kingpincooling.com http://kingpincooling.com/forum/ Kingpin cooling is recognized as a worldwide leader in the design and manufacturing of extreme pc cooling hardware. In the last 4 years, we have emerged as an innovating force in the extreme overclocking and benchmarking world. Our unrelenting dedication to achieving the highest levels of performance, quality, and ease of use makes us a trusted choice for overclockers and industry professionals across the globe. en Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:00:16 GMT vBulletin 10 http://kingpincooling.com/forum/images/misc/rss.jpg kingpincooling.com http://kingpincooling.com/forum/ Z87 OC Formula http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2321&goto=newpost Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:27:21 GMT Image: http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f210/icon22976/720469v1_zps49b59bee.jpg ...


its fun for sure! sorry that its not extreme... but its pretty good for all air i think. ]]> ASRock Extreme Overclocking ZenEffect http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2321 WTB strong sandy bridge 57xx+ 4/8 http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2320&goto=newpost Sun, 16 Jun 2013 20:14:09 GMT What I'm searching for...see above! ]]> KPC HW CLASSIFIEDS Dancop http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2320 Asus P6X58D-E, i7 950, 6(2x3)GB Corsair Dominator, Killer NIC 2100 http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2318&goto=newpost Thu, 13 Jun 2013 03:29:27 GMT * Asus P6X58D-E - SOLD Intel i7 950 - SOLD Corsair Dominator DDR3-1600 CL8 Bigfoot Killer NIC 2100 Heatware Feedback: click here...

Asus P6X58D-E - SOLD
Intel i7 950 - SOLD
Corsair Dominator DDR3-1600 CL8
Bigfoot Killer NIC 2100
Heatware Feedback: click here



Description and Price:

================================================
Picture(s):






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Shipping (shipped from zip 43026):
  • Shipping Methods:
    • USPS Priority Flate-Rate
    • USPS Priority with Delivery Confirmation
    • USPS Parcel Post
    • USPS 1st Class
    • UPS Ground
    • If other method is desired, this must be discussed
  • Shipping is to any of the 48 Contiguous States
  • www.usps.com to calculate shipping from my zip code if you do so desire
  • Shipping outside of the USA must be discussed through PM
Payment Method:
  • Non-CC Paypal - ONLY to confirmed addresses.
]]> KPC HW CLASSIFIEDS Janus67 http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2318 WTB: Getting back to benching http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2316&goto=newpost Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:31:28 GMT Benching RAM
Nice but inexpensive X58 like X58A-UD3R (but I'd love UD7)
Nice but inexpensive P55 for Clarkdale so need some bclk
Reference HD 4850
Z77
LN2/DI containers (CPU + GPU)



Payment via Paypal or custom software development :) ]]> KPC HW CLASSIFIEDS sno.lcn http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2316 ASUS Gryphon Z87 Review http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2315&goto=newpost Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:17:50 GMT ASUS Gryphon Z87 is the first The Ultimate Force (TUF) Series board in mATX form-factor.
By default it comes without "thermal shield" but you can order TUF Gryphon Armor Kit separately if you wish.
The price tag is only $170 that makes this board interesting for using in compact PC builds.
It's not ROG board but it still has some features, which is more than enough for daily aircooling OC.
Let see what OC results we can do with this board and Intel Core i7-4770K CPU.

Specification

Vendor: ASUS
Model: Gryphon Z87
CPU Support: Intel Core i5/i7 LGA1150
System bus: DMI 2.0, 20 GBps
Chipset: Intel Z87 (Lynx Point)
RAM support: 4x DDR3 DIMM slots up to 32 GBytes with dual channel support
Expansion slots:
- 2x PCI-E 3.0 x16 (works in x16+x0 or x8+x8 mode)
- 1x PCI-E 2.0 x16 (works in x4 mode)
- 1x PCI-E 2.0 x1
Multi-GPU support: SLI and CrossFireX - up to 2 video cards
SATA support: 6x SATA3 6 GBps ports (using Intel Z87 PCH)
eSATA support: none
mSATA support: none
RAID support: RAID 0/1/5/10 (using Intel Z87 PCH)
On-board LAN: Intel I217-V Gigabit Ethernet
On-board Sound: Realtek ALC892 7.1+2 Channel HD-Audio Codec
USB 2.0: 4x ports in back panel + 4x internal ports (using Intel Z87 PCH)
USB 3.0: 4x ports in back panel + 4x internal ports (using Intel Z87 PCH)
IEEE 1394 support: none
System monitoring: Nuvoton NCT6791D and Nuvoton NCT7802Y
Power connectors: 1x ATX 24-pin and 1x 8-pin EPS12V
Board size: 244x244-mm
Form factor: mATX
Price: $170 USD

Box and accessories

ASUS Gryphon Z87 comes in compact box not so much bigger than the board itself:


(click on any picture to see full size version)

Back side of the box shows some of features supported by the board:



Items bundled with the board:
- User guide;
- 5 year warranty notice;
- Certificate of reliability;
- Driver and software DVD;
- Back panel I/O Shield;
- SATA 6 GB/s cables (4 pcs);
- Flexible SLI bridge;
- ASUS Q-Connectors;



PCB design and features

Board size is standard 244x244-mm mATX.
It has seven fan connectors - 6x 4-pin and 1x 3-pin. Connected fans can be controlled in the BIOS and ASUS AI Suite III.

Front side of the board:



Back side of the board:



ASUS Gryphon Z87 without heatsinks:



The board uses Socket 1150 by Foxconn:



This CPU socket supports Intel Haswell-based Core i5/i7 CPUs



There is 4x slots for DDR3 RAM with dual channel support:



And four PCI Express slots for expansion cards (two PCI-E x16, one PCI-E 4x and one PCI-E 1x):



Back panel interfaces includes:
- 4x USB 2.0 ports
- 1x DVI-out
- 1x HDMI-out
- 1x optical SPDIF-out
- 4x USB 3.0 ports
- 1x LAN interface
- 6x in/out 3.5-mm mini-jack for HD Audio Codec



All six SATA ports can works at 6 GBps speed.
Now we can use up to 6x SSD in RAID0 at full speed for PCMark on Intel platform without using some expensive discrete controllers!



Intel I217-V Gigabit Ethernet controller



Realtek ALC892 - 7.1+2 Channel HD Audio Codec



Intel Z87 PCH



There is two buttons in the low left corner of the board - BIOS_FLBK and DirectKey.
BIOS flashback is recovery feature. Even if current BIOS are corrupted and system won't boot - you can save BIOS image to USB stick, insert it to the board and use BIOS_FLBK button.
DirectKey button can be used for entering BIOS after reset.
Alternatively you can select BIOS option to use DirectKey as Power button.



Nuvoton NCT6791D - Hardware monitoring IC



Nuvoton NCT7802Y - Hardware monitoring IC with Intel PECI 3.0 support (voltages, fan control)



ASMedia AMS1480 - PCI-Express Gen3 Switch
This switches commutates 8 lanes between first and second PCI Express x16 slots
If second slot is empty all 16 lanes goes to the first slot.
In case if some card installed in second slot - 8 lanes goes to first slot and 8 to second slot.



ASMedia ASM1442 - High speed TMDS level shift IC for DVI/HDMI-out support



TPU KB3720QF - TurboV Processing Unit



VRM design

For input power from PSU there is one 24-pin connector



And one 8-pin connector



CPU VRM uses 8-phase design



Vcore-controller is remarked ASUS DIGI+ APS1251 (I guess it's some sort of CHiL Semiconductor)



There is 8 pairs of ON Semiconductor NTMFS4937N+NTMFS4955N Power MOSFETs and 4 International Rectifier IR3535MPBF drivers:



Memory VRM is 2-phases and uses ASUS DIGI+ ASP1103 controller



Heatsinks

ASUS Gryphon Z87 uses two heatsinks. First of them covers MOSFETs of CPU VRM.



Another heatsink cools Intel Z87 PCH



VRM heatsink uses one copper heatpipe. PCH heatsink is fully aluminium.



They used 6 screws to mount on motherboard.



VRM heatsink stays cool even if system is overclocked.
PCH heatsink more hotter than VRM heatsink, but temperatures still in safe range.

UEFI BIOS features

The board was tested with BIOS version 3009 [24-May-2013].

You can download archive with full set of ASUS Gryphon Z87 BIOS Screens from here: asus_gryphon_z87_bios_screens.rar
Also, you can download my ASUS Gryphon Z87 BIOS profile for Core i7-4770K @ 4500 MHz 1.17V from here: asus_gryphon_z87_i7-4770k_4500mhz_bios_profile.rar

Available hotkeys in BIOS:
ESC - Exit menu
F1 - Help
F2 - Load previous settings
F3 - Shortcut
F4 - Add shortcut to My Favorites
F5 - Load optimized default settings
F7 - Switches to Advanced mode from EZ mode)
F8 - Boot menu
F10 - Save changes and reset
F12 - Print Screen (make screenshot and save it to any connected storage device)

EZ BIOS mode:



My Favorites:



Main:



AI Tweaker:






Advanced:



Monitor:




Boot:




BIOS settings can be stored to 8 OC Profiles:



Any profile can be saved/loaded as .cmo-file to/from USB drive:



BIOS can be updated from .CAP-file using ASUS EZ Flash 2 Utility:



Testbed

The board was tested in open stand with that configuration:



CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K C0 (Haswell), 3500 MHz, Socket 1150
Motherboards:
- ASUS Gryphon Z87, Intel Z87, BIOS 3009
- Intel DZ87KLT-75K (Kinsley Thunderbolt), Intel Z87, BIOS 0334
RAM: GeIL EVO Corsa GOC316GB2400C11QC (Samsung K4B2G0846D-HCH9) DDR3-2400 4x4 Gb
VGA: Intel HD Graphics 4600
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 120Gb (firmware M206)
PSU: Corsair Professional Series Gold AX1200 (CMPSU-1200AX) 1200W
Thermal interface: Arctic Cooling MX-4
CPU cooler: Thermalright Archon + 2x Thermalright TY-140 140-mm fans.

Drivers and software used:
- Windows 7 Service Pack 1 x64 v6.1.7601;
- Intel Chipset Device Software v 9.4.0.1017;
- Intel Management Engine Driver v9.5.0.1428;
- Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver v12.6.0.1033;
- Intel HD Graphics driver v15.31.7.3131;
- Intel USB 3.0 Driver v2.5.0.19;
- CPU-Z v1.64.1;
- GPU-Z v0.71;
- LinX v0.6.4 + updated linpack_xeon64.exe from Linpack v10.3.11.019;
- Final Wire AIDA64 Extreme Edition v2.85.2454 beta;
- MaxxMEM v1.99;
- Super PI / mod v1.6;
- Hexus PFfast v4.1;
- wPrime v1.55;
- WinRAR v5.00b2 x64;
- Cinebench R11.5
- UnRAR-crack Benchmark 2011;
- Fritz Chess Benchmark.

Overclocking results

10 minutes of LinX testing was used for checking stability.
Stable CPU OC - 4500 MHz only 1.17V.
Ring Bus (Cache) works at 4500 MHz with 1.20V.
As you can see voltages remains the same in idle and loaded:




With higher Vcore CPU temperature goes too high and it start to throttle.
It seems Haswell CPUs needs thermal interface replacement under HSF for overclocking more than 4400-4500 MHz on air cooling, but it is another story.

Minimal voltage to boot Windows at 5 GHz was 1.30V.
CPU-Z valid shows it as 1.31V for some reasons, but it was 1.30V set in BIOS and shows in Windows.
Ring Bus (Cache) works at 4700 MHz with 1.25V.
In this mode CPU can run some benchmarks, except long and multithreaded like wPrime 1024M.



Working BCLK range with default 5/5 REG/DMI ratio (CPU Strap = 100): 100-106 MHz



Working BCLK range with 4/5 REG/DMI ratio (CPU Strap = 125): 125-128 MHz



I tried to boot with 3/5 REG/DMI ratio (CPU Strap = 166) multiple times but no success.
The same CPU was checked in Intel DZ87KLT-75K board for 166 MHz BCLK OC.
Disabling intergated graphics core and using Palit 7300GT Sonic card won't help.

Memory OC was 2666 MHz 10-12-12-28 1T 1.85V - it's the same stable OC for used memory kit as it works on most Z77 boards before.



I was not able to boot at 2800 MHz memory clock on this board, even with 11-13-13-30 2T.

Performance

Performance measures in two modes - stock clocks (Turbo Boost enabled, 3700-3900 MHz depends on loading) and stable CPU OC on air cooling to 4500 MHz.
For comparison I used Intel Z87 reference board (DZ87KLT-75K) and one of the best Z77-based board ASUS Maximus V Extreme with i7-3770K CPU.
Memory runs with the same setting on all boards and both stock and OC modes - 2400 MHz 9-11-11-28 1T 1.80V 4x4Gb in Dual Channel mode.





































Power consumption

I used UNI-T UT71E with power adapter to measure power consumption of the whole system "from the wall".

Z77+3770K stock mode settings: 3700-3900 MHz 1.000V CPU (Turbo Boost enabled), 1150 MHz iGPU
Z77+3770K OC mode settings: 4500 MHz 1.30V CPU, 1650 MHz 1.35V iGPU
Z87+4770K stock mode settings: 3700-3900 MHz 1.017V CPU (Turbo Boost enabled), 1250 MHz iGPU
Z87+4770K OC mode settings: 4500 MHz 1.15V CPU, 1800 MHz 1.35V iGPU

All Power-related BIOS settings and Windows power profile was set as "High performance".
There was some fluctuations all the time, I recorded peak power consumption in each measurement mode. It gives a rough estimate, but it's better than nothing.

















Conclusion

After all I think Gryphon Z87 is a good small board for non-extreme users. It has all that they need.

Pros:

The board works stable and without any issues. Voltages remains the same in idle and loaded (when CPU Load-line Calibration is set to Level 7 or 8).
Available voltage ranges, memory timings and other BIOS settings is enough for daily overclocking (air/water). Not checked any extreme OC with this board yet.
5 year warranty for TUF Series board.
Price isn't too big ($170) for the features it offers.

Cons:

Big CPU heatsinks (like Thermalright Archon) can't be used with discrete graphics card and RAM modules with big heasinks at the same time.
If you mount CPU heatsink vertically - it will blocks first PCI Express slot.
If you mount CPU heatsink horizontally - it will blocks 3 of 4 RAM slots (but you still can use standard height modules).
It's very common restrictions of many mATX boards (and some ATX too), not only ASUS Gryphon Z87.

Memory performance is slightly lower than Intel reference board (DZ87KLT-75K).
I think it's because of some subtimings settings used different values by default and can be fixed in next BIOS versions.
On the other hand I stuck at 2400 MHz with Intel board no matter what timings and voltages.
In this case, lower memory performance of ASUS Gryphon Z87 at 2400 MHz is compensated by better (than Intel board) memory overclocking.

I was not able to boot at 166 MHz strap with the same CPU that works at this base clock on Intel board. May be it's just needs more time to tweak BIOS settings, I had only few days to test.
Also I can't boot at 2800+ RAM. May be it's matter of my CPUs IMC quality, need to check with more Z87 boards first before make final conclusion. ]]> All Things Overclocking... S_A_V http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2315 WTB 3770k or 4770k http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2314&goto=newpost Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:39:31 GMT Hey Guys, i want to buy a 6,9+ 3770k 2D // 6,6+ 3D or a very good 4770k (ES or Retail) Best Regards Maggus Hey Guys,

i want to buy a 6,9+ 3770k 2D // 6,6+ 3D

or a very good 4770k (ES or Retail)


Best Regards

Maggus ]]> KPC HW CLASSIFIEDS dernettemann http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2314 <![CDATA[[WTB] Binned 4770K for 3D benching]]> http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2313&goto=newpost Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:48:20 GMT WANTED: Looking for a strong 4770K for benching 3D. :) WANTED:

Looking for a strong 4770K for benching 3D. :) ]]> KPC HW CLASSIFIEDS Gunslinger http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2313 <![CDATA[[FS] MSI Big Bang II + 7970 Lightning]]> http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2312&goto=newpost Thu, 06 Jun 2013 22:30:48 GMT Selling: 1x MSI Big Bang II, bought on 5/4/13 for MOA, paid $370 1x MSI 7970 Lightning, original release model, no LN2 use. Price: X79: ... Selling:

1x MSI Big Bang II, bought on 5/4/13 for MOA, paid $370

1x MSI 7970 Lightning, original release model, no LN2 use.

Price:

X79: $250 shipped USA
7970: $390 shipped USA

Heat:
http://www.heatware.com/eval.php?id=61643



]]> KPC HW CLASSIFIEDS Gunslinger http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2312 Help me resurrect a GTX 580 AMP http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2311&goto=newpost Thu, 06 Jun 2013 09:24:51 GMT Hey guys,

I bought a dead gtx 580 and hopefully i'll fix it but i need to replace a resistor and i understand why i can not see it in windows or its bios as a second card. beacuse 8 pin 12v rail is somehow connected to a resistor . pcb trace leads to +12v on 8 pin power connector.that resistor is broken too and i have to replace it also but i do not know ohmage of the resistor. i know that resistor ohmage can not be measured on pcb with generic multimeters but some of the twizzer types can read it on pcb too, so i'm still waiting for your help to resurrect this bloody gtx 580 amp ! Resistor is shown with red arrow

]]> All Things Modding aysat http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2311 The GIGABYTE Z87X-OC Review with 4770K http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2306&goto=newpost Mon, 03 Jun 2013 02:01:52 GMT Welcome everyone! NDA has been lifted for most and now I am posting my first Haswell review featuring the 4770K. Haswell has had a lot of hype and... Welcome everyone! NDA has been lifted for most and now I am posting my first Haswell review featuring the 4770K. Haswell has had a lot of hype and some early leaks which led to early disappointment; however the CPU itself isn't that bad. Unlike AMD, Intel actually is improving performance (even if it is only slightly) and adding new features. The CPU now has a built in voltage regulator, now this VRM takes an input voltage (default is 1.8v and up to 3v) and then reduces that to different voltage rails. This makes the motherboard VRM's job a lot easier as reducing 12v down to below 1v results in extremely low duty cycles which can stress out components. Another feature I really like is something called Flexible I/O which means that the PCH can allot its PCI-E lanes into USB 3.0 or SATA6G. So by default the PCH can support up to 8 PCI-E 2.0 lanes, 6 USB 3.0 ports, and 6 SATA6GB/s ports. However you have to pick and choose. For instance you can have 6-6-6 (USB/PCIe/SATA) or you can have 4-8-6(USB/PCIe/SATA). Those are the two combos we see most often, the Z87X-OC uses the 6-6-6. Now we will begin to review the real successor to the X58A-OC: the Z87X-OC.

Box, Accessories, and Board:

This box closely resembles that of the original OC board, and the price of this board should be much closer tot he price the original X58A-OC was supposed to be! (It will be cheaper than the original was)

Back of the box shows all the OC features.

Here we have the accessories!
  1. 4x SATA6GB/s Cables
  2. Backpanel I/O Shield
  3. OC Brace Kit
  4. Probe Headers for vread
  5. SLI Bridge
  6. CF Bridge
  7. Manuals/DVDs
The accessory package was kept as small as possible to reduce the final price of the board, honestly I like that.

Here is a closer shot of Cookie's special accessory, the OC Brace. OC Brace can also be used as a motherboard stand(that is what I use it for now), however its real purpose is to allow benchers to fully support their GPUs outside the case even with heavy LN2 pots.


Here she is, the sexy Z87X-OC not to be confused with the Z87X-OC Force and the "A" branded OC copy. There are 8 fan headers, there are 6 fan controls in the UEFI and in EasyTune, and a few of the headers are combined into a single setting. There is also an extra 4-pin CPU power header, and an extra PCI-E power port. Some are probably wondering why it isn't an SATA power header like on all other GIGABYTE boards, the reason is they ran out of room!


Here is the back of the motherboard, it has a 6 layer PCB which has been optimized for memory OC. This boards memory OC is very strong, even with 4DIMMs and 32GB it rocks the house.


Here is the backpanel:
  • 6x USB 3.0
  • OC Ignition(Keeps system power on while CPU is off)
  • PS/2 KB and Mouse
  • S/PDIF out and 7.1 Audio
  • Dual HDMI
  • DisplayPort
  • 2x USB 2.0(need to use these for OS install)
  • RJ-45 LAN

OC Ignition is the first OC feature, this one should be unique unless someone already copied it (which seems to be the case everyone is copying each other), but I was told this feature was hard to engineer. OC Ignition will keep the PSU on but the system off, the PCI-E slots will still be powered for things like iRAM wont lose their memory, the fans will also stayed powered on which is nice for cold bugs, this is also great for keeping the PSU on safely without turning the power on (something good for watercooling).


Here we can see the VRM for this board. This VRM is using the IR3553 along with the 60A chokes from the previous generation, and the small heatsink is perfect for overclockers as it wont get in the way of insulation, and it can also be removed without issues. I usually run these boards without their VRM heatsink so if there is a possibility of overheating I can see it, but it never overheats. OC Touch is situated over on the right of the board. I really like this location, however with extreme memory overclocking it might be cumbersome, but you can still use everything even when its frosted up. The POST Code display is not in a good place for a lot of people, but it is possible to make due with a mirror or something. You should also notice the USB 3.0 port which has red inside, this is a new ON/OFF Charge USB 3.0 port, it actually has special chips on the board I will cover later which allow this charging.


The bottom of the motherboard has 4 PCI-E 16x slots, however they aren't all 16x electrical. Their layout is as follows:
1. 16x(16x electrical) 3.0
2. 1x(1x electrical)
3. 16x(4x electrical) 3.0
4. PCI
5. 16x(8x electrical) 3.0
6. PCI
7. 16x(4x electrical) 2.0

The last PCI-E 16x slot runs off the PCH, the first three run off the CPU's PCI-E controller and only have 16x lanes between them. Notice that the first and third PCI-E 16x slots can run 8x/8x, the second 16x slot is 4x only. The first three are also PCI-E 3.0 and the last is 2.0. You can run 4-way CrossFireX however the bandwidth is very little at only 8x/4x/4x/4x(PCI-E 2.0) configuration. The bigger Z87X-OC Force can run 8x/8x/8x/8x all PCI-E 3.0.

We can also see there are no 3rd party SATA6GB/s ports, and there are two USB ports on the inside of the motherboard! Now this feature is for benchers to plug in their devices without having to reach around the motherboard. I kind of wish these two USB 3.0 ports were actually 2.0 so I could use them without installing drivers, but it isn't a big deal, as all USB 3.0 can work in the UEFI without any drivers of course, and you can change them all to 2.0 mode.

In the lower right hand corner of the board you also see a little black switch, this is the CBAT switch(it is for if you can't reach the battery, look below for more details).

This is the new OC area!
Here we have the traditional OC Touch but with some added goodies. A lot of them are made possible because GIGABYTE has implemented something called EC with a BIOS, EC stands for embedded controller and ASUS has been using it on their ROG boards for a long time for fan control and other features like ROG connect. Now GIGABYTE has this as well and has transferred over some of the features to it. We also see a PCI-E slot disable switch which is great for GPU Debugging and LN2 overlockers.

Here we see the OC features, I will cover them as we encounter them. First you can see we have the traditional OC Touch(Power, reset, BCLK +/- w/Gear, Multiplier +/-, and Turbo), however we also have Tag. We have three(3) switches, these switches from Left to Right are: Trigger Switch(same as Z77X-UP7), Dual BIOS, and Single BIOS Mode. We also have 5 non-OC Touch style buttons. From left to right: Clear CMOS(then skip three switches over), Settings Lock, DTB(Direct to BIOS), and GIGABYTE Mem Safe, and finally Reset. I will go over all of the new ones in more detail now.

Tag Button: Tag works like Turbo, however while Turbo has a profile you cannot change, Tag is Profile #8 under the "Save Profile" option in the UEFI. The UEFI save profile menu will have Profile #8 with Tag written next to it.

Settings Lock: When pressed your next boot up will be with your last successful boot settings even after you clear the CMOS memory, this can be useful if you forgot what you had set, or if you are having trouble coming out of OC recovery and you where at an OC that worked but a hard restart.

DTB(Direct to BIOS): This button when pressed will take you into the UEFI on reboot without needing to press delete. You can even press this while your system is still on.

GIGABYTE Mem Safe: This will load a special fail-safe memory profile so that memory is not an issue when you boot up.
Here we have a really cool feature called CBat button and OC Connect.

OC Connect(This feature are the USB ports int he previous image): This provide USB ports aimed at the out-of-case overclocker. I use this almost always for my USB mouse and my USB drive, my keyboard goes into the PS/2 port.

CBat(also in the previous image): You are probably wondering what the heck this button provides, it sounds like something to do with the battery, right? Correct, this button acts a lot like Clear CMOS. In fact you press it if you need to clear your CMOS with your battery removed. Most of the time you can get away with clearing the CMOS without removing the battery, however many times the system will get buggy from a really bad overclock or not all your settings cleared when you pressed Clear CMOS. If you don't or can't remove your GPU to take out the batter then CBat will get the job done for you. This button should only be used after you unplug your PSU, in fact you will be forced to unplug your PSU and plug it back in after pressing this button because you wont be able to power up the system withing plugging it back in. This is because this switch safely triggers your PSU into a fail-safe mode which drains all the power from your motherboard.

Let's Nude up!
First off the heatsinks:


Now that the clothes are off:

It is a very sexy board, not so many 3rd party controllers at all, except for the USB 3.0 hubs and a PCI-E to PCI bridge there are no more un-needed ICs. USB 3.0 hub actually is a pretty good thing in the case of Intel USB 3.0(as that sleep problem doesn't apply with a hub because the hub can still poll after waking!).

First off my favorite part, the VRM!(Thank god they didn't integrate the whole VRM or else I would have lost interest)

This is a straight 8 phase VRM using the IR3553, and IR3563B and 60A Chokes. GIGABYTE is also using custom made exclusive black capacitors, these have a 10K hour life at 105C. The caps are custom made for GIGABYTE: http://www.chemi-con.co.jp/e/tech_to..._cp_201304.pdf

This 8 phase VRM is exactly what you want for an OC board, not more and not less. It is easy to insulate, they use high quality components, and that PWM can do 2mhz per phase!! ;D (It is revision B which means up to 2mhz per phase apposed to revision A)


Here we have an up-close of the PowIRstages, the IR3553 are the little brother to the IR3550. IR3550 are a bit overkill and expensive, to lower the price for the consumer GIGABYTE chose to use IR3553 which have proven to be very good so far, a lot of the lineup use IR3553 only a few top end boards use IR3550 in 16 phase configurations. IR3553 are rated for 40A while IR3550 are 60A. So the chokes here are also overkill as they allow more current than the IR3553 can provide, but they are great for reducing ripple.

Now we only have one voltage rail going to the CPU for Z87, but the memory and PCH also need VRs:

Here we have an IR3570 along with an IR3598 dual driver/doubler used as a dual driver for the memory/PCH VRMs made up for PowerPAK. More than enough power for the DIMMs and the PCH as well.

Here is the new cool part of the motherboard:

The Dual BIOS now are 128MBit which is double that of Z77, they can carry 16MB BIOS ROMs. Intel also added quad SPI flash to Z87. Above is a chip that you will not find a datasheet on: the iTE8790E which is the EC and it has its own BIOS. The EC is almost like a second SuperIO it helps out with things that the main SuperIO and the BIOS can't handle on their own. It is like a second firmware. It also allows for profiles and such to still be retained even after clearing the CMOS. It also allows for control over all the fan headers on the motherboard! There are 8 fan headers, there are 6 fan controls in the UEFI and in EasyTune, and a few of the headers are combined into a single setting.

Here is the Z87 PCH:

Cute, right?

GIGABYTE did everyone a favor and is using Intel NICs on almost all their board UD3H and up:

Gotta love that Intel NIC.


ALC892, not as good as ALC898 or ALC889, but decent enough. This board is designed so that users can use it as a normal board as well.


Here is the SuperIO, most of its fan control is actually done by the EC. It does still provide the PS/2 though!


Here is a NEC D720210 a 1:4 USB 3.0 SuperSpeed hub.

Here is the second! Sorry for the same chip/different image, I am just being thorough


These are NXP PCI-E 3.0 switches, they can each handle 2 lanes. These six allow 16x to be changed into 8x/4x/4x or 8x/0x/8x.


iTE8892E is a PCI-E1x to 2x PCI bridge.


Here are some NXP level shifters for the dual HDMI. Remember that now the CPU is outputting the digital video (D-SUB/VGA is still through the FDI to the PCH and out the PCH), the native Intel video output is digital video which works easily with DisplayPort, however HDMI and DVI need a level shifter like these two.


So I told you guys I would show you the chips responsible for the USB 3.0 on/off charge, here they are two(1 per port) the TPS2546: http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tps2546.pdf

The BIOS:

A lot of users have said they really like the leaked pictures of the GIGABYTE UEFI, and I like it too:

First I will list features I really like:
1. You can actually overclock on the fly in the UEFI!! You can change votlages and multipliers on the fly by pressing the little on next to certain settings and then pressing apply at the bottom of the page.
2. You can customize everything From the background wallpaper(accepts png and bmp) to the pages. The Home page allows the user to pick and chose the order and magnitude of the settings. So you want to combine settings from different parts of the BIOS onto one page you can do that!! Like even fan control and voltages and multipliers.
3. You can customize which starting page you want to start on
4. Giga has added memory profiles, CPU OC profiles, and memory+CPU OC profiles
5. Later on you will be able to change the skin of the UEFI
6. The Performance of the UEFI is much better














Overclocking:
Here is a 4.5ghz stable shot:

I can also do 4.5ghz at 1.2v set with LLC Extreme gets me 1.212v in the windows and it runs cooler. Cpuz is pretty accurate on the GIGABYTE boards with the FIVR. All boards really should be because Intel is now giving the output, however I guess it might be possible to trick it if one wanted too.... Also different boards shouldn't require different amounts of CPU voltages because the FIVR does all this the same.

Now some people said 5ghz was impossible, it does get hot, however it is possible on air:

That is a 8 thread hyperpi 1M, not that much but still something on air.

I have an early ES sample which has issues with vcore and higher levels of VCore, no retail CPU will have this issue (retail is what you will buy). Also my CPU isn't as resilient as yours, my stepping is known to die above 1.5v on air, so I wont try that. However I was able to validate 5.176 with a divider:

But I can also do 5.2 but the validation had to be redone. Don't worry later on I will get a newer CPU. 5.3 should be easy. On LN2 this CPU only does 6.25ghz max validation, but that is because I can't get the CPU to get more than 1.632v, this is an issue with the FIVR inside my stepping, thus this wont apply to ES stepping QE6H or any retail stepping, you guys will soar to like 6.5+(or you should).


This is the max BCLK I can do on air, 189mhz isn't bad at all. That is 113mhz BCLK on air! that is much higher than Ivy can do on air. It is actually quite easy to do this. All BCLK dividers work except 2.5x, and all memory multipliers work(max 29.33). Like the 2.5x BClk divider, Intel has up to 40X memory multipliers, but putting those in is just a marketing ploy gigabyte said they didn't want to do.

Here is a quick 16GB(4x4) at 3100mhz:

This is the TridentX 2666C11 kit, it isn't single sided hynix so no 3500+ lol. So why is memory OC so much better on haswell? A few answers: first Intel has made T-topology non optional(it was optional for Z77) and they made it a mix of T and Daisy chain as both have benefits of their own. Not only that but they rotated the DIMMs 180 degrees, your memory will face the opposite way it used too, this reduces on-die latency. Of course they made some minor tweaks, but also giving us control over more voltages also helps. CPU IO analog and digital are actually CPu PLL voltages, however they help with memory OC, also does system agent voltage. So unlike Ivy bridge the voltages seem to have an affect.

Benchmarks:











Interesting results, right? Unlike early results the 4770K actually holds its own, perhaps because this is a clock for clock thing.

Now GIGABYTE has a lot of new software, let's go over some of it:

This is the app center where you access all the applications...

Here is EasyTune, a bit too much with the size, they need to give the user the ability to change the size of the window.


Here is the fan controls of EasyTune, they are actually nice.

On/OFF Charge:


USB Blocker:

It also asks for a password which you set.

The new @BIOS:


Did you know you can change the color to green, blue, or orange?



Disk Mode Switch.

Conclusion:

The Z87X-OC is one fine board when it comes to overclocking and overclocking features. The features make the experience much easier, whether on LN2 or air the features really help out and save me from headaches. The BIOS is well tuned, it still is kind of early, however there aren't many bugs. The BIOS is responsive(you can actually use a mouse), attractive, and best of all it works! The memory overclocking on this board is excellent, over 4ghz? Easy with single sided hynix MFR and enough binning, there is even an easy PSC 2666 tight profile in there for benchers, and many 3ghz+ profiles for experimenters. The new Z87X-OC does perform well, they have tuned the BCLK so that you can actually do 110+ on air with the multipliers. Also the max memory multiplier works well. GIGABYTE's new UEFI is very well tuned. Their software in my opinion wasn't done as great, EasyTune still needs a little work, I can't deal with it being full screen while I use it, I need to be able to minimize the window to see CPUz, but I hear GTL is coming soon anyways. This EasyTune is better than the previous, however some things get to me, such as how hard it is to get to the place to change settings for CPU multiplier. However fan control, UEFI, and software have all been overhauled and made 100% better.


I do like all the OC features, however I don't like where the POST Code display is placed, unless you stand up or put the board in a case it is kind of hard to see. That is the only big issues I see. Another issue is a platform issue, that is Intel's USB 3.0 really sucks without drivers, it wont even work without them(except in the UEFI). So when you install windows you need to use USB 2.0 ports or PS/2 or else you are in for a headache. My favorite new OC Feature is OC ignition followed by CBAT. OC Ignition is really great for LN2 benching and CBAT is great for when you really want to clear that BIOS. I do know the final price of this board, however I don't think I am at liberty to say it, you will find out Monday I would think. I will say this, back a few years ago a GIGABYTE employee said they aimed at $280 for the X58A-OC, let's say that this Z87X-OC is MUCH closer to that price than the original, maybe even on the different side of the spectrum. Be ready to not be disappointed, this board takes away extra third party things, downgrades the audio a bit and instead gives you OC features. So if you just want a POST code and a power button and more features then maybe a UD3H or UD4H or UD5H is good for you, but if you want a real benching board which has the DNA of the X58A-OC then look no further.

Now I am off to Computex! ]]> GIGABYTE Extreme Overclocking Sin0822 http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2306 <![CDATA[[FS] MSI Z77 MPower - EK Titan waterblocks]]> http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2305&goto=newpost Sun, 02 Jun 2013 19:47:49 GMT Selling:


2x used EK Titan/GTX780 full coverage waterblocks with backplates

Price:

EK's - $75 each, shipped USA
Payment through Paypal, international buyers PM for a shipping quote.

Heat:
http://www.heatware.com/eval.php?id=61643


]]> KPC HW CLASSIFIEDS Gunslinger http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2305 Maximus VI Extreme http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2304&goto=newpost Sun, 02 Jun 2013 00:12:40 GMT 7G Image: http://s15.postimg.org/knipvgjw7/7012.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/knipvgjw7/) 205bclk Image:... 7G


205bclk


3960 4x4GB


4064 2x4GB



pi32m record by Fredyama san


pifast record by Fredyama san



Guide
http://www.mediafire.com/download/s9...16/m6e0520.rar

Download the M6E OCPak:
http://www.mediafire.com/?mg82iczm15s5qga

latest bios
latest M6E bios combined with latest OC panel F/W - If LN2 Mode EN, oc panel automatically turns on and switches to extreme mode
http://www.mediafire.com/download/l6...ASUS-0021a.rar

http://www.mediafire.com/?d46772ddk5lwot2


Latest M6G BIOS
http://www.mediafire.com/?2l6a1u93sa0rx0x


Latest M6Hero BIOS
http://www.mediafire.com/?6or22j02ifmuzx3


use this version of cpuz for right vcore reads
http://www.mediafire.com/?k170r4o6a2t52sc


for highest dram frequency can use 2 sticks in channel A and load new profiles in overclocking presets
To max out mem freq with bclk recovery ignore you can adjust 2mhz in os, validate, reset, validate 2 more mhz and so on.


ln2 mode jumpers and oc panel connectors on various M6 boards:

M6F



M6I



M6G



M6H
]]> Shammy http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2304 working to win Master Overclocking Arena 2013 Qualifier http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2303&goto=newpost Sat, 01 Jun 2013 02:17:32 GMT Master Overclocking Arena Qualifier 2013 from my view I believe all overclockers, can consider as the most important Overclocking Competition... Master Overclocking Arena Qualifier 2013 from my view

I believe all overclockers, can consider as the most important Overclocking Competition ever, since join since 2008, the elite of not full sponsored* guys (*by motherboard/vga);
I could participate 2009 (Beijing), 2010 (Taiwan), 2011 (Vegas) and 2012 (Taiwan), and can assure that is really a very nice event.
In 2013, most overclockers believed that MSI not carry over the event as it is a very high cost, but different than most thought, MSI decided to again hold the event in 2013, with some modifications.
All accompanying actively overclocking at HWBOT, know that now, only 4 overclockers around the world (in my case, only 1 for Americas), will have a guaranteed spot in the final, in Taiwan.
So after officially announced and published its rules, every overclocker can adapt according his conditions, the strategy to try to win.
In my case, I had no good processors, but only a medium 3960X and 3770K, that maybe they could not allow myself to get to the finals.
But, I had a crazy 1760/1960 Mhz Lightning, what I believed put me in front line to reached my goal.
I thought that if I could not get the 1st place, will need to input again lots of effort, money and time, since here in Brazil, LN2, hardware and also my time, will cost a lot to me.
So, I postpone to started to fight about 10 days to deadline, and as everybody knows, sandybagging is usual.
According my way of view, would need to compete against great overclockers, also, people from Canada and mainly USA.
Also, could see the great job from Splave with his crazy 7 Ghz Ivy Bridge, and 57X Sandy-E, and also Gunslinger with much better chips, make me so far to be close, and let me go think about to win 3D and only try to do a good job in 2D.
So, the bad trip...
Inexplicably my Lightning did not work. The last time I had used, she did a fantastic result, reaching 1760/1960 Mhz, and now, she just did not care anymore.
Immediately a ?shower of cold water ", changed my plans.
If you were in a country where hardware is accessible to all, it was easier, but I could not find any other Lightning.
Also I could not find a Big Bang XPower II and only got a GD65 because a friend brought me from an importer, for no less than U$ 700.
So, atm, I just have weapons to do medium 2D scores, and need to got a good HD 7970 to have chance.
There were two ways to proceed. Give up trying to win in the qualifiers, or go ahead to pro hard way using a reference card (luckily, due to the launch of the GTX 770 and GTX 780, there are offers from people selling HD7970 for a decent price, USD 600 to USD 650, the Standing in Brazil considered a good price.
I chose the second option, bought a reference HD7970 and just as I had done before the release of the non-reference cards, made a Frankenstein card.
The card ? (11 trimpots (PLL, RAM, GPU, OCP); added 10 tantalum caps; changed the stock mosfets to a Lightning mosfets ; added one more extra phase (stock = 5 phases and now 6 phases); control panel to measure voltages; XOC MSI BIOS:









The scores:


Also, I worked to get the better efficiency that?s was possible, since my CPUs did not help to win:

And the regular score to Cinebench, where CPU could not go more. Even to lit bit more than 5500 Mhz, could find good efficiency.


Thanks to: Corsair and 3DTeam X5
**Also to all many overclockers and friends that inspired and encourage me to keep working.

Best wishes.
rbuass ]]> All Things Overclocking... rbuass http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2303 Help 7970 Reference Mod Pls http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2302&goto=newpost Fri, 31 May 2013 04:17:06 GMT Hi okay guys? Not wanting to bother but already bothering, someone pass me the full VMOD of HD 7970 reference? Since I'm already very grateful! ]]> All Things Modding Paulobc http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2302 Asus GTX580 DirectCU II-help about smd value http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2301&goto=newpost Thu, 30 May 2013 12:29:39 GMT Hello guys , i need yours help about a SMD value from pwm controller(gtx580 direct CU2) it was removed accidentally, and now i dont find it anymore(... Hello guys , i need yours help about a SMD value from pwm controller(gtx580 direct CU2)
it was removed accidentally, and now i dont find it anymore( it is very small) , i need to know the smd resistor value , or value between that two points like in the pic bellow.

any help is appreciated!
thanks!


]]> All Things Modding nachtfalke http://kingpincooling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2301