While the Haswell-E CPUs and X99-based motherboards of Intel's newest HEDT platform put a considerable dent in the pocket of any enthusiast, there are ways to lighten the cost burden. We recently reviewed the six-core 5820K and found it to be an excellent choice for users who value compute performance and want Haswell-E at the lowest possible cost. Another way to achieve an aggressive budget target is to buy a low cost X99 motherboard.
That's where Gigabyte's X99-UD4 fits in. Do the features and performance make the sub-£170 board an interesting value option?
Despite its entry-level pricing for the X99 chipset, Gigabyte still manages to squeeze 4-way SLI/CrossFire support, an enhanced audio solution, server-grade power components, and dual M.2 sockets onto the X99-UD4.
Add those features to the eye-catching black colour scheme and a price point that makes it one of the cheapest X99 boards available, and Gigabyte could be onto a winner with the X99-UD4.
Features:
- Genuine All Digital Power Design with IR Digital PWM & IR PowIRstage® ICs
- 4-Way Graphics with Premium PCIe Lane
- Dual M.2 Technology for SSD Drive and WIFI card
- 6x(30µ) Gold Plating for CPU socket, Memory DIMMs and PCIe slots
- Realtek ALC1150 115dB SNR HD audio with built-in Rear Audio Amplifier
- LED lighting for the audio guard light path and the back panel LED
- SATA Express support for up to 10 Gb/s data transfer
- Long lifespan Durable Black™ Solid caps
- APP Center including EasyTune™ and Cloud Station™ utilities
- GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS™ with Q-Flash Plus USB port