be a few other design changes in the chipset, but we don't have the full details about the Intel Z77 chipset just yet. Those much more specific details will be released with the official launch of the Intel 'Ivy Bridge' platform later this year. For now though, what we have is the opportunity to look at the MSI Z77A-GD65 Intel Z77 'Ivy Bridge' motherboard. Unfortunately, we don't have an Intel 'Ivy Bridge' processor in our greedy hands just yet, the good news however is that the Intel Z77 chipset will support all of the existing Sandy Bridge processors so we will be using our Intel Core i7 2600K Sandy Bridge processor for testing today.

As I mentioned above, we have the opportunity to take an early look at the MSI Z77A-GD65. While the Intel Z77 chipset doesn't launch for some time, we can see that at least one company already has boards out in the wild. With that detail alone, I would imagine that the Intel 'Ivy Bridge' launch is coming up quick for those who are waiting for it. Once we hit the official launch for the Intel Z77 chipset and the new Ivy Bridge processors we will likely be coming back to this board to compare the numbers at some point. For now, let's take a look at what makes the MSI Z77A-GD65 tic.

For starters at the heart of the MSI Z77A-GD65 is the new Intel Z77 chipset. Like the previous Intel Z68/P67 chipsets the Z77 features a total of 16 PCI Express Gen3 lanes for the graphics cards. On the MSI Z77A-GD65 we can run one card at x16, two cards at x8 (x8, x8), or one card at x8 and two cards at x4 (x8, x4, x4). The MSI Z77A-GD65 will support both NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFireX. The key point to the MSI Z77A-GD65 is the SuperSpeed USB 3.0. Now that the Intel Z77 chipset supports SuperSpeed USB 3.0 MSI didn't need to use the NEC/Renassas SuperSpeed USB 3.0 controller on the Z77A-GD65 like they have on their previous motherboards.

The MSI Z77A-GD65 mainboard uses Military Class components. Though MSI has recently updated their boards to Military Class III components. The Military Class III components are comprised of DrMOS II, Hi-C Caps, Super Ferrite Chokes, and Solid Capacitors. Each of the four parts of the Military Class III technology play a vital role in the capabilities of the MSI Z77A-GD65. The DrMOS II is comprised of three components on one chip. The Driver IC, top MOSFET, and the Bottom MOSFET were originally combined in the original DrMOS by MSI a few years ago. Today nearly all motherboard manufacturers have switched over to their own variant of this design. Stepping up to DrMOS II, MSI has raised the bar even further. The have added active protection for your motherboard. The MSI DrMOS II has added the ability to monitor and prevent damage from pushing the system to far by adding in double thermal protection. The double thermal protection first informs the user if the operation temperature hits 115 degrees Celsius, at 130C the system automatically shuts down. The Hi-C capacitors (Highly-Conductive polymerized capacitor) offer a high themal stability, ultra low ESR, and no mechanical issues. Another great advantage to the Hi-C capacitors is the life span. The Hi-C capacitors have a life span of up to 8 times that of the more traditional solid capacitors still found on many boards today. The SFC or Super Ferrite Chokes offer 10% higher power efficiency, stability and better overclocking. The solid capacitors that are used on the MSI Z77A-GD65 offer a life span of more than 10 years under a full load. All of the Military Class III components have passed the testing to be certified by the MIL-STD-810G standard.

MSI Z77A-GD65 'Ivy Bridge' Motherboard Specifications

Processor Support	3rd Generation Intel Core i7/i5/i3/Pentium/Celeron Processors in LGA1155
Chipset	Intel Z77 Chipset
Memory Support	4x DDR3 DIMMs Support DDR32667/2400/2133/1866/1600/1333/1066 DRAM 32GB Maximum
LAN	10/100/1000 Fast Ethernet by Intel 82579V
Audio	Integrated HD Audio Codec by realtek ALC898 8-Channel audio with jack sensing Compliant with Azalia 1.0 Spec
SATA	4x SATA 6Gb/s ports -SATA 1-2 by Intel Z77 -SATA 7-8 by ASMedia ASM1061 4x SATA 3Gb/s ports -SATA 3-6 by Intel Z77
RAID	SATA 1-6 Support Intel Rapid Storage Technology enterprise (AHCI/ RAID 0/ 1/ 5/ 10) by Intel Z77
USB 3.0	2x USB 3.0 Rear I/O ports by Intel Z77 1x USB 3.0 Internal Connector by Intel Z77
Multi-GPU	Supports ATI CrossFire Technology Supports NVIDIA SLI Technology Supports Lucid Virtu Universal MVP
Back Panel	1x PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse Port 1x Clear CMOS Button 1x Coaxial SPDIF-out Port 1x Optical SPDIF-out Port 4x USB 2.0 Ports 2x USB 3.0 Ports 1x LAN Port 6x Audio Ports 1x HDMI port 1xDVI-D Port 1x VGA Port
Onboard	3x USB 2.0 Connectors 1x USB 3.0 Connectors 1x IEEE 1394 Connector 1x Multi BIOS Switch 1x TPM Connector 1x Front Panel Audio Connector 1x Chassis Intrusion Connector 1x Voice Genie Connector 1x MultiConnect Panel Connector 1x V-Check Points Set
Expansion Slots	3x PCIe 3.0 x16 Slots 4x PCIe 2.0 x1 Slots

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