GIGABYTE Z77X-UP5TH
RRP: $244.99 | Website: www.gigabyte.com
Test Machine
• INTEL Core i7 3770K
• EVGA NVIDIA GTX TITAN
(314.14)
• CORSAIR Dominator
Platinum 2x4GB DDR
2666MHZ C10
• OCZ Vertex 4 512GB SSD
• Cooler Master Silent Pro M2
1500W
• Windows 7 64-bit SP1
T
owards the end of the
Z77 lifespan then, we
finally get around to
testing the premium UP5TH
board from GIGABYTE. This
one represents the most
feature packed board in the
normal line up outside of the
gaming and overclocking
SKUs. As such we had great
expectations for the UP5TH
and fortunately it delivered on
almost all accounts.
Last issue we reviewed the
UD4H, an upgraded board
based on the UD3H which
was our previous favourite
Z77 entry from GIGABYTE.
10 The OverClocker Issue 24 | 2013
The UP5TH is actually older
than the UD4H so in some
ways it has not benefited from
all things learned since the
Z77 boards were introduced.
Take for instance the POST
LED placement. It’s between
the 12V ATX connector and
the DIMM slots. Not the
worst possible location but
certainly not ideal (hence it’s
relocation on the UD4H). The
UP5TH also lacks PS2 mouse
support and since there are
no stickers labelling where
precisely your keyboard and
mouse should be plugged in,
you may have a tough time
navigating your OS, until the
right drivers are installed. Not
a train smash but certainly not
ideal. It’s these little things
that were sorted out on later
motherboards which may
make the UP5TH seem rather
bland in comparison.
However, those were the
only complaints we had about
the motherboard. As far as
performance and tuning goes,
it’s just as capable as any of
the other boards in the family.
You can tell by the benchmark
results which were near
identical to those of the UD4H
which thus far has proved
to be the fastest GIGABYTE
Z77 board we have tested.
That alone would more than
justify its purchase especially
if you’re one that has to have
thunderbolt connectivity for
whatever reason. Talking
about thunderbolt, this is
where perhaps the main
attraction of this board lies.
It features two connectors
which you can then use for 4K
display and video playback. We
aren’t sure how many people
will find this meaningful in
the overclocking and even
enthusiasts community, but
as we’ve learned previously.
There are many DIY users who
need such features and as
far as we know, this is one of
the few boards that actually
support 4K video.
On to the BIOS then, you’ll
find the familiar GIIGABYTE
UEFI 3D BIOS. It’s come a long
way since its initial showing
and navigating it is very simple
and quick, especially if you’re