GIGABYTE X79-UD3 Motherboard Review

👤by Richard Weatherstone Comments 📅30-05-12
Conclusion

The GIGABYTE UD5 was one of the first X79 motherboards we had the pleasure of testing here at Vortez. Like its X58 brethren, the X79 chipset, while inherently different hardware, provides similar overclocking values and features galore. The UD5's little brother, the X79-UD3 holds true to these values and features in that it too can overclock well and for an entry level X79 motherboard, has an abundance of features that wouldn't be out of place on a high-end motherboard. QUAD GPU support, 7.1 audio, USB 3.0, SATA 6Gps along with digital power make up an impressive feature list. There are however a few key features that may deter potential buyers.

The overclocking of the UD3 was good but fell short of being excellent. It managed 4.6GHz stable, a reasonable overclock for our i7-3960X processor. Unfortunately for the UD3, we have seen other motherboards surpass the 5GHz mark with the same CPU. So this mainboard might not be the weapon of choice to get the absolute maximum from your CPU. I was expecting great things from the UD3 in the overclocking department, especially considering this is the board that was used to break the World Record on an x79 chipset. Sadly, our sample could not reach these dizzy heights and while it didn't exactly disgrace itself, it was nonetheless disappointing. Overclocking was made all the more frustrating because of a lack of CMOS clear button. When the mainboard is in an enclosure, a CMOS clear scenario will entail removing the side panel and fiddling with a jumper which is less than ideal and a large oversight by GIGABYTE. That said, BIOS recovery was very good for the most part, only needing a CMOS clear when baseclock adjustments/memory frequency overclocking was attempted and the inevitable reboot loop ensued.

The CPU socket is a little too close to the uppermost PCIe 3.0 slot which means those who intend running an oversized CPU cooler may have to either use a different PCIe slot or opting for a less efficient CPU cooler. Because the memory slots are also very close to the LGA2011 socket, CPU cooler selection and orientation will be even more important. The BIOS, while perfectly adequate is less refined than the competition, at times feeling very cumbersome to use via mouse and so I inevitably opted for the faster keyboard BIOS navigation.



The UD3 looks great with no messy colours spoiling the smart, yet imposing black and grey scheme. It is packaged well with pretty much all you need to get you going. I would have liked to have seen more accessories included such as a USB bracket but other than that, the list is adequate. It sports 4x memory slots, more than enough for a gaming PC and weighing in at £170 it is one of the cheapest X79 motherboards available. At this price point the mainboard fares well and offers a cheaper entry into the superior Intel X79 chipset so those looking to spend their hard earned on a motherboard that supports Quad GPU and Quad channel memory, the UD3 has enough to keep you happy. If however you are looking for a motherboard that can extract the maximum from your CPU then the UD3's bigger brothers may be more suitable.

Pros:
+ Very good value
+ Good looking
+ Extensive BIOS power options
+ 4-way SLI/Crossfire
+ Quad Channel Memory
+ Power efficient

Cons:
- No Power/Reset buttons
- No CMOS clear button
- Large air coolers may prove problematic to fit




Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net. Thanks to GIGABYTE for providing today’s review sample.

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