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Intel Z77 Express Chipset
The MSI Z77A-GD65 is the first motherboard Benchmark Reviews has tested with Intel's new Z77 Express desktop chipset. This chipset replaces the Z68-- itself less than a year old-- which in turn replaced the P67. All three chipsets are tied to the LGA 1155 socket and motherboards based on these chipsets can support either Sandy Bridge CPUs or "Intel third generation Core CPUs". P67 and Z68 motherboard will require a BIOS upgrade for the latter processors, and many vendors already have such updates available.
The diagram below shows the major features of the chipset. If you were expecting a major upgrade from Z68, you'll be disappointed.
The major new features are:
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On-chip USB 3.0. Finally. The Z77 Express provides four USB 3.0 ports as well as 10 USB 2.0 ports; the Z68 supported 14 USB 2.0 ports
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More versatile use of PCI-E slots. While Sandy Bridge processors are limited to 16x and 8x8 PCI-E lane configurations, with a "third generation Intel Core CPU", the Z77 supports an additional 8x8x4 configuration
...and that's pretty much it! There's native support for the forthcoming "third generation Intel Core CPUs", of course, but that feature's only a BIOS update away with the Z68. Disappointingly, Intel has not followed AMD's lead in making all of their SATA ports SATA 6Gb/s ports, and while some PCI-E lanes may be used for a Thunderbolt port, a separate Thunderbolt controller is required. The Z77A-GD65 does not have a Thunderbolt port.
MSI Z77A-GD65 Specifications
Specifications supplied by MSI.
| CPU |
Intel Socket 1155 for 2nd and 3rd Generation Core Processors |
| Chipset |
Intel Z77 |
| Memory |
4 x DIMM, Max. 32GB, DDR3 2667(O.C.), 2400(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/1866/1600/1333/1066 MHz ECC, Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory
Supports Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) |
| Multi-GPU Support |
Supports NVIDIA SLI Technology
Supports AMD CrossFireX Technology
Supports Lucid Virtu Universal MVP
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| Expansion Slots |
3 x PCIe 3.0 x16
4 x PCIe 2.0 x1 |
| Storage |
Intel Z77 chipset :
2 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s)
4 x SATA 3Gb/s port(s)
Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10
ASMedia ASM1061 controller :
2 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s) |
| LAN |
Intel 82579V, 1 x Gigabit LAN Controller(s) |
| Audio |
Realtek ALC898 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC, THX certified
- Supports : Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking |
| IEEE 1394 |
1 x IEEE 1394a port(s) |
| USB Ports |
Intel Z77 chipset :
2x USB 3.0 via internal connector, 2x USB 3.0 on back panel, 6x USB 2.0 via internal connector, 4x USB 2.0 on back panel |
| Back I/O Ports |
1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse port
1 x Clear CMOS button
1 x Coaxial S/PDIF out port
1 x optical S/PDIF out port
4 x USB 2.0 ports
2 x USB 3.0 ports
1 x Intel Gigabit LAN port
6 x Audio ports
1 x HDMI, 1 x DVD-I, 1 x analog VGA. Any two video ports may be used at once. |
| Internal I/O Ports and buttons |
3 x USB 2.0 headers
1 x USB 3.0 header
1 x IEEE 1394 header
1 x Multi-BIOS switch
1 x TPM module connector
1 x front panel audio connector
1 x chassis intrusion connector
1 x Voice Genie connector (optional)
1 x Multiconnect panel connector (optional)
1 x V-Checks points set |
Let's take a closer look in the next section.
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Comments
I try OC but when Windows starts up, my computer just stops in the loading Screen for windows....
Same if i use OC-genie
And sometimes it appear a2 in right bottom corner on the screen (rest is black)
My computer specs:
I7-3770K Intel prosessor
MSI z77a-gd65 motherboard
H100 cpu cooling (corsair)
12GB ram Dominator GT / ram fan (corsair)
MSI hd r6800 series HAWK
And i got a H2Go case from MountainMods.com
Im crossing my fingers :P
1. This is true of ANY Z67/Z68/Z77 motherboard except high-end boards with PLX chips. You've only got 16 PCI-E lanes from the CPU, so provisioning 2 x16 slots is impossible without extra hardware.
2. If you're using an Ivy Bridge chip, you've got PCI-E 3.0 lanes with twice the bandwidth as PCI-E 2.0 lanes, so those two x8 slots are the equivalent of two x16 slots if you're using a PCI-E 3.0 compliant graphics card.
3. But even if you're running Sandy Bridge CPU and older graphics cards, guess what? Nothing out there saturates 8 PCI-E lanes anyway, so games won't play one FPS slower on a 2x8 SLI or Crossfire system than they would on a 2x16 system.
But if you want to spend extra money, yes, there are many LGA1155 motherboard that can supply 2x16: ASUS Maximum V Extreme, ASUS P8Z77-WS, ASUS P8Z77-V Premium; EVGA Z77 FTW. MSI doesn't seem to have any boards like this, but again, unless you're running triple or quad cards, you don't really need a board with a PLX chip.