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Your Tests and Reviews => Your Tests and Reviews => Topic started by: Dark Mantis on June 15, 2012, 01:30:30 pm

Title: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Dark Mantis on June 15, 2012, 01:30:30 pm
Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build and Living Review

by

Dark Mantis


After some wait due to Intel's reticence to release the chips I was very pleased to get my hands on this motherboard from Gigabyte. The first Killer range of boards became available about a year ago in April 2011 and there are now two models in this range, the full ATX sized Sniper3 and the MicroATX sized Sniper M3. Both are based on the Intel Z77 chipset and are compatible with the latest Intel Core IvyBridge and previous SandyBridge processors. This is a very nice board and if you are into gaming then it is one  of the range and the latest in the line of G1.Killer series from this tier1 manufacturer.

As I already mentioned, this new chipset from Intel will support both the SandyBridge and the IvyBridge ranges of processors. That means that there is a huge lineup to choose from when deciding on the CPU to marry up to this board, any of the following will be fine i7 3xxx, i5 3xxx, i7 2xxx, i5 2xxx, i3 2xxx, Pentium Gxxx and Celeron Gxxx. Saying that, it is worth double checking the CPU support list found here: http://uk.gigabyte.com/support-downloads/cpu-support-popup.aspx?pid=4168 as this will also show you the BIOS version needed for each processor.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img535/7733/78605327.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/535/78605327.jpg/)

The external packaging of the retail motherboards is much better than the original styling of the earlier boards. It is much cleaner and shows at a glance the major features without even picking it up.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img259/7627/48315527.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/259/48315527.jpg/)

The board is supplied with 6 SATA cables, SLI Bridge and backplate.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img502/2778/74017049.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/502/74017049.jpg/)

This is a very nice board and if you are into gaming then it is one  of the range and the latest in the line of G1.Killer series from this tier1 manufacturer.  Based on the latest Z77 chipset from Intel it now is in it's third incarnation and to my eyes at least a big step forward visually in that the "over the top" guns and gun parts have been done away with. I am sure that I will not be alone in feeling this way!

(http://imageshack.us/a/img338/2619/51126864.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/338/51126864.jpg/)

This particular motherboard is the smallest version of the gaming series and fits the MicroATX format. For all that it is still a potent platform especially if you are looking for a board to build an HTPC or something along those lines, as it still retains most of the features of the full size Sniper 3 which is top of the range as far as gaming goes. Even with it's diminuative size this motherboard doesn't miss out on many features and does allow for a smaller build footprint which can be useful for people wanting a more mobile system to be able to take to friends houses and Lan parties etc.

The motherboard battery that supplies a maintenance voltage for the CMOS is the usual CR2032 but is situated in a rather awkward spot just above the top PCIE slot and between the rear panel ports and the CPU socket. This makes it difficult to get at to replace or even remove to clear the CMOS if necessary without removing other hardware first like the graphics card or CPU cooler. I think it could have been located in a better position. There is a jumper for clearing the CMOS (CLR_CMOS) near the front panel connector block but as I am sure you are aware sometimes this is not enough on it's own.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img823/8318/83345933.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/823/83345933.jpg/)

Gigabyte has moved the USB3.0 header from the more usual location to up near the 24 pin main power input  to the board. This is a good choice in my opinion as it does help to hide the cables away and run them in the same area as the power cables helping to keep the cable clutter tidy.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img14/969/24224859.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/14/24224859.jpg/)

The M3 motherboard is not greedy when it comes to supplied power either and apart from the standard 24 pin socket there is the 4 pin12v ATX one near the CPU socket as well. Gigabyte still recommends a 500W PSU for this platform but, as we shall see later, a smaller one will suffice. As with anything it is all relative and it depends on the load that you intend to put on it.


With the new Ivybridge chips having a bit more under the bonnet as far as graphics capabilites goes there will be some people who do without a discrete GPU totally. However for the more serious gamers the capability to run dual Crossfire and SLI cards will be welcome. These PCIE slots have now been upgraded to version 3.0. That is of course dependant on the CPU and the expansion card installed also supporting the standard.  If two GPUs are installed Gigabyte has had the forethought to move the usable slots as far apart as possible. This helps with airflow and therefore cooling. Between the x16 and x8 slots are a single PCIE x4 and a PCIE x1 slot too.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img62/6064/26045696.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/62/26045696.jpg/)

Apart from the x1 slot all the others are physically x16 in size but are electrically limited by their connections.  A new software that has found it's way onto the platform to make the most of the onboard Intel HD4000 on chip graphics is Lucid Virtu which when set up properly will make use of both the onboard and discrete graphics capabilities which will enable a cost and power saving use of the Intel GPU when normal low grade programs are run like emailing, internet surfing, office programs etc and then automatically swap over to the power graphics option when a game is going to be played or some heavy graphics program will be run. The on die graphics element supports DirectX 11 where available.


(http://imageshack.us/a/img405/2544/40655440.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/405/40655440.jpg/)

The sound system has also been upgraded on this board which should make a lot of people happier. There is a dedicated Creative SoundBlaster Recon3Di which will give more clarity and effects that will benefit games especially. The change is not only the chip but also the higher standard of components used in the audio circuitry like the Nichicon capacitors rather than the "run of the mill" makes. This will allow features such as letting gamers hear their enemies at a far greater distance therefore giving them an edge.  Also included is the ability to amplify the outputs of both the back and front audio ports. This can be disabled in the BIOS if you have a seperate sound card that you would prefer to use instead.

Creative's collection of audio components are surrounded by a metal shield to help stop electro magnetic interference which is possible to be picked up from surrounding motherboard parts. Another help to the high quality audio output. This is one of the similarities between the full blown Sniper 3 motherboard and this M3 smaller version. The boards are very similar in many ways but certain features such as the Bluetooth module and previously mentioned Killer LAN are not included with the M3. The full blown board also enables the use of quad SLI and Crossfire setups but at a substantially higher price point. This is a very capable motherboard and when the cost is taken into account it makes an ideal platform for anyone looking to build a very mobile but powerful gaming system.


Along the bottom of the motherboard are dispersed a series of connector sockets.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img20/843/83548918.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/20/83548918.jpg/)

There are three USB2.0, one of which is designated for the On/Off Charge function and is coloured red as opposed to the black of the others. Also included, although I have yet to see anyone use one is a TPM connector.  Next to that is the Creative  output for the Front Panel Audio. This should be a much better quality than the usual headphone port that is found on most front panels.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img841/3195/27187787.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/841/27187787.jpg/)

At the far end is the rest of the Front Panel Connectors and they follow the usual format. There is also an extra SATA2 port vertically mounted to finish them off. For those who prefer to let the motherboard control their fans there are four fan headers spaced equally around the board. All of them are four pin headers with the top two being PWM controlled. Just above the F_PANEL header are a couple of bare pins denoted CLR_CMOS and are for shorting to clear the CMOS memory.

I really don't know why the manufacturer has continued to offer the TPM header on these boards as I can't see any gamer actually utilising it at all. In my opinion it is just a cost and real estate waste. On the other hand I would have liked to have seen the Bigfoot Killer LAN port added, as that wouldn't have been wasted space.


(http://imageshack.us/a/img692/4192/92385272q.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/692/92385272q.jpg/)

The rear panel has most of the usual ports plus a couple of newer ones due to the potential onchip graphics capabilities. There is a PS2 port that is dual functional in that it will take either a keyboard or mouse.  Above that are two USB1.1/2.0 ports. Next to these are a VGA (D-Sub) and a DVI-D socket, these along with the HDMI and Display Port next door form the full compliment of graphics connectors.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img98/6730/76120772.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/98/76120772.jpg/)

There are two more USB1.1/2.0 ports above a ESATA 3Gb/s outlet. On the connector block alongside is the Intel Gigabit LAN port above two USB3.0 ports. Lastly is the audio block which supports 8 channel (7.1) sound. Integrated with this is an optical spdif socket. Once in the OS dual monitor support is enabled if wished. This is not possible in the BIOS though.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img849/4263/15288722.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/849/15288722.jpg/)
The CPU is protected by a plastic cover for transport and it is worth noting that this cover should be retained, just in case you want to remove the CPU in the future.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img62/9660/22300087.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/62/22300087.jpg/)
Removing the plastic cover reveals the CPU socket.
The pins are very delicate and care must be taken not to damage any during installation or removal of the CPU.

There is a surprising amount of room around the CPU socket, for such a small motherboard and it will easily accommodate a watercooling CPU block or a large air cooler. I will be covering both of these options, in greater depth, later in the review.

There are four DDR3 Memory slots capable of handling a total of 32 Gb of RAM (4x8GB modules) if wanted. Of course it is best to check with the memory manufacturer for compatibility before purchasing RAM to check for compatibility. Most makers have a QVL  (Qualified Vendors List) on their website for just this reason.

This board uses Gigabyte's 3D BIOS which is now more stable and trouble free than when it was first released with the X79 chipset. Of course, Gigabyte's long term feature the Dual BIOS is still here but even that has been overhauled. It now has large chips both in capacity and size and uses a UEFI instead of the original BIOS. This allows for mouse driven usage as well as profile saving and many other smaller benefits like the GUI 3D look. This is completely optional and either that style or the more common "Advanced" look can be chosen. This will probably not be used by the serious overclocker or gamer as such but it is a little less daunting for those unfamiliar with BIOS use as, it is more self explanatory. Gigabyte is moving away from Award BIOSes and going over to AMI(American Megatrend Incorporated). In my view it is a step forward and has more options to allow the user more power to tweak the settings. UEFI also gives the user the opportunity to use 2.2TB + hard drives, GPT etc

Ultra Durable has gone up a notch too. It has gone from Ultra Durable 3 to UD4 now. It encompasses Over temperature protection, Power failure safety, High humidity protection and Electrostatic safety. The humidity barrier is part of the actual makeup of the GRP in as much as it is the way the glass strands are woven into sheeting before being incorporated into the layers for the board. These are much finer and so have a much closer weave to allow less space for the ingress of water into the fabric. The other points are all enabled by components fitted to the board during manufacture like the solid state fuses.One more leap forward that Gigabyte has made over it's competitors is that now all the power facilities are digital. This is a real boost for overclockers because it enables them to have much more control over the performance of their boards. They now have complete control over the phases, frequencies and voltages which is another reason for having a more elaborate BIOS.

Overall, I have to say that this motherboard, despite its diminutive size certainly punches well above its weight. Packed with features that many ATX boards lack, it is a real testament to Gigabyte's ingenuity and desire to lead the way with their hardware.

In the next installment of this Living Review, I will be uncovering the RAM Modules I am going to use on this excellent motherboard.........
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Dark Mantis on June 15, 2012, 01:31:03 pm
Memory

Gone are the days when you could buy any old stick of Memory (RAM), put it into your motherboard and away you could go. Today you need to be a little more aware of what you are actually buying and putting into your system. How do you do this? By checking the Qualified Vendors List (QVL) for the motherboard found here: http://download.gigabyte.eu/FileList/Memory/mb_memory_g1.sniper_m3.pdf or by checking the manafucturer's website for compatability such as here for the memory I am using : http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/drammemory.aspx

For this build I am going to be using RAM that was supplied to me by Crucial which they recommend for this motherboard. Crucial sent a kit of two 8GB modules of their Ballistix Tactical range. If you are interested in these or others in their range check out their website and system configurator here:
 http://www.crucial.com/uk/index.aspx?gclid=CJSwtvbZ2bACFTMetAodO1b31Q&cpe=pd_google_uk&ef_id=MLxPzh1IPDsAAF7x:20120619064455:s

The Ballistix name has been around for some time now but used to cover a whole range of memories whereas now it has been brought up to date and made a bit more stepped so that different qualities can be arranged into sections.

The heatsinks are of different styling depending on the particular kit range. The Sport consists of a green PCB with a simple black heatspreader. The Tactical has a black ciruit board and an alluminium heatsink anodised a dark tungston colour which along with the deep yellow label looks quality.  The Elite version again has a black PCB but also has a black heatsink and label to match. The sticks are populated with Micron chips from their own factory.  

A very usefull design feature of this memory range is that they all have a reasonably low profile heatsink making it easier to fit with certain large CPU coolers like the Noctua NH-D14 that overhang the memory slots (more on this later). This is obviously a bonus for all concerned as they are often the most efficient heatsinks around and so users can benfit from the use of both components together.

The modules come well packed and are easily identified by the barcode label.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img801/1825/93614085.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/801/93614085.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img831/7268/40566585.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/831/40566585.jpg/)

The modules feel solid and the heatsinks really show them off to their best.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img163/2935/79297156.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/163/79297156.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img600/4948/92815716.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/600/92815716.jpg/)

Crucial have now split their Ballistix range of desktop memory into three main styles, from the standard use Ballistix Sport series that is aimed at the gaming and mainstream users to the Ballistix Tactical range with it's improved speeds and latencies which are aimed at the enthusiast market through to the top end Ballistix Elite modules that as the name implies are the best memory modules available and are cherry picked from choice components to give the top speeds and timings. These are aimed of course primarilly at those running benchmarks, overclocking and the like.

It is DDR3, Dual Channel with default timings of 8-8-8-24. These are good for a start and suggest that this is good quality RAM. It requires 1.5v as standard to run which is common with most of this type. The memory is listed as PC12800 and has a XMP (eXtreme Memory Profile) attached which enables easy configuration at 1600Mhz speed. This is of course technically overclocked as the JEDEC ratification only goes to 1333Mhz. By using the Intel XMP it increases the speed with one keystroke and no overclocking knowledge.

Generally 1066, 1333 and 1600 all fall into the speed range supported by the motherboard, but that doesn't mean that other speeds cannot be induced to run with the right knowledge in fact the overclocked 2400 is now listed as compatible as well.

Thanks, once again to Crucial for supplying these RAM Modules and I will be looking at how they run later in the review.

Coming next....... The beast of air coolers, Noctua's NH-D14



Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Dark Mantis on June 15, 2012, 01:31:18 pm
The BEaST of Air Coolers

For the initial build I decided to use an air cooler and of course there is only really one that springs to mind, the Noctua NH-D14. I was very generously given this cooler by Jacob Dillinger of Noctua to help me in this build for Gigabyte that I had been asked to put together.  


Obviously the cooler itself doesn't really require any more testing etc to prove it's worth as it has been very adequately covered and used in the field for some while now. Therefore I don't intend to bore you with even more of the same, I will however give a general run down of the component itself and just general feel of it's worth for your money.
 
The Noctua NH-D14 is not a new item by any means but, in saying that, it is well respected and has been around long enough to prove itself in the marketplace and has built up a lot of respect.

It comes well packaged and you may be surprised by the size of the box!
(http://imageshack.us/a/img32/7788/19053181.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/32/19053181.jpg/)

Apart from the cooler and two of Noctua's excellent fans you also get fittings for both the AMD and Intel Platforms
(http://imageshack.us/a/img684/9818/93022676.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/684/93022676.jpg/)

Obviously in this build I am using the Intel fittings but it is really nice to have the option.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img854/2158/48397481.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/854/48397481.jpg/)


It is one of the biggest physical air cooling units available and that needs to be taken into consideration when making the purchasing descision as there are some cases out there that it won't fit in. It is 160h x 140w x 130d all in mm.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img821/2178/12923968.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/821/12923968.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img513/8404/18268821.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/513/18268821.jpg/)

The tower itself stands 160mm off the top of the processor so that is one of the critical dimensions to check. The other main one is the clearance over the memory slots. If the fan is fitted you will find that this measurement is 89.5mm out from the

centreline of the CPU socket.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img151/5315/62990664.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/151/62990664.jpg/)


If a new system is being made from the ground up then this isn't too much of a problem as low profile memory modules can be specced that will actually fit underneath the cooling fins and fan in the first couple of slots.

If you are using this cooler on a prebuilt system then you might have to take this into account more. Any modules of 44mm height or less will fit without any problem. Because of the actual mass of the alluminium finned, six heatpipe cooler it will hold it's own even without the two installed fans actively blowing air through the fins. When used the fans will enable this heatsink to manage just about any system that it is attached to. I used it here and even when trying to load the processor heavily I couldn't get the temperature to go over 60C. As long as you can physically fit it into your build there is not a better air cooling solution out there.

The base of the cooler (the part that makes contact with the CPU) is well polished and finished to a very high standard.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img210/4236/57616119.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/210/57616119.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img407/6088/49741656.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/407/49741656.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img442/2146/82718190.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/442/82718190.jpg/)

Also supplied is some Noctua NT-H1 Thermal paste, A screwdriver to help with installation, several fan power leads, one is a splitter and the other two are for voltage reduction if you want to run the fans at a slower speed, some fan mount fittings and a really nice little metal badge that you can attach to your PC case if you so desire. Oh, there are also two sets of instructions for installing the cooler, one for AMD, the other for Intel, the only thing that is missing is the kitchen sink.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img135/1158/52526831.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/135/52526831.jpg/)

Once mounted onto the motherboard you can see just how big this cooler really is.
(http://imageshack.us/a/img832/3032/73370047.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/832/73370047.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img69/2876/36097713.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/69/36097713.jpg/)

Plenty of reviewers have talked about this beauty of an Air cooler and, like you, I have read what has been written but no words or benchmarks can give you the full detail of this product. If you are not ready for watercooling your CPU but want the best available Air cooler then look no further, this really is the one to have.

Coming next..... Gigabyte’s 3D BIOS
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Dark Mantis on June 17, 2012, 03:53:55 pm
So you think you know all about BIOS


So far, during this living review of the Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 motherboard I have only told you about the main hardware of the build. But, as with all things computer orientated, your hardware can only perform well if the software that drives it is written properly and this starts with the BIOS.

Yes, BIOS is software and it tells the motherboard how to work when you start adding components such as a Processor (CPU), Memory Modules (RAM), Graphic Card (GPU), Solid State Drives (SSD's), Hard Disk Drives (HDD's), Keyboard, Mouse and other items too numerous to mention. Even from this limited list, the possible permutations of motherboard and other hardware are practicly limitless and it gives you an idea of how clever the writers of BIOS code have to be to get things working at all.

With this motherboard, along with others in the Z77 & Z79 range, Gigabyte have embarked on redesigning thier BIOS from the ground up. Gone is the old Award BIOS and in its place we see the implementation of a full User Enhance Feature Interface (UEFI) BIOS from American Megatrends or AMI BIOS. But, Gigabyte have gone a step further than just switching to a menu driven BIOS where you can click on items with the mouse.

Welcome to Gigabyte's 3D BIOS a truly Graphical representation of your motherboard and the main components that it bears.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img838/2492/46703154.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/838/46703154.png/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img526/9274/28979150.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/526/28979150.png/)

Now you may be wondering why anybody would want to see, or even use the BIOS this way, especially if, like me, you are used to wading through pages of text tweaking away. Well, that's the answer really. In many instances, newcomers to tweaking and BIOS in particular are put off by the technical terms that are used and they can often struggle to find the area(s) that are important for what they are trying to do.

Move the mouse over part of the motherboard image and it changes colour.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img703/8681/98002870.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/703/98002870.png/)

A menu comes up telling you exactly what the area comprises of and what can be altered.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img705/7545/30927556.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/705/30927556.png/)

A quick click of the mouse button and you are taken to another sub-menu where you just point and click the option you want.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img688/466/17365050.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/688/17365050.png/)

In the words of Alexander Meerkat: "Simples!". I keep expecting Sergei to spring up on one of the forums(That one's for the UK readers of this review who have seen a certain TV advert.) Joking aside, the graphical interface really does open up the BIOS in a way that it never has been opened before and those looking to start out on the road of altering BIOS settings should really find this a breeze to use.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img208/5155/66345443.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/208/66345443.png/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img198/5104/87387419.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/198/87387419.png/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img841/4738/85075822.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/841/85075822.png/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img837/5884/85670483.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/837/85670483.png/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img850/8999/65292261.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/850/65292261.png/)

Hopefully, the images shown above give you a good idea of how the 3D BIOS looks and works. It is very intuitive and is remarkably easy to get to grips with.
 
Of course, Gigabyte are renowned for their support of the Overclockers in this world and for those who would prefer to see a more traditional format of the BIOS all you have to do is click on the Advanced BIOS icon at the bottom of the BIOS Homepage to be taken to the kind of screens you will want to use. Once again, due to the switch from Award to AMI BIOS things look a little different and now you can navigate through the BIOS with your mouse as well as using the more traditional keyboard methods.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img515/8291/54002777.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/515/54002777.png/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img571/1647/72454530.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/571/72454530.png/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img708/3669/88776191.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/708/88776191.png/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img442/8062/41074324.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/442/41074324.png/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img51/5119/66540628.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/51/66540628.png/)

You have a choice of languages too
(http://imageshack.us/a/img21/3586/41972492.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/21/41972492.png/)

The design of the BIOS is clean and uncluttered but this isn't because things have been removed from it, quite the opposite in fact as there now seems to be more options available. Being able to use the mouse and or keyboard in BIOS makes it very easy to navigate and makes one wonder how we ever managed before.

At first, I was a little concerned about the 3D aspect of the BIOS and I thought it might just be a bit of a gimmick but I have to say that it was easy to understand and will prove very helpful for some users. The "Advanced BIOS" screens are now very clean and I find them easy to read. Once again, the use of a mouse is a real boon and I soon find myself tweaking away to my hearts content.

I, for one, was becoming increasingly frustrated with the old Award BIOS that Gigabyte have been using and it was with some trepidation that I approached the new AMI BIOS but I have to say that this is definitely a major step forward and Gigabyte are executing its implementaion in an excellent way.

Next see the motherboard put in a case and watercooled by Alphacools's new pump/reservoir unit the DC-LT Ceramic.
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Dark Mantis on June 17, 2012, 03:54:23 pm
Alphacool DC-LT Ceramic - 12V DC Pro, plexi top and reservoir Review and the final build into an Antec NSK 2480 Desktop Case

(http://imageshack.us/a/img521/6041/20764329.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/521/20764329.jpg/)

This is a new pump assembly from Alphacool but this is a very much more compact version. With this in mind I decided to make the whole build smaller and so built a small form factor PC around a Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 microATX motherboard and an Antec case.

This pump actually comprises of three seperate parts. There is the pump rotor with the impellor head,

(http://imageshack.us/a/img267/9130/35791154.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/267/35791154.jpg/)

the pump head

(http://imageshack.us/a/img819/7567/94641855.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/819/94641855.jpg/)

and a mini reservoir.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img526/1706/40209354.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/526/40209354.jpg/)

These all bolt together to form one of the smallest pump units I have seen.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img19/9810/31929901.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/19/31929901.jpg/)

The motor section of the pump is not much bigger than a UK fifty pence coin and features a removeable central rotor. This literally just pulls off the central shaft which is PTFE (polytetroflouroethylene) and is one of the slipperiest substances known to man and therefore an ideal substance for a bearing/shaft assembly.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img692/3739/60232120.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/692/60232120.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img267/9130/35791154.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/267/35791154.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img821/5396/24296460.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/821/24296460.jpg/)

In this system I am only using 10/13mm tube and compression fittings. The radiator is a single 60mm thick Alphacool NexXxos UT60 completely copper unit as there is not going to be a lot of heat to disperse and this should be more than powerful enough. Because the build will be centred around an IvyBridge processor, the 3770K to be precise I will also be using the onboard Intel 4000 graphics as default so there is only the CPU to cool.

I have chosen the Swiftech XT as the CPU cooling block. It is a good performance block that doesn't have too much back pressure since I customised it. I ran the pump with just the rad and this block in the loop first just to try it out and see what the general performance was like. I first ran it for a minute with only a single 120 x 120 x 60 mm radiator connected to the complete pump unit at zero head. I was very surprised at the performance of such a small pump. It moved just under 3.5 litres in a single minute. I then proceeded to run it for a longer period and did the same test for five minutes. This pumped just over seventeen litres in the timeframe which extrapolates to 204 litres per hour. I felt this was extremely good especially when the figures quoted by the manufacturer were only 120 litres per hour. I just used ordinary water as the test medium. I cooled the rad with a Yate Loon D12SL-12 120 mm fan. This is the standard 25 mm thick version and runs at default at 1350 rpm and at this speed will move roughly 47 cfm of air.


I have decided that along with the watercooling system I would install the Gigabyte Sniper motherboard into the Antec NSK 2480 Desktop case. There is already mesh on the floor of the case so this is an ideal postion to fit the radiator for the watercooling loop.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img15/8646/82641546.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/15/82641546.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img339/7589/88417578.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/339/88417578.jpg/)


The case is a small desktop version and wouldn't look out of place in a living room next to the rest of the home theatre units. It comes as standard with a 380W Earthwatts power supply unit. Model EA-380. 2 x 12V rails of 17A each. It only sounds small but when you check the specs it is quite a powerhouse.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img38/4308/78789361.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/38/78789361.jpg/)

To get things to fit a little more neatly I removed an internal bulkhead by drilling out rivets for more room to fit the radiator etc., and as you can see from the following images things went together pretty smoothly.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img217/9476/15945577.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/217/15945577.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img688/6667/70398814.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/688/70398814.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img585/6885/38343277.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/585/38343277.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img543/9529/34458635.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/543/34458635.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img689/2165/76490200.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/689/76490200.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img3/8857/51662819.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/3/51662819.jpg/)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img710/8582/14598731.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/710/14598731.jpg/)


When it comes to system cooling I repostioned the case fans to blow cool air inwards, whilst the radiator fan blows outwards and I fitted the pump behind the optical drive tray and in front of the PSU.

Yes, it is a bit cramped but everything fits and, if you are really adventurous, there is even room for another small fan at the rear of the case. But once it is all finished it really does look for neat and tidy and is as near silent in use as it would be possible to get.

(http://imageshack.us/a/img855/3568/93013989.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/855/93013989.jpg/)

Coming next: some basic benchmarks with comparisons between the Air and Watercooled configurations
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Dark Mantis on June 17, 2012, 03:54:45 pm
Some Basic Testing and Benchmarks


As with all things the "proof of the pudding is in the eating" or so they say and it is no good having some really good components if they do not work properly when put together as a complete system. As a reviewer I get sent lots of different PC components to test and write about but quite often they get reviewed then put to one side and rarely do they become a part of my working PC collection.

However, this time around I decided to use the parts I had been sent, to build a Home Theatre PC and to use it over a continued period of time. Yes, there are elements of the build that I have to look at in a different way and as always there some difficult decisions to be made.

For testing and review purposes I used a Sandybridge 2500k processor and an Ivybridge 3770K these were both cooled using Air and water and in all tests I kept everything at stock. For those who feel I should post results with the CPU's and system overclocked, I make no apologies for not doing so as there are others who do this better than I can.

During the pre-build and testing phases I was very impressed with the NH-D14 Noctua Air Cooler and its ability to cool the processors and the following are screen shots taken through the testing phase.

Sandybridge
2500k at stock Idle 29°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img151/1210/2500kidle.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/151/2500kidle.png/)

2500k Load Task Manager 49°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img19/7052/2500kloaded.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/19/2500kloaded.png/)

2500k Maximum Load Intel Burn Test (IBT) 58°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img834/1443/65379464.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/834/65379464.png/)

2500k Load Maximum IBT + Cinebench Setup 47°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img826/4131/38750171.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/826/38750171.png/)

2500k Load Maximum IBT 55°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img535/2739/43201825.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/535/43201825.png/)

2500k Load Very High IBT 55°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img411/940/85167550.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/411/85167550.png/)

2500k Load Very High IBT 56°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img838/8881/99891374.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/838/99891374.png/)

2500k Load Very High IBT 57°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img140/2529/26215747.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/140/26215747.png/)


Ivybridge

3770k at stock Idle 28°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img832/1999/defaultidle.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/832/defaultidle.png/)

3770k Load Prime 61°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img842/2397/defaultprime95.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/842/defaultprime95.png/)

3770k O/C'd to 4.5GHz Load Prime 69°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img210/9233/4500prime95.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/210/4500prime95.png/)

3770k Running AS-SSD Benchmark 30°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img826/1315/asssd.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/826/asssd.png/)

3770k O/C'd to 4.5GHz at Idle 36°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img99/6809/4500idle.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/99/4500idle.png/)

3770k Windows Experience Index 32°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img818/9246/15982164.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/818/15982164.png/)


As you can see from the above figures the Noctua managed to keep the temperature of the CPU's well within it's thermal range and left plenty of headroom for those who wish to go above stock speeds. It should be noted however, that these tests were run on a testbench not inside a PC Case and this, of course, will have some impact on the figures.

Watercooled CPU using the Alphacool DC-LT Ceramic - 12V DC Pro, plexi top and reservoir

Sandybridge

2500k at Idle 30°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img715/6238/xp3idle.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/715/xp3idle.jpg/)   

2500k Load Prime 44°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img406/2097/xp3loaded.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/406/xp3loaded.jpg/)

Ivybridge

3770k Load Prime 56°C
(http://imageshack.us/a/img171/6238/xp3idle.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/171/xp3idle.jpg/)

Although I haven't run every test possible, I hope that from the above figures you can gather enough of an idea on how well the system works with both Sandybridge and Ivybridge processors at stock speeds and the different combination possibilities of using either Air or Water cooling. Even if you are building a PC based on the HTPC format with the ALpahacoolDC-LT Ceramic system you can go along the watercooling route if you so desire.

Overall the Gigabyte G1 Sniper M3 mATX motherboard is a really nice piece of hardware to build your system on. It has taken a lot of reconfiguring, throughout this review and is very robust despite its diminuative size. The AMI BIOS is an excellent step forward and the 3D BIOS makes things easy enough to encourage newcomers to tweaking the BIOS to dip their toes. If you are looking for a motherboard that punches well above its weight and that is packed full of excellent features then, you really need look no further.

I just want to say thanks to absic for his guidance in helping me put this review together.  ;)

Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Dark Mantis on July 04, 2012, 05:55:53 pm
Thank you for reading this review and this concludes the overview of this build and components.   8)
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: smashly on July 06, 2012, 05:43:45 am
Thanks for your review efforts.
Enjoyed the read.
I was almost going to get the G1.Sniper M3, but I opted for the cheaper z77mx-d3h without the extras instead.
The one thing I do like about either board is the simplicity of it not relying on other 3rd party chips for usb & sata.
In other words all ports work out of the box without needing 3rd party drivers being loaded first by the OS.

I'm happy with my z77mx, running Sli + Physx card  (3 cards water cooled) + sound card, full house you could say..lol
Using IB cpu on water in a mid case as HTPC is just a pleasure.

Cheers
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Dark Mantis on July 07, 2012, 09:09:52 am
It sounds like you have built a very nice little unit there. If it is anything like mine a bit of shoehorning was necessary to get it all into place though. How about a picture ?
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Graceman on October 03, 2012, 05:47:43 pm
Dark Mantis

I like this review especially as its something I am considering as a new build at the moment especially with water cooling.

Given I want 3 monitors that work at 1920 x 1200 at least, normally I run 1280x 1024, I do not need gaming standard graphics just some Iplayer stuff and autocad with accounts & office work its raw CPU speed I want so on board graphics will suffice.
Does that water build give this?
Is the power supply adequate.
I do not need great storage 240 Gb is adequate so the OCZ revo sdd would be ok which means no HDD either its data access speed thats important.

Just mother board and PCIE ssd drive with water cooling is what I am considering and in the Antec case?
Or could you suggest a different board for this ?

I noticed the water cooled system had a Sapphire Graphics card. Does the power supply support this ok. What would you lose without it using it just  inbuilt graphics?
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Dark Mantis on October 04, 2012, 01:40:12 pm
Hi Graceman,

I am sure that you would be very pleased with the build just as you have described. The OCZ Revodrive is faster than any SSDs and works smoothly as well as being able to boot from it straight from the box.

The power supply is included with the case and as with most of Antec's PSUs it is more powerful than it states. It ran all the hardware there no problem even including the graphics card so if you are planning to use the on chip graphics it should be more than enough.

Although the i5 2500K I used has a good on chip GPU option I would advise upgrading to the IvyBridge i7 3770K with the HD4000 gpu which should be fine for what you are asking of it. It is a step up from the SandyBridge's on chip graphics.

There are other Z77 based motherboards that would suit you but this is a well built board and for a fair price to be honest.

If you watercool the system in a similar way to how I did you should find it quite straightforward and what I particularly liked about this design is that it is fairly safe as the majority of the water  components are kept away from the rest of the delicate components in case of any leak. I was very impressed with the Antec case, it was very solidly built and a nice design.
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Graceman on November 12, 2012, 05:31:26 pm
Hi Dark Mantis

I could not build this as the desktop PC will not fit so looked at a tower build. But it struck me just as I am assembling the water system I have had to mount the radiator UT60 on the outside of my case using the exiting fan air so its high up.
The pump being so small will fit neatly into bottom of the case and this is when I had my eureka moment why use the reservoir as it only holds 50 ml
the head from the reservoir being high on the back of the case and the amount of fluid would replace the requirement for the small reservoir  in it I really cannot see why it would not work

The fill point will be external to PC plus at teh highest point.

Do you have any comment?

I can see why its needed in your build as the relative heights are the same and you need a fill point.
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Dark Mantis on November 12, 2012, 08:21:36 pm
To be fair a reservoir is only a luxury on most builds and just makes it easier to clear the air bubbles when first purging the system. If you can manage without it then I see no problem. Often you can use a bit of tubing, like the fill tube, to collect the air instead.
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Graceman on November 12, 2012, 10:14:02 pm
That was my thought but having never built these small system before I was curios, the UT60 radiator will be mounted withe the 6 ports pointing down down and the fill port the highest point on top & outside of the case so bleeding will be very easy.

Now it will all fit neatly in the case I choose and will have ample air circulation using just the case fan 120mm and the PSU fan so it will be quiet.

Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Dark Mantis on November 13, 2012, 04:50:11 pm
Sounds good. All the best with your build and please let us know how it goes...with some piccies!
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Graceman on December 23, 2012, 05:10:25 pm
Hi Dark Mantis

Finally got together all the parts could not do the desktop case you used as I needed to use a upright tower type so used an Antec NSK 4000B mid tower case
Then I used the Corsair CX 450 watt PSU and also the corsair 16GB memory in two 8Gb strips
I stilll used the Alphacool nexxus UT60 radiator and the same pump and reservoir as your build but found things had moved on since you published this and the water block was no longer available, so I choose the Ek supremacy CSQ full cooper Water block.

After some re-arrangement of the case internals and fitting some braces for the water pump & reservoir found I could pipe up easily with only joins at the radiator, pump, & waterblock just 6 fittings in all. I manged to pipe through the rear of the case with just two 12mm holes and this eliminated any bulkhead fittings. all the pipe fittings are straight and pipe runs in gentle bends.

Now if I can only get an answer from EK as to if there is requirement to orientate the water block to Intel i7/3770 chip I can finish the build.

Its still going to be the G1 Sniper M3 and i7/3770k chip with Intel internal graphics so no graphics card and I now have the Revo OCZ revodrive 240Gb PCIe hard card so if they reply over christmas I shall be trying to install windows 8 on a clean new hopefully fast pc.

The only question I now have is the connection for the pump did you use the cpu fan control for this so it has variable control or did you connect to sys/fan socket on the MB ?

The pump is neatly by a sysfan socket but its going to be another cable if I need to connect to the cpu fan control.
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Graceman on January 05, 2013, 02:54:12 pm
Due to poor quality of the Alphacool parts supplied to me they would not assemble correctly, The reservoir did not have an oring grove of the correct depth to match the oring as supplied.
On Assembly you tighten the reservoir to the pump body and the oring is clamped between the faces, due to the varying depth the offset strained the plastic to the point of fracture across the weakest point where two internal threads are closest. This happens without much tension applied.

The oring section is 1.42-45mm the oring groove varies from 0.43mm to 0.77mm and if you go to any oring manufacturers site the oring groove depth should be 1.15 mm

The object of this is that the oring is clamped and the rubber material spreads and deflects in the groove thus forming a seal the mating faces of the two parts mate and limit any over clamping pressure so optimal seal is achieved.

Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: Graceman on January 16, 2013, 10:55:30 pm
I have had nothing but issues with Alphacool products since trying to build a water cooled PC, whilst the UK suppliers have been great the products are poor in quality not manufactured to any real standard and fail.
I received second hand parts missing components and so far have failed to get any real response from Alphacool.
The uK supplier has since stopped this product line due to the issues
I post this as a warning so other do not waste their time & money.

I started this in November and still cannot get the Alphacool products to assemble correctly. Alpha cool just ignore emails to their forum .
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: nmarquez84 on August 28, 2013, 04:51:47 pm
Hello friends, I am looking for a motherboard for the Intel Core i5-3570K (Quad-Core Processor 3.4 GHz 4 Core LGA 1155 - BX80637I53570K), the PC will be used for graphic designers require use Auto autocad, which I recommend
Title: Re: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Motherboard Build & Living Review
Post by: nmarquez84 on August 28, 2013, 04:54:21 pm
Hello friends, I am looking for a motherboard for the Intel Core i5-3570K (Quad-Core Processor 3.4 GHz 4 Core LGA 1155 - BX80637I53570K), the PC will be used for graphic designers require use Auto autocad, which I recommend
Hi Graceman,

I am sure that you would be very pleased with the build just as you have described. The OCZ Revodrive is faster than any SSDs and works smoothly as well as being able to boot from it straight from the box.

The power supply is included with the case and as with most of Antec's PSUs it is more powerful than it states. It ran all the hardware there no problem even including the graphics card so if you are planning to use the on chip graphics it should be more than enough.

Although the i5 2500K I used has a good on chip GPU option I would advise upgrading to the IvyBridge i7 3770K with the HD4000 gpu which should be fine for what you are asking of it. It is a step up from the SandyBridge's on chip graphics.

There are other Z77 based motherboards that would suit you but this is a well built board and for a fair price to be honest.

If you watercool the system in a similar way to how I did you should find it quite straightforward and what I particularly liked about this design is that it is fairly safe as the majority of the water  components are kept away from the rest of the delicate components in case of any leak. I was very impressed with the Antec case, it was very solidly built and a nice design.