Z77X-UD5H Review (Benchmarks with SB, BIOS, MVP Analysis)

[ralle_h]

Hey,

thanks for your awesome review, really interesting read. Hope you don't mind me posting a little question/problem I am experiencing:

What would you consider the best BIOS for the UD5H yet?

I personally still have a few problems with the board as I get "Boot failure" every time I enter the BIOS with (stable) OC Settings on. However, the settings are still saved (thank god) so I don't have to enter them again (or load a profile) when I enter the UEFI. However, in 1 or 2 of 100 Boots I get an infinity boot loop (until I push the reset CMOS button) out of nowhere and without any reason (as the same settings worked the last 99 times before).

I tested 2 power supplies, 3 CPUs (all SB) and 4 Ram kits... so I basically ruled out everything except the board itself. Maybe it's defective or just a bugged BIOS version (tried F5 and F6d recently, the boot loops improved a lot as I had them almost half of the time with F5g and earlier, but the other problems are still the same)?

What do you think about it?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,

[sin0822]

yes this problem seems to only be with Sandy Bridge, i experienced it myself, however i have not had this problem with the 3rd generation core i7 processor. probably needs a microcode update. As you said the board is till running at your OC and it just boots into the BIOS and says failure but isn't. i reported the problem should be fixed through a simple microcode update.

They are just issues with Sandy that don't exist with ivy. Ill report that you have boot loops, but you restarted your board 100 times?.........

next time can you tell me what settings. Thanks. Why would you restart your board 100 times? Maybe it got angry at you.

[dinos22]

i dont think you are actually stable

[ralle_h]

tHey,

thanks for your reply. Glad to hear it's not my only board that is having such issues - and thanks for forwarding the issue to GB.

I've been testing the board for ~4 weeks now, so I think 100 boots is a reasonable number (even though it was just a guess as I didn't count the exact numbers ofc... but having boot loops in 2-3% case of all boots is pretty much the real number).

As I'm not benching and just looking for the best VCore Value at 4,5 and 5GHZ (or actually the smallest difference to VID and the best temperatures for running it 24/7) and checking if the CPU is running Prime/LinX stable with it, I have to do more reboots than bencher who just pump up the VCore, check for Maxboot and then unleash the power of their SS.

Regards,

[NoGuru]

Nice review Sin.
Gawd ugly heatsinks. I am hoping this is the board I go with for LN2 but waiting to grab Ivy first.

[irfs]

tHey,

thanks for your reply. Glad to hear it's not my only board that is having such issues - and thanks for forwarding the issue to GB.

I've been testing the board for ~4 months now, so I think 100 boots is a reasonable number (even though it was just a guess as I didn't count the exact numbers ofc... but having boot loops in 2-3% case of all boots is pretty much the real number).

As I'm not benching and just looking for the best VCore Value at 4,5 and 5GHZ (or actually the smallest difference to VID and the best temperatures for running it 24/7) and checking if the CPU is running Prime/LinX stable with it, I have to do more reboots than bencher who just pump up the VCore, check for Maxboot and then unleash the power of their SS.

Regards,

Hi im also having issues with SB (i7 2600K). Ive been testin for the last 2 days straight in fact ive lost 1 nights whole sleep over this mobo.
Try setting BCKL to AUTO. Im currently on 4.6GHz 1.38V LLC Extreme

My issues are random i can bench n prime no probs...BUT its when i shutdown and try to switch on again. Sometimes the power just goes off then on again then fails...I normally just pull the plug out for 2 mins then boot again.

I ordered another PSU and just saw your post ive cancelled my order now cos it aint my PSU its prob buggy bios.

After setting BCKL to auto im getting less boot issues worth a try.

[Leeghoofd]

i dont think you are actually stable

Yes we are, if you add a 2nd GPU it even get's worse when using a SB CPU

[irfs]

Yes we are, if you add a 2nd GPU it even get's worse when using a SB CPU

Hi guys wanted to ask if its possible to overclock i7 2600k to 4.6GHz with no VGA card just IGP. Is this safe ?
Does Sandy bridge overclock better once Graphics card is installed (Just 1)

Could we have a template of the bios settings. CPUz doesnt show correct voltage seems to show VTT..Which is correct EasyTune 6 or Realtemp VID ??? Im assuming Easytune 6 shows CPU volts + LLC and Realtemp 3.70 shows just the CPU volt minus the LLC.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[sin0822]

easytune is correct, but if you want real correct try a digital multimeter on the read point. FYI look at my LLC table in the review it will give you the exact droop and such(i did the testing at 4.5ghz with a high voltage just so it was under enough load), if you use LLC turbo which i think is best for air/water you should be fine.

Yea iGPU only with OC is fine, I was running that today when i was testing the boards for issues with SB at 4.5ghz. and i can confirm, the issues with SB don't persist with IB. Also about the BIOS saying OC failed when your OC is fine, it happens after two restarts in a row, either by button or software, if you power up or power down and don't use restart in between two restarts then the board wont do that. If it cycles, let it cycle it will recover itself, in the case of a cycle more than 2 times, let it keep going, it will boot into windows with your OC after a few more cycles, this only happens with SB, as does the restart thing, so i think they should fix it soon. perhaps it is fixed in the next BIOS updated, i tested with F6D this weekend.

[Rattle]

Wow this is my next board, thanks for both threads you made on this sin

[irfs]

easytune is correct, but if you want real correct try a digital multimeter on the read point. FYI look at my LLC table in the review it will give you the exact droop and such(i did the testing at 4.5ghz with a high voltage just so it was under enough load), if you use LLC turbo which i think is best for air/water you should be fine.

Yea iGPU only with OC is fine, I was running that today when i was testing the boards for issues with SB at 4.5ghz. and i can confirm, the issues with SB don't persist with IB. Also about the BIOS saying OC failed when your OC is fine, it happens after two restarts in a row, either by button or software, if you power up or power down and don't use restart in between two restarts then the board wont do that. If it cycles, let it cycle it will recover itself, in the case of a cycle more than 2 times, let it keep going, it will boot into windows with your OC after a few more cycles, this only happens with SB, as does the restart thing, so i think they should fix it soon. perhaps it is fixed in the next BIOS updated, i tested with F6D this weekend.

I found what was giving me BSODS ... It was vertex 3 120GB (firm 2.15) on port 0 Intel AHCI i kept getting BCCode F4...For now have SSD on Marvel running sweet. All this time i thought my overclock or mobo was failing.

Flippin heck ive been at it solid 3 days nuff sleep lost. Im givvin it a rest now ive lowered to 4.6GHz less volts . Was gona return this board but i think i'll patiently wait for a solid bios now.

One thing Sin pls pass on to Gigabyte could do with naming the Profiles in bios.

cheers of to bed now 4.35am

[sin0822]

the naming thing we have been pushing for a long time, lol one day it will come i hope.

OCZ lol.

Yea I mean get a new CPU and you don't have to wait for anything lol.

[dinos22]

tHey,

thanks for your reply. Glad to hear it's not my only board that is having such issues - and thanks for forwarding the issue to GB.

I've been testing the board for ~4 months now, so I think 100 boots is a reasonable number (even though it was just a guess as I didn't count the exact numbers ofc... but having boot loops in 2-3% case of all boots is pretty much the real number).

As I'm not benching and just looking for the best VCore Value at 4,5 and 5GHZ (or actually the smallest difference to VID and the best temperatures for running it 24/7) and checking if the CPU is running Prime/LinX stable with it, I have to do more reboots than bencher who just pump up the VCore, check for Maxboot and then unleash the power of their SS.

Regards,

4 months?!?!?

[stasio]

4 months?!?!?

Revision 0.1a he,he.

[ralle_h]

Weeks ofc, sorry Got it in the beginning of the 3rd week in march, first BIOS I tested was F5g (latest at that time).

[irfs]

Just flashed to F6d thought id give it a whirl. 5GGGHHHz thats my record now.
Prev had loads of probs but it was due to vertex 3 not the mobo, few hrs ago SSD died (R.I.P) bios no longer detects nor does windows.

50 x 100 1.45v I wanna graphics card now

[trans am]

wasnt the ud5h in the clarsdale days a great Board? I think I had one or 2. Anyone know if they have cold bug? We used to mod the pins on the underside of the cpus with this board. I want to make a thread listing all the ivy boards that are best for -100 and colder with minimal mods.

[sin0822]

depends on the CPU, if the CPu has no CB or CBB then the board has none either. There is no CB/CBB that applies to all CPUs used on the board, it depends on the CPu used. You can change the CB/CBB if one occurs by simply using BLCK to OC, like i found that as little as 102mhz-103mhz took a very bad CPU with a CBB of -70 and CB of -125C to a CBB and CB of -150C so increase your BLCK with 3rd gen if you have CB/CBB . Some CPu no CB or CBB the board then wont exert one.

[trans am]

depends on the CPU, if the CPu has no CB or CBB then the board has none either. There is no CB/CBB that applies to all CPUs used on the board, it depends on the CPu used. You can change the CB/CBB if one occurs by simply using BLCK to OC, like i found that as little as 102mhz-103mhz took a very bad CPU with a CBB of -70 and CB of -125C to a CBB and CB of -150C so increase your BLCK with 3rd gen if you have CB/CBB . Some CPu no CB or CBB the board then wont exert one.

good info. remember this?
http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/8902/pinmod.jpg

I want those days again!!!

[irfs]

easytune is correct, but if you want real correct try a digital multimeter on the read point. FYI look at my LLC table in the review it will give you the exact droop and such(i did the testing at 4.5ghz with a high voltage just so it was under enough load), if you use LLC turbo which i think is best for air/water you should be fine.

Yea iGPU only with OC is fine, I was running that today when i was testing the boards for issues with SB at 4.5ghz. and i can confirm, the issues with SB don't persist with IB. Also about the BIOS saying OC failed when your OC is fine, it happens after two restarts in a row, either by button or software, if you power up or power down and don't use restart in between two restarts then the board wont do that. If it cycles, let it cycle it will recover itself, in the case of a cycle more than 2 times, let it keep going, it will boot into windows with your OC after a few more cycles, this only happens with SB, as does the restart thing, so i think they should fix it soon. perhaps it is fixed in the next BIOS updated, i tested with F6D this weekend.

You have to flash F6d using Q-Flash (FAT32 usb stick) (other methods may work but im stickin with this one)
after flashin complete when it states shutdown or reboot choose reboot.. A shutdown occurs..then when it starts get quick into bios.
You must "Load Optimised Defaults" then Save and Exit..It will shutdown once again

Get back into bios choose your settings boot drives etc... reboot and voila

All the issues we peeps are gona hav are most likely due to Checksum not in place (Bios not installed correctly)
Now the board behaves as it should and she's a MISSILE i can boot @ 5GHz i couldnt do this on prev mobo

I dont get any bios messages now at all everything is working perfect. (Happens less a lot less now)

EDIT : OH NO STILL GOT BOOT LOOP...But not as bad as before board does eventually boot just like Sin said. Retains oc settings. We need a proper Bios

[dinos22]

trans am no need to do mods on GIGABYTE boards and as sin says, CB or CBB is CPU itself. Most CPUs ive tested have no CB at all

[Hondacity]

are they retail Dinos?

[dinos22]

new stepping which i assume is retail

[Hondacity]

did you count how many had cb and how many didnt? "most" sounds too general. excuse my curiousity

[dinos22]

i didnt have a lot of chips to test (~5) but ALL the new ones had NO CB! Is that clearer