ASRock Z77 Fatal1ty Professional Overview
Ivy Bridge finally arrived not long ago. ASRock Z77 Fatal1ty Professional has been a bit mixed so far as it has not shown the increase in performance most were hoping for, not to mention Ivy runs much hotter than its older sibling Sandy Bridge. Intel traditionally has used a different socket with new introductions but that is not the case with Ivy Bridge.
Socket 1155 stays around for the time being, and the Z77 chipset supports both Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge and that is welcome by all. The Z77 chipset evolves from the Z68 chipset and we see new and improved features such as PCIe 3.0 and USB 3.0 stepping into today’s millennium.
Overview :
Specifications :
Motherboard Cooler Option :(C.C.O.)
Graphics: Built-in Visuals
Graphics Output: DVI-D, D-Sub, HDMI, DisplayPort
Dual Channel: DDR3 2800+(OC)
Bundle: MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, ASRock MAGIX Multimedia Suite Trial,
USB: USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen1 Bracket
Uses: ASRock XFast RAM, XFast LAN, XFast USB, Internet Flash, UEFI System Browser.
The battle intensifies between all the motherboard manufacturers for market share with the onslaught of Z77 motherboards and we have been working overtime to check so many out. We have seen a robust number but surprisingly, all the manufacturers are stepping up their game as far as looks and innovative features beyond our expectations.
ASUS, ASRock, and Gigabyte have always been the names the vast market congregates around but Biostar, Sapphire, and EliteGroup all have also made strong showings with the Z77 motherboards. Many questions arise about which manufacturer and model are best for the end user.
ASRock, a full-line motherboard company and our fan favorite, has released the Z77 Fatal1ty motherboard series. The Fatal1ty branding is ASRock’s gaming series whose spokesperson is Jonathan Wendel, a world-known pro gamer.
This time around, ASRock has a three-tier product in the Fatal1ty Z77 motherboards up its sleeve for the Fatal1ty series. It looks like ASRock has a good strategy that would really give a rounded choice for gamers.
Let’s not waste more time and get the ASRock Fatal1ty Professional to the test bench and see what it has in store.
Features & Characteristics :
With the launch of Socket 1155 came the H67 and P67 chipsets, H67 was geared to the budget-oriented consumer, with onboard graphics and no overclocking abilities. P67, on the other hand, employed only discrete graphics but came with high-performance overclocking capabilities. Each had pros and cons, and users were essentially forced to make a choice when going with a new hotrod Sandy Bridge processor.
The launch of the Z68 chipset changed that approach, as users can now benefit from the best of both worlds. The simple explanation is the Z68 is a hybrid of both H67 and P67, bringing onboard graphics and high-performance overclocking in a single package.
Recently, Intel launched the Z68 Gen.3 chipset. These motherboards are compatible with both Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge with a bios flash. The Z68 Gen.3 features PCIE 3.0 with one exception: Ivy Bridge operates with PCIE 3.0. But Sandy Bridge works at 2.0.
Z77 CHIPSET
Here we are today, the Z77 chipset is here. Actually, Intel has 3 chipset controller hubs, the Z77 and Z75, and H77. The significant differences between the 3 chipsets are not much but the Z77 boasts more PCI slots while the Z75 sacrifices Intel Smart Response Technology( SSD Caching) as the H77 has no overclocking ability (Just as the H67).
Now, as far as Z77 vs Z68 goes, let’s start with the most noticeable difference. The PCIe lanes can be split into different configurations, 16 x 1/ 2 x8 or x8/ x4, x4. This configuration is only available on the Z77 as the Z75 breaks them into 1 x 16x and 2 x 8x all with PCIE 3.0. The Z77 chipset also supports 3 independent displays along with 4 USB 3.0 ports and 10 USB 2.0 support.
Z68 CHIPSET
The Z68 chipset had no USB 3.0 support but boasted 14 x USB 2.0 ports. Both chipsets run dual channels and another noticeable upgrade is memory native speed increased from 1333MHz to 1600MHz. The upgrades are substantial to most.
Let’s take a look at Ivy Bridge next to better understand where this board is coming from, and what it means for those looking to upgrade.
Conclusion:
The ASRock Z77 Fatal1ty Professional is a high-performance motherboard designed for gamers. It has a wide range of connectivity options like vigorous and excellent overclocking capabilities. With support for multi-GPU setups, USB 3.0, and Thunderbolt, the Z77 Fatal1ty Professional is a solid choice for those looking to build a powerful gaming rig or a high-end workstation.