There are many mainboards out there with a
wide variety of controls on mainboard and a long list of features. Of course,
more simple mainboards do exist and they are even more affordable, but such
perfect one like the Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H really is a scarcity.
Due to our decision to add some entry-level
models into a long list of Z77-based products, we started with the ASUS P8Z77-V
LK mainboard review, and it would be natural when the next mainboard is one
from Gigabyte, but what model exactly? The seemingly simple and understandable
terms of Gigabyte’s mainboard, but sometime there are also difficulties. It is
easy to classify models whose names start with “UP4”, “UP5” and “UP7”, but to
understand the differences between two mainboards whose names end with “HD3”
and “D3H” is somehow tricky (but differences in functionality do exist and they
are quite considerable). Anyway, we plan to share with you the information
about one of them, which is called Gigabyte GA-Z77_D3H.
This model does not have any counterpart
among product from ASUS. On one hand, like the ASUS P8Z77-V LK that we reviewed
on, an additional controller is built in it to implement two back-panel USB 3.0
ports and this device confines in the ability of Intel Z77 Express chipset
otherwise. On the other hand, it does not use the chipset’s ability to have the
CPU-integrated PCIe lanes split between two slots like ASUS P8Z77-V LX. The
simpler Intel Z75 Express chipset seems to be used for the same function, but
it is not so. Although there is no manufacturer, even Gigabyte, producing any
product that goes with the rather useless Z75 Express chipset, the GA-Z77_D3H
features an important function that would not be possible with it. This
important function and other features would be clarified in this review, but
first of all, let’s have a look over the product’s packaging and accessories.
Packaging and accessories
What we can see here is a traditional
packaging style of Gigabyte. There is the model’s name and some symbols
representing the ability and technology applied in the mainboard on the front
side of the box. On the back side you will see a photo with a list of basic
which describe visually the main features of the mainboard.
Gigabyte’s
traditional packaging style
Wrapping around the mainboard inside the
box is an additional antistatic pack. A sheet of cardboard separates the box
into two compartments and above the mainboard we see these following
accessories:
·
Four SATA cables with metal connector locks,
half with two L-shaped locks and another half with one straight and another
L-shaped lock. Tow cables are specifically designed for 6 Gbps devices (black);
·
I/O Shield for the back panel;
·
User manual;
·
Brief installation guide in different languages;
·
DVD disk with software and drivers;
·
“Gigabyte” logo sticker for the system case.
The
user manual
Special cables for SATA 6 Gbit/s devices
are usually seen with ASUS mainboards only (with white inserts on the connectors),
but we came across such cables coming with Gigabyte products as well. To be
honest, the difference between the special 6 Gbit/s cables and the ordinary
ones is still unknown for us. Their looks are just the same, except for the
colors, and using the same 26AWG wires, but a 6 Gbit/s label is found on the
black cables while there is not any on the blue ones.
Design and PCB features
Gigabyte has just chosen black as the main
color for its senior mainboard for years. We are not really happy with that
change because it lost the originality, as we can find black mainboards from
many different brands but Gigabyte mainboards have become the unique and
recognizable when carrying blue. The products also look very gloomy and less
informative on the black background. Recently, Gigabyte planned to use colors,
black and gray, to distinguish memory slots belonging to different controller
channels, but the expansion slots are still painted black. Of course, the
mainboard’s features are not at all affected by the colors of a PCB and slots,
but these colors do leave first impression. Therefore we can accept this.
The first impression from Gigabyte
GA-Z77-D3H is different, however. Its typical combination between white and
blue is really pleasant for an entry-level product.
The
mainboard has a digital power system
A digital power system is built in the
mainboard. It is called 3D Power and is functioned of controlling the voltage
on the CPU as well as on the CPU-integrated graphics core accurately and
flexibly. There is also an additional heatsink, which is secured by screws,
covering some of the hot components of that system. Applied Gigabyte’s Ultra
Durable 4 Classic technology, the mainboard is protected from the rise of
temperature, voltage, electrostatic discharges and humidity. The Ultra Durable
4 Classic version is lack of the double-thickness copper interconnects.
Intel Z77 Express chipset’s ability is not
used for sharing the CPU-integrated PCIe lanes between graphics slots, and
Gigabyte just provides one PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 slot for a discrete graphics card
(it always works at its maximum speed of x16). This mainboard does not support
NVIDIA SLI, but a multi- GPU configuration can still be built using the AMD
CrossFireX and the second PCIe 2.0 x16 slot (which just works in x4 mode and
disables the PCIe 2.0 x1 slot). For expansion cards, there are also two
additional slots.
Intel
Z77 Express chipset’s ability is not used for sharing the CPU-integrated PCIe
lanes between graphics slots
There is no additional disk controllers for
the mainboard, so two SATA 6 Gbit/s (painted white) and four SATA 3 Gbit/s
(painted blue) ports of the mainboard rely on the chipset. A red sticker on the
mainboard is for warning you that the fifth SATA 3 Gbit/s is not available if mSATA
connector placed between the CPU socket and the graphics slots is used. A free
mSATA slot is provided in most of Gigabyte mainboards with Intel 7 series
chipset. That feature, or a special advantage, allows installing a small SSD
and activating the Intel Smart Response technology to accelerate your hard
drive’s speed using the SSD as its cache. Of course, you can use the mSATA SSD
individually or instead, activate the Intel Rapid Start technology. By the way,
this explains why the Intel Z75 would not work here. It just supports the Intel
Smart Response. We would like to tell you, as a side note, that this feature is
also provided by the GA-H77-D3H and GA-H77-D3H-MVP models by using the Intel
H77 Express chipset.
The
mainboard does not have additional disk controller
GigabyteGA-Z77-D3H is typically equipped
with two BIOS chips. The way that the DualBIOS technology is implemented is
only one chip is used when other serves as a backup copy only. After that, four
4-pin fan connectors are spotted on the charts. That is another special feature
of Gigabyte’s products, which is the ability of controlling the 3-pin fans that
is no longer available in most of other mainboards. Among the rest 3
connectors, only one which is labeled SYS_FAN1 can lower the speed of a 3-pin
fan. One inaccurate thing should be noted in the picture that it shows ordinary
latches on the graphics slots, but what are used to equip the latter ones are
the broad and handy ones. Our revision is a 1.1 sample while you may meet a
GA-Z77_D3H revision 1.0 which has the same look and functionality. The graphics
slot latches and the fact that ATX12V power connector is 4-pin rather than
8-pin might be the only significant differences.
Gigabyte
GA-Z77-3H rev. 1.0
The back side of the mainboard will
includes these following connectors:
·
Universal PS/2 connector for mouse or keyboard;
·
Four USB 2.0 ports, another six are available as
three onboard pin-connectors;
·
D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI video Outs;
·
Four USB 3.0 ports (blue connectors), two of
which are built via Etron EJ168 controller, and another two including one
internal onboard pin-connector for two more USB 3.0 ports were implemented
through the Intel Z77 Express chipset;
·
A local network port (network adapter is built
on Atheros AR8161 Gigabit network controller);
·
Optical S/PDIF and five analogue audio-jacks
provided by eight-channel VIA VT2021 codec.
The
back panel of the mainboard
