Our first gaming test simply looks for any performance improvement in the Z77 chipset, along with any CPU overhead of Intel's integrated GPU with Quick Sync-enabling Lucidlogix GPU Virtualization.
The GeForce GTX 580 renders natively for this first set tests. Virtual Vsync and HyperFormance will be separately tested later in this article.








As expected, we see little to no gaming performance difference between the Z77 and Z68. CPU-bottlenecked settings are still bound by the CPU, and both versions of Virtu affect the results very little.
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Summary
- 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
Ask a Category Expert
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