Manufacturer: Gigabyte Price: $ 170 US Author: Steve Date: 05/23/2011

[ Introduction ]

Today we are checking out the latest Intel Z68 based motherboard from Gigabyte designed to deliver the very latest features to this mainstream platform. Features such as the Intel Smart Response Technology and Lucid Virtu are included as well as some other great features that help make the Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H-B3 a well rounded motherboard... When Intel launched their latest generation Core processors based on the Sandy Bridge (32nm) architecture they moved to the new LGA1155 socket and in the process released new desktop chipsets. Known as the H67 and P67 these new 6-series chipsets each had their own strengths and weaknesses. For example while the P67 allowed users to take advantage of the special unlocked “K” series processors with advanced overclocking options, it lacked the ability to take advantage of the Sandy Bridge’s built-in graphics and Quick Sync media-encoding engine. This meant users that wanted to overclock were unable to take advantage of the built-in graphics and its features. Of course this also meant that those wanting to utilize the built-in graphics were unable to overclock. For most users this is not a big deal, as overclockers tend to be gamers and most gamers have little need for features such as the Quick Sync media-encoding engine. Still there are those that wish to use the built-in graphics and would like some overclocking freedom. Therefore Intel has now released the Z68 chipset which is somewhat of a hybrid, offering users the ability to overclock and use the built-in graphics at the same time. However Intel has gone a few steps further to help make the Z68 a little more special when compared to the P67 and H67 chipsets. One such step is the inclusion of the new Intel SRT (Smart Response Technology), which allows users to drastically boost the performance of their system by using a small SSD cache drive. The technology is similar to that used by the Seagate Momentus XT series, though it is considerably more flexible. Another key feature is the LucidLogix Virtu GPU virtualization software, which allows gamers with dedicated GPU’s to take advantage of the Sandy Bridge’s built-in graphics engine in applications that prefer it. Already there are a large number of Intel Z68 based motherboards to choose from, though one of the most extensive ranges has to be Gigabytes. Already they have eleven different motherboards to choose, from the affordable Z68A-D3-B3 at $120 US to the expensive Z68X-UD7-B3 at $350 US. Today we have the Z68X-UD3H-B3, which is a mid-range part with a retail value of roughly $170 US.

Table of Contents >>> Introduction <<< Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H-B3 Features Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H-B3 Design Intel Smart Response Technology Lucid Virtu Test System Specs & Memory Performance Synthetic Application Performance Application Performance Encoding Performance Gaming Performance Storage Performance Power Consumption Conclusion Next Page ->

poldo

Posted on: 06/03/2011 12:46 PM Intel SRT looks great. Pretty nice way of speeding up your hard drive Thanks for the review.

ugamer

Posted on: 06/03/2011 11:01 PM Can you use an SSD with SRT or do you need to buy the Intel 20GB drive?

Mike V

Posted on: 06/06/2011 10:34 AM Hi: Not that I want to be a smart-ass or anything but I think one of your labels on your test systems is wrong. Instead of being the LGA 1366, shouldn't it be the 1155?? Just a thought. Mike V

Steven Walton Posts: 104 Joined: 2010-02-08

Posted on: 06/06/2011 10:40 AM Thanks Mike the typo has been corrected.