# Gigabyte X99 GAMING 5P Motherboard Review



## rakesh_sharma23 (Apr 15, 2015)

*Gigabyte X99 GAMING 5P Motherboard Review*
 *www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/X99Gaming5P.jpg


GIGABYTE’s Gaming series of motherboards promises to be a solid overclocker with great features and at a reasonable price tag. We have reviewed some Gigabyte Gaming series of motherboards in past, they were all Intel Z97 chipset based feature packed board precisely targeted at  gamers and overclockers. 


Today we have the opportunity to review our first  Gigabyte’s X99  Gaming series of motherboard, the Gigabyte X99  GAMING 5P motherboard with features like Server Level Chokes, an all digital power solution from Power IR and  long lifespan Durable Black capacitors in a budget of Rs.27500/- only.


Now let’s see what this Intel X99 chipset based board have for us.


*Package*
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/01.jpg


Looking at the front of the box, we see Gigabyte logo with motherboard model no. At the rear of the box, we find that Gigabyte goes into great detail on the specifications of the motherboard.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/02.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/03.jpg


*Inside the box*
Moving into the bundle, we've actually got a fair bit included. Since the Gigabyte X99 GAMING 5P is capable of 4 way SLI, Gigabyte has provided nearly all the options available for SLI but only 1 Crossfire bridge alongside usual cables, rear I/O, SATA cables, drive disk and manual.


*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/04.jpg


Rather using standard SATA cables and rear I/O plate, Gigabyte has gone outside the box here and includes 3 sets of black sleeve SATA cables and designed an LED back lit I/O Shield that lights up, with all EMI shielding in mind also. You will notice a wire plug going into the MB to power LED. Also all LED’s can be turned ON/OFF using Ambient LED software package.

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*Features* 


Supports New Intel® Core™ i7 Processor Extreme Edition
Support for DDR4 XMP up to 3333MHz
Genuine All Digital Power Design with IR Digital PWM & IR PowIRstage® ICs
4-Way Graphics with Premium PCIe Lane
Dual M.2 Technology for SSD Drive and WIFI card
Gold Plating for CPU socket, Memory DIMMs and PCIe slots
Onboard Creative Sound Core3D™ quad-core audio processor
AMP-UP Audio technology with exclusive Upgradable OP-AMP
Independent Right and Left Audio Channel PCB Layers
LED lighting for the audio guard light path and the back panel LED
Quad DAC-UP USB ports
Gold plated audio ports
High end Nichicon audio capacitors
Killer™ E2200 gaming networking
SATA Express support for 10 Gb/s data transfer
Long lifespan Durable Black™ Solid caps
APP Center including EasyTune™ and Cloud Station™ utilities
Thunderbolt™ Ready
GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS™ with Q-Flash Plus USB port



*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/09.jpg


*Specifications* 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/10.jpg




*Looks*
Board is a solid build in the same black and red colour theme as all Gigabyte’s Gaming series boards are
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/11.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/12.jpg




*Layout*
Detailed layout of board.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/13.jpg


1. Intel LGA2011-3 / OC Socket (2083 Pins) supporting New Intel® Core™ i7 Processor Extreme Edition.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/14.jpg


2. 8 x DDR4 DIMM sockets supporting up to 64 GB of system memory
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/15.jpg



3. 4. 24-pin ATX and 8-pin ATX 12V power connectors.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/17.jpg


5. Back Panel Connectors : 1 x PS/2 keyboard port, 1 x PS/2 mouse port, 6 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports, 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports, 1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector, 1 x RJ-45 port, 5 x audio jacks (Center/Subwoofer Speaker Out, Rear Speaker Out, Line In/Mic In, Line Out, Headphone), 2 x Wi-Fi antenna connector holes
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/18.jpg


6. 7. 9. 17. 2 x CPU Fan headers, 3 x System Fan headers
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/19.jpg


8. Back I/O and Chipset LED Connector.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/20.jpg


10. M.2 Socket 3 Wifi and SSD Card connector
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/21.jpg


11. Intel x99 Chipset cooled with Solid aluminum and copper heat-pipe heatsink with LED and Gigabyte G1 Gaming logo
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/22.jpg


12. 13. 1 x SATA Express connector, 10 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/23.jpg


14 to 20. front panel header, USB 3.0/2.0 header, 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers, PCIe power connector, front panel audio header
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/24.jpg


21. Thunderbolt add-in card connector
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/25.jpg


22. 2 x PCI Express x16 slots, running at x16 (PCIE_1, PCIE_2) * For optimum performance, if only one PCI Express graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIE_1 slot; if you are installing two PCI Express graphics cards, it is recommended that you install them in the PCIE_1 and PCIE_2 slots. 2 x PCI Express x16 slots, running at x8 (PCIE_3, PCIE_4)* The PCIE_4 slot shares bandwidth with the PCIE_1 slot. When the PCIE_4 slot is populated, the PCIE_1 slot will operate at up to x8 mode. * When an i7-5820K CPU is installed, the PCIE_2 slot operates at up to x8 mode and the PCIE_3 operates at up to x4 mode. (All PCI Express x16 slots conform to PCI Express 3.0 standard.) 3 x PCI Express x1 slots (The PCI Express x1 slots conform to PCI Express 2.0 standard.)
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/26.jpg




*Removing Heat-sinks*
Solid aluminum and copper heat-pipe type heatsink with thermal pad installed, giving great passive cooling to VRM MOSFETs and x99 chipset.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/27.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/28.jpg 


*Component Layout*
Let’s now see what all components Gigabyte have planned for this board.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/29.jpg


1. 6-phase digital power, server level Cooper Bussmann chokes coils and Durable Black solid capacitors. IR3580 is IR (International Rectifier) 8-phase single output PWM Controller IC. IR3556M (Integrated PowIRstage) is a synchronous buck gate driver co-packed with a control MOSFET and a synchronous MOSFET with integrated Schottky diode with output current capability of 50A DC each.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/30.jpg



2. 2-Phase digital memory power supply section. IR 3570A is IR (International Rectifier) Dual output 4+1 and 3+2 phase PWM Controllers. IR 3553M is a synchronous buck gate driver co-packed with a control MOSFET and a synchronous MOSFET with integrated Schottky diode with output current capability of 40A DC each
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/32.jpg


3.Renesas Electronics YET-D720210-0004 USB3.0 4-Port Hub Chip.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/33.jpg


4.Qualcomm Killer E2201 is a more integrated E2200 NPU. Providing the NPU, the PHY and all the other components in one 40-pin IC, a high-performance, adaptive gigabit Ethernet controller that offers better online gaming and online media performance compared to standard solutions.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/34.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/35.jpg


5. Gigabyte X99 GAMING 5P Audio is powered by Creative CA0132 Sound Core3D Quad-Core Audio Processor (under the EMI shield) , 4 channel 24-bit 101db ADC, 6 channel 24-bit 102db DACs, and headphone amp in a 56 pin package.
A semi-transparent line on motherboard separates the whole audio section from the rest of the board in order to minimize interference. Audio section is having high end Nichicon MUSE ES Audio Capacitors for audio filtration. In addition Gigabyte used one Upgradable OPA2134PA Op-amp with Gain boost selector switches for rear audio amplification and customization base on individual listening preferences. So licensing under Stereo mode produces high audio quality with excellent dynamic range.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/36.jpg
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*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/38.jpg
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GIGABYTE G1™ Gaming motherboards also include SBX Pro Studio™ suite of audio playback technologies deliver a new level of audio immersion. Realistic surround sound, the ability to clearly hear specific sounds in a gaming environment are just a few elements of SBX Pro Studio that enhances the overall experience, be it movies, games or music
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/40.jpg


GIGABYTE USB DAC-UP provides clean, noise-free power delivery to your Digital-to-Analog Converter. DACs can be sensitive to fluctuations in power from the other USB ports, which is why GIGABYTE USB DAC-UP takes advantage of an isolated power source that minimizes potential fluctuations and ensures the best audio experience possible.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/41.jpg


RightMark Audio Analyzer (RMAA) suite is used for testing Gigabyte X99 GAMING 5P High Definition audio against Asus Xonar DX Sound card.
RMAA Asus Xonar DX
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/42.jpg


RMAA Gigabyte Audio
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/43.jpg


6.  ITE's IT8951e is the motherboard built-in Q-Flash Plus controller, which allows a BIOS flash to take place even if no RAM or CPU is installed.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/44.jpg


7.  Gigabyte uses two SPI chip labeled MXIC MX 2SL12873F a capacity of 128 Mb for storing UEFI BIOS 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/45.jpg


8.   Intel X99 Express Chipset 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/46.jpg


9.  ITE IT8620e is SuperIO chip monitors temperatures, voltages and other key metrics for normal operation and overclocking. 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/47.jpg


10.  Fan control and monitoring is performed via ITE IT8792E the system controller. 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/48.jpg


11.   NXP L04083B . NXP Semiconductors a 4 differential channel, 2-to-1 multiplexer / demultiplexer switch for PCI Express Generation 3 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/49.jpg


12.  IDT 6V49322NLG clock generator IC for SATA Express interface. 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/50.jpg


13.  The ICS 9DB633 is a PCI-E 3.0 six output differential buffer, clock generator. 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/51.jpg




*Testing*
Test system configuration - Intel i7-5960X, 4 x 4 G.Skill RipJaws4 F4-3000C 15Q DDR4 RAM, Corsair H100i cooler, Samsung 830 SSD 256GB, Corsair RM 1000 PSU, Asus GTX960, Asus Xonar DX Sond Card, WD 1TB Green, HP DVD RW Drive.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/52.jpg
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*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/56.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/57.jpg


*BIOS*
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/58.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/59.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/60.jpg




*Bundled Softwares*
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*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/72.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/73.jpg
*Benchmarks* 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/74.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/75.jpg
Enabling G.Skill RipJaws4 DDR4 RAM XMP profile with 3000MHz
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/76.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/77.jpg


*Overclocking*
Changing CPU Mode switch to OC mode for overclocking.
With H100i cooler I manage to OC Intel i7-5960X up to 4.4GHz stable 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/78.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/79.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/80.jpg


*Power Consumption*
Wattage reading as per displayed by APC Pro 1000VA (Model no. BR1000G-IN) UPS. 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99Gaming5P/81.jpg


*Pros*


High quality audio and Ethernet
4-Way GPU support
 Good and easy OC with Easy Tune
I/O LED with ON/OFF capabilities
Black sleeve SATA cables
Built-in M.2 and SATA Express support



*Cons*


WIFI card not included at this price



*Conclusion*
Gigabyte X99 GAMING 5P is a well- build X99 board for gamers  focusing  on networking and audio which I think is done very well at a hardware level – particularly the  user upgradable OP-AMP based on individual listening preferences, gain switches, a headphone amplifier and  high end Audio Capacitors.
Following the G1 Gaming series Gigabyte X99 GAMING 5P is in the lower mid-range of the X99 board lineup giving a solid performance and easy overclocking


At the conclusion Gigabyte X99 GAMING 5P makes a great choice for a X99 based Gaming System


*Manufacturers Info*


Site Link  


Source / More info  


Thanks.


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