The GA-The GA-X58-USB3 was designed specifically to take advantage of the raw power of the next generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor and the Intel® X58 Express chipset, whose new evolution in computing architecture is able to deliver an amazing performance break through from past processor generations. Replacing the Front Side Bus is the new Quick Path Interconnect, or QPI, whose 25.6 GB/sec transfer rates (double the bandwidth of the 1600MHz FSB) eliminates the communication bottleneck between the processor and chipset.
The GIGABYTE motherboard support the latest generation SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology made possible through an onboard NEC uPD720200 host controller. With superfast transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps, users are able to experience an almost a 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. The onboard NEC SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology also provides new power management features that include increased maximum bus power and device current draw to better accommodate power hungry devices. GIGABYTE motherboard feature a 3x USB power boost, delivering greater compatibility and extra power for USB devices.
GIGABYTE’s unique USB power design is also able to efficiently regulate output over the full voltage range, which greatly enhances USB device compatibility. In addition, dedicated lower resistance fuses ensure lower voltage drops, and provide more stable and plentiful power delivery. Flexible graphics capabilities – Delivering both CrossFireX™ and way SLI™ support, providing the ultimate in graphics performance for gaming enthusiasts who demand the highest frame rates without compromising on resolution. GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 design, featuring 2 ounces of copper for both the Power and Ground layers which dramatically lowers system temperature by delivering a more efficient spreading of heat from critical areas of the motherboard such as the CPU power zone throughout the entire PCB.
GIGABYTE's Ultra Durable 3 also lowers the PCB impedance by 50%, which helps to reduce electrical waste and further lowers component temperatures. A 2oz Copper layer design also provides improved signal quality and lower EMI (Electromagnetic Interference), providing better system stability and allowing for greater margins for overclocking.
Specification :
CPU
1. Support for an Intel® Core™ i7 series processor in the LGA1366 package (Go to GIGABYTE’s website for the latest CPU support list.)
2. L3 cache varies with CPU
QPI
1. 4.8GT/s, 6.4GT/s
Chipset
1. North Bridge: Intel® X58 Express Chipset
2. South Bridge: Intel® ICH10R
Memory
1. 6 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 24 GB of system memory (Note 1)
2. Dual/3 channel memory architecture
3. Support for DDR3 2200/1333/1066/800 MHz memory modules
4. Support for non-ECC memory modules
5. Support for Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory modules
Audio
1. Realtek ALC892 codec
2. High Definition Audio
3. 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
4. Support for Dolby® Home Theater
5. Support for S/PDIF In/Out
6. Support for CD In
LAN
1. 1 x Realtek RTL8111E chip (10/100/1000 Mbit)
Expansion Slots
1. 2 x PCI Express x16 slots, running at x16 (PCIEX16_1/PCIEX16_2) (Note 2)
(The PCIEX16_1 and PCIEX16_2 slots conform to PCI Express 2.0 standard.)
2. 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x4 (PCIEX4_1) (Note 3)
3. 3 x PCI Express x1 slots
4. 1 x PCI slot
Multi-Graphics Technology
1. Support for ATI CrossFireX™/NVIDIA SLI technology
Technology (The PCIEX16_1 and PCIEX16_2 slots only.)
Storage Interface South Bridge:
1. 6 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors supporting up to 6 SATA 3Gb/s devices
2. Support for SATA RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10
USB Integrated in the South Bridge:
1. Up to 12 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (6 on the back panel, 6 via the USB brackets connected to the internal USB headers)
NEC chip:
1. Up to 2 USB 3.0/2.0 ports on the back panel
USB 3.0 10x performance is a maximum theoretical value. Actual performance may vary by system configuration.
Internal I/O Connectors
1. 1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector
2. 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
3. 6 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors
4. 1 x CPU fan header
5. 3 x system fan headers
6. 1 x power fan header
7. 1 x North Bridge fan header
8. 1 x front panel header
9. 1 x front panel audio header
10. 1 x CD In connector
11. 1 x S/PDIF In header
12. 1 x S/PDIF Out header
13. 3 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
14. 1 x clearing CMOS jumper
Back Panel Connectors
1. 1 x PS/2 keyboard port
2. 1 x PS/2 mouse port
3. 1 x coaxial S/PDIF Out connector
4. 6 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
5. 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports
6. 1 x RJ-45 port
7. 6 x audio jacks (Center/Subwoofer Speaker Out/Rear Speaker Out/ Side Speaker Out/Line In/Line Out/Microphone)
I/O Controller
1. iTE IT8720 chip
H/W Monitoring
1. System voltage detection
2. CPU/System/North Bridge temperature detection
3. CPU/System/Power fan speed detection
4. CPU overheating warning
5. CPU fan fail warning
6. CPU/System fan speed control (Note 4)
BIOS
1. 2 x 16 Mbit flash
2. Use of licensed AWARD BIOS
3. Support for DualBIOS™
4. PnP 1.0a, DMI 2.0, SM BIOS 2.4, ACPI 1.0b
Unique Features
1. Support for @BIOS
2. Support for Q-Flash
3. Support for Xpress BIOS Rescue
4. Support for Download Center
5. Support for Xpress Install
6. Support for Xpress Recovery2
7. Support for EasyTune (Note 5)
8. Support for Dynamic Energy Saver™ 2
9. Support for Smart 6™
10. Support for Auto Green
11. Support for eXtreme Hard Drive (X.H.D)
12. Support for ON/OFF Charge
13. Support for Q-Share
Bundle Software
1. Norton Internet Security (OEM version)
Operating System
1. Support for Microsoft® Windows® 7/Vista/XP
Form Factor
1. ATX Form Factor; 30.5cm x 24.4cm
Note :
Note 1 : Due to Windows 32-bit operating system limitation, when more than 4 GB of physical memory is installed, the actual memory size displayed will be less than 4 GB.
Note 2 : For optimum performance, if only one PCI Express graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIEX16_1 slot; if you are installing two PCI Express graphics cards, it is recommended that you install them in the PCIEX16_1 and PCIEX16_2 slots.
Note : 3 The PCIEX4_1 slot shares bandwidth with the PCIEX1_3 slot. When the PCIEX4_1 slot is popu- lated with a PCIe x4 (or above) card, the PCIEX1_3 slot will become unavailable
Note 4 : Whether the CPU/system fan speed control function is supported will depend on the CPU/system cooler you install.
Note 5 : Available functions in EasyTune may differ by motherboard model.
