Three-Way X99 LGA 2011-v3 ATX Motherboard Shootout

Gigabyte X99-UD4 Firmware

Gigabyte’s M.I.T. menu continues as a launch point for multiple submenus, where actual adjustments can be made.

Our processor is cable of approximately 4444 MHz at 1.30 V, fully loaded, with an actual result of 4451 MHz on the X99-UD4 thanks to its slight rounding error of our selected 101 MHz BCLK.

Because Haswell-E’s top DRAM practical data rate multiple is 26.66 times base clock, the X99-UD4 attempted to reach our memory’s rated DDR4-3000 at 125 MHz x 24. Following a boot failure, we tried reducing the BCLK in 1 MHz steps, eventually giving up on the 1.25x BCLK strap.

Somewhere in the middle of all that is where X99-UD4 overclocking falls apart. Every boot failure resulting from too-high of a BCLK triggered the motherboard’s “Corrupt BIOS” detection, causing it to automatically reflash the main firmware ROM from an old firmware image on the backup ROM. There is no workaround for this, as the board doesn’t have a way to disable the feature (for manual CLR_CMOS) or even a simple jumper to select between ROMs. Over an hour of re-updating firmware with the correct image finally got us to the point where we could define a DRAM limit of DDR4-2832 at the board’s highest-stable "1.00x strap" base clock (106 MHz) and a memory data rate ratio of 26.66x.

 

CPU-Z showed that the 1.30 V firmware setting produced the expected voltage, and RealTemp confirmed similar overclocking temperatures compared to the two competing products.

Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
  • dgingeri
    "LGA 2111-v3"??

    Did something change?
    Reply
  • west7
    In the 3D gaming page it should been i7-5760x not i7-4790 and fix the LGA 2111-v3 typo and why there in no SLI/crossfire test?!
    Reply
  • Amdlova
    12 Phases Six Phases Eight Phases what!
    Reply
  • Daniel Ladishew
    Can't wait for them to review some of the other manufacturer's products in the X99 category. The ASUS board especially.
    Reply
  • chiefpiggy
    Noob question: would my socket 1150 i5 4670k work with one of these motherboards or do I need one of the Haswell-E processors?
    Reply
  • sportfreak23
    14199415 said:
    Can't wait for them to review some of the other manufacturer's products in the X99 category. The ASUS board especially.

    +1
    Reply
  • InvalidError
    14199118 said:
    "LGA 2111-v3"??

    Did something change?
    LGA 2011 uses DDR3 while LGA2011-3 uses DDR4 so the sockets are different to prevent people from putting the wrong CPU in the wrong motherboard.

    I think there were other changes but this is the big obvious one.
    Reply
  • firefoxx04
    it should be mentioned (and maybe it was, just not on the first page) that you only get the 40 pci e lanes if you purchase the two higher tiered haswell-E chips. The lowest end model does not support 40 lanes, I think it supports 28.
    Reply
  • dgingeri
    I was commenting on the typo of "2111" vs "2011".
    Reply
  • vincevdc
    The MB grid on page one shows that the MSI X99S Gaming 7 mb has an Intel Z97 Express chipset. This is a typo...
    Reply