Gigabyte EX58-UD4P X58 Motherboard
Conclusion
Published: 16th April 2009 | Source: Gigabyte | Price: £206.99 |
Conclusion
It's a rare day indeed when I come across such a well rounded motherboard. All of the other motherboards on test have some failing, be it price, overclocking, aesthetics, cooling etc. The Gigabyte EX58-UD4P hit's the sweet spot in almost everything. It looks the business (but please get rid of those orange and yellow slots!), it's performance is up their with boards costing a third more and it's features, while not quite as extensive as others are useful and not just added for the sake of it.
I was surprised at how similar the UD4P and the UD5 were, the UD5 being our test rig for other components. The UD4P, at a glance looks almost identical to the UD5, it clocks exactly the same and has the majority of the features it's bigger brother has. The BIOS of the two boards are near identical and very easy to use. While they are not as complex as say the DFI, all the main features are there to allow some supreme overclocks. It works well in AUTO configuration too which is a blessing for those unsure about reference voltages and the calculations needed to offset these with VTT etc.
I would have liked to have seen copper cooling instead of the Aluminium used but that would add to the cost of the motherboard and put it into competition with the big boys, thereby defeating the object of this motherboard. Priced around the £200 mark it's by no means cheap but as X58 goes the UD4P is placed in the mid-range sector. However, I think I have shown that this motherboard is capable of punching above it's weight and on occasion placing high end boards firmly on their backsides.
If you are in the market for a feature packed, high performing motherboard that ticks all the right boxes in the mid-range sector, I cannot think of a better motherboard than the UD4P.
The Good
- Overclocking
- On board LED's
- SLI/Crossfire compatibility
- Comprehensive accessories
The Mediocre
- Packaging could be better
- Aluminium heatsinks
The Bad
- Orange/yellow slots
Thanks to Gigabyte for providing the EX58-UD4P for todays review. Discuss in our forums.
Most Recent Comments
WTF man.
... The UD5 is a great board...
The link from the front page is broken though :S
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.
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Originally Posted by name='Luigi'
Nice review
The link from the front page is broken though :S |
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Originally Posted by name='Jim'
Works fine here :\
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Originally Posted by name='Bungral'
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. |
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...
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Originally Posted by name='Luigi'
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... |
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Originally Posted by name='PeterStoba'
Nobody going i7 is on a budget
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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.
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Originally Posted by name='w3bbo'
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. |
. It also has an all in one heatsink via heatpipe
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Read the full review HERE