BIOSTAR HiFi A85X Socket FM2 Trinity motherboard

Discuss

Review of BIOSTAR Hi-Fi A85X socket FM2 motherboard
28 Sept 2012

In a few days time, AMD will introduce their next generation of graphics integrated processor or APU. The new APU uses a different socket type FM2 from the previous generation Socket FM1. The new series of processors, also has an improved performance especially in the area of multimedia encoding compared to the earlier generation.

In conjunction with the new generation of AMD processors, BIOSTAR releases a A85 chipset motherboard. This motherboard belongs to the HiFi Series and is known as BIOSTAR HiFi A85X.

The mothboard HiFi A85X supports the newest FM2 socket processors A4, A6, A8 and A10 + Athlon II X4 processors with a maximum TDP of 100W. It has 4 DIMM slots which operates in Dual channel mode and supports up to 64GB of memory.

The board also caters for those who wants maximum graphics performance. It has 3 PCIe 2.0 x16 slots that can work in X16+x8+x4 in CrossFireX mode. There is also 3 PCIe 2.0 and 1 PCI slot.

Native support of SATA3 or SATA 6Gbps supporting 7 SATA 6Gbps + 1 eSATA in RAID 0,1,5,10 modes. There is also native support for USB 3.0. There are two USB 3.0 ports, 1 USB 3.0 header, 4 USB 2.0 ports and 3 USB 2.0 header on board.

Depending on the APU used, it supports dual graphics technology and CrossFire with selected models of graphcis card (see manual). Alternatively, you can use Virtu MVP to boost performance with Virtu’s Hyperformance and Vsync feature.

The board is also Windows 8 compatible and comes with software like BIO-Remote2, Rapid Switch2, Debug3, BIOSFLasher, Charger booster, BIOS online Update etc to complement the UEFI BIOS.

The BIOSTAR HiFi A85X stands out from it’s competitors as it emphasis on good quality audio. The HiFi series of motherboard provides autio compoenents with independent power design to reduce electronic noise. In addition, it uses noise block multi layer PCB to isolate audio signals from digital sources. The board uses High quality ESD and a Hi-Fi AMP which can drive headphones with over 100dB loads and wide bandwidth of frequencies. There is also Hi-Fi Resistor and Hi-Fi cap which helps in the audio.

To complement the hardware, it has software that can do multi channel calibration (MCC). Audio performance is automatically calibrated to the dimensions of your room. There is another software known as Smart Ear which you can optimize your headphone experience. The board supports THX TruStudio Pro.

So much about the features, how will it perform against the Socket FM1 and Intel equivalent ? We will use the A10-5800K APU to test it against the A8-3850 (FM1) and INtel Core i5-3570K.

BIOSTAR Officially Launches Latest Intel Z77 Based Hi-Fi Motherboard
World’s First Motherboard with Exclusive Integrated BIOSTAR Hi-Fi Technology

July 16, 2012, Taipei, Taiwan – BIOSTAR, major manufacturer of motherboards, VGA cards,

industrial computer systems and other peripherals, officially launches their latest edition to
their high-end motherboard lineup, the Hi-Fi Z77X. This newest ATX form factor motherboard
supports all Socket 1155 CPUs and offers native support for SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and dual-
channel memory up to DDR3-2600 in overclocking mode. But what sets the BIOSTAR Hi-Fi
Z77X really apart from all the rest of the competition is exactly the integrated BIOSTAR Hi-
Fi technology called “Puro Hi-Fi Technology”, targeting audiophiles, HTPC enthusiasts and
high-end gamers alike, Puro Hi-Fi sports an integrated independent audio power design with a
built-in amplifier.

The Puro Hi-Fi technology utilizes audio components with an independent power design for a
significant reduction in electronic noise and superb sound quality. The unique noise-blocking
multi-layer PCB layout is ideal for exceptional clarity and high fidelity sound. With sampling
rate of 192kHz/24-bit which delivers a high quality audio through an analog connection to
your home theater system, multi-channel speakers and high-end headphone. You can enjoy real
Blu-ray grade high-definition sound that you’ve never experienced before in true 7.1-channel
surround sounds.

High quality ‘Non-Polarized Electrolysis Electric audio capacitors’ for each individual audio
channel circuit deliver low noise, low distortion, and wide bandwidth to achieve the highest
sound resolution and sound expansion to ensure the most realistic sound effects. Furthermore,
the Hi-Fi Resistors are made of metal-oxide film resistors with metal oxides such as tin oxide.
The electric characteristics are greater stability and reliability than regular metal film resistors
when operating in an extremely broad working temperature range. This special component is
used in applications with high endurance audio demands.

With BIOSTAR’s four unique technologies, Puro Hi-Fi, THX, Lucid MVP and
SmartSpeedLAN, the brand new Hi-Fi series of motherboards increases sound, network and
graphics performance dramatically. For a unique gaming masterpiece even with a limited
budget, this new Hi-Fi series is surely the best choice and will become a favorite among gamers.

Link to Hi-Fi series web page
Link to Hi-Fi series video
Link to “Hi-Fi Z77X”

http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/event/hifi/index.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3Wbl-RAihs
http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=608

Winners of BIOSTAR Lucky draw

Jack Wu BIOSTAR TZ77XE4
Jasper John S. Cecilio BIOSTAR TH61A
Jeffrey Yeo BIOSTAR TH61A

Please contact us within the next 7 days otherwise voiding your chance. We will not do a redraw if we do not hear from the winners via Facebook, email or any other communication means.

BIOSTAR Mainboard Draw 2012

Do you want to own a BIOSTAR Z77 or H61 board. We have 1 x TZ77XE4 x 1 and 2 x TH61A to give away to pair up with your Intel 3rd generation processor.

It is easy to participate.

1. Share this give away news with your friends by copying and pasting it on their Time Line.

2. Go to http://www.facebook.com/​ocworkbenchconnect and LIKE our page.

3. Tell us why you love BIOSTAR motherboards on OCWorkbench Fan Page here.

This contest is open to all international readers. The contest ends on 12th June 2359 hrs GMT.

Don’t forget to check out our forum for latest news, updates and discussions.

BIOSTAR TZ77XE4 Introdution
bluetooth 5 May 2012

Biostar TZ77XE4 is the flagship product from BIOSTAR featuring the latest Intel Z77 chipset.

Packaged in a black/orange colour scheme colour box, it’s eye catching and you wouldn’t want to miss the chance to explore what they have in store on this new board.

Featuring the Intel Z77 chipset, this motherboard supports the third generation core i3, i5 and i7 LGA1155 socket type processors. The motherboard supports 4 DIMM slots supporting up to DDR3-2600(OC). It also has 1 x eSATA, 4x SATA 3Gbps, 4x SATA 6Gbps ports supporting RAID 0,1,5,10, ISRT. Other than that, USB 3.0 is now native to the Intel chipset rather than reliant on a seperate chipset to power USB 3.0.

Similar to the Z68, the graphics engine of the processor can be used to power the system. Alternatively there are 2 x PCI-E x16 3.0 Slot (SLi / CFX x8), 1 x PCI-E x16 2.0 Slot (x4). There are also 1 x PCI-E x1 2.0 Slot and 2 x PCI Slots available. It supports both AMD CrossFireX and NVIDIA SLI. On board LAN is a Realtek RTL8111E GbE and audio is a ALC898 8 ch bluray audio.

In fact, this are standard on most Z77 boards. The more important features include the Virtu Universal MVP which enables one to tap the power of the internal video engine of the processor for speeding up the video transcoding, video display and vSync. This is especially true for the case of Virtu MVP Hyperformance which we will explore in the benchmark section of the review, comparing the effects of it on both Core i5-2500K and Core i5-3570K.

For system stability, BIOSTAR uses a 13 phase power phase design and 100% solid caps for the mainboard for lasting life cycle, durability and stability.

For audio, the audio chip supports THX truStudio PRO, allowing you to experience the audio effected in live performances, films and recoding studios.

Other features include BIO-Remote2 (for controlling the PC via iPhone or Android phone) and Charger Booster for quick charge iPhone, iPad. TOverclocker tool is also included for overclocking the board within Windows. The BIOS is a UEFI GUI based BIOS too.

On the next few pages, we will have a look at the mainboard, BIOS, chips followed by benchmarks and conclusion.

Universal Intel Z75 based BIOSTAR TZ75B Motherboards

BIOSTAR, a world famous manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, industrial computing systems and peripherals, starts the delivery of the BIOSTAR TZ75B Motherboard fulfilled in the ATX form-factor and positioned as an ideal base for high-performance gaming desktop systems with optimal costs.

The TZ75B board is based on the latest Intel Z75 chipset manufactured using the 22-nm processor using tri-gate transistors. The single-chip Intel Z75 natively supports USB 3.0 and is compatible with the new LGA 1155 third-gen Intel Core i7, i5 and i3 CPUs (Ivy Bridge) with TDP up to 95W retaining the back compatibility with the second-gen Intel Core CPUs (Sandy Bridge).

The TZ75B board has four DDR3 DIMM slots and supports up to 32GB dual-channel DDR3 1600/1333/1066Mhz RAM and overclocking DDR3 2133/1866 MHz RAM. The expansion slots include one PCI-E x16 2.0, two PCI-E x1 2.0 and two PCI slots for peripherals. The Intel Z75 chipset delivers an integral support for two SATA3 6Gbit/s and four SATA2 3Gbit/s ports allowing for arranging SATA RAID 0, 1,5,10 arrays. The board also features three USB 3.0 ports and six USB 2.0 ports. The speedy 10/100/GbE LAN interface on the Realtek RTL8111E delivers a high speed for local and external network resources. High quality HD sound is delivered by the 8-channel Realtek ALC892 codec.

The integrated graphics core with the support for new display technologies including DirectX 11 and HDMI 3D Visual for stereoscopic content delivers high performance in most graphics apps and games without external discrete graphics. The board features all popular video output interfaces including digital HDMI and DVI port with the HDCP technology and an analog VGA port. The PCI-E x16 3.0 port delivers even higher performance with a discrete card including multichip ATI CrossFireX solutions.

The TZ75B boards are produced on the most up-to-date production line using reliable components and latest technologies for the best stability and long-term operation. The TZ75B boards use high-quality solid capacitors with a 6-phase regulating system. The board also supports the new BIOS with the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI BIOS) which delivers flexibility and simplicity of tuning thanks to a clear graphics interface.

Like all modern BIOSTAR boards, the TZ75B comes with the maximum suite of utilities for simple tuning, overclocking and running. The universal T-overclocker Windows utility is a combination of several powerful tools for fine system tuning and tuning performance of a CPU, memory, fan speeds, etc. The BIOSTAR G.P.U (Green Power Utility) lowers power consumption at a light CPU load. Besides, the TZ75B board supports the BIOS-Flasher, BIOS-Relife and BIOS Online Update for transparent operation and updating I/O system, the Charger Booster technology for faster charging of mobile devices via USB, and the BIO-Remote2 technology for remote control of PC’s multimedia features using Android and Apple gadgets.

BIOSTAR Launches TZ77A Enthusiast-level overclocking motherboard.

Taipei, Taiwan, April 3, 2012 – BIOSTAR MICROTECH INT’L CORP., BIOSTAR Group, famous for high performance motherboards, graphics cards, industrial computing systems and computer peripherals, has launched the new TZ77A motherboard based on the new Intel Z77 chipset. This motherboard supports Intel’s 3rd and 2nd generation Core i7 and Core i5 processors based on the socket 1155. It supports up to 32 GB of DDR3 memory in its four slots with possibility to overclock it from 1333 MHz to 2000 MHz! The board looks stylish with its black PCB, grey heatsinks, and nicely contrasting orange slots.
Multiple graphics cards are supported for excellent gaming performance with ATI CrossFireX supporting two or more graphics cards at a time. It also features 3D video output using the HDMI port compliant with version 1.4 for watching Blu-ray 3D movies. The 8-phase power design provides amazing stability while overclocking the system allowing it to achieve the best performance at the lowest temperature, while the 100% solid capacitors last much longer than ordinary capacitors, thus increasing the life of the motherboard. A Rapid Switch 2 is a set of switches present on the motherboard to easily shut down and restart your system, while Rapid Debug 3 LEDs indicate information code indicating the current state of the system, which can be useful for debugging errors.

In addition to four SATA 3 Gb/s ports, there are two more SATA 6 Gb/s ports for faster storage devices. Peripheral and storage devices can be connected to the six USB 2.0 High Speed and three USB 3.0 Super Speed ports. Home theatre affection also benefit by the7.1-channel Blu-Ray Audio that can recreate theatre-like sound at up to 24 bit/192KHz right in your living room with the latest Blu-ray titles. Clean Tone 2 technology ensures very low noise level in the output audio with a signal to noise ratio of over 98dB.

Some of the other features of the TZ77A are BIO-Remote 2 Technology, which lets users control the PC remotely, using an Android mobile or Apple device. Power consumption is kept in check by BIOSTAR G.P.U. (Green Power Utility) Technology, while overclocking is handled by BIOSTAR Toverclocker utility. Charger Booster technology can charge your Apple devices up to 42% faster. BIO-Flasher helps effortlessly update your BIOS from any connected storage drive, while BIO-ReLife Technology can recover the system from a USB flash drive even if the BIOS gets corrupted. Users can get easy technical support using the eHot-Line utility, which automatically and instantly sends support request to BIOSTAR Globe tech support.

http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=580

BIOSTAR Launches TZ77XE3

Gaming motherboard with tremendous overclocking capability.

Taipei, Taiwan, April 12, 2012 – BIOSTAR MICROTECH INT’L CORP., BIOSTAR Group, famous for high performance motherboards, graphics cards, industrial computing systems and computer peripherals, has launched the new TZ77XE3 motherboard based on the new Intel Z77 chipset. This motherboard supports Intel’s 3rd and 2nd generation Core i7 and Core i5 processors based on the socket 1155. It supports up to 32 GB of DDR3 memory in its four slots that features data transfer rates of DDR3 2000, the processor support 2 memory channels and setting the memory multiplier, allows selection of the channel speed. These clearly uplift the band width and boost the overall system performance. The board looks stylish with its black PCB and massive copper heatsinks with contrasting colour.

Multiple graphics cards are supported for excellent gaming performance with NVIDIA SLI or ATI CrossFireX supporting up to four graphics output at a time. It also supports 3D video output using the HDMI port compliant with version 1.4. Virtual Universal MVP powered by Lucid Virtu GPU virtualization, makes your PC respond faster, smoother and look better, with low power consumption by intelligent reduction of redundant rendering tasks using the optional Hyperformance feature.The 13-phase power design provides rock-solid stability while overclocking the system, while the 100% solid capacitors last much longer than ordinary capacitors, thus increasing the life of the motherboard. A Rapid Switch 2 is a set of switches present on the motherboard to easily shut down and restart your system, while Rapid Debug 3 LEDs indicate information code indicating the current state of the system, which can be useful for debugging errors.
In addition to four SATA 3 Gb/s ports, there are four more SATA 6 Gb/s ports for faster storage devices. Peripheral and storage devices can be connected to the six USB 2.0 High Speed and three USB 3.0 Super Speed ports, and also to the eSATA connector. Home theatre enthusiasts will definitely dig the7.1-channel HD audio THX TruStudio PRO feature of this mobo because it can recreate theatre-like sound right in your living room with the latest Blu-ray titles. Puro Tone ensures 110dB SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio), which basically means the audio enthusiast can enjoy pure audiophile-quality HD audio with almost no noise.

Some of the other features of the TZ77XE3 are BIO-Remote 2 Technology, which lets users control the PC remotely, using an Android mobile or Apple device. Power consumption is kept in check by BIOSTAR G.P.U. (Green Power Utility) Technology, while overclocking is handled by BIOSTAR Toverclocker utility. Charger Booster technology can charge your Apple devices up to 42% faster. BIO-Flasher helps effortlessly update your BIOS from any connected storage drive, while BIO-ReLife Technology can recover the system from a USB flash drive even if the BIOS gets corrupted. Users can get easy technical support using the eHot-Line utility, which automatically and instantly sends support request to BIOSTAR Globe tech support. The low distortion audio design reduces high frequency noise generated by a motherboard. One independent capacitor per channel handles the occurring noise. Clean Tone 2 delivers a signal to the noise ration over 98dB which perfectly fits into the windows 7 OS environment.

http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=581

TZ77XE3 Ver. 5.x

Support the Intel 3rd and 2nd generation Core i7 and Core i5 processors in the 1155 package
Intel Z77 single chip architecture
Support 4-DIMM DDR3-2600(OC)/2400(OC)/2133(OC)/1866(OC)/1600/1333 up to 32G maximum capacity
Support SATA 6Gb/s 2X speed than current SATA 3G
Support Intel Smart Response Technology
Support USB 3.0
100% X.D.C solid capacitor
BIOSTAR G.P.U (Green Power Utility) Technology for Energy Saving
BIOSTAR Toverclocker utility

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.

Getting ready for the next upgrade ? The BIOSTAR TZ77XE4 is ready for the next generation 22nm Ivy Bridge processor from Intel. Check out the unboxing video here and stay tuned for our review at OCWorkbench soon.

BIOSTAR Motherboard Caught Attention at CeBIT 2012

Hannover, Germany, March 2012 – During CeBIT 2012, the BIOSTAR GROUP, major manufacturer of motherboards, VGA cards, industrial computer systems and other peripherals, is introducing their all new motherboard line-up for Intel Ivy-Bridge and Sandy-Bridge-E processors.

“CeBIT is undoubtedly the most important trade show for us to meet with customers and partners in order to introduce our latest products and technological innovations. This year we are setting new standards in the industry by showcasing high-performance and function-packed solutions. CeBIT 2012 is bound to become a great success for BIOSTAR“.

Focus at this year’s show is the brand-new Z77-chipset based series of motherboards, for third generation Intel-Core-processors (Ivy Bridge). The BIOSTAR-Z77 lineup consists of 5 motherboard models. While the TZ77XE4, TZ77XE3, TZ77A, and TZ77B come as ATX form factor models, the TZ77MXE is designed as MicroATX platform.

Another highlight is the TPOWER X79 motherboard, built around the Intel X79 Express chipset for high-performance Sandy-Bridge-E processors. This LGA-2011-Socket motherboard is equipped with three PCI-Express x16 slots, supporting AMD’s CrossFireX as well as Nvidia’s SLI multi-graphics technologies for most powerful graphics performance.

For AMD enthusiasts, BIOSTAR has the TA990FXE flagship motherboard with the advanced AMD 990FX chipset in combination with the SB950 Southbridge on display. The AM3+ socket on this BIOSTAR-Motherboard also supports AMD 6-core as well as 8-core FX-processors.

Furthermore BIOSTAR is showing an array of Intel Z75 and B75 chipset based motherboard at this year’s CeBIT.

BIOSTAR TZ77XE4 Motherboards on the Latest Intel Z77 Chipset
Everything for the Best and Stable Performance

February, 2012, Taipei Taiwan – BIOSTAR, the world’s famous manufacturer of mainboards, graphics cards, industrial computing systems and computer peripherals, proudly announces the BIOSTAR TZ77XE4 motherboards in conjuction with CeBIT 2012. BIOSTAR TZ77XE4 has many “first” as TZ77XE4 series boards houses a great deal of first time innovative technologies not found even on premium desktop solutions.

The TZ77XE4 boards are based on the latest Intel Z77 chipset, which for the first time incorporates tri-gate transistors manufactured using the 22-nm fab process which, for the first time, delivers a native support for the high-speed USB 3.0 interface and fast SSD caching with the Intel Smart Response Technology (SRT). Fully compatible with the second-generation Intel Core CPUs (Sandy Bridge), the new boards for the first time support the third generation Intel Core CPUs codenamed Ivy Bridge, also manufactured with the 3D-transistors using the 22-nm fab process and designed for the popular LGA 1155 socket.

The new Intel Core CPUs deliver an unprecedented performance level with moderate power consumption, and the integrated graphics core for the first time supports a lot of unique display technologies including the DirectX 11 and the integrated HDMI 3D Visual interface for stereo content of various 3D formats.

For the first time, the TZ77XE4 boards feature the universal Display Port interface as a standard function. This is an integrated solution for serial packet data transfer to display with the same principle used in other serial interfaces like Ethernet, USB and PCI Express. The boards also support other traditional video interfaces like HDMI and DVI with the HDCP technology. Thanks to the support of three x16 lines of the latest PCI-E 3.0 interface for the first time integrated into the processor, with the performance up to 8 Gtexel/s, which is twice higher than the PCI-E 2.0, the boards let you use any multi-core discrete graphics like the NVIDIA SLI or the AMD CrossfireX with high performance in demanding 3D applications. Additional peripherals are supported with two PCI and one PCI-E x1 ports.

For the first time in the consumer desktop systems, the TZ77XE4 boards demonstrate support up to 32GB of dual-channel DDR3 RAM, including overclocking DDR3-2400 modules. Besides, the boards support up to four SATA2 drives and up to four SATA 3.0 drives with astonishing performance up to 600 MB/s (up to 4.8 Gbit/s of uncoded data) which can be arranged in the RAID 0,1,5 or 10 arrays. The boards support up to eight USB 2.0 and four USB 3.0 ports. The speedy GbE LAN interface delivers a high speed for local and external network resources.
For the first time the BIOSTAR boards for the third-gen Intel Core CPUs fully realized the new BIOS, with the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI BIOS), which delivers high flexibility and easy setup for basic settings thanks to the intuitive graphics interface.

The high-quality sound is realized with the latest integrated 8+2-channel HD codec and the THX TruStudio Pro technology specially developed by Creative and THX for delivering acoustic impressions usually associated with live music, movies or studio sound. Besides, for the first time the new boards feature the Puro Tone – 110dB technology which delivers high authenticity of multi-channel sound with extremely effective noise reduction, with the SNR of 110 dB.

With the launch of the TZ77XE4 BIOSTAR demonstrates the successive development of its technologies meant to increase performance, stability and service life of products. The new boards feature reliable solid-state capacitors, and the power supply circuits for the first time use a 13-phase regulating system which is critical for overclockable systems.

The Virtu Universal MVP software suite, introduced for the first time and based on the virtualized Lucid Virtu GPU software, delivers fast processing of video and media content with the Hyperformance function with the minimal load on all critical system components.

The universal T-overclocker Windows utility, which is popular with overclockers, includes several powerful tools for fine system tuning and controlling CPU performance, memory, fan speeds etc. The BIOSTAR G.P.U (Green Power Utility) considerably cuts down power consumption in case of light CPU load. The boards support the BIO-Remote2 technology for remote control of multimedia PC functions with Android and Apple gadgets.

BIOSTAR TPOWER X79 Motherboard
“The most powerful motherboard on the planet”

BIOSTAR Group, a world famous manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, industrial computing systems and computer peripherals, proudly announces the TPOWER X79 motherboard aimed at the most demanding over-lockers and enthusiasts.

The latest Intel SNB-E processor with LGA 2011 socket along with X79 chipset is officially released on 11/14, while BIOSTAR is announcing its TPOWER X79 motherboard which indicates extreme overclocking capability, rich functionalities as well as highest standard of quality. The TPOWER X79 has the advantages of integrated Heat-Pipe design, Three-way CrossFire SLI, Four-channel memory support, Eight USB 3.0 ports, and Nine-phase luxurious power supply design.

The BIOSTAR TPOWER X79 supports the latest Intel LGA 2011 processor, with luxurious nine-phase power supply, large heat-radiating fins and heat-tube radiation for better thermal conductivity.

The TPOWER X79 supports four-channel memory which located on the two sides of CPU socket. The memory frequency supports standard 1066/1333/1600MHz, and can be overclocked to 1866/2133/2400MHz.

The extension slots consist of three PCI-E x16, two PCI-E x1 and one PCI; and CrossFireX, SLI and PCI-E 2.0 support.

The TPOWER X79 provides a Debug LED indicating lamp, buttons for booting, restarting and CMOS emptying; USB 3.0 extension insertion pins; seven SATA disk interfaces; and heat-radiating fins on the main chipset to ensure extreme overclocking and excellent system heat radiation. Another important characteristic, through the approved THX theater sound effect, an impressive and lifelike home theater environment is already in place.

On the aspect of I/O interfaces, the TPOWER X79 provides one PS/2; six USB 3.0, two USB 2.0; one eSATA 3Gbps; RJ-45; Optical fiber; S/PDIF and six channel audio interfaces.

The spirit of BIOSTAR TPOWER X79 is designed for users who’s always pursing for higher limitations. Let’s wait for another world overclocking record from it!

BIOSTAR TA75A+ AMD socket FM1 Mainboard Review
Bluetooth 2 Oct 2011

These days, board makers are all trying to entice you with feature set which you don’t use. BIOSTAR, being a practical mainboard manufacturer believes otherwise. Today, we will take a look at their TA75A+ Socket FM1 board. This is a Socket FM1 board for the APUs. There is no software to speed up USB 3.0 nor Network bandwidth.   It is a serious no gimmicks board targetting the mid range DIY user.

The mainboard supports the AMD A8, A6, A4, E2 processors of up to TDP of 100W. It has 4 memory slots that support up to DDR3-2000 (OC) of up to 32GB in total. As for graphics expansion, it has 2 PCIe 2.0 x16 which works in (x16+x4) for CrossFire. There are 2 PCIe 2.0 x1.

For connectivity, there is 6 x SATA3 6Gb/s Connector supporting SATA RAID: 0,1,10. Thers is also native support of 2 x USB 3.0 Port, 1 x USB 3.0 Header, 4 x USB 2.0 Port and 3 x USB 2.0 Header on board. For network, it uses a Realtek RTL8111E GbE controller.

With the APU, the graphics capability is a Radeon HD 6550 and it capable to have a maximum resolution of VGA:1920×1600, DVI-D:1920×1200, HDMI:1920×1200. The audio is powered by Realtek ALC892 8-Channel HD Audio .

Other features on board includes THX truStudio PRO, 100% solid cpas, G.P.U (Green Power Utility), BIO-Remote2 allowing remote control of the mainboard using Android or Iphone. There is also charger booster to speed up charging of iPads, iPhones. The BIOS is a UEFI bios which you can control using your mouse. There is also BIO-Flasher and BIO-Relife and eHotline.

On board are Rapid switch which are the power and reset switches for DIY users. The DEBUG led also helps.

In addition, the BIOS also comes with Preset overclocking modes which you can select V6, V8, V12 or you can manually adjust it. There is a wide range of voltage adjustments and frequency adjustments available in the BIOS.

BIOSTAR releases the most powerful AMD APU mainboards

Taipei, Taiwan, June 20, 2011 – AMD’s officially launch the new Llano APU platform in July worldwide, and BIOSTAR is releasing three mainboards that supports this new platform at the same time; the “TA75A+”, “TA75M+” and “TA75M”. The advantages of the new AMD A75 chipset based motherboard include native support of USB3.0, DX11 graphic core for greater 3D performance, and BIOSTAR exclusive features (BIO-Remote2, Charger Booster, and etc.).

The new AMD A75 chipset series mainboards, “TA75A+”, “TA75M+”, “TA75M”, all using AMD Hudson-D3 A75 single-chip design, “TA75A+” with ATX form factor and the other two are with micro-ATX form factor. With a brand new heat sink design that also gives a better outlook and better thermal efficiency.

Take the “TA75A+” as an example, a large ATX board supporting AMD up-coming FM1 processors, four DDR3 memory slots, dual PCI-E x16 slots, and dual-card crossfire acceleration. It also provides 2 PCI-Ex1 slots, 2 PCI slots, 6 SATA3 disk outputs and 4 native USB3.0 interfaces. As for I/O interface design, it provides DVI/VGA/HDMI video outputs, 2 USB3.0 connectors, 7.1 surround sound, blue-ray audio outputs at the front and rear side. In addition, “TA75A+” also integrates BIO-Remote generation I & II which completes a true home entertainment solution.

(TA75M)

(TA75M+)

APU stands for “Accelerated Processing Units”, which adopts the processor and independent display core into one single chip for interdependent computation and combined acceleration. At the same time, with the high-performance processor and the added support for the processing performance of DX11 independent display card, it greatly improves the overall system performance.

BIOSTAR TP67XE Intel P67 Express (Sandy Bridge) Mainboard Review
Bluetooth  9 Dec 2010 (updated 13 Jan 2011)

Biostar TP67XE mainboard. Based on the Intel P67 Express chipset. The board fits the LGA1155 Sandy Bridge processor. For maximum stability, BIOSTAR chose to use a 10 phase power design with 100% Japanese solid capacitors.

The board itself comes with 4 DIMM slots supporting up to DDR3-2133 (OC). It has 2 PCIe 2.0 x16  (x8 +x8) supporting SLI/CrossFire and 2 PCIe x1 and 2 PCI slots.

AS for audio, it comes with Realtek 8+2 ch audio with THX. The board also has PCIe GbE support. For storage expansion, it has 2 SATA 6Gbps and 3 SATA 3Gbps ports on board. There are 2 USB 3.0 and 2 x 1394a and 1 eSATA port.

One of the major addition to the BIOSTAR board is the BIO-Remote2 feature. Users who own an Android or iPhone are now able to use their handset to remotely control MP3, mouse pad and power point presentation. The requirement is that both devices are running on the same Wireless network. You can download the software from Android Market or Apple Appstore.

BIOSTAR also brings the charge booster to their mainboards. You can now charge up your iPhone and iPad at a faster rate of 42% faster than normal USB ports whether it is in sleep, standby or power off status.

In Day 1, we take a look at the exhibits first at ASRock booth. They have tons of boards. One of such is an unreleased product based on a Intel P67 chipset is also on the show. Another is P55 Extreme3 which is world’s first board to support 2 front panel USB 3 ports. The focus this year is on their new HTPC the Vision 3D w/ Aiwi.

Motherboard

Word’s First Motherboard Supports Front USB3.0 – P55 Extreme3

Unprecedentedly, ASRock will showcase the soon to be released P55 Extreme3 motherboard with its unique external Front USB3.0 panel. Exclusively bundled with ASRock Front USB3.0 Panel that comes with 2 x USB3.0 ports, P55 Extreme3 facilitates the computing operation! Along with every other component maker, ASRock will be also showing off it’s bevy of P55 motherboard beauties. The new Core i7 unlocked 875K CPU from Intel is one of the few really new products shown at Computex this year!

2 x Front USB3.0 support
World’s First Motherboard Supports 4 x USB3.0 – 890FX Deluxe3

USB3.0 interface will become the mainstream in the coming future. Extraordinarily equipped with 4 x USB3.0 ports on the I/O panel, ASRock 890FX Deluxe3 allows a more convenient computing operation environment! For users seeking for the ultimate motherboard configurations, ASRock 890FX Deluxe3 can satisfy you with a host of technologies include ATI Quad CrossFireX, 3-Way CrossFireX and CrossFireX, Cool Heatpipe Design that can dissipate heat from CPU power mosfet and northbridge rapidly and make your system running much cooler, 8 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors, 6 x SATA3 are sourced from AMD SB850, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1 and RAID 5), the remaining 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s are from Marvell. Special introduce here is ASRock unique multi-function Turbo UCC technology. Turbo UCC provides you an all-in-one solution to unlock the hidden cpu cores in the CPU, get the amazing system performance boost by auto-overclocking, and running the system in a certainly lower power consumption level as well.

4 x USB3.0 Ports

Intel Core i7 980X 6-Core CPU Live Demo – X58 Extreme3

In conjunction with ASRock CeBIT2010, ASRock will also reappear the awesome live demo by running the Intel Core i7 980X 6-Core CPU on our feature-complete motherboard – X58 Extreme3. Delivering outstanding features for power users and gaming enthusiasts including a Cool Heatpipe Fan design that makes the system cooler than ever, NVIDIA Quad SLI, ATI CrossFireX and Quad CrossFireX, 7.1 CH, VIA VT2020 Audio Codec which supports Premium Blu-ray audio as well as support for the latest USB3.0. As part of ASRock SuperSpeed USB3.0 lineup, X58 Extreme3 comes with 2 x SATA3 6Gb/s connectors, 1 x Powered eSATAIII/USB2.0 connector, 2 x USB3.0 connectors, it is the outright performance leader of its class.

ASRock AIWI Rock You Everywhere – Playing Games by Holding Your iPhone

ASRock motherboard solutions offer advanced performance for customized environments. At Computex there will be a wide selection of innovative boards in terms of Intel and AMD platform. To make differentiation from other normal motherboards, this year, ASRock is going to show you something really different! ASRock will showcase our newly launched ASRock AIWI utility running on our motherboards and HTPC systems. ASRock AIWI is the world’s first utility to turn your iPhone/iPod touch as a game joystick to control your PC games. Simply installing ASRock AIWI utility onboard and download free AIWI Lite from App store to your iPhone/iPod touch. Connecting your PC and apple devices via Bluetooth or WiFi networks, then you can start experiencing the exciting motion controlled games. ASRock AIWI motherboard will ensure you to enjoy a rich variety of gaming and be entertained by a better way. Just come to ASRock Computex at Nangang Hall, L0118 to experience how fantastic the ASRock AIWI program will be.

HTPC System

The Most Powerful 3D HTPC on the Planet – Vision 3D

ASRock Vision 3D HTPC Series is developed to match the trend of 3D entertainment. It has a powerful build-in graphic card which supports 3D game and 3D movie, allowing users to enjoy a high class entertainment experience! The soon to be released ASRock Vision 3D comes with everything essential for a HTPC platform. Featuring Intel Core architecture-based processors and NVIDIA 3D Vision Capable, GeForce 300 / 400 Series, ASRock Vision 3D can provide you an absolutely realistic 3D image display!

Still, ASRock Vision 3D has adopted lots luxury components include the stylish, high glossy aluminum housing, SuperSpeed USB3.0 support that delivers data transfer rates up to 10X faster than USB2.0, slot-in optical drive that provides a more convenient way of computing operation! For audio aspect, Vision 3D supports 7.1 CH HD audio with professional THX TruStudio PRO solution which allows user to have a rich variety of programming and be entertained by a better way! To realize modern computing mission, ASRock Vision 3D series equipped with BD Combo, 802.11n Wireless network, and even bundled with a user-friendly MCE remote controller.
As such, ASRock Vision 3D HTPC Series operates with a high resolution 3D video which allows a realistic and solid picture scene in your interactive game or movie, providing a cinematic environment in your home! At Computex there will be a modern living scenario setting with ASRock Vision 3D system in ASRock booth, we’ll demo the latest ASRock AIWI gaming program there, just quickly join ASRock Computex, and you will exactly understand why 3DTV can be so fantastic!

Your Perfect Choice for mini HTPC System – Core 100

With intention to present an affordable and functionable HTPC product to users, ASRock will also showcase the newly launched Core 100 HTPC series at Computex. This series totally comes with three models – Core 100HT-BD, Core 100HT and Core 100. By adopting the Intel Core i7 / i5 / i3 and Arrandale-based processors, Core 100 series features Intel HD Graphics that offers great FullHD 1080P performance and energy-efficient capability. Features abundant, ASRock Core 100 HTPC series is the world’s first USB3.0 onboard system on the market, and specially bundled with THX TruStudio PRO solution, ASRock Core 100 even supports the unmatched audio quality and stunning movie experience.

Based on the Intel HM55 Express chipset, Core 100 series features Dual Channel DDR3 1066 memory, 2 x SO-DIMM slots, Max. 8GB, 2.5” HDD up to 500 GB supports 2nd 2.5” HDD. Other excellent features include BD Combo, WiFi 802.11n networking as well as MCE remote controller!

Your Perfect Choice for HTPC System – ION2

HTPC wisely replaces a desktop place and thus easily PClizes any multimedia entertainments and thoughtfully save space for you! The exclusively launched ASRock ION2 HTPC series (includes ION2HT-BD, ION2HT, ION2) target users who want most out of their PCs from standard work to entertainment and extremely gaming. This series features Intel Dual Core D510 processor, Intel CH8M Chipset, NVIDIA ION2 graphics, and THX TruStudio PRO solution. In addition, ASRock ION2 HTPC series features the latest ASRock App Charger function that allows you to quickly charge many Apple devices simultaneously and provides you a much faster charging experience.

Below are pictures of the exhibits. More pictures on the following pages.

While many manufacturers are  showcasing Intel X58 with USB3, SATA3 or unlocking bios of their 890FX boards, BIOSTAR has put up three futuristic boards on display. They are the Intel P67, H67 and H61 chipsets mainboard.

The Intel 6 series chipset is to pair up with the upcoming processor Sandy Bridge. It is a single chipset design. There are 3 models – P67, H67 and H61 and will form the LGA1155 platform. (yes a change of socket is imminent). It will be released in 1H 2011 and will replace the current LGA1156. The LGA1366 will also be replaced by LGA2011 in 3Q 2011, probably with INtel X68.

Biostar has two static display at Computex. The first model is based on Intel P67 chipset model “TP67XE”.  It has 8 phase power, 4 DIMMs of dual channel DDR3, PCIe x16, PCIe x1, 2 PCI and 5 SATA 6Gbps ports, 8 ch audio, GbE, Debug LED. The backplate has SPDIF, 1394, eSATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0 ports.

The second model on display is TH67XE based on Intel H67 chipset. This is a microATX board with 4 DIMM slots, 2 PCIe x16, 1 PCIex1, 1 PCI, 5 SATA 6Gbps. 8 ch audio, GbE, SPDIF, DVI HDMI Displayport, USB 3 can be found on the backplane of the board.

The SATA 6Gbps support is from the P67/H67 chipset while the USB 3.0 still relies on a 3rd party solution (NEC?).  There is also no mention of the improvements of the integrated display within the H67 chipset.

The year 2010 marks the 30th anniversary of Computex Taipei which has become the largest computer exhibition in Asia and the second largest in the world. As usual, OCWorkbench will bring you highlights of the show “live” for our readers. This year, our report will be on our main news page, forums, twitter and facebook. Chinese readers can also check out our Chinese forums and mainpage for the relevant updates.

As usual, the main focus this year would still falls onto the mainboard manufacturers and peripherals.The probably newest thing would be the upcoming Intel chipsets, handheld device and slim notebooks. In this Day 0 Coverage, we will take a glimpse of what to expect from some of these big players in the market in the next few pages.