Category Archives: Motherboard reviews

AMD GA-990FXA-UD7 motherboard review

<![CDATA[If you are looking for a mid-range/high-end gaming PC, then I have a treat for you.  The GA-990FXA-UD7 is made by the most superior manufacturer, Gigabyte Technology Corporation, Ltd., a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer.
"Established in 1986, its major customers include custom boutique PC manufacturers such as Alienware and Falcon Northwest. Mr. Pei-Cheng Yeh founded GigaByte Technology Co. Ltd. in 1986 and has been its Chairman since 1986. Gigabyte is considered a Tier 1 motherboard manufacturer (based on units sold) along with Micro-Star International (MSI), Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) and Asus." (Wikipedia)
GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD7 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX AMD Motherboard

  • Supports newest AMD AM3+ FX/AM3 Phenom™ II series processors
  • Advanced 8+2 phase CPU VRM power design for AMD high-TDP CPU support
  • 6 PCI-E 2.0 interfaces for 4way AMD CrossFireX and SLI multi-graphics support
  • AMD SB950 provides 6 native SATA3 ports with superfast 6Gbps link speed and RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 support
  • Supports USB 3.0 with superfast transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps
  • GIGABYTE 3x USB Power with On/Off Charge USB ports
  • Ultra Durable 3 Technology with copper cooled quality for lower working temperature
  • Turbo XHD technology accelerating hard drive performance with ease
  • Revolution energy saving design with Easy Energy Saver technology
  • Hi-def 108dB Signal-to-noise ratio Blu-ray DVD audio playback
  • Patented DualBIOS with Hybrid EFI technology for 3TB HDD support
  • Supports Dolby Home Theater audio
  • Stylish Power/reset/Clr CMOS onboard button for power user needs

(Gigabyte)
This motherboard is amazing for gaming because it supports 4×240 pin DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866/1600/1333/1066. Its maximum memory that is supported is 32GB.
Its integrated components are:

  • 1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse port
  • 1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector
  • 1 x coaxial S/PDIF Out connector
  • 1 x IEEE 1394a port
  • 7 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
  • 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports
  • 1 x eSATA/USB Combo connector
  • 1 x eSATA 6Gb/s connector
  • 1 x RJ-45 port

6 x audio jacks (Center/Subwoofer Speaker Out/Rear Speaker Out/Side Speaker Out/Line In/Line Out/Microphone)
This motherboard is a very good choice for beginning gaming on PC’s and costs about  $209.60 on Newegg or Amazon.

Works Cited
“GIGABYTE – Motherboard – Socket AM3+ – GA-990FXA-UD7 (rev. 1.x).” GIGABYTE – Motherboard – Socket AM3+ – GA-990FXA-UD7 (rev. 1.x). N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.
“GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD7 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX AMD Motherboard GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD7 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX AMD Motherboard.” GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD7 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX AMD Motherboard. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.
“Gigabyte Technology.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 02 Sept. 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.

 
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Crossfire V Formula-Z

<![CDATA["ASUSTeK Computer Inc., usually referred to as Asus, and trading under that name, is a Taiwanese multinational computer hardware and electronics company headquartered in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. It was founded on April 2nd, 1989. Their chairman is Jonney Shih and their CEO is Jerry Shen. Its products include desktops, laptops, netbooks, LED/LCD panels, mobile phones, networking equipment, monitors, motherboards, graphics cards, optical storage, multimedia products, servers, workstations, and tablet PCs. The company's slogan is: "Inspiring Innovation. Persistent Perfection."Asus is the world's fifth-largest PC vendor by 2012 unit sales. Asus appears in BusinessWeer’s "InfoTech 100" and "Asia’s Top 10 IT Companies" rankings, and it ranked first in the IT Hardware category of the 2008 Taiwan Top 10 Global Brands survey with a total brand value of US$1.3 billion" (ASUS Wikipedia)
Product Image
The Crossfire V Formula-Z is a newer gaming motherboard with an AM3+ socket type.
Expansion Slots:
3 x PCIe 2.0 x16
1 x PCIe 2.0 x16
2 x PCIe 2.0 x1
USB Ports:
6 x USB 3.0 port
12 x USB 2.0 port
Back  input and output ports:
1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port
2 x eSATA 6Gb/s
1 x LAN (RJ45) port
4 x USB 3.0
ATX for factor 12 inches by 9.6 inches
This is a really good motherboard for gaming. It has all you need for a gaming motherboard besides a graphics card. For a gaming motherboard it isn’t a too bad price of $229.00. You can find this motherboard at NewEgg.com or at the ASUS company home page.
“ASUS Crosshair V Formula-Z AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Gaming Motherboard with 3-Way SLI/CrossFireX Support and UEFI BIOS.” ASUS Crosshair V Formula-Z ATX AMD Gaming Motherboard with 3-Way SLI/CrossFireX Support and UEFI BIOS. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
“CROSSHAIR V FORMULA-Z.” Motherboards –. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
“Robot Check.” Robot Check. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
“Asus Crosshair V Formula-Z ATX AM3+ Motherboard.” PCPartPicker. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
“ASUS Crosshair V Formula Z Motherboard Review.” Overclockers Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.]]>

ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition Review

<![CDATA[

Are you looking for a new motherboard? Do you need a powerful machine to run those new games at ultra settings? If so, you want the newest ASUS Rampage motherboard! ASUS is a company located out of Taipei Taiwan. They also have headquarters in Fremont California. Above all else they make the great motherboard I am showing you today! (Wikipedia)

motherboard

The reason to buy the Rampage IV Black Edition over the similar Rampage IV Extreme would be the lack of features present on the motherboard directly.  The OC Key is gone, VGA Hotwire is gone, the Slow Mode switch is gone, the LN2 mode switch is gone, Sub-Zero Sense is gone, and the motherboard is smaller in width.  These features are not gone, but migrated into the Republic of Gaming OC Panel. This will allow you to have a less bulky motherboard and the controls to it are right in your hands.(AnandTech)

Some features other then the OC panel (demonstration here) are:

  • 1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port
  • 2 x eSATA 6Gb/s
  • 1 x LAN (RJ45) port
  • 6 x USB 3.0
  • 4 x USB 2.0
  • 1 x Optical S/PDIF out
  • 5 x Audio jacks
  • 1 x Clear CMOS button
  • 1 x ROG Connect On/ Off switch
  • ž1 x ASUS Wi-Fi GO! module
  • žIntel® 82579V, 1 x Gigabit LAN Controller(s)
  • žROG SupremeFX Black 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
  • Supports NVIDIA® 4-Way SLI™ Technology
  • Supports AMD 4-Way CrossFireX Technology
This motherboard uses intel processors using the LGA 2011 socket (ASUS)
Are you interested in buying this motherboard? If so you can buy it on Newegg or Amazon. This mother board has received excellent reviews with a 4/5 and a 4.5/5 on Newegg and Amazon respectively.  If you ever asked me what motherboard you should get for your new gaming PC I will say the Rampage IV Black Edition every time.

Works Cited

“About ASUS.” ASUS. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
“Asus Rampage IV Black Edition.” Amazon.com: : Computers & Accessories. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
“ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition.” Newegg.com -. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
“Asus.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 02 Oct. 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
Cutress, Ian. “ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition Review.” AnandTech. N.p., 5 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
“RAMPAGE IV BLACK EDITION.” ASUS. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.

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GIGABYTE GA-Z87X-OC Motherboard Review

<![CDATA[8285_m
This is a review for the GIGABYTE GA-Z87X-OC motherboard. It’s made by Gigabyte Technology and supports Intel processors. The GIGABYTE GA-Z87X-OC is made for PC gaming and high end professional use.

Gigabyte Technology Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.  is a Taiwan-based manufacturer of computer hardware products best known for its motherboards. The company is publicly held and traded on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Established in 1986, its major customers include custom boutique PC manufacturers such as Alienware and Falcon Northwest. Mr. Pei-Cheng Yeh founded GigaByte Technology Co. Ltd. in 1986 and has been its Chairman since 1986. (Gigabyte Wikipedia) 
You can find more information about Gigabyte at the company’s website.

Gigabyte
The GIGABYTE GA-Z87X-OC is a gaming motherboard made by Gigabyte, which was officially released on June 4, 2013. It supports Intel processors, specifically the fourth generation Intel processors. It has an ATX Form Factor of 30.5cm x 24.4cm and supports Windows 7. It has 4 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets which supports up to 32 GB of system memory. (Gigabyte.com)
This motherboard has many Integrated Components, including:

  • 1 PS/2 keyboard/mouse port
  • 2 HDMI ports
  • 1 Display Port
  • 2 USB 2.0
  • 6 USB 3.0
  • 1 S/PDIF Out
  • 6 Audio Ports

 
This motherboard makes for a great gaming motherboard. It offers support for 4-Way/3-Way/2-Way AMD CrossFire, and 2-Way NVIDIA® SLI™ Technology graphics cards. It also offers many expansion slots, including:

  • 4 PCI Express 3.0 x16
  • 1 PCI Express x1
  • 2 PCI Slots

This PC motherboard is great for gaming. On Newegg.com, 52% of the people who reviewed this motherboard gave it five stars. Many described it as looking “Great” and said it had an “Awesome overclocker”.  You can find this motherboard at websites like Newegg and Tigerdirect for about $199.99. Overall this seems to be a high quality, dependable motherboard that’s pretty affordable.
 
 

Works Cited

“GIGABYTE – About GIGABYTE – At a Glance.” GIGABYTE – About GIGABYTE – At a Glance. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.
  “GIGABYTE – Motherboard – Socket 1150 – GA-Z87X-OC (rev. 1.x).” GIGABYTE – Motherboard – Socket 1150 – GA-Z87X-OC (rev. 1.x). N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.
 “GIGABYTE GA-Z87X-OC LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS GIGABYTE GA-Z87X-OC LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS.”Newegg.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.
  “Gigabyte Technology.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Jan. 2014. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.

 
 
 
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Intel DG33FBC Review – Home PC Use

<![CDATA[This review is of the Intel DG33FBC motherboard.  This motherboard is for typical home use.  It is in not an option for high end (or gamer) use.  While it could make a low end gaming machine, it is not for this purpose that it is being reviewed.
This motherboard is made by Intel Corporation (Intel.) Intel is an American multinational semiconductor chip maker corporation headquartered in Santa Clara, CA.  Known primarily to engineers and technologists, its "Intel Inside" advertising campaign of the 1990s made it a household name.  (Intel Wikipedia)
Intel1
The DG33FBC was originally released in 2007 and uses older memory and CPUs than current motherboards.  It is a ATX formfactor motherboard measuring 11.60 inches by 9.60 inches and supports the following:

  • CPU:  LGA775 CPU socket set supporting the Core™2 Quad, Core™2 Duo, Dual-Core, Celeron processors.
  • Memory:  Four DDR2 banks supporting 667 and 800 Mhz (Max 8Gb RAM with Max 2Gb each slot)

In addition it has the following on-board components:

  • Intel Graphics 3100 onboard graphics with VGA port
  • 6-channel (5.1) audio subsystem using the Realtek* ALC888 audio codec
  • 12 USB 2.0 ports
  • Four Serial ATA interfaces
  • One Parallel ATA IDE interface with UDMA 33, ATA-66/100/133 support
  • One diskette drive interface
  • One IEEE 1394a port
  • PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports
  • One serial port header
  • Gigabit (10/100/1000 Mbits/sec) 82566DC LAN

Expansion Slots on the Board

  • Three PCI Conventional bus connectors
  • Three PCI Express x1 bus add-in card connector
  • One PCI Express x16 bus add-in card connector

A TigerDirect Review initially lead me to the board as I was looking into older Home PC Motherboards.  The review from users supported this product as it has 4 stars with Newegg. Customers and the specifications were great for a lower end product.  While neither carries it currently several refurbishers have it for sale including this one which includes a Dual Core CPU.  A great deal for a low end system at $60.  I would not recommend this board for a gaming system, but for a home PC being used for most applications and internet browsing, a definite plus for the cost.
References:
Newegg.com. <http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121100>.
Intel® <http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/highlights/dsktpboards/dg33fb>.
TigerDirect.<http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3042178>.
Intel.<http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/history/historic-timeline.html>.
Wikipedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel>.]]>