We have heard from Gigabyte HQ about this board. Pictures have also been leaked and we have reported on it before. Sometimes it is better to see it by oneself than press pictures. Below are some pictures we took at a trader event held yesterday in Singapore.
Formerly known as GA-Z68-Gaming and display at Computex Taipei 2011, this board inherits the tradition of G1 Sniper. Although there are no specifications, we believe that it is similar to the G1 Sniper. The board uses Bigfoot Killer E2100 Game Networking Platform. This network has a dedicated 1GB of DDR2 memory directly onboard G1. Sniper for up to 10X faster networking performance; allowing gamer to move faster and shoot quicker. For better sound quality, Gigabyte puts aside the conventional 7.1ch audio and replaced it with Creative’s SoundBlaster X-Fi Digital audio processor (20K2) with X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity and EAX AHD 5.0 technologies. There is also a built in 15 ohm load amplifier for front audio headphone. It also uses high quality Nichicon MUSE ES and MW series Bi Polarised audio capacitors at each channel for high quality sound. On top of that it supports Dolby Digital Live and DTS.
For quick access to files, the board is equipped with 2 USB 3.0 ports for quick connectivity. The backplane also comes with power eSATA ports. There is also a quick boost button allowing gamers to instantaneously overclock their system with the click of a button.
For those who need to use the integrated graphics, there is HDMI port for output. It is unsure if the board supports Lucid Hydra to tap the transcoding power of the processor. One thing for sure, Intel Smart Response Technology with SSD caching will be there to speed up the disk access. For serious gamers, there are also 2 full length PCIe slots supporting CrossFire X.
The board can support up to 4 USB 3.0 ports (2 front, 2 back), SATA6 Gbps by Marvell and 3X power boost on all USB ports for power hungry USB devices (for charging).
The back plane consists of USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, eSATA, PS/2 Keyboard Mouse and a one touch OC button, audio ports+SPDIF out.
Reference :
1. https://en.ocworkbench.com/tech/gigabyte-next-generation-g1-sniper-2-based-on-intel-z68-appears-on-net/
2. https://en.ocworkbench.com/tech/computex-taipei-2011-coverage-gigabyte-makes-z68-gaming-board-ga-z68-gaming/
