{"video_id":"oPNVgZwQq58","title":"Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 mATX Gaming Motherboard Unboxing & First Look Linus Tech Tips","channel":"Linus Tech Tips","show":"Linus Tech Tips","published_at":"2012-05-07T14:53:29Z","duration_s":494,"segments":[{"start_s":7.359,"end_s":12.2,"text":"Welcome to my unboxing and first look at a product that is actually very","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":11.12,"end_s":17.279,"text":"exciting. Now, the whole performance microATX","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":15.44,"end_s":24.0,"text":"motherboard thing, I guess I'd have to say, was really started by EVGA back in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":20.0,"end_s":27.32,"text":"the socket 939 days. So they had their","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":24.0,"end_s":31.679,"text":"SLI motherboard which was","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":27.32,"end_s":31.679,"text":"using shoot what chipset was","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":32.92,"end_s":40.96,"text":"that? Wow. It fails me at this point but whatever. Okay. So they they had a truly","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":38.64,"end_s":46.96,"text":"performanceoriented um microATX motherboard which was later","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":44.879,"end_s":53.44,"text":"sort of the concept of which was later copied by DFI and then uh and then ASUS","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":51.6,"end_s":60.079,"text":"got on board with their Gene series of motherboards and now finally Gigabyte","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":55.6,"end_s":61.84,"text":"has a truly legitimate high-end MATX","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":60.079,"end_s":66.0,"text":"board. So this has all the usual features. So we'll start with what they","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":63.199,"end_s":70.24,"text":"got on the front here. So, this is a Z77 board, which means we do have support","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":67.2,"end_s":72.799,"text":"for Virtue MVP, third generation Intel","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":70.24,"end_s":78.72,"text":"Core series processors, i3s, i5s, and i7s, including support for PCI Express","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":75.6,"end_s":81.2,"text":"3.0. It is SLI and Crossfire X ready,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":78.72,"end_s":84.96,"text":"meaning if you're running a 7970, which I happen to have one of over there, or a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":83.119,"end_s":90.24,"text":"GTX 680, which I happen to have one of over there. Those are PCI Express 3.0","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":87.439,"end_s":96.24,"text":"ready graphics cards that will run in SLI and Crossfire with double the usual","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":92.56,"end_s":100.0,"text":"bandwidth. So PCIe 38X and 8X will be","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":96.24,"end_s":102.079,"text":"equivalent to PCIe 2.0, 16X, 16X. We've","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":100.0,"end_s":106.72,"text":"also got their patent pending 3D power as well as 3D BIOS. So that's their dual","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":104.079,"end_s":111.119,"text":"UEFI BIOSes. So that's two independent chips. And then their 3D power is their","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":109.04,"end_s":114.56,"text":"all digital power delivery system that they're using on this board. What else","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":112.56,"end_s":119.6,"text":"we got here? Super Speed. So we're using Intel Gigabit","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":116.04,"end_s":121.6,"text":"Ethernet. We have SATA 3, USB 3, and 3X","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":119.6,"end_s":124.479,"text":"power. This has been a popular marketing scheme for Gigabyte since they","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":122.96,"end_s":128.08,"text":"introduced it. And I think it's awesome because yeah, it means you got all the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":126.479,"end_s":130.879,"text":"highest speed interfaces. And the three times power thing is cool because it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":129.52,"end_s":136.0,"text":"means that you can deliver up to three times the amount of power through a single port as you can with a standard","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":134.48,"end_s":139.84,"text":"port, which allows you to run more devices off of a single port, which is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":137.52,"end_s":145.36,"text":"cool. Okay. Super Hearing Creative Sound Core 3D. So, they do have a dedicated","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":142.72,"end_s":149.599,"text":"section of the PCB for their uh for their headphone amplified","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":147.4,"end_s":154.239,"text":"sound. What else we got here? Super Shield. So, four smart fan connectors,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":151.599,"end_s":159.92,"text":"multiple GPU support, Lucid Virt Lucid Virtue MVP. So, Virtue MVP is the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":157.68,"end_s":164.28,"text":"upgraded version of Lucid Virtue that comes with the Z77 platform. So, you've","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":163.04,"end_s":170.16,"text":"got their um Virtual VSYNC as well as some","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":167.44,"end_s":175.28,"text":"performance improvements and less of a performance hit when using Virtue uh","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":173.2,"end_s":178.8,"text":"versus just using a dedicated graphics card card compared to previous","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":176.64,"end_s":182.72,"text":"generation products. All right, we got so we got the poster I showed you.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":180.64,"end_s":186.8,"text":"Here's some, you know, stickers that I guess you might think are cool. Uh,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":184.879,"end_s":190.4,"text":"here's a user's manual as well as an installation DVD, which you can not use","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":188.959,"end_s":193.76,"text":"and download latest off the Gigabyte website as find as well as finally a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":192.0,"end_s":199.44,"text":"multilingual installation guide book. We've got six SATA cables, uh, three","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":196.64,"end_s":205.28,"text":"right angle and three straight. We have a black flexible SLI cable, the very","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":202.4,"end_s":209.76,"text":"best kind, and we have an IO shield with everything conveniently labeled. Next we","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":208.0,"end_s":216.2,"text":"have the motherboard itself. Gigabyte has done a fant seriously like the old","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":212.4,"end_s":219.44,"text":"Gigabyte is just out of sight, out of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":216.2,"end_s":223.36,"text":"mind for me at this point because the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":219.44,"end_s":225.519,"text":"new Gigabyte which seems to be all about","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":223.36,"end_s":233.28,"text":"wicked awesome color schemes, great aesthetics, as well as their stable","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":228.879,"end_s":235.76,"text":"highquality design is just yeah way very","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":233.28,"end_s":239.68,"text":"much improved and I love it. So check out this board. It looks fantastic.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":237.599,"end_s":245.28,"text":"We've got a stylish looking heat sink. No guns, no bullets, just a sleek","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":243.04,"end_s":249.519,"text":"overall look. Four pin power connector up here. Now, some people have uh in our","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":247.92,"end_s":252.72,"text":"assembly department actually commented on the four pin power connector in spite","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":251.2,"end_s":257.519,"text":"of this being a performance board to which I said, \"Come on, guys. The","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":254.48,"end_s":260.72,"text":"platform the highest TDP CPU on it is a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":257.519,"end_s":263.44,"text":"95 watt TDP CPU. We're not talking, you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":260.72,"end_s":268.24,"text":"know, high power consumption here.\" And I thought it was silly back when we were","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":265.6,"end_s":272.24,"text":"putting dual eight pins on 1155 boards. Anyway, a four pin is going to be just","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":270.479,"end_s":277.28,"text":"fine. Don't worry about it. All right, so there is your digital power delivery,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":274.639,"end_s":282.8,"text":"uh, your four pin power as well as your four DIMs supporting dual channel","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":279.6,"end_s":284.96,"text":"memory. So remember guys, with Z77 as","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":282.8,"end_s":288.88,"text":"well as third generation Core series processors, we do find it easier to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":287.52,"end_s":294.0,"text":"overclock the memory and get high frequencies out of your memory. So, if you wanted to invest in a higherend","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":291.759,"end_s":298.4,"text":"memory kit, I guess now's as good a time as any. Your 24 pin connectors in its","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":296.479,"end_s":302.479,"text":"ideal location along the right hand edge and your front USB 3.0 header is right","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":301.12,"end_s":307.84,"text":"about here. Remember guys, this is running off the dedicated Intel USB 3","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":305.6,"end_s":311.919,"text":"that is built in to the Intel chipset. These are no longer running off of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":309.28,"end_s":316.24,"text":"third-party chipsets. Here we have two SATA 3 6 Gbit per second ports running","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":314.08,"end_s":320.8,"text":"off the Intel chipset as well as three SATA 2 3 Gbit per second ports also","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":318.72,"end_s":327.199,"text":"running off the Intel chipset. The sixth one running off the chipset is right","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":322.8,"end_s":329.28,"text":"there on the back panel. And yeah. Okay.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":327.199,"end_s":334.32,"text":"Uh we'll cover the fan headers later. Here's your front panel connectors as","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":330.8,"end_s":337.039,"text":"well as your um increased power front","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":334.32,"end_s":340.88,"text":"USB 2 header. So, you want to plug that into your front USB 2 as opposed to the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":338.96,"end_s":345.199,"text":"other ones here because it'll allow you to quickly charge even a high draw","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":342.88,"end_s":349.199,"text":"device such as an iPad. Here are two regular USB 2 front panel headers as","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":347.12,"end_s":353.68,"text":"well as the trusted platform module and front panel audio. You can see the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":350.88,"end_s":359.12,"text":"dedicated section of the PCB is right over here, which is good. Okay. PCI","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":357.12,"end_s":365.199,"text":"Express slot layout. So, this is a 16x slot. This is an You got to be kidding","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":363.039,"end_s":370.08,"text":"me. Really? Oh, that's a very strange layout. Okay. Well, this is a PCIe 16X","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":368.0,"end_s":374.8,"text":"slot that is only wired for 4x. So, this is going to be the one that is not","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":371.68,"end_s":376.08,"text":"preferable to use. Um, especially if you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":374.8,"end_s":380.479,"text":"aren't running a third generation processor. This one is wired for 8x. So,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":378.56,"end_s":383.84,"text":"if you're running Crossfire or SLI, these two are going to give you the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":382.0,"end_s":388.16,"text":"ideal bandwidth split. This guy's running at PCIe 1x. I never actually","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":386.56,"end_s":393.84,"text":"covered the socket. So whether you're running Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, or","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":390.479,"end_s":396.08,"text":"even um yeah, Sandy Bridge or Ivy","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":393.84,"end_s":399.84,"text":"Bridge, this will have full support including the onboard GPU, which brings","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":398.4,"end_s":406.84,"text":"us around to the back of the board where we've got 1 2 3 4 USB 2.0 ports, a PS2","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":403.759,"end_s":410.8,"text":"port. I still do like to see this VGA,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":406.84,"end_s":413.039,"text":"DVI, DisplayPort, as well as HDMI","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":410.8,"end_s":417.84,"text":"output. So you have the full range of outputs. Remember the uh the IGP on the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":416.0,"end_s":423.039,"text":"third generation core processors actually supports three monitors out","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":420.479,"end_s":428.56,"text":"which is very very cool. E SATA, two more USB 3.0 ports uh provided by the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":425.759,"end_s":434.08,"text":"Intel chipset, a an Intel gigabit Ethernet as well as 7.1 audio out","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":431.36,"end_s":438.479,"text":"including optical audio out. On the back of the board, we find your typical back","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":436.24,"end_s":442.0,"text":"plate and that is a matte black PCB. I know I've stopped commenting on it as","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":439.919,"end_s":446.96,"text":"much these days, but that doesn't mean I like it any less. matte black PCB is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":444.479,"end_s":452.72,"text":"still the way to go. Aha, the fan headers. So, we've got 1 2 3 four four","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":450.24,"end_s":456.88,"text":"pin PWM fan headers. And I think that pretty much covers it. So, if you're","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":454.24,"end_s":462.16,"text":"putting together an MATX performance rig with the new IV Bridge CPU and some kind","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":460.0,"end_s":466.319,"text":"of combination of high-end graphics and an SSD and all kinds, oh, right, Intel","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":464.639,"end_s":470.639,"text":"SRT technology. If you don't want to run a dedicated SSD for your boot drive, you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":468.639,"end_s":474.8,"text":"can still use your SSD as a cache. that is supported as part of the Z77","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":473.199,"end_s":479.599,"text":"platform. And I don't even see anything about it on the box. Oh, yeah, there it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":476.4,"end_s":481.199,"text":"is. See, easy smart response. Gigabytes","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":479.599,"end_s":485.28,"text":"way of setting up smart response is actually easier than anyone else's by a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":483.68,"end_s":488.72,"text":"long shot. It's basically like a one-touch setup to get everything","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":487.199,"end_s":495.52,"text":"running. So, thank you for checking out this unboxing and don't forget to subscribe to Linus Tech Tips for more","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":491.52,"end_s":495.52,"text":"unboxings, reviews, and other comput","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"Welcome to my unboxing and first look at a product that is actually very exciting. Now, the whole performance microATX motherboard thing, I guess I'd have to say, was really started by EVGA back in the socket 939 days. So they had their SLI motherboard which was using shoot what chipset was that? Wow. It fails me at this point but whatever. Okay. So they they had a truly performanceoriented um microATX motherboard which was later sort of the concept of which was later copied by DFI and then uh and then ASUS got on board with their Gene series of motherboards and now finally Gigabyte has a truly legitimate high-end MATX board. So this has all the usual features. So we'll start with what they got on the front here. So, this is a Z77 board, which means we do have support for Virtue MVP, third generation Intel Core series processors, i3s, i5s, and i7s, including support for PCI Express 3.0. It is SLI and Crossfire X ready, meaning if you're running a 7970, which I happen to have one of over there, or a GTX 680, which I happen to have one of over there. Those are PCI Express 3.0 ready graphics cards that will run in SLI and Crossfire with double the usual bandwidth. So PCIe 38X and 8X will be equivalent to PCIe 2.0, 16X, 16X. We've also got their patent pending 3D power as well as 3D BIOS. So that's their dual UEFI BIOSes. So that's two independent chips. And then their 3D power is their all digital power delivery system that they're using on this board. What else we got here? Super Speed. So we're using Intel Gigabit Ethernet. We have SATA 3, USB 3, and 3X power. This has been a popular marketing scheme for Gigabyte since they introduced it. And I think it's awesome because yeah, it means you got all the highest speed interfaces. And the three times power thing is cool because it means that you can deliver up to three times the amount of power through a single port as you can with a standard port, which allows you to run more devices off of a single port, which is cool. Okay. Super Hearing Creative Sound Core 3D. So, they do have a dedicated section of the PCB for their uh for their headphone amplified sound. What else we got here? Super Shield. So, four smart fan connectors, multiple GPU support, Lucid Virt Lucid Virtue MVP. So, Virtue MVP is the upgraded version of Lucid Virtue that comes with the Z77 platform. So, you've got their um Virtual VSYNC as well as some performance improvements and less of a performance hit when using Virtue uh versus just using a dedicated graphics card card compared to previous generation products. All right, we got so we got the poster I showed you. Here's some, you know, stickers that I guess you might think are cool. Uh, here's a user's manual as well as an installation DVD, which you can not use and download latest off the Gigabyte website as find as well as finally a multilingual installation guide book. We've got six SATA cables, uh, three right angle and three straight. We have a black flexible SLI cable, the very best kind, and we have an IO shield with everything conveniently labeled. Next we have the motherboard itself. Gigabyte has done a fant seriously like the old Gigabyte is just out of sight, out of mind for me at this point because the new Gigabyte which seems to be all about wicked awesome color schemes, great aesthetics, as well as their stable highquality design is just yeah way very much improved and I love it. So check out this board. It looks fantastic. We've got a stylish looking heat sink. No guns, no bullets, just a sleek overall look. Four pin power connector up here. Now, some people have uh in our assembly department actually commented on the four pin power connector in spite of this being a performance board to which I said, \"Come on, guys. The platform the highest TDP CPU on it is a 95 watt TDP CPU. We're not talking, you know, high power consumption here.\" And I thought it was silly back when we were putting dual eight pins on 1155 boards. Anyway, a four pin is going to be just fine. Don't worry about it. All right, so there is your digital power delivery, uh, your four pin power as well as your four DIMs supporting dual channel memory. So remember guys, with Z77 as well as third generation Core series processors, we do find it easier to overclock the memory and get high frequencies out of your memory. So, if you wanted to invest in a higherend memory kit, I guess now's as good a time as any. Your 24 pin connectors in its ideal location along the right hand edge and your front USB 3.0 header is right about here. Remember guys, this is running off the dedicated Intel USB 3 that is built in to the Intel chipset. These are no longer running off of third-party chipsets. Here we have two SATA 3 6 Gbit per second ports running off the Intel chipset as well as three SATA 2 3 Gbit per second ports also running off the Intel chipset. The sixth one running off the chipset is right there on the back panel. And yeah. Okay. Uh we'll cover the fan headers later. Here's your front panel connectors as well as your um increased power front USB 2 header. So, you want to plug that into your front USB 2 as opposed to the other ones here because it'll allow you to quickly charge even a high draw device such as an iPad. Here are two regular USB 2 front panel headers as well as the trusted platform module and front panel audio. You can see the dedicated section of the PCB is right over here, which is good. Okay. PCI Express slot layout. So, this is a 16x slot. This is an You got to be kidding me. Really? Oh, that's a very strange layout. Okay. Well, this is a PCIe 16X slot that is only wired for 4x. So, this is going to be the one that is not preferable to use. Um, especially if you aren't running a third generation processor. This one is wired for 8x. So, if you're running Crossfire or SLI, these two are going to give you the ideal bandwidth split. This guy's running at PCIe 1x. I never actually covered the socket. So whether you're running Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, or even um yeah, Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge, this will have full support including the onboard GPU, which brings us around to the back of the board where we've got 1 2 3 4 USB 2.0 ports, a PS2 port. I still do like to see this VGA, DVI, DisplayPort, as well as HDMI output. So you have the full range of outputs. Remember the uh the IGP on the third generation core processors actually supports three monitors out which is very very cool. E SATA, two more USB 3.0 ports uh provided by the Intel chipset, a an Intel gigabit Ethernet as well as 7.1 audio out including optical audio out. On the back of the board, we find your typical back plate and that is a matte black PCB. I know I've stopped commenting on it as much these days, but that doesn't mean I like it any less. matte black PCB is still the way to go. Aha, the fan headers. So, we've got 1 2 3 four four pin PWM fan headers. And I think that pretty much covers it. So, if you're putting together an MATX performance rig with the new IV Bridge CPU and some kind of combination of high-end graphics and an SSD and all kinds, oh, right, Intel SRT technology. If you don't want to run a dedicated SSD for your boot drive, you can still use your SSD as a cache. that is supported as part of the Z77 platform. And I don't even see anything about it on the box. Oh, yeah, there it is. See, easy smart response. Gigabytes way of setting up smart response is actually easier than anyone else's by a long shot. It's basically like a one-touch setup to get everything running. So, thank you for checking out this unboxing and don't forget to subscribe to Linus Tech Tips for more unboxings, reviews, and other comput"}