Introduction

There is little doubt in my mind that Gigabyte has been making a big splash in the industry as of late and another box, ready to surprise me yet again, showed up on my doorstep just when I thought they were done. I've covered many Gigabyte products recently, ranging from the entry-level B75M-D3H to the X79S-UP5 WiFi, a workstation-oriented storage behemoth carrying 14 SATA ports; both show that Gigabyte has really focused their design philosophies. Their changes seem to be making an impact on the market as well, with news showing that they've been eating into the market share of other OEMs.

I have to be honest. This board landed on my doorstep many months ago. It sat on a shelf next to my desk, stoically waiting for its turn on my test bench. Not only that, the shipping box it came in held two boards, not one, and you will see the other board on these pages shortly. The Gigabyte team managed to secure a couple of HWBOT records by using yet another product I covered since the Z77-UP7 package arrived; you can find my other review here. So what about this one, the Gigabyte Z77X-UP7?

If you take a look at any local retailer right now, you should find that Gigabyte's products, motherboards and VGAs alike, are all priced quite competitively and that each of their segments offers a little bit more than some other offerings by other OEMs. Gigabyte's success is, in a large way, simply due to this facet alone, but not everything they do is value-oriented. The Gigabyte Z77X-UP7 is Gigabyte's ultimate multi-GPU overclocking board. It is over-built in every way, and it includes a 32-phase CPU VRM design with a triple-phase memory VRM. A PLX PEX8747 PCIe 3.0 bridge chip also adds support for up to four discrete GPUs, and whether you prefer the Red or Green Team doesn't matter. It is ready for whatever beating you want to give it.

Specifications

Intel Z77 Express Chipset

Intel's launch of their latest desktop platform in the first half of April 2012 began with board products. The Intel Z77 Express platform is an incremental upgrade from previous platforms. It adds additional features and provides a wider level of functionality with full support for the 3rd Generation Core i5/i7 family of CPUs commonly called Ivy Bridge in enthusiast circles.


The Ivy Bridge CPUs are made using a new 28nm process technology that lowers power consumption and gives a bit more performance-per-clock over previous Intel 2nd Generation Core i5/i7 products. Also changed is the onboard GPU that's part of the Ivy Bridge silicon, now taking up more of that slice of silicon that sits under the integrated heatspreader.


The integrated PCIe bus on the CPU has also been upgraded. It can, compared to the two devices and PCIe 2.0 connectivity that are found inside Sandy Bridge products, be split differently from SandyBridge CPUs, with IvyBridge natively supporting three devices over a single bus with 16 lanes of PCIe 3.0 connectivity. Taking advantage of that added PCIe functionality requires a motherboard design change from previous Sandybridge-supporting motherboards. Backward and forward component compatibility for both SandyBridge and IvyBridge platform products, including CPUs and chipsets, is still possible with updated firmware for older Socket 1155 board products, but using a new IvyBridge CPU with an older P67 Express or Z68 Express motherboard may limit PCIe functionality. PCIe functionality would, naturally, with SandyBridge only supporting two devices, be limited. The tertiary slot provided on some Z77 Express boards will not work with some products when a SandyBridge CPU is installed.


Gigabyte definitely adds their own twist to the Intel Z77 Express platform. Most products take advantage of nearly every feature offered – most notably mSATA support. The Gigabyte Z77X-UP7 includes mSATA support as well as everything else you can imagine, and whether you want a robust platform for a high-end gaming build, or just want to clock the pants off your new Intel LGA 1155 CPU, the Z77X-UP7 is willing and able.

Packaging

There's no doubt that Gigabyte has high hopes for the Z77X-UP7 with a bold claim of "A New Legend Is Born" emblazoned across the front of the box. The box is big and flashy for sure. A big picture of the board itself, outlining several feature highlights, adorns the back of the box.


There's a flap on the front of the box. It holds an in-depth explanation of the board's VRM design and what makes this board so special. The opposite side features a window that lets you peek inside the box.


Inside the shell of the box is a black cardboard box that has the board itself nestled inside yet another box covered by a plastic lid. Underneath of the board are a multitude of accessories that the Gigabyte Z77X-UP7 comes with, all of which take up more space than the board itself!