Gigabyte Z68X UD7 B3 Motherboard Review

Dual channel memory comes standard on the Sandy Bridge and the Z68X UD7 supports DDR3 modules up to 2133Mhz with a maximum of 32GB usable.  24pin ATX power is located in the traditional location near the upper edge of the motherboard and out of the primary airflow.

When using a motherboard on the test bench it is nice to have onboard buttons so you don't need to short jumpers on the front panel connector.  You'll find power, reset, and CMOS clear all located in the upper left of the board near the memory sockets.  The only thing missing is convenient voltage test points to ensure accurate readings while you are overclocking.

Internal SATA connections number eight.  The black connections are SATA3 spec while the white connections follow the new SATA6 connection standard direct from the Z68 chipset.  The remaining grey SATA ports are SATA6 compliant and are provided by the onboard Gigabyte branded controller.

You will find the Debug LED in the traditional location near the front panel connector at the bottom of the motherboard.  In the same vicinity you'll also find "true" USB 3.0 headers along with standard USB 2.0 ports.  The dual BIOS chips are located up near the chipset heatsink and feature yellow identification dots.  These chips are not removable but given the nature of the dual BIOS recovery system you should never need to replace them.

Motherboard heatsinks all follow a common style and are constructed of dense aluminum and linked together thru a series of black chrome heatpipes.    The heatpipes are not continuous so they will transfer heat to the nearest heatsink and not directly thru the entire system.

The UD7 I/O Panel is completely full featuring a single PS/2 keyboard and mouse port, eight USB ports, two eSATA connections, and two Firewire,  There is dual Ethernet ports on this motherboard along with 8 channel analog audio and two digital connections over optical and RCA.