Gigabyte Z77N-WiFi mITX Intel LGA 1155 Review 29

Gigabyte Z77N-WiFi mITX Intel LGA 1155 Review

(29 Comments) »

Value & Conclusion

  • The Gigabyte Z77N-WiFi is available for $129.99.
  • Great "per clock" power efficiency.
  • Excellent USB 3.0 performance.
  • Support for Intel WiDi.
  • Dual HDMI/Dual LAN.
  • Ready to rock your LAN party, or act as a web server/access point.
  • Great pricing considering all the features - lowest price for an mITX Intel Z77X platform.
  • Fully functional AMI UEFI BIOS, including mouse support and support for 3 TB+ drives.
  • CPU overclock ability limited by a lack of voltage options.
  • No mSATA support.
  • Not enough cables in the box for all internal SATA ports.
I've had Gigabyte's Z77N-WiFi for some time now. Used as the base of an HTPC, its got a lot to offer, but if you've got another role in mind, it's ready for that as well. Gigabyte does offer significant value for your dollar, and that doesn't just apply to their boards. Take a look at any online retailer, and you'll see Gigabyte's VGAs are decently priced. Gigabyte definitely has made a shift in how they offer their products as of late, and that change is something I really have to commend them for.
The lack of voltage control will probably put some people off a bit, but its lack of such particular options is, to me, one of the best things ever, ensuring that Gigabyte's product makes no claim of being able to do something it really isn't capable of while providing one of the most stable computing environments available. You won't be tempted to push the Z77N-WiFi and a couple other recent Gigabyte board products too far, since you simply cannot push them at all.
Many weeks ago, I reviewed the Gigabyte B75M-D3H, and it has since proven itself to be a top seller across many markets by offering great features at superb pricing. The Gigabyte Z77N-WiFi is just like the B75M-D3H, only smaller: It offers something few other products have, thanks to the inclusion of Intel's WiDi connectivity, and it's priced lower than many other products of the same form factor. Add in the right mix of add-on components, and you can have a nifty little, silent rig that is completely wireless except for a power cable, which is pretty darn cool.
The Gigabyte Z77N-WiFi did really well in terms of actual usability and memory overclocking, providing a simple and problem-free set-up truly evidenced by the lack of BIOS updates Gigabyte has had to put out for this board. I have had issues with several recent products when it comes to memory support, but the Z77N-WiFi did not present me with any issues whatsoever, even when paired with the high performance 2666 MHz G.Skill DIMMs I use.
I had a great time evaluating the Gigabyte Z77N-WiFi, so much so that I have no qualms giving it one of our highest ratings, our Editor's Choice award, and our Great Value award because you cannot buy a cheaper mITX Z77 Express product. I deducted 0.2 points for the lack of voltage control, since that sole deficit is the only thing holding this product back.
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Apr 25th, 2024 04:09 EDT change timezone

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