# GIGABYTE Z97X-UD5H-BK motherboard review



## itsakjt (Oct 30, 2014)

*1. Introduction
*
Hi everyone! Hope you are all doing fine. This time I am reviewing the GIGABYTE Z97X UD5H BK motherboard. This motherboard is targeted towards the mainstream Z97 series motherboard segment and has 168 hours of server level durability tested.

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Here is the link to the motherboard(GIGABYTE official site) : GIGABYTE Z97X UD5H BK motherboard





CPUSupport for Intel® Core™ i7 processors/Intel® Core™ i5 processors/Intel® Core™ i3 processors/Intel® Pentium® processors/Intel® Celeron® processors in the LGA1150 package
L3 cache varies with CPU
(Please refer "CPU Support List" for more information.)ChipsetIntel® Z97 Express ChipsetMemory4 x DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 32 GB of system memory * Due to a Windows 32-bit operating system limitation, when more than 4 GB of physical memory is installed, the actual memory size displayed will be less than the size of the physical memory installed.
Dual channel memory architecture
Support for DDR3 3000(O.C.) / 2933(O.C.) / 2800(O.C.) / 2666(O.C.) / 2600(O.C.) / 2500(O.C.) / 2400(O.C.) / 2200(O.C.) / 2133(O.C.) / 2000(O.C.) / 1866(O.C.) / 1800(O.C.) / 1600 / 1333 MHz memory modules
Support for non-ECC memory modules
Support for Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory modules
(Please refer "Memory Support List" for more information.)Onboard GraphicsIntegrated Graphics Processor - Intel® HD Graphics support:
1 x D-Sub port, supporting a maximum resolution of 1920x1200@60Hz
1 x DVI-D port, supporting a maximum resolution of 1920x1200@60Hz
* The DVI-D port does not support D-Sub connection by adapter.
1 x HDMI port, supporting a maximum resolution of 4096x2160@24Hz or 2560x1600@60Hz
* Support for HDMI 1.4a version.
Support for up to 3 displays at the same time
Maximum shared memory of 512MBAudioRealtek® ALC1150 codec
High Definition Audio
2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
Support for S/PDIF OutLAN1 x Qualcomm® Atheros Killer E2201 LAN chip (10/100/1000 Mbit) (LAN1)
1 x Intel® GbE LAN phy (10/100/1000 Mbit) (LAN2)
* Teaming is not supported.Expansion Slots1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x16 (PCIEX16)
* For optimum performance, if only one PCI Express graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIEX16 slot.

1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x8 (PCIEX8)
* The PCIEX8 slot shares bandwidth with the PCIEX16 slot. When the PCIEX8 slot is populated, the PCIEX16 slot will operate at up to x8 mode.

1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x4 (PCIEX4)
* The PCIEX4 slot shares bandwidth with the PCIEX8 and PCIEX16 slots. When the PCIEX4 slot is populated, the PCIEX16 slot will operate at up to x8 mode and the PCIEX8 will operate at up to x4 mode.
* When installing a x8 or above card in the PCIEX4 slot, make sure to set PCIE Slot Configuration in BIOS Setup to x4. (Refer to Chapter 2, "BIOS Setup," "Peripherals," for more information.)
(The PCIEX16, PCIEX8 and PCIEX4 slots conform to PCI Express 3.0 standard.)

2 x PCI Express x1 slots
(The PCI Express x1 slots conform to PCI Express 2.0 standard.)

2 x PCI slotsMulti-Graphics TechnologySupport for 3-Way/2-Way AMD CrossFire™ and 2-Way NVIDIA® SLI™ TechnologyStorage InterfaceChipset:
1 x M.2 PCIe connector
(Socket 3, M key, type 2242/2260/2280 SATA & PCIe SSD support)
1 x SATA Express connector
6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors (SATA3 0~5)
(M.2, SATA Express, and SATA3 4/5 connectors can only be used one at a time. The SATA3 4/5 connectors will become unavailable when an M.2 SSD is installed.)
Support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10
Marvell® 88SE9172 chip:
2 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors (GSATA3 6~7)
Support for RAID 0 and RAID 1
* Due to system limitation, Intel RAID and Marvell RAID can only use either one.USBChipset:
4 USB 3.0/2.0 ports (2 ports on the back panel, 2 ports available through the internal USB header)
6 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (2 ports on the back panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB headers)
Chipset + Renesas® uPD720210 USB 3.0 Hub:
4 USB 3.0/2.0 ports on the back panelInternal I/O Connectors1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
1 x PCIe power connector
1 x M.2 PCIe connector
1 x SATA Express connector
8 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
1 x CPU fan header
1 x water cooling fan header (CPU_OPT)
4 x system fan headers
1 x front panel header
1 x front panel audio header
1 x S/PDIF Out header
1 x USB 3.0/2.0 header
2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
1 x serial port header
1 x Clear CMOS jumper
1 x Trusted Platform Module (TPM) header
1 x power button
1 x reset button
1 x Clear CMOS button
2 x BIOS switches
Voltage Measurement PointsI/O ControlleriTE® I/O Controller ChipH/W MonitoringSystem voltage detection
CPU/System/Chipset temperature detection
CPU/CPU OPT/System fan speed detection
CPU/System overheating warning
CPU/CPU OPT/System fan fail warning
CPU/CPU OPT/System fan speed control
* Whether the fan speed control function is supported will depend on the cooler you install.BIOS2 x 128 Mbit flash
Use of licensed AMI UEFI BIOS
Support for DualBIOS™
PnP 1.0a, DMI 2.7, WfM 2.0, SM BIOS 2.7, ACPI 5.0Unique FeaturesSupport for APP Center
* Available applications in APP Center may differ by motherboard model. Supported functions of each application may also differ depending on motherboard specifications.
@BIOS
EasyTune
EZ Setup
Fast Boot
ON/OFF Charge
Smart TimeLock
Smart Recovery 2
System Information Viewer
USB Blocker
Support for Q-Flash
Support for Smart Switch
Support for Xpress InstallBundle SoftwareNorton® Internet Security (OEM version)
Intel® Rapid Start Technology
Intel® Smart Connect Technology
Intel® Smart Response TechnologyOperating SystemSupport for Windows 8.1/8/7Form FactorATX Form Factor; 30.5cm x 24.4cmRemarkDue to different Linux support condition provided by chipset vendors, please download Linux driver from chipset vendors' website or 3rd party website.
Most hardware/software vendors may no longer offer drivers to support Win9X/ME/2000/XP. If drivers are available from the vendors, we will update them on the GIGABYTE website.


*2. Unboxing and packaging:
*
The box has got a good aesthetic appeal. The box is different and you can lift the top layer to see the board inside through a transparent plastic. 


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The back side of the box has a brief of the features of the motherboard. 


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The board is protected with an ESD bag to prevent it from damage due to static electricity.

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Packaging was excellent. The accessories were packed in chambers below the board. 

In box accessories:


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Accessories were common and includes:



User Guide and Installation guide
Driver disc
Total 4 SATA 6 Gb/s cables
Back panel I/O shield
NVIDIA® SLI™ bridge
Certificate of unmatched stability and reliability


*3. **Layout:
*
*The board:*

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The motherboard is based on a black and gold coloured theme.


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Cleaning was excellent. There were no excess soldering flux residue. After all the motherboards I have reviewed till now, I must say, GIGABYTE does a very good post-manufacturing-work. 


*Back I/O ports:*

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The back panel features:



One PS/2 port supporting a keyboard or mouse
Two USB 2.0 ports
Six USB 3.0 ports(backward compatible with USB 2.0)
VGA, DVI and HDMI ports
Two RJ-45 ethernet ports
Six audio jacks for 8 channel audio support with support for optical S/PDIF output.

*
Power connectors:


*The board is powered using the standard 24 pin EATX and 8 pin EPS plugs.


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There is a two digit seven segment display provided for diagnosis in case of any problem with hardware/overclocking. 

*Expansion capabilities*

*SATA ports:
*

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The motherboard has a total of eight SATA 6 Gbps ports with one SATA express connector. Six of them are controlled by the Z97 chipset while the rest two are controlled by a Marvell® 88SE9172 chip.

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The board also has support for the latest PCIe M.2 slot having bandwidth of 10 Gbps. Please note that PCIe M.2 was formerly known as Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF). Please note that the motherboard supports M.2 standard both on SATA and PCIe mode.

*Expansion slots:*

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Top to bottom: PCIe 2.0 x1 slot 1, PCIe 2.0/3.0 x16 slot @x16, PCIe 2.0 x1 slot 2, PCI slot 1, PCIe 2.0/3.0 x16 slot @x8, PCI slot 2, PCIe 2.0 x16 slot @x4.

The motherboard supports both NVIDIA® SLI and AMD CrossFireX™ Technology. Maximum multi GPU configuration mode is x16 + x8 + x4 mode. 


*RAM slots:
*

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4 DIMM slots are provided supporting up to 32 GB of memory each memory module being 8 GB in size. Maximum overclocked DRAM support is up to 3000 MHz. Please note that that much frequency can be achieved provided the memory controller of the CPU is good. 


Layout is very good. 


*4. Component analysis, Internal headers, front panel headers, switches:
*
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The Intel Z97 chipset lies underneath a black and gold coloured stylish heatsink having the GIGABYTE logo. 


The heatsink is mounted using screws on the back side. 


The DRAM VRM is made with two 1R2 chokes driven with 8 pin flat lead package MOSFETs. Those MOSFETS are driven by International Rectifer 3578A chip.   


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The MOSFET driver is again from International Rectifier carrying the model number 3598.


The CPU VRM section is built with a 16 phase design with a total of 16 chokes. The MOSFETs are cooled by the heatsinks. The heatsinks are black and yellow in colour. Lets take them out and check what's inside:


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The voltage regulator is from International Rectifier and carries the model number 3563B. The MOSFET drivers are also from International Rectifier and carries the model number 3598. Each driver drives two power phases. In theory, this VRM configuration should be very good. 


An ASM 1442K and a NXP PTN3360DBS chip takes care of switching between and controlling the onboard display output ports. 


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The UEFI/BIOS is stored in two 64 MB MXIC chips. They conform to GIGABYTE patented DualBIOS™ technology. 

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The multiplexers and demultiplexers for the PCIe x16 ports are done by a number of ASM 1440 chips.


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There are two CPU fans. One is marked as CPU_FAN and another as CPU_OPT(Optional). 


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Here are all the fan headers available on the board. 
The front panel headers are normal with the front panel power and reset buttons, LED headers and some USB 2.0 headers. We also have a COM port header.

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There is an on-board power button(LED lit), reset and CMOS clear buttons. Also, there are switches to switch between Main BIOS and Backup BIOS and also dual and single BIOS mode. 

The audio IC is a Realtek ALC 1150 chip having a Signal-to-Noise Ratio(SNR) of 115db. Audio quality was good especially stereo crosstalk. However the dynamic range was not as good as the GIGABYTE Z97X Gaming 7 or Gaming 3 or the ASUS H97 Pro Gamer. 

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This board did not have the metallic shield for electric screening as the other boards. However there was no noise from EMI during the time I tested the board. The separation layer was there but was not LED lit. I think that was purposefully done since this is a mainstream motherboard.


An ITE 8620E chip is used for Super I/O and monitoring. 
An ITE 8892E chip provides support for legacy PCI ports. It actually converts PCIe signals to PCI(acts as a bridge).


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The Ethernet support is provided with a Killer E2201 chip as well as with an Intel i217V chip. 

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Notes: The CPU socket is very delicate. Install the CPU with utmost care to prevent damage to the socket. Do not touch the socket pins or the base of the CPU. 

When opening the socket lever, just be careful of not scratching the board with the lever. This can be redesigned by using a plastic cap on the end of the lever and/or using a membrane on the surface of the board near this area. 

*5. Test system:*


CPU: Intel Core i5 4670K - Courtesy GIGABYTE India
Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z97X UD5H-BK - Courtesy GIGABYTE India
RAMs: Kingston HyperX Beast 2400 MHz kit (2*8 GB) - Courtesy Kingston India
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120V with push pull configuration
Graphics card: Sapphire Radeon HD 6770 1 GB DDR5
Hard disk(s): Kingston SM2280S3/120G M.2 SATA SSD - Courtesy Kingston India
Power Supply: Corsair GS 700 2013 edition
Monitor: Dell S2240M
Chassis: Open test bench table
Software: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Service Pack 1 and all updates till then. 



* 5. **UEFI/BIOS walk through:
*
The first screen is simple and you can change basic settings. You can configure the boot priority as well. 


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Press F2 and you get the classic menu and access to advanced features. 


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Overclocking options are good. We will see the dedicated section later on.


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Here is the dedicated overclocking menu. GIGABYTE surely did a very good job yet again. 

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UEFI/BIOS is very good. Especially the dedicated overclocking section. 


*6. OS Installation, benchmarks:
*
The OS installation went without any issues. 
The power profile was set to high performance mode to prevent power saving states triggering while benchmarks.


Please note that these benchmarks are not an absolute measure of the motherboard performance but a measure of the platform performance. Overclock potential however is a measure of the motherboard quality and performance.
I don't have much to tell here. We will compare scores at stock and overclocked conditions.


Testing methodology: CPU performance and memory performance were tested with well known benchmarking software such that scores can be compared also. Relative performance is shown at stock and overclocked settings and then compared.


*Benchmarks(stock performance):*


Validation: CPU-Z Validator 4.0


Cinebench R11.5:


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Scores 6.53 points.


Cinebench R15:


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588 points there. 


AIDA cache and memory benchmark:


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MaxxMemm memory benchmark:

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SuperPi 1.5 32M benchmark:

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8 minutes and 11.557 seconds.

wPrime 1.55 1024M benchmark:

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243.829 seconds. 

*Benchmarks(overclocked performance):*


CPU Clock : 4.7 GHz (47*100), Voltage: 1.29V
Memory clock 2400 MHz 10-12-12-30 2T, 1.65V
Uncore Clock : 4.2 GHz

Please note that the CPU was an excellent overclocker with respect to core clock and uncore clock. However the IMC of the chip was not good and thus the 2400 MHz RAM kit could not be overclocked. However timings were reduced. 



Validation: CPU-Z Validator 4.0


Cinebench R11.5:


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It scores 7.95 points! Appreciably higher than that at stock. 


Cinebench R15:


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719 points there!

MaxxMemm memory benchmark:

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Approx 3.8 GB/s increase here in effective memory bandwidth. Latency is reduced as well. 

SuperPi 1.5M 32M benchmark:

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6 minutes and 45.382 seconds.

wPrime 1.55 1024M benchmark:

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199.213 seconds. 

*7. Bundled software:
*

Now that we have finished looking through the benchmarks, let us check out what bundled software GIGABYTE provides with this board. 

GIGABYTE APP center is the core of most of the apps. 

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GIGABYTE @BIOS can search for and update BIOS. 

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GIGABYTE EasyTune allows you to overclock within Windows. There is a cloud station utility as well to remotely overclock the system.

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USB Blocker is used to restrict use of some specific USB devices:

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*8. **Temperature testing:
*
There were no thermal issues faced with the system. The CPU temperature was around 70 degree C at maximum load at stock settings. Overclocking the CPU led that to be around 85 degree C. The motherboard remained cool. Even the VRM section did not heat up much. 

*9. **Summary and conclusion:
*
*Pros:*

1. Good layout mostly(except fan headers most of them on the bottom only)
2. 16 phase power, excellent real time overclock potential. 
3. Feature packed- SATA Express, M.2 support
4. Good quality of components
5. Good audio performance(Stereo crosstalk separation was very good)
6. Excellent cleaning(no excess soldering flux residue)


*Cons: *

1. No EMI shielding on audio chip might cause interference in some environments.  


*
Verdict:*
This motherboard is a mainstream Z97 chipset based motherboard and reliability is promising. With 168 hours of server level testing, it surely is tested thoroughly and should be able to withstand some tough play. 


Overall, 8.8 out of 10!

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Thanks for reading. Hope you like it. Please share your opinions. Criticisms and suggestions are warmly welcome. 

Last but not the least, I would like to express my thanks to GIGABYTE India for providing me the sample and to Kingston India for providing me the SSD and RAMs which made this review possible and publish it faster. 


*About me:*

A 4th year computer science engineering student with a passion to research on computer hardware and getting the best out of a product at a price.


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