Our friends from VR-Zone dropped by yesterday to have a look at our new mSATA MBs, and got a first look at the Z68P-DS3. This is an ATX model with reasonably modest features, and this surprised them! So I thought I'd shed some light on our take on Intel Smart Response.

If you're looking for the fastest possible system and have plenty of cash to spend, then an SSD only system is the best way to go, because your OS and all your programs will run from your high-speed SSD. However, if you're looking for the fastest possible system and are on a budget, then you should consider Smart Response, because it speeds up your boot and shut down times, along with other programs that you use most often. So it's not as quick as using an all SSD setup, but faster than a mechanical hard drive only setup.

This is where mSATA SSDs will really play an important role, I believe, because they will become a very reasonably priced alternative to a standard SSD when flash memory device vendors start selling their mSATA SSDs through their consumer distribution channels (same channel as their USB flash drives).

If you're going to be at Computex next week, GIGABYTE and Intel will be demonstrating our mSATA technologies with various Smart Response configurations at our booths and private meeting rooms, or you can drop by the SanDisk booth in the Nangang hall to have a look at the GIGABYTE Z68P-DS3 motherboard with their mSATA SSD.

Computex booth locations:
GIGABYTE: Hall 1, booth No. D002
Intel: TICC (Next to hall 1)
SanDisk: NanGang hall, 4th floor, booth No. N307

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With the May 11th launch of the Intel Z68 platform, the web is abuzz with all the latest motherboard offerings for the new platform. As the earlier post from Tim mentioned, GIGABYTE is quite aggressive in transitioning to Z68 and we are pretty excited to show the world what we’ve got.

Sino0822 takes his usual unique approach with the GIGABYTE Z68X-UD7-B3 and here is a bit of what he had to say:

GIGABYTE LOVES to over engineer systems, from the CPU VRM to the USB 3.0 system and USB 3.0 turbo mode, GIGABYTE really over engineers its products to the benefit of its consumers. They have a long history of being innovative and they take initiatives with ground breaking technology. They were a bit late with the EFI BIOS, but they really did their research and I feel they nailed their target market. To have a product which is so packed with features you gotta look to GIGABYTE which "makes and bakes" all their boards (themselves) in Taiwan:

To see his full “physical” review, please visit HERE

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Finally May 11 has arrived and we can discuss the new Intel Z68 chipset. Digitimes has an interesting article up today that says that May shipments of Z68 MBs is expected to be 350,000-400,000 with GIGABYTE shipping the bulk of them. Furthermore, they claim, GIGABYTE will introduce 4 models with onboard mSATA connectors for use with standard mSATA SSDs and of course, Intel Smart Response technology.

You can find the article here.

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As reported yesterday, the eagerly anticipated X58A-OC board is now shipping and ready to go. If you’ve been wondering what all the fuss is about, or maybe want a closer look at what a designed-from-the-ground-up ‘overclocking board’ really is, then you should definitely check out the review that Ross from Overclockers.com has just published.

A true overclocking enthusiast, Ross has dived in head first and examined every inch of the X58A-OC, weighing pros and cons with meticulous precision and of course getting down to some serious overclocking. We’re really glad to say that he likes it, so much so that he simply can’t enough time to spend with it:

“Real life has managed to cut into the time that was available to “play” with the board prior to sitting down and writing this article, but rest assured, that I am running back to bench with it as soon as the last period is put on this article. There will definitely be more coming from me and others with the Gigabyte X58A-OC motherboard, but in the time spent with it so far, it can best be summed up by saying that I am already looking forward to using it again every time I turn it off, and that is saying a lot.”

Having already broken a few personal records on a 980X processor that he describes as “not a 6GHz special”, he offers a very positive conclusion that will have HiCookie and the rest of us here at GIGABYTE feeling thoroughly vindicated and rewarded for all the hard work and effort it took to bring this ‘new class’ of motherboard to market:

“The Gigabyte X58A-OC is full of features and designs that are truly helpful for overclocking and extreme-cooled, power-hungry 12-core, multi-graphics card, hardcore overclocking and benchmarking at that. In addition to being a true “overclocker’s motherboard”, it retains features and the utility that could easily allow it to be used for a daily rig, a crunching machine or a gaming setup should it be needed for those duties. The X58A-OC has overclockers dead in its sights and hits somewhere close to a bullseye in my opinion.”

“If this is the first step in the beginning of a new class of motherboards catering specifically to overclockers, one can only imagine what might be seen down the road. The significance of this board should not be lost on anyone. With an expected retail price of $379.99, it’s perfectly in line with pricing for a high-level X58 motherboards. In addition to getting a great X58 board, buying a Gigabyte X58A-OC would cast a vote to tell Gigabyte, and all manufacturers for that matter, that we, as overclockers, appreciate this kind of attention and will want to continue seeing more of the same in the future.”

“On behalf of all the overclockers out there, especially the extreme overclockers, I say thank you to Gigabyte for taking a step in this direction.”

We’re really happy that you enjoyed our first OC board. Cheers Ross.

Check out the full review here.
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Get them while they’re hot at Newegg!

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Joining the quickly swelling ranks of reviewers and benchmarkers who have fallen for our beloved G1. Assassin motherboard, Aussie reviewers APC have just given our ultimate X58 gaming board a significant thumbs up, earning the ‘APC Highly Recommended Award’. Here’s what they had to say:

On the issue of aesthetics and overall board design:

“The G1-Killer is the first board off the boat, and the first thing you’ll notice are the colours; a lot of effort has gone in the aesthetics, with GIGABYTE’s new matte black PCB looking very neat. The interface connectors are black and green; metal coolers and heat spreaders have a nice matte finish. It’s military styling and it looks good. Notably the MCH cooler is styled like a clip from an automatic weapon.”

As for the Soundblaster X-Fi Digital Audio Processor:

“More importantly for the gamers is the X-Fi CMSS-3D virtual headphone support, which gives a sense of depth and a widened sound stage for headphone users. Gigabyte hasn’t stopped there, with the inclusion of a headphone amp on board. This is one of those “finally” moments for modern motherboards, which universally under-drive audio outputs, making headphones sound quiet and lifeless.”

On the Bigfoot Networks Killer™ E2100 NIC:

“It’s not just about the sound either. Network gets a boost as well, with the integration of a “Killer” game network platform from Bigfoot networks…the chip can do near real-time packet prioritization, identifying packets of network data going to the game serves and making sure they go out first.”

The G1. Assassin appeared in the print edition of APC, so I’m afraid there are no linkable URLs, though Australians will of course be able to grab a copy of the magazine at their local newsagents. ;)

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German review site Tech-Review just got their hands on a GIGABYTE G1.Assassin motherboard and found that while the price may be expensive, if you factor in the cost of a Bigfoot Killer 2100 network card and a 50€ sound card, it rather reasonable for what you get:

The main question is: Is the G1.Assasin worth 400€? It is a lot of money for a motherboard and just a few people will spend so much. But we think this noble hardware is worth its price if you have a look at the large range of features and equipment.  If you spend 100€ for a Bigfoot network card and 50€ for an acceptable sound solution, there is a rest of 250€ for a well and impressive equipped motherboard. That is standard for a X58 motherboard. (translated from German)

They also went ahead and gave it a “recommendation to buy” and quality award:

If you are looking for a well equipped motherboard and you are not shy at spending a lot of money, the G1.Assassin is the right choice. There is not just a "recommendation to buy" from our sight but also a quality award for the "feature-barn-burner".

To read the full review, please visit HERE

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