Seven Sub-$160 Z77 Express Motherboards, Reviewed
Table of contents
- 1. Seven Affordable Z77 Express-Based Motherboards Get Dissected
- 2. ASRock Z77 Extreme4
- 3. Z77 Extreme4 Applications
- 4. Overclocking With ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility
- 5. Z77 Extreme4 UEFI
- 6. Asus P8Z77-V LX
- 7. P8Z77-V LX Applications
- 8. Overclocking With Asus TurboV
- 9. P8Z77-V LX UEFI
- 10. Biostar TZ77XE3
- 11. TZ77XE3 Applications
- 12. Overclocking With Biostar Toverclocker
- 13. TZ77XE3 UEFI
- 14. ECS Z77H2-A2X Deluxe
- 15. Z77H2-A2X Deluxe Applications
- 16. Overclocking With ECS eOC
- 17. Z77H2-A2X Deluxe UEFI
- 18. Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H
- 19. Z77X-D3H Applications
- 20. Overclocking With Easy Tune6
- 21. Z77X-D3H UEFI
- 22. Intel DZ77SL-50K
- 23. DZ77SL-50K Applications
- 24. Overclocking With Intel Extreme Tuning Utility
- 25. DZ77SL-50K UEFI
- 26. MSI Z77A-G45
- 27. Z77A-G45 Applications
- 28. Overclocking With MSI Control Center
- 29. Z77A-G45 UEFI
- 30. Benchmark Settings And Peripheral Compatibility Testing
- 31. Benchmark Results: 3DMark 11
- 32. Benchmark Results: PCMark And Sandra
- 33. Power, Heat, And Efficiency
- 34. Overclocking
- 35. Three Sub-$160 Motherboards Rise To The Top
Intel’s LGA 1155 interface is designed for mainstream buyers, yet the firm’s Ivy Bridge-based processors put it in the performance spotlight. We compare seven Z77 Express motherboards that deliver enthusiast-class performance at mainstream prices.
Everyone loves a fast machine, but buying the best of the best is an expensive habit. Thank goodness for Intel's Ivy Bridge architecture then, right? You don't need to sink a ton of cash into a Sandy Bridge-E-based processor and the expensive motherboards they require. Instead, a third-gen Core chip and a Z77-based platform should do the trick nicely.
Alright, so you do lose some functionality. Sandy Bridge-E features 40 lanes of on-die PCI Express, after all. The Ivy Bridge/Z77 combination slims that number down to 16 lanes and a "modest" two-channel memory controller. But the features it does facilitate are good enough for a majority of our readers looking for a smart play that's fast, energy-efficient, and affordable.
As a bonus, in addition to more attractive pricing than LGA 2011, Ivy Bridge-based chips include Intel's second-generation Quick Sync technology. Sandy Bridge-E doesn't enjoy any form of fixed-function transcoding acceleration. Of course, Quick Sync is a component of the architecture's integrated graphics engine, and most enthusiasts won't want to bother with HD Graphics 4000. Fortunately, Lucidlogix's Virtu software makes it easy to use discrete graphics for gaming and Intel's built-in stuff for your video work.
But you've heard all of that before, we're sure. Rather than blathering on about Ivy Bridge and Intel's most modern desktop chipset, let's instead introduce the cheaper-than-$160 motherboards we'll be reviewing today. They're what make fast, inexpensive, enthusiast-oriented machines a reality. And by the time you get to the end of today's incredibly information-packed story, you'll know which of these platforms are our favorites.
| Motherboard Features | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ASRock Z77 Extreme4 | Asus P8Z77-V LX | Biostar TZ77XE3 | |
| PCB Revision | 1.05 | 1.02 | 5.0 |
| Chipset | Intel Z77 Express | Intel Z77 Express | Intel Z77 Express |
| Voltage Regulator | Twelve Phases | Six Phases | Twelve Phases |
| BIOS | P1.40 (05/14/2012) | 0610 (05/08/2012) | Z77AF419 (04/19/2012) |
| 100.0 MHz BCLK | 100.0 (+0.00%) | 100.30 (+0.03%) | 100.00 (+0.00%) |
| Internal Interfaces | |||
| PCIe 3.0 x16 | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) | 1 (16-lanes) | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) |
| PCIe 2.0 x16 | None | 1 (4-lanes from PCH) | 1 (4-lanes from PCH) |
| PCIe x1/x4 | 2/0 | 2/0 | 2/0 |
| Mini PCIe | None | None | None |
| USB 2.0 | 3 (6-ports) | 3 (6-ports) | 2 (4-ports) |
| USB 3.0 | 1 (2-ports) | 1 (2-ports) | 1 (2-ports) |
| IEEE-1394 | None | None | None |
| SATA 6Gb/s | 4 (1 shared w/eSATA) | 2 | 2 |
| SATA 3Gb/s | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 4-Pin Fan | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 3-Pin Fan | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| FP-Audio | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| S/PDIF I/O | Output Only | Output Only | Output Only |
| Power Button | Yes | No | Yes |
| Reset Button | Yes | No | Yes |
| CLR_CMOS Button | No | No | No |
| Diagnostics Panel | Numeric | Pass/Fail LEDs | Numeric |
| Legacy Interfaces | Serial, 2 x PCI | Serial, 3 x PCI | Serial, 2 x PCI |
| I/O Panel Connectors | |||
| P/S 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| USB 3.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| USB 2.0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| IEEE-1394 | None | None | None |
| Network | Single | Single | Single |
| eSATA | 1 (shared w/SATA) | None | None |
| CLR_CMOS Button | Yes | No | No |
| Digital Audio Out | Optical Only | Optical Only | None |
| Digital Audio In | None | None | None |
| Analog Audio | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| Video Out | VGA, DVI-D, HDMI | HDMI, VGA, DVI-D | HDMI, VGA, DVI-D |
| Other Devices | None | None | None |
| Mass Storage Controllers | |||
| Chipset SATA | 2 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 Modes | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 |
| Add-In SATA | ASM1061 PCIe 2 x SATA 6Gb/s 1 shared w/eSATA | None | None |
| USB 3.0 | ASM1042 PCIe Intel Z77 Integrated | Intel Z77 Integrated | Z77 Integrated Only |
| IEEE-1394 | None | None | None |
| Gigabit Ethernet | |||
| Primary LAN | BCM57781 PCIe | RTL8111E PCIe | RTL8111E PCIe |
| Secondary LAN | None | None | None |
| Audio | |||
| HD Audio Codec | ALC898 | ALC887 | ALC892 |
| DDL/DTS Connect | Not Specified | DTS Connect | Not Specified |
| Motherboard Features | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECS Z77H2-A2X Deluxe | Gigabyte Z77X-D3H | Intel DZ77SL-50K | MSI Z77A-G45 | |
| PCB Revision | 1.0 | 1.0 | Initial | 1.1 |
| Chipset | Intel Z77 Express | Intel Z77 Express | Intel Z77 Express | Intel Z77 Express |
| Voltage Regulator | Nine Phases | Nine Phases | Six Phases | Six Phases |
| BIOS | 120424 (04/24/2012) | F8 (05/11/2012) | 0066 (04/13/2012) | V2.4 (05/09/2012) |
| 100.0 MHz BCLK | 99.77 (-0.23%) | 100.89 (+0.89%) | 99.78 (-0.22%) | 100.0 (+0.0%) |
| Internal Interfaces | ||||
| PCIe 3.0 x16 | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) | 1 (16-lanes) | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) |
| PCIe 2.0 x16 | None | 1 (4-lanes from PCH) | None | 1 (4-lanes from PCH) |
| PCIe x1/x4 | 2/0 | 3/0 | 1/1 (open ended) | 4 (two shared)/0 |
| Mini PCIe | 1 | None | None | None |
| USB 2.0 | 1 (2-ports) | 2 (4-ports) | 2 (4-ports) | 3 (6-ports) |
| USB 3.0 | 1 (2-ports) | 1 (2-ports) | 1 (2-ports) | 1 (2-ports) |
| IEEE-1394 | None | None | None | None |
| SATA 6Gb/s | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| SATA 3Gb/s | 2 | 4 (1 shared w/mSATA) | 3 | 4 |
| 4-Pin Fan | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 3-Pin Fan | 2 | None | None | 2 |
| FP-Audio | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| S/PDIF I/O | Output Only | Output Only | Output Only | None |
| Power Button | No | No | No | No |
| Reset Button | No | No | No | No |
| CLR_CMOS Button | No | No | No | No |
| Diagnostics Panel | None | None | None | None |
| Legacy Interfaces | Serial, 2 x PCI | Serial, 1 x PCI | 3 x PCI | Serial Port |
| I/O Panel Connectors | ||||
| P/S 2 | None | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| USB 3.0 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| USB 2.0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| IEEE-1394 | None | None | None | None |
| Network | Single | Single | Single | Single |
| eSATA | 1 | None | 1 | None |
| CLR_CMOS Button | No | No | No | Yes |
| Digital Audio Out | Optical Only | Optical Only | None | Optical+Coaxial |
| Digital Audio In | None | None | None | None |
| Analog Audio | 5 | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| Video Out | VGA, DVI-D, HDMI | VGA, DVI-D, HDMI | HDMI | HDMI, VGA, DVI-D |
| Other Devices | None | None | None | None |
| Mass Storage Controllers | ||||
| Chipset SATA | 2 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 3 x SATA 3Gb/s 1 x eSATA 3Gb/s | 2 x SATA 6Gb/s 4 x SATA 3Gb/s |
| Chipset RAID Modes | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 |
| Add-In SATA | ASM1061 PCIe 2 x SATA 6Gb/s | 88SE9172 PCIe 2 x eSATA 6Gb/s | None | None |
| USB 3.0 | ASM1042 PCIe Intel Z77 Integrated | VL800-Q8 PCIe Intel Z77 Integrated | Z77 Integrated Only | Z77 Integrated Only |
| IEEE-1394 | None | None | None | None |
| Gigabit Ethernet | ||||
| Primary LAN | RTL8111E PCIe | AR8151 PCIe | WG82579V PHY | RTL8111E PCIe |
| Secondary LAN | None | None | None | None |
| Audio | ||||
| HD Audio Codec | ALC892 | VT2021 | ALC892 | ALC892 |
| DDL/DTS Connect | Not Specified | Not Specified | Not Specified | Not Specified |
Thanks to the efforts (and unified voice) of our readers, all seven of the motherboard vendors participating in today's story are now on equal footing when it comes to the length of their warranties, each offering three years of protection. There's more to each of these boards than its specification sheet, though, so we’re diving into the features, firmware, and software package included with them all.
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- Report: Intel's Ivy Bridge-E CPUs Will Launch Sept. 2013
- Intel Developing the Efficient Ivy Bridge Pentium 2127U CPU
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LAN performance .. ISC performance ... USB 3 .. well that's it then.
LAN performance .. ISC performance ... USB 3 .. well that's it then.
Tom's Hardware has several controller comparisons, and publishes new ones frequently. So unless you think one of the boards has a broken controller, wysiwyg.
The things that actually get screwed-up are typically related to the clock generator, multiplier control, memory timings and power options.
I would place the ASRock and Gigabyte on the top as well : )
Nice review.
I always appreciate your Articles!
I know how much work you do to get them done.
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-p8 [...] therboard/
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.
It would be nice to see the CPU voltage for every board when overclocking.
It would be nice to see the CPU voltage for every board when overclocking.
1.25V
No peripherals performance tests? Those are the only tests that differentiate those motherboards from each other.
Would really like to see how the UD3X Atheros Ethernet controller fares against the Intel and broadcom ones.
No peripherals performance tests? Those are the only tests that differentiate those motherboards from each other. Would really like to see how the UD3X Atheros Ethernet controller fares against the Intel and broadcom ones.
I'll let the integrated controller guy know you'd like to see those parts compared
Thank you!
I would have liked to see the Asus P8Z77V-LK version instead of the LX since it is better equipped.
I would have liked to see the Asus P8Z77V-LK version instead of the LX since it is better equipped.
It's also mentioned in the article. It was over $160 (at $165) when the comparison was set up.
Why are there no DCP latency tests ? These differentiate the motherboards
This is what differentiates them performance wise.
Wow, Biostar...? I wonder what the longevity of that board is...
Wow, Biostar...? I wonder what the longevity of that board is...
It's hard to tell, but the last Biostar board I had in a system lasted 12 years before it got dismantled for its entire processor selection being too slow.
Nice to see a Mobo review where the charts are not all identical bars lol. It has been a long time sense the stock performance has had much of any variance between brands, and we are getting much more feature variety as well. I thought as more and more parts became integrated into the CPU that the bars would become more and more similar, and mainstream features would become more and more homogeneous.
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.
On-motherboard start buttons are a useless feature. Anyone who could actually use it should know they can just short across the power switch header using any piece of metal.
At this point SATA 6GB, USB 3 and PCI-e 3.o should be a standered and not a side option.
As good as Asus motherboards are - why do they include such poorly made I/O brackets? Even Biostar and ECS include ones that are better made than Asus does.
Another comment about why the P8Z77V-LK board was not reviewed. I own this board now after a total disaster with one of the boards you awarded so why is it missing? The ASUS P8Z77V-LK was priced at $149.99 when I purchased it and is now $139.99 with a rebate down to $119.99 after a quick check this morning. Based on your comments about the Biostar and ASRock boards having additional features like SLI/CF or additional USB 3 ports it is hard to understand why this board was not reviewed. The P8Z77V-LE is priced at $165 not the LK board. As to the 4-dimm testing, did you try the DDR3-2666 ratio or is the test overclocking the 2400 ratio?