Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H-BK Black Edition Motherboard Review

1. Introduction2. Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H-BK: Packaging and Bundle3. Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H-BK: Board Layout and Features4. Gigabyte Z97 UEFI5. Gigabyte Z97 Software6. Testing Methodology7. Tests: System-related8. Tests: Processor-related9. Tests: Gaming-related10. Tests: Motherboard-related11. Overclocking: Frequencies12. Overclocking: Performance13. Technical: Power Consumption14. Closing Thoughts15. View All Pages

The Haswell micro-architecture in Devil's Canyon processors is just the latest Intel CPU architecture to see many of the critical system operations handled by the processor. As such, benchmarking a motherboard becomes more of a test to certify that the part operates correctly and meets the anticipated performance levels.

We will be outlining the Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H-BK motherboard's performance with the Core i7 4790K CPU at its stock frequency (4.4GHz due to forced turbo). Overclocked performance will be outlined later in the review.

By default, the Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H-BK motherboard applies multi-core turbo (MCT) and forces the 4790K to a constant 4.4GHz when XMP is enabled. This will be displayed as the ‘stock’ setting.

Many of the dynamic readings (such as CPU frequency and VCore) displayed by CPU-Z are incorrect. Static readings (such as the memory frequency, timings, CPU cores, etc.) are largely accurate.

We have noticed that CPU-Z is showing incompatibility (in the form of erroneous readings) with an increasing number of motherboards. This individual case is likely related to the specific ITE chipset used on the Z97X-UD3H-BK, so it is worth using Gigabyte's own hardware monitoring software.

Gigabyte's Hardware Monitor tool can be launched through the App Center software package. Key voltages and temperatures are displayed, and, as system loads change, their dynamic adjustments are reported. There are some bugs though – we noticed discrepancies between the memory speeds reported, compared to the UEFI and CPU-Z.

1.248V is applied to the Core i7 4790K under load, in order to retain its 4.4GHz all-core turbo level. Under lower load conditions, the clock speed drops and the CPU voltage bounces around a 0.768V level.

Z97 Motherboard Test System:

• Processor: Intel Core i7 4790K ES (4.4GHz forced turbo).
• Memory: 16GB (2x 8GB) Corsair Vengeance Pro 2400MHz CL10.
• Graphics Card: Asus R9 280X Matrix Platinum 3GB.
• System Drive: 240GB SanDisk Extreme II SSD.
• CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i.
• Case: NZXT Phantom 630.
• Power Supply: Seasonic Platinum 1000W.
• Operating System: Windows 7 Professional with SP1 64-bit.

Compared Z97 Motherboards:

• ASRock Z97 Extreme6.
• Asus Maximus VII Hero.
• Asus Maximus VII Ranger.
• Asus Maximus VII Impact.
• Biostar Hi-Fi Z97WE.
• Gigabyte Z97X-SOC Force.
• MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC.

Software:

• Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H-BK BIOS F7e (beta, but newest by more than seven months).
• Catalyst 14.4 VGA drivers.
• Intel 10.0 chipset drivers.

Tests:

• 3DMark 1.3.708 – Fire Strike (System)
• SiSoft Sandra 2014 SP2 – Processor arithmetic, memory bandwidth (System)
• Cinebench R15 – All-core CPU benchmark (CPU)
• WinRAR 5.10 – Built-in benchmark (CPU)
• HandBrake 0.9.9 – Convert 4.36GB 720P MKV to MP4 (CPU)
• ATTO – SATA 6Gbps, USB 3.0, M.2 transfer rates (Motherboard)
• RightMark Audio Analyzer – General audio performance test (Motherboard)
• Bioshock Infinite – 1920 x 1080, ultra quality (Gaming)
• Metro: Last Light – 1920 x 1080, high quality (Gaming)
• Tomb Raider – 1920 x 1080, ultimate quality (Gaming)

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