Gigabyte Z87X-UD3H (Intel LGA 1150)

[cadaveca]

Gigabyte's Z87X-UD3H is a board I like to refer to as "The Sleeper". Built to meet the needs of most average consumers, it not only comes with everything you need for daily use but also has an overclocking focus, though it may not appear so.

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[Assimilator]

Improvements versus its predecessor the Z77X-UD3H:

- Realtek and not VIA audio
- Marvell SATA ports switchable between SATA/eSATA
- 2 USB3 internal headers
- decent VRM heatsinks

Regressions:

- debug LED moved to a location where it will be difficult to see
- lack of mSATA slot
- COM port header? On a high-end board? In 2013?

Things that Gigabyte should've changed but didn't:

- dropped the VGA and DVI outputs on the rear IO in favour of 4 extra USB2 ports, or maybe 4 USB and an extra HDMI output
- stop wasting space with useless headers like COM and TPM (so that e.g. both USB3 headers could be moved next to each other)

My main issue with the Z77X-UD3H was the non-Intel USB3 ports being flaky. Since the rear IO on both boards is the same, that meant I effectively only had 2 reliable USB ports there. Hence I must ask - how is the non-Intel USB3 on this board? Did you encounter any issues with those ports?

 

[cadaveca]

Did you encounter any issues with those ports?

Nope. But I have found that most USB3 issues are compatibility ones. Whether that's a UEFI issue, or what, I am not exactly sure, but I do often see BIOS updates to address issues like USB3 stuff often, so take that for what you will.

 

[Fourstaff]

Would you recommend this over the UD4H? They are priced roughly similar in this side of the pond

 

[Nabarun]

@Dave:
I hope you can do the Asus Z87 Pro sometime

 

[altechi]

This or Asrock Extreme 6

This motherboard is the same price as the Asrock Extreme 6 in my country. Which one do you guys recommend?

 

[TheLostSwede]

Why are you always so damn sloppy with the chips? Is it really that hard to Google it?
the µPD720210 is USB3.0 Hub Controller, not a host controller...
So clearly you can't get 10 ports out of a four-port hub and six native ports...
From Gigabyte's spec:
"Chipset:
Up to 2 USB 3.0/2.0 ports (available through the internal USB header)
Chipset + 2 Renesas® uPD720210 USB 3.0 Hubs:
Up to 8 USB 3.0/2.0 ports (6 ports on the back panel, 2 ports available through the internal USB header)"
In other words, there are only two ports that connect directly to the chipset, the other eight goes via two hubs.

Furthermore the ITE IT8892E is a PCI Express to PCI bridge http://www.ite.com.tw/EN/products_more.aspx?CategoryID=3&ID=5,166
Not a Super I/O chip.
This really is just plain sloppy by someone that's supposed to know these things.

And before you start having a go at me, I was reviewing motherboards long before TPU ever existed.
So can you please, spend another five minutes on your reviews in the future to read up on things?
Maybe I'm being really picky, but there are enough crap review sites out there and I don't want TPU to become one.

 

[Nabarun]

This motherboard is the same price as the Asrock Extreme 6 in my country. Which one do you guys recommend?

Read this review. It's for the /ac version, but everything else is basically the same. I initially wanted that one, but in my country the prices are wayyyyy higher than in the US or UK, and Asrock's after-sales service doesn't seem to be quite reliable. Also, I have seen users complaining a LOT about RAM compatibility, etc. It ultimately depends on what YOU want from the board, though. I'm personally pretty much settled on the Asus Z87 Pro - for better overclockability, compatibility and better components and reliability. Gigabyte is good too. But in this one the audio is slightly inferior to many other boards which have the Realtech 1150 codec. Also, I like the usb BIOS (UEFI, actually) flashback on the Asus. Price is similar too

P.S.
The Asus has wifi too!

 

[radrok]

Why are you always so damn sloppy with the chips? Is it really that hard to Google it?
the µPD720210 is USB3.0 Hub Controller, not a host controller...
So clearly you can't get 10 ports out of a four-port hub and six native ports...
From Gigabyte's spec:
"Chipset:
Up to 2 USB 3.0/2.0 ports (available through the internal USB header)
Chipset + 2 Renesas® uPD720210 USB 3.0 Hubs:
Up to 8 USB 3.0/2.0 ports (6 ports on the back panel, 2 ports available through the internal USB header)"
In other words, there are only two ports that connect directly to the chipset, the other eight goes via two hubs.

Furthermore the ITE IT8892E is a PCI Express to PCI bridge http://www.ite.com.tw/EN/products_more.aspx?CategoryID=3&ID=5,166
Not a Super I/O chip.
This really is just plain sloppy by someone that's supposed to know these things.

And before you start having a go at me, I was reviewing motherboards long before TPU ever existed.
So can you please, spend another five minutes on your reviews in the future to read up on things?
Maybe I'm being really picky, but there are enough crap review sites out there and I don't want TPU to become one.

That's good feedback but cut the guy some slack, he's basically pumping out reviews at a very good speed considering how much he's thorough compared to other sites.

This is not some copypaste review like others sites do and everyone can make some mistakes.

They can be easily fixed with user comment inputs, we are here for that, too.

 

[cadaveca]

Would you recommend this over the UD4H? They are priced roughly similar in this side of the pond

Honestly, I don't have the UD4H, so I'm not too sure exactly. I'd have to take a close look to make an accurate assessment.

Why are you always so damn sloppy with the chips? Is it really that hard to Google it?
the µPD720210 is USB3.0 Hub Controller, not a host controller...
So clearly you can't get 10 ports out of a four-port hub and six native ports...
From Gigabyte's spec:
"Chipset:
Up to 2 USB 3.0/2.0 ports (available through the internal USB header)
Chipset + 2 Renesas® uPD720210 USB 3.0 Hubs:
Up to 8 USB 3.0/2.0 ports (6 ports on the back panel, 2 ports available through the internal USB header)"
In other words, there are only two ports that connect directly to the chipset, the other eight goes via two hubs.

Furthermore the ITE IT8892E is a PCI Express to PCI bridge http://www.ite.com.tw/EN/products_more.aspx?CategoryID=3&ID=5,166
Not a Super I/O chip.
This really is just plain sloppy by someone that's supposed to know these things.

And before you start having a go at me, I was reviewing motherboards long before TPU ever existed.
So can you please, spend another five minutes on your reviews in the future to read up on things?
Maybe I'm being really picky, but there are enough crap review sites out there and I don't want TPU to become one.

Heh. My bad. Hub controller/controller, whatever, ITE part, totally my mistake. Thanks for pointing it out. I won't make excuses. I made an edit, just for you.

I do know who you are.

That's good feedback but cut the guy some slack, he's basically pumping out reviews at a very good speed considering how much he's thorough compared to other sites.

This is not some copypaste review like others sites do and everyone can make some mistakes.

They can be easily fixed with user comment inputs, we are here for that, too.

Thanks.

 

[nullington]

The conclusion says:

Some features and options for OC missing, like the Cache Multiplier

Isn't this setting called "Uncore Ratio" for Gigabyte boards?

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Gigabyte/Z87X-UD3H/images/bios_05.jpg

 

[cadaveca]

The conclusion says:


Isn't this setting called "Uncore Ratio" for Gigabyte boards?

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Gigabyte/Z87X-UD3H/images/bios_05.jpg

Yep, but it didn't do anything.


but I just notice there is also ON/OFF switch next to it...WTF.... If it did not work because of that ON/OFF....OMG...

Here's my CPU screenshot....note in the BIOS screenshot that I took, and you linked, "UnCore" was set to "35", but in OS, it jumps up to "37":

When OC'd, it's still set to 35. But now, it's "39":

TO me, that is NOT working. It seems to be set dynamically, perhaps, but there is not option to change that. And I've never seen "35"...so what's going on there? I am not sure, myself.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Heh. My bad. Hub controller/controller, whatever, ITE part, totally my mistake. Thanks for pointing it out. I won't make excuses. I made an edit, just for you.

I do know who you are.

There's actually a huge difference between a host and a hub, as the name implies. You still didn't edit that part...

Yes, I'm a big pain in you backside, but there are so few sites left these days that do decent motherboard reviews and TPU is one of those, usually...

I'm not saying you're doing a bad job, but attention to details matter.

 

[Nabarun]

there are so few sites left these days that do recent motherboard reviews

Do you mean decent?

 

[brandonwh64]

There UD3H boards have been quite good. I have a Z68X-UD3H and I have a friend with the Z77 version and I am quite pleased with the board.

 

[EarthDog]

As usual, great review!

My question is, why do you 'ding' motherboards that do not have Thunderbolt? I mean there are barely any devices out that can use it that a normal consumer would want to afford. So, for that to be held against any board is curious to me.

IMO, Intel's TB is a monumental failure at this point in time due to what is seemingly VERY slow uptake on the consumer side to that connectivity. Perhaps when TB gets SOME traction I can agree with that being a 'ding' against a board, but surely not at this point in time.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Do you mean decent?

Indeed

 

[cadaveca]

As usual, great review!

My question is, why do you 'ding' motherboards that do not have Thunderbolt? I mean there are barely any devices out that can use it that a normal consumer would want to afford. So, for that to be held against any board is curious to me.

IMO, Intel's TB is a monumental failure at this point in time due to what is seemingly VERY slow uptake on the consumer side to that connectivity. Perhaps when TB gets SOME traction I can agree with that being a 'ding' against a board, but surely not at this point in time.

You could flip that and say that there isn't wide consumer adoption because many boards don't offer it...

But yes, it is very much a "filler" con for all boards without it.

 

[EarthDog]

You could flip that and say that there isn't wide consumer adoption because many boards don't offer it...

But yes, it is very much a "filler" con for all boards without it.

lol, you could flip it, but then we would be splitting hairs saying which comes first, the chicken or the egg ? But since there seems to be more boards available with it than consumer level hardware available...

That is just an odd 'con' to me considering the complete lack of saturation acceptance in the market of TB enabled devices in the first place... affordable consumer level devices in general. Oh well.

 

[redundantslurs]

had a choice of paying my car note or buying this motherboard, i liked your review so much i decided a car note wasn't really important, i can always ride my bike to work.

 

[Nabarun]

I think dual LAN would be a much more usable feature that most users can appreciate. I do have cards, but they are ALL pci, and only the "inferior" ones among the Z87 boards seem to have pci slots

 

[Steven B]

Yep, but it didn't do anything.


but I just notice there is also ON/OFF switch next to it...WTF.... If it did not work because of that ON/OFF....OMG...

Here's my CPU screenshot....note in the BIOS screenshot that I took, and you linked, "UnCore" was set to "35", but in OS, it jumps up to "37":

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Gigabyte/Z87X-UD3H/images/cpuz_mem.jpg


When OC'd, it's still set to 35. But now, it's "39":

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Gigabyte/Z87X-UD3H/images/cpuz_mem_oc.jpg


TO me, that is NOT working. It seems to be set dynamically, perhaps, but there is not option to change that. And I've never seen "35"...so what's going on there? I am not sure, myself.

Nice review Dave.

About the Uncore setting on this board, it is set 35x by default, but also by default intel has a Turbo mode for the Uncore, it will turbo to 39x or 40x from 35x with CPU multiplier overclocking. However this is the activity at 35x set, if you set 36x or 45x or 41x you will get all those without any turbo, however the 35x setting is the auto by default to simplify the BIOS settings.

 

[EthanDW]

So... instead of getting Tina Turner, we get the Sleeping Beauty this time? LOL

Nice review, Dave!

As to the last paragraph - actually you do pay for it.. most of the ud3h's features exist on the z87x-d3h board, and you pay additional ~20$ specifically for the OC features, such as the onboard buttons, the voltage measurement points, the switches and the LED display.
While the extra cash needed to purchase this motherboard may pale in comparison to the benefits for overclockers, the price difference is still not non-existent.

 

[Hilux SSRG]

Great review. The price for this mobo and it's included features are quite attractive.

 

[2MC]

While late coming to this thread....

When its stated that....
(snip)
The PCIe x1 slots and the bottom PCIe x16 slot are all driven by the Intel Z87 PCH, though using the x4 electrical link in the lower PCIe x16 slot will deactivate the second and third PCIe x1 slots. There is also a PCI slot for those that prefer it for audio cards or other legacy devices. The quartet of DIMM slots each support 8 GB DIMMs of up to 3000 MHz, or potentially more with some hard overclocking. I ran 3200 MHz myself pretty easily, but that is beyond what the board "officially" supports.

Does that mean if I install any perrineal card in the bottom PCIe x16 slot the 2nd and 3rd PCIe x1 slots become deactivated automatically????