What is the difference.?..ASROCK Extreme 4 and ASROCK Extreme 4 Gen 3

[Lightening47]

Could somebody explain the difference between ASROCK Z68 Extreme 4 and ASROCK Z68 Extreme 4 Gen 3 mobos...??????
Please also tell the advantages and disadvantages of both the boards.......and what's the major game changer in the two boards ????? Please guys I want to make a decision and want to buy a board in 2-3 days

 

[jaquith]

Hmm... http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/296824-30-which-asus-p8z68-p8z68-deluxe

Color, silly PCIe 3.0, and Marvell SATA ports 9120 (good for 370MB/s~380MB/s; see -> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007627%2050001944%20600093976&IsNodeId=1&srchInDesc=Extreme4&page=1&bop=And&CompareItemList=280|13-157-250^13-157-250-TS%2C13-157-264^13-157-264-TS

 

[geekapproved]

The Gen 3 also has 4 additonal power phases for better overclocking.

 

[jaquith]

Nope, they're both 8+4; 8 Phase CPU.

As I posted before, get -> ASUS P8Z68-V PRO {16 Phase 12 CPU / 4 iGPU} or Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD5 {20 Phase}.

 

[speedlebaumer]

The main difference is PCI-E 3.0

Just thought everyone might be interested that you will only get the benefit of PCI-E 3.0 with Ivy Bridge CPU. Please see note from ASRock website.

Note: To run the PCI Express 3.0 slots in Gen 3 speed, you must install the Ivy Bridge CPU which supports PCI Express 3.0. If you install the Sandy Bridge CPU, the PCI Express 3.0 slots will run only at Gen2 speed.

Also, PLX PEX8608 chip onboard for Extreme 4 gen. 3
Note: With PLX PEX8608 chip, it generates more PCI-E lanes for PCI-E devices, so that all PCI-E devices are able to work at the proper speed simultaneously!

You will need a PCI-E 3.0 graphics card and Ivy Bridge CPU plus gen. 3 board

Available end of 2011, beginning of 2012.

 

[itzdanielp]

Although the CPU / Boards will be available at the end of 2011 / early 2012 it will be a *long* time before we will be seeing any real need for PCI-E 3.0 GPU's as they don't even come close to saturating a PCI-E 2.0 pipeline.

You will however be seeing SATA and RAID controllers using that higher bandwidth quite effectively.

 

[jaquith]

Here's an interesting PCIe 3.0 discussion, about my 50th+. Frankly, there's enough of them...for quite some time.

AMD & Intel -> http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/296572-30-where-promised

Needs a sticky.

 

[jaquith]

<double post oops>

 

[itzdanielp]

Second that motion ^^ for a sticky on PCIe 3.0