DRAM prices favor an upgrade, but how much does a solid rig need? Tell us on Facebook

The price  of DDR3 memory has continued to fall, to the extent that even the most scrooge-like PC builder would be tempted to deck out his PC with a bit extra. Right now on NewEgg a 4GB Kingston HyperX Blu DDR3 1333 module can be yours for a mere $19.99. Fancy something a little more adventurous? How’s about a 4GB CORSIAR Vengence DDR3 1600 for just $25? Or perhaps you’re man of real taste and distinction; try a pair of Muskin Enhanced Blackline modules rated at speeds of up to 2333MHz, for only $99.99! Has the world gone potty?

Well, no. But as far as consumers are concerned, it’s really good time to invest in some extra memory for your PC, as Peter Scott, writing for Fudzilla earlier this week explains:

“Here’s some food for thought. A year ago a single Kingston ValueRAM 4GB SO-DIMM module cost €54 and two years ago it retailed for a saucy €243. Now it sells for just €14 and change.” – Peter Scott, Fudzilla

But while it is tempting to add some more RAM your PC, there is inevitably also a limit to how much your PC actually needs. I’ve found that opinions vary greatly. Many Windows 7 users feel that memory bottlenecks cease to be problem at around 4GB. Most self respecting power users however are not content without 16GB. One fly in the ointment of course, is software. 32-bit operating systems are inherently limited to an absolute max of 4GB memory (you may only see 3.25GB), so it’s only those of us that are enjoying the 64-bit revolution that can explore the realms 4GB of RAM and beyond. Then of course it comes down to what you do with your PC. Applications that manipulate large cumbersome data sets will need a far larger memory footprint, while HD video and photo editing suites can indeed hog a whole lot of memory.

To help us get to a clearer picture of RAM usage, we’ve decided to ask the experts, which of course is you - the GIGABTE fans who read our blog and follow us on Facebook each day.

Please go to our fan page and tell us what you use in your rig. And don’t forget to give us a ‘like’ if you haven’t already.

Facebook RAM Survey.

Image source.

GIGABYTE Extreme OC Workshop (Brisbane)

TeamAU boys (deanzo, dinos22, sniperoz & deanzo) just finished the latest GIGABYTE Extreme OC workshop in Brisbane. Eva2000 also made a brief appearance on the first day. It was a really fun event in which enthusiasts from Brisbane were passed over control of some seriously souped up rigs running 7Ghz+ with AMD Bulldozer and GIGABYTE 990FXA-UD7 motherboards.

Kudos to AMD, GIGABYTE, CORSAIR, UMART and Atomic mag for backing the event.

Linus returns with GIGABYTE X79-UD7 unboxing

Having previously unboxed our G1.Assassin 2 and X79-UD5 motherboards, we knew it would only be a mater of time before Linus would treat us all to a journey around our high-end X79-UD7 board. And it would seem that he’s impressed with what he seeing too, opting to go with the UD7 for his new upgraded extreme rig.

You can learn more about the X79-UD7 board on our website here, with more info about our X79 series of boards here.

GIGABYTE caught overclocking at Atomic Con 2011

GIGABYTE was among a group of hardware vendors in attendance at Atomic Con 2011 at Monash University, Melbourne last weekend. Atomic’s David Hollingworth took his camera crew over to our GIGABYTE Extreme Overclocking stand where he found, perhaps not surprisingly, some fairly extreme overclocking going on. Check out the video below:

Read the full article over on AtomicPC.com.au

GIGABYTE X79-UD7 wins beats the competition to claim ‘Editors Choice’ award at Motherboards.org

Expert motherboard review Mr Ramirez over at motherboards.org has published his in-depth review of our latest Overclocking motherboard, the GIGABYTE X79-UD7 board, and it looks like there’s plenty to shout about. Picking up the ‘Editors Choice’ award, the X79-UD7 put on quite show in the benchmarking dept, where it pushed past against some pretty stiff competition:

“Let me start by saying that with the X79 boards that we’ve tested so far this board has given us the highest scores in most of our benchmarks. In some of our tests the difference was pretty apparent. In particular we got nearly a 300 point difference in 3D Mark 11 and an increase of .63 in Cinebench. This board has shown that it was made to be pushed and it’s no doubt that this is exactly what Gigabyte was going for.”

In conclusion Mr Ramirez gives the X79-UD7 his full endorsement, which I am happy to reproduce here:

“…what Gigabyte has done is given every feature you can think of to really put this board in the stratosphere. With the addition of the WiFi and Blue Tooth card alone this is an amazing board but with everything else Gigabyte has thrown into it this board is just head and shoulders above the others that we’ve tested so far. In my opinion this board is everything that the enthusiast market has been waiting for.

If you’ve been waiting to get in on the X79 this is the best choice that we’ve seen so far and you won’t be disappointed. With all of the incredible features and amazing performance this board is definitely an Editor’s Choice here at Motherboards.Org.”

Catch the full review here on Motherboards.org and full details and specs of the X79-UD7 here on our site.

massman playing with GIGABYTE X79-UD7

It’s that time of the year folks when new hardware arrives and everyone is trying to figure out new bios settings, performance quirks and how to get rid of some early bios bugs.

Massman from HWBOT got his paws on the new X79-UD7 and has started doing just that. It’s an interesting read and a work in progress. Go check it out here.

Video: Linus unboxes the GIGABYTE G1. Assassin 2

Not content to rest on his laurels with his epic deconstruction of our GIGABYTE X79-UD5 board, Linus is again the focus of our attention as he unboxes the top of the line X79 series gaming board; the GIGABYTE G1.Assassin 2 motherboard.

 

 

Great job again Linus. Sweet.

Check here for the G1.Assassin 2 product page. Here for all things GIGABYTE X79 series.

GIGABYTE X79-UD5 unboxed on video by Linus

One of my favorite ways to enjoy a new product, vicariously and from a distance, is to watched it being unboxed. It can be a thoroughly sensual journey through the many layers of a product’s personality. Or at least sometimes it is. Indeed when it comes to the dark arts of product unboxing, our buddy Linus bring his own utterly unique approach to the sport, ploughing through the ceremony as if life itself would grind to a halt if he stopped to draw breath.

Check out this new unboxing video from Linus where he tackles our X79-UD5. It’s a roller coaster ride you’ll hope never ends!

You can learn more about the X79-UD5 here. Our X79 series details are here.

GIGABYTE G1.Assassin 2 claims ‘Editors Choice’ award at TweakTown

Following up on his preview article last week, veteran reviewer Shane Baxtor at TweakTown has now published his full and detailed review of our new gaming behemoth, the GIGABYTE G1.Assassin 2. In case you’ve been outdoors occupying financial districts for the last month or so, let me fill you in on what you’ve missed. The GIGABYTE G1.Assassin 2 is based on the new Intel X79 chipset, supporting Intel’s new i7 Core (aka Sandy Bridge-E) processors and packs a dedicated Creative Sound chip and Killer Networking from Qualcomm/Atheros. He’s a sample of what Shane had to say on the subject:

“The G1.Assassin 2 is like other G1 boards; performance is strong and the feature set is amazing. For so many people that's exactly what you want from a motherboard. This is going to be a popular board from GIGABYTE for a good reason.

If you're looking for a board that focuses on those features that gamers love like the fantastic onboard networking, excellent onboard audio and one button overclock, this is a really attractive option. Throw in other extras like 802.11n Wireless and Bluetooth 4.0 support and you've just got a board that stands out for all the right reasons.”

For the full and detailed article, head on over to TweakTown.

You can find more specs and technical details about the G1.Assassin 2 board here on our site.

Video: Motherboards.org check out our X79-UD3 board

Recognize those hands? Yup…it’s our buddy Elric from motherboards.org. who is back this time all over our newly launched X79-UD3 board. If you want close up peek at the packaging, bundled accessories and of course the board itself, check out the video below:

Cheers Elric…Rock on man!

Sin0822 gets hands on with the GIGABYTE X79-UD7

Power user and expert motherboard reviewer Sin0822 has published an in-depth look at our new Sandy Bridge-E high-end overclocking board, the X79-UD7. As you’d expect from any article written by Sin, there’s lots of detail concerning the design of the board and the individual components we’ve used in the VRM. Well worth a read.

It’s also worth noting that Sin managed to crank his Intel 3960X up to a respectable 4.7GHz without breaking sweat. Check the image below:

But as well as serious overclocking, Sin0822 also took time to consider the overall appeal of the X79-UD7:

“This board is definitely a benching board, built for extreme overclocking, with a very nice feature set. Sure it might live on a test bench, but it can also live out its days inside a nice decked out case (an expensive ATX-XL case at that), and be a fully functioning member of the community. While it has that benching board feel of the X58A-OC it also feels like a 24/7 board like the Z68X-UD7. You might say its a mix of the two but with some extra spice thrown in. This really is how GIGABYTE's LGA1155 UD7 should have been, and I am just glad that GIGABYTE is eventually making the change. One thing that might throw a lot of new users off is the immense amount of PWM options in the BIOS, but there is hope as the 3D BIOS does offer much easier and managed control over the PWM settings. This board is how a proper high-end platform should be done, from its performance to its build, it really is one heck of a board. Its also really fun to work with as well.”

Read the article in full on the Xtremesystems forum here

GIGABYTE X79 OC Guide

Hi guys,

I put together a brief X79 overclocking guide to help clarify some of the new ways of tweaking the platform.

Hardware used:

• GIGABYTE X79-UD7
• Corsair GTX7 16GB (4x4GB)
• Antec HCP1200
• Corsair A70 air cooler (socket 1366 mount)
• Kingston HyperX 2133 kit 8GB (4x2GB)
• Kingston HyperX 120GB SSD & Corsair 90GB
• GIGABYTE GTX470SOC GPU

GIGABYTE X79 OC Guide

Dino

GIGABYTE 3D Power and 3D BIOS caught on Video

Our buddy Cameron from TweakTown was fortunate to see our new X79 motherboards close up and personal late week. Of course two of the most eye-catching features that we were showing off were our new 3D BIOS and 3D Power technologies.

If you’ve not already heard, GIGABYTE 3D BIOS is a new and exciting way to interact with your BIOS based on our new UEFI DualBIOS technology– basically offering a much more simplified and graphical user interface compared traditional BIOS environments. Check out Cameron’s video below, and see our GIGABYTE 3D BIOS for yourself:

GIGABYTE 3D Power is a Windows based app which allows you to tweak our new Digital Power Engine to your heart’s content. This means that you can modify key settings regarding the power delivery to the CPU and memory, tweaking the three key dimensions of power delivery; Voltage, Phase and Frequency. Here’s Cameron’s 3D Power walkthrough:

You can read the articles on TweakTown here and here, and remember, you can find out more about these technologies at the new X79 series website here.

GIGABYTE Sponsors OCAU X79 Competition. Enter to win big!

OCAU (Overclockers Australia Forum) HWBOT team has just put up a massive GIGABYTE X79 competition on the forums. Competition link here

Major prizes are GIGABYTE X79-UD7, X79-UD5, X79-UD3 and 10x Dirt3 Game vouchers. If you’re in Australia go to OCAU site, join the team and enter to win these awesome prizes.

Good luck guys!

GIGABYTE X79 series motherboards officially launched

The day we’ve all been waiting for is finally here, the official X79 series launch. Yes, Today we are launching four X79 motherboards, each with their very own specific flavor. While each of these new boards features a new 3-way digital power engine that uses digital controllers for the processor and dual memory arrays, and pack new GIGABYTE features like 3D Power and the all new 3D BIOS, each board also has specific features that make them perfect for specific kinds of users. Let me me take you on a quick tour of Sandy Bridge-E, GIGABYTE style:

Arguably the pinnacle of our X79 series is aimed at gamers; hardcore gamers that want the absolute best and most immersive 3D gaming experience possible. Welcome to the GIGABYTE G1.Assassin 2 motherboard, the newest addition to our G1-Killer motherboard range. As with all our G1-Killer boards, the G1.Assassin 2 is bedecked with a Creative Digital Audio processor (20K2) which packs X-Fi Xtreme Fideility® and EAX® Advanced HD Audio 5.0 technologies. In terms of networking the G1.Assassin 2 also features the Killer™ E2100 Game Networking Platform for the most optimal online responsiveness and comprehensive control over your network. Also, I should mention 3-way graphics and a unique Killer heat-pipe design!

Check out the G1.Assassin 2 product page for more specs and features.

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In terms of squeezing every last ounce of performance out of Intel’s new enthusiast i7 Core processors, we have the GIGABYTE X79-UD7 motherboard which is designed with the help of our in-house Overclocking guru, HiCookie. The X79-UD7 boasts a 24-phase VRM, support for 4-way SLI and CrossfireX plus a bunch of unique features that will help overclockers set new performance records. These features include onboard and back panel buttons that make BIOS adjustment fast and easy, specially chosen POScaps that make board insulation much more effective, DualBIOS chips with a nifty BIOS switcher button, plus additional graphics power via the SATA PSU rails. Truth be told, this is THE Overclocking board for X79 users.

Check out the GIGABYTE X79-UD7 product page here.

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Next comes our GIGABYTE X79-UD5 motherboard which is designed for professional media creation and workstation builds. With a maxed out DDR3 array that allows enthusiasts to indulge in eight memory modules, the X79-UD5 is built for performance-oriented PCs that deal with memory and CPU intensive workloads. We’ve also added a BIOS switcher and OC buttons on the back panel for a quickly boosting performance even further, should you need it.

Here’s the GIGABYTE X79-UD5 webpage.

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Finally we have the GIGABYTE X79-UD3 board which brings outstanding value to the X79 platform. With support for 4-way graphics and comprehensive connectivity and I/O options, the X79-UD3 brings Sandy Bridge-E to a mainstream audience that craves extreme performance.

See all the GIGABYTE X79-UD3 specs and features in full here.

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You can learn more about our X79 series here on our X79 website, which has a ton of details about our new 3D Power and 3D BIOS technologies too.

You can also find the official press release here.

Eva2000 cranks open the new GIGABYTE X79-UD5, RAM bonanza about to get under way!

Eva2000 is getting back into hardware after a bit of a break. Here is what he’s up to this time.

Intel Sandy Bridge-E LGA2011 based cpus and X79 chipset based motherboards are nearly here. Here’s some preview photos of Gigabyte X79-UD5 motherboard. For more Gigabyte X79-UD5 photos visit the forums.

Getting Close!

As with every new launch, there is always a lot of excitement the closer you get to the actual day. Even for those of us in the industry who have seen more launches than we might care to admit, a new launch can be a bit like Christmas in terms of anticipation. Especially for high end platforms such as X79, as these really push the boundaries in terms of performance and features. Well today, I finally got my own G1.Assassin 2 board, and I can say without a doubt I am one proud Killer-geek. Man, I love my job!

Exclusive GIGABYTE board combo deals on NewEgg

 

Hey guys, just thought to let you all know that NewEgg is running yet another deal, this time with ten cool combos that mean you can save some pretty serious mula for when building your next rig. Of course the two deals that caught our eye included our GIGABYTE GA-Z68M-D2H board. Check out the link here.

NewEgg Combo Deals

GIGABYTE G1. Assassin 2: Previewed on TweakTown

Shane Baxtor from TweakTown certainly seems to have his hands full at this moment. As with any hardcore reviewer prior to a major CPU platform launch, right now Shane should be a busy boy. Nevertheless, he’s taken some time out to take some provocative photos of our GIGABYTE G1.Assassin 2 motherboard and it’s packaging. Just could not help yourself could you Shane….

 

Trot on over to TweakTown for the full blimp.

GIGABYTE wants you... to learn overclocking!

GIGABYTE Extreme Overclocking Workshop has just been announced. This time the LN2 circus is going to Brisvegas (Brisbane, Australia in case you aren’t familiar with the city nickname).

ATOMIC Magazine is taking on registrations right now for lucky 16 overclockers that get to learn how to OC from TeamAU. Rest of registrations that miss out will go into audience registrations yaaaay!

GIGABYTE's hosting an Extreme Overclocking Workshop in Brisbane - and it's open to some lucky Atomicans! This is your chance to learn from the best in the LN2 business!

Do you want to learn the ins and outs of extreme, sub-zero overclocking? Do you want to learn from the best overclockers that Australia has to offer? Do you live in Brisbane?

Well, it's soon going to be your lucky day!

 

TeamAU CREW attending (deanzo, dinos22, SniperOZ, youngpro, eva2000)

EVENT SPONSORS:

Sneak Preview: GIGABYTE X79 Packaging plus 3D Power and 3D BIOS Logos

You’ll be glad to hear that we’ve just got the green light to go ahead and give you a peek behind the curtain at the packaging for our upcoming X79 series motherboards.

 

Above you can see the forthcoming uber-performance X79-UD7 motherboard and its sleek packaging - a board which is heavily geared towards breaking world Overclocking records. Below that there’s our X79-UD5, which is aimed at extreme content and media creation rigs! But of course our X79 series is all about offering motherboard designs for specific user segments, so the range will also include our G1.Assassin 2 motherboard for hardcore gamers, rounded out by our more affordable X79-UD3. You can find packaging images of the full X79 series on our Facebook page here.

We’ve also revealed the logos for our exciting 3D Power and 3D BIOS technologies, both of which will debut on this platform.

Finally, here’s diagram we put together which reveals a little more about the technology that drives our new 3D Power.

 

Sure are exciting times ahead with all four of these boards being launching fairly soon. I hope we didn't get your saliva glands too overworked!

Be sure to check out the entire photo set on our GIGABYTE Motherboard Facebook page. Here’s the album. Don’t forget to ‘Like’ us if you feel so inclined!

GIGABYTE 3D POWER with 3-Way Digital PWM Video

GIGABYTE also has a new power delivery system on the upcoming X79 boards. Stew takes us through various options and features. Check it out!