Gigabyte EX58-UD4P X58 Motherboard
Introduction
Published: 16th April 2009 | Source: Gigabyte | Price: £206.99 |
Introduction
It's been a while now since we reviewed Gigabyte's first X58 motherboard and one which I was very impressed with, the EX58 UD5. Since then we have reviewed a number of motherboards from the ever popular Asus P6T to the High Performing DFI T3eH8. None of those boards however, could match the all round abilities of the UD5, especially for the price. So then, what can the UD4P, Gigabytes latest offering bring to the table? Well, for a start it is cheaper than the UD5, it's still a feature packed board and as we will see, it has only forsaken a few features of the UD5 which you may or may not miss.
Priced between the UD5 Extreme and the budget DS3R, the UD4P is the latest performance X58 motherboard based on Intel's Skt1366 configuration and one of seven motherboards hailing from the Taiwanese company. All of the boards from Gigabyte are cut down versions of the range topping UD5 Extreme. The UD4P has a slightly different PCIe configuration, sporting 2x16 PCIe ports which drop down to 1xPCI16 and 1x8 when the third (orange) 8 speed PCIe port is used. The UD5 however retains the full 16 lanes of PCIe 2.0 goodness when the third slot is used. In contrast the UD3R has 2 full size PCIe ports so does not allow 3-way SLI/CrossfireX. The UD4P also has less SATA ports than the UD5 but as it already has 8 SATA ports only the storage hoarders should be concerned.
The UD4P does however have a feature which the UD5 does not and that's the Ultra TPM encryption capability. The TPM (Trusted Module Platform) allows users to secure their files, preventing any unauthorised access without the keys stored on the USB stick. Being much more secure than software based encryption, TPM is perfect for users who might have what some might say 'sensitive information' on their PC. These keys can also be backed up in the BIOS should you be the forgetful type. Once the key's are stored on the USB stick they are then erased from the PC preventing anyone from accessing your protected files without the key. Simply unplugging your USB key locks up the files and renders them unusable until the USB key (and therefore the keys) are re-inserted. Thankfully Gigabyte include full instructions for this procedure with a separate manual.
Being part of the Ultra Durable range, the UD4P features quality components which provide better cooling, greater efficiency and enhanced signal quality. This, along with lower EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) provides greater stability allowing for higher overclocks.
Here's What Gigabyte have to say about the EX58-UD4P:
Specifications
(Go to CPU Support List for the latest CPU support )
2. L3 cache varies with CPU
2. South Bridge: Intel® ICH10R
2. Dual/3 channel memory architecture
3. Support for DDR3 2100+/1333/1066/800 MHz memory modules
2. High Definition Audio
3. 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
4. Support for Dolby® Home Theater
5. Support for S/PDIF In/Out
6. Support for CD In
2. 1 x PCI Express x8 slot, running at x8 (PCIEX8_1) (Note 3)
(The PCIEX16_1, PCIE16_2 and PCIEX8_1 slots support 2-Way/3-Way NVIDIA SLI/ATI CrossFireX technology and conform to PCI Express 2.0 standard.)
3. 1 x PCI Express x4 slot
4. 1 x PCI Express x1 slot
5. 2 x PCI slots
2. Support for SATA RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10
2. 2x SATA 3Gb/s connectors (GSATA2_0, GSATA2_1) supporting up to 2 SATA 3Gb/s devices
3. Support for SATA RAID 0, RAID 1 and JBOD
2. Up to 3 IEEE 1394a ports (1 on the back panel, 2 via the IEEE 1394a brackets connected to the internal IEEE 1394a headers)
2. Up to 12 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (8 on the back panel, 4 via the USB brackets connected to the internal USB headers)
2. 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
3. 1 x floppy disk drive connector
4. 1 x IDE connector
5. 8 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors
6. 1 x CPU fan header
7. 3 x system fan headers
8. 1 x power fan header
9. 1 x North Bridge fan header
10. 1 x front panel header
11. 1 x front panel audio header
12. 1 x CD In connector
13. 1 x S/PDIF In header
14. 1 x S/PDIF Out header
15. 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
16. 2 x IEEE 1394a headers
17. 1 x power LED header
18. 1 x chassis intrusion header
19. 1 x power switch
20. 1 x reset switch
2. 1 x PS/2 mouse port
3. 1 x coaxial S/PDIF Out connector
4. 1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector
5. 1 x IEEE 1394a port
6. 1 x clearing CMOS switch
7. 8 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
8. 1 x RJ-45 ports
9. 6 x audio jacks (Center/Subwoofer Speaker Out/Rear Speaker Out/Side Speaker Out/Line In/Line Out/Microphone)
2. CPU/System/North Bridge temperature detection
3. CPU/System/Power fan speed detection
4. CPU overheating warning
5. CPU/System/Power fan fail warning
6. CPU/System fan speed control (Note 4)
2. Use of licensed AWARD BIOS
3. Support for DualBIOS™
4. PnP 1.0a, DMI 2.0, SM BIOS 2.4, ACPI 1.0b
2. Support for Q-Flash
3. Support for Virtual Dual BIOS
4. Support for Download Center
5. Support for Xpress Install
6. Support for Xpress Recovery2
7. Support for EasyTune (Note 5)
8. Support for Dynamic Energy Saver Advanced
9. Support for Time Repair
10. Support for Q-Share
An Impressive specification to say the least. Raid RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 is available on the Intel controller and Gigabyte have also managed to cram a floppy port on the board for good measure which is a rarity these days. This, along with dual PS/2 ports should ease the monetary burden of upgrade for those clinging to yesterdays hardware.
Let's take a look at the aesthetics of the Gigabyte EX58-UD4P...
Most Recent Comments
Just a shame none are really pulling away from the pack. I'm sure on prevoius generations you would always get at least 1 or 2 that would be a little bit apart from the others.
Nice review :)
The link from the front page is broken though :S
Works fine here :\
Good review. Always enjoy reading ya mobo reviews.
Just a shame none are really pulling away from the pack. I'm sure on prevoius generations you would always get at least 1 or 2 that would be a little bit apart from the others.
Yeah I must agree with that point. Previous generations were always a mixed batch though with 780i, P45 and X48. All the boards for i7 we have tested thus far are all X58 and so have the same QPI bus and ICH10R controller.
Hopefully P55 won't be too far away so we can throw them into the mix.
I think Gigabyte have done really well on the x58's, certainly catering for those on a budget...
Comments in the top right hand corner?
I think Gigabyte have done really well on the x58's, certainly catering for those on a budget...
Nobody going i7 is on a budget :p
Nobody going i7 is on a budget :p
Correct. Really there isn't that much of a point, especially if ur on a budget.
Think we're all a little harsh on the color scheme. Particularly as it's low score for slot coloring brings the average down to such an extent.
Got another of these gigabyte mobos on wednesday, and I'm getting more and more impressed with them the more I use them.
As a sidenote, I don't think we'll see P55.
Onboard stuff for these mobos across the spectrum could do with more scrutiny. The ALC889A seems to be a damn good audio setup in it's own right. A few design flaws for my liking, but for a 1 pc setup it's pretty impressive. Nics are offering teaming and carry with them some bios testing features.
Overall though I recommend it as it's the contents that matter and the UD4P certainly performs well enough and is priced such to earn the recommended award.
The score for the presentation was not simply just for the slots but for the overall package. The gigabyte boards are not the best packaged boards in the world with the contents placed ontop of a cardboard divider. A thin sliver of foam is all that separates the motherboard base from the box itself. Compare this to the way Asus package there boards or indeed DFI and you can the appreciate why the Gigabyte score low in this department. It's saving grace are the included accessories.
Overall though I recommend it as it's the contents that matter and the UD4P certainly performs well enough and is priced such to earn the recommended award.
The UD5 Was packed poorely too but lol the box was nice and shiny and it did come with a fair bunch of goodies...
It also has an all in one heatsink via heatpipe ;)
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The link from the front page is broken though :S