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Six $160-220 Z77 Motherboards, Benchmarked And Reviewed
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1. Z77 Express: The Perfect Replacement For Older Machines

The components of Intel’s Maho Bay platform, including the Z77 Express chipset and Ivy Bridge-based processors, have been floating around our SoCal lab all year. And yet, the company waited until April to to slowly roll its parts out, allowing channel partners to clear as many Sandy Bridge-based machines as possible before relegating the architecture to "prior-gen."

The Z77 Express chipset was quickly followed by Ivy Bridge-based processors, and both of our stories on those parts came to the same conclusion: mainly, that the new generation of hardware is barely better than the Z68 Express and Sandy Bridge architecture it replaces. 

Nevertheless, Maho Bay's improvements still make it the preferred choice for anyone replacing an older system. If you're already running a machine that center on Sandy bridge, an upgrade doesn't make sense. But if you're stuck with a Core 2- or Phenom-based box, Z77 Express and an Ivy Bridge-based processor are the logical path forward.

If you're patient enough to hold off on Sandy Bridge, sticking with two- or three-year-old hardware for this long, then X79 is probably totally out of the question. It's a good thing, then, that the Maho Bay platform inherits its predecessor's mainstream pricing. On the other hand, if you're savvy enough to read Tom's Hardware, then you probably also share our high expectations for quality, stability, and robust features.

With that degree of frugality in mind, we begin our Z77 Express-based motherboard round-ups right in the middle of the enthusiast market: between $160 and $220.

Motherboard Features
 ASRock
Z77 Extreme6
Asus
P8Z77-V Pro
Biostar
TZ77XE4
PCB Revision1.021.025.0
ChipsetIntel Z77 ExpressIntel Z77 ExpressIntel Z77 Express
Voltage RegulatorTwelve PhasesSixteen PhasesTwelve Phases
BIOSP1.30 (04/12/2012)0906 (03/26/2012)Z77CF412 (04/12/2012)
100.0 MHz BCLK100.46 (+0.46%)100.30 (+0.30%)100.01 (+0.01%)
Internal Interfaces
PCIe 3.0 x162 (x16/x0 or x8/x8)2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8)2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8)
PCIe 2.0 x161 (4 lanes from PCH)1 (4 lanes from PCH)1 (4 lanes from PCH)
PCIe x1/x41/02/01/0
Mini PCIe1NoneNone
USB 2.03 (6 ports)4 (8 ports)2 (4 ports)
USB 3.01 (2 ports)2 (4 ports)1 (2 ports)
IEEE-13941NoneNone
SATA 6.0 Gb/s4 (1 shared w/eSATA)44
SATA 3.0 Gb/s444 (1 shared w/eSATA)
4-Pin Fan261
3-Pin Fan4None2
FP-Audio111
S/PDIF I/OOutput OnlyOutput OnlyOutput Only
Power ButtonYesNoYes
Reset ButtonYesNoYes
CLR_CMOS ButtonNoNoYes
Diagnostics PanelNumericPass/Fail LEDsNumeric
Legacy InterfacesSerial, Floppy, 2 x PCI2 x PCISerial, 2 x PCI
I/O Panel Connectors
P/S 2111
USB 3.0442
USB 2.0224
IEEE-13941NoneNone
NetworkSingleSingleSingle
eSATA1 (shared w/SATA)None1 (shared w/SATA)
CLR_CMOS ButtonYesNoNo
Digital Audio OutOptical OnlyOptical OnlyNone
Digital Audio InNoneNoneNone
Analog Audio566
Video OutVGA, DVI-D, DisplayPort, HDMIHDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, DVI-DDisplayPort, HDMI, VGA, DVI-D
Other DevicesNone802.11n Wi-Fi ModuleNone
Mass Storage Controllers
Chipset SATA2 x SATA 6Gb/s
4 x SATA 3Gb/s
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
4 x SATA 3Gb/s
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
4 x SATA 3Gb/s
Chipset RAID Modes0, 1, 5, 100, 1, 5, 100, 1, 5, 10
Add-In SATAASM1061 PCIe
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
1 shared w/eSATA
ASM1061 PCIe
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
ASM1061 PCIe
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
USB 3.0EJ168A PCIe
Intel Z77 Integrated
2 x ASM1042 PCIe
Intel Z77 Integrated
Z77 Integrated Only
IEEE-1394VT6308P PCI
2 x 400 Mb/s
NoneNone
Gigabit Ethernet
Primary LANBCM57781 PCIeWG82579V PHYRTL8111E PCIe
Secondary LANNoneAR9485 PCIe Wi-FiNone
Audio
HD Audio CodecALC898ALC892ALC898
DDL/DTS ConnectNot SpecifiedDTS ConnectNot Specified


Motherboard Features
 ECS Golden
Z77H2-A2X
Gigabyte
Z77X-UD3H
MSI
Z77A-GD65
PCB Revision1.01.02.1
ChipsetIntel Z77 ExpressIntel Z77 ExpressIntel Z77 Express
Voltage RegulatorEight PhasesEight PhasesTwelve Phases
BIOS120328 (03/28/2012)F7 (03/28/2012)V10.3 (03/27/2012)
100.0 MHz BCLK99.77 (-0.23%)100.89 (+0.89%)100.0 (+0.0%)
Internal Interfaces
PCIe 3.0 x162 (x16/x0 or x8/x8)2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8)3 (x16/x0/x0, x8/x8/x0, x8/x4/x4)
PCIe 2.0 x16None1 (4 lanes from PCH)None
PCIe x1/x42/03/04/0
Mini PCIe1NoneNone
USB 2.01 (2 ports)3 (6 ports)3 (6 ports)
USB 3.01 (2 ports)1 (2 ports)1 (2 ports)
IEEE-1394NoneNone1
SATA 6.0 Gb/s424
SATA 3.0 Gb/s24 (1 shared w/mSATA)4
4-Pin Fan153
3-Pin Fan2None2
FP-Audio111
S/PDIF I/OOutput OnlyOutput OnlyNone
Power ButtonYesYesYes
Reset ButtonYesYesYes
CLR_CMOS ButtonNoYesNo
Diagnostics PanelNumericNumericNumeric
Legacy InterfacesSerial, 2 x PCINoneNone
I/O Panel Connectors
P/S 2None11
USB 3.0462
USB 2.04None4
IEEE-1394NoneNoneNone
NetworkSingleSingleSingle
eSATA12None
CLR_CMOS ButtonNoNoYes
Digital Audio OutOptical OnlyOptical OnlyOptical+Coaxial
Digital Audio InNoneNoneNone
Analog Audio566
Video OutVGA, DVI-D, HDMIVGA, DVI-D, HDMI, DiplayPortHDMI, VGA, DVI-D
Other DevicesBluetooth, 802.11n Wi-FiNoneNone
Mass Storage Controllers
Chipset SATA2 x SATA 6Gb/s
2 x SATA 3Gb/s
1 x eSATA 3Gb/s
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
4 x SATA 3Gb/s
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
4 x SATA 3Gb/s
Chipset RAID Modes0, 1, 5, 100, 1, 5, 100, 1, 5, 10
Add-In SATAASM1061 PCIe
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
88SE9128 PCIe
2 x eSATA 6Gb/s
ASM1061 PCIe
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
USB 3.0ASM1042 PCIe
Intel Z77 Integrated
VL800-Q8 PCIe
Intel Z77 Integrated
Z77 Integrated Only
IEEE-1394NoneNoneVT6315N PCIe
1 x 400 Mb/s
Gigabit Ethernet
Primary LANRTL8111E PCIeAR8151 PCIeWG82579V PHY
Secondary LANAR9271 USB Wi-FiNoneNone
Audio
HD Audio CodecALC892VT2021ALC898
DDL/DTS ConnectNot SpecifiedNot SpecifiedNot Specified
2. ASRock Z77 Extreme6

ASRock’s $165 Z77 Extreme6 targets value seekers in the mid-range enthusiast market with three-way graphics capability, an extra USB 3.0 controller, an extra SATA 6Gb/s controller, a two-digit diagnostics display, and an I/O panel CLR_CMOS button to assist in recovery from failed overclock attempts.

Those extra controllers bring the total number of USB 3.0 ports to six, and the total number of SATA 6Gb/s ports to four. One of the added SATA ports is still shared with the eSATA connector, however.

ASRock even adds mini-PCIe beneath the primary x16 slot to enable the addition of notebook-style adapters, such as internal Wi-Fi cards, which lay flat over its PCI-based VIA IEEE-1394 controller.

There’s no good way to host a third PCIe 3.0 graphics card on an LGA 1155 platforms, since only sixteen of these lanes are native to Ivy Bridge CPUs. The Z77 Extreme6 divides those lanes into x8/x8 mode whenever a card is detected in the second slot, relying on the Z77 PCH's slower PCIe 2.0 controller to drive the third slot at x4. That makes this primarily a two-way graphics design, so ASRock triple-spaces the two high-bandwidth slots to support extra airflow and/or extra-thick cards.

Complaining about a layout this clean could be difficult, with its well-placed USB 3.0 front-panel header, replaceable firmware ROM, forward-facing SATA ports and a downward-facing latch on its eight-pin CPU power connector. Yet, further inspection reveals small nags like a front-panel audio header located in the extreme lower-rear corner and the fact that this is a single-ROM motherboard in a primarily dual-ROM market. Amusing asides include floppy and serial port headers next to that audio connection.

The Z77 Extreme6 installation kit includes four SATA cables, a two-way SLI bridge, and ASRock’s USB 3.0-to-3.5” bay adapter with integrated 2.5” drive tray. The ports can be moved to the back of a case by instead attaching them to an included slot plate.

3. Z77 Extreme6 Firmware

The Z77 Extreme6 pushes a solid 4.77 GHz from our Core i7-3770K at 1.30 V, using a 101.4 MHz base clock and 47x core multiplier.

ASRock’s current OC Tweaker menu also puts XMP configuration on its main page, along with power limit adjustments. Shown at DDR3-2704, the board pushed our memory to a still-respectable DDR3-2700 with complete stability.

All significant voltage controls are found further down the main menu, just above the Z77 Extreme6’s three user profile firmware configuration storage options.

A separate DRAM Configuration submenu provides primary, secondary, and tertiary timings. Light-colored menus offer direct control, while dark menus much be switched from Auto to Manual to reveal a hidden settings menu.

4. Asus P8Z77-V Pro

A $220 price that tops the mid-range enthusiast market could be justified by special features added to Asus’ P8Z77-V Pro. An I/O panel PCIe-based module adds Wi-Fi connectivity to the chipset’s native gigabit Ethernet, two added USB 3.0 controllers add four ports to those controlled by the chipset, an extra SATA 6Gb/s controller supports two extra drives, a sixteen (12+4)-phase CPU voltage controller adds stability for overclocking, an I/O panel CLR_CMOS button helps overclockers recover from ill-conceived settings, and an extra firmware ROM allows tuners to start over when resetting doesn’t work.

In a truly brilliant move, Asus retains back panel-based USB 2.0 ports specifically to address keyboard and mouse connectivity needs. Four more headers add eight ports for front-panel connectivity, and that’s in addition to the two dual-port USB 3.0 front-panel connectors.

Asus-exclusive features like MemOK, TPU, and EPU and USB BIOS Flashback are still present. MemOK temporarily underclocks memory to allow access to UEFI for manual tuning, and has come in useful for booting certain poorly-programmed modules in the past. TPU automatically overclocks the system to a preset level defined by Asus, while EPU automatically undervolts the CPU core for additional power savings. USB BIOS Flashback allows the system ROM to be updated from a flash drive using a designated port, but we also found that bumping it allowed the system to boot using a different profile.

We also find three x16-length PCIe slots, though only two of these run at PCIe 3.0 data rates through Intel's integrated Ivy Bridge-based controller. The second slot takes eight lanes from the first when a card is detected, while the third slot offers four lanes from the chipset’s PCIe 2.0 controller. Asus knows that most gaming enthusiasts will treat this as a two-way graphics design, and spaces its two primary PCIe slots three slots apart to aid GPU cooling.

Replete with (six) four-pin fan headers that each support advanced management techniques, the P8Z77-V Pro begins to look like a truly high-end product until we start noticing features that aren't present. The board, for example, lacks any diagnostics display, though it does have LEDs next to various devices to show when they’re being initiated. The lack of on-board power and reset buttons will similarly disappoint some bench-testers, though those things don’t matter once the motherboard is installed in a case. The lack of voltage detection points will cause some tuners to hunt for places to connect their meters, though Asus prefers that we trust its software readings. The long-expected FireWire controller is also missing, though most users no longer use it. And one of the added USB 3.0 internal headers would be blocked by a third graphics card, if not for the fact that most enthusiasts wouldn’t dream of putting a high-bandwidth card in a four-lane, second-gen slot.

Apparently, smart cost-cutting measures could put an otherwise high-end board into a mid-budget PC, except that any motherboard over $200 should probably include eSATA. Asus does add an eSATA/USB 3.0 breakout plate, and we’ll reserve our final thoughts on value for this article’s conclusion.

The P8Z77-V Pro’s 802.11n Wi-Fi adapter installs between the USB 2.0 and display connectors of its I/O panel, its antenna connector accessible from outside the I/O shield. Also included in the installation kit are four SATA cables, the external Wi-Fi antenna, and a two-way SLI bridge.

5. P8Z77-V Pro Firmware

The P8Z77-V Pro pushed our Core i7-3770K to 4.77 GHz at 1.30 V using a 101.4 MHz base clock and 47x core multiplier. We began our overclock at A.I. Tuner’s X.M.P. overclocking mode, rather than using purely manual or Asus-defined overclock settings.

Shown at DDR3-2703, the P8Z77-V Pro pushed a stable DDR3-2715 from G.Skill’s DDR3-2666 when a lower CPU multiplier was used.

Red warnings tell us that 1.30 V core and 1.20 V System Agent voltage levels are higher than suggested for Ivy Bridge, though some of our engineering friends advise otherwise. We asked many questions before choosing these settings, but only time can prove the adequacy of this advice.

Primary, secondary, and tertiary timings are all found within Ai Tweaker’s DRAM Timing Control submenu.

The CPU Power Management menu also provides the actual multiplier control for fixed mode, along with several current limits. Asus says that Automatic power settings are more than adequate for all but the most aggressive overclockers, and we never encountered a power reset or lock-up by using these.

Load-line calibration could be the most important feature of Asus’ Digi+ Power Control submenu. We were pleasantly surprised to find that Auto settings kept our CPU core voltage stable under various load conditions.

6. Biostar TZ77XE4

Available for around $150, we had to search for the highest-priced vendors just to keep Biostar’s entry in today’s round-up. That is to say, it's priced low enough elsewhere that it could have been included in a follow-up story on even more affordable Z77-based models. This is where Biostar wants to compete, though, confident enough that it's willing to put the TZ77XE4 up against higher-priced parts from competing companies.

The TZ77XE4 looks fairly basic by the standards of its $160 competition, relying solely upon the chipset’s four ports for USB 3.0, and sharing eSATA with one of its internal ports. Apart from a lack of additional USB 3.0 controllers, that pits Biostar directly against ASRock’s $165 model.

Both manufacturers offer internal power and reset switches. Both have Port 80 diagnostics displays. Both have replaceable firmware ROMs. And the CLR_CMOS switch on ASRock’s I/O panel CLR_CMOS is found internally on the Biostar TZ77XE4. The TZ77XE4 physically supports three-way graphics arrays more logically by placing its trio of x16-length slots at triple-slot spacing, but its third slot is still limited to four PCIe 2.0 lanes from the Z77 controller.

Biostar’s novel approach to moving its top x16 slot as high as possible is to place DIMM connectors between mounting holes so that they can be moved closer to the board’s top edge. This removes much of the conflict between graphics cards and DIMM latches, though the CPU interface is not moved northward in a similar fashion. This limits the width of most CPU coolers to around 135 mm, and off-center DIMMS could affect memory overclocking. While we couldn’t check every cooler on the market to determine which ones fit, our overclocking tests will reveal whether offset DIMMs create a problem.

Other unusual features include a front-panel audio connector above the second graphics card slot and a front-panel USB 3.0 connector above the third graphics card slot. These won't be affected by graphics coolers, but whether they block the PCIe x1 or PCI slots depends heavily on where components are located on those cards.

The TZ77XE4’s installation kit includes four SATA cables, CrossFire and SLI two-way bridges, and an I/O shield. Though it’s not stuffed with fluff, this selection of parts should be more than adequate for the needs of most builders.

7. TZ77XE4 Firmware

The TZ77XE4 pushed this article’s Core i7-3770K to 4.74 GHz at 1.30 V, using a 100.9 MHz base clock and 47x multiplier.

Power limit and memory controls are farther down Biostar’s O.N.E. menu. Setting XMP Profile 1 allowed us to reach DDR3-2692 on a pair of G.Skill’s DDR3-2666, though four-module tests were less impressive.

More remarkable are primary and secondary memory timing controls on the TZ77XE4’s main O.N.E. overclocking menu. Most competitors move these settings to a separate submenu to reduce menu length and complexity.

Voltage controls are all the way at the bottom of the O.N.E. menu

8. ECS Golden Z77H2-A2X

A universal sign of prosperity, ECS uses gold to highlight a wealth of features on its $220 Golden Z77H2-A2X. Packed with USB-based Bluetooth and Wi-Fi transceivers, an extra pair of USB 3.0 ports, and eSATA on the I/O panel, ECS hope to overwhelm all similarly-priced competitors.

With a mini PCIe slot along the front edge for hosting even more miniature (notebook sized) devices, the only thing really missing from the Z77H2-A2X is a third graphics card slot. The fact that most performance PC builders would not use a four-lane PCIe 2.0 slot for graphics should prevent this “missing” part from being missed, and the two slots present are still able to configure the CPU’s sixteen PCIe 3.0 lanes into x16/x0 or x8/x8 modes, depending on the number of cards present.

An extra SATA 6Gb/s controller ads two ports internally, but the Z77H2-A2X still has only six ports. The reason for this is that one of the chipset’s SATA 3Gb/s ports is used for eSATA, and another was designated for an mSATA slot that exists only in firmware.

The Z77H2-A2X has the internal power and reset buttons found on its ASRock and Biostar competitors, but bench testers who need to reset everything must rely on a jumper for CLR_CMOS. ECS also solders its firmware IC directly to the PCB, but at least the module has enough space to store user-specified configuration profiles in this model.

A row of Easy Measure points above the four DIMM slots allows aggressive or extremely cautious tuners to easily check core, DIMM, memory controller, and integrated graphics voltage with a meter.

We’re not sure why ECS chose to put one of its x1 slots directly beneath the top graphics slot while leaving the next slot empty, since most graphics coolers cover the second slot position, but rarely intrude upon the third. This appears to be a limitation of its PCIe switch placement, but that doesn’t explain why the current layout couldn’t have been transposed.

Limiting the Z77H2-A2X to only two PCIe x16 graphics cards allows ECS to put its USB 3.0 front-panel header on the bottom edge without the slot placement conflict that many of its competitors still face. On the other hand, the front-panel audio connector is still just a little too far back into the bottom-rear corner to allow easy cable reach for some cases.

Six SATA cables are enough to make this builder happy, along with the Z77H2-A2X’s front-panel USB 3.0 bay adapter, flexible SLI bridge, and internal Wi-Fi antenna.

9. Z77H2-A2X Firmware

Though many of its earlier enthusiast-oriented efforts fell flat when it came to firmware, the Z77H2-A2X is a product in which ECS can finally take pride. A first in recent memory for ECS, setting CPU Voltage Mode to Ignore SVID allowed us to set the desired voltage, rather than guessing the results of an offset.

We had no problem pushing this review’s early-stepping Core i7-3770K to an ultra-competitive 4.69 GHz at 1.30 V, though the setting that got us that voltage was actually 1.25 V.

This is also the first ECS motherboard in our memory to provide Vdroop compensation, though over-compensation would be a more accurate term, since the lower Enabled setting kept us close to our desired limit.

ECS’ CPU Overclocking Configuration submenu includes base clock, CPU multiplier, and power limit controls.

Clicking through the Chipset Overclocking Configuration link brings up a slightly better titled memory menu. XMP is properly supported, though we had to switch to manual mode to reveal primary, secondary, and tertiary timings in this screen shot.

The motherboard does not have individual Auto settings for each timing, but perhaps goes one better by retaining previously-set values during the change. For these screen shots, we simply set XMP Profile 1 first, and those settings were retained as we switched to manual configuration.

The Z77H2-A2X got us a class-leading DDR3-2741 from a pair of G.Skill DDR3-2666 modules, but four-DIMM tests were far less exciting.

10. Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H

Gigabyte’s Z77X-UD3H offers a surprisingly broad feature set for its $160 price, adding a four-port USB 3.0 and separate eSATA 6Gb/s controller to the chipset’s integrated capabilities. Gigabyte’s familiar mSATA connector is also found mid-board, borrowing one of the chipset’s four SATA 3Gb/s ports when desired for SSD caching.

Familiarity in layout is a matter of form following function, with three spaces separating the two PCIe 3.0 graphics card slots to add cooling and/or allow thicker cards. LGA 1155 platform limits still apply, meaning that the CPU’s sixteen lanes can go to either a single card (x16 mode) or two cards (x8/x8 mode). Automatic switching takes care of that change whenever a card is installed in the second x16-length slot. The third x16-length slot is still limited to four of the Z77 PCH's PCIe 2.0 lanes.

The Z77X-UD3H keeps the power, reset, and CLR_CMOS buttons of its competitors, along with the Port 80-style diagnostics display. Gigabyte differentiates Z77X-UD3H overclocking with a row of voltage detection points along the top of its front edge, however. More importantly, it's the least-expensive product to include manually-selectable dual firmware ROMs.

With a front-panel USB 3.0 header handily located behind the bottom edge of memory slots, layout complaints are minor. First of all, the only two USB 3.0 ports derived from Intel's Z77 on the I/O panel must be used for a keyboard and mouse during O/S installation on most systems, since the other four VIA-based ports require a special driver to function. Second, all four VIA-based I/O panel ports share a single 5 Gb/s PCIe link to the chipset. Third (and more trivial) is the bottom-rear corner front-panel audio connector, which is around half of an inch too far of a reach for the cables of some cases. Fourth (and least significant) is the upward-facing latch of the eight-pin CPU power connector, which can be difficult to disconnect on systems that have bottom-mounted power supplies with the cable routed behind the motherboard tray.

For most users, the Z77X-UD3H’s positives far outweigh its negatives. That’s especially significant at its low price point.

Four SATA cables and a flexible SLI bridge make a sparse installation package for the Z77X-UD3H, though it should be adequate for most builders.

11. Z77X-UD3H Firmware

Gigabyte produces stable firmware for solid overclocking, yet manages to annoy some of us by spreading its settings over the broadest number of submenus we’ve encountered. It’s main M.I.T. menu shows nothing but system status and a list of these submenus.

The Advanced Frequency Settings submenu, for example, shows nothing more than CPU base clock, CPU multiplier, and DRAM multiplier. Jumping in one more submenu brings CPU power and per-active-core controls.

We reached a stable 4.76 GHz at 1.30 V using 47 x 101.32 MHz.

Intel XMP modes work well in the Advanced Memory Settings submenu, but an additional level of submenus is required to change timings. Changing DRAM Timing Selectable to Quick ties both channels to the same settings, while Expert mode allows per-channel timing manipulation.

Our best efforts pushed a pair of G.Skill’s DDR3-2666 to DDR3-2721 using its rated voltage and timings.

The Z77X-UD3H’s Advanced Voltage Settings submenu brings up another list of submenus that, for most purposes, could have been combined. A 1.305 V setting got us to an actual 1.30 V, and setting VCore Load Line Calibration to Turbo kept our CPU voltage consistent under changing loads.

12. MSI Z77A-GD65

The board that most review sites used for their Z77 Express previews, MSI’s Z77A-GD65 sports a number of similar design attributes as its competition. MSI has its own hybrid digital voltage regulator however, which could give the board a small boost in overclocking stability.

This editor contends that as long as a chipset has USB 2.0 ports, they should probably be used for low-bandwidth peripherals. That includes USB keyboards and/or mice. And since one or two of these is always present, there should still be a pair of the outdated ports on an I/O panel. MSI has four, while one of its competitors has zero.

Priced around $170, we’d have preferred to see two fewer USB 2.0 and two more USB 3.0 ports on the back. A value bump may have also been found from the inclusion of eSATA. But MSI decided instead to use the Z77A-GD65’s sole add-in controller for internal SATA 6Gb/s ports.

Overclockers will immediately notice the power, reset, O/C Genie base clock control, and I/O panel CLR_CMOS buttons. The Z77A-GD65 also includes a two-digit diagnostics display, line voltage detection points, and a dual-ROM firmware switch.

With FireWire on its I/O panel, we were a little surprised to find an IEEE-1394 port internally. MSI may have included this as a concession to older case designs with front-panel FireWire connectors, since many people hate/fear/distrust unconnected ports. Newer cases will make use of the front-panel USB 3.0 header, which faces forward to avoid conflict with graphics cards.

The Z77A-GD65's most surprising feature, perhaps, is a pair of tiny two-lane PCIe 3.0 switches between its second x16-length slot and its clock battery. While all of today’s boards automatically switch from single-slot x16 to dual-slot x8/x8 modes for CrossFire and SLI, the Z77A-GD65 can further switch to x8/x4/x4 transfers for three-way graphics arrays. This causes quite a bit of commotion amongst some of MSI’s competitors, but keep in mind that third-gen PCIe x4 slots offers the same bandwidth as second-gen PCIe x8 slots. That should be enough for three-way CrossFire, so long as your hardware (CPU and GPUs) are PCIe 3.0-compliant.

PCIe 3.0 x4 is mathematically superior to PCIe 2.0 x4, so we can safely conclude that MSI provides the best motherboard in this story for three-way graphics arrangements. That's why we haven't recommended the PCIe 2.0-based implementations of competing platforms for anyone looking to use a trio of graphics cards. Those boards would be better for hosting other devices without impacting graphics bandwidth.

Beyond the complexity of deciding how the third 16-lane PCIe slot might be used, the only minor problems we find with the Z77A-GD65’s layout are that the eight-pin CPU power connector has an upward-facing latch, and the front-panel audio connector is located in the extreme rear corner along the motherboard’s bottom edge. The first issue affects cable removal in some cases that have bottom-mounted power supplies, while the second makes cable reach problematic for some cases with short audio cables.

We doubt that MSI could ever get an official thumbs-up from Nvidia for its x8/x4/x4 design, so the inclusion of a two-way SLI bridge is acceptable. Three-way CrossFireX is possible using the bridges included with two of the cards, and MSI’s inclusion of four SATA cables is adequate, if not generous.

13. Z77A-GD65 Firmware

MSI crowds its overclocking controls into a small portion of the screen’s center. If you can get over that minor annoyance, you'll find a good selection and range of settings. The Z77A-GD65’s OC menu opens up to base clock, CPU multiplier, and DRAM frequency settings on the first page.

The Z77A-GD65 pushes an astounding 4.77 GHz using a mere 1.30 V on a Core i7-3770K processor. Similarly remarkable is that we got there using air cooling using nothing more than a single-fan Thermalright MUX-120 heat sink.

More voltage controls are found further down the menu, followed by several submenu options. DDR3-2709 was the highest stable two-DIMM memory speed for G.Skill's DDR3-2666 kit using MSI’s Z77A-GD65 at XMP values.

The Z77A-GD65’s CPU Features submenu includes power limits and per-core multipliers. Setting a higher base multiplier on the main menu allows the board to ignore per-core multipliers.

Primary, secondary and tertiary timings are all available within the Advanced Timing submenu. This menu is enabled for both channels by choosing Link from the main menu’s DRAM timing mode, and can be expanded to per-channel timings by choosing Unlink from the main menu.

14. Test Settings And Benchmarks
Test System Configuration
CPUIntel Core i7-3770K (Ivy Bridge): 3.50 GHz, 8 MB Shared L3 Cache, LGA 1155
CPU CoolerThermalright MUX-120 w/Zalman ZM-STG1 Paste
RAMG.Skill F3-17600CL9Q-16GBXLD (16 GB), DDR3-2200 at DDR3-1600 CAS 9, 1.60 V
GraphicsNvidia GeForce GTX 580 1.5 GB
772 MHz GPU, GDDR5-4008
Main Hard DriveSamsung 470 Series 256 GB, SATA 6Gb/s SSD 
2nd Hard DriveMushkin Chronos Deluxe 240 GB, SATA 6Gb/s SSD
SoundIntegrated HD Audio
NetworkIntegrated Gigabit Networking
PowerSeasonic X760 SS-760KM, ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Gold
Software
OSMicrosoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64
GraphicsNvidia GeForce 296.10 WHQL
Virtu MVPVersion 2.1.110, GPU Virtualization, No HyperFormance, No Virtual Vsync
ChipsetIntel INF 9.3.0.1019


Thermalright’s quiet MUX-120
is powerful enough to handle all of our Ivy Bridge overclocking needs at 1.30 V CPU core. While more voltage would require more cooling, our engineering friends tell us that 1.30 V is a good practical limit for longevity.

While G.Skill’s F3-17600CL9Q-16GBXLD provides the default DDR3-1600 CAS 9 settings we want for benchmarks, it’s no longer fast enough to push the limits of today’s best memory controllers. The firm provided a set of its F3-2666C11Q-16GTXD Trident X DDR3-2666 specifically to extend our overclocking capabilities.

We continue to use Seasonic’s 80 PLUS Gold-rated X760 to provide overclocking stability and power-testing efficiency.

PCIe 3.0 gets set aside since this editor does not yet have a compatible card. Instead, Nvidia’s reference GeForce GTX 580 provides the 3D performance needed to test the gaming capabilities of these boards.

Benchmark Configuration
3D Games
Battlefield 3Campaign Mode, "Going Hunting" 90-Seconds Fraps
Test Set 1: Medium Quality Defaults (No AA, 4x AF)
Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Defaults (4x AA, 16x AF)
DiRT 3V1.01, Run with -benchmark example_benchmark.xml
Test Set 1: High Quality Preset, No AA
Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Preset, 8x AA
Metro 2033Full Game, Built-In Benchmark, "Frontline" Scene
Test Set 1: DX11, High, AAA, 4x AF, No PhysX, No DoF
Test Set 2: DX11, Very High, 4x AA, 16x AF, No PhysX, DoF On
Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimUpdate 1.4.27, Celedon Aethirborn Level 6, 25 Seconds Fraps
Test Set 1: DX11, High Detail Defaults (8x AA, 8x AF)
Test Set 2: DX11, Ultra Detail Defaults (8x AA, 16x AF)
Audio/Video Encoding
iTunesVersion 10.4.1.10 x64: Audio CD (Terminator II SE), 53 minutes, default AAC format 
Lame MP3Version 3.98.3: Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min, convert WAV to MP3 audio format, Command: -b 160 --nores (160 Kb/s)
MediaEspresso 6.5Version 6.5.1210_33281: 1080i HDTV (449 MB) to iPad H.264, 1024x768
MediaConverter 7Version7.1.0.68: 1080i HDTV (449 MB) to iPad, SmartFit profile
Handbrake CLIVersion 0.95: "Big Buck Bunny" (720x480, 23.972 FPS) 5 Minutes, Audio: Dolby Digital, 48 000 Hz, Six-Channel, English, to Video: AVC Audio: AC3 Audio2: AAC (High Profile)
MainConcept ReferenceVersion: 2.2.0.5440: MPEG-2 to H.264, MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec, 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG-2), Audio: MPEG-2 (44.1 kHz, 2 Channel, 16-Bit, 224 Kb/s), Codec: H.264 Pro, Mode: PAL 50i (25 FPS), Profile: H.264 BD HDMV
Productivity
Adobe Photoshop CS5Version 12.1 x64: Filter 15.7 MB TIF Image: Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates
Autodesk 3ds Max 2012Version 14.0 x64: Space Flyby Mentalray, 248 Frames, 1440x1080
WinZipVersion 15.5 Pro: THG-Workload (464 MB) to ZIP, command line switches "-a -ez -p -r"
WinRARVersion 4.1: THG-Workload (464 MB) to RAR, command line switches "winrar a -r -m3"
7-ZipVersion 9.22: THG-Workload (464 MB) to .7z, command line switches "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5"
ABBYY FineReaderVersion 10.0.102.82: Read PDF save to Doc, Source: Political Economy (J. Broadhurst 1842) 111 Pages
15. Benchmark Results: Battlefield 3

We all know that motherboards have little influence on GPU performance, but some games are CPU-bottlenecked.

Battlefield 3 demonstrates the biggest performance differences at its lowest settings, as expected. Though, even the most significant difference is too small to notice in actual game play.

16. Benchmark Results: DiRT 3

Gigabyte has the highest default CPU overclock at 0.89%, and takes second place in average DiRT 3 performance at both settings. Biostar and ECS battle for first place, each losing once to Gigabyte.

17. Benchmark Results: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

ECS stays in second place for our two The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim test sets, while the rest of the field shuffles.

18. Benchmark Results: Audio And Video Encoding

ASRock ties Gigabyte for first place in Lame, while Asus takes a small hit in Apple iTunes. Both of these programs are bound by single-threaded performance, so differences on non-overclocked motherboards are usually caused by minor deviations in energy-savings controls.

Intel Quick Sync is one of Sandy/Ivy Bridge's biggest benefits, and it gets even better with the Core i7-3770K's HD Graphics 4000 engine. An experiment with ArcSoft’s latest MediaConverter update even shaved around 20 seconds from the above scores, though extreme inconsistencies forced us to reject the update.

MainConcept gives us the results we really expected, identical performance for every product.

19. Benchmark Results: Productivity

A tiny default overclock allows Gigabyte to shave a fraction of a second from our Photoshop benchmark, a difference that rounds up to a full second.

We see the same overclocking advantage in 3ds Max, though Biostar’s slight performance loss defies such an easy explanation.

Asus takes a barely-noticeable loss in WinZip, which is a somewhat inconsistent benchmark anyway. We retested many times, but could not identify the cause of its slight deficiency.

ASRock wins ABBYY FineReader, and any signs of Gigabyte’s former lead or Asus’ odd loss are gone.

20. Power, Heat, And Efficiency

ASRock performs an amazing feat in power consumption, beating the most power-hungry board by 30 W at full load. We did our best to assure that each board’s power-savings features were completely enabled for our benchmarks, but some motherboards had a greater number of power options compared to others.

MSI’s low heat signature could be due to superior cooling, but it’s more likely that its unique design did a better job of preventing us from probing a hot spot. With a maximum temperature gain of only 10° Celsius, all of the boards run acceptably cool.

The average performance chart of today’s review compares each motherboard’s overall performance to a class average for all six motherboards. Gigabyte had the highest base clock (which technically goes down as a mild form of cheating), so Gigabyte takes an artificial lead.

ASRock’s low full-load power consumption generates a similarly low average power consumption, giving it an 8% above-average efficiency rating. Vice versa for ECS.

21. Overclocking
BIOS Frequency and Voltage settings (for Overclocking)
 ASRock
Z77 Extreme6
Asus
P8Z77-V Pro
Biostar
TZ77XE4
CPU Base Clock95-150 MHz (0.1 MHz)80-300 MHz (0.1 MHz)95-300 MHz (0.01 MHz)
CPU MultiplierUp to 63xUp to 63xUp to 63x
DRAM Data Rates1066-3000  (200, 266.6 MHz)800-3200  (200, 266.6 MHz)1066-3000  (200, 266.6 MHz)
CPU Vcore0.60-2.20 V (5 mV)0.80-1.92 V (5 mV)1.00-1.79 V (10 mV)
VTT Voltage0.77-1.63 V (10 mV) 1.05-1.16 V (12.5 mV)
VCCSA Voltage0.93, 1.02, 1.11, 1.20 V 0.80-1.70 V (6.25 mV)0.90-1.70 V (12.5 mV)
PCH Voltage0.78-1.65 V (9.3 mV)0.80-1.70 V (10 mV)1.05 V +0 to +15% (5%)
DRAM Voltage1.17-1.80 V (5 mV)1.20-1.92 V (5 mV)1.30-2.11 V (12 mV)
CAS Latency4-15 Cycles1-15 Cycles4-15 Cycles
tRCD3-15 Cycles1-15 Cycles3-15 Cycles
tRP3-15 Cycles1-15 Cycles3-15 Cycles
tRAS9-63 Cycles1-255 Cycles9-63 Cycles
BIOS Frequency and Voltage settings (for Overclocking)
 ECS Golden
Z77H2-A2X
Gigabyte
Z77X-UD3H
MSI
Z77A-GD65
CPU Base Clock99-150 MHz (1 MHz)80-300 MHz (0.01 MHz)0-655 MHz (0.1 MHz)
CPU MultiplierUp to 59xUp to 63xUp to 63x
DRAM Data Rates1066-2800(200, 266.6 MHz)800-3200 (200, 266.6 MHz)800-2933 (266.6 MHz)
CPU Vcore1.00-1.50 V (15 mV)0.80-1.90 V (5 mV)0.80-2.155 V (5 mV)
VTT Voltage+0 to +0.63 V (10 mV)0.80-1.70 V (5 mV)0.95-1.55 V (10 mV)
VCCSA Voltage+0 to +0.63 V (10 mV)0.72-1.40 V (5 mV)0.93-1.59 V (10 mV)
PCH Voltage+0 to +0.63 V (10 mV)Not Adjustable0.78-1.72 V (5 mV)
DRAM Voltage+0 to +0.63 V (10 mV)1.10-2.10 V (5 mV)1.11-2.46 V (7.25 mV)
CAS Latency4-15 Cycles5-15 Cycles5-15 Cycles
tRCD3-15 Cycles4-15 Cycles4-15 Cycles
tRP3-15 Cycles4-15 Cycles4-15 Cycles
tRAS9-63 Cycles5-63 Cycles10-40 Cycles


Saving the best for last, all six of today’s motherboards yielded phenomenal air-cooled overclocking results from this specific Core i7-3770K processor. This is the first time in around two years that this editor received am above-average CPU sample on his first try, and history indicates that we’ll most likely see a greater percentage of acceptable overclocks as new steppings address minor hot spots.

MSI’s Z77A-GD65 edges out the competition for maximum CPU clock, while the second- through fourth-place overclockers are essentially tied. Biostar falls only slightly behind the median, while ECS drops a little behind Biostar.

ASRock has the highest base clock, while the top five boards prove the superiority of this specific CPU sample. Most users should expect an extra 6 MHz or so from their 100 MHz base clock, and even the bottom board gets that far.

A 2612 MT/s data rate is extremely remarkable compared to processors of old, and the fact that ASRock holds four modules stable at that setting with a $165 motherboard is similarly striking. So striking, in fact, that Asus called us out for not checking ASRock's XMP voltage more thoroughly. A retest at 1.650 V resulted in a maximum four-DIMM stable data rate of DDR3-2559 in Prime95. Two-DIMM results remained at DDR3-2700. We should also note that Asus isn't completely blameless here, as its P8Z77-V Pro showed 1.659 V in its own UEFI at the memory's XMP value of 1.650 V.

ECS sets a new standard for itself by winning the two-DIMM overclock tests, while any overclocking deficits for Biostar’s offset DIMMs appears significant only when four modules are installed.

22. Which Mid-Range Z77 Board Should You Buy?

We normally begin our final thoughts with remarks on value, but a more newsworthy development occurred that caught our attention: ECS can finally overclock! While the company's Golden Z77H2-A2X didn’t attain the highest CPU frequency, even adequacy in that department is a huge step forward for a company that spent years trying to get more competitive in the enthusiast space.

And then there’s the so-called value chart that, by excluding the real value of on-board features, makes low-cost products appear to be top contenders. Biostar probably would have landed at the top of this chart if we used its actual $150 Web price. However, the firm was adament about competing in our $160+ round-up, so we're sticking to the higher price, which can also be found online.

More important than hitting the lowest possible price is offering the best feature set for an enthusiast's dollar. Asus’ $220 P8Z77-V Pro should have the best feature set, but its Wi-Fi card and four added USB 3.0 ports are approximately matched by the two added USB 3.0 ports, USB-based Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth of ECS’ Golden Z77H2-A2X.

Biostar’s low-cost overclocker might have won the title in a round-up of less-expensive products, but it simply couldn't beat Gigabyte's $160 Z77X-UD3H in any particular discipline. Because $160 sets the baseline price for today’s story, Gigabyte takes the nod in that particular comparison.

The tightest overall competition pits ASRock against MSI. MSI wins overall CPU overclocking and ASRock has the highest CPU base clock. ECS might have joined the value-overclocking race with the highest dual-DIMM memory data rate, but its $220 price tag is significantly higher than its competition. MSI’s PCIe 3.0 x4 slot beats ASRocks PCIe 2.0 x4 slot for bandwidth, while ASRock’s x4 slot has the advantage of not stealing lanes away from the two primary graphics slots.

While we’re sure any of today's competitors would have liked to see an award, we think half of today's field deserves praise. A two-way value tie between ASRock's Z77 Extreme6 and MSI's Z77A-GD65 is difficult to settle. That forces us to a single conclusion: buyers should carefully consider the overall feature set of both contenders before picking the one that best suits their individual needs.