New P55A series MBs with 333 Technology: USB 3.0, SATA 3.0 and 3x USB power

[runn3R]

Have a look at below presentation showing the latest P55 chipset based motherboard Accelerated Edition GA-P55A-UD6, equipped with 333 Technology.

There is full range of P55A-series motherboards featuring onboard USB 3.0, Serial-ATA Revision 3.0 (6 Gbps) and 3x boost in USB Power, for more details you can check this link.

Some P55A series MBs pictures are also available here.

<a href="http://d.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=21738404&amp;access_key=key-82msx7hh58ebxa7fxbg" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://d.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=21738404&amp;access_key=key-82msx7hh58ebxa7fxbg</a>

[Badbonji]

When is the newer X58 range coming out with these features? 

[runn3R]

Hi Badbonji

EX58-EXTREME 2 should be available mid of Dec. Have a look at some early picture here

[tlc_support]

I do not download 

[Patric99]

Sure, This cards looks good!
until your read the fine prints!!!

Only x8 for your graphic-card, Yes only x8!!!
Or x16 using pcie rev 1
and rev 1 is half speed of rev 2 = 250 fro rev 1 and 500 for rev 2
So only way to get full speed  on the x16 for your grafic card is to not use usb3 or sata .
For everyone to understand what  I am saying I will give  exemple

ex1
not enablad usb3 or sata 3
x16 = 16 lanes of pcie rev 2 =16 x 500 = 8 000  speed x16 port for your Gf card

ex 2
enablad usb3 or sata 3 using  rev 1
x16 = x16but in rev 1  = 16 x 250 = 4 000  max speed x16 port  for your Gf card


ex 3
enablad usb3 or sata 3 using rev 2
x16 blir x8 but in rev 2  = 8 x 500 = 4 000  max speed x16 port for your Gf card


Sorry this Mb do not look as good as it´s cover!!!!
 


Please Gigabyte comment this!!!

[adx]

Thanks for your post - it got me to read the fine print. I had only just bought and installed a P55-UD4P 2 days before the release of these A versions, so I was feeling a bit bummed, not now. I only really care about the USB3 (which I thought was months away from the problems). It seems that can be done with an x1 slot quite nicely by the time devices come out - perhaps a use for that "silly" top slot that can only fit a short card (I actually hoped they would be releasing something like this to use it).

It looks like the new chips steal the 8 pcie2 lanes that go to the 2nd gfx card when enabled. So with a rev1 card you'd only get x8 (not x16). I agonised long and hard over the best setup for a quad monitor machine (not so interested in SLI) and decided x8/x8 would be ok, but not if I can't use the 2nd slot!

I guess these boards will be great for people who only need one rev2 graphics card, where x8 is probably more than enough.

The 3* supply current would be nice too, I'm sick of having to plug HDDs into external power or have them cut out after a while, or swap plugs to avoid getting 2 on the same fuse.

[Patric99]

This card look so good but i my eyes is probably one of that worst gigabyte have done for many years.

I guess a lot of people gone be sad/angry when they notice that they have bought a mb that  could have either a full going graphic card bus ( x16 in rev 2) or usb3/sata 3 not both.
As I other post, as soon as you enable the usb3 or sata3 you cripple the x16 buss, either to x8 or to rev 1, both will yield half the original speed.

Scam it is, not to tell people about that in the press release.

I had a p55 -ud 5 on order when I saw the press release for this card and then I cancel  my order and was going to wait for the p55a -u5 but now I think I gone stop buying Gigabyte any more and buy Asus or Msi.

[Pottypete]

Hi,
I don't think it a SCAM at all,
There is plenty of detailed specs out there if you look, linky
http://www.techpowerup.com/106990/Gigabyte_Details_the_P55A_Series_Motherboards_Support_USB_3.0_and_SATA_6_Gbps.html.
Regards

PS. You can only work with what components are available . link
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/10/23/intel_superspeed/

[Patric99]

Dear Pottypete please enlight me where in the the link you wrote that it says that when using usb3 or sata3 then you get a crippled x16?
Problem is you can not!

If not looking at the crippled x16, this is very good constructed MB, but everything is only as good as it´s weakest link and it´s weakest link is bad, it really stinks!


You can find the info in the manual and in the spec pages of resp. Mb but this is something Gb should have included in their press release.
Why? because alot of people will buy this MB and only after they have bought it realize that they will get a crippled x16 port when using sata3 or usb3, do you think theses people will be happy and do you think these people will buy Gb again? probably no, it always better to be honest in front.

Remember this is end of 2009 and you get a new line which you can not have a full x16for your grafic card, thats realy bad.
Gb has maid a very bad call/move, here.

But maybe scam, is a hard word, but can not say it honest marketing either.

And please do not say this is the only way to do it.
Have you seen how Asus has done. (not gone giva any link to asus here, that be a bad call if I had done it, And I usualy don´t think Asus is any better than Gb, it´s only this line that they(GB) maid a terrible mistake)
And wait also to when MSi will publish their way.
There plenty fishes in the sea as you will see the next couple of moth, I would gues( and have already seen with Asus way of solving it)

I pretty sure, this typ of solution will live only for a brief minute of time.
In some time we will laugh about this solution, because a joke it is!

But than there is plenty more stuff that is  more importer than a bad constructed MB.
World peace, the survivor of Orangutan to say some.

[adx]

A major reason I chose the P55-UD4P was its legacy support (FDD, LPT, COM, Win2k drivers) to support my older apps with a minimum of fuss (electronics developer so I use things like parallel ports in a different way . While it can be done with add on cards, they can be a pain to get working, and take up slots, these days you expect this stuff to be done on the MB. So I can see why most non-gamers will be fine with one x8 gfx slot in return for integrated USB3 and Sata3.

But not me, and not when its advertised as an SLI board! GB do have to be up front about this or they could end up with this being a PR disaster.

The problem is the P55 chipset (or rather the lack of it) - one of the limitations of the LGA1156 socket is that there are only 16 pcie2 lanes coming from it. Anything else comes from the P55 itself at pcie1 speed, incl the x1 or x4 mobo slots. Now I'm not sure whether that supports full-speed USB3. Anyway I knew what I was getting into with LGA1156, but decided it was the more modern and efficient platform - so apart from the USB3 thing I'm happy with it - and the P55-UD4P.

[Drexter]

And please do not say this is the only way to do it.
Have you seen how Asus has done. (not gone giva any link to asus here, that be a bad call if I had done it, And I usualy don´t think Asus is any better than Gb, it´s only this line that they(GB) maid a terrible mistake)

You are still able to use USB 3.0 , SATA 6 Gbps together with PCI-e x16 Gen 2 graphics. It does not limits you using only PCI-e x8 Gen 2 graphics when you are using USB 3.0 or SATA 6 Gbps. In addition, the current available SATA 6Gbps HDD still can't hit the bottle neck of PCI-e x1 Gen 1 due to mechanical limitation. Plus, in reallife usage, there's no performance difference with a PCI-e x8 compare to a PCI-e x16 Gen2... meaning... your Windows won't run any faster.

As for what Asus has done, it's limited to 1 or 2 models which probably "might " hit in the market only in few months later. Or in worst case, it might be like another Marine Cool product which is a marketing concept demostration. Also, with a U3S6 add-on card is more of like a terrible mistake to me, I won't pay any extra $$ for a cripple add-on USB 3.0, SATA 3.0 card..

[RuiPereira]

WOW, this is starting to warm up  … fantastic, I love it!

Okay, firstly, this is not a Gigabyte SCAM, but rather an Intel P55 chipset limited.
Gigabyte will gain nothing from trying to scam people   
Please don’t forget that with P55 a lot of integration as gone into the CPU which will cause some limitations.
Unlike the X58, which offers you more 'lanes' and has fewer limitations!
Unfortunately, these 'lanes' have to be shared

Currently, HDD is the biggest bottle-neck your computer is facing (in my opinion).
SDD is really the way forward, but still some time before pricing drops and storage sizes increase.

It will be interesting to see how the competitor will come around this - Because the chipset is the same!
I really don’t think that our competitor can design motherboards better than Gigabyte.
Especially when comparing to Features, Design and Services.

Anyway, thx Drexter for your explanation, I have checked what you have wrote, and the details seem spot-on 

[oggmonster]

Yeah like Drexter said, with usb 3.0 and sata 3.0 the pci-e x16 v2 lane will run at pci-e x8 V2. however the performance loss from this is minimal. If you look here http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/HD_5870_PCI-Express_Scaling/25.html you will see only a 1%-2% loss from running 8x compared to 16x

[ex58]

GA-P55A-UD7

Added onto the P55A-UD7,is a PLX and NF200 chip.NVIDIA’s NF200 chip provides an additional 32 PCI-E lanes and the PLX chip provides additional lanes for USB 3.0 and SATA 3 (6Gbps).
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/13451/sneak_...anes/index.html

[kangoo]

Yeah like Drexter said, with usb 3.0 and sata 3.0 the pci-e x16 v2 lane will run at pci-e x8 V2. however the performance loss from this is minimal. If you look here http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/HD_5870_PCI-Express_Scaling/25.html you will see only a 1%-2% loss from running 8x compared to 16x

Tnx oggmonster, yeah 1- 2% is really small difference nobody notices in his games fps