Matboards. Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H review. New Intel Z77 Express Chipset Technologies Intel Z77 Chipset Features

The date the product was first introduced.

Lithography

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

TDP

Thermal Design Power (TDP) represents the average power, in watts, the processor dissipates when operating at Base Frequency with all cores active under an Intel-defined, high-complexity workload. Refer to Datasheet for thermal solution requirements.

Embedded Options Available

Embedded Options Available indicates products that offer extended purchase availability for intelligent systems and embedded solutions. Product certification and use condition applications can be found in the Production Release Qualification (PRQ) report. See your Intel representative for details.

Integrated Graphics ‡

Integrated graphics allow for incredible visual quality, faster graphic performance and flexible display options without the need for a separate graphics card.

Intel® Clear Video Technology

Intel® Clear Video Technology is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture.

PCI Support

PCI support indicates the type of support for the Peripheral Component Interconnect standard

PCI Express Revision

PCI Express Revision is the version supported by the processor. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

PCI Express Configurations ‡

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link the PCH PCIe lanes to PCIe devices.

Max # of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number supported by the processor.

USB Revision

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard connection technology for attaching peripheral devices to a computer.

Total # of SATA Ports

SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) is a high speed standard for connecting storage devices such as hard disk drives and optical drives to a motherboard.

Integrated LAN

Integrated LAN indicates the presence of an integrated Intel Ethernet MAC or presence of the LAN ports built into the system board.

Intel® vPro ™ Platform Eligibility ‡

Intel® vPro ™ Technology is a set of security and manageability capabilities built into the processor aimed at addressing four critical areas of IT security: 1) Threat management, including protection from rootkits, viruses, and malware 2) Identity and web site access point protection 3) Confidential personal and business data protection 4) Remote and local monitoring, remediation, and repair of PCs and workstations.

Intel® Rapid Storage Technology

Intel® Rapid Storage Technology provides protection, performance, and expandability for desktop and mobile platforms. Whether using one or multiple hard drives, users can take advantage of enhanced performance and lower power consumption. When using more than one drive the user can have additional protection against data loss in the event of hard drive failure. Successor to Intel® Matrix Storage Technology.

Intel® Trusted Execution Technology ‡

Intel® Trusted Execution Technology for safer computing is a versatile set of hardware extensions to Intel® processors and chipsets that enhance the digital office platform with security capabilities such as measured launch and protected execution. It enables an environment where applications can run within their own space, protected from all other software on the system.

Anti-Theft Technology

Intel® Anti-Theft Technology (Intel® AT) helps keep your laptop safe and secure in the event that it's ever lost or stolen. Intel® AT requires a service subscription from an Intel® AT – enabled service provider.

“… The Z77 Express chipset, frankly, did not impress. The advent of USB 3.0 and support for three monitors is not something for which it is worth urgently changing the motherboard. Note that the Z75 and H77 chipsets are also on sale. The former does not support Smart Response, the latter

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Specifications

Chipset: Intel Z77 Express

Supported processors: Socket LGA1155 Core i7 / i5 / i3

Supported memory: 4х DDR3-1066 / 1333/1600/2400 MHz, up to 32 GB

Graphics connectors:3x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x16 + x8 + x4)

Expansion slots:3x PCIe x1, PCI

Disk subsystem: 5x SATA Rev. 3, 4x SATA 2, eSATA, mSATA

Sound subsystem: Realtek ALC889, 8 channels

Rear panel: 2x USB 2.0, 4x USB 3.0, 2x LAN, S / PDIF, eSATA, FireWire, audio, D-sub, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort

Form factor: ATX

Dimensions: 305x244 mm

Price for April 2012: 7500 rubles

In anticipation of the release of the Ivy Bridge architecture, Intel has begun updating its chipsets. The first swallow was the Z77 Express - a direct descendant of last year's Z68. We will study it using the example of the Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H-WB WiFi motherboard.

Seven

Main news: for the first time since the appearance Core i7 under X58 Express the developers did not change the socket. Newbies are equipped with the famous LGA1155 and are backward compatible with crystals based on Sandy bridge.

Compared to the previous generation, there are few changes in the seventh series. First, support for USB 3.0 has finally appeared, from which the manufacturer has been disavowing for several years. There are few fast ports, only four; another ten support only the second version of the protocol. The next innovation is related to Ivy Bridge capabilities. The embedded kernel can display images on three monitors.

The rest is boring. The list includes a pair of SATA Rev. 3, a quartet of SATA 2, eight PCIe 2.0 lanes plus a controller set in stone and an Intel Smart Response function that allows you to cache frequently used data on the SSD.

Attention

As a living example of the Z77 Express, we tested a motherboard from the mid-end segment - Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H-WB. The layout is standard. On the black PCB, the processor socket is soldered in the top center. On the right side there are four DIMMs for DDR3 up to 2400 MHz. The cooling system consists of three neat blue radiators covering the south bridge and batteries around the socket.

Both Z77 and chip work with hard drives Marvell 88SE9172... In total, you can connect five devices according to SATA Rev. 3, and four more to hang on SATA 2. There is an mSATA slot for installing a miniature SSD for Smart Response technology.

Gigabyte also made a spell over the USB set. There are two high-speed hubs to help the chipset VIA VL810... Thus, there are eight USB 3.0 - however, there are only four full-fledged ones, brought to the rear panel. The rest, located on the board, divide the bus according to the load.

For the graphics system, there are three PCIe x16 connected according to the x16 + x8 + x4 scheme, and the same amount of PCIe x1. There is also an old PCI. When using two or more video cards, the motherboard will have to supply additional power. Unlike older models, it is connected not via the MOLEX connector, but via the modern SATA (ATX4P).

Facing the people

The I / O panel received four USB 3.0, a pair of USB 2.0, FireWire and eSATA. D-sub, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort with support for resolutions up to 2560x1600 are allocated for connecting displays. If you intend to work with a discrete board, then the presence of outputs will allow you to use the technology Lucid Virtu - combining the forces of external and integrated GPU. But the ancient mice and keyboards in the Z77X-UD5H-WB have nowhere to stick - there is no PS / 2.

There are six 3.5 mm jacks and S / PDIF-out for sound, controlled by the chip Realtek ALC898... Two LAN ports are responsible for communication at once: one is supported by the Z77 logic, the second by the controller Atheros... Our version of the motherboard also came with a separate Wi-Fi card with 802.11n protocol, Bluetooth and PCIe x1 interface.

Full speed ahead!

Building a computer on the Z77X-UD5H-WB is easy. The main contacts are at a decent distance from each other. So the "thickest" coolers and RAM bars with high cooling fit without any problems. Perhaps the only complaint is that video cards with massive COs always block neighboring ports.

The overclocking scheme of processors on the Z77 Express has not changed - only multipliers are available. To help overclockers, Gigabyte has installed start, reset, and reset CMOS keys, as well as a display with POST codes. There are also platforms for direct voltage measurement on system components. And, of course, a traditional dual BIOS with a beautiful UEFI shell.

The Z77 Express chipset, frankly, did not impress. The advent of USB 3.0 and support for three monitors is not something for which it is worth urgently changing the motherboard. Note that logic sets are also on sale Z75 and H77... The first does not support Smart Response, the second is multiplier overclocking.

As for the reviewed Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H-WB - this is an excellent choice for those who build a computer from scratch. There are all the necessary connectors, a huge number of technologies are supported, and, of course, there are many ports available for future upgrades. Such a fee will cost 7,500 rubles.

PROS:

many additional ports

good ergonomics

support for all Ivy Bridge features

MINUSES:

high price

not all USB 3.0 ports are operating at full speed

Having just appeared on the market, Intel has been supplying chipsets suitable for them for a relatively long time. Moving early to next-gen motherboards may sound strange, but the seventh series platforms are backward compatible with Sandy Bridge processors, so users can buy their own Z77 motherboard and use it for weeks without Ivy Bridge. This means Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge are using the same socket.

In addition to being compatible with 7 series motherboards, Sandy Bridge processors are compatible with Ivy Bridge chips. In other words, with a BIOS update, owners of older motherboards with H67, P67 or Z68 chipsets will be able to use one of the latest processors from Intel.

Considering the similarity between the above two generations of processors, the seventh series chipsets do not carry a lot of changes, the main difference between them lies in the support for USB 3.0. Instead of using third-party controllers, all H77, Z75 and Z77 motherboards come with support for at least four SuperSpeed \u200b\u200bUSB ports.

We selected four new Z77 motherboards for testing. These include the Asrock Z77 Extreme6, ECS Z77H2-AX, Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H-WB, and Intel DZ77GA-70K. As usual, before comparing their performance, we'll take a closer look at each of them ...

According to our previous reviews, Asrock motherboards offered the best value for money, offering tons of features at a reasonable price. The same can be said about the Asrock Z77 Extreme6 motherboard, which, even with its surprisingly reasonable price ($ 175), is a very “packed” motherboard in terms of capabilities.

In particular, it offers support for extreme GPU power such as Quad CrossFireX and Nvidia Quad SLI. In these configurations, a pair of PCIe 3.0 x16 slots work as x8 / x8, while a third PCIe x16 slot runs at x4 and uses the legacy 2.0 specifications.

The Z77 Extreme6 has four DIMM slots supporting up to 32GB of random access memory (RAM). Using the chipset's dual-channel memory architecture, the motherboard supports frequencies such as 1066, 1333 and 1600MHz, while frequencies of 2133, 2400 and 2800MHz are available through overclocking.

While the Z77 chipset itself offers six SATA ports (a couple of which are 6Gb / s), the board from Asrock uses the ASMedia ASM1061 6Gb / s controller, which offers three additional ports. Although this chip only supports a couple of 6Gb / s ports, so in reality only a couple of ports out of three can be used simultaneously.

The controller is connected to a pair of SATA headers (pins) on the board, as well as to the eSATA port on the I / O panel.

The network is managed by the only Broadcom BCM57781 controller, which supports Wake-On-LAN technology to wake up a computer on a signal from the local network and the Energy Efficient Ethernet 802.3az specification, which provides for reducing the power consumption of the network card during periods of low network activity. The same chip is used on the award-winning Asrock X79 Extreme9 board and it is a quality component.

The audio is managed by the Realtek ALC898 audio codec, which offers 7.1 audio support with THX TruStudio and Premium Blu-ray audio. A similar solution can be found on many other expensive X79-based motherboards from Asrock, like the X79 Extreme9, so this is obviously not a budget option.

In addition to the four USB 3.0 ports from the Z77 chipset, Asrock installed an Etron EJ168A chip on the board, which provides a couple more ports on the I / O panel.

The Z77 Extreme6 also offers FireWire via the VIA VT6308S controller, which is an older PCI solution and supports a pair of 400Mb / s IEEE1394a ports. Legacy PCI support is provided by the ASMedia ASM1083 chip, which is a PCI Express x1-PCI 32-bit bridge and supports three PCI slots.

One of the older PCI interfaces is connected to the VIA VT6308S controller, while a couple of others are present as PCI slots. Although the Asrock includes one PCIe x1 slot instead of the older PCI slots, we would have preferred to see more PCIe x1 slots. There is also one mini-PCI Express slot to support wireless devices or even SSDs.

In terms of power, the Z77 Extreme6 offers an Asrock Advanced 8 + 4 design with 8 phases for the CPU and 4 for the System Agent. Also, according to Asrock, the board is complemented by 100% Japanese premium gold-plated solid capacitors for long and stable performance.

We're impressed with what the $ 175 Asrock board has to offer. The Z77 Extreme6 is a well-designed motherboard that we can only criticize for over-supporting legacy devices like PS / 2, PCI slots and floppy disks.

By stating that this motherboard is well designed, we didn't mean just the hardware. The onboard UEFI is also very easy to use - although not the best solution out there.

The above figure represents the main menu, which in turn shows information such as UEFI version, CPU type / speed and other specifications.

The OC Tweaker menu is where all the overclocking options are hidden. Above you will see an excellent array of voltage and frequency options.

Setting up memory on the Z77 Extreme6 is very simple. The board correctly recognized and loaded all of our XMP profiles.

It takes some time to explore the Advanced menu. it contains nine sub-menus containing a wealth of useful information. Here you can find the Instant Flash utility, which offers a quick and easy way to update your BIOS using a USB stick.

Above is a screenshot of the CPU Configuration menu, which is part of the Advanced submenu. Here you will find a ton of information about your processor and can enable / disable some of its features.

Monitor H / W Monitor shows CPU and motherboard temperatures as well as fan speeds.

For many years, Intel has continued to pursue its Tit-Tak strategy, which promises certain benefits to the end user. Since the middle of the last decade, the chipmaker has been proposing an updated architecture of microprocessors every two years, and in the interval between them transfers its solutions to a new manufacturing process.

By eliminating the heaviness of the FSB, Intel followed its competitor's lead with an integrated memory controller in Nehalem. Further integration nullified the purpose of the systems logic sets and assigned them the role of ordinary south bridges, while the north ones were simply abolished.

Naturally, with the release of the new architecture, motherboards based on no less new chipsets were required. The high-level platform added fuel to the fire, the necessity and benefits of which have remained a mystery to many to this day. No less disappointing was the transfer of the clock generator to the chipset, which limited attempts to overclock the processor by raising the reference frequency. Now the opportunity to enjoy overclocking is available only to wealthy users who can pay at least $ 200 for a CPU with an unlocked multiplier. But once overclocking allowed you to save a lot ...

A little over a year has passed since the announcement of the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture, and it is quite reasonable to expect a new family of processors based on a thinner technical process. It was Ivy Bridge, which is based on 22-nm technological standards. In addition, the new items received some improvements in the form of support for the PCI Express 3.0 interface and an updated integrated graphics core that meets the DirectX 11 specifications, lower power consumption, as well as the ability to work with memory up to DDR3-2667 in steps of both 266 MHz and 200 MHz. Given the identical architecture, Ivy Bridge processors retain the LGA1155 socket and can function without problems on boards with Intel 6th series desktop chipsets, after a corresponding microcode update. If the motherboard manufacturer has not foreseen future compatibility, problems can arise. To avoid this and fully support all the capabilities of the next line of CPUs, the chipmaker has developed new "sets" of system logic, already related to the seventh series.

So far, Intel has introduced six chipsets: three for the desktop, one for business solutions and two for the enterprise market.

Model	Z77 Express	Z75 Express	H77 Express	B75 Express	Q77 Express	Q75 Express
Technological process	65 nm	65 nm	65 nm	65 nm	65 nm	65 nm
Full support for K series processors	+	+	-	-	-	-
CrossFireX / SLI support	+	+	-	-	-	-
PCI-Express 3.0 Configuration	x16, x8 + x8, x8 + x4 + x4	x16, x8 + x8	x16	x16	x16	x16
Number of PCI-Express 2.0 Lines	8	8	8	8	8	8
PCI support	-	-	-	+	+	+
Integrated video core (in the processor)	Intel HD Graphics 2500/4000	Intel HD Graphics 2500/4000	Intel HD Graphics 2500/4000	Intel HD Graphics 2500/4000	Intel HD Graphics 2500/4000	Intel HD Graphics 2500/4000
Video core overclocking capability	+	+	+	+	+	+
USB ports	14 (4x USB3.0, 10x USB2.0)	14 (4x USB3.0, 10x USB2.0)	14 (4x USB3.0, 10x USB2.0)	12 (4x USB3.0, 8x USB2.0)	14 (4x USB3.0, 10x USB2.0)	14 (4x USB3.0, 10x USB2.0)
Serial ATA	2x SATA 6Gb / s 4x SATA 3Gb / s	2x SATA 6Gb / s 4x SATA 3Gb / s	2x SATA 6Gb / s 4x SATA 3Gb / s	1x SATA 6Gb / s 5x SATA 3Gb / s	2x SATA 6Gb / s 4x SATA 3Gb / s	1x SATA 6Gb / s 5x SATA 3Gb / s
AHCI	+	+	+	+	+	+
RAID 0/1/5/10	+	+	+	-	+	-
Smart Response	+	-	+	-	+	-
Intel AMT 7.0	-	-	-	-	+	-

The latter are of little interest to us, but the first three are worth dwelling on.

Z77 Express

So, Intel Z77 Express is the most equipped solution designed for high-performance PCs. Its main distinguishing feature is the ability to distribute PCI Express 3.0 processor lines in addition to the standard formulas also according to the "x8 + x4 + x4" scheme, where eight and four lines can be used to connect external graphics, and the remaining four are provided for a very progressive high-speed interface Thunderbolt.

In addition, it, as in the entire new series, finally has support for the USB 3.0 bus, which was previously implemented on motherboards due to external controllers. The number of ports is limited to four, but this is quite enough for a small fleet of high-speed devices by today's standards. There are 10 ports of revision 2.0 for standard peripherals.

We have not forgotten the support for K-series processors, the multiplier of which is unlocked for increasing (up to x60). These are the only CPUs designed for impressive overclocking. Their prices range from ~ $ 220 for a quad-core model devoid of Hyper-Threading, and up to $ 320 for a complete solution equipped with even more L3 cache. The rest of the products of the new family will be limited to overclocking by about 7% by raising the reference frequency. It is a pity, of course, that Intel did not dare to present more affordable K-series models that would delight budget-conscious enthusiasts.

With the rise in popularity of high-frequency memory, the standard for DDR3 support has risen. Now, with the installation of Ivy Bridge, desktop chipsets and a business solution can function with 1600MHz modules, whereas previously all products were limited to 1333MHz. Naturally, in reality, motherboards based on the same Z68 Express work without problems even with DDR3-2133.

The disk subsystem has remained unchanged: six SATA ports, two of which have a data transfer rate of 6 Gb / s. It is possible to organize RAID-arrays of various levels. Introduced with the release of the Z68 Express, Intel Smart Response technology for caching data on a small SSD has been continued in the new chipset. There are no special changes in the support for the HDA codec and the network interface. The number of PCI Express 2.0 lines remained the same - there are eight of them, which is enough to connect any controllers. The PCI bus is no longer available for modern systems and its implementation in the form of additional bridge chips will depend on the motherboard manufacturer. By the way, for corporate solutions, support for an archaic interface has been announced so far, but there will be one or two more generations of chipsets and, most likely, it will not be there either.

Z75 Express

If the above chipset can be called the successor of the Z68 Express, then the next one will undoubtedly replace Intel P67.

The Z75 Express is exactly the same solution from a year ago, with the exception of four USB 3.0 ports, DDR3-1600 support and the ability to output video from the integrated GPU. PCI Express processor lines can be assigned to one video card, or they can operate in x8 + x8 mode, which will allow organizing a CrossFireX or SLI bundle. Considering the third revision of the speedy interface in Ivy Bridge, eight lines will be more than enough for even the most powerful graphics accelerators of more than one generation.

Thunderbolt support can hardly be called an indisputable advantage of Intel Z77, but what the chipset really lost for "poor" enthusiasts is Smart Response. On the other hand, even at current SSD prices, you can allocate a capacious drive for the operating system and refuse intermediate caching, thereby saving $ 10-20, opting for a less functional product based on the Z75 Express.

H77 Express

The latest "set" of system logic is intended for mainstream PCs.

Having the main characteristics of the senior solution, the H77 Express is deprived of the possibility of organizing CrossFireX or SLI tandems. It will also not be able to overclock the K-series processors, but support for Smart Response remains. Although, if you look at it this way, it is of little use, because you can build RAID arrays on the Z75 as well.

Having examined a little new chipsets, let's get acquainted with a product based on one of them. The first swallow we have will be MSI Z77A-GD65 on Intel Z77 Express.

Unfortunately, solutions based on a junior "set" of system logic for productive systems are still rare on the domestic market, and H77 is not so interesting for enthusiasts.

Board specifications

Model
Chipset
CPU socket	Socket LGA1155
Processors	Core i7, Core i5, Core i3, Pentium G, Celeron G (Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge)
Memory	4 DIMM DDR3 SDRAM 1066/1333/1600/1866 * / 2133 * (O.C. for Sandy Bridge), 2200 * / 2400 * / 2667 * / 2800 * (O.C. for Ivy Bridge), 32GB maximum
PCI-E slots	1 PCI Express 3.0 x16 1 PCI Express 3.0 [email protected] 1 PCI Express 3.0 [email protected] 4 PCI Express 2.0 x1
PCI slots	-
Number of connected fans	5 (3 x 4pin and 2 x 3pin)
PS / 2 ports	1 (combined)
USB ports	2 x 3.0 (2 rear connectors, Intel Z77) 10 x 2.0 (6 connectors on the back)
ATA-133	-
Serial ATA	2 x SATA 6Gb / s (Intel Z77) 4 x SATA 3Gb / s channels (Intel Z77) 2 x SATA 6Gb / s channels (ASMedia 1061)
eSATA	-
RAID	0, 1, 5, 10 (Intel Z77)
Built-in sound	Realtek ALC898 (7.1, HDA)
S / PDIF	Optical and coaxial
Built-in network	Intel 82579V (Gigabit Ethernet)
Firewire	2 (VIA 6315N)
COM	-
LPT	-
BIOS / UEFI	AMI UEFI
Form factor	ATX
Dimensions, mm	305 x 245
Additional features	Power, Reset, Clear CMOS buttons (on the rear panel), OC Genie II, POST indicator, two microcircuits with firmware, V-Check Points block for removing voltages from the main board nodes

Contents of delivery

The motherboard is delivered in a dark box with the image of the Military Class III "order", hinting at the used high-quality element base of the product.

The back of the package contains the key features of the board and the supported technologies: PCI Express 3.0, OC Genie II, Click Bios II, etc.

The package includes more different instructions than accessories:

• instructions for the motherboard;
• instructions for software;
• a quick guide to building the system;
• overclocking guide for motherboards based on a new chipset;
• certificate of conformity for the use of quality components;
• cD with drivers and additional software;
• four SATA cables;
• bridge SLI;
• a set of M-connectors;
• extension cords for connecting multimeter probes;
• rear I / O bar.

This is more than enough to build a conventional system. The only drawback is the absence of some kind of plug with USB 3.0 ports in the 3.5 ”bay - cases with new connectors have just begun to appear, and hardly everyone wants to completely update their system.

Appearance and functionality

The Z77A-GD65 board is made in the best traditions of MSI using a dark brown PCB and black and blue connectors. Only the color of the cooling system has changed and instead of gray elements, black ones are now used.

As for the convenience of the wiring, there is simply nothing to complain about, everything is more or less thought out, and given the ATX form factor (dimensions 305x244 mm), nothing else could be expected. The first graphics card slot is located away from the DIMMs and processor socket, making it easy to remove memory modules or install oversized CPU coolers. Power connectors are located at the edges of the board, thereby avoiding wire mess when assembling the system.

The SATA and USB 3.0 connectors are rotated 90 ° for easy installation of graphics cards. And if such ports for drives are not a curiosity, then peripheral ports are encountered for the first time.

In terms of main features, the Z77A-GD65 supports all Sandy Bridge and upcoming Ivy Bridge processors with LGA1155 socket. With the former, the maximum memory frequency is declared at 2133 MHz, and with the latter, DDR3-2800 modules can be used without any problems. Naturally, all this is available in overclocking mode. The maximum memory capacity is limited to 32 GB.

Since the topic of overclocking has been brought up, it is worth noting the presence of a 12-channel processor power subsystem, where eight phases (four through doublers) belong to the cores themselves, and the remaining four are intended for the rest of the CPU nodes: one for the I / O circuits and the "system agent" , the rest are for the integrated GPU.

Eight-pin EPS12V connector is used for power supply, which has already become standard for performance solutions. Conventional ATX12V is used less and less, and only on cheap motherboards or on Mini-ITX form factor products.

The control of the VRM module is assigned to the uP1618A controller, DrMOS manufactured by Renesas are used as power elements. The capacities in the module are exclusively tantalum, while in the rest of the circuits they are solid. Closed inductors with a ferrite core.

Two radiators connected by a heat pipe are responsible for cooling the power elements. With decorative overlays, the entire structure resembles a pistol in shape - for many years now the military theme has not left manufacturers alone. It seems that only the latter like it.

The chipset has a flat, complex-shaped heatsink, but practically devoid of any fins. Considering the cold nature of the 65nm Intel 7 Series chips, you shouldn't worry too much about this.

But the composite design of this cooler is very strange to see, given its low complexity. Plus, all radiators are not anodized, as is customary, but painted with some kind of powder paint, and it is unlikely that it contributes to better heat transfer.

The number of connected fans is five, three of which are PWM controlled.

Well, the Intel Z77 Express chip itself looks like this:

In addition to a powerful power subsystem, to help enthusiasts, there are power on and restart buttons located in the corner of the board near the DIMM slots. There is also a switch for proprietary OC Genie II auto-overclocking technology, designed to help inexperienced users in overclocking system components. True, the result of such "auto-accelerators", as a rule, leaves much to be desired.

For experienced users, the V-Check Points block will be useful, which allows you to measure voltages at all the main nodes of the board. If necessary, the multimeter probes can be connected through the supplied extension cords.

In case of problems during system startup, the POST indicator will be able to show the cause of the failure, and the Multi_BIOS Switch between the UEFI microcircuits will make it possible to restore the operation of the board in case of an unsuccessful firmware firmware.

In terms of functionality, the Z77A-GD65 is no different from solutions of a similar level based on Intel Z68 Express, with the exception of the native USB 3.0 bus. Two ports of the high-speed interface are brought out to the rear panel of the board, and two more are located right next to the SATA connectors. The old USB 2.0 bus is represented by only ten ports (four on the rear panel), but this is quite enough for connecting all kinds of peripherals. The disk subsystem is implemented with four SATA 3Gb / s channels and expanded by an additional ASMedia 1061 controller to four more SATA 6Gb / s channels, two of which are chipset. Unfortunately, there is no eSATA connector. There are two more IEEE 1394 (VIA 6315N) ports, but again, they are not brought out to the rear panel either.

If this is not enough, the user can expand the functionality with three PCI Express 3.0 x16 and four PCI Express 2.0 x1 slots. When using Ivy Bridge, the processor lines of the high-speed bus can be distributed between graphic cards according to the formulas x16 + x0 + x0, x8 + x8 + x0 or x8 + x4 + x4. If you install Sandy Bridge solutions, then the latter scheme will not be available.

Using an external card, you can enable Lucid Virtu MVP technology for additional use of the built-in graphics in image formation and the operation of Quick Sync, which allows accelerating transcoding of high definition video.

The rear panel of the board is given over for the sake of video output, the number of USB ports is small, there is not even FireWire or eSATA. In total, we have:

• one HDMI, DVI-D and D-Sub;
• combined PS / 2;
• two USB 3.0;
• four USB 2.0;
• coaxial and optical S / PDIF;
• network connector (Intel 82579V chip);
• six audio connectors (Realtek ALC898 codec);
• clear CMOS button.

Overall, the board looks great. There are many additional features designed for overclockers and enthusiasts, but regular users would appreciate more ports on the rear panel. Now let's look at the capabilities of UEFI.

Z77, Z75, H77, Q77, Q75 and B75 at a glance

Without unnecessary noise, motherboards based on Intel's new "seventh" series chipsets began to appear in stores, and immediately in noticeable quantities. This happened because, unlike previous announcements, the release of these microcircuits is not tied to the emergence of a new platform. And it is not even too connected with the appearance of new processors, although it has some relation to it. The fact is that, as promised, the compatibility of Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge turned out to be complete: the new processors can be used in old motherboards with LGA1155 (except for motherboards based on business line chipsets), and old processors can be installed in new motherboards. A complete idyll, as in the days of LGA775 and even better - in those days, for example, the release of the first dual-core processors of the Pentium D family required updating the line of chipsets, since they turned out to be incompatible with the old ones. And the newly released Core 2 Duo had no problems with the existing chipsets, but new motherboards were required. Naturally, Intel took advantage of this opportunity to update the chipsets, although there was no clear separation of the lines - ready-made systems based on Core 2 and 945P appeared on the market, while some users purchased motherboards based on P965 and installed them (for the first time) various Pentium 4.

In general, for a long time the release of chipsets was accompanied by the appearance of new processors (at least) or even platforms (at the most). Especially in recent years. LGA1366 enters the market? This means that the X58 chipset is also on sale. LGA1156 has appeared? P55 sales start. Has the platform been updated with the release of processors with an integrated graphics core? Therefore, we need boards for H55 and H57. LGA1155 coming out to replace the previous platform? Mass announcements of boards for P67, H67 and others like them. LGA2011 starts to move instead of LGA1366? Time to learn X79.

On reflection, we found one example similar to the current situation: about a year ago, the Z68 Express became the top solution for LGA1155. There were no fundamental changes in the platform - just P67 (with support for overclocking and multi-GPU) was mixed with H67 (with support for video outputs) and added a seasoning in the form of Smart Response. The result is the most expensive and versatile solution that has remained so until recently. But the platform has not fundamentally changed. In this regard, the "seventh" series is a little more interesting: firstly, some new features of Ivy Bridge require special support from the chipset, and secondly, the list of functionalities has expanded in terms of the needs of a mass user. So the new solutions are more attractive than the sixth series for those who are going to purchase a system based on an old processor. Why were there no loud announcements? Simply because Ivy Bridge was originally planned for the beginning of the year, as usual. Motherboard manufacturers began to prepare for this event, but Intel decided to slightly shift the announcement of processors. Without hindering, however, partners to start selling new motherboards, because, as we have already said, some features of the new chipsets will be useful when paired with old processors.

Let's see which ones. But first, let's deal with some general issues that deserve attention.

Farewell to the letter "R"

Back in the immemorial times of the early Socket 478, Intel decided that the various chipset lines deserved clearer identification than just numbers. More precisely, this happened starting with the i845 family, whose various members received an additional letter index: either P or G. The division at that time was very simple and very clear: the G-series was equipped with an integrated video core, but the presence of the letter P showed that it is not in the chipset. The coincidence of other letters and numbers could speak of something, or it could not speak, being only a tribute to positioning.

LGA775 and the 900th line of chipsets added one more suffix (which later became a prefix) - X. Everything was clear with it - a solution for extreme systems. The only one in the family, and most often differing in number, so the letter was needed only for greater clarity. It was the first to disappear - when in 2008 the company decided that extreme processors alone were not enough, so it was time to start up extreme platforms, the first of which was LGA1366. And, accordingly, the X58 Express chipset. Let's note for the future that at the same time positioning "one level higher" appeared, that is, formally belonging to the "fifth" family, the chipset most of all resembled the "fourth". And its recent successor in the person of X79 Express - in fact, deserves to be included in the list of solutions of the "sixth" series, noticeably different from the "real seventh", to which we will move on a little later.

However, back to the mainstream, where the P-line continued to bloom, eclipsing the modest workaholic of the G family. There could be even more of the latter (for example, in the "fourth" series - P45 and P43, but G45, G43 and G41), but who is interested in integrated solutions? Only those who are interested in integrated graphics, and at that time they could only be found among the "office" and other undemanding users.

And in the “fifth” series, the letter G simply disappeared, since more chipsets with an integrated GPU were not required - the graphics core moved into the processor itself, so the support chips needed only to ensure the operation of video outputs. And even then - not right away: the first processors for LGA1156 did without a GPU, so they were used together with the P55. But before the announcement of Clarkdale, the H55 and H57 had to be released. The first is a traditional budget solution, but the second from the P55 officially differed only in the absence of multi-GPU support. True, it cost a little more than this pair, so motherboards based on H55 grabbed a considerable share of the market.

The release of the LGA1155 platform, it would seem, should immediately put an end to the existence of a line of chipsets "without video", but Intel decided otherwise. The first few months, buyers had to think for a long time where to go: to the smart or to the beautiful? The fact is that, despite the absence of models without a video core in the initial line of processors, the P67 turned out to be the formal top of the sixth line of chipsets. In any case, from the point of view of enthusiasts - only he allowed overclocking processor cores and memory, in addition to supporting a couple of video cards. But it did not support integrated graphics. And all the other chipsets of the family allowed using it, but did not support overclocking (more precisely, on the H67 it was possible to overclock the built-in video core, which still did not make much sense).

And only in the spring, as we said at the beginning of the article, a “new letter in this word” appeared, namely the Z68 chipset, which combines the capabilities of both the P67 and H67. Ironically, after the beginning of its active expansion into the market, Intel decided to release several models of processors without a GPU (more precisely, with a locked graphics core), so that the P67 theoretically became a completely relevant solution again.

However, apparently, the company decided to end this practice. In the "seventh" series for the first time, there is nothing that would be called "P77" or something like that. For overclocking lovers, there are a couple of Z-line models, the mainstream got H-series chipsets, and business modifications (Q and B) have not gone anywhere. But the long-lived suffix (10 years is not a joke) ordered everyone else to live a long time :)

Intel Z77 Express

Well, now it's time to move on to the main characters of the article, starting with the top model in the line. Traditionally - block diagram and main characteristics:

• support for all processors based on Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge cores when connected to these processors via the DMI 2.0 bus (with a bandwidth of 4 GB / s);
• fDI interface for receiving a fully rendered screen image from the processor and a block for outputting this image to the display device (s);
• support for simultaneous and / or switchable operation of the integrated video core and discrete GPU (s);
• increasing the frequency of processor cores, memory and integrated GPU;
• up to 8 PCIe 2.0 x1 ports;
• 2 x SATA600 and 4 x SATA300, with support for AHCI mode and features like NCQ, individually disabled, with support for eSATA and port splitters;
• the ability to organize a RAID array of levels 0, 1, 0 + 1 (10) and 5 with the Matrix RAID function (one set of disks can be used in several RAID modes at once - for example, on two disks you can organize RAID 0 and RAID 1, for each array its own part of the disk will be allocated);
• support for Smart Response, Rapid Start and Smart Connect technologies;
• 10 USB 2.0 ports (on two EHCI host controllers) individually disabled;
• 4 x USB 3.0 ports (one xHCI controller) with the possibility of individual disconnection;
• Gigabit Ethernet MAC controller and special interface (LCI / GLCI) for connecting a PHY controller (i82579 for Gigabit Ethernet, i82562 for Fast Ethernet);
• High Definition Audio (7.1);
• strapping for low-speed and outdated peripherals, etc.

As you can see, ensuring full compatibility required keeping the DMI interface intact with the processor. It's a pity, because, despite the theoretical bandwidth of 4 GB / s, in practice you can "squeeze" no more than 1.1 GB / s out of it in each direction (which we were able to determine using RAID arrays from several SSDs). But at the same time, full interoperability still did not work out. For example, support for three independent displays is exactly what you need to have and new processor, and board on a new chipset.

Of the platform-independent functions, attention is drawn to the possibility of splitting 16 PCIe processor lanes not only into two, but also into three devices. Initially, there were many predictions that this could be useful for 3-Way SLI, however, as we can see, Intel suggests a completely different purpose of this configuration. Moreover, the company says nothing about supporting three slots: in all three variants there are no more than two. On the other hand, we won't be surprised if motherboard manufacturers start to misuse this feature. Moreover, 8 + 4 + 4 PCIe 3.0 in terms of bandwidth is exactly the same as 16 + 8 + 8 PCIe 2.0 somewhere on X58, that is, exactly what 3-Way SLI and debuted. So let's wait and see ...

And what is interesting from the point of view of a mass user? It is clear that not everyone needs additional frills, and the same Smart Response is supported on motherboards with Z68. And you can overclock anything there too. Initially, there were assumptions that the new motherboards will have increasing coefficients for the reference frequency (as in LGA2011), but they were not confirmed: overclocking on the bus is still limited to about 7%, so you have to operate with multipliers (within the framework in which this is supported by the processor). The SATA controller has not changed - as before, only two ports support the fastest version of the standard. On the other hand, as we have already said, the tests show that the DMI 2.0 bandwidth is only enough for two ports. But in terms of USB support - a significant step forward: finally, built-in USB 3.0 support appeared in Intel chipsets. Moreover, the company can be proud of its completeness - AMD made this step earlier, but only in chipsets for APUs (and even then not in all). The most productive processors continue to be released for AM3 +, and this platform does not have built-in USB 3.0 support. Intel has got newfangled ports just the mass LGA1155.

Joy is overshadowed by only one fact - the realization of this support. The fact is that the driver for xHCI exists only under Windows 7. And, of course, the Linux community will eventually make one. But for the outdated, but still popular Windows XP, no one plans to engage in software support. The ports, however, will work there (all 14), but only as USB 2.0. Thus, nothing has changed for users of older operating systems. Maybe the situation will even worsen: discrete USB 3.0 controllers on motherboards will start to appear less frequently, but for them there are drivers for all versions of Windows - almost up to Windows 95 (if someone is suddenly interested in it). On the other hand, inexpensive motherboards with support for overclocking functions may well get cheaper. Moreover, it is not necessary to solder the video outputs there, and for such products (just to replace the P67) Intel has provided a special chipset.

Intel Z75 Express

The Z75 is positioned precisely as an "entry-level solution for fine tuning" and differs from the older Z77 in exactly two things. Firstly, there is no longer any talk about Thunderbolt support and, accordingly, PCIe "rasterization". Secondly, there is no Smart Response support. But all the other "chips" are available. By the way, support for Rapid Storage Technology has disappeared from the block diagram, despite the fact that the creation of "regular" RAID arrays has not gone anywhere: since this generation, Intel believes that this alone is not enough to match the proud name of RST.

All in all, to some extent this is really an update to the P67. But maybe it's just a product of a new formation - since users need inexpensive motherboards for overclocking, let it be possible to produce them. Be that as it may, the Z75 will cost the same $ 40 as the P67. While the Z77 kept the Z68's price tag at $ 48. In the market for mid-range motherboards, this is, in general, the difference. Top models will use the Z77 - their price does not depend on the prime cost :)

Intel H77 Express

If the Z68 to some extent turned out to be a step forward compared to any of its predecessors - both the P67 and the H67, which forced it to be assigned a number increased by one, then the differences between the H77 and the Z77 are less than between the H67 and the P67. We think you have already guessed what they are :) Indeed - since all chipsets in the new family support video output "outside" (and GPU overclocking is possible even with representatives of the business line), then only the functions of CPU overclocking and PCIe "splitting" remain, which from the current mainstream solution and "cut". But everything else is in place. Including Smart Response, which the company seems to have decided to make the standard functionality of all computers, starting with the mid-range. In this regard, the lack of this technology in the Z75, intended for, let's say, middle-income enthusiasts who can hardly afford to buy an SSD of normal capacity, looks somewhat strange. On the other hand, the Z77 should have at least some advantages, shouldn't it?

And the advantages are different - in particular, in the new line, even the Z75 has them in comparison with the H77. In any case, the advantages from the point of view of those users who do not plan to use Smart Response - that is, in fact, the absolute majority of buyers :) Because, as you can see, in this situation, the Z75 turns out to be a more functional solution, but it costs less - H77 has a wholesale price of $ 43.

Business Line Upgrades: B75, Q75 and Q77

Business chipsets of the "sixth" series turned out to be very offended by the manufacturer - unlike all the others, they were immediately promised no support for new processors (on the Ivy Bridge core). Thus, there are no options for a corporate user: if you want Ivy Bridge, you will have to buy a new board. However, it will hardly be "wanted" right now - this market is actively consuming dual-core processor models, and they will appear only in a few months. On the other hand, companies planning to purchase equipment now may well prefer new boards even when used with old processors. If only because all of them will receive improved firmware and full support for USB 3.0 - similar to older "retail" chipsets. And the PCI bus remained in their place - as in the "sixth" family of business chipsets. Curiously, everyone is "allowed" to support Lucid Virtu technology, as well as overclocking the video core. Well, the Q77 also has Smart Response support. In general, against the background of their retail counterparts, these chipsets do not look like poor relatives from any side (and they have exactly kept their price tags), which has already led to curious side effects.

In particular, last year we were somewhat surprised by the small number of offers of motherboards based on B65. The chipset, in general, is inexpensive, but much more curious than the "starting" H61: six SATA ports (one of which is SATA600), four memory slots (against two), built-in PCI support, 12 USB ports (against 10 for H61). However, in practice, the manufacturers have counted, thought, and ... They decided that it makes no sense to buy two different chipsets for budget motherboards - the difference in functionality will not pay off. It is better to solder a PCI-PCIe bridge to some of the boards, and to some also an additional SATA controller, and then sell them at a higher price. But in the simplest models the difference in price has already affected: if the whole board costs 60 dollars, then the chipset for $ 30 is preferable for it over the chipset for 37. Intel took last year's experience into account and did not update the H61. The result was ... massive announcements of boards based on the B75, since the "free" USB 3.0 has now been added to last year's advantages of its predecessor, and the ability to share a discrete video card for games and an integrated GPU for video encoding (formally, the latter exists for the H61, but such boards can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and all of them are not too cheap).

Thus, the B75 is perfectly suited for new motherboards with a level slightly lower than the H77, but higher than the simplest models on the H61 without additional controllers. Boards based on H61, for obvious reasons, if they need any update, only new versions of UEFI. But since the savings already turn out to be quite penny (boards on the B75 do not require either a discrete USB 3.0 controller, or a PCIe-PCI bridge, which even in models on the H61 began to become a rule of good form), we will not be surprised if a new board on It will become more difficult to meet the H61 than on the B65 last year :) Moreover, the chipset is also capable of "pushing into the closet" and the H77, becoming the main mainstream solution. Indeed - what will stop him? It has two fewer USB 2.0 ports and only one SATA600, as well as no Rapid Storage support (none: not only Smart Response, but also RAID arrays) - that's all the drawbacks. But it costs as much as six dollars cheaper, and the built-in "free" PCI support will continue to be relevant for the next year or two.

Total

	Z77	Z75	H77	B75	Q75	Q77
Tires
PCIe 3.0 Configurations (CPU)	x16 / x8 + x8 / x8 + x4 (+ x4)	x16 / x8 + x8	x16	x16	x16	x16
PCIe 2.0 quantity	8	8	8	8	8	8
PCI	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Overclocking
CPU	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Memory	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
GPU	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
SATA
Of ports	6	6	6	6	6	6
Of which SATA600	2	2	2	1	2	2
AHCI	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
RAID	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Smart response	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Other
# Of USB ports	14	14	14	12	14	14
Of which USB 3.0	4	4	4	4	4	4
TXT / vPro	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Intel Standard Manageability	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes

Well, as it was said at the very beginning of the article, there is nothing fundamentally new in the "new" chipsets. Which, however, is quite expected - the platform has remained the same. However, one can be sure that in the near future the representatives of the “seventh” series will almost completely oust their predecessors from the main market segments. In any case, the Z77 will definitely completely replace the Z68 - they cost the same, the basic functionality is comparable, so the "free" USB 3.0 alone is more than enough to change the leader. And the business line of boards will definitely be updated for similar reasons. Unless the ultra-budget segment will not notice the new products, since it will continue to sell the most primitive models on the H61 without any additional controllers. But on the budget and mid-range, the bulk of the product appears to be moving to the B75 and Z75. Maybe on the H77, but the prospects of this chipset, to be honest, cause us some doubts. It is clear that the company highly appreciates the Smart Response technology and hopes for its active use: in the previous line of chipsets it was supported only by the Z68 (which also appeared later than everyone else), and in the new - as many as three microcircuits. However, such a pricing policy can achieve exactly the opposite. On the other hand, a lot depends on the manufacturers - what they consider necessary to complete the boards will be actively sold.

From the point of view of other market trends, the most significant is that USB 3.0 support will become a standard feature of mass computers, and this will certainly spur the distribution of the third version of the interface. Thunderbolt will also come out of the underground, so far promoted only by the efforts of Apple. However, here we are not talking about mass character yet, but at least one motherboard supporting this interface has already been prepared by all manufacturers. In general, all this (together with the new processors) should make the LGA1155 platform more attractive than last year, albeit without drastically changing it. That is, there is no incentive to replace the existing motherboard (except that some owners of the simplest models based on the H61, who eventually found out that the limitations of this chipset are a little too tight for them), but even less for buying a product from last year's collection.