| Test System Configuration | |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-2600K (Sandy Bridge): 3.40 GHz, 8 MB Shared L3 Cache, LGA 1155 |
| CPU Cooler | Thermalright MUX-120 w/Zalman ZM-STG1 Paste |
| Z77 Motherboard | MSI Z77A-GD65: Intel Z77 Express, BIOS V10.2 (02-27-2012) |
| Z68 Motherboard | MSI Z68A-GD80: Intel Z68 Express, BIOS V18.8 (01/16/2012) |
| RAM | G.Skill F3-17600CL9Q-16GBXLD (16 GB), DDR3-2200 at DDR3-1600 CAS 9, 1.60 V |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 580 1.5 GB 772 MHz GPU, GDDR5-4008 |
| Main Hard Drive | Samsung 470 Series 256 GB, SATA 6Gb/s SSD |
| 2nd Hard Drive | Mushkin Chronos Deluxe 240 GB, SATA 6Gb/s SSD |
| Sound | Integrated HD Audio |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
| Power | Seasonic X760 SS-760KM, ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Gold |
| Software | |
| OS | Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64 |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce 295.73 WHQL |
| Virtu MVP Version | 2.1.110 |
| Lucid Virtu Version | 1.2.103 |
| Chipset | Intel INF 9.3.0.1019 |
MSI sent its Z77A-GD65 for a preview a while back, but hardware issues prevented us from using it in a timely manner. Its replacement returns for today’s launch article.

Mushkin’s Chronos Deluxe hasn’t made it into our reference system yet, but it’s more than fast enough to test Intel’s new USB 3.0 controller.

Carried over from our 2010 pocket enclosure round-up, the ASMedia ASM1051 controller of Bytecc’s HD6-SU3 provides a necessary conversion to USB 3.0 for our controller test.

We mentioned a hardware issue that prevented the publication of our preview. That issue was the failure of our old and frequently-tortured Core i7-2600k CPU. ASRock helped us out (and indirectly, its competitor) by sending a replacement. It took a second CPU failure to determine that the motherboard was damaged, so MSI replaced both the motherboard and the second processor.
| Benchmark Configuration | |
|---|---|
| 3D Games | |
| Battlefield 3 | Campaign 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 3 | V1.01, Run with -benchmark example_benchmark.xml Test Set 1: High Quality Preset, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Preset, 8x AA |
| Metro 2033 | Full 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: Skyrim | Update 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 | |
| iTunes | Version 10.4.1.10 x64: Audio CD (Terminator II SE), 53 minutes, default AAC format |
| Lame MP3 | Version 3.98.3: Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min, convert WAV to MP3 audio format, Command: -b 160 --nores (160 Kb/s) |
| MediaEspresso 6.5 | Version 6.5.1210_33281: 1080i HDTV (449MB) to iPad H.264, 1024x768 |
| MediaConverter 7 | Version7.1.0.68: 1080i HDTV (449MB) to iPad, SmartFit profile |
| HandBrake CLI | Version 0.95: "Big Buck Bunny" (720x480, 23.972 FPS) 5 Minutes, Audio: Dolby Digital, 48000 Hz, Six-Channel, English, to Video: AVC Audio: AC3 Audio2: AAC (High Profile) |
| MainConcept Reference | Version: 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 CS5 | Version 12.1 x64: Filter 15.7 MB TIF Image: Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates |
| Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 | Version 14.0 x64: Space Flyby Mentalray, 248 Frames, 1440x1080 |
| WinZip | Version 15.5 Pro: THG-Workload (464 MB) to ZIP, command line switches "-a -ez -p -r" |
| WinRAR | Version 4.1: THG-Workload (464 MB) to RAR, command line switches "winrar a -r -m3" |
| 7-Zip | Version 9.22: THG-Workload (464 MB) to .7z, command line switches "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5" |
| ABBYY FineReader | Version 10.0.102.82: Read PDF save to Doc, Source: Political Economy (J. Broadhurst 1842) 111 Pages |
- Z77 Express: USB 3.0 And Enhanced Manageability
- MVP Is Much More Than Virtu
- Test Settings And Benchmarks
- Benchmark Results: Z77 Versus Z68 In 3D Games
- Benchmark Results: Z77 Versus Z68 In Applications
- Power, Heat, And Efficiency
- Overclocking
- HyperFormance, Virtual Vsync, And 3DMark
- HyperFormance And Virtual Vsync In Games
- Z77 Is Only Half Of The Story
poppycock, even high end cards can't even come close to saturateing a 8x slot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFMzRZqFh-w get learned yo
Could you guys provide a video showing the differences between a run with the MVP and without? With V-Sync on also.
Nice review, BTW. Thanks for it 8)
Cheers!
IB and z77 VS. IB and z68?
Made me do a double take!
Don't expect them to tell you, they're still under Intel's NDA.
No, the Z77 and all Panther Point chipest are indeed 8x lanes of PCIe 2.0, so Thomas's article is correct. Don't confuse GPU PCIe lanes with Chipset PCIe lanes. However, Thomas knows that I too 'wish' the LGA 1155 was PCIe 3.0 clean, it sure would help with other chipset 'sharing' issues (bottlenecks).
What's up with that? Do the z77's require the Ivy Bridge CPU to take full advantage? Sounds like possible driver and/or most likely BIOS issues as others have pointed out elsewhere on page 2 of the z77 Motherboard Discussion thread.
poppycock, even high end cards can't even come close to saturateing a 8x slot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFMzRZqFh-w get learned yo
Makes no sense NOT to have PCIe 3.0. Makes all the new cards useless on all but the boards with third party PCIe 3.0 controllers???
In a few months, I'm sure most of these bugs will be ironed out.
They got a 9177 on the z77 from gigabyte... with a 680...the standard 680 P score is 9458.
You guys topped out in that same bench with a 580 at 8728!
The normal 3dmark 11 P score with a 580 is 6619 (commensurate with the score for no VVS)
That HyperFormance and Virtual Vsync are really helping! At least in 3dmark LOL! Cant wait to see what score you get with a 680 combined with HF and VVS!
still...i would rather have 2 pcie lanes at 16X just in case i want to install two nvidia gtx 590 in sli...get the point?....why settle for something less when you can have the cake and eat it too