The P8Z77-V LX includes several freeware and trial software applications, in addition to those written by or for Asus. Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Adobe Reader X, and a 60-day trial for Norton Internet Security are among them. They're all installed by default using Asus' “InstAll” method. Fortunately, that option can be deselected from the driver package’s “InstAll” menu, since you'd otherwise be plagued by Norton's pesky register/upgrade reminder.
Asus includes a USB Turbo Mode application. Unlike its competitors, however, the company uniquely supports UASP. Our recent investigation into this technology shows that certain USB 3.0-based devices already support USB Attached SCSI Protocol. But Asus thus far maintains exclusivity on the host side.
Asus still calls its vastly-updated monitoring utility PC Probe II, though today’s version is much more versatile and accurate than early versions of the software. We find voltage, temperature, and fan speed measurements, though several less significant voltage readings (such as CSA and DIMM) are still missing.
Fans of Asus' monitoring software should make sure they want to keep it before making the decision to install, as our copy would not uninstall cleanly. The pieces left behind caused no problem with a motherboard we tried to install later on using the same drive, but they did sabotage a competing vendor's monitoring software.
Going beyond live reporting, Asus Sensor Recorder provides a chart of the values seen in PC Probe II over time.

Asus Fan Expert allows users to modify the P8Z77-V LX’s automatic fan profiles for all three of the board’s four-pin headers.
Asus' EPU utility provides several automatic power-saving profiles, two of which can be reconfigured by users. We found a maximum savings of approximately 2 W at idle, compared to CPU- and operating system-based settings.
The P8Z77-V LX also includes Asus Network iControl, with which you can optimize packet prioritization to favor, for example, latency-sensitive online gaming.
Some people back things up to their 2 GB-or-larger email accounts, but downloading that saved content isn’t always convenient. Asus provides 2 GB of Web-based storage for free. You can get up to 10 GB of capacity by referring others or 1 GB by subscribing to another Asus service. The WebStorage program is used to sync and backup whatever folders you wish.
- Seven Affordable Z77 Express-Based Motherboards Get Dissected
- ASRock Z77 Extreme4
- Z77 Extreme4 Applications
- Overclocking With ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility
- Z77 Extreme4 UEFI
- Asus P8Z77-V LX
- P8Z77-V LX Applications
- Overclocking With Asus TurboV
- P8Z77-V LX UEFI
- Biostar TZ77XE3
- TZ77XE3 Applications
- Overclocking With Biostar Toverclocker
- TZ77XE3 UEFI
- ECS Z77H2-A2X Deluxe
- Z77H2-A2X Deluxe Applications
- Overclocking With ECS eOC
- Z77H2-A2X Deluxe UEFI
- Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H
- Z77X-D3H Applications
- Overclocking With Easy Tune6
- Z77X-D3H UEFI
- Intel DZ77SL-50K
- DZ77SL-50K Applications
- Overclocking With Intel Extreme Tuning Utility
- DZ77SL-50K UEFI
- MSI Z77A-G45
- Z77A-G45 Applications
- Overclocking With MSI Control Center
- Z77A-G45 UEFI
- Benchmark Settings And Peripheral Compatibility Testing
- Benchmark Results: 3DMark 11
- Benchmark Results: PCMark And Sandra
- Power, Heat, And Efficiency
- Overclocking
- Three Sub-$160 Motherboards Rise To The Top
















The things that actually get screwed-up are typically related to the clock generator, multiplier control, memory timings and power options.
Nice review.
You're kidding - Biostar. I guess this article is not about the 'Best Sub-$160 Z77' MOBO's but about the best manufacturers sent you. The cheapest MOBO I recommend for the SB/IB (K) is the ASUS P8Z77-V which pops your 'unique' budget cap depending where you shop; found it here for $159.99 - http://www.gadgetneeds.net/asus-p8z77-v-atx-intel-motherboard/
Interesting you didn't get an ASUS P8Z77-V LK ~$120 which offers SLI. The ASRock Z77 Extreme4 and Gigabyte Z77X-D3H for the price aren't bad.
There's NO WAY I'm recommending Biostar in the forum, folks and myself would thing I've lost my mind.
Would really like to see how the UD3X Atheros Ethernet controller fares against the Intel and broadcom ones.
Thank you!
This is what differentiates them performance wise.
Also, I love the True Studio Pro software, if you are running digital audio it really makes any idea of a dedicated sound card a thing of the past. Every computer I build now either has True Studio Pro with the mobo, or I purchase the MB2 software suite, it makes such a difference if using headphones or quality speakers, and much less buggy that Creative's sound cards and driver issues that we all know and love.