ASRock Z77 OC Formula Motherboard Detailed

[btarunr]

ASRock showed off its new high-end socket LGA1155 motherboard for overclocking, the Z77 OC Formula. The new product sits several notches above its Extreme and Fatal1ty series. Its design focus is on CPU overclocking potential, with ASRock cramming in strong VRM circuitry, active-cooling for the CPU VRM area, and a load of overclocker-friendly features, at the expense of connectivity.

The CPU is powered by a 12+4 phase DigiPower VRM that uses high-current chokes, tantalum capacitors, and active cooling to the MOSFETs. The VRM active-cooler packs a coolant channel, as well as a 40 mm fan. The CPU is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting dual-channel DDR3-3000+ MHz memory, by overclocking. A staggering 8-phase VRM powers the memory, preventing even the slightest voltage droop.



Expansion slots include two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x8/x8, when both are populated), one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4, wired to the PCH), and two PCI-Express 2.0 x1. The Z77 OC Formula packs a total of six SATA 6 Gb/s ports (four from third-party controllers, two from the PCH), and four SATA 3 Gb/s ports. HDMI is the only display output available. 8-channel HD audio, and gigabit Ethernet (Broadcom-made PHY) make for the rest of the connectivity.

The ASRock Z77 OC Formula packs a host of overclocker-friendly features including consolidated voltage measurement points across a wide range of domains, two sets of diagnostic displays, onboard OC control buttons, and ASRock-exclusives such as XFast 555, dehumidifier, UEFI system browser, etc. ASRock quite obviously trained its guns on ASUS Maximus V Formula, with the Z77 OC Formula.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[dj-electric]

Can't tell if i want this or the Z77 extreme9 more...

 

[Disparia]

Nice slotage.

 

[radrok]

Biggest question : do the barbs have an 1/4 thread so they can be changed with compression?

 

[Taurus_G4]

 

[SIGSEGV]

as long as my fatal1ty pro serves me well then i wouldnt upgrade it in hurry tough this design and capabilities teased me hard..

 

[cadaveca]

Black and yellow, black and yellow...

 

[SuperSonic X 316]

So this is more "high end" than the Fatal1ty stuff? That's one reason I didn't bother going ASRock this time around; I don't like the fatal1ty branding. I was actually looking at the Z77 Extreme4 but decided to go with an ASUS Maximus V Gene; if this was out then I would've definitely considered it.

Edit: Didn't notice it was ATX, looked a bit smaller to me.

 

[okidna]

So this is more "high end" than the Fatal1ty stuff? That's one reason I didn't bother going ASRock this time around; I don't like the fatal1ty branding. I was actually looking at the Z77 Extreme4 but decided to go with an ASUS Maximus V Gene; if this was out then I would've definitely considered it.

Edit: Didn't notice it was ATX, looked a bit smaller to me.

This mobo is a little bit bigger than standard ATX.
You can see the lower left and the middle screw hole is not on the edge of the mobo, like the ASUS MVF posted above.

ASRock called this CEB form factor, 305 × 267 mm (12″ × 10.5″), like their X79 CHAMPION, but other mobo manufacturer like Gigabyte or ASUS called this E-ATX.

 

[Animalpak]

Biggest question : do the barbs have an 1/4 thread so they can be changed with compression?

You cant. Since my Rampage Extreme they never let you change barbs almost every motherboard that comes with watercooled chipset.