# Gigabyte X99 UD4P Motherboard Review



## rakesh_sharma23 (Apr 14, 2015)

*Gigabyte X99 UD4P Motherboard Review*
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/X99UD4P.jpg

Short while ago we reviewed Gigabyte X99 UD4 motherboard, one of the best entry-level X99 board we have came across so fare. And now we have the opportunity to review another Gigabyte’s X99 chipset based Ultra Durable (UD) series of motherboard, the Gigabyte X99 UD4P motherboard.


Beside all the features of Gigabyte X99 UD4, the Gigabyte X99 UD4P motherboard support DDR4 XMP profile up to 3333MHz and CPU OC mode switch for overclocking fun in a budget of Rs.24500/-. Great..


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


*Package*
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/01.jpg


Looking at the front of the box, we see gigabyte logo with Ultra durable graphics and motherboard model no. At the rear of the box, we find that Gigabyte goes into great detail on the specifications of the X99-UD4P motherboard. Opening the box gives a glimpse of the actual product.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/02.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/03.jpg


*Inside the box*
Moving into the bundle, we've actually got a fair bit included. Since the Gigabyte X99-UD4P 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/X99UD4P/04.jpg
Rather using standard SATA cables and rear I/O plate, Gigabyte has gone outside the box here and includes 4 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. Great job Gigabyte for focusing on such small details which modders and enthusiasts love to see.


*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/07.jpg


*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/10.jpg






*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
Realtek ALC1150 115dB SNR HD audio with built-in Rear Audio Amplifier
Independent Right and Left Audio Channel PCB Layers
High end Nichicon audio capacitors
LED lighting for the audio guard light path and the back panel LED
All Stainless Steel connectors on rear panel
SATA Express support for up to 10 Gb/s data transfer
GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS™ with Q-Flash Plus USB port
Long lifespan Durable Black™ Solid caps
APP Center including EasyTune™ and Cloud Station™ utilities
Thunderbolt™ Ready
Safer design around screw mounting holes

*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/11.jpg


*Specifications* 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/12.jpg


*Looks*
Board is in a black and yellow colour theme.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/13.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/14.jpg


*Layout*
Detailed layout of board.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/15.jpg


1. Intel LGA2011-3 / OC Socket (2083 Pins) supporting New Intel® Core™ i7 Processor Extreme Edition.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/16.jpg


2. 8 x DDR4 DIMM sockets supporting up to 64 GB of system memory
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/17.jpg



3. 4. 24-pin ATX and 8-pin ATX 12V power connectors.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/18.jpg


5. Back I/O Ports. 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 RJ-45 port, 1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector, 5 x audio jacks (Center/Subwoofer Speaker Out, Rear Speaker Out, Line In, Line Out, Mic In), 2 x Wi-Fi antenna connector holes .
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/19.jpg


6. 7. 9. 17. 2 x CPU Fan headers, 3 x System Fan headers
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/20.jpg


8. Back I/O and Chipset LED Connector.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/21.jpg


10. M.2 Socket 3 Wifi and SSD Card connector
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/22.jpg


11. Intel x99 Chipset cooled with Solid aluminum and copper heat-pipe heatsink with LED and Gigabyte logo
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/23.jpg


12. 13. 1 x SATA Express connector, 10 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/24.jpg


14 to 20. front panel header, USB 3.0/2.0 header, 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers, Trusted Platform Module (TPM) header,PCIe power connector, front panel audio header
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/25.jpg


21. Thunderbolt add-in card connector
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/26.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/X99UD4P/27.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/X99UD4P/28.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/29.jpg 
Perfectly designed heatsinks and board layout results in given a great socket room to install some big after market Air cooling solutions.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/30.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/31.jpg


*Component Layout*
Let’s now see what all components Gigabyte have planned for this board.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/32.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/X99UD4P/33.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/34.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/X99UD4P/35.jpg


3.Renesas Electronics YET-D720210-0004 USB3.0 4-Port Hub Chip.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/36.jpg


4.Intel i218v one Gigabit Ethernet controller chip.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/37.jpg


5. Gigabyte AMP-UP Audio is powered by Realtek ALC1150 (under the EMI shield)  is a high-performance multi-channel High Definition Audio Codec that delivers an exceptional audio listening experience with up to 115dB SNR, ensuring users get the best possible audio quality from their PC.
The ALC1150 provides ten DAC channels that simultaneously support 7.1-channel sound playback, plus 2 channels of independent stereo sound output (multiple streaming) through the front panel stereo outputs. Two stereo ADCs are integrated and can support a microphone array with Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC), Beam Forming (BF), and Noise Suppression (NS) technologies. The ALC1150 incorporates Realtek proprietary converter technology to achieve Front differential output 115dB Signal-to-Noise ratio (SNR) playback (DAC) quality and 104dB SNR recording (ADC) quality.
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 premium Nichicon Gold Capacitors 100uf/6.3v for audio filtration. In addition Gigabyte used one N5532 Op-amp for rear audio amplification. So licensing under Stereo mode produces high audio quality with excellent dynamic range. 


*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/38.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/39.jpg


RightMark Audio Analyzer (RMAA) suite is used for testing Gigabyte x99 AMP-UP High Definition audio against Asus Xonar DX Sound card. You can see clearly the difference between Noise level, dynamic rang and Total harmonic distortion percentage produced by AMP-UP Audio.
RMAA Asus Xonar DX
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/40.jpg


RMAA AMP-UP Audio
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/41.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/X99UD4P/42.jpg


7.  Gigabyte uses two SPI chip labeled MXIC MX 2SL12873F a capacity of 128 Mb for storing UEFI BIOS 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/43.jpg


8.   Intel X99 Express Chipset 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/44.jpg


9.  ITE IT8620e is SuperIO chip monitors temperatures, voltages and other key metrics for normal operation and overclocking. 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/45.jpg


10.  Fan control and monitoring is performed via ITE IT8792E the system controller. 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/46.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/X99UD4P/47.jpg


12.  IDT 6V49322NLG clock generator IC for SATA Express interface. 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/48.jpg


13.  The ICS 9DB633 is a PCI-E 3.0 six output differential buffer, clock generator. 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/49.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/X99UD4P/51.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/52.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/53.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/53b.jpg


*BIOS*
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/54.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/55.jpg

*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/57.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/58.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/59.jpg


*Bundled Softwares*
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/60.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/61.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/62.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/63.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/64.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/65.jpg




*Benchmarks* 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/66.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/67.jpg


Enabling G.Skill RipJaws4 DDR4 RAM XMP profile with 3000MHz
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/68.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/69.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 
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/70.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/71.jpg
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/72.jpg




*Power Consumption*
Wattage reading as per displayed by APC Pro 1000VA (Model no. BR1000G-IN) UPS. Phase changer unit is powered via different source and its power consumption is not listed under.
*www.pctekindia.com/Reviews/X99UD4P/73.jpg


*Pros*


Affordable X99 board
Very Stable
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
XMP Profile



*Cons*


WIFI card not bundled



*Conclusion*
Even with a budget Price tag of Rs.24500/-.the Gigabyte X99 UD4P is a great X99 board offering good overclocking and support to 2/3/4-Way SLI or Crossfire build. We do however miss AC WIFI big-time, it should be there included by default and not as optional. As for storage you get ten 6 Gbps SATA 3 ports, a Sata Express port as well as an M.2 interface alongside plenty USB 3.0 ports too. As for audio lover, Gigabyte has provided a great designed 7.1 HD audio solution with support for the quality headphones
At the conclusion, the Gigabyte X99 UD4P is a recommended X99 board with a best value for money ratio .


*Manufacturers Info*


Site Link  


Source / More info  


Thanks.


----------

