In our review of the ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional-M, we discovered something odd with the USB 3.0 performance. In our tests, we have used the latest BIOS and Intel USB 3.0 and ASmedia USB 3.0 driver on the same board to test it’s performance. In the results below, we also tested the same SSD, a Kingston SNB 425 Vseries SSD using the external Sunbeamtech USB 3.0 docking station.

Here are our results with the docking station attached to the ports. We first tested it using SiSoft Sandra 2012 Physical disk test.

Using the ASmedia USB 3.0 support ports

We get a read performance of 202.15MB/s. This is consistent with our tests of the SSD on the docking station months ago on the older platforms using ASmedia or Etrontech controllers.

Using the on board Intel Z77 supported USB 3.0 ports

To ensure everything is working correctly, we checked the device manager and also ensure that the latest driver (available from the ASRock support website) is installed.

We were astonished that the USB 3.0 performance read tests give us only 41MB/s. That is way below the normal performance of a USB 3.0.

On page 2, we used CrystalDiskMark to verify our results :

ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional-M
bluetooth 9 Jul 2012

In gaming competitions, most users will want to equip themselves with their gaming rig. A gaming notebook does give you the portability but it lacks the processor power to run gpu intensive games. The better solution is to equip yourself with a smaller footprint desktop PC. The ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional-M definitely fits the bill as it is a mATX, small in size yet big in performance that matches it’s full fledge size cousins.

This board based on the Intel Z77 chipset supports 4 DIMM slots with Dual Channel DDR3 2800+(OC). In addition, with the Core i5-3x70k processors, you are ready to use it as a machine for playing less GPU intensive games or use it for work. That is thanks to the Intel HD graphics built in to the processor. The board supports output ports DVI-D, D-SUB and HDMI.

For those who require more graphics power, plug in your own graphics card and you can run 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 Slots, Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX™, 3-Way CrossFireX, CrossFireX™ and NVIDIA® Quad SLI™, SLI™. You can also improve the onboard graphics performance by adding a single graphics card and enable Lucid Virtu MVP.

When it comes to heatsink mounting, this is something I loved, C.C.O (combo Cooler option). It helps you to save some costs, reusnig your older LGA775 heatsinks on this board with the 4 extra mounting holes.

Gamers want  a responsive system, ASRock understands that and has equipped it with PCie Gigabit LAN. Moreover, it has a 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC898 Audio Codec), Supports THX TruStudio™ for audio support.

ASRock has also bundled software to speed up your system, they include XFast RAM which is a virtual ram system. With it enabled, it can be used a Readyboost drive to speed up access to cache files etc. XFast LAN on the other hand lowers latency of your system for the utmost packet for best LAN performance. XFast USB speeds up USB transfers with a On/Off switch.

Other than that, there is OMG which is online management in BIOS that allows certain days and time of the day for internet access which will be welcomed by parents to control when their children accesses the internet. There is also a dehumidifier function on board which reduces humid and prolongs the life of the components on board. The BIOS also has a UEFI system browser which shows you the various components in visual, showing what is connected etc.

As it is a Intel Z77 based board, it defniitely supports the Intel functions - Intel® Smart Connect, Intel® Rapid Start and the Lucid Virtu Universal MVP for speeding up graphics performance when an add on graphcis card is inserted onto the board. 

F-Stream is another software that allows you to change the settings of the system all within Windows 7. You can fine tune the voltages, clk speed etc.

ASRock will showcase some of their new product line up at the Computex 2012 trade show.

(1) Record-breaking OC machine :Z77 OC Formula.

(2) World’s 1st 4-channel Thunderbolt mobo :Z77 Extreme6/TB4

(3) World’s most luxurious X79 mobo :X79 Extreme11

(4) AMD FM2 Socket Series

Motherboard Emperor : X79 Extreme11

The X79 Extreme11 is a premium motherboard using luxury material, applying high-class specification. Adding credits to overclocking, ASRock X79 Extreme11 adopts hefty 24 + 2 Power Phase Design which features tough components and smooth power deliver to the CPU. Unprecedentedly equipped with LSI™ SAS2308 chip, this feature-rich mobo provides maximum 10 sets of SATA3 connectors and 8 of the 10 can be used as SAS. Enthusiasts will also appreciate the onboard two PLX PEX 8747 bridges. Via PLX PEX bridges, ASRock X79 Extreme11 can run multi-GPU 4-Way SLI/CrossFireX at PCIe Gen3 x16/x16/x16/x16 mode without sacrificing anything.

For audio aspect, the onboardCreative Sound Core3Dquad-core sound and voice processor offers true-to-life sound experience, supports THX TruStudio PRO™ superior technology, CrystalVoice, EAX 1.0 to EAX 5.0 and Scout Mode™.

All-Rounder : Z77 Extreme9

The top-of-the-line Z77 Extreme9 motherboard combines luxury materials and overclockable configurations. The fancy LED designwas clad in air-channeling heatsink and south bridge, delivering effective heat dissipation.PLX PEX 8747 bridge allows this board to run 4-Way SLI / CrossFireX at full PCIe Gen3 x8 / x8 / x8 / x8 mode. The exclusive2T2R Dual Band WiFi802.11 a/b/g/n + BT v4.0 Module offers support for WiFi802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity standards and Bluetooth v4.0 and provide Dual Band frequency up to 2.4 / 5 GHz as well.Wi-SB BOXbrings superior WiFi and Bluetooth signal quality and even provides 2 front USB 3.0 ports.

Record-breaking OC Machine : Z77 OC Formula

In addition to a wide range of premium motherboard solutions, a must-see product at ASRock COMPUTEX 2012 isZ77 OC Formula. This is an overclocking-oriented motherboard which was developed by the world’s OC legacy performer, Nick Shih. The board opens up overclocking possibilities and gives you control opportunities in every way, featuring the most detailed and considerate design of any overclocking motherboard.

The soon-to-be-launched Z77 OC Formula provides serious compute power and shows off the true potential of a stock-clocked Z77 chipset. Nick Shih, ASRock’s exclusive OC master, just submitted several record-breaking overclocking results which are raked No.1 position at HWBOT. The unbeatable OC performance includes following:

World’s 1st 4-Channel Thunderbolt Mobo: Z77 Extreme6/TB4

This year, Thunderbolt™ should be the hottest topic at COMPUTEX. ASRock Z77 Extreme6/TB4 adopts 2 Thunderbolt ports which is first motherboard supporting 4-Channel Thunderbolt technology in the world. Compared to other Thunderbolt-ready motherboards with only 1 port, the unprecedented Z77 Extreme6/TB4 provides 2 ports. Based on ASRock exclusive hardware design, this board allows one port to be connected to the onboard graphics and the other one can be used for discrete graphics card.

What’s Hot : AMD FM2 Series

At ASRock’s powerhouse, visitors can also get a fresh look of AMD’s new FM2 socket motherboards. For the imminent launch of the next generation of AMD FM2 platform, ASRock will present its most powerful APU motherboard series based on the upcoming FM2 socket. New lineup includes one ATX and two micro ATX mobos – FM2A75 Pro4, FM2A75 Pro4-M and FM2A75M-DGS.

SERVER/WORKSTATION

Build Up The Best Server/WorkStation

Dedicated to your business! ASRock make its debut of Server/Workstation motherboards at COMPUTEX 2012. New mobos include EN2C602-4L, E3C204-V, E3C204-4L and H77WS-DL.

Server segment is nothing new – but ASRock takes this seriously. Our comprehensive motherboard packages support 24/7 hours/days non-stop operation and 24-month life cycle guarantee supply. The premium quality is assured by rigorous testing during development as well. Creating the ultimate server/workstation is more than running a box of hard drives – it’s about the software, how the hardware is configured, and how the box is connected and accessed. ASRock Server/Workstation motherboard series include everything essential that will surely serve pretty much all your needs!

IPC MOTHERBOARD

Productivity, Stability, Reliability

ASRock IPC Motherboard Series can be widely used for any kind of industrial usages. From KIOSK, gaming machine panel PC, retail & POS to surveillance…, getting more from the motherboard has never been easier. Coupled with top-end hardware components, premium software utilities and APIs, ASRock IPC Motherboard Series are surely the best solution to build up a successful business. More to the point, ASRock provides long-term and stable supply, even bundles 2 year warranties, we are confident to deliver high performance after-sales service as well.

HTPC

Sweet Home Starts Here : VisionX, Vision HT, MINI Series

ASRock new HTPC series is a combination of primo materials, overwhelming performance and sophisticated design that will turn your living room into the center of attraction and enhance family bonds.

Small in stature, theASRock VisionX Series packs a very hefty punch. Supporting Intel’s 3rd Generation Core Processors, AMD Radeon™ HD7850M graphics and AMD HD3D Technology, VisionX Series offers the incredible performance that every user deserves. It’s also equipped with BD Combo, 2T2R Dual-Band WiFi a/g/b/n/ design, THX TruStudio and Bistream audio, VisionX Series delivers 3D entertainment in stunning HD quality effortlessly.

Ultra-thin, ultra-silent and ultra-powerful,Vision HT Series supports Intel Mobile Ivy Bridge Processor, Bistream, THX TruStudio, BT v4.0, Dual-Band WiFi and Intel HD Graphics that will take center stage at your home! Based on AMD E2-1800 APU with AMD Radeon™ HD7340 graphics, ASRock MINI Series can let users get a richer and more immersive HD enjoyment.

If you want home theater furniture that performs as good as it looks, and the choice is obvious. Only ASRock HTPC Series combines stunning beauty and thoughtfully engineered features like MCE remote-friendly controller, superior WiFi and BT 4.0 design and excellent graphics solutions to create furniture that perfectly integrates technology into you home.

One of the new features on Intel Z77 boards is the Virtu HyperFormance. In fact, this is something similar to the past whereby you can mix and match ATi and NVIDIA card to speed up the 3D performance. Instead of having two physical cards, Virtu HyperFormance uses the Graphics cores of the Intel processor to speed up the 3D performance.

So, how much improvement can be achieve. Click the link below for the answer :

Link

ASRock showcased it’s slate of Intel Z77 motherboards at launch event held at IBIS hotel, Singapore
Bluetooth 13 Apr 2012

ASRock needs no introduction as we have been reviewing their boards since 2004. ASRock, together with it’s distributor ASView held a technical seminar for the media and end users at IBIS hotel Singapore hours ago.

Many were present and they include Chris Lee, Marketing Director of ASRock Taiwan. Next to him is the renown gamer Johnathan Wendel (Fatal1ty). Others present include representatives from Corbell, distributor of ROCCAT products.

Chris Lee presented and introduced the new series of Intel mainboards for the Ivy Bridge. The boards come in full ATX, mATX, ITX sizes and there are also specific FATAL1TY gaming series boards.

As Intel Z77 chipset powers the next generation processors Ivy Bridge., it would have some enhanced features that were not found in the Z68 chipset. One of these features is the Virtu Unviersal MVP. With the HyperFormance enabled, it allows you to boost the graphics performance by up to 90% combining the integrated and discrete graphics on board. Next is Virtual VSync. This feature allows it to bring GPU performance from 60 fps vsync limit to its maximum while keeping VSync image quality with no tearing. Thirdly, it is Switchable graphics dynamically assigns tasks to the best graphics resouce regardless of physical cable connections.

In addition, there is Intel Smart Conncet Technology which keeps content continuously updated while the PC is in sleep mode. It will periodically wake up the PC and check updates for email, twitter or facebook updates.  There is also Intel Rapid Start Technolgy which lets you wake up  your PC from deep sleep to full wake up in a flash moment.

Here are the series of boards on display for Intel B75, Q77, Z75, Z77, H77 chipsets :

Z77E-ITX
B75M
B75M-ITX
Q77M vPro
Z75 Pro3
Z77 Pro4-M
Z77 Pro4
FATAL1TY Z77 Professional
FATAL1TY Z77 Professional-M
FATAL1TY Z77 Perforamance
FATAL1TY Z77 Performance-M
Z77 Extreme9
Z77 Extreme6
Z77 Extreme4
Z77 Extreme4-M
H77 Pro4 MVP

On Page 2, the presenter demonstrates the feature – Virtu HyperFormance.

Discuss in our ASRock forum

It is a known fact that Apple products tends to draw more current than the usual gadgets from other manufacturers. As there are plenty of USB ports on motherboards or notebooks, the tendency of plugging in to the PC for quick charge is quite the norm for most readers.

On the left is the charger for iPhone 3GS. On the right is the charger with adapter (middle) for new generation iPad.

In the past, we have iPhone 3GS that charges real slowly on the standard USB ports.  This changed when Gigabyte introduced their 3X USB Power. Basically, other manufacturers followed suit by throwing in a driver which allows the USB port to output ~1A instead of the usual 500mA.  This speeds up the charge time by almost 2X.

Other manufacturers – ASUS, ECS, MSI, BIOSTAR, ASROCK all has similar products allowing you to ‘quick charge’ your Apple device. Unfortunately, the software will only work with their own brand and models of motherboards.

The picture above shows the original iPhone 3GS USB power adaptor with Input of 100-240v 0.15A, output 5v, 1A.

For notebook users, manufacturers seldom update drivers and you will usually end up with “Charging with this accessory is not supported”. We did some research and found out that ASUS AI CHARGER works on my HP Envy 14″ notebook. You can download the software, install and reboot your machine. Once you plug in your iPhone or iPad, you will see it charging with 1A.

The picture above shows the new charger that outputs 2.5A, 250V and the adaptor has an input of 100-240v 0.45A and output at 5.1V 2.1A.

The new Apple iPad was released a couple of weeks ago. We did an experiment, charging it using with an iPhone 3GS charger. It simply took forever to charge. We estimate that it takes around 1 hr to charge 10%. If the standard iPhone charger takes so long to charge, we can confirm that the new iPad probably require more power to charge it.

We then tried it on our HP notebook and ASRock NetPC (both with USB boosting software installed). Both machines have no problems detecting  and charging it (prior to installing the driver, it won’t even charge it).

We took a look at the charger and noticed the differences in the iPad and iPhone charger, the output rating is quite different. With the driver installed, the iPad can still be charged but it will be at half the speed compare to if you charge from the power plug supplied.

The question now remains if motherboard manufacturers design a specific USB charge port just to output 2A for charging the iPad ? Would you rather charge your iPad with the accompanied charger or buy another board with such a feature ? Discuss.

ASRock releases pictures of 4 models of Intel X79 boards – X79 Extreme4 M, X79 Extreme4, X79 Extreme7 and X79 Extreme9; X79 Extreme4 M – the first mATX X79 board

ASRock X79 Extreme4 M

So far we have seen a number of ATX boards. This is probably the first mATX board that we come across.

The ASRock X79 Extreme4-M looks very elegant in that Gold/Black colour scheme. With 3 full length PCIe 3.0 slots and 1 PCI slot on board, the PCIe  slots are capable of supporting either CrossFire X or SLI.

In terms of expansion, there are only 4 memory slots, 2 on each side of the socket LGA2011. DDR3-2400+ (OC) is supported as indicated on the mainboard.

On the board, we can also see the power on/off, reset, debug led. There are 6 SATA connectors on the front. The board also supports 1394a, USB 3.0.

On the back of the mainboard, we can see the PS/2 keyboard & mouse connectors, S/PDIF optical and digital out, USB 3.0, eSATA, GbE and audio ports.

The chipset is attached with a heatsink / fan powered by X-FAN.

More on next page

If you have always been looking for a cheaper alternative to maximise your memory bandwidth on the A75 platform, the Kingston Genesis HyperX is the ready solution. It is able to run at it’s rated speed and beyond. On other A75 solutions, most DDR3-2133 + modules might not work very well at this speed. This is largely due to BIOS issues that remains to be ironed out.

Below is a CPUID screen shot running the modules KHX2133C9AD3X2K2-4GX with an overclocked A8-3850 processor.

More info

ASRock A75 Extreme6 Motherboard Review with AMD LIano APU A8-3850
Bluetooth 25 Jul 2011

Not everyone makes the same boards. The features, overclocking, design differs from manufacturer to manufacturer. In fact, to us, innovation is more than anything else.

Say Hello to ASRock A75 Extreme6 where you meet the amazing feature set.

The ASRock A75 Extreme6 is a board based on the AMD A75 Hudson D3 chipset and support for Socket FM1 100W processors. It supporst native 6 x SATA3, 4 x USB 3.0 Ports. For memory, it can achieve up to dual Channel DDR3 2400+(OC).

Although the processor has an integrated video, users who wants to use external graphics cards can do AMD Quad CrossFireX™ , 3-Way CrossFireX™ , CrossFireX™ and Dual Graphics. There is also multi VGA Output : D-Sub, DVI-D and HDMI.

For users who doesn’t want to spend a fortune on graphics cards, the graphics within the APU supports AMD Steady Video™ : New video post processing capability for automatic jutter reduction on home/online video. The board also also has 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec), Supports THX TruStudio™.

Important features only available on ASRock board are XFast USB Technology, Graphical UEFI BIOS, Supports On/Off Play Technology, Instant Boot, Instant Flash, APP Charger, SmartView.

The APU we are going to use is the A8-3850. This APU is 32nm DX11 3D graphics capable. It also supports OpenGL 4.1 and OpenCL 1.1 standards. It has 4 Core 4 threads and the embedded video is a Radeon HD6550D class video capable of doing 4000 marks in 3DMark Vantage Performance test.

On page 2, we will take a look at the motherboard layout.

Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3
TAIPEI, Taiwan, June 28, 2011 – PCI Express 3.0 season is coming. The new PCIe 3.0 configuration offers more bandwidth to enable faster communication between components inside a system. The world of gaming moves fast. Can your motherboard offer a viable way to play the heavy-loading games? Designed for gamers and advanced users, the Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3 brings the best package for smooth gameplay. It is the world’s first motherboard that supports PCIe 3.0 and goes on sale now. Plus, it comes with plenty of options for gaming excitements and upgrading components.

“ASRock-Fatal1ty Co-Brand motherboards represent the quality. The vision of Fatal1ty board is to create the fastest and most stable computer equipment on the face of the planet.” commented James Lee, V.P of ASRock Sales and Marketing. Keep this in mind; ASRock is keen on delivering the most powerful motherboard products to satisfy the serious gamers. “Not only focusing on performance boosts, the newly launched Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3 also pays special emphasis on the latest hardware enhancements that include the newest PCIe 3.0 support” said James Lee.

Gaming Giant : Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3
Gaming is a way of life. A high-spec system is a must for playing the latest games. For unbelievably powerful gaming without being tied to a desktop, the serious gamers should look no further than the Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3: the world’s most powerful Z68 motherboard.

Supporting the next-gen of PCIe 3.0 configuration, the Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3 comes with 2 PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots and 1 PCI Express 2.0 slot which are capable of NVIDA Quad SLI and AMD 3-Way CrossFireX. Compared to PCIe 2.0, PCIe 3.0 could double the bandwidth of PCI Express and boost data transfers in systems. Coupled with the upcoming Intel Ivy Bridge processors with PCIe 3.0 support and next-gen PCIe 3.0 VGA graphics cards, users are assured to enjoy the full power of PCIe Gen3 standard.

This is a premium motherboard coming with the top-end specifications. The integrated PLX PEX8608 chip allows all PCIe devices to work at the proper speed simultaneously. Anyone who really wants an x4 slot should view this as mandatory. Digital PWM design improves the CPU power solution and delivers Vcore voltage to the processor more efficiently. To provide the ultimate way to control the games, gamers should look no longer than this customizable function: Fatal1ty Mouse Port. With a wide range from 125 Hz to 1000 Hz to make mouse polling rate adjustment, gamers can obtain more precise control of their mouse.

Functionability is incredibly important for computing, so you’ll need to ensure you have the right motherboard. Supporting the Intel Smart Response technology, this board can make the SSD become the “Cache of the HDD” to boost up the HDD access speed. In addition, the ultimate Lucid Virtu Switchable Graphics technology allows dynamic switching between the GPU of the Sandy Bridge processors and a discrete graphics card, without the need for a system reboot.

The Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3 comes with some VGA outputs, D-Sub, HDMI, DVI-D (supported by the bundled HDMI to DVI adapter), 7.1-channel audio with THX TruStudio™ and integrated Dual Gigabit LAN with Teaming function. To build up your unique gaming masterpiece, the Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3 motherboard will surely serve all gamers’ needs very well.

When Intel released its Sandy Bridge processors in January, they were met with general applause and excitement. ASRock’s Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3 mainboard is the first to meet the latest PCIe 3.0 standard and go on sale based on Z68 chipset. To be the very first to enjoy the advance function of PCIe 3.0, you should never miss out the Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3!

INTEL Shows X79 mainboards ASUS CIX79 Deluxe, ASROCK X79 Extreme4, Gigabyte GD X79A-UD3 and the MSI X79A-GD65

Intel has a LOT of motherboards on display, the more prominent onces however are based on the X79 chipset, Intels next gen enthusiast platform with 2011-pin LGA socket, the Sandy Bridge-E (enthusiast) processor that features a massive quad-channel DDR3 memory controller and 32+ lane PCI-Express 2.0 hub, and the X79 chipset. Intel might actually skip the 6-series chipset family with its next high-end platform chipset as the platform is slated for Q4 2011 already, though Z68 will still be launched, but as a Premium chipset.

Source

In our News Coverage @ OCWorkbench, we will cover the new products launch or seen at Computex Taipei 2011. If you are a manufacturer or vendor who likes to have your product exposed here, do feel free to drop us an email.

Here is a list of news articles on Computex Taipei 2011 [It will be updated daily]

Computex Taipei 2011 News Coverage AMD Client Platform Roadmap

Computex Taipei 2011 News Coverage AMD announces Trinity, talks Llano, launches Z series at Computex

Computex Taipei 2011 Kingston launches Wireless storage device Wi-Drive for Apple iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch® users

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage Sharkoon Flexi-Drive Ultimate with Eight-channel MLC Architecture | Write Speed up to 120 MB/s, Read Rate up to 200 MB/s

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage ADATA demonstrates fastest RAM Disk scoring 6GB/s READ and 9GBs WRITE

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage MSI displays Afterburner App for Android, the World’sFirst Android-based Overclocking Utility for Graphics Cards:

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage MSI launches Military Class II standard boards – Z68A-GD80, 990FXA-GD80, Big Bang-Marshal (B3)

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage Gigabyte Z68XP-UD3-iSSD integrates mSATA for speed enhancement using ISRT

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage Gigabyte X79A-UD3 Intel X79 futuristic board on display

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage Gigabyte A75-UD4H sighted

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage G.Skill showcases its latest SATA 3 SSD, Phoenix II Pro, and ultra high performance desktop memory series

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage Gigabyte makes Z68 Gaming Board – GA-Z68-Gaming

Computex Taipei 2011 ASUS UX21 subnotebook challenges Mac Air with it’s super thin design

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage ASUS showcase dual socket LGA1366 and LGA2011 ROG motherboard “DANSHUI BAY”

Computex Taipei 2011 MSI shows sub 300 dollars 7″ and 10″ WindPad

Computex Taipei 2011 GIGABYTE Launches New AMD 900 Series Motherboards Delivers 4-way SLI™ andCrossFireX™ Support for the First Time on the AMD Platform

Computex Taipei 2011 Qualcomm’s new chipset to be featured on Taiwan tablet PCs

Computex Taipei 2011 ASUS SABERTOOTH 990FX available in market

Computex Taipei 2011 Shuttle launches Tablets based on Nvidia Tegra2

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage ASUS CrossHair V Formula AMD 990FX board Video

Computex Taipei 2011 INTEL Shows X79 mainboards ASUS CIX79 Deluxe, ASROCK X79 Extreme4, Gigabyte GD X79A-UD3 and the MSI X79A-GD65

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage ASUS unveils PadFone, a tablet that comes equipped with an integrated smartphone docking station

Computex Taipei 2011 ASUS CrossHair V Formula AMD 990FX board sighted

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage Gigabyte announces S1080 Windows 7 tablet with USB 3.0 and optical drive dock

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage Exclusive Performance preview of AMD LIano vs Intel Sandy Bridge

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage NVIDIA to showcase Tegra 3 mobile quad core processor

Computex Taipei 2011 Coverage Gigabyte showcase AMD Fusion board A75-UD4H

Computex Taipei 2011 ECS A75F-A(v10) AMD Fusion motherboard on show at Computex

Computex Taipei 2011 ECS unveils it’s ECS Black Extreme A990FXM-A Motherboard

Computex Taipei 2011 Gigabyte announces GA-990FXA-UD3 AMD 990FX SB950 AM3+ motherboard

Computex Taipei 2011 ASUS Padfone, Android 3.1 for Transformer update

Computex Taipei 2011 ECS to showcase AMD 990FX board A990FXM-A (V1.0)

Computex Taipei 2011 GIGABYTE Offers Bundle on Z68XP-UD3-iSSD Motherboard featuring 20GB Intel® SSD 311 Series to support Intel Smart Response Technology

Computex Taipei 2011 Gigabyte Z68XP-UD3 will have PCIe based SSD slot to support Intel Smart Response Technology

Computex Taipei 2011 AMD’s LIano and Bulldozer delayed to August ? [updated]

Computex Taipei 2011 – AMD A75 boards to be displayed by major brands

Computex Taipei 2011 – ASRock to showcase AMD 990FX board 990FX Extreme4, AMD A75 board A75 Extreme6 and Intel Z68 board Fatal1ty Z68 Professional at Computex Taipei 2011

ECS Presents A75 Series with the latest AMD A series APU with AMD Hudson D3 chipset and AMD FM-1 socket

It will also be available at http://computextaipei.wordpress.com

If you are still crawling with your USB speeds , transferring large files to and fro USB interface, you are in luck. ASRock has a new utility, which you can download from ASRock’s website. You can turbo boost the USB interface performance and the speed increase is noticeable. Befotre XFast USB is set Turbo, it achieved 156MB/s. With Turbo turned on, it scored 241.32MB/s in Sisoft Sandra Physical Read performance test. More benchmarks can be read from our review of the Kingston HyperX Max 3.0 review.

Here is how the utility looks like :

ASRock P67 Extreme4 Review – Introduction
Bluetooth 14 Dec 2010 (updated 18 Jan 2011)

ASRock, the innovative motherboard will be releasing a series of Intel p67 boards. This is a mid range board from ASRock that is geared for the LGA1155 processors. Being a mid range board, the price would be more affordable compared to the FATAL1TY board we reviewed some time ago. The fundamentals are the same as they are both using the same chipset. It is just some FATAL1TY features are removed from this vanilla board.

The motherboard is a full ATX form factor board with all solid caps design. It also uses an advanced V8 + 2 Power Phase Design. In terms of memory capacity, it can support up to Dual Channel DDR3-2133 (OC) of up to a total of 32GB.

On board, there are 3 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots (PCIE2/PCIE4: single at x16 or dual at x8/x8 mode; PCIE5: x4 mode),  2 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slots and  2 x PCI slots. The P67 Extreme4 supports either Quad CrossFireX / 3 way CrossFire / CrossFire or Quad SLI / 3 way SLI / SLI.

In terms of audio, it supports 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec),  Premium Blu-ray audio support and THX TruStudio PRO.

For connectivity, it has PCIE x1 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s based on Realtek RTL8111E. There are 6 USB 2.0 ports, 1 x eSATA3 Connector,  2 x Ready-to-Use USB 3.0 Ports (using Etrontech) , 1394,  1 x Coaxial SPDIF Out Port,  1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port. There are also  4 x SATA2 3.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10, RAID 5 and Intel® Rapid Storage)NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug and 4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors.

On top of all these, the board supports Dr. Debug, Smart Switch Design Dr. Debug, Smart Switch Design, Power/Reset/Clear CMOS Switch with LED. It also supports ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU), Instant Boot, Instant Flash, Good Night LED, Multi-Fan Speed Control, AIWI, APP Charger, SmartView and a new UEFI GUI BIOS.

I personally feel that the  Combo Cooler Option (C.C.O.) is one of the best feature on board as it allows you to reuse your old LGA775 heatsink on the new board. Theother nice add on is the Front USB 3.0 Panel which supports 2 x USB 3.0 ports and provides a 2.5” SSD/HDD rack.The package bundles in  Free Software : CyberLink DVD Suite – OEM and Trial,  Free Gift : 1 x ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card , 1 x Front USB 3.0 Panel, 1 x Rear USB 3.0 Bracket.

EtronTech USB 3.0 outperforms NEC USB 3.0 controller

Lately, we tested a couple of new boards based on the INTEL P67/H67 chipset. Most of these board uses the NEC USB 3.0 chipset to power 2 ports of USB 3.0 interface.

While most vendors prefer to use the tested and proven USB 3.0 controller from NEC, ASRock board uses the EtronTech chipset on it’s P67 and H67 series.

We did some tests on the performance of USB 3.0 with a USB 3.0 SSD drive  and found that the Etrontech does perform better. Here are some quick numbers.

PCMark Vantage HDD benchmark

NEC  21113
EtronTech  22782

Difference +7.9%

SiSoft Sandra 2011 Disk Benchmark

NEC 146.76MB/s
EtronTech 156.11 MB/s

Difference +6.37%

Not only sequential read/write performance, it also outperform it in IOPS in random write.

Click here for more details.

If you have read our review of the ASRock P67 Professional Fatal1ty board, you would be impressed by the GUI interface of the UEFI BIOS.

UEFI BIOS is not only available on high end boards, it is going to the standard among the P67 and H67 boards, be it low, mid, high end board.

Today, we take a quick look at the options available on this mATX H67 board.

ASRock P67 FATAL1TY mainboard review – Introduction
Bluetooth 24 Dec 2010 (updated 2nd Jan 2011)

Over the years, we have seen ASRock grow up, from a young start up company that does entry level motherboards and slowly evolving to mid range and high end motherboards. If you remember, the then defunct ABIT was the only manufacturer that has very unique looking boards with the FATAL1TY branding. ASRock has the top gamer to be the board’s spokesman with the introduction of the first on FATAL1TY series – the ASRock P67 FATAL1TY Intel P67 mainboard.

The P67 Motherboard belongs to the PROFESS1ONAL Series and it has some interesting features, some inherited over from the regular P67 Deluxe series.

Based on the INTEL P67 Chipset, this mainboard supports the LGA1155 socket type CPUs. It also supports up to DDR3-2133 dual channel memory. The mainboard looks elegant with it’s red/black blended colour design. Even the capacitors are ‘gold’ plated to give a sense of superemecy. On top of that, the V16+2 CPU Power phase and Digital PWM design ensures a rock stable board even at high clock speeds. Inherited from the ASRock tradition, the board has two sets of holes. ASRock calls it C.C.O, allowing you to use your older heatsink on this mainboard.

The P67 FATAL1TY supports both AMD and NVIDIA multi GPU solutions. It supporst QUad CrossFireX, 3 way CrossFireX and CrossFireX. For NVIDIA< it supports quad SLI and SLI.

In terms of connectivity, the board supports Dual PCIe GbE with Teaming function, 1 eSATA3 port, 1 x FATAL1TY mouse port, 1 1394 port, 4 USB 3.0 ports, 6 SATA3 ports, 1 Frotn USB 3.0 header support front USB 3.0 panel. One thing i particular like about the free bundle – front usb panel provides 2 USB 3.0 ports and a 2.5″ SSD/HDD rack for mounting your drive there. ASRock P67 choose to use EtronTech USB 3.0 controller over USB 3.0, it claims that the USB 3.0 speed is 37.6% faster in CrystalDiskMark3.0 (Read Sequential) and 97.7% faster in ATTO disk benchmark 8M write when compared to the NEC solution.

Other features on this board include a UEFI BIOS, providing GUI interface to access the BIOS functions with a mouse. There is also F-Stream, a all in 1 utility that supports overclocking, hardware tuning incluiding fan speed, mouse port configuration etc. There are also two PCIe GbE on board which can be TEAMED to double the bandwidth.

For gamers and video buffs, the board supports THX Trustudio pro so that you hear the best audio quality. In addition, it also comes with SmartView, a smart start page for the browser combines your most visited websites, history, real time Facebook feeds. If you have an iPhone, you can turn it into a remote control usnig the AIWI software bundle that comes with the package.

ASRock showcase 8 new upcoming Intel Sandy Bridge boards – P67 Extreme4, P67 Extreme6, P67 Pro, P67 Pro3, H67M GE-HT, H67M GE, H67M, H67DE3

The company has planned for eight models, four ATX based on the P67 chipset along with one ATX  and three  mATX on H67.

ASRock has every segment covered with two enthusiasts focused units, the P67 Extreme6 which packs six SATA 6Gbps ports, six USB 3.0 (4 external, 2 internal), three PCIe 2.0 x16 slots, and an 18-phase CPU VRM.

The slightly lessened (and likely slightly cheaper) P67 Extreme4, has – you guessed it – four SATA 6Gbps ports, four USB 3.0 (two ext. two int.), PCIe 2.0 x16 slots, and a few changes to layout and connections.

The two consumer level models, the P67 Pro and Pro3, include just a single PCIe x16 slot, three PCIe x1 and three PCI connections. While the Pro3 still includes two SATA 6Gpbs ports, two USB 3.0 external connections, and a still impressive 10-phase CPU VRM, the base Pro model does away with USB 3.0, keeps the two SATA 6Gbps, and features only a 4+1 phase VRM.

On the mATX side of things, the H67M GE-HT is the premium model, with four DDR3 DIMM slots, 6-phase VRM, four USB 3.0, two SATA 6Gbps, and external video connections including DVI, D-Sub, HDMI 1.4a, and DisplayPort.

The H67M GE is a trimmed version, without VRM heatsinks, Displayport connector and no internal USB 3.0. Lastly the  consumer H67M, which in every ways similar, but only features only two DDR3 DIMM slots and thus is slightly thinner as well.

Interestingly, ASRock has also chosen to build an ATX motherboard based on the H67 chipset; the H67 DE3. This allows users to get the Intel Flexible Display Interface (FDI) output with a full-sized ATX motherboard. In features, the board is identical to the rest of the H67 line, but the added length allows for an additional PCI and PCIe x1 slot.

ASRock’s front USB 3.0 mainboard leads the industry

Innovate innovate and innovate. Mainboard manufactuers are doing their best to bring out the best features on their mainboards.

ASRock, being on the frontier of innovation and technology brings us more surprises one after another.

ASRock is the first manufacturer to incorporate more than 2 USB 3.0 ports powered by the NEC USB 3.0 chipset. As we all know, USB 3.0 gives a boost to data thoughput of up to 5Gbps instead of the 480Mbps of USB 2.0.

ASRock is the first to bring the ports to the front by introducing bundling a front panel bracket with the new boards.

With front USB 3.0, you are now able to tap the speed by plugging your USB 3.0 devices directly from the front panel, saving you time grouping around in the dark finding the right USB port at the backplane.

The front panel USB 3.0 was first introduced on the P55 Extreme 4. This mainboard comes with 4 USB 3.0 ports (2 back and 2 front). In addition, you also get 4 SATA3 ports on board.

To cater to different market segments, ASRock brings the Front USB 3.0 support to 3 more boards, namely the 890FX Deluxe 4, 890GX Extreme 4 for the AMD platform and X58 Extreme 6 for the Intel X58 platform.

The 890FX Deluxe 4 is based on the AMD 890FX chipset support 2 front and 2 back USB 3.0, it also support up to 8 SATA3 ports on board.

The 890GX Extreme 4 also has 4 USB 3.0 ports, 2 front and 2 back and has 5 SATA3 ports.

The X58 Extreme 6 is the highest end board in this range. It is based on intel X58 chipset. It supports te new 6 core processors and has 6 USB 3.0 ports. THere are 4 for the rear and 2 for the front. It is equipped with 6 SATA3 ports too.

All 4 boards comes with the Front USB 3.0 front panel bundled in for free.

Watch out for review of some of these boards at OCWorkbench.com soon. Also check out our ASRock forums on announcement of lucky draw for these boards in the upcoming days-weeks.