Six $160-220 Z77 Motherboards, Benchmarked And Reviewed
Table of contents
- 1. Z77 Express: The Perfect Replacement For Older Machines
- 2. ASRock Z77 Extreme6
- 3. Z77 Extreme6 Firmware
- 4. Asus P8Z77-V Pro
- 5. P8Z77-V Pro Firmware
- 6. Biostar TZ77XE4
- 7. TZ77XE4 Firmware
- 8. ECS Golden Z77H2-A2X
- 9. Z77H2-A2X Firmware
- 10. Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H
- 11. Z77X-UD3H Firmware
- 12. MSI Z77A-GD65
- 13. Z77A-GD65 Firmware
- 14. Test Settings And Benchmarks
- 15. Benchmark Results: Battlefield 3
- 16. Benchmark Results: DiRT 3
- 17. Benchmark Results: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- 18. Benchmark Results: Audio And Video Encoding
- 19. Benchmark Results: Productivity
- 20. Power, Heat, And Efficiency
- 21. Overclocking
- 22. Which Mid-Range Z77 Board Should You Buy?
Combining the newest features with moderate expandability, Intel’s mainstream platforms provide high value to most gaming and overclocking enthusiasts. We compare six examples with Z77 Express to find the best features, overclocking, and efficiency.
The components of Intel’s Maho Bay platform, including the Z77 Express chipset and Ivy Bridge-based processors, have been floating around our SoCal lab all year. And yet, the company waited until April to to slowly roll its parts out, allowing channel partners to clear as many Sandy Bridge-based machines as possible before relegating the architecture to "prior-gen."
The Z77 Express chipset was quickly followed by Ivy Bridge-based processors, and both of our stories on those parts came to the same conclusion: mainly, that the new generation of hardware is barely better than the Z68 Express and Sandy Bridge architecture it replaces.
Nevertheless, Maho Bay's improvements still make it the preferred choice for anyone replacing an older system. If you're already running a machine that center on Sandy bridge, an upgrade doesn't make sense. But if you're stuck with a Core 2- or Phenom-based box, Z77 Express and an Ivy Bridge-based processor are the logical path forward.
If you're patient enough to hold off on Sandy Bridge, sticking with two- or three-year-old hardware for this long, then X79 is probably totally out of the question. It's a good thing, then, that the Maho Bay platform inherits its predecessor's mainstream pricing. On the other hand, if you're savvy enough to read Tom's Hardware, then you probably also share our high expectations for quality, stability, and robust features.
With that degree of frugality in mind, we begin our Z77 Express-based motherboard round-ups right in the middle of the enthusiast market: between $160 and $220.
| Motherboard Features | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ASRock Z77 Extreme6 | Asus P8Z77-V Pro | Biostar TZ77XE4 | |
| PCB Revision | 1.02 | 1.02 | 5.0 |
| Chipset | Intel Z77 Express | Intel Z77 Express | Intel Z77 Express |
| Voltage Regulator | Twelve Phases | Sixteen Phases | Twelve Phases |
| BIOS | P1.30 (04/12/2012) | 0906 (03/26/2012) | Z77CF412 (04/12/2012) |
| 100.0 MHz BCLK | 100.46 (+0.46%) | 100.30 (+0.30%) | 100.01 (+0.01%) |
| Internal Interfaces | |||
| PCIe 3.0 x16 | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) |
| PCIe 2.0 x16 | 1 (4 lanes from PCH) | 1 (4 lanes from PCH) | 1 (4 lanes from PCH) |
| PCIe x1/x4 | 1/0 | 2/0 | 1/0 |
| Mini PCIe | 1 | None | None |
| USB 2.0 | 3 (6 ports) | 4 (8 ports) | 2 (4 ports) |
| USB 3.0 | 1 (2 ports) | 2 (4 ports) | 1 (2 ports) |
| IEEE-1394 | 1 | None | None |
| SATA 6.0 Gb/s | 4 (1 shared w/eSATA) | 4 | 4 |
| SATA 3.0 Gb/s | 4 | 4 | 4 (1 shared w/eSATA) |
| 4-Pin Fan | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| 3-Pin Fan | 4 | None | 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 | Yes |
| Diagnostics Panel | Numeric | Pass/Fail LEDs | Numeric |
| Legacy Interfaces | Serial, Floppy, 2 x PCI | 2 x PCI | Serial, 2 x PCI |
| I/O Panel Connectors | |||
| P/S 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| USB 3.0 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| USB 2.0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| IEEE-1394 | 1 | None | None |
| Network | Single | Single | Single |
| eSATA | 1 (shared w/SATA) | None | 1 (shared w/SATA) |
| CLR_CMOS Button | Yes | No | No |
| Digital Audio Out | Optical Only | Optical Only | None |
| Digital Audio In | None | None | None |
| Analog Audio | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Video Out | VGA, DVI-D, DisplayPort, HDMI | HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, DVI-D | DisplayPort, HDMI, VGA, DVI-D |
| Other Devices | None | 802.11n Wi-Fi Module | 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 | ASM1061 PCIe 2 x SATA 6Gb/s | ASM1061 PCIe 2 x SATA 6Gb/s |
| USB 3.0 | EJ168A PCIe Intel Z77 Integrated | 2 x ASM1042 PCIe Intel Z77 Integrated | Z77 Integrated Only |
| IEEE-1394 | VT6308P PCI 2 x 400 Mb/s | None | None |
| Gigabit Ethernet | |||
| Primary LAN | BCM57781 PCIe | WG82579V PHY | RTL8111E PCIe |
| Secondary LAN | None | AR9485 PCIe Wi-Fi | None |
| Audio | |||
| HD Audio Codec | ALC898 | ALC892 | ALC898 |
| DDL/DTS Connect | Not Specified | DTS Connect | Not Specified |
| Motherboard Features | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ECS Golden Z77H2-A2X | Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H | MSI Z77A-GD65 | |
| PCB Revision | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.1 |
| Chipset | Intel Z77 Express | Intel Z77 Express | Intel Z77 Express |
| Voltage Regulator | Eight Phases | Eight Phases | Twelve Phases |
| BIOS | 120328 (03/28/2012) | F7 (03/28/2012) | V10.3 (03/27/2012) |
| 100.0 MHz BCLK | 99.77 (-0.23%) | 100.89 (+0.89%) | 100.0 (+0.0%) |
| Internal Interfaces | |||
| PCIe 3.0 x16 | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) | 3 (x16/x0/x0, x8/x8/x0, x8/x4/x4) |
| PCIe 2.0 x16 | None | 1 (4 lanes from PCH) | None |
| PCIe x1/x4 | 2/0 | 3/0 | 4/0 |
| Mini PCIe | 1 | None | None |
| USB 2.0 | 1 (2 ports) | 3 (6 ports) | 3 (6 ports) |
| USB 3.0 | 1 (2 ports) | 1 (2 ports) | 1 (2 ports) |
| IEEE-1394 | None | None | 1 |
| SATA 6.0 Gb/s | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| SATA 3.0 Gb/s | 2 | 4 (1 shared w/mSATA) | 4 |
| 4-Pin Fan | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| 3-Pin Fan | 2 | None | 2 |
| FP-Audio | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| S/PDIF I/O | Output Only | Output Only | None |
| Power Button | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reset Button | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CLR_CMOS Button | No | Yes | No |
| Diagnostics Panel | Numeric | Numeric | Numeric |
| Legacy Interfaces | Serial, 2 x PCI | None | None |
| I/O Panel Connectors | |||
| P/S 2 | None | 1 | 1 |
| USB 3.0 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| USB 2.0 | 4 | None | 4 |
| IEEE-1394 | None | None | None |
| Network | Single | Single | Single |
| eSATA | 1 | 2 | None |
| CLR_CMOS Button | No | No | Yes |
| Digital Audio Out | Optical Only | Optical Only | Optical+Coaxial |
| Digital Audio In | None | None | None |
| Analog Audio | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Video Out | VGA, DVI-D, HDMI | VGA, DVI-D, HDMI, DiplayPort | HDMI, VGA, DVI-D |
| Other Devices | Bluetooth, 802.11n Wi-Fi | 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 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 | 88SE9128 PCIe 2 x eSATA 6Gb/s | ASM1061 PCIe 2 x SATA 6Gb/s |
| USB 3.0 | ASM1042 PCIe Intel Z77 Integrated | VL800-Q8 PCIe Intel Z77 Integrated | Z77 Integrated Only |
| IEEE-1394 | None | None | VT6315N PCIe 1 x 400 Mb/s |
| Gigabit Ethernet | |||
| Primary LAN | RTL8111E PCIe | AR8151 PCIe | WG82579V PHY |
| Secondary LAN | AR9271 USB Wi-Fi | None | None |
| Audio | |||
| HD Audio Codec | ALC892 | VT2021 | ALC898 |
| DDL/DTS Connect | Not Specified | Not Specified | Not Specified |
Great review! At the end of day, it comes down to brand loyalty.
do you mean nvidia and intel gets news during weekends not only news but featured articles?
There's a typo on the last page. It says X77H2-A2X instead of Z77H2-A2X
It's on the second to last paragraph...
I am surprised that you guys did not include the Asus z77-V
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131820
why not with Pci-e 3.0?
Nice article thank you!
One thing i was looking for was the part about asrock not having true "digital" PWM and going with an analog PWM. Does this really matter?
Great review! At the end of day, it comes down to brand loyalty.
I don't think the article stated anything like that. It comes down to the features you want and the cards you plan to use. In the MSI vs ASRock debate, it's x8-x4-x4 with all three slots in PCIe 3.0 mode, or x8-x8-x4 with x4 in PCIe 2.0 mode, and you're definitely wiser to pick between them based on WHAT you plan to use in the third slot.
do you mean nvidia and intel gets news during weekends not only news but featured articles?
It's Monday here, and editorial has very little contact with news.
I am surprised that you guys did not include the Asus z77-Vhttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131820
Tom's Hardware didn't "include" anything in the review. A couple boards were excluded based on price, and everything else was let in. The P8Z77-V Pro was the cheapest board Asus sent.
why not with Pci-e 3.0?
Editor had no PCIe 3.0 cards. And the reason he didn't get one yet is because it didn't matter. The only thing that really mattered in a single-GPU MOTHERBOARD comparison was to use the same card on all platforms.
One thing i was looking for was the part about asrock not having true "digital" PWM and going with an analog PWM. Does this really matter?
Some digital voltage regulators have been garbage, take a look at a few of the older reviews to see this. Very few have been very good. And many more analog voltage regulators have been garbage, while many more analog voltage regulators have been very good. Quality of execution is more important than the underlying technology.
UD3H seems to be an excellent value board.
would it be possible to review the asus z77 and gigabyte ud5h in a future review.
this review needs crossfire/sli results
Still no boot/post time comparison? With all performance scores being almost identical, I would have thought this could be a useful differentiator.
Is good a test with PCIE 3.0 video card to see if is a real benefit compare to PCIE 2.0.
z77 sabertooth wanted !
Thanks Thomas another Great Article! Don't like what I see, but I digress.
Something's gotta be pooched with the ASUS P8Z77-V Pro BIOS (UEFI) -- hopefully. In the past the ASUS Pro line has been the meat & potatoes for my recommendations, and this is not the only review with similar performance numbers.
Voltages, I am going to have a hard time recommending a vCore >1.2Xv, VCCSA and CPU VTT of 1.20v on the IB. I still need to see otherwise. From what I've seen the IB is more 'girlish' with voltages than the SB or SB-E, and there's little point having the fans spinning 'through' the case and creating high dBA with a high vCore. RAM (voltage), it goes back to my feelings that 1.50v DIMM was a bunch of Urban Myths especially since the SB-E and seemingly the IB can handle 1.65v DIMM RAM.
Yeah, I noticed the XMP tried to set 1.25v VCCSA, or at least the set is encoded that way. Further, I don't wan to debate the OC until I get my hands on an IB, it should be any day now.
Further, either the Engineers were dead wrong on the SB (1.50) or IB (1.65) they're wrong in both instances. I 'get' ultra fast kits (today) >DDR3-2133 e.g. DDR-2400 or faster are 1.65v kits, but only a few months ago IF 'I' recommended SB + 1.65v I'd have 20+ negative comments in the Forum. Seems counter intuitive step in DRAM voltage.
Also, I am assuming you're testing the IB ES and I wonder how much of an impact that has in that the CPUID are geared towards the Retail. I remember all of the E5 (ES) problems and drops in performance compared to the Retail sisters.
OC observation only, you seemed 'wimpish' with the SB-E compared to the IB - interesting?!
i don't understand why the mobo don't have all sata6 and usb 3.0? i mean they're backwards compatible. why even include the old stuff? why not have 8 sata 6 and 8 usb 3.0 with 0 sata 3 and 0 usb 3.0? :?
Good review, I read a similar review before i decided for MSI Z77A-GD65.
A chose this board as it has a better Audio Chipset then the Competitors. This board comes with ALC898, while the other ones come with ALC892. Apparently ALC898 is far better than ALC892.
So far i am quite happy with the board.
Just 1 note, if overclocking do not disable "Power technologies", it will prevent overclocking. If i disabled the power saving features 1 by 1 i had no problems.
like it good review!
Just curious as to what made you pick the GA-Z77X-UD3H for $160 over the GA-Z77X-UD5H for $189? Is there not that much difference between the 2 boards?