Biostar Hi-Fi Z77X Intel Socket LGA1155
Intel Z77 Express Chipset »Introduction
Now that it has been several months since the launch of Intel's Z77 Express chipset, we've seen countless varieties of supporting board products ranging from super-pricey, mega-overclocking products to value orientated boards with just a minimum of features. At the same time though, I've really noticed a huge departure from one brand to the next, although each appears to be delivering the same product. Each brand has its key features and its own specific color-schemes.
Biostar has something completely different this time around with a debut of a whole new product line-up of which I will be covering at least a couple iterations over the coming weeks. The first is, of course, the Biostar Hi-Fi Z77X. That "Hi-Fi" moniker, as the name suggests, stands for some audio specialization in the design, and with Biostar that means that's what the whole board is about. Since Biostar is known for value-oriented products, can Biostar bring decent, built-in audio to the market like some other brands do with their high-end boards? Let's find out.
Specifications
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| CPU SUPPORT: | 2nd & 3rd Gen Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processor family for the LGA 1155 Socket |
| POWER DESIGN: | CPU Power: 13 Phases PCH Power: 2 Phase Memory Power: 1 Phase |
| CHIPSET: | Intel Z77 Express |
| INTEGRATED GRAPHICS: | Dependant on installed CPU |
| MEMORY: | 4 x DIMM, Max. 32 GB, DDR3 1066 to DDR3 2600+ |
| BIOS: | AMI EFI BIOS with 64 Mb Flash ROM |
| SLOTS: | 3 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (x16/x0/x0 or x8/x8/x0 or x8/x4/x4) 3 x PCIe 2.0 x1 slots |
| HDD CONNECTIVITY: | 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s (Intel Z77) 4 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s (Intel Z77) |
| NETWORKING: | Realtek RTL8111F PCIe Gigabit LAN |
| PORTS: | 8 x USB 2.0 ports (4 at back panel, 4 at front panel) 4 x USB 3.0 ports (2 at back panel, 2 at front panel) 1 x RJ45 LAN connectors 1 x Audio port with 6 audio jacks 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port 1 x HDMI port 1 x VGA Port 1 x DVI Port |
| AUDIO: | Realtek ALC898 HD CODEC |
| FAN HEADERS: | 3 (1x 4-pin PWM, 2x 3-pin) |
| FORM FACTOR: | ATX Form Factor (305 mm x 244 mm) |
| EXCLUSIVE FEATURES: |
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