Tuesday, November 24th 2009
Gigabyte First with USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbps on the AMD Platform
Gigabyte is readying the industry's first socket AM3 motherboard that offers the new connectivity features combo that is turning out to be quite a selling point in itself: USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbps. Enter GA-790FXTA-UD5P, a high-end socket AM3 motherboard based on the AMD 790FX + SB750 chipset, that isn't just a revised GA-MA790FXT-UD5P. Apart from the star attractions of USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbps, the board features a redesigned expansion slot layout, among other new features. The socket AM3 motherboard supports AMD Phenom II AM3 and Athlon II series processors with support for dual-channel DDR3 memory.
To begin with, the CPU is powered by a 8+2 phase VRM supporting 140W processors, with a 2 phase VRM powering the four DDR3 DIMM slots. The board supports DDR3-1866 by overclocking, while DDR3-1333 and DDR3-1066 are naturally supported. A Precision OV controller provides fine (small step) voltage control for the CPU, memory and chipset voltages. Instead of two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots on the MA-790FXT-UD5P, this board features three PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots (electrical x16, x16, NC, or x16, x8, x8, depending on how they're populated). Each x16 slot as one slot spacing which is occupied by a PCI slot. A lone PCI-E x1 slot heads the pack.
The component cooling is similar to its predecessor, heatsinks that are interconnected by a heatpipe, cover the CPU VRM, northbridge, and southbridge. All six SATA 3 Gbps ports the SB750 provides are assigned as internal, while an additional controller (usual suspect being the Marvell 88SE9123-NAA2) provides two internal SATA 6 Gbps ports color-coded white. Another additional controller (suspected to be NEC µPD720200), provides two USB 3.0 ports on the rear-panel. 8-channel audio with optical and co-axial SPDIF outputs, eSATA/USB Combo connectors that eliminate need for additional power input on some eSATA thumb drives, a number of more USB 2.0 ports and two gigabit Ethernet connections make for the rest of the rear-panel. Gigabyte is planning more models that feature USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbps, namely GA-790XTA-UD4, and GA-770TA-UD3.
Source:
The Tech Report
To begin with, the CPU is powered by a 8+2 phase VRM supporting 140W processors, with a 2 phase VRM powering the four DDR3 DIMM slots. The board supports DDR3-1866 by overclocking, while DDR3-1333 and DDR3-1066 are naturally supported. A Precision OV controller provides fine (small step) voltage control for the CPU, memory and chipset voltages. Instead of two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots on the MA-790FXT-UD5P, this board features three PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots (electrical x16, x16, NC, or x16, x8, x8, depending on how they're populated). Each x16 slot as one slot spacing which is occupied by a PCI slot. A lone PCI-E x1 slot heads the pack.
37 Comments on Gigabyte First with USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbps on the AMD Platform
And: Umpa-Loompa shit, wtf :roll.
But I agree though, I may wait for others to release boards with more of these options.
Although, if the price is right...maybe...:rolleyes:
but i prefer my 790FXT-UD5P, it has 10 SATA and a eSATA bracket, Dual x16 slots and three x1 slots ;P
Gigabyte leads the pack for best slot configurations IMHO. That top pcie 1x slot is absolutely perfect for tiny pcie wireless cards or NICs (although I'd avoid putting a long card there- right above a hot GPU slot).
AMD realy hit this off, heck intel P55 with USB3/SATA 6Gbps still has to use PCIe 1.1 slots LOLz
good luck :P
x32 goes to graphics card slots (x16/x8/x8)
x4 PCIe 2.0 goes to SB750 (6 blue SATA, 6 USB?)
x1 PCIe 2.0 goes to Realtek Gigabit Ethernet
x1 PCIe 2.0 goes to Realtek Gigabit Ethernet
x1 PCIe 2.0 goes to Realtek ALC889A HD Audio Controller
x1 PCIe 2.0 goes to NEC USB3 Controller
x1 PCIe 2.0 goes to Marvell SATA 6Gbps Controller
x1 PCIe 2.0 goes to x1 slot on motherboard
am not 100% sure but i think this is how the mb is setup
to bad they put eSATA back again :O
brackets are way better!!!! alot more flexible than having it hardsoldered to back of your case, i now have eSATA in my case on my mb, or i can remove the bracket and have 10 SATA instead of 8 SATA + 2 eSATA (that never gets used 99% of the time)
here is from bit-tech on P55, talk about bottlenecked
www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2009/11/16/investigating-sata-6gbps-performance/this shouldnt be a big problem with 790FX because its PCIe 2.0 all around