z77 Motherboard Discussion

[josejones]

I'm just waiting for Ivy Bridge and the z77 motherboards to come out and the reviews. Which z77 board will be the best for the money? I'm curious to find out if there's any noticeable performance increase with the new z77 mobos over the z68?

Here's all the z77's I can find right now:

ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe

ASRock Z77 Fatal1ty Professional-M

MSI Z77A-GD65 'Ivy Bridge' Motherboard Preview

Gigabyte's GA-Z77X-UD3H and GA-Z77X-UD5H

I was hoping the z77's might have done away with the USB 2.0, sata 2 and PCIe 2.0 and make the switch over to all gen 3 since they are backwards compatible, why not.

So, how much better are these z77 motherboards over the z68's, really?

 

[josejones]

Okay, let me make sure I've got the correct formula; 10644 / 401 = 26.54364089775561 so, that makes the 3770k 2,654 % faster?

Or, the 3770 at 10452 / 524 (Athlon) = 19.94656488549618 = 1,995 % basically a 2,000% increase?

 

[jaquith]

From a percentage stand point yes, of simply 27 times faster and 20 times faster respectively running CPU Mark. Example 2 times faster is 200%.

 

[josejones]

^ Okay just wow, that's quite an upgrade.

I'm wondering now if I should wait for the z87 chipset since I'm not really satisfied with the z77? I really wanted an all next generation system with no USB 2, PCIe 2 or sata 2 - I wanted all gen 3 especially since it's all backwards compatible. The z87 chipset will probably do just that.

What's the guesstimated time-frame for the next new motherboard chipset? Problem is the z77 may be the last chipset for the 1155 socket? The new z87 might be for the Haswell 1150 socket, which could put it a year away and I don't think I can wait that long.

Intel's 8-series chipsets = Z87 / Shark Bay platform / Lynx Point
http://vr-zone.com/articles/exclusive-intel-s-lynx-point-chipset-models-revealed/15682.html

 

[josejones]

I'm fairly concerned with the heat produced by the Ivy Bridge CPU. Is it an issue that might be resolved on Intel's end? Will Intel use a different package thermal technology now that this issue has gotten their attention?

Or is it not even really going to be an issue for me since I'm just getting the 3770 not the k overclock version? Will I need to get a better cooler to replace the one that comes with the Ivy?

Intel Confirms New CPU packing after thermal problem in the Ivy Bridge..."

'We Are Using A Different package thermal technology on 3rd-Generation Intel ® Core ™ desktop processors (Ivy Bridge). Coupled with the higher thermal density of the 22nm process shrink, users may observed higher operating tempera tures When Overclocking. This is as designed and meets the quality and reliability expectations for Parties operating under Unspecified Conditions. "Solder Intel's statement in an email to NordicHardware..."

http://www.nordichardware.se/test-lab-cpu-chipset/45794-intel-bekraeftar-ny-cpu-packning-efter-temperaturproblem-i-ivy-bridge.html

http://translate.google.com

 

[jaquith]

The thermal issues are supposedly due to the Tri-Gate technology, and while it's potentially possible in this case I seriously doubt Intel will redo the litho on the chip. The IB is good for 4.4GHz~4.6GHz depending upon your cooling. Keep in mind anything >60C+ is going to be making a lot of noise even on the H100...

As far as the Haswell who knows for sure possibly 2013.

 

[josejones]

There sure seem to be a lot of heat problems with several Ivy Bridge CPU's not just the i7 3770k

i5-3550 Ivy Bridge review:

"The thing is i got this cpu today and i installed it onto my case. Then when i boot it up its fine and everything. Then after like 20 minutes it starts to have a black screen, i taught it was my power problem so when i got on, i check the asrock temp sensor in the bios. The temp was 85 and going up by the second by fives. Later did i know it became 100oC then my computer shutted down to keep my proccesor from over heating"

"200 degrees with the heat sink and fan that it came with"

i5-3570K Ivy Bridge review:

"Wasn't expecting the heat

Pros: Fast, big upgrade speed wise from older core 2 duo I had before. Newest tech for reasonable price. Was expecting it to run cooler and more efficient due to hype about new transistors. Waited through Sandy Bridge for this release.

Cons: I'm a mild overclocker and was expecting to get a small over clock on the stock cooler without seeing 90C temps using stock voltages. That didn't happen, 4.0ghz = 90C for me. That's not even a 5% overclock.

They should price this unlocked boxed chip lower and not force users to buy the HSF if it can barely keep the chip cool at stock speeds. I hate paying for something just to have to throw it away.

Took an egg off for this heat issue and pathetic stock cooler.

Other Thoughts: I'm sure spending more money on a serious cooler I can get the temps down. I'm sure for a serious overclocker my complaint isn't a valid one. But I am slightly disappointed in this release given all the hype about being more efficient, then having to deal with this heat issue which seems pretty warm to me even at stock speeds. I was expecting it to run cooler than SB, not hotter."

"... with CM Hyper212 evo, after installing drivers immediately went to 43x100mhx for 4.3ghz, no voltage change..hit 70c and started to worry about the heat issues."

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007671%20600315409&IsNodeId=1&name=Ivy%20Bridge&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=4k1nhsu8zv95

Is Intel going to fix the heat issue or not?

 

[jaquith]

IMO - no it's a design flaw of the Tr-Gate, yeah I've seen the TIM (Flux) argument, and there's NO way that would explain more than a couple C's in temps.

My folks have all but a few decided to go the SB-E route vs IB.

 

[josejones]

At least Intel had the integrity to admit that there was a heat issue with Ivy. Has Tom's Hardware asked Intel if they plan to make any necessary adjustments with their choice in thermal paste?

Ivy Bridge proven to suffer from poor thermal grease
http://vr-zone.com/articles/ivy-bridge-proven-to-suffer-from-poor-thermal-grease/15844.html#ixzz1uZnjChme

I'm also curious if there are any other issues with Ivy such as bios, drivers or any bug issues that also need to be worked out?

 

[jaquith]

Somewhere I posted numerous times the Virtu MVP (HyperFormance And Virtual Vsync) on 'some' games offers large improvements. So it depends on the support...

Examples - http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/z77-express-virtu-mvp-benchmark,3174-9.html

 

[josejones]

Here's a thread discussing some bios issues and bugs with the GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1692876

 

[jaquith]

There are always issues with a new chipset and MOBO's...reason I recommend waiting a month or two.

 

[josejones]

^ Indeed, that has turned out to be wise advice so, thanks for that. I'm just waiting until all those bios, drivers and bug issues have been dealt with before I buy. There are plenty of Newegg reviews pointing out some of these issues as well.

 

[josejones]

Here's a new z77 from Gigabyte: Gigabyte Z77X-UP7

Gigabyte's 32-Phase Power Motherboard: Z77X-UP7
http://vr-zone.com/articles/gigabyte-s-32-phase-power-motherboard-z77x-up7/16147.html

They didn't go into much detail on this new Gigabyte Z77X-UP7. They didn't even mention an availability date and there's no mention of the Gigabyte Z77X-UP7 at Gigabyte's website either:

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/main.aspx?s=42

http://www.youtube.com/user/MoboTV2010

I'd like to hear more about the 32 phase control and Gigabyte's Ultra Durable 5 technology too, which Gigabyte claims:

"are able to deliver up to 60°C* cooler temperatures than traditional motherboards."

That's pretty significant, especially with the hot temps from the Ivy CPU's!

 

[josejones]

"The IR3550 PowIRstage ICs are a single chip design with peak efficiency up to 95% which translates into cooler operating characteristics. Greater efficiency also means the technology can run cooler and deliver more power - all of which translates into greater overclocking capabilities. Gigabyte will be offering the new Ultra Durable 5 technology on three Intel X79 Express chipset motherboards (models GA-X79S-UP5 WIFI, GA-X79S-UP5 and GA-X79-UP4) as well as three Intel Z77 Express chipset boards (models GA-Z77X-UP7, GA-Z77X-UP5 TH and GA-Z77X-UP4 TH). Gigabyte did not disclose pricing or availability."

http://www.overclockersclub.com/news/31723/

Gigabyte Ultra Durable 5
http://www.gigabyte.com/press-center/news-page.aspx?nid=1128

 

[dsventimiglia]

I decided to go with the Asus SABERTOOTH Z77 ATX LGA1155 with Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core. I’m not going OC crazy should turn out to be a nice build

 

[josejones]

I'm waiting to see if the new Gigabyte Z77Z-UP5 TH is worth waiting for - not just because of the two thunderbolt ports but, because of the alleged lower mobo temps, which I'm concerned about with our 85F indoor temps. I await a serious review. These new boards are supposed to be available by the end of June:

Gigabyte's Hardcore Thunderbolt Demo with GA-Z77Z-UP5 TH Motherboard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deImUH8aUHQ

Gigabyte Ultra Durable 5 at Computex, shows much lower temperatures
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLggGetNR14

http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/tech-news-gigabyte-announces-thunderbolt-enabled-motherboards-computex-2012-updated-video

Gigabyte Ultra Durable 5
http://www.gigabyte.com/press-center/news-page.aspx?nid=1128

 

[josejones]

Somebody I was talking to brought this up yesterday and I just wanna double-check - z77 mobos do not require any integrated GPU for the Ivy Bridge HD4000 to work, correct? So, one does not need to buy a discrete GPU, correct?

 

[josejones]

Asus introduces a couple new z77 boards with thunderbolt

Asus Shows New Motherboards at Computex 2012
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/asus-motherboards-z77-fm2-thunderbolt,15941.html

 

[wentworth]

Good morning everybody

To obtain the Gen3 for PCIe you need a third generation CPU (ex: 3770). If you use a 2700 CPU you are limited to Gen2 and a GPU designed for Gen3 will not work properly on a MTB under Gen2 specs. It might not work at all. We obtained the very best results with Gigabyte MTB because of its mSata (onboard) and the capacity to use both embedded GPU and ATI Gen3 graphic board in tandem. We loaded our OS on the mSata and obtained a 3 seconds boot, faster than the screen can provide.

According to Samsung, DDR4 (1.05v) will only be used with 14nm MTB is on the market, sometime in 2018 when the Broadwell chipset becomes available followed by the Skylark in 2020, so I would not hold by breath because business is slow (very slow). The expenses level to get to a 14nm MTB is very high and might be postponed again. DDR4 is based on the point-to-point technology used in servers. MTB base clock will be 133 Mz onward.

Because base core DDR3 will reach 2400 Mz and 3rd generation CPU under LGA1155 should reach 4.8Gh, so there are a long road before Intel gets into their 14nm Broadwell. It should have the capability to use either an i7 (i9) core or Xeon E7xxx CPU.

Haswell (22nm) actual dev. specs do not show many improvements compared to Ivy with the exception of a 6 cores i7 (i9) capability.

HDD is a legacy storage, SSD is more available but still a bit pricy, but on the other hand it will last (almost) forever. There is no actual gain when using a HDD on a SATA 6Gb unless you buy a 10k rpm HDD, even though SDD is four time more rapid.

USB2 will still be available for sometime because there is a lot of peripherals under its specs that do not work properly or at all with USB3 as it was while getting from USB to USB2. We tried to use a USB3 port with a Nikon SLR camera USB2 standard without success.

Hope info to your satisfaction, enjoy your day

 

[josejones]

GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 5 Technology Earns Best of Computex 2012 Award from Tom's Hardware
http://www.gigabyte.com/press-center/news-page.aspx?nid=1134

"Ultra Durable 5 is a marketing umbrella that covers several different components, such as the IR3550 PowIRstage, additional copper in the PCB, and 60 A high-capacity ferrite core chokes. We plan to test Gigabyte's claims in an upcoming article."

Goto image #4
http://www.tomshardware.com/picturestory/597-computex-awards.html

I'm curious to hear when this review of Gigabyte's Ultra Durable 5 by Tom's Hardware will be coming out? I'm waiting for serious reviews of these boards to see if they are what they're claimed to be or just more gimmicks and adverts.

 

[wentworth]

You will find them available on the new ivy bridge Z77X-UP series (UP4 TH, UP 5 TH and UP7). The UP is for UltraDurable 5 and TH for Thunderbolt. This is what Gigabyte is telling us about it at http://www.gigabyte.com/press-center/news-page.aspx?nid=1128 . There are few reviews and benchmark made for Z77X-UP5 as you type it in any search engine.

Cheers

GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 5 Technology Earns Best of Computex 2012 Award from Tom's Hardware
http://www.gigabyte.com/press-center/news-page.aspx?nid=1134

"Ultra Durable 5 is a marketing umbrella that covers several different components, such as the IR3550 PowIRstage, additional copper in the PCB, and 60 A high-capacity ferrite core chokes. We plan to test Gigabyte's claims in an upcoming article."

Goto image #4
http://www.tomshardware.com/picturestory/597-computex-awards.html

I'm curious to hear when this review of Gigabyte's Ultra Durable 5 by Tom's Hardware will be coming out? I'm waiting for serious reviews of these boards to see if they are what they're claimed to be or just more gimmicks and adverts.

 

[josejones]

Gigabyte's Hardcore Thunderbolt Demo with GA-Z77Z-UP5 TH Motherboard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deImUH8aUHQ

Gigabyte Ultra Durable 5 at Computex, shows much lower temperatures
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLggGetNR14

So in the videos above discussing the new Gigabyte Z77X-UP5 TH, which is claimed to reduce mobo temps by up to 60C. They said it would be out by the end of June. I e-mailed Gigabyte yesterday and asked them a few questions and they responded today saying they have no idea when it will be out and didn't give me any prices. I also asked if there'd be a Gigabyte Z77X-UP5 version without the "TH" Thunderbolt ports - no answer:

I saw the videos from Computex 2012 from early June mentioning the new Gigabyte Z77X-UP5 TH. Now it's July and I've not heard anything at all. So, I wanted to find out a few things:

What's the price (US $) of the "Gigabyte Z77X-UP5 TH"?

I'd also like to know if there will be a version without the Thunderbolt ports and if so, what price and when will it be available?

I'd prefer a Gigabyte Z77X-UP5 without the Thunderbolt ports since I can easily buy a PCIe card in the near future. I'd also prefer all USB 3, PCIe 3 and SATA 3 since they're all backwards compatible.

I've heard that the Thunderbolt ports add $50 per port to the cost of the motherboard - is that true? How much does the new IR3550 PowIRstage add to the cost of the board?

I'm getting tired of waiting & may have to settle for the older Gigabyte z77 UD5.

Any thoughts?

 

[josejones]

I wonder if there will be a z78 motherboard version as an upgraded z77 similar to the 67/68 mobos? What features on a z78 might be upgraded?

 

[josejones]

I couldn't take it anymore so, I called Gigabyte. They said that the Gigabyte Z77X-UP5 TH will come out at the end of July not June (obviously) and it will cost over $300 (US) and the UP7 will probably be over $400. There will be no "UP" versions without the "TH" Thunderbolt ports either. There will be no z78 versions. This is pretty much it until Haswell comes out. So, forget it.

 

[josejones]

Here's the new Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP5 TH

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4279#ov