Monday, May 30th 2011
Here is the first picture of GA-X79A-UD3, the first Gigabyte-branded socket LGA2011 motherboard. Based on the Intel X79 Express chipset, the board supports upcoming Sandy Bridge-E enthusiast processors in the LGA2011 package. Mind you, this is just the cheapest LGA2011 board from Gigabyte, there is a higher-end line of X79 motherboards, so don't let the unspectacular looks of the UD3 get you.

The GA-X79A-UD3 is a standard ATX sized motherboard. Its main VRM is spread all around the large CPU socket, in what appears to be a 6-phase design, with an unknown number of memory and uncore phases. LGA2011 processors feature a large quad-channel DDR3 memory controller, along with a northbridge uncore component with a 40-lane PCI-Express 3.0 controller. Those amount to the socket's insane pin-count of 2,011 pins. Memory slots are located in pairs of two on either sides of the socket. Each slot is its own 64-bit wide memory channel.


Expansion slots include five PCI-Express 3.0 x16, from which we suspect four are wired to the processor, and one to the X79 PCH. There's a legacy PCI slot, too. The X79 PCH is loaded with a 10-port SATA 6 Gb/s RAID controller, all 10 ports are internal, an additional 2-port SATA 3 Gb/s controller is also integrated into the PCH, with its ports being assigned as internal.

Since this is the UD3 (entry level) model, its connectivity is rather skimpy, with 8+2 channel HD audio, a number of USB 3.0 ports, USB 2.0, and a single gigabit Ethernet.
posted by btarunr - 9:54 AM |  Related News

User comments
1 to 26 of 29 | Go to Page 1 2    Previous | Next
by LAN_deRf_HA (9:55 AM) - Reply
Insane amount of sata ports for an entry board. Well any board for that matter. buttload more http://lab501.ro/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/x79a.jpg
by KieX (10:17 AM) - Reply
The size of that socket is monstrous! The board also looks incredibly well featured for a UD3.. can't wait to see UD5/7 variants.
by micropage7 (10:34 AM) - Reply
another new socket from intel. the question is how long it will last black motherboard? can they use other color than black?
by b82rez (10:36 AM) - Reply
I'm a huge fan of AMD, borderline AMD fanboy... But this board looks NUTS for an entry level board. Fuck, look at those sata ports! Maybe I will go Intel for my next build when my 1090T becomes 'slow'.
by csendesmark (10:49 AM) - Reply
14 Sata ports? that's insane :D I can't wait to see the -EXTREME (or -UD7) versions :)
by btarunr (11:06 AM) - Reply
by: csendesmark
14 Sata ports? that's insane :D I can't wait to see the -EXTREME (or -UD7) versions :)
You forgot UD9.
by Faith[ROG].Anarchy (11:07 AM) - Reply
Now that socket is HUGE :D
by jalex3 (11:26 AM) - Reply
Sata, Sata everywhere! very nice intel are you trying to stop me from wanting bulldozer? well it will not work
by ensabrenoir (11:30 AM) - Reply
Will this thing require a new size cpu cooler or b 1366 compatable
by slyfox2151 (11:33 AM) - Reply
by: csendesmark
14 Sata ports? that's insane :D I can't wait to see the -EXTREME (or -UD7) versions :)
you should see the UD7, it will have 142 sata ports and 30 PCI-E slots :P im a fan of this board already.
by buggalugs (11:52 AM) - Reply
by: ensabrenoir
Will this thing require a new size cpu cooler or b 1366 compatable
I dont think so, but maybe you'll need a new bracket. It looks like the same hole spacing as socket 1366 but it looks like the holes are threaded so maybe no backplate needed. I heard Intel are going to release a water cooler like Corsair's H70 but if you have a quality heatsink like Noctua/Thermalright/Prolimatech etc you probably just need a new bracket for like $15
by slyfox2151 (11:59 AM) - Reply
by: buggalugs
I dont think so, but maybe you'll need a new bracket. It looks like the same hole spacing as socket 1366 but it looks like the holes are threaded so maybe no backplate needed. I heard Intel are going to release a water cooler like Corsair's H70 but if you have a quality heatsink like Noctua/Thermalright/Prolimatech etc you probably just need a new bracket for like $15
i hope they get rid of those shitty push pins ! :D bring on the screws with springs!
by FreedomEclipse (12:01 PM) - Reply
thats the freakiest mobo lay out ive ever seen.... the CPU is STRADDLED between the ram slots. WHY? better for latency?!
by derwin75 (12:03 PM) - Reply
HOLY COW!!!! I can't wait to see what the UD9 would look like. It's possible that UD9 motherboard model could be a XL-ATX or HPTX form factor but who know.....
by buggalugs (12:05 PM) - Reply
by: slyfox2151
i hope they get rid of those shitty push pins ! :D bring on the screws with springs!
Ya, pushpins suck, and backplates suck. This looks like a much better design,the bracket is joined to the socket. Theres 2 CPU retention levers as well, one on each side...
by csendesmark (12:48 PM) - Reply
by: btarunr
You forgot UD9.
-UD9 followed those versions, much latter (in the 1366 line), I don't expect -UD9 soon. ... or should I? :)
by jalex3 (1:26 PM) - Reply
so gigabyte still will not go full uefi for over a year? thats abit sad.
by sunil (3:03 PM) - Reply
Why quad channel memory?
by arnoo1 (3:15 PM) - Reply
by: Faith[ROG].Anarchy
Now that socket is HUGE :D
hopefully the performance is also huge vs x58/p67
by link2009 (4:39 PM) - Reply
I am completely baffled by the amount of 'blind love' given to this board in this thread. Why is everyone cheering that the board has 14 SATA ports? How many of those ports will you actually be utilizing most of the time? I am an enthusiast that has a ton of hard drive space but I never utilize more than 6 SATA ports...EVER. If this is the entry-level board, who is it aimed for? The gamer that needs 28 TB of space? (This is assuming a 2TB hard disk per SATA port) Is everyone happy because the 14 ports demonstrate high bandwidth availability? I don't really get it...
by btarunr (5:25 PM) - Reply
by: link2009
I am completely baffled by the amount of 'blind love' given to this board in this thread. Why is everyone cheering that the board has 14 SATA ports? How many of those ports will you actually be utilizing most of the time? I am an enthusiast that has a ton of hard drive space but I never utilize more than 6 SATA ports...EVER. If this is the entry-level board, who is it aimed for? The gamer that needs 28 TB of space? (This is assuming a 2TB hard disk per SATA port) Is everyone happy because the 14 ports demonstrate high bandwidth availability? I don't really get it...
I "consume" a 2 TB hard drive every 2-odd months. Gamers like to download and store stuff, too. Besides, it's not only about capacity. It's also about RAID. Imagine if you could stripe ten 60 GB SATA 6 Gb/s SSDs (amounting to ~$1100) in RAID 0. With 8 GB/s chipset bandwidth at its disposal, you could very well be achieving godly speeds restricted to tens of thousands of dollars worth SSD cards.
by LAN_deRf_HA (5:51 PM) - Reply
by: sunil
Why quad channel memory?
Why anything at all?
by jalex3 (7:55 PM) - Reply
so it just came to me... this ram layout explains noctuas new heatsinks and the changes to the d14... interesting
by Hayder_Master (8:08 PM) - Reply
Wow when i see i expect its UD5 or even UD7 version, awesome
by Wile E (9:27 PM) - Reply
by: btarunr
I "consume" a 2 TB hard drive every 2-odd months. Gamers like to download and store stuff, too. Besides, it's not only about capacity. It's also about RAID. Imagine if you could stripe ten 60 GB SATA 6 Gb/s SSDs (amounting to ~$1100) in RAID 0. With 8 GB/s chipset bandwidth at its disposal, you could very well be achieving godly speeds restricted to tens of thousands of dollars worth SSD cards.
Ditto. I already need to throw a controller card in my server, as all 6 ports are full, and I have another 2TB drive that needs to go in. I'd love it if my board had 14sata ports.
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