Gigabyte P45 UD3 Released, 2oz copper

[Charles Wirth]

In case you did not get the memo, Gigabyte has released a new board design with a product they call UD3, Ultra Durable 3.



One of the major improvements was doubling the copper layers in the motherboard thus improving signal quality by lowering impedance, this helps in reaching maximum bus speeds as well as memory bandwidth beyond other boards are capable of on the market today.

The increased copper also helps spread heat and keeps components a little bit cooler. When going sub zero a bit more thought will need to go into containing the frost.

Hicookie has already shown off a sample of that the boards are capable of and I expect other manufactures to follow with similar product changes.

Thanks Dinos, stole your images!
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/6668/board2xb8.jpg
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/7158/boardzy9.jpg
Images of the copper layers

http://www.gigabyte-usa.com/FileList...ultra-cool.htm

UD3 is on Newegg.com now and released Monday, just a heads up on a sweet P45 board well under $150

[G0ldBr1ck]

I dont know much about the circuits within a board so can sombody tell me if the copper layer is used for more than just a common path to ground?
Looks like a nice board

[Flinch]

Is the ICH10R any cooler running than the ICH9R on the X48's?

[Zucker2k]

Awesome idea, mobo. I was looking at this board for a second system on newegg this morning; almost pulled the trigger but held back. This post may just be what pushes me over the edge. Thanks for the heads up, FUGGER.

[Blauhung]

Is the ICH10R any cooler running than the ICH9R on the X48's?

both are built on the same process (i think 130nm, but I can't remember right now) so the thermals are pretty much the same.

[Slovnaft]

I dont know much about the circuits within a board so can sombody tell me if the copper layer is used for more than just a common path to ground?
Looks like a nice board

two layers of copper, one is power distribution, one is ground.

[ABXG]

Are there any reviews of this board yet? I think my P5K Premium may be on its last legs (issues where sometimes after shutting the PC down under load conditions, ie while folding, or if I use the case switch, when I try to restart I get a post error saying I have no VGA in my PC - requires me to clear the CMOS). I am currently looking at an P5Q-E as a replacement, but this Gigabyte board interests me.

[Lestat]

Are there any reviews of this board yet? I think my P5K Premium may be on its last legs (issues where sometimes after shutting the PC down under load conditions, ie while folding, or if I use the case switch, when I try to restart I get a post error saying I have no VGA in my PC - requires me to clear the CMOS). I am currently looking at an P5Q-E as a replacement, but this Gigabyte board interests me.

there is a thread about it in the intel section i believe.

i was looking at this board but waiting for Mike @ mobopro to get them in.
so far dual cores are running 600mhz, not as good as some other baords, but with its dual copper design it should offer advantages that we dont SEE, but ones that are on the inside where power distribution and regulation matter.


newegg has them for 125 bucks w/ free shipping.
one helluva deal if you ask me.
now if we can get gigabyte to just fix their god damn sata port positions

[Flinch]

both are built on the same process (i think 130nm, but I can't remember right now) so the thermals are pretty much the same.

Thanks for the info

[RPGWiZaRD]

Any info regarding higher end models with UD3? I like Gigabyte but I don't like their budget boards though (DS3x). Clearly these 3 look like budget P45 Gigabyte boards, like DS3, DS3R and DS3P variants.

[Katanai]

Hm... I dunno what to say about this... Someone needs to get a board and test it. I guess it can't do any harm but I dunno if it really helps with anything...

[GAR]

Gigabyte is number 1 in build quality.

[ABXG]

there is a thread about it in the intel section i believe.

i was looking at this board but waiting for Mike @ mobopro to get them in.
so far dual cores are running 600mhz, not as good as some other baords, but with its dual copper design it should offer advantages that we dont SEE, but ones that are on the inside where power distribution and regulation matter.


newegg has them for 125 bucks w/ free shipping.
one helluva deal if you ask me.
now if we can get gigabyte to just fix their god damn sata port positions

The price and OC certainly look right for me, I just can't find this review you are talking about

I'll keep searching around though.

It also seems that neither NCIX or Newegg.ca have the board in stock yet, so I have some time to find reviews.

[RejZoR]

Gigabyte is number 1 in build quality.

As long as we talk about hardware. But what good is excellent hardware when they back it up with crappy software part (non existent BIOS support, awful programs, half working features etc etc)...

[RPGWiZaRD]

As long as we talk about hardware. But what good is excellent hardware when they back it up with crappy software part (non existent BIOS support, awful programs, half working features etc etc)...

Exactly, agreed 100% but the hardware is so great I like them despite bios support is lacking.

But does any1 know about if Gigabyte has plans for any higherend boards with UD3 in near future cuz these boards are 6-phase power which are used for DS3 boards on P35 chipset too. At least comparing DS4 to DS3R on P35 was a night and day difference to me where DS4 had so much more stable voltage regulation but perhaps these are seriously improved in that matter too, I don't know. Just saying I haven't been a really huge fan of their P965 and P35 DS3 boards but DS4 and DQ6 have been superb IMO.

[systemviper]

thanks for the info, the boards are 120 and 140 at the egg, might just be a purchse,

[hecktic]

got any links to these boards on newegg please ?

[chuchnit]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128359 - UD3R

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128358 - UD3P

[RejZoR]

I was thinking of ASUS P5B back then but then i opted for 965P-DS3, mostly because of Xpress Recovery. Just that i found out later that it doesn't even work with SATA drives. Yey. Of course they NEVER and NOWHERE mentioned where it works and where it doesn't. Same goes for all the fancy BIOS recovery features. But when i needed BIOS recovery i had no clue how to use it. Again, they don't have any freakin documentation for half of their "unique" features making them as useless as possible. Heh.
Gigabyte, no thanks. Only thing from them that i liked a lot was Radeon 9600 Pro which worked great. At least something. I'll stick to ASUS now even though i just hate how only ASUS boards manage to corrupt actual BIOS when selecting specific BIOS settings (usually when you overclock memory too high or not supply enough voltage to CPU).
Bam and you get retarded BIOS recovery screen on next boot. But at least everything else works as advertised without any micro print somehwere in the back of the manual.

[Helmore]

ASUS at it again, calling out Gigabyte's excessive copper usage

Oh ASUS, you bring us such joy. When this company isn't busy diluting its Eee brand, it loves to pick fights with noted rivals, and this latest spat with Gigabyte (who isn't at all innocent in this war) is wonderfully trivial. Apparently ASRock, ASUS's budget motherboard wing, has taken it upon itself to inform hardware review websites like HEXUS of Gigabyte's wasteful implementation of copper. The email ponders: "While the demand for copper keeps increasing and with that the price of this natural resource, why would manufacturers choose to use more copper without any valid reason?"

Source:http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/12/a...-copper-usage/

ASUS and Gigabyte sure like to have a little fight against each other from time to time.

[Hornet331]

Source:http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/12/a...-copper-usage/

ASUS and Gigabyte sure like to have a little fight against each other from time to time.

lol nice one asus... copper is on a 2 1/2 year low.

[RPGWiZaRD]

Source:http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/12/a...-copper-usage/

ASUS and Gigabyte sure like to have a little fight against each other from time to time.

I LOL'ed. "Say no to waste" <- STFU ASUS

ASUS is just envious of Gigabyte being the first to release boards with this design. Cmon stop the catfighting. I bet ASUS will soon launch it's own models either with another name or hiding the fact it's the same 2oz layer design.

[ABXG]

If I were ASUS I would go straight to 2.5 oz.

[M.Beier]

Sweet technology!!

[RejZoR]

They could do much more with properly crafted heatsinks (even aluminum ones) on the board and on chips instead cramming copper into PCB imo...