Biostar Hi-Fi Z77X Motherboard Review

1. Introduction2. Biostar Hi-Fi Z77X: Packaging and Bundle3. Biostar H-Fi Z77X: Layout and Features4. Biostar Hi-Fi Z77X: BIOS and Overclocking5. Testing Methodology6. Synthetic: PCMark 77. Synthetic: 3DMark8. Synthetic: 3Dmark 119. Synthetic: 3DMark Vantage10. Synthetic: Unigine Heaven11. Synthetic: SiSoft Sandra 201312. Synthetic: Cinebench R11.513. Synthetic: Super Pi14. Synthetic: SATA Performance15. Real World: WinRAR16. Real World: MKV Playback17. Real World: Media Encoding18. Gaming: Battlefield 319. Gaming: Call of Duty Black Ops 220. Gaming: DiRT Showdown21. Technical: Power Consumption22. Closing Thoughts23. View All Pages

We have been left with positive impressions of the Biostar Hi-Fi Z77X thanks to the impressive feature set on offer and the attractive design of the motherboard.  In fact, the black and blue colour scheme is one of the most classy looking we've seen and gives the top three motherboard manufacturers a run for their money.

Don't think for a moment that this motherboard has just a pretty face.  The overclocking performance of the Hi-Fi Z77X is very impressive indeed and we managed to boost our Intel Core i7-3770K to 4.8 GHz in a matter of minutes.  There isn't an automatic overclocking feature like those present on Asus' and Asrock's motherboards, though, so those who have no experience overclocking may be left wanting.  The UEFI interface leaves a lot to be desired, too, and is nowhere near as intuitive or as easy to use as those included on Asus, ASRock and Gigabyte motherboards.

One of our only other gripes with this motherboard is the illogical placement of the USB 3.0 internal header which is inbetween two PCI Express lanes.  This causes problems from a cable management point of view as it's more or less in the centre of the motherboard.  It may also foul longer expansion cards. They really do need to redress this in future revisions.

We admire the emphasis that Biostar has put on audio quality with this motherboard and the quality of the onboard chip certainly exceeds the vast majority of competing models.

The Hi-Fi Z77X is available at £105 from Ebuyer. It is well priced but competition is fierce with models such as the Gigabyte Z77X-D3H making a very attractive alternative.  While Biostar may not be as highly regarded as Gigabyte in enthusiast circles, the Hi-Fi Z77X performs just as well as the big brand boards.  The ‘Hi-Fi' features of the motherboard make it ideal for use in a media system or for those who are looking for high quality audio without having to spend extra on a dedicated solution.

Pros:

• Good value for money.
• Impressive onboard audio.
• Attractive design.
• Excellent overclocking performance.

Cons:

• Dated UEFI interface.
• Illogical USB3.0 header placement.

KitGuru says: Another impressive motherboard from Biostar.

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