MSI Z77A-GD65 Motherboard Preview - Intel Z77 w/ Sandy Bridge

[dctokyo]

It's not often that we can preview a motherboard before the official launch of the chipset, but today we have exactly that for you. The MSI Z77A-GD65 is based on the upcoming Intel Z77 chipset. The Intel Z77 chipset uses the Intel LGA1155 socket and will support the latest 22nm processors from Intel. From what we can tell, the only real design change between the Intel Z68 chipset and the Intel Z77 chipset is the addition of SuperSpeed USB 3.0. There may be a few other design changes in the chipset, but we don't have the full details about the Intel Z77 chipset just yet. Those much more specific details will be released with the official launch of the Intel 'Ivy Bridge' platform later this year. For now though, what we have is the opportunity to look at the MSI Z77A-GD65 Intel Z77 'Ivy Bridge' motherboard. Unfortunately, we don't have an Intel 'Ivy Bridge' processor in our greedy hands just yet, the good news however is that the Intel Z77 chipset will support all of the existing Sandy Bridge processors so we will be using our Intel Core i7 2600K Sandy Bridge processor for testing today.

Read more about it here
MSI Z77A-GD65 Motherboard Preview - Intel Z77 w/ Sandy Bridge

[labs23]

A good preview for this nice-lookin board. If the procs. were only early, but there's no hurry so

btw, its already listed at ncix.us - $161.17

[UltraNEO*]

I don't get it.... Why does all those Z77 boards only have three full length PCIe slots??

[bamtan2]

I don't get it.... Why does all those Z77 boards only have three full length PCIe slots??

you're lucky to have that many. z77 has something like half the pcie lanes of the higher end platforms. those x16 slots do NOT have 16 lanes to back them up. good thing graphics cards aren't fast enough to demand 16 lanes of pcie 3.0, and neither is anything else. so it doesnt really matter.

intel saves the pcie lanes for the higher end platforms. if you want more than dead space on a full size motherboard, you need AMD or high-end intel. if you don't like the dead space, there are matx boards, which seem more well suited to the expansion capability of the intel mainstream.

sandy bridge and ivy bridge are fast as heck, but they don't have the muscle to back up 7 expansion slots.

[PatRaceTin]

wait for some higher model

[Nelly]

Found it on sale here in the UK!

http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Compo...roductId=48885