MSI Launches Z77A-GD80 with Thunderbolt Technology

[Cristian_25H]

MSI, the leading innovator in mainboard and graphics card technology is happy to announce the availability of the new MSI Z77A-GD80 mainboard with Intel Thunderbolt technology. With MSI's true integrated Thunderbolt design you don't have to worry about losing bandwidth or placing additional add-in cards as it is the most simple Thunderbolt solution available. Of course, the renowned Military Class III components are again available to deliver the highest quality and most stable components. OC Genie II boosts your overall CPU, Memory, Disk and Graphics performance and thank to its power saving hardware features such as Active Phase Switching (APS) and DrMOS II, the MSI Z77A-GD80 can combine its CPU performance with best power saving.





Thunderbolt Technology: The Fastest Connection available
MSI equipped the Z77A-GD80 with the groundbreaking Thunderbolt technology. Thunderbolt is the fastest data connection available for your PC, running at 10 Gbps. Thunderbolt technology delivers two communications methods, or protocols, on a single cable: PCI Express for data transfer and DisplayPort for displays. MSI has integrated the Thunderbolt controller on the mainboard, ensuring that Thunderbolt is a hassle-free solution that not requires additional cards, cables and configuration issues because external Thunderbolt controllers steal bandwidth from other devices. Thunderbolt is an easy technology and should not add to your PC complexity!

Fastest Data transfers
Data transfers for backup, sharing, and editing are faster with Thunderbolt technology, significantly reducing times to complete these tasks. Running at 10 Gbps, Thunderbolt technology on the MSI Z77A-GD80 can transfer a full-length HD video in less than 30 seconds and backup 1 year of continuous audio playback in just over 10 minutes.

Cable management without clutter
Thunderbolt technology delivers great responsiveness with data and display transfers - in each direction, at the same time - using a single cable to connect devices. It's no longer needed to connect multiple devices directly to your PC. Using multiple connection in a daisy chain, the amount of cables directly attached to your PC will be reduced while maintaining maximum throughput.



Military Class III components
The MSI Z77A-GD80 is equiped with Military Class III components. consisten of the new DrMOS II next-generation MOSFET with double thermal protection ensure safety while providing the highest efficiency and power output. Hi-c CAPs have very high efficiency and small form factor, ideal over overclocking or oversized CPU cooling. Super Ferrite Chokes (SFC) are more powerful and more efficient than Chokes employed on other mainboards and the all-solid capacitors are the backbone of any long-lifetime product.

Smoothest system experience with OC Genie II
MSI OC Genie II is world's easiest overclocking technique and allows a complete performance overhaul with a simple push of a button. My OC Genie is a new feature that allows end-users to customize their OC Genie II experience through MSI's unique ClickBIOS II interface.

[Dj-ElectriC]

Waiting patiently to put my hands on that board.

[Octavean]

About time,.....

Are they actually on sale now or is there even more of a wait,....?

[dlsmoker]

Any clues about the price? the gd65 is 165€, you think this can go higher than 200€?

[MeanBruce]

Only been waiting for a new mainboard for 4 years since having no money in college, now I can finally get something nice, Maximus 5 Extreme, here I come... so happy I could cry.

Please Asus announce the M5E, I am preparing a party at my house.

[YogurtMaster]

If it's launched I can't find it on either msi.com or newegg.com. I also did a search and didn't find any info, does this officially launch on Monday?

[MeanBruce]

Did the Thunderbolt Intel NDA finally lift?

[eidairaman1]

Thunderbolt AIBs anyone?

[neliz]

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5829/a...-msis-z77agd80

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajA0TylSoXo

[YogurtMaster]

I think someone saw the article on Anandtech and jumped the gun and thought MSI's Z77-GD80 was launching today (which by the way really annoys me as I want to pick up this motherboard). Launch date seems to be sometime in June (hopefully early June).

Well.... Beaten from the MSI rep...

Anandtech did say this....

Update: Intel has informed us that we will see updated drivers for Windows certified Thunderbolt devices that will enable hot plugging under Windows as well as address some of the behavior we've seen. Intel further informed us that MSI's board has not yet made it through the certification process and a lot of these teething issues will hopefully be addressed by then.

[Ravenas]

I'm curious if Intel's thunderbolt technology will ever make it to AMD mobos.

[Octavean]

Originally Posted by Ravenas

I'm curious if Intel's thunderbolt technology will ever make it to AMD mobos.

AMD has something called "Lightning Bolt". A cheap knockoff of sorts which is less able.

Intel Thunderbolt adds expense to a system board though. Many people go with AMD as a cheaper alternative to Intel so spending more for Intel Thunderbolt may not be something typical AMD customers are willing to do. So manufactures may be asking themselves "who would buy such an AMD Thunderbolt board?".

[Mussels]

intels version should make it across someday, even if its slightly crippled (EG, data link only with no video)


if we get laptops with working external GPU's over this connection, i'll get me one of those laptops asap :P

[Fourstaff]

Originally Posted by Mussels

intels version should make it across someday, even if its slightly crippled (EG, data link only with no video)


if we get laptops with working external GPU's over this connection, i'll get me one of those laptops asap :P

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-...articleContent

We have this for more than a year already

[Mussels]

Originally Posted by Fourstaff

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-...articleContent

We have this for more than a year already

not in a generic form that we can use with any GPU we want, we dont.

[Fourstaff]

Originally Posted by Mussels

not in a generic form that we can use with any GPU we want, we dont.

Since that there is only one laptop which actually have Thunderbolt (other than Macs), its pointless to hope for generic stuff just yet.

[Mussels]

Originally Posted by Fourstaff

Since that there is only one laptop which actually have Thunderbolt (other than Macs), its pointless to hope for generic stuff just yet.

i'm still excited that the tech is going in that direction. imagine how many generic PC's (laptops, netbooks, ITX systems, etc) that are going to have out of the box gaming upgradeability with thunderbolt GPU docks.


as apple would say

"This changes everything. Again."

[Fourstaff]

Originally Posted by Mussels

i'm still excited that the tech is going in that direction. imagine how many generic PC's (laptops, netbooks, ITX systems, etc) that are going to have out of the box gaming upgradeability with thunderbolt GPU docks.

Indeed this will change almost everything. You will be able to carry your ultrabook everywhere you go for lots of battery life, and then go back home, plug in your external graphics and game at almost max settings (hopefully not with console ports).

[hardcore_gamer]

Originally Posted by Fourstaff

deed this will change almost everything. You will be able to carry your ultrabook everywhere you go for lots of battery life, and then go back home, plug in your external graphics and game at almost max settings (hopefully not with console ports).

Lets do the math. Thuderbolt I/O is capable of 10Gb/s per channel. Hence, a 2 channel cable is capable of 20Gb/S.

PCIe 2.0 x16 has a throughput of 128Gb/S.

Thunderbolt is not yet capable of handling good external graphics cards. This may change with later generations of Thunderbolt with optical lines. But there is another problem.The best mobile CPUs are nowhere near 2600K. If we connect a 670 to a laptop, there will be CPU bottleneck.

It looks like desktops are here to stay.

[Fourstaff]

Originally Posted by hardcore_gamer

Lets do the math. Thuderbolt I/O is capable of 10Gb/s per channel. Hence, a 2 channel cable is capable of 20Gb/S.

PCIe 2.0 x16 has a throughput of 128Gb/S.

Thunderbolt is not yet capable of handling good external graphics cards. This may change with later generations of Thunderbolt with optical lines. But there is another problem.The best mobile CPUs are nowhere near 2600K. If we connect a 670 to a laptop, there will be CPU bottleneck.

It looks like desktops are here to stay.

Lets do some more maths: with PCIe 1.1 x8 (2Gbps) 7970 takes a 6% hit in performance at 1080. I say with some tweaking there will be no problem running top end graphics off Thunderbolt. Also, CPU bottleneck is relative to game, Metro2033 is very GPU bound while Starcraft II is CPU bound, etc.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...caling/23.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCIE

[Mussels]

and it doesnt matter if we cant run the highest end GPU's off it, becuase even high end laptop hardware is barely midrange desktop hardware. i've got a midrange 'gaming' laptop, and it struggles to play most games at 1360x768 even on low.