Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD5 (Sandy Bridge) living review

[Dark Mantis]

Just added the overcloclocking trial.

By the way Soar, that model-T radiator works  well 

[soarwitheagles]

Thanks for the comments. I understand your feelings regarding the cooler but it is really just for testing purposes and so far is doing a fine job as you can see from the temperatures. Maybe when I overclock and the output ramps up it will stuggle but we will see. I will report exactly as I find it...good or bad. Maybe later I will test it with a watercooling loop just to be able to have the whole spectrum of temperatures to compare but that will be a while yet.

By the way Soar, there is nothing wrong with some "classic iron".

DM,

You have built a real dream machine!   We look forward to seeing more benchmarks.  Nice work and keep up the good job!

Soar

[Lsdmeasap]

Great work on the review DM!!   I really like the idea of a living review, and as you've already shown that makes it really easy to add new thoughts for findings anytime.

Keep up the great work!

Man, I wish I could build my own custom bench table like that!   Think I could hire you to build me a short version, like dimas bench easy hard, but in UV Blue acrylic?

I mean like this in case you aren't sure which bench I was talking about
http://www.dimastech.com/EN/c/dimastech-bench-test-table/bench-test-table-hard/1/

[Dark Mantis]

Hi Lsdmeasap,

Glad you like the review so far and thanks for the kind words. Everybody does the technical reviews like yourself and probably better than I could ever do so it is a different slant on the whole idea and to be honest was something that runn3R proposed initially. I just took the idea and ran with it.

I would be more than happy to build you a test bench in uv Blue acrylic but I think the shipping would make it unfeasible. Even here the carriage costs often outweigh the cost of the materials when it comes to plexiglas. By the way while we are talking about acrylic builds I tried the flaming of the edges but gave up in the end. It was just too hit and miss. Slightly too much heat and it bubbled, not enough and the heat spreads and you just end up with a soggy bit of plastic! I think it is proper laser cutting or plenty of sanding down of the edges which as we discussed takes forever.

I would be quite happy to send you the design and see if you can get someone local to fabricate it. I notice that you still have the red base plate on yours 

[Lsdmeasap]

You deserve it man, it's good work you've put in already, and it will only be added to since it is living review!  I'm actually not too happy with my first two board reviews, but they are my first, so I'll just have to really improve on my next ones so I'm not upset with myself.

Well man, I don't need a Bench like you or I already have, it's more a short tray kinda.   Did you check out the ones I linked, that's what I'd like, something short like that.

I would be willing to pay the shipping, I'd have to pay it from Italy if I end up buying from Dimas anyway, so either way I will have to pay a lot of shipping $$.

Sorry to hear you couldn't get flame working, I've not tried it yet but I do think you might need a MAP torch or something like that as it has a cleaner and hotter flame.   And ya you would need to somehow keep the flame and part even, so the amount of heat is always correct once you found the sweet spot in distance of flame to acrylic.

Can you design and make something like I linked above or not?   I don't know anyone here that could do it, and I suck with gluing acrylic, so I can't do it even if I did make the pieces.

Haha, ya, I hate that red tray!    I plan to buy a UV Blue back and mobo tray, just haven't got around to ordering them yet.   Couldn't pass up the nice deal on this bench the way it was, so I had to buy it before someone else did.   I paid only half of what a retail plain one would cost, shipped, so that's why I didn't mind the red tray for a little bit (It saved me $90)

[Dark Mantis]

Hi Lsdmeasap

I actually thought that your motherboard reviews were very good as I checked them both out after you emailed the links to me along with that killer Muskin memory! I don't think that we are ever really happy with any work we do as we always feel it could be better. There is nobody so critical as yourself.

I did check out the links for the short trays. No problem man, I can run you one up may take a few weeks though as I am fairly busy at the moment. If you have any specific requirements or customisations just let me know first.

Yes I remember you saying the acrylic bench was too good a price to pass on. Don't blame you. We don't often get good deals like that over here.

[bofh1971]

Gorgeous test bench rig and awesome article.
looking forward to see how your rig performs over time.

[Dark Mantis]

RAID configuration now updated

[Lsdmeasap]

Hi Lsdmeasap

I actually thought that your motherboard reviews were very good as I checked them both out after you emailed the links to me along with that killer Muskin memory! I don't think that we are ever really happy with any work we do as we always feel it could be better. There is nobody so critical as yourself.

I did check out the links for the short trays. No problem man, I can run you one up may take a few weeks though as I am fairly busy at the moment. If you have any specific requirements or customisations just let me know first.

Yes I remember you saying the acrylic bench was too good a price to pass on. Don't blame you. We don't often get good deals like that over here.

Ya, you are right in a way, but I'm comparing them to my previous review right before that, on Mushkin Ridgeback.  That one turned out GREAT, and these looked pale in comparison to that.   You're right though, we are always hardest on ourselves!    I know I can do better though, so that is why I deserve to be harder on myself this time, those are up to my usual expected quality.

Maybe some customizations, like my name or gigabyte logo somewhere or something like that?    What would be your guesstimated price for the product, then shipping to US?   Guess is fine, we can narrow down the shipping later I was just trying to see if you knew maybe close to how much it might run me.

Haha, ya it's going to cost me as much as I paid for the whole thing shipped, just to get the two UV blue panels I want 

[Dark Mantis]

Sure thing I will do a rough pricing for you. I will email you the details and we can have a chat about the finer points. Gigabyte Logo is no problem!
Only real problem I forsee is getting the UV Blue plexiglas. My normal supplier doesn't stock it as standard but I can ask him about getting some in.

[Lsdmeasap]

Sounds good to me, no rush either - whenever you get around to it.

Really?   You can do logo's?   I didn't even think about how hard letters cut out, or logo engraving really is when I replied.   I just saw you mention customization and replied     So you can do things like that?   If so how, do you have access to a lazer or what?

Bah!   Haha, yes, please ask and see what he says.   All the places here stock it, so he can probably get it on his next order or something, just probably doesn't keep stock normally because of lack of buyers.

[manowargr]

nice review dark mantis.  keep the good work.

[Dark Mantis]

Glad you like it. I plan to add to it as time goes by especially if there are any issues that become apparent.

[Dark Mantis]

Just ripped it all apart today and doing a bit of "adjusting"!   

I decided to try watercooling the setup and see how much difference that would make. Just got the bits I still needed now curtesy of Mick at C&C as usual and will start rebuilding tomorrow. Got to make a few alterations to the testbench to accomodate it all. Pictures to follow.

[Dark Mantis]

I have just uploaded my watercooling review of this motherboard. See here:

http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,4776.msg37634.html#msg37634