Z68 early variants: Gigabyte UD4 vs. D2H (or the "awaiting Z68 release" thread)

[equazcion]

See my post above. The whitelist is only for running from the integrated graphics port. If you connect to the 3rd party port, you don't have that problem (at least from my understanding).

This part is correct, but...

Virtu can run through either the integrated port or the 3rd party card. They changed the software to allow that, so it isn't just the Z68 that can do that now.

The Toms Hardware article seems to be saying otherwise, or maybe the language is a bit ambiguous. Here's my interpretation:

"Ninety five percent of the time you can use a Z68-based platform the same way you would have used a P67-based box, gaming from any of your graphics cards’ display outputs," [but now with z68 you can do it] "with no white list or compatibility concerns."

Whether this is now allowed due only to a software change and the version included with the z68 is merely the first to include this change (as you suggest), or if there's a hardware change in the z68 that allows virtualizing integrated graphics through the discreet graphics card (as continues to be my understanding), isn't entirely clear, but the latter makes more sense to me. If this were merely a software change then would they have included it in an article on what's so great about the z68?

A third possibility is that it IS only a software change but the new version isn't available as a free upgrade for p67 owners, and is only licensed to z68 board manufacturers (as is discussed further down the article).

Who wants to email Toms Hardware and find out?

 

[equazcion]

Interestingly, however, 1 of these eSATA ports on the UD4 and both on the UD7 are eSATA/USB combo ports that take either eSATA 6 Gb/s or USB 2.0/1.1. From the diagrams of the back panel, they do indeed look like both connector styles would fit in the combo ports. This is something I have never heard of.

These combo USB ports are included in the spec counts for the boards. So the UD4 says it has 8 USB 2 ports on the back and one of these 8 is the combo eSATA/USB port. The UD7 claims 4 back panel USB 2.0 ports and 2 of these are the combo eSATA/USB ports.

Interesting -- I knew there was something weird about those ports, but didn't pay it much attention. Thanks for posting the explanation; I've never heard of it either. Strange to combine IO ports that use different controllers.

I wonder what else we'll see combined next -- Seems like a nice idea for motherboard slots since they're all the same basic shape anyway, and every system builder has at some point hit a wall when trying to lay out cards physically. Wouldn't it be great if they were all uniform and auto-switching between protocols this way? PCI, PCIe x1/x16, and whatever they come up with next? But I digress.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

asdf I want 10 SATA....

my X58 has 10 SATA + 2eSATA. That's pretty insane. 12 drives anyone? lol

 

[equazcion]

The Z68 has landed. Initial NewEgg pricing: Gigabyte UD4, Asus P8 V-Pro: both approx. $220 w/shipping

Note that, right now, Gigabyte Z68's are exactly $30 more than their P67's on NewEgg.

AnandTech Z68 review

AnandTech Asus P8 V-Pro review

Toms Hardware Z68 review

 

[BlueKnight1]

Well after reading reviews of the ASRock Z68 Extreme4 and a few ASUS P8Z68-V Pro. I also watched some videos on the Gigabyte Z68 boards on NewEgg. I ordered the ASRock board. Wish me luck!