Motherboards - Page 25

During the last week we've seen a variety of motherboards launched using Intel's new Z97 chipset, all before Computex kicks off for another year in June. MSI broke out of the gate with some delicious motherboards, launching its new OC Series of motherboards.

MSI has snapped its Z97 Express-based motherboards into two lines of boards, the Gaming Series and OC Series. The new Gaming Series is priced between $100-$220, offering features that are aimed at gamers with decent overclocks. The OC Series however, is priced at $200-$400 and is geared toward professional and competitive overclockers.

MSI's new OC Series includes the Z97 MPower, Z97 MPower MAX AC, and the Z97 XPower AC. Starting with MSI's flagship motherboard, the Z97 XPower AC, which is made for seriously high-end builds. It features strong CPU and RAM overclocking capabilities, as well as 3- and 4-way GPU setups. We have the PEX8747 bridge chip from the folks at PLX, allowing you to drive four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, an an overriding single PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. When this slot is used, it wires the add-on card directly to the CPU's root complex, bypassing the PLX chip.

ASRock has quickly grown to be one of the foremost motherboard manufacturers in the custom PC world and with Intel's pending release of its new 5th Generation Haswell Processors for 2014, the company has prepared an entire line of Z97-based motherboards for 2014. While we are sure that ASRock will be showing them all of at Computex 2014, TweakTown has been given a special look into the line in the form of 19 photos.

No information was given on each specific motherboard except that they are Z97 based, and will accept Intel's 5th Generation Haswell Processors. Some of the boards will feature the new M.2 SSD connector and will allow the use of M.2 SSD drives with the boards. "M.2, formerly called "Next Generation Form Factor" (NGFF), is the latest I/O solution of replacing Mini-SATA (abbreviated as mSATA) and breaking through the speed limit of the current SATA3 6Gb/s. Leading by Intel Inc., M.2 technology is based on the PCI Express interface and also compatible with the SATA interface," ASRock said in a release.

Information about ASUS motherboard with upcoming Intel Z97 Chipset was leaked in a China based website. According to the information, ASUS is preparing to release six new motherboards with LGA 1150 socket.

The motherboard models are Maximus VII Hero, Maximus VII Gene, Z97 Sabertooth Mark 1, Z97 Deluxe, Z97-WS and Maximus VII Ranger.

The information also provides the specifications and features that ASUS have implemented on the respected models of the motherboards. As one would expect, the enthusiast class motherboards will be with an array of overclocking features.

GIGABYTE has just taken the wraps off of its new high performance server motherboard, the GA-6PXSVT, the company's first single Socket 2011-based workstation motherboard that features 10GbE.

The GA-6PXSVT supports the Intel Xeon E5-1600 V2 and E5-2600 V2 processors, up to 256GB of ECC memory, and all of the usual features you would find on a high-end workstation motherboard. First we have the single SFP+ 10GbE port that is coupled with two additional GbE ports, making the GA-6PXSVT quite the networking performance powerhouse.

The GA-6PXSVT features Intel's third generation 82599EN 10GbE controller with a low latency SFP+ interface, which means that users benefit from an on-board package which delivers higher bandwidth, lower thermals and footprint, and cost performance compared to the traditional method of adding 10GbE capacity through a PCI-Express expansion card.

ASUS and GIGABYTE Technology made plans to ship over five millon DIY motherboards by first quarter of this year. Both companies have been competing head-to-head in China's DIY PC market for entry-level, mid-end and even high-end models.

Though ASUS' 2014 shipments haven't changed, GIGABYTE has noticed a significant increase, mainly due to increase of demand in towns and cities. ASUS shipped about twenty million seven hundred thousand motherboards during 2013 witnessing a 6.8% decrease compared to the previous year, whereas GIGABYTE shipped twenty million motherboards, a 5.3% bump.

At the same time, sources reported that MSI International, ASRock, Elitegroup, Biostar & Colorful Technology and Development may have its shipments dropped by 10% at the very least.

CES 2014 - GIGABYTE's marketing director, Colin Brix, took a few moments to walk us through the company's new Brix devices. Up first is the new Brix Pro which features Intel's new Iris Pro Integrated Graphics, and is powerful enough to even run Battlefield 4. The Brix Pro is also Gigabytes official entry into the Steam Machine arena and is Valve approved.

We were also shown a Brix device that is coming out this year that features discrete graphics for more GPU processing power. The unnamed device features both Intel Haswell and AMD processors and will have support for NVIDIA GPUs at a later date. GIGABYTE says that the unnamed device will be perfect for LAN parties, or anywhere you need desktop performance in a small, ultra-portable package.

The last Brix device we got a chance to check out is the new Brix NAS device which is code named Brix MAXX. The device has room for up to four 2.5-inch HDDs or SSDs, and is being billed as a home-sized personal cloud storage device. The Brix NAS supports SMBA, DLNA, as well as other server configurations, and features several RAID features. The Brix NAS is the first Brix device to run Android as its main OS, and features apps for your mobile devices for quick file syncing.

Today MSI launched a new variant of its Z87 MPower MAX, the company's flagship LGA1150 motherboard. The new Z87 MPower MAX AC includes an 802.11 ac Wi-Fi interface courtesy of a daughter board that features an Intel communications processor that brings dual-band 802.11 AC Wi-Fi to the popular motherboard.

MSI says that the new Z87 MPower MAX is capable of Wi-Fi speeds up to 867 Mb/s on the 5GHz channel when connected to a compatible router running 802.11 ac. Bluetooth 4.0 is also featured in the new Intel-based daughter board which allows for connectivity of Bluetooth enabled peripherals, accessories and mobile devices. The Z87 MPower MAX AC is a standard ATX form factor motherboard and features all of the same configurations and features of its predecessor, the MSI Z87 MPower MAX which we reviewed last year.

Today BIOSTAR unveiled two new motherboards that it says are the ideal solution for mining Bitcoins. The first board is based on an Intel H81 chipset and supports Intel's socket 1150 CPUs, while the second features an H61B chipset and socket 1155 support. This allows Bitcoin mining using Intel 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation Core processors.

Both of the boards feature PCI-E 3.0 support and include a single 16x slot and 5 PCI-E 1x slots. The Hi-Fi H81S2 V.6.X supports two DDR3 DIMM modules, and connectivity is handled via 2x SATA 3 connectors and 2x SATA 2 connectors. USB 3.0 is featured on two ports while two other ports as well as the USB headers are version 2.0. Gigabit Ethernet is present as well.

The H61B v 6.1 supports socket LGA 1155, and can house up to two DDR3 DIMMs. Four SATA 2 ports are available while all of the on-board USB is version 2.0. Gigabit Ethernet is present as well as on-board VGA graphics and serial out. Load either of these boards up with several AMD Radeon or NVIDIA GeForce GPUs and enjoy all of the bitcoins you can mine!

We're over in chilly Beijing, China at the moment checking out the 2013 Beat It Grand Finals being hosted by MSI. Between CS:GO games, we went down and hit the floor to see what was going on in the few booths that have been set up by the sponsors of the event.

Two items that really got our attention are the new mITX weapons that MSI are showing off that are due to hit in the first week of December. One is the upcoming Z87I Gaming AC motherboard. As the name suggests it's based on the Z87 chipset.

Alongside that we've also got GTX 760 Gaming ITX, a smaller GTX 760 designed to be installed in a MITX case that you can see above. We've got samples of both products already so keep an eye out for a review in early December. We always love those mITX products and we can't wait to see how they perform.

ASRock make some truly killer motherboards, so it's about time that they used the word 'killer' in one of its motherboards. Introducing the new ASRock Fatal1ty Z87 Killer motherboard, the company's newest motherboard in its Z87 range of motherboards.

The new Fatal1ty Z87 Killer motherboard features a Killer E2200 Intelligent Networking Platform, which should be something online gamers will be interested in, as it reduces the latency in online gaming. ASRock ran some in-house testing, where it saw a reduction in latency in League of Legends, Diablo 3 and DoTA2 by 136%, 60% and 47%, respectively.

ASRock's Fatal1ty Z87 Killer motherboard also features some of the usual high-end features we have come to expect from the motherboard maker, which come in the form of Hi-Density Power Connectors that "reduces 23% power loss and decreases the power connector's temperature." ASRock has also baked in Purity Sound, which is an on-board audio solution and HDMI-in for those who want to use their PC as a video-in device, plugging in their console for example.

Early this morning GIGABYTE unveiled the latest addition to its 8 series motherboards. The GIGABYTE H81.AMP-UP supports the latest 4th generation Intel Core processors and is aimed at appeasing audiophiles who enjoy the ability to tune the audio output to fit their personal taste.

The motherboard features and upgradable operational amplifier (OP-Amp), A small chip that users can replace with varying models. This is something that GIGABYTE says has never been seen before on a mainstream platform motherboard. The board's audio circuit is designed around GIGABYTE's exclusive USB DAC-UP circuitry which is said to provide a noise-less USB power to the digital two-to analog converters, and slide switches to boost overall game levels. Additionally high-end Nichicon capacitors are used to help smooth out the audio signals.

"The GIGABYTE H81.AMP-UP is like no other motherboard currently available, addressing the important market of audio enthusiasts that don't necessarily require high-end PC gaming features," commented Henry Kao, Vice President of GIGABYTE Motherboard Business Unit. "Delivering a potent combination of our exclusive audio technologies, and backed by our signature Ultra Durable design philosophy, the GIGABYTE H81.AMP-UP has certainly upped the ante in terms of must have features for mainstream H81 motherboards."

Today, ASUS officially posted a BIOS update for its socket LGA2011 motherboards that ushers in support for Intel's Core i7 Ivy Bridge-E processors. To install the update, users need an old LGA2011 processor, or they can choose to use the ASUS USB BIOS Flashback utility which requires no CPU or RAM to flash the BIOS. Just a 24pin ATX connector.

The P9X79 series, ROG Rampage series, and TUF Sabertooth X79 series are all supported and Ivy Bridge-E support is denoted by the following BIOS Versions:

To download your corresponding BIOS update, head over to Source #1 below.

Today, ASUS announced that it will support Intel's new Thunderbolt 2 technology and unveiled the first motherboard to feature the 20Gb/s interconnect. The Z87-Deluxe/Quad is a Z87-based motherboard that is compatible with Intel's fourth-generation Haswell processors. It boasts impressive features, including 10 SATA 3 6GB/s ports, eight USB 3.0 ports, and three PCIe-x16 slots.

"The Z87-Deluxe/Quad has been subjected to a tremendous amount of compatibility, BIOS, as well as video/audio and other tests to verify its quality and design," claimed Joe Hsieh, general manager for ASUS' motherboard division. "Being the world's first certified motherboard for Thunderbolt 2 technology also means setting the standard for all of the upcoming products, which is something that ASUS has always done."

Although the other specifications are cool, Thunderbolt 2 is what really sets this motherboard apart from the rest. The new interconnect standard works by combining two upstream and downstream channels of the original Thunderbolt standard into a pair of bidirectional channels that are both capable of running at 20Gb/s. The motherboard is able to support up to a total of up to 12 Thunderbolt devices, and the motherboard will be capable of supporting 3 4K ultrahigh definition displays from a single system by using the HDMI port with each of the two Thunderbolt 2 ports.

Computex Taipei 2013 - ASUS were showing off their TUF motherboards at Computex 2013, with four boards in the range. The first of which is the Mecha TUF, which uses the TUF Sabertooth Z87 motherboard with a striking design that is very robotic.

Moving on, we have the Thermal Universe Finder, which again uses the TUF Sabertooth Z87 motherboard and was designed by Tod's Factory Custom Studio and has loads of gears, rocket exhausts and all sorts of tank-themed goodies. The next board is the MATX Ranger, which uses the TUF Gryphon Z87 motherboard, Gryphon Armor kit and was designed by Lee Han-Sheng and Han-Sheng Environmental Art.

The final board in the range showed off at the show was the Winger Charger, which uses the TUF Gryphon Z87 motherboard with the Armor Kit and was designed by Tod's Factory Custom Studio.

Computex Taipei 2013 - Having found ourselves already impressed with the upcoming ASRock Z87 OC Formula/AC we today got a chance to test one of the features that we really wouldn't get to test ourselves. While not something that we would really make use of as we deal with just standard cooling setups. The new Waterproof by Conformal Coating is a really cool feature that protects the board from moisture when it comes to the most extreme overclocking.

While we were actually at the event today we heard from an overclocker that a couple of boards had died today due to the humidity in the air. When the benchmarking was finished the board was just dripping in water. Thanks to this new feature from ASRock it's really something overclockers won't have to worry about.

They had on display the board running with water running down it. Above they had a video showing the process of how it's done. Speaking to ASRock they told us just five motherboards can be coated an hour so as you can imagine it's not a quick and easy process. It's great to see ASRock mixing it up, though, and offering us something different.

Computex Taipei 2013 - Going hand in hand with all the memory that is being shown off this year we've got a ton of motherboards that support the latest chipset from Intel. We headed over to the MSI booth this afternoon to have a look at what is exactly on offer.

One board that really took our eye is the upcoming Z87 XPOWER which is due in the coming weeks. Sporting the PLX chip for faster 4-Way GPU support the upcoming board which isn't quite ready yet looks good. Along with the PLX chip we've got the Sound Blaster X-Fi3 HD audio chip.

We've also got a bunch of buttons on the board helping overclock on-the-fly. One set controls the multiplier, the other controls the BCLK. There's also a toggle switch that lets us adjust the BCLK by 1 or .1 depending on the kind of tuning you want to do. We look forward to seeing a sample in the coming weeks.

Computex Taipei 2013 - This morning we got the chance to head over to the EVGA Suite at the popular Grand Hyatt to check out some of the latest offerings that the company was going to be offering us in the coming months. Working hard recently to become a competitor in the extremely tough motherboard segment we saw EVGA show off a number of upcoming motherboards based on the new Z87 chipset that was just released by Intel over the past weekend.

The first board we saw was the upcoming Z87 Stinger based on the Mini-ITX form factor which we saw sitting in the new Mini-ITX barebone system that EVGA had just launched. In Typical Mini-ITX fashion there's not a whole lot to the motherboard due it's small nature. Looks wise it's pretty nice, though, with the black PCB and red highlights which is very typical EVGA.

Moving away from the Mini-ITX based board we had a look at two of the larger options from the company which include the Z87 FTP which is the more mainstream board while users looking for something a little more powerful will indeed be eyeing off the Z87 Classified.

Computex Taipei 2013 - GIGABYTE has added a new LGA 1150-based motherboard to its gaming line of motherboards. The G1.Sniper 5 is designed for gamers making use of Intel's latest Core CPUs. Sniper series motherboards come with features that gamers care about.

The new G1.Sniper 5 comes with the Killer E2200 Series gaming networking platform, providing the best possible network connection for gamers who need that extra few milliseconds. The G1.Sniper 5 also comes with a front headphone jack amplifier for gamers using a headset plugged into the front audio jack.

The G1.Sniper 5 features four PCIe-x16 expansion slots, spaced every other expansion slot. The remaining expansion slots are all PCIe-x1, perfect for that sound card or other expansion device. The G1.Sniper can easily support four-way SLI and Crossfire thanks to the layout of its expansion ports.

Computex Taipei 2013 - Yesterday we were kindly invited to the GIGABYTE headquarters here in Taipei, Taiwan where we got a full introduction to its line-up of new Intel Z87 Express "Haswell" based motherboards, ahead of Computex Taipei 2013 which begins next week.

We got a look at its new gaming, overclocking and mainstream boards. Stew from GIGABYTE was kind enough to run us through the range. We get a look at the G1.Sniper 5, G1.Sniper M5, Z87X-OC, Z87X-OC Force, Z87X-UD5H and more.

It was clear from our visit that GIGABYTE has focused heavily on audio for this range of boards with some pretty amazing features such as its O-AMP Premium audio system. My first impression of all the boards was that they all look great. It's not unusual to have a couple good looking boards in a series, but when they all look good, it was a big surprise, in a good way.

ASRock has announced that their top-of-the-line Z87 Extreme9/ac is the first Intel 8 Series motherboard to be awarded Thunderbolt certification from Intel. The Z87 Extreme9/ac is ASRock's highest performance motherboard designed for Intel's upcoming Haswell CPU's.

We expect to see the Z87 Extreme9/ac at Computex during the first part of June. It, along with Intel's Haswell CPU's, should be one of the main highlights of the show.