HARDWARE

Asus P8Z77-V LK Mainboard - One Of The Simplest Designs From Asus (Part 3)

8/22/2013 9:10:34 PM

BIOS functionality

In our previous reviews about the Asus products we have already mentioned about Asus EFI BIOS - a highly successful overall implementation of the UEFI standard (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). So, today we will shortly refresh the memory in the basic BIO sections and their parameters and settings.

By default, the "EZ Mode" is enabled in the BIOS. It performs the principal function is to provide information, because there are not almost any configurable parameters there. You are likely to check the basic system settings, a number of monitoring data, choose an energy saving or performance modes and establish the order of boot-up devices by simply dragging and dropping them to cursor.

The BIOS boot-up screen

The BIOS boot-up screen

You are able to quickly change from the "EZ Mode" to "Advanced Mode" by pressing F7, or use the F3 hot key to jump over to one of the most commonly used BIOS sections.

“Advanced Mode”

“Advanced Mode”

You are able to change from the "EZ Mode" to "Advanced Mode" every time you come in the BIOS, or press the F3 key that is going to work if it is pressed in any of the other BIOS section, but it would be likely to be much more convenient if you had the "Advanced Mode" in a default setting mode. In this case, the first thing you see will be the familiar "Main" section, where you can get some basic system information, change the interface language and set up the date and time.

The basic system information

The basic system information

Most of the overclocking related the options are collected in the traditional way in the "Ai Tweaker" section. The main window of this section lets you change the frequencies, multipliers and voltages. You do not need to go through the "Monitoring" section to check the current voltages; since all of them are listed here next to each parameter used to change the voltages, which is very convenient. The voltages can be set above or below their nominal values.

Changing the voltage

Changing the voltage

As usual, a number of parameters are separated into individual components to remove the main section. The "OC Tuner" parameter looks like a sub-section, but in fact it helps to automatically overclock the system. The memory timings are likely to be configured on an individual page. They actually have a lot of numbers, but are still very easy to work with. You are able to see all of the timings that the mainboard sets for each of the two memory channels. And you are able to adjust only several opted timings, like the power lines, for instance, keeping all other settings at defaults.

The "OC Tuner" parameter

The "OC Tuner" parameter

The "CPU Power Management" sub-section allows configuring the parameters that affects the "Intel Turbo Boost" technology. However, you do not need to do that, since the mainboard will automatically adjust everything to fit the goals of your overclocking options.

The "CPU Power Management" sub-section

The "CPU Power Management" sub-section

The number of options related to the power and energy-efficiency of the digital DIGI+ voltage has considerably been reduced, but all of the most important parameters are still there. You are able to configure the exclusive power- saving technologies of Asus that allow changing the amount of the operational phases in the voltage regulator circuits depending on the CPU usage even in the BIOS. "CPU Load-Line Calibration" technology that is to prevent the CPU Vcore from being dropped under heavy load can be enabled or disabled, but also adjusted to provide the desired effect.

"CPU Load-Line Calibration" technology

"CPU Load-Line Calibration" technology

The functions of the parameters in the sub-sections of the "Advanced" can be self-explanatory.

The "CPU Configuration" sub-section

The "CPU Configuration" sub-section

The "CPU Configuration" sub-section reports the basic information about the processor and allows you to manage a number of processor technologies.

The "CPU Configuration" sub-section

The "CPU Configuration" sub-section

All parameters related to power-saving are shown on a separate page called "CPU Power Management Configuration".

“CPU Power Management Configuration”

“CPU Power Management Configuration”

The "Monitor" section lets us know the current temperatures, the voltages and fan dial speeds. You are able to opt for one of the preset modes for the processor and two system fans from a fairly standard list that includes the "Standard", "Silent" and "Turbo" modes. You can also opt for the parameters manually. Unfortunately, both of the processor fans can only be adjusted if they use four-pin connectors.

The "Monitor" section

The "Monitor" section

The "Boot" section allows you to adjust the boot-up parameters that will be applied on star-tup system. By the way, this is where you will have to replace the default "EZ Mode" with "Advanced Mode".

“Advanced Mode”

“Advanced Mode”

Now let's take a quick refresh the functions of the "Tools" section.

The "Tools" section

The "Tools" section

Integrating the "EZ Flash 2" utility for the BIOS reflashing process is one of the most convenient and most useful programs of all. Unfortunately, they have removed the options that allow saving the current BIOS version before reflashing a new one.

The "EZ Flash 2" utility

The "EZ Flash 2" utility

The Asus mainboards allow saving and then quickly downloading eight full BIOS settings configurations. Each configuration can be provided by a brief descriptive name to remind you of its contents. They still have not repaired the problems that do not allow you to save disabling contents of the boot-up image in settings configuration, but they brought back the ability to swap the BIOS settings configurations with the other users, which failed when converting to the EFI BIOS. From now, the configurations can be saved into the external media and reloaded from them.

Converting to the EFI BIOS

Converting to the EFI BIOS

Like on the mainboards from many other manufacturers, we are able to read the information in the SPD memory modules, including the XMP (Extreme Memory Profiles).

Extreme memory profiles

Extreme memory profiles

The final section is called "Exit". Here you are able to apply the changes, or restore the defaults or return to the "EZ Mode".

The "Exit" final section

The "Exit" final section

Test configuration

We conducted all of our tests based on the components below:

·         Intel Core i5-3570K CPU (3.6-3.8 GHz, 4 cores, rev.E1 Ivy Bridge, 22nm, 77 W, V 1:05, LGA 1155);

·         2 x 4 GB Corsair Vengeance CMZ16GX3M4X1866C9R DDR3 SDRAM (1866 MHz 9-10-9-27 timings, voltage 1.5 V);

·         Gigabyte GV-R797OC-3GD graphics card (AMD Radeon HD 7970, Tahiti, 28 nm, 1000/5500 MHz, 384-bit GDDR5 3072 MB);

·         Crucial m4 SSD (CT256M4SSD2, 256 GB, SATA 6 Gbps);

·         Noctua NH-D14 CPU cooler;

·         ARCTIC MX-2 thermal interface;

·         Enhance EPS-1280GA 800 W PSU;

·         Antec skeleton case

We used the Microsoft Windows 8 Enterprise 64-bit operating system (Microsoft Windows, version 6.2, Build 9200) Intel Chipset Drivers version 9.3.0.1026, AMD Catalyst graphics card driver version 13.1.

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