In the VIP suite on the 36^th floor of the world famous Taipei 101 tower, Gigabyte had a huge selection of new products laid out in front of KitGuru’s eyes. Eager to snap every new product in site, we were drawn primarily to the graphic cards. After our ears stopped popping from the rapid ascent, we decided to start by analysing Gigabyte’s GTX465 design.

Side by side, the PCB for the GTX465 is the same size as the GTX470. With less going on, it’s that much easier to keep temperatures etc under control. Still, it is not a truly low power consumption unit, running as it does around 200w. Still, with 1GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit memory trace, it is simpler.

With simplicity comes style and Gigabyte has that in buckets with its GTX465 design.

Gigabyte marketing specialist Christine Cheng was on hand to point out the most stylish bits:-

Christine Cheng Gigabyte Marketing Specialist III

Double fans can increase airflow while reducing noise

Gigabyte GTX465 reverse shot

Interesting cut-out caught KitGuru's eye

High grade copper, plenty of it and strong clamping pressure. Nice.

Amazing how beautiful engineering can be, close up

Overall, we like the look of this card.

On the one hand, there is less of it.

On the other hand, what is there looks very effective.

We’ll show you what else Christine revealed a little later on.

KitGuru says: KitGuru Labs will schedule a GTX465 shoot-out in the near future, so you know exactly where it’s best to spend your money.

Discuss in our forums here or just leave a quick comment below

Most widely known for its mainboards, Gigabyte also has other product divisions that create impressive products from time to time. Graphics is the obvious one, but think about how many Aurora 3D or Sumo chassis you’ve seen around (Packard Bell was using them for high end gaming systems at one stage). We heard squeaks from the 36^th floor of Taipei 101 and went to investigate. We weren’t disappointed.

Psycho-killers across the world look normal by daytime, fitting in perfectly with society on a day to day basis.
However, sit them in a dark room with an overclocked monster PC running their favourite first person shooter @ 60fps – and they’ll happily blast everything in sight to kingdom come with a variety of weapons.

Games like Left4Dead left no one in an doubt that even the slightest mishap with your mouse or keyboard could result in serious (virtual/ego) injury or death.

Not wanting its customers to die at the hand of blood-sucking zombies [That's thoughtful of them - Ed], Gigabyte’s engineers have been toiling away to produce the fastest, most precise rodents possible.

Have they succeeded? Well, for that, we’ll need Zardon the Magnificent to cut his enemies to ribbons in a controlled environment. The project is ambitious as the high-end mouse market already has several serious competitors battling it out. Gigabyte will need to deal with the likes of Razer, Steel Series and Roccat if it is to win. Not to mention those other small players, Microsoft and Logitech.

Its key advantages will be (a) It is massively bigger than its 3 main competitors put together and (b) Gigabyte already has a well established fan base for its motherboards and graphics card.

As Corsair proved when it stepped sideways from memory to power supplies, if you have a channel to market, fans and a quality product – then you can establish yourself as a serious player in a new market very quickly.

In Taipei 101, pointing out the best  in pointing devices was Iris Chiu, Gigabyte’s main account manager for European sales.

Iris Chiu shows you which mouse she'd use to blow you away. Nice.

Asked for her personal favourite, Iris immediately went for the Swarovski encrusted model.

Sexy shape, aggressive leather and swarovski studs - now that's what KitGuru calls 'hot stuff'

.
These killer mice come in 2 strong statement colour combinations.

Nice.

KitGuru remembers reading a recent BBC report on computer gaming. It said that close to 100% of people under 24 have gamed.

Naturally, half of them are women, so it’s good to see that someone ‘taking care of the style’.

KitGuru says: Move over ‘Man with a Golden Gun’, Bond’s about to get blown away by the ‘Lady with the Crystal Mouse’.

Discuss in our forums over here or just leave a quick comment below.

KitGuru has spoken with 3 different graphic card companies and none of them has any visibility on the new GF106 core parts that nVidia will market under the GT440 to GTX450 brands. Interesting, but what does it mean for technology buyers?

Back at the start of May, KitGuru put its flag in the ground and said that mainstream nVidia parts would begin to hit the market in July. Guess what? Our flag was well placed. KitGuru lovers can break out the knowing smile right about now. But what of the rest of the range ? The truly accessible products at truly accessible price points. We’re ready to plant more flags.

GT440 and GTX450 will be in stores on 14th September with a strong option at £99

While it is possible to create an entire range of cards from a single chip, it’s an expensive approach. The more intelligent thing is to create a part (like the GTX480 based on the GF102 design), and then use the fall-out parts (weaker in some way – whether by accident or design) to create yourself a range. With GF102, let’s call those the GTX465 and GTX470.

The far more attractive (albeit slow-selling) GTX460 comes from a more refined GF104 design. As will the GTS455, although with a weaker/cheaper memory system.

These various designs have managed to create a set of DX11 cards that have not managed to limbo much under £150.

The GF106 design promises a proper, toe-to-toe war with AMD’s mass market Radeons. Logically, the price points for these cards will be in the £75 to £150 range, probably with a strong focus on getting a killer part to market around £99.

The question is, when?

Product can take a week to get to shop shelves from the time it arrives with distributors like Jon Atherton and the chaps at Enta. Bulk shipments into those distributors come, literally, on a slow boat from China.  To get to that boat, properly packaged, branded, built and tested also takes time from the AIB (Add In Board) partner’s production facilities.

We anticipate nVidia partners using a slightly faster mode of transport than this. Possibly bigger too. Maybe less red.

If nVidia delivered chips tomorrow and everything went super-smooth, then you’d still be unlikely to see the GT440/GTS450 in the shops before  Friday 3rd September.

Allow for a few delays and you are more likely to see volume on UK shelves around Tuesday 14th September. There might be a smattering before that date and the launch itself will of course be earlier, but sensible volume is expected (by us) at the start of the 2nd week in September.

If this timeline is correct, then the final push through to the 420 products (including the 50w Fermi – GT420) won’t happen until AMD is ready to deploy its full refresh.

KitGuru says: If you’ve saved up £99 ($150) for an nVidia DX11 card, then you will need to wait a little longer before you can spend it. Enjoy your summer holidays and expect to see GT440/GTS450 in shops a while after everyone is back to school/work/play.

Care to share? Let us know in the KitGuru forums.

KitGuru was invited to a special presentation in London earlier today and we’ll tell you more about the secret stuff we saw in a little while – including the world’s fastest graphics card (single GPU category).

But first, here’s something very cute that we just could not wait to bring you. It’s the latest and greatest keyboard in Gigabyte’s AIVIA range.

You thinking what we're thinking? Lamborghini, right?

Attached to this stunning new keyboard is Christine Cheng, Gigabyte marketing guru, who spent half an hour with yours truly today – explaining all of the cool new features this keyboard brings to the market.

We’ll go into detail on the keyboard and its functionality/special features soon enough, but this shot really does make the whole prospect very attractive.

Wonder how important this logo will become to serious gamers?

AIVIA - the shape of keyboard things to come

KitGuru says: If this keyboard plays as well as it looks, then Razer could see a cut in sales.

Initial thoughts below, in-depth discussion in the KitGuru forums.

Logitech have instructed Gigabyte Technology to stop shipping Revue set top boxes from December 2010 to January 2011 while it waits for Google to complete software updates or release a new version of the Google TV software package.

Market analysts had predicted that shipments of the Revue STB’s would exceed over half a million units by the end of 2010 and when factoring in those also shipped by Sony, the sales of Google TV was estimated to top one million.

Component suppliers in Taiwan however expect Google to be releasing Android 3.0 in the first couple of months in 2011, possibly late February. When this happens supporting suppliers will resume their shipments.

Gigabyte will obviously have their revenue affected by this pause in shipping, until the temporary suspension is lifted.

Gigabyte will be showcasing their new GA-E350N-USB3 Mini ITX motherboard at CES. This features upcoming AMD Fusion Technology.

The motherboard features Direct X 11 support, Superspeed USB 3.0, SATA 6 Gbps as well as HDMI out and a host of Gigabyte features such as Ultra Durable 3 Classic, 3 x USB Power and On/Off charge for quick charging of iPad, iPod and touch devices.

“We’re excited about the GA-E350N-USB3 motherboard because it’s the first all-in-one Mini-ITX board with DX11 capabilities, and we expect it to go a long way towards bridging the gap between discrete and integrated graphics performance,” commented Tim Handley, Deputy Director of Motherboard Marketing at GIGABYTE Technology Co. Ltd. “With its specially designed low profile fansink and multitude of hi-def, high-speed connectors, we expect this little power house to be popular amongst HTPC system integrators, DIY enthusiasts and case modders.”

KitGuru says: More of these announcements will be made very soon from other manufacturers.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co., Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards and other computing hardware solutions announced a new overclocking competition in conjunction with HWBOT.org called the “AMD Highest Clock (ever) Contest!”

Fancy the challenge?

Running from January 1^st to January 31^st, the contest is split into 2 stages, Max validation and SuperPI 1M. Contestants who place in the top ten for each stage will receive points, and the person with the most points at the end wins the competition. The top 3 point earners will receive a new GIGABYTE GA-E350N-USB3 Mini-ITX motherboard based on the upcoming next generation AMD platform. There will also be a random lucky draw for all participates, with 2 winners each receiving a GA-E350N-USB3 motherboard as well. Good luck everyone and Happy New Year!

For complete contest details and rules, please visit: http://hwbot.org/competition/gbt_amd_highclock

Gigabyte have announced the release of three new motherboards – the G1 Assassin, G1 Sniper and G1 Guerilla. These are based on the X58 chipset and feature Creative and BigFoot Networks technology incorporated.

G1 Assassin

“GIGABYTE is thrilled to be able to introduce the world’s first motherboard series designed solely for elite gamers,” commented Henry Kao, Senior Vice President of Research and Development at GIGABYTE. “The G1-Killer series features the industry’s most advanced hardware and software solutions from Creative and Bigfoot Networks onboard as well as the top-notch quality and durability users have come to expect from GIGABYTE. So, lock and load gamers, the GIGABYTE G1-Killer series motherboards deliver a gaming experience unlike any other .”

“Intel is very excited to see continued innovation on the Intel® X58 Chipset platform, and congratulates GIGABYTE on their latest high-performance G1-Killer gaming motherboard series”, said Steve R. Peterson, Director of desktop chipset and strategic marketing at Intel Corporation. “These new motherboards, paired with Intel® Core™ i7 Processors Extreme Edition, deliver incredible speed and responsiveness to serious hardcore gamers.”

G1 Guerilla

“Sound Blaster audio technology is a class above any of the integrated chipsets currently on the market, and it’s clear that the PC industry concurs with this,” said Steve Erickson, Vice President and General Manager for Audio and Video at Creative. “When it comes to onboard audio solutions, we’re seeing more and more major motherboard manufacturers like GIGABYTE selecting Sound Blaster technology as their audio enhancement technology of choice, because of the far superior high-definition audio quality it furnishes.”

“In online games, the difference between victory and defeat is measured in fractions of a second,” said Michael Howse, CEO of Bigfoot Networks. “The Killer E2100 is the fastest networking solution ever created for online games, with unique technology that automatically prioritizes game traffic while also delivering unparalleled control over how your PC uses network bandwidth. We are pleased to partner with GIGABYTE to deliver superior network performance on the new G1-Killer family of gaming motherboards featuring Killer™ E2100 technology.”

KitGuru says: We love the green and black colour scheme.

The original ‘just in time’ philosophy might have been Japanese, but it seems that Intel’s engineers are passing around the parable as well. So, how close are they?  KitGuru attaches safety lines and prepares to investigate the bridge.

Working like flayed demons, Intel chipset engineers across the globe have been at it night and day.

So are we close to a solution?

Intel's original P67 box designer was prone to visions of the future.

New into our HQ from KitGuru spies in the Far East, tells us that artwork for the new boxes from Gigabyte, MSI and Asus has now been signed off and sent for production.

Significance?

The boxes for the Sandy Bridge chipset mainboards needed to be reprinted with plenty of reassuring messages (and to stop intermediaries, like distributor Ingram Micro, from refusing after-sales support – thinking it might be older/recalled stock).

Just how much of a mountain of printed material does any factory want around?  Not much, we can tell you.

The box designs go to be printed very close to the time they are likely to be used. The revised chipsets should follow into the factors very soon afterwards.

On the major vendors’ web sites, the older stock will be clearly labelled. Here’s an example from Gigabyte.

We've added the red lines, but the message is clear. Choose version 1 if you accept some limitation - else hide in your Anderson Shelter and wait for the V2 to come whistling in

That leaves just one question.

With the second generation Intel Core i3 processors due to launch at the end of this weekend, which mainboards will they be running on?

High-end Core i5 and Core i7 boards, from the major brands, all tend to have a secondary 6Gb/sec SATA controller on board, but it’s less likely that a feature like this will appear on the kind of boards that would normally be sold with an entry level processor. Surely this will hamper system builders?

KitGuru says: The glitch that was the Sandy Bridge recall is about to right itself. AMD might see a small upsurge in CPU sales for Q1 2011, but the real chance to do long-term damage has probably passed. It’s strange that the Core i3 launch has not been adjusted to coincide with the release of 100% working mainboards, but maybe Intel’s so keen to push through to Ivy Bridge that it just wants the existing range launches out of the way as fast as possible.

Let us have your thoughts below.

Gigabyte have launched a new motherboard which is going to appeal to a huge portion of our audience. They claim it is the world’s first motherboard designed from the ground up for extreme overclockers. The GA-X58A-OC also has one of the most vibrant colour schemes we have seen to date.

“The GIGABYTE X58A-OC introduces some really exciting and unique overclocking technologies like the PWM frequency switcher, a full range of onboard hardware OC buttons, onboard SATA power connectors for stable multiple graphics configurations, and DualBIOS switcher that up until now have just been ideas discussed in private OC forums and messages,” commented HiCookie, GIGABYTE In-house Overclocking Expert. “Tweaking features aside, we have also adopted high current components such as POScaps and MPFC (Max Power Ferrite Core) Chokes that allow overclockers to bench more reliably and with more power so they are able to smash more world records. As an avid overclocker myself, having the freedom to help design a board specifically for overclockers has been a dream come true, and I really hope that overclockers enjoy benching on this board as much as we enjoyed making it!”

Based on the Intel X58 chipset (Tylersburg) and supporting LGA 1366 socket CPUs such as Intel’s new top of the range Core i7 990X Extreme Edition CPU, the GIGABYTE X58A-OC takes advantage of all the performance benefits that the X58 platform has to offer including triple channel DDR3 memory support, 6 core 12 thread CPU support, and enough PCIe Gen 2.0 bandwidth to support 4-way CrossFireX and 3-way SLI for the best graphics performance.

The GIGABYTE X58A-OC features a new VRM design called OC-VRM, which includes a combination of highly conductive POScaps, 50A rated MPFC (Max Power Ferrite Core) Chokes, and Driver-MOSFETs, which combined, are able to deliver higher current to the CPU, with better efficiency and lower temperature. OC-VRM also allows users to overclock the PWM frequency via an onboard switch, for real-time adjustment. When the CPU needs maximum power, users can raise the PWM frequency in order to deliver more current through this unique POScap and MPFC Choke design. In addition, GIGABYTE has specially chosen unobtrusive components and carefully designed their layout to make it easier and quicker than ever for extreme overclockers to insulate their boards.

OC-Touch enables overclockers to quickly and easily get the best performance from their system. With onboard OC-Touch buttons, users are able to manually raise and lower the CPU ratio, change BCLK settings, and even change BCLK stepping to either 1MHz or 0.3MHz. These changes can be made at any time whether in the BIOS, DOS, or Windows and in real-time without the need for rebooting, so that users can quickly fine-tune to find their CPU’s maximum frequency. The onboard 4G Ready button allows novice overclockers to automatically reach 4GHz, while advanced users can use it to get to 4GHz before continuing with OC-Touch to quickly find their CPU’s best margin. Onboard voltage measurement modules are also included to help users to conveniently monitor component voltages.

OC-PEG provides two onboard SATA power connectors for more stable PCIe power when using 3-way and 4-way graphics configurations. Each connector can get power from a different phase of the power supply, helping to provide a better, more stable graphics overclock. The independent power inputs for the PCIe slots helps to improve even single graphics card overclocking. For 4-way CrossFireX, users must install OC-PEG to avoid over current in the 24pin ATX connector. The entire board also features POScaps, helping to simplify the insulation process so overclockers can quickly reach subzero readiness.

OC-Cool features a new LED lit thermal design and 7x 4-pin Smart Fan connectors to allow overclockers to easily control system-wide temperature. The OC-Cool heatpipe maximizes system convection to expel hot air out through the IO panel and optimizes passive cooling. OC-Cool LED lighting on the North and South Bridges further adds to the X58A-OC’s coolness.

OC-DualBIOS features an onboard BIOS switcher and LED indicator, allowing users to select one BIOS for normal use, and another one for overclocking. It can also act as a backup BIOS in case of BIOS failure during overclocking. With two BIOSes, users are able to save up to 16 different overclocking profiles – a very useful feature when overclockers want to update to a new BIOS, but don’t want to lose their original settings.

By being able to switch between 2 different BIOSes, OC-DualBIOS also allows users to test drive a new BIOS without having to update both BIOSes with the same update, helping to save time and unnecessary BIOS reflashes.

Enthusiast customers are spoilt for choice when buying a new motherboard. Asus, MSI and Gigabyte are all going head to head to create the most eye catching, feature packed, overclocking friendly boards to suit those with deeper than average pockets.

One such product which caught our eye recently was the G1 Assassin from Gigabyte, which on paper is one of the most impressive motherboards they have ever produced. The G1 Assassin is based around the X58 chipset, Intel’s high end LGA1366 socket which is due to be replaced near the end of this year.

There are three products in this G1 range. The Guerilla, The Sniper and the Assassin - all of which have received ‘characterisation’ from the Gigabyte team (see image below), almost as if you were picking a person for a computer game. The G1 Assassin we are looking at today will make a considerable dent in your bank balance, costing in excess of £400. You need to be a serious, wealthy enthusiast to be contemplating a purchase of this board.

As you can see from the image above, this board can support up to 24GB of DDR3 at timings to 2200mhz. It can also accept four graphics cards (2×16 and 2×8). There is also a Creative HW Audio 20K2 sound card on board and a Killer E2100 Nic for all your networking demands. It even has support for 16 power phase and delivers USB 3.0 and Sata 6GBps connectivity. It also supports Quad CrossfireX and three way SLI, out of the box.

Today KitGuru will find out if this board is worth your time and money, and thanks to Intel we have their latest Core i7 990x Extreme Edition to partner up Gigabyte’s latest and greatest X58 board. Our goal is to hit 5.0ghz on modest liquid cooling, a rather tall order for the hot running 12 core flagship processor. Getting 4.8ghz stable with a 980x was a challenge, outside the realms of exotic watercooling or phase change anyway, so we hope the 990x allows us a little more headroom today.

With Intel’s new Z68 overclocking platform close to launch, Gigabyte’s team took time out of their busy schedules to discuss with KitGuru the changes that are happening in the market, the way that Gigabyte is pushing hard on R&D and the value of long term customer support.

KitGuru’s recent article on Gigabyte’s early movement toward the improved Intel Z68 chipset seems to have sparked debate in forums across the globe. Must be great for any brand to know that so many people care so much about their products.

Andrew Borkowski from Gigabyte’s UK office discussed the movement, “First let me say that Gigabyte will have P67 products in the market through to the end of 2011 and support for the platform will continue after that. But it is true that we will be moving aggressively to the new Intel 6-series platform”.

Borkowski continued, “While Gigabyte sells a broad cross section of mainboard products, from entry level upwards, the thing that we are best known for is serious, pro-class gaming boards like the G1 Assassin and overclocking boards like the X58A-OC”.

On that basis, an early move to the slightly more expensive, but ‘better on paper’ Z68 makes perfect sense. KitGuru is hearing from other sources that the chipset price difference might only be a fiver to the end user ($8 or less), which – if it is that much better – would easily be absorbed in enthusiast products.

“Enthusiasts always demand more. They want improved features, better overclocks and all of the other good things that come with next generation technology”, said Borkowski. “Our engineers have been working closely with Intel and we’re ready for the move to the new chipset”.

“We believe that this platform will be hugely popular with enthusiasts and overclockers”, said Borkowski. “The pricing for this new platform should also be very attractive in that context”. That last statement about pricing, seems to indicate that Gigabyte believes Z68 can also make a strong impact in the mainstream user/system integration markets.

We asked Borkowski about the rest of the Gigabyte Sandy Bridge range, “With the H-series products, we’re expecting those to be in the production still in 2012″.

Just how close Gigabyte is to launching its brand new Z68 products is a mystery.

KitGuru says: Overall, it looks like 2011 will be a busy year for the Gigabyte mainboard teams – as they work hard to ensure not only are they leading the delivery of new platforms to market, but also ensuring that existing products have suitable on-going support. We can’t wait to see Gigabyte’s quad-channel memory offers for Xmas 2011.

Comments below or in the KitGuru forum.

The whole subject of Intel’s upcoming Z68 chipset has recently spawned more fevered online articles than a Lohan limousine leg-shot. Pushing all of the minor improvements to one side KitGuru is ready to reveal the key reasons for Intel’s latest launch.

Almost without fail, each generation of technology products has its improvements. With chipsets you find that some are there, fundamentally, by design. Others are achieved by the board vendor, and included during the production cycle.

Lastly, there are the BIOS re-writes, which can also offer a great deal. What is the big deal about Z68 ?

One of the first boards to have been seen was the Asus P6Z68-V Pro. The board should be a great overclocking product as it features a 14 phase Digi+ CPU VRM, UEFI Bios and supported memory of up to DDR3-2600 via OC.

Additional features include the support for Intel Flexible Display Interface, for processors with Intel’s embedded HD 3000 graphics. As well as this, it includes Lucid Virtu technology, which will allow the board to switch between integrated graphics and discrete simultaneously – to help with power saving.

This particular board has dual PCI-E 2.0 x16 (x8 electrical with both populated) and a single PCI-E x 16 (x4 electrical), 2x PCIe x 1, and 2x PCI expansion slots. There is support for SATA 6 GB/s and USB 3.0, as expected.

On the rear are DVI, VGA and HDMI 1.4a connectors.

Currently, H67 express gives the user access to the HD Graphics 2000/3000 engine built into every second generation core CPU, while motherboards based around P67 require the focus on discrete graphics cards. We all know which has proven more successful for Intel within enthusiast circles.

The Z68 allows graphics and processor based overclocking. In theory you could install an i5-2500K and attach a panel to the HD 3000 graphics output. We aren’t so sure many enthusiast users would find this such an appealing prospect however. World of Warcraft might run at semi reasonable resolutions, but you aren’t going to be powering Crysis with the settings cranked, there is no question about that.

Intel are hoping that Virtu attracts an audience. You can add in a discrete card and connect to the HD graphics enabled outputs on a Z68 based motherboard. Lucidlogix’s software then facilitates the best of Quick Sync and today’s discrete graphics solutions. Basically its a combination of P67 and H67, with 3D and transcoding acceleration. We recently looked at Lucid Hydra and weren’t impressed, so lets hope this software implementation is more solid.

40GB SSD: an ideal size for Intel's new 'caching' feature

Another selling point for Z68 is the SSD caching. This means a user can add a small solid state drive to a system already configured running a larger mechanical disk with the target goal of speeding up the read performance of data which is cached to the SSD. For people who can’t afford a larger SSD but who still need high levels of storage it might be a benefit. This story we wrote last June might be an interesting read.

Tomshardware have had access to this technology for weeks now and there is a writeup, over here. It looks as if the enthusiast audience might not find this appealing however as Twitter discussions on this technology have highlighted that the majority still prefer the idea of a separate boot drive.

SSD caching, is constrained by a handful of requirements (courtesy of Tomshardware).

1. You have to be using a Core i3, Core i5, or Core i7 processor. As far as we know, caching will only be enabled on Z68 Express, so this narrows the list even further to Sandy Bridge-based LGA 1155 CPUs.
2. You need to have the 32- or 64-bit version of Windows Vista, 7, or Server 2008 installed.
3. Intel’s Desktop/Workstation/Server Express Chipset SATA RAID controller hub has to be installed and enabled (the platform controller hub needs to be in RAID mode, in other words).
4. The system has to be RAID-ready with the Accelerate bit enabled (presumably, Z68 will be the only platform with this switched on initially).
5. You need a SATA-based SSD with at least 18.6 GB of free space.
6. You need a hard drive present with no recovery volume.

The maximum cache size will be limited to 64GB. This means that if you have a larger solid state drive you can just use it as a standard boot drive. With 64GB or less you can use it as a cache oriented drive instead.

KitGuru says: It’s hard to imagine the madness that would need to grip a user in order for them to buy an overclocking rig costing more than £800 ($1,200) and NOT include a decent graphics card. Anyone care to hazard a guess as to how much laughter a noob at a gaming event would have to endure if they rocked-up with a clocked-up rig at 4.8GHz and no discrete card?  Whether SSD caching and Virtu proves popular with the enthusiast audience remains to be seen.

GIGABYTE today announced a new overclocking competition in conjunction with HWBOT.org called the “Super Tuner” contest.

For all of you 3DMark2001 pros out there, time to get out your wrenches and show us your tuning skills. From May 15th to June 15th, GIGABYTE and HWBOT are hosting the GIGABYTE Super Tuner Contest. There are 3 stages to this competition based on GPU.

Stage 1: Nvidia GeForce 200 Series (single or multiple)

Stage 2: Nvidia GeForce 300/400 Series (single or multiple)

Stage 3: AMD/ATI Graphics (single or multiple)

Contestants can use any GIGABYTE 6 series motherboard (aka Sandy Bridge) with the top 3DMark2001 scorers in each category each winning one of the latest GIGABYTE Z68 series Z68X-UD3H-B3 motherboards.

Good Luck everyone and get tuning!

For complete contest details and rules, please visit: http://hwbot.org/competition/gbt_p67_super_tuner

Today we are reviewing a new card from Gigabyte, the HD6770 Silent Cell, which is a passively cooled discrete graphics card built on a 2oz copper layer with full overclocking capabilities. Gigabyte also claim that temperatures with this design be reduced by 10% when compared against the reference solution. Is this an ideal graphics card for a low noise, performance PC?

In the last year, we have noticed a growing audience are becoming more aware of noise emissions, with many users actually waiting long after launch day for a partner to release a custom cooled version. There are a plethora of discrete designs available today for these users, comprising multiple fans, metal shrouds and copper heatpipes.

The Gigabyte HD6770 Silent Cell is built around a huge heatsink design, and the fan has been removed. Ideal for noise sensitive users and those people who are aiming to built the quietest computer possible.

Card Specifications:

Core Speed: 850 mhz
Memory Speed: 4800mhz (effective)
Memory Type: GDDR5
Memory Bit Rate: 128 Bit
Cooling: Passive
Width: Dual Slot
Crossfire Support: CrossFireX
Support: ATI Avivo HD, ATI CrossFireX multi-GPU technology, ATI Eyefinity Technology, Microsoft DirectX 11, Microsoft Windows 7 support, OpenGL 4.1

The first retail listing for the soon to be launched HD 7950 has popped up, that being from online distributer PROVANTAGE who are advertising a model from GIGABYTE (GV-R795WF3-3GD) for pre-order at quite the inflated price indeed – ‘Only’ $481.58. The specs provided are minimal in the advertisement – HD 7950 3072MB DDR5 384BIT PCI Express DVI. And oddly the associating image used is that of a HD 4850.

It is rumored that the post launch pricing on the model will hover around the $400 mark. Let’s hope so!

Kitguru says: I guess this is how the dice rolls when you want to ensure you’ll be the first kid on the block with one.

Slightly deeper pockets will soon be required if a new motherboard is on the shopping list. It’s been said that motherboard vendors will be looking to increase prices on their boards by as much as 10% in the very near future, potentially as early as the end of this quarter.

The reason for the hike is said to be a result of increasing costs on certain raw materials (primarily copper) and also rising labor costs in China. We’ve already seen motherboard prices rise by 5 to 10% at the beginning of 2011 for similar reasons, then again another 3 to 8% rise in April as a result of increased costs on certain components after the Earthquake disaster in Japan a month prior.

Apparently ASUS has confirmed plans to increase its motherboard prices by about 10% and one would assume that other vendors will be following suit either at the same time or soon after. Although with that said, GIGABYTE has responded to VR-Zone on the subject with denial of any price increasing to be taking place on their boards anytime soon.

Nonetheless, ASUS is expecting its motherboard shipments to increase by 10% within this first quarter and GIGABYTE have even higher expectations of 20%.

Source: Digitimes

KitGuru says: No wonder expectations on Q1 shipments are expected to rise if word of this spreads far and wide enough.

It’s one of the oddities of the major international IT shows, that all of the major players like Asus, Gigabyte, Asrock and MSI – almost always end up with similar sized stands.

At CeBIT 2012, Gigabyte seemed to be using every inch of its stand space to show off its 3rd-generation Intel CPU mainboard designs.

Happy snappers inc was on hand to relay these images.

There has been a lot of hoo-har around the launch of Ivy Bridge. Most of the journalists we have spoken to about it think that Intel has spread the launch over too great a period of time and, as such, system builders across the globe have been sitting on CPUs and mainboards for several weeks. During that time, the inevitable has happened, benchmark scores etc have leaked out while sites like KitGuru have been sticking to its agreement with Intel not to run and publish its own tests until the deadline for launch happens. Very strange.

Against that backdrop of NDA-required silence, it IS alright for mainboard manufacturers to show you their products, but you can’t touch – so to speak.

Confused?  Yep, us too.

Anyway, arguments about an Intel NDA that staggers the release of products, information and numbers over a 2 month period to one side, let’s head over to the Gigabyte stand shots and the wonderful Andrew Ditchburn. Looking across the vast array of new products that he was using to decorate the Gigabyte stand, one thing is for sure – there will be no shortage of price/performance/feature options for the KitGuru reader’s ’3rd Generation’ build.

Whether you want the full-on tweaking ability of the ‘Z’ versions of the chipset or the super saver ‘H’ version, you will plenty of choice.

Brought in specially to deal with troublesome press, Andrew Ditchburn wastes no time in telling you everything you need to know (and are legally allowed to hold in your brain) about Gigabyte's latest creations

Even to a complete novice, there’s no doubting which of these boards is most likely to find its way into an enthusiast build.

That little, golden skull and dagger tell you all you need to know about the target market for the G1. Sniper 3

But Andrew was keen to point out that the reason why he has an entire wall covered with new boards, is that the 3rd Generation of Intel Core processors will appeal to a much broader range of users – and he has the mainboard line up necessary to satisfy.

You can expect very competitive pricing on the Gigabyte GA B75M D3H board - even though it promises faster Intel graphics that we've ever seen before. It will be interesting to see how this new technology plays in the mobile space.

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KitGuru says: So there you have it. Intel is about to puts its considerable technical/marketing/sales muscle into ‘The chip formerly known as Ivy Bridge – but which now prefers to be known as the 3rd Generation Core Processor’…  and Gigabyte promises to have a board for you – no matter what your aim/objective/budget. Must be love.

Comment below or in the KitGuru forums.

The always challenging memory overclocking segment has just witnessed another push to heights not reached previously; this time in terms of quad channel setups.

Just last month we saw G.Skill and GIGABYTE reach for the stars, and by George did they ever, achieving a staggering 3736MHz on AMD’s dual channel Llano platform.

Taking another good crack at jumping into the limelight once again with a Core i7-3770K “Ivy Bridge” processor and GIGABYTE Z77X-UD5H motherboard, renowned Chinese overclocker Coolaler suited the platform up with four 4GB G.Skill DDR3-2600 MHz modules and went to town while remaining confined to air cooling measures.

Amazingly, the 3000MHz barrier was smashed and Coolaler continued to climb, settling for 3077MHz in the end with latencies of 11-14-14-35 2T. A remarkable feat indeed! – You can watch the event unfold in the 8 minute video below :-

KitGuru says: A pretty staggering result considering it was all done with nothing more than traditional air cooling. Makes you wonder just how far he could have gone if using more extreme cooling measures.