GIGABYTE 6 series motherboards incorporate an Intel approved Intersil PWM controller that is VRD 12 (Voltage Regulator Down) compliant. This means that it offers new features that include SerialVID (SVID) which transfers power management information between the processor and voltage regulator controller, allowing more robust and efficient signaling control between the CPU and PWM controller - hence, delivering a more energy efficient platform. A traditional Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) consists of a Choke, Capacitors, MOSFETs and a Driver IC. By incorporating the MOSFETs and driver IC in accordance with the Intel Driver-MOSFET specification, we can achieve higher power transfer and increased efficiency at higher switching frequencies to satisfy the growing power requirements of today's processors. Driver-MOSFETs also help to reduce VRM real estate requirements in the CPU zone. GIGABYTE strongly believes that in 2011, HD audio playback is a standard specification, and as such, we have made Blu-ray audio playback a standard for all of our motherboards. All of GIGABYTE's 2011 motherboards feature higher capability audio solution with 108dB Signal-to-Noise ratio (SNR) playback quality to deliver high-performance, multi-channel HD audio. SNR is a comparison of the amount of signal to the amount of noise such as hiss present in the signal (expressed in Decibels). A higher SNR equals a better audio experience. For example, 108dB, is a high audio specification, as this means the audio signal is 108dB higher than the level of the noise. Hybrid EFI Technology combines the benefits of GIGABYTE's mature BIOS platform including stability and compatibility with 3rd party products with 3TB+ HDD support from EFI technology, allowing GIGABYTE to offer the best of both worlds through a quick and easy BIOS update using GIGABYTE's @BIOS utility that is freely available from the GIGABYTE website. GIGABYTE DualBIOS is a patented technology that automatically recovers BIOS data when the main BIOS has crashed or failed. Featuring 2 physical BIOS ROMs integrated onboard, GIGABYTE DualBIOS allows quick and seamless recovery from BIOS damage or failure due to viruses or improper BIOS updating. In addition, GIGABYTE DualBIOS now supports 3TB+ (terabyte) hard drive booting without the need for partitioning, and enables more data storage on a single hard drive. GIGABYTE motherboards boast SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology made possible through an additional onboard host controller. With superfast transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps, users are able to experience a theoretical 10x improvement over USB 2.0. Additionally, backwards compatibility with USB 2.0 assures users of long term use of their legacy USB 2.0 devices.
Supports for LGA1155 2nd Generation Intel Core Processors
Supports for LGA1155 2nd Generation Intel Core Processors
Supports Virtu GPU virtualization software for extreme display
Supports Virtu GPU virtualization software for extreme display
Touch BIOS delivers No Need for Reboot to more easily modify BIOS settings
Touch BIOS delivers No Need for Reboot to more easily modify BIOS settings
4X performance boost with the Intel Smart Response Technology
4X performance boost with the Intel Smart Response Technology
Supports USB 3.0 with superfast transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps
Supports USB 3.0 with superfast transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps
High speed SATA3 storage interface with superfast 6Gbps link speed
High speed SATA3 storage interface with superfast 6Gbps link speed
GIGABYTE 3x USB Power with On/Off Charge USB ports
GIGABYTE 3x USB Power with On/Off Charge USB ports
SLI and CrossFireX multi-graphics support for ultimate graphics performance
SLI and CrossFireX multi-graphics support for ultimate graphics performance
Hybrid EFI technology with DualBIOS for 3TB HDD support
Hybrid EFI technology with DualBIOS for 3TB HDD support
HDMI/ DVI interface for smoother HD video playback
HDMI/ DVI interface for smoother HD video playback
Enhanced Intel HD Graphics 2000/3000 integrated with the processor
Enhanced Intel HD Graphics 2000/3000 integrated with the processor
XHD technology accelerating hard drive performance with ease
XHD technology accelerating hard drive performance with ease
Supported Processors Intel Core i7 processors • Intel Core i5 processors • Intel Core i3 processors • Intel Pentium processors • Intel Celeron processors
Motherboard
Chipset Intel Z68 Express
Input/Output Controller iTE IT8728
RAID Supported Yes Chipset: RAID 0, 1, 5, 10
SATA Supported Yes
Rear Panel I/O Ports
VGA Port 1 x D-Sub Port
Digital Port 1 x DVI-D
HDMI Port 1 x HDMI
S/PDIF Port 1 x Optical S/PDIF-out
Audio Line In Ports 1 x Line in
Audio Line Out Ports 1 x Line Out
Microphone In Port 1 x Microphone Port
Keyboard/Mouse Combo Port 1 x PS/2 Keyboard or Mouse Port
RJ-45 Ports 1 x RJ-45 Port
USB Ports 4 x USB 2.0 • 2 x USB 3.0
Internal I/O Connectors
SATA Connectors 2 x SATA 6Gb/s • 4 x SATA 3Gb/s
S/PDIF Connectors 1 x S/PDIF out Header
USB Connectors 4 x USB 2.0
Serial Connectors 1 x Serial Port Header
Cooling Fan Support 1 x CPU Fan • 2 x System Fan • 1 Power Fan
Front Panel Connectors 1 x front panel header • 1 x front panel audio header
TPM Header 1 x TPM Header
PCI Slots 2 slot(s) - PCI
PCI Express Slots 5 slot(s) - , 1 x PCI Express x16, 1 x PCI Express x16(x8 mode), 1 x PCI Express x16(x4 mode) , 2 x PCI Express x1
Memory
Maximum Memory 32 GB 1066/1333/1600/1800/1866/2133 MHz DDR3
Memory Expansion Options 4 x 1.5V DDR 3 DIMM
Graphics Device
Graphics Adaptor Yes ATI CrossFireX
Sound
Integrated Sound Realtek ALC889 codec • High Definition Audio • 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel (To configure 7.1-channel audio, you have to use an HD front panel audio module and enable the multi-channel audio feature through the audio driver.) • Support for S/PDIF Out
Network
Integrated Network Realtek RTL8111E
Network Speeds Supported 10/100/1000 Mbps
System Requirements
Operating Systems Supported Microsoft Windows 7 • Vista • XP
