ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Review

Introduction ASRock Z68 Extreme3

ASRock are very proud of their latest series for the Sandy bridge range the Z86 series motherboard, but they are especially proud of one board in particular, a board we have here today, the ASRock Extreme 3 Gen 3. With Japanese Gold plated caps against all of the black and metal cooling heatsinks on the north and south bridges makes this one of the most attractive, cool looking boards I have seen to date. With the Gen 3 supporting 3-way CrossfireX and Tri-SLI with the supported super fast ASRock XFast Lan feature that boost your whole systems performance, including touch screen BIOS, at this low price tag that gamers and enthusiasts wont blink an eye lid at, makes this motherboard one of the best Sandy Bridge boards on the market.

Features

• Premium Gold Caps (2.5 x longer life time), 100% Japan-made high-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors
• Digi Power, Advanced V8 + 4 Power Phase Design
• 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots, Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX™ and NVIDIA^® Quad SLI™
• Supports Intel^® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals
• Dr. Debug, Smart Switch Design: Power/Reset/Clear CMOS Switch with LED
• Support Intel^® Smart Response, Lucid Virtu Switchable Graphics
• Supports ASRock XFast USB, XFast LAN Technologies
• Supports ASRock On/Off Play, graphical UEFI, ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU)
• Combo Cooler Option (C.C.O.)
• 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec), Supports THX TruStudio™
• Free Bundle : 1 x 3.5mm Audio Cable, CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, ASRock MAGIX Multimedia Suite

First Impressions

After opening this very cool looking box with its brushed metal printed image. The motherboard is inside surrounded and cushioned by foam.



Inside the box, the contents include:

• User manual, Quick Start Guide, Driver CD
• Software: CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, ASRock MAGIX Multimedia Suite
• Crossfire Bridge
• 3.5mm Audio Cable
• 2 x 6GB Sata Cables
• Motherboard BackPlate

The Board

As mentioned in the Introduction, as you can see this board look fantastic, with the Gold “Jap” caps, and the overall black and metal colour scheme, and finished off with that gold triangles on the coolers makes this board really stand out. The board has easy accessible buttons plastered all off it to make your life so much easy when it comes to tuning and performance and maintenance upkeep. I hope you think that board looks great as well?

ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional

Introduction
The battle between Intel and AMD surges on and initial results still show Bulldozer trailing Intel’s Sandy Bridge namely the 2500K and 2600K but the new architecture may have some promise. The debate between single threading and multithreading goes on and on but AMD may be on the right track as we are in a wait and see with next generation multi-cores from AMD. Soon to come Piledriver will show the evolution of AMD’s true multi-core processors but as it may be, Bulldozer looks to take a leap and put AMD back into the performance game.

ASRock, a full line motherboard company, released the Fatal1ty 990FX Professional a few months ago. ASRock looks to make the Fatal1ty series a mainstay for both AMD and Intel platforms and today, it is officially a fan favorite on both sides. With no further ado, let’s jump in and see what this powerhouse motherboard has to offer.

Features

Here are the major features the Fatal1ty 990FX Professional has to offer: Fatal1ty XFast USB Technology - Faster Than Your Imagination! Fatal1ty XFast USB Technology redefines the new standard in high performance computing. Proving once again to be the pioneer in motherboard industry, Fatal1ty XFast USB Series Motherboards integrate with the latest XFast USB Technology which delivers the world's fastest USB data transfer speed. According to the below graph, it shows that the Fatal1ty XFast USB technology can even boost USB 3.0 performance up to 145.05%! XFast LAN Technology ASRock XFast LAN is a smart productivity tool to help you manage your priorities of internet applications, simplify your digital life and accomplish more. The innovative features include : Internet Application Prioritization, Lower Latency in Game, Traffic Shaping and Real-Time Analysis of Your Data. It's the smartest way to control your web programs. LAN Application Prioritization You can configure your application priority ideally and/or and new programs. Lower Latency in Game After setting online game priority higher in XFast LAN, it can lower the latency in game. Traffic Shaping You can watch YouTube HD video and download files simultaneously. Real-Time Analysis of Your Data With the status window, you can easily recognize which data streams you are currently transferring. AM3+ 8-Core Processor Support This board is designed to build up the most powerful system and delivers the most demanding technology for users nowadays. Just enjoy next generation computing with ASRock 8-Core CPU Ready motherboard. Digital PWM Design Digital Pulse-width modulation By adopting digital pulse-width modulation (PWM), the Fatal1ty Series can provide CPU Vcore voltage more efficiently and smoothly. Compared to analog PWM, digital PWM can optimize the CPU power solution and provide a proper and stable Vcore for the processor. C.C.R. (Combo Cooler Retention Module) The unique combo cooler retention module greatly improves heat dissipation and is backward compatible with AMD previous AM3/AM2+ coolers. Dual LAN - Teaming Dual LAN with Teaming function enabled on this motherboard allows two single connections to act as one single connection for twice the transmission bandwidth, making data transmission more effective. Fatal1ty Mouse Port Fatal1ty Mouse Port is a customizable technology for PC gamers that is a part of F-Stream. After plugging the USB mouse into the Fatal1ty Mouse Port and running F-Stream, gamers can use Fatal1ty’s personal preferred mouse polling rate at 500 Hz. F-Stream also provides the flexibility for gamers to adjust the mouse polling rate from 125 Hz to 1000 Hz. This is helpful for professional gamers to experience smoother game play and faster response time to the mouse. Premium Gold Caps All the capacitors on the Fatal1ty Series gaming motherboard are luxury, Premium Gold Caps. These 100% Japan-made solid capacitors are sleek, high gloss caps with a premium gold coating representing long life and stable performance. V12+2 CPU Power Phase The Fatal1ty Series motherboard is designed with a V12+2 Power Phase, featuring sturdy components and completely smooth power delivery to the CPU. The Fatal1ty Series offers unmatched overclocking capability and enhanced performance with the lowest temperatures for PC gaming enthusiasts. ATI™ CrossFireX Technology CrossFireX is a brand name for ATI™ Technologies multi-GPU solution. The technology allows a pair of graphics cards to be used in a single computer to improve graphics performance. NVIDIA® SLI Ready SLI is a brand name for NVIDIA® multi-GPU solution. The technology allows a pair of graphics cards to be used in a single computer to improve graphics performance. THX TruStudio THX TruStudio is specially designed to bring the same great audio experience found in live performances, films, and recording studios to the PC. On/Off Play Technology Even when the system is powered off (in ACPI S5 mode), On/Off Play Technology still allows users to enjoy the great audio experience from the portable audio devices through the PC speaker. Turbo UCC Turbo UCC technology provides you an all-in-one solution to unlock the hidden cpu cores in the CPU, get the amazing system performance boost by auto-overclocking, and running the system in a certainly lower power consumption level as well. When you press "X" when switch on the computer, the system will automatically reboot itself, after that, the system will execute the Turbo UCC function. Enabling Turbo UCC, it will automatically help you to unlock the extra CPU core to enjoy an instant performance boost, and the system performance will boost up by overclocking CPU frequency, memory frequency and all related voltage settings! Different from normal high-energy consumption for overclocking or system upgrading process, ASRock Turbo UCC can allow an energy-saving overclocking or system upgrade computing operation! Free Bundle - Cyberlink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 trial now supports hardware transcoding and is optimized to accelerate conversion of all your favorite media files for your favorite portable players. Now you can easily display your favorite movies, songs and photos on iPhone, iPad, PSP, Xbox, Youtube, Facebook etc. Compile, convert and enjoy images and songs as much as you want and enhance your videos to new levels with TrueTheater Technology. Fatal1ty F-Stream – The All-in-1 Tuning Software The Fatal1ty F-Stream tuning program is an all-in-1 software utility that supports overclocking and hard-ware tuning such as energy usage, H/W monitor, fan speed control and Fatal1ty Mouse Port Configuration. In Hardware Monitor, it shows the major readings of your system. In Fan Control, it shows the fan speed and temperature for you to adjust. In Overclocking, you are allowed to adjust the CPU frequency, ratio and some voltages for optimal system performance. In Mouse Polling, gamers can freely adjust the mouse polling rate. In Energy Saving, the voltage regulator can reduce the number of output phases to improve efficiency when the CPU cores are idle without sacrificing computing performance. Graphical UEFI – The Revolutionary BIOS Interface Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is a revolutionary BIOS utility which offers tweak-friendly options in an advanced viewing interface. Compared with traditional BIOS design, the latest UEFI utility provides lots improved functions. The major features of UEFI include: 1. Graphical Visual Experience – UEFI provides an improved visual interface with colorful icons and makes your computing environment more versatile to replace the traditional dull BIOS page. 2. Mouse Enabling – Besides keyboard control, you can freely use mouse to select your ideal settings in UEFI as well. 3. Supports 3TB bootable HDD* - UEFI breaks the limitations of 2TB bootable HDD on traditional BIOS. With UEFI, you can enjoy 3TB bootable HDD.

Five $160 To $240 990FX-Based Socket AM3+ Motherboards

Forty-two PCIe lanes give the 990FX a clear connectivity lead over competing Intel chipsets. We compare five class-leading products using AMD's FX-8150 to see which offers the best combination of performance, overclocking, integrated features, and value.

When it comes to the popularity of our stories, CPUs run second only to new graphics cards (which seem to get everyone's blood pumping the fastest). Motherboards fall behind quite a ways. That's a shame though, because the right board is an absolute necessity for connecting processors to GPUs, and every other components inside your machine.

This is where AMD gives a lot of love to its customers, whereas Intel tends to skimp more often. Nowhere is the difference between both company's mainstream parts more evident than in the chipset segment. The 990FX's 42 total PCIe 2.0 lanes provide a lot more potential throughput than Intel's popular Z68 Express, which is limited to 16 lanes from the CPU and a handful more on the Platform Controller Hub.

Of course, a fan of Intel's work could argue against the need for 42 lanes of second-gen PCIe when the 36 native to X58 Express support multi-card graphics configurations just as capably. But such a comparison really isn't necessary. After all, we've known for almost a year that Intel’s lower-cost Sandy Bridge-based part outperform the pricey six-core Gulftown-based processors in many desktop benchmarks, including pretty much every gaming scenario we throw at the two platforms.

And, it just so happens that Intel's mainstream (and multiplier-unlocked) Core i5 and Core i7 chips are more in the same league as AMD's most expensive enthusiast-oriented FX CPU.

The Importance Of PCIe

Gaming is where the Sandy Bridge architecture most easily proves that you don't need a thousand-dollar processor to turn in the best frame rates, and that's in spite of the 16 lanes built into each CPU's die. We've even seen situations where an NF200 bridge soldered down onto a Sandy Bridge-based motherboard enables performance just as compelling as a high-end LGA 1366 configuration. The thing is, a Z68 or P67 platform's 24 total PCIe 2.0 lanes aren't explicitly set aside for graphics cards. They have to handle every device attaching via PCI Express, including network and storage controllers.

We’ve even tested a few "enthusiast-class" Sandy Bridge-based motherboards so loaded with features that simply installing an add-in card forced certain slots or on-board controllers to become disabled. That doesn’t sound like a solution a power user would willingly accept to us.

As of this moment, enthusiasts who need more connectivity than the LGA 1155 platform offers are left to choose between “upgrading” to one of Intel’s older LGA 1366 platforms, paying extra for a motherboard with bandwidth-sharing PCIe bridges, or shifting to a platform with more native PCI Express, a wider range of unlocked processors and prices, several times the reference clock overclocking headroom for locked processors, and a downright respectable chipset: AMD’s high-flying 990FX.

Info distributor peripheral komputer di yogyakarta

E Media Devices(eMD)

Address :Pandega Wreksa No. 13B Yogyakarta
Telp : 0274 520205
ym : emd_didi
periperal: AMD, Creative, ECS dan X-mini capsul speaker

SHC komputer

Address :Jl Bugisan Gg Madubronto 15, Patangpuluhan, WiroBrajan YOGYAKARTA 55251
Telp: 0274-7412333, 0274-414560, 0274-414650
periperal: Mentari, Biostar

Megacom Alfa pratama

Address :Perum Taman Griya Indah Tahap VI/D1
Telp : (0274) - 580967
periperal:DA,Thermatakae,dll

DPJ (Dinamika Perkasa Jaya)

Address :Gg Pandega Mandala 23 Jakal KM 5,5
Telp : 0274 551144, 0274 554499
periperal:His, Foxconn, DFI, G.Skill, Muscle Power, Point Of View (POV), Xigmatex, dll

HYEM (HYper End Media)

Address :Jl. Perumnas Condongsari D6A, Condongcatur, Seturan, Depok, Sleman, Jogja
Telp: 0274 4333444
ym : hyem_toko indra_hyem
periperal: Abit, Silsverstone psu

Astrindo Sentana

Address :Ruko Casa Grande 25 Jl. Ring Road Utara, Maguwoharjo Depok, Sleman
Telp/Fax: (0274) 871065 / (0274)871026 Ext. 123
Email : sales-yogya@astrindo.co.id
periperal: Asus, Asrock, Byon, Intel, Sennheiser, Qnap, Collermaster, Sapphire

Nusantara eradata (NE)

Address :Jl. Sri Gunting No. 2, Demangan Baru (belakang atmajaya)
Telp: (0274) 514 386, 553 384
Fax: (0274) 514 386
periperal: Gigabyte, Kingstone, Jetway, Mitsumi

SIStech kharisma

Address :Jl. Pandean Sari Blok I No.3, Condong Catur, Yogyakarta
periperal: Apple, Samsung, WDC, O2, dopod,dll

Atlas buana jaya

Address :Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto No. 88. Jogjakarta
Telp : 0274 619687 / 619831/ 619700
periperal: MSI, LG, Acer, Zyrex, Axioo,SMC,dll

Sumber Mentari Eraglobal PT

Address : Jl Laksda Adi Sucipto Km 8 46,Caturnunggal,Depok YOGYAKARTA 55281
Telp: 0274 485111 - 0274 489903 - 0274 7491888
Fax : 0274 485111
periperal:Biostar

Asiaraya

Address : Jl Godean KM4 perumahan taman griya indah III blok H no 195
Telp : 0274 - 622 195, 622 295
Fax : 0274 - 622 346
E-mail / YM : asiarayayk@yahoo.com
periperal: HIS, ZOTAC, ADATA, VENOM RXz dan INTEL

  

ALENTA COMPUTAMA

Address :  JL. CEMPAKA MAS NO.6, DERESAN YOGYAKARTA / DIY
Telp : +62-274-517077
Fax :+62-274-557388
periperal: Thermaltake

Mohon maaf jika ada kesalahan informasi sebelumnya...