GIGABYTE G1.Sniper M3 & G1.Sniper 3 Motherboard Reviews
GIGABYTE G1.Sniper3 & G1.Sniper M3
It doesn’t seem that long ago that we had our first opportunity to look at the first GIGABYTE G1-Killer motherboard. When in fact it has been well over a year. We first had the chance to play with the GIGABYTE G1.Assassin back in April 2011. Since then we have seen several variations of the G1-Killer motherboards come across our test bench. Today we have a couple more G1-Killer motherboards floating around the Legit Reviews lab. Our samples today are based on the latest Intel Z77 express chipset which use the Intel LGA1155 (H2) socket. The first of the two Intel Z77 G1-Killer motherboards is the GIGABYTE G1.Sniper3. The G1.Sniper3 is the next iteration of the G1.Sniper2 that we looked at back in September 2011. The G1.Sniper2 is built using the Intel Z68 chipset which is designed for Intel’s Sandy Bridge processors. The G1.Sniper3 as previously mentioned is using the Intel Z77 chipset and is targeted for the Intel Ivy Bridge processors. Much like the G1.Sniper2, the G1.Sniper3 uses a larger form factor to fit all the goodies onto the PCB. If you’re not a fan of the EATX form factor, we also have the GIGABYTE G1-Killer gaming motherboards small form factor solution, the G1.Sniper M3. The GIGABYTE G1.Sniper M3 is a mATX solution for those looking to build a small form factor PC.
GIGABYTE has started including a Bluetooth 4.0 + WiFi module. The GC-WB300D features the latest standards in wireless connectivity including Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11 A/B/G/N WiFi connectivity. If you have a device like the Apple iPhone 4S that will take advantage of Smart Ready technology the GC-WB300D will happily use that technology with it. We will find this in the GIGABYTE G1.Sniper3, but not in the G1.Sniper M3.
The GIGABYTE 3D Power utilizes a brand new digital PWM controller that features precise auto voltage compensation. The auto voltage compensation will deliver steady power flow to the memory and CPU, no matter what kind of load is placed on the hardware.With the new 3D Power technology comes a few new features! The digital memory control lets the user monitor power and current in real time while playing your favorite game, sitting idly by, or pushing the limits of your system while overclocking! We also have the ability to protect our memory with OVP (Over Voltage Protection), adjust memory LLC (load-line calibration), and adjust the memory PWM frequency on the fly.
GIGABYTE 3D Power isn’t only available through the GIGABYTE 3D BIOS. GIGABYTE also has a handy little piece of software that can be run right in Windows. Above you can see the main screen from the utility, through it you can access the voltage, frequency and phase control. Don’t confuse these with the settings for the system voltages and frequencies. Those can be access through the GIGABYTE Easy tune software. These settings are strictly for the 3D Power settings.
We first saw the GIGABYTE 3D BIOS when we looked at the GIGABYTE X79-UD7. When we first used the 3D BIOS with the X79-UD7, we weren’t to horribly impressed. We had some issues with the Razor Copperhead mouse that we use on the test bench, since then we have had a couple of GIGABYTE motherboards with the 3D BIOS come across the bench and haven’t had any issues with our mouse tracking or not working properly. Once GIGABYTE found out about the issue they took the initiative to remedy the situation.
GIGABYTE has employed a new manufacturing process in to their Intel 7 series motherboards. Glass Fabric PCB technology produces a tighter weave of the material used to make the PCB, this aids in preventing moisture from absorbing into the motherboard during damp and humid conditions. This will help prevent short circuits and other problems caused by moisture. This is part of the GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 4 technology.
GIGABYTE G1-Killer Instinct Features
| Super Sight | Super Hearing | Super Speed | Super Shield |
| 4-way CrossFireX and 4way-SLI (G1.Sniper3) | Onboard Creative Sound Core3D Quad-core audio processor |
Qualcomm Atheros Killer E2200 Game Networking Platform |
Locked and Loaded Heatpipe Design(G1.Sniper3 Only) |
| 2-way CorssFireX and 2-Way SLI (G1.Sniper M3) |
THX TruStudio Pro | Front Access Control Panel | 5 Smart Fan Connectors (G1.Sniper3) 4 Smart Fan Connectors (G1.Sniper M3) |
| CrystalVoice | SATA 3.0 (6Gbps), USB 3.0 and 3x USB Power | ||
| Front Audio Headphone Amplifier | |||
| Nichicon High-end Audio Capacitors |
GIGABYTE G1.Sniper3 Intel Z77 Motherboard Specifications
| CPU | Support for Intel Core i7 processors/Intel Core i5 processors/ Intel Core i3 processors/Intel Pentium processors/Intel Celeron processors in the LGA1155 package L3 cache varies with CPU |
| Chipset | Intel Z77 Express Chipset |
| Memory | 4 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 32 GB of system memory Dual channel memory architecture Support for DDR3 2666(OC)/1600/1333/1066 MHz memory modules Support for non-ECC memory modules Support for Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory modules |
| Onboard Graphics | 1 x D-Sub port 1 x DVI-D port, supporting a maximum resolution of 1920×1200 1 x HDMI port, supporting a maximum resolution of 1920×1200 1 x DisplayPort, supporting a maximum resolution of 2560×1600 |
| Audio | Creative CA0132 chip Support for Sound Blaster Recon3Di High Definition Audio 2/5.1-channel Support for S/PDIF Out |
| LAN | 1 x Qualcomm Atheros Killer E2200 LAN chip (10/100/1000 Mbit) (LAN1) 1 x Intel GbE LAN phy (10/100/1000 Mbit) (LAN2) |
| Expansion Slots | 2 x PCI Express x16 slots, running at x16 (PCIEX16_1, PCIEX16_2) 2 x PCI Express x16 slots, running at x8 (PCIEX8_1, PCIEX8_2) 2 x PCI Express x1 slots 1 x PCI slot |
| Multi-Graphics Technology | Support for 4-Way/3-Way/2-Way AMD CrossFireX/NVIDIA SLI technology |
| Storage Interface | Chipset:
2 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors (SATA3 0/1) supporting up to 2 SATA 6Gb/s devices 2 x Marvell 88SE9172 chips: 4 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors (GSATA3 6/7/8/9) supporting up to 4 SATA 6Gb/s devices |
| USB | Chipset:
Up to 2 USB 3.0/2.0 ports on the back panel Chipset + 2 VIA VL810 Hubs: Up to 8 USB 3.0/2.0 ports (4 ports on the back panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB headers) |
| IEEE 1394 | VIA VT6308 chip:
Up to 2 IEEE 1394a ports (available through the internal IEEE 1394a headers) |
| Internal I/O Connectors | 1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector 1 x PCIe power connector 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors 4 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors 1 x mSATA connector 1 x CPU fan header 4 x system fan headers 1 x front panel header 1 x front panel audio header 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 headers 2 x IEEE 1394a headers 1 x Clear CMOS jumper 1 x power button 1 x Clear CMOS button 1 x reset button Voltage measurement points 1 x BIOS switch 1 x Trusted Platform Module (TPM) header |
| Back Panel Connectors | 1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse port 6 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports 1 x D-Sub port 1 x DVI-D port 1 x HDMI port 1 x DisplayPort 2 x RJ-45 ports 1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector 5 x audio jacks (Center/Subwoofer Speaker Out, Rear Speaker Out, Line In/Mic In, Line Out, Headphone) |
| I/O Controller | iTE I/O Controller Chip |
| H/W Monitoring | System voltage detection CPU/System temperature detection CPU/System fan speed detection CPU overheating warning CPU/System fan fail warning CPU/System fan speed control |
| BIOS | 2 x 64 Mbit flash Use of licensed AMI EFI BIOS Support for DualBIOS PnP 1.0a, DMI 2.0, SM BIOS 2.6, ACPI 2.0a |
| Unique Features | Support for @BIOS Support for Q-Flash Support for Xpress Install Support for Xpress Recovery2 Support for EasyTune Support for eXtreme Hard Drive (X.H.D) Support for Auto Green Support for ON/OFF Charge Support for Q-Share Support for 3D Power Support for EZ Setup |
| Bundle Software | Norton Internet Security (OEM version) Intel Rapid Start Technology Intel Smart Connect Technology Intel Smart Response Technology LucidLogix Virtu MVP |
| Form Factor | E-ATX Form Factor; 30.5cm x 26.4cm |
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