GIGABYTE GA-X99-UD4P LGA 2011-v3 Motherboard Review
Final Thoughts & Conclusion
The GIGABYTE X99-UD4P was able to prove itself as a very solid board today. Throughout everything I did with it, there weren’t any hiccups during my time with the GIGABYTE X99-UD4P. Even though the X99-UD4P carries a price tag of only $249.99, it is packed with the features that most of us will ever need. Ultimately I think I’d have to say the performance of the GIGABYTE X99-UD4P is right on par with what it should be.
There’s very little about the GIGABYTE X99-UD4P that I didn’t like. The only feature that I found lacking was that there was no onboard buttons built onto the motherboard. Perhaps I’ve simply become spoiled, but this is something that I missed. By no means whatsoever is this a deal breaker to me. Once the GIGABYTE X99-UD4P is installed into a chassis there’s almost no use for the onboard buttons. Since I was using the X99-UD4P on an open bench, I had to dig out an old power button from one of my old chassis. Obviously this isn’t something that’s major, but it is about the only feature that I found missing on the board.
One aspect that I really like about GIGABYTE boards in general, and the GA-X99-UD4P is no exception, is their overclocking ability. Even though the GIGABYTE X99-UD4P is part of their Ultra-Durable line, the X99-UD4P was able to easily overclock the Intel Core i7-5960X eight core processor to 4.5GHz with only a little bit of tweaking.
If you aren’t into overclocking, but you would still like some free performance, GIGABYTE has a great option for you. Within the UEFI BIOS there is an option to ‘Upgrade’ your CPU. Within the GIGABYTE UEFI BIOS you can automatically overclock your processor to 3.8GHz, 4.0GHz, or even as high as 4.3GHz! I was easily able to bring the Intel Core i7-5960X to 4.3GHz using the CPU level up option in the UEFI BIOS and the GA-X99-UD4P ran flawlessly while running at 4.3GHz.
One of the key features about the GIGABYTE X99-UD4P that is a major selling point for me is the warranty. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that the X99-UD4P is ever going to need to use the warranty. If for some reason there is a need for the GIGABYTE X99-UD4P to be warrantied, GIGABYTE backs the X99-UD4P with a three year warranty. There’s a good chance you’ll never need to use the warranty from GIGABYTE, but it’s always nice to have that little peace of mind.
The Intel X99 platform isn’t one that’s meant for a budget builder. Taking a quick look at Intel X99 motherboards, there is a pretty wide price range, going from ~$180 up to ~$620. The GIGABYTE X99-UD4P falls closer to the non-wallet emptying side at only $249.99. While I wouldn’t call that a budget board, I would call it a great price for the performance and features that the GIGABYTE X99-UD4P has!
Legit Bottom Line: The GIGABYTE X99-UD4P is a rock solid board packed with features. If you’re building a system with the latest and greatest Intel X99 chipset, the GIGABYTE X99-UD4P should make it to your short list!