MSI registers the lowest power consumption, which typically indicates that all of Intel’s power-savings features are enabled, that few third-party controllers are active during the test, and that power control circuitry is fully optimized.
Gigabyte, Intel, and Asus are close enough to MSI that all three appear optimized, while ECS' Z77H2-AX looks like it could use a little more development. ECS also has the oldest firmware, and that could help explain its higher power consumption.
Asus and ASRock enjoy the benefit of fans, yet they also have the highest voltage regulator temperatures. Intel, MSI, and Gigabyte all look cool using nothing more than waste air from the CPU cooler to carry away the heat.
Summary
- Intel's Mainstream Z77 Express Goes High-End
- Panther Point's Thunderbolt Connection
- ASRock Z77 OC Formula
- Z77 OC Formula Software
- Z77 OC Formula Firmware
- Asus Sabertooth Z77
- Sabertooth Z77 Software
- Sabertooth Z77 Firmware
- ECS "Golden Board" Z77H2-AX
- Z77H2-AX Software
- Z77H2-AX Firmware
- Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP5 TH
- GA-Z77X-UP5 TH Software
- GA-Z77X-UP5 TH Firmware
- Intel DZ77RE-75K
- DZ77RE-75K Software And Firmware
- MSI Z77A-GD80
- Z77A-GD80 Software
- Z77A-GD80 Firmware
- Test Settings And Compatibility
- Benchmark Results: 3DMark 11
- Benchmark Results: PCMark And SiSoftware Sandra
- Power And Heat
- Overclocking
- Picking The Right High-End Z77 Board
