The Intel Z77 Motherboard Owners & Users thread

[MacClipper]

FYI, Newegg US has started selling Z77 series mobo liao

 

[coolicex]

For those who love to fill up all of their DIMM slots (2 DIMM per channel config) running at high speed or mem oc fever

If you happen to purchase ASUS for Ivy Bridge, there is also a little treat in store, as they have reworked the memory sub-system. Their new method stunned Intel engineers, but should provide distinct memory speed advantages. Simply put, instead of memory banks being read consecutively, the memory is read in parallel. We are awaiting more detail regarding how this feature works.

It's hardware. Layout, not addressing. Just minimises skew between slots on the same channel. Very effective for clocking with 2DPC. All ASUS Z77 boards will have this.

T-Branch goodness

SOS: Asus + Ivy memory treat

 

[LesterQ]

May i knwo what does es means?

 

[KWSW]

May i knwo what does es means?

engineering sample if i am not wrong

 

[maylyn]

Ivy Potato Chip ^^

Finally

i have wrestled over my Ivy potato chip from my Overlord's grasp by getting her another as in a retail Intel i7 3770k

Benching here goes again

 

[eminus]

Finally

DDR-2400!!!! Wheeettweewww!!!

 

[KWSW]

did i just see a i7 3770K? drools...

 

[MacClipper]

Clarification from Raja@Asus

Asus + Ivy memory treat

Just to clear up confusion; T-branch won't do anything clock for clock, but will extend OC margin with all slots populated.

Asus + Ivy memory treat

No advantages for two DIMMs with T-branch: Why? As there is no slot to slot skew to account for within the channel (channel to channel skew withstanding of course).

With DRAM prices where they are most people will be populating all four slots so it made sense for us to make the switch.

We've worked a lot on layout and put a lot of work in for two DIMMs regardless (no BS), so there will be advantages coming in from other quarters there.

Orh arni quan eh...

 

[maylyn]

ZOTAC Unveils ZOTAC ZT-Z77-U1D SuperOverclock High-End Motherboard

All Hail ZOTAC

ZOTAC Unveils ZOTAC ZT-Z77-U1D SuperOverclock High-End Motherboard

ZOTAC unveiled a monster LGA1155 motherboard aimed at professional overclockers, and based on the new Intel Z77 Express chipset, the ZT-Z77-U1D. Pictured below, the designers' focus was evidently on giving the motherboard a very strong VRM, apart from just enough expansion and connectivity features for 2-way multi-GPU setups. To begin with, the LGA1155 socket is powered by a 27-phase VRM, which consists of AIO ferrite-core solid-state chokes, DrMOS, tantalum capacitors, and a super-ML multiphase capacitor to condition power. The VRM is controlled by a VRD12-compliant controller.

The LGA1155 socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting dual-channel DDR3-2133+ MHz memory, and two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x8/x8, when both are populated). Other expansion slots include four PCI-Express 2.0 x1, wired to the Z77 PCH. All six SATA ports from the PCH are assigned as internal ports, that's two SATA 6 Gb/s, and four SATA 3 Gb/s. Display connectivity includes DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Other connectivity includes 8+2 channel HD audio, 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, gigabit Ethernet, six USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, four via headers), and a number of USB 2.0 ports.

There are several features for overclockers, including redundant UEFI BIOS, consolidated voltage measurement points, onboard switches, POST LEDs, and a spacious upper half, with very few cylindrical capacitors to obstruct LN2 pots. Apart from 24-pin ATX, the board draws power from one 8-pin EPS, and one 4-pin Molex (optional, only if there are two slot-powered graphics cards).

 

[maylyn]

Third Long PCIe Slot On High-End Z77 Boards Wired to CPU, Works Only with Ivy Bridge

It turns out that the "third" long (physical x16, electrical x4) PCI-Express slot on most higher-end Z77 chipset-based motherboards, across vendors, are wired to the CPU, and not the Z77 PCH, as the media assumed. Early buyers of these motherboards were greeted by an informative sticker stuck to the third slot, which tells them that to use the third slot, a 3rd Generation Core "Ivy Bridge" processor must be installed, although the motherboard very much supports 2nd Generation Core "Sandy Bridge" processors.

This can be explained by taking a close look at the block diagram of Intel Z77 Express system. Z77, in combination with "Ivy Bridge" processors, allows the CPU root complex to drive three devices. Its single PCI-Express x16 link can be arranged in three ways: x16/NC/NC; x8/x8/NC; and x8/x4/x4. As you can see, the third long slot is taken into the configuration. Intel figured out that since PCI-Express 3.0 x4 offers bandwidth comparable to PCI-Express 1.0 x16 to gen 3-compliant graphics cards, it's wise if the third electrical x4 slot is also wired to the CPU's PCIe root complex. This renders most high-end LGA1155 motherboards with such CPU-driven third x16 (x4) slots 3-way SLI/CrossFireX-capable. Sweet.

Source ~> Third Long PCIe Slot On High-End Z77 Boards Wired to CPU, Works Only with Ivy Bridge

 

[garfield82]

Very nice clean design.
However the pice slots are bit too close to each other hard to SLI if using Asus DCII models for High-end cards.

 

[MacClipper]

kop from xs thread, incoming!

 

[stanley_home]

come come come

 

[iZoneSG]

I didn't know Zotac make mobos!!! Look cool!

 

[MacClipper]

Intel's USB 3.0 controller is faster than AMD's, too - The Tech Report

 

[MacClipper]

And more Z77 mobos listed locally...

HTH

 

[我要买GT-R!]

And more Z77 mobos listed locally...

HTH

Not bringing in Fatal1ty Performance?

 

[eminus]

And more Z77 mobos listed locally...

HTH

Mac are you the one doing the 6 giga OC heheeh too bad I was not included in the list..face too common

 

[JuveZzZ]

any ITX board coming?

 

[MacClipper]

Think it is the ogre doing the demo.

Personally, totally not interested in doing any o'cing which cannot handle at least a minimum 20 minute video encoding session at 100% CPU utilisation.

Heheh, you could have been more thick skinned and cried for an invite cos some despo did and got it in the end.