This mainboard will fit perfectly for a
modern system; it does not stand out for anything new, but also does not have
any functional limitations of any system at all. The products are more complex
and more expensive, as well as the products that are simpler and more
affordable appear, while Asus P8Z77-V LK is a universal mainboard, most
optional solution, with the so-called "golden medium".
Our mainboard reviews often include the top
models or special models that stand out over the rest, and there is a valid
reason for that. The manufacturers are ready to supply us with the products to
test because they can highlight all the advanced technologies available from
the particular brand. The reviews of the functionally rich mainboards are
interesting to read and, frankly, also fun to write, but we have to admit that
these kinds of products are no bestsellers. We do not even refer to their high
price because you can usually afford to spend a larger sum of money than the
average to make sure you have a mainboard that serves you well for the next
many years. The problem is that very few users are actually able to use all of
the features offered by the top product samples. For most of us, their
abilities are somewhat superfluous. And it is not very reasonable to pay more
for what you do not use at all. Therefore, after reading so many publications
about super-mainboards, the potential buyer is confused because he does not
know much that the universal products are suitable for him in a better way.
The
product box
That does not mean that we completely
ignore the simple and relatively inexpensive mainboards. For instance, the
latest LGA1155 product that we have reviewed is the ASRock Z77 Extreme3. We
also tested the mainboards like the ASUS P8Z77-V LX, Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H and
Intel DZ77BH-55K. However, we think we need to improve in this aspect, so our
today's review will add an additional low-end model in this list.
The ASUS mainboards may be the favorite of
the popular high end-users thanks to their high-quality, rich functionality and
good technical support. It is easy to recognize the primary products in the
product line of the manufacturer. They all have the L in our model name; it
probably stands for "Lite". The ASUS P8Z77-V LX mentioned above is
the base model; its LX suffix obviously stands for eXtreme Lite. It only has a
full-featured graphics slot and there are no any additional controllers at all.
Compared with it, the ASUS P8Z77-V LE (we wonder whether that is Lite Edition.)
features with the addition of USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbit/s controllers. The
P8Z77-V LK (LK = probably Kind of Lite?) can share the CPU’s PCIe 3.0/2.0 ports
between two graphics slots but only has one extra controller (for USB 3.0). And
the most advanced of the primary products is the ASUS P8Z77-V LE PLUS which can
share the PCIe entrance between graphics slots and equips both of the sports
for USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbit/s controllers.
The
ASUS mainboards may be the favorite of the popular high end-users thanks to
their high-quality, rich functionality and good technical support.
Yes, the name of the ASUS mainboard is
rather vague. It's hard to say for sure what model is more advanced than
another based solely on the basis of their naming. Hopefully, it will become
clearer in the future. Browsing through the wide range of P8Z77-V mainboards,
we found a model with the surprisingly simple name of ASUS Z77-A, which is
overall the same as the ASUS P8Z77-LX in its abilities. So, we will be able to
see the clear and easily understandable names such as Z87-A,-B Z87, Z87 or
Z87-A-C, Z87 and Z87-A-A2, etc.
Today, we will look at a normal mainboard
which is called ASUS P8Z77-V LK.
Packaging and accessories
The P8Z77-V LK is packaged in a box with a
slimmer design than usual. We told you in our review of the ASUS P8Z77-V LX how
it is performed. They just need to use a unique way of packaging by putting the
accessories on the mainboard in a sort of envelope. There are only instruction
manuals and an I/O shield under the mainboard. As a result, the box is small
without causing damages to the product or its accessories.
Supplied
accessories
In fact, there are very few accessories
inside. Compared with low-grade model of this version, the P8Z77-V LK features
a complementary bridge for connecting the graphics cards. Below is the full
list:
·
Two Serial ATA cables with metal L-shaped
connector locks specifically designed for SATA 6 Gbps devices (with white
inserts in the connectors);
·
A flexible bridge for two-way Nvidia SLI
graphics configurations;
·
I/O Shield for the back panel;
·
User manual;
·
A brief assembly guide with instructions in
several languages;
·
DVD disk with software and drivers;
·
“Powered by Asus” sticker for the system case.
