Smoking Smorgasbord! - Intel Z77 Motherboard Roundup

Introduction and Specifications

Sinister Six

In past weeks, you might have noticed that we have been featuring some of the new motherboards that are based on the Intel Z77 Express chipset. These boards are primarily designed to harness the power of the third generation Core CPUs that are based on Intel’s Ivy Bridge microarchitecture. During Computex 2012 in Taiwan, we also brought to you a glimpse at some of the best Z77-based motherboards that we had spotted. However, since these boards are relatively new, it may take some time before they could hit the computer hardware store nearest you. Auspiciously, there is no need to wait as some of the boards that we previewed are already available at the time when Intel brought its latest processor to the local shores. We are referring to our collection of six Z77-based motherboards, namely the ASRock Z77 Pro4-M, ASUS Maximus V Gene, Biostar TZ77XE4, ECS Z77H2-AX Black Extreme, Gigabyte G1.Sniper 3, and the MSI Z77A-GD80.

Looking back at the preview articles that we have published about the aforementioned motherboards, we assume that you have learned a lot about the main and minor features of each of them. So now, it is opportune to know how these boards fare in terms of performance. Aesthetics and features aside, performance bears relevance to the process of choosing the right motherboard, whether it is intended for upgrading or building an entirely new desktop PC. But before we proceed to the numbers, let us take a quick recap of the specifications of each board by looking at the following table.

Intel Z77 Motherboard Roundup Biostar TZ77XE4 Preview REVIEW / 02 Jul 2012 Biostar's TZ77XE4 motherboard comes in ATX size presenting an enticing layout of black and orange color combination. Taking in a conservative set of features, it is on offer at a relatively affordable price point. ASRock Z77 Pro4-M Preview REVIEW / 22 Jun 2012 A far cry from the Intel Z77-based motherboards that we have featured so far, the Z77 Pro4-M from ASRock belong in the lower level hierarchy, sporting a simpler design and less features compared to its contemporaries. Find out more about this motherboard in this preview. Preview: MSI Z77A-GD80 REVIEW / 18 Jun 2012 A couple of months after allowing us to preview the Z77A-GD65, MSI sent us another motherboard that is based on the Intel Z77 Express chipset, namely the Z77A-GD80. Aside from being designed to run new Ivy Bridge processors from Intel, the Z77A-GD80 is also the first board equipped with Thunderbolt. Gigabyte G1.Sniper 3 - Tamer Looks, Wilder Performance REVIEW / 12 May 2012 Gigabyte's G1.Killer series of gaming motherboards joins the Ivy Bridge party with the third incarnation of the G1.Sniper. Looks-wise, it is less intimidating than its predecessors, but how does it fare in terms of performance? Find out in this review. ASUS Maximus V GENE - Power Is In The Genes REVIEW / 24 Apr 2012 Intel's anticipated third generation of processors are finally out and the procession of platforms that support them has started. Beginning with one of the first Z77-based motherboards that landed in our test lab, here is our take on the ASUS Maximus V GENE. ECS Z77H2-AX Preview REVIEW / 14 Apr 2012 Featuring the Intel Z77 Express chipset, the ECS Z77H2-AX motherboard hails from the illustrious Black Series. This Golden Edition Z77 variant drew much attention with its gilded components set against its jet-black PCB. Read on to discover the richness of this board! » View More