Much like its socket AM3+ motherboard lineup, Gigabyte's socket FM1 lineup included products driven by legacy Phoenix AwardBIOS. And although socket FM1 isn't relevant anymore, Gigabyte still made it a point to introduce revisions of its motherboards with AMI Aptio UEFI BIOS, and dual-UEFI redundant BIOS technology. In addition to being able to boot large volumes, the new firmware allows users to take advantage of Windows 8 Secure Boot feature, and gives them a GUI mouse-driven setup program. Gigabyte's UEFI-driven socket FM1 motherboards are marked with board revision number 3.0 (Rev. 3.0). In October, Gigabyte overhauled its entire socket AM3+ motherboard lineup with UEFI.

Several high-end mini-ITX cases these days ship with two expansion slot bays. To take advantage of that, ECS introduced the H61H2-MV. The company was careful enough to label it a micro-ATX motherboard, although its PCB length and mounting screw layout is suggestive that you could install in on one of those high-end mini-ITX cases, and end up with two expansion slots to play with. Sadly for ECS, this socket LGA1155 motherboard is based on entry-level Intel H61 Express chipset, with extremely basic connectivity.

The LGA1155 socket is powered by a 3+1+1 phase VRM, it is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1600 MHz memory; and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. The second expansion slot on the board is a PCI-Express 2.0 x1, wired to the PCH. There's enough room on the board to wire out all four SATA 3 Gb/s ports from the PCH as internal ports. Connectivity includes 6-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, and D-Sub display output. Some variants are said to come with DVI and HDMI display outputs. The board is driven by UEFI BIOS. Expect its price to be well under $100.

Phoenix Technologies Ltd., the global leader in UEFI firmware technology, products and tools, is announcing UEFI BIOS support for server systems based upon the ARMv8 64-bit architecture. ARM Techcon is being held at the Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, California, from October 29-November 1, 2012.

The Phoenix SecureCore UEFI provides a superior, proven solution for server systems, delivering an enhanced build environment that is independent from operating systems, flexible in compiler and assembler tools and capable of supporting modules and module packages. The benefits of SecureCore firmware include critical boot-level security, protecting the OS and entire system; rich networking and manageability; source code modularization and reusability; and significant build performance improvement. Phoenix began developing BIOS for server appliances and computing platforms in 1980, focusing on the need for reliability, performance, power management and security.

Gigabyte's entire fleet of AMD 9-series chipset socket AM3+ motherboards, launched in 2011 with AMD FX "Bulldozer" processors shipped with Phoenix AwardBIOS, even as other motherboard makers such as ASUS, MSI, Biostar, and Sapphire moved on to AMI Aptio UEFI BIOS. Gigabyte's AwardBIOS implementation did feature the company's biggest excuse for delayed implementation of UEFI across its entire product line, HybridEFI: a BIOS tweak that lets you boot from volumes bigger than 2 TB.

In the wake of second generation FX "Vishera" processors and Windows 8 with its UEFI-enhancements, Gigabyte finally decided to make amends to its socket AM3+ motherboard lineup, by introducing revisions of existing motherboard models, featuring AMI Aptio UEFI BIOS, and its dual-UEFI redundant BIOS technology that protects against failed BIOS updates. Gigabyte's UEFI-equipped AM3+ motherboards will follow revision number scheme from 3.xx, jumping from its canonical revision number scheme of 1.xx. For example, pictured below is the newly launched 970A-D3 Rev 3.0, which jumped from Rev 1.4. The revisions are largely identical to their predecessors, except of course implementation of the AMI Aptio UEFI BIOS and dual-UEFI feature. When buying, look for the revision number in the main barcode sticker on the box, and on the bottom-left corner of the motherboard itself.

Gigabyte unveiled the F2A75M-HD2 entry-level socket FM2 motherboard. Built in the compact micro-ATX form-factor, measuring 225 x 174 mm, the F2A75M-HD2 is driven by AMD A75 chipset, and is designed for HTPCs. The APU socket is powered by a simple 5-phase VRM. It is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. One each of PCI-Express 2.0 x1 and legacy PCI make for the rest of the expansion area.

The F2A75M-HD2 features four SATA 6 Gb/s ports supporting RAID 0/1/10, and four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two by header). Display outputs include one each of DVI, HDMI, and D-Sub. The rest of the connectivity includes eight USB 2.0/1.1 ports (four on the rear panel, four by headers), 6-channel HD audio, serial (COM), and gigabit Ethernet. The board is driven by AMI Aptio UEFI, with Gigabyte dual-BIOS and 3D BIOS technologies. It is expected to be priced around $70.

For those who haven't taken a leap to Intel's Z77 and Ivy Bridge combo yet, either you're cultivating self discipline or you're planning to prey upon something big. Well, now is the big moment, because ASRock is releasing its beastlike Z77 Extreme11!

This tiptop motherboard has 8 SAS2/SATA3 connectors supported by an LSI SAS2308 PCIe 3.0 x8 controller. For extreme graphics, 3-Way SLI/4-Way CrossFireX is supported via a PLX PEX 8747 bridge. The LAN solution is also tempting. Two Intel LAN chips to support dual LAN and teaming, while there's also a 2T2R Dual Band WiFi & Bluetooth 4.0 module and a bundled Wi-SB Box. Specially designed for computer enthusiasts, Z77 Extreme11 possesses unbeatable hardware and extreme powers waiting to be unleashed.

Gigabyte announced its newest socket FM2 motherboard, the F2A85X-D3H. Built in the ATX form-factor, and as a pleasant surprise, with a black PCB, the F2A85X-D3H is based on AMD A85X chipset. The APU socket is powered by a simple 4+2 phase VRM, which has been featured on several of the company's micro-ATX models. The APU is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. Other expansion slots include a PCI-Express 2.0 x4 (physical x16, wired to the A85X FCH), three PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and two legacy PCI.

All eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the A85X FCH are wired as internal ports, two of which are angled. The board features four USB 3.0 ports, two at the rear panel, two via headers. Display connectivity includes dual-link DVI (capable of 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz or 1080p @ 120 Hz), D-Sub, and HDMI. Other connectivity includes 8-channel HD audio with optical SPDIF output (Realtek ALC892 CODEC), gigabit Ethernet (Realtek 8111F), eight USB 2.0 ports, mouse/keyboard PS/2 combo port, legacy COM header, and trusted platform module header.

American Megatrends Inc. (AMI), a leader in BIOS and computing innovations, announced the launch of Aptio V, the newest version of its acclaimed Aptio UEFI BIOS firmware, at a seminar titled "Touch the Future with Aptio V" in Taipei, Taiwan. As the "next generation of UEFI BIOS," Aptio V features support for the latest UEFI specifications, making the latest features such as Secure Boot for enhanced platform security and EDK II support - together with all of the previous experience, value adds and improvements of Aptio 4 - available to manufacturers and developers.

Providing development tools that are easy to use and promote efficiency has always been a core goal of the world's leading BIOS company, American Megatrends. As new computing platforms enter the market at a rapid pace, the ability of these systems to incorporate new functionality and ensure full compatibility between software and hardware components have become key factors influencing BIOS development. AMI's new flagship UEFI BIOS solution, Aptio V, solves both of these challenges with ease - positioning it as the most powerful development solution for BIOS on the market today.

Are you a first class sniper? Gather your friends and come take the "MSI Commando: Mission FM2" challenge together! The world renowned mainboard and graphics card manufacturer MSI, officially announced a series of mainboards equipped with the AMD FM2 chip, and is holding the "MSI Commando: Mission FM2" online activity. Participants who successfully solve the six puzzles related to the FM2-A85XA-G65 mainboard and strike the invaders within the given time, will have a chance to take home the all new MSI FM2-A85XA-G65 mainboard! This is a challenge that MSI AMD series mainboards enthusiasts cannot afford to miss! Hurry up and bring your passion and join the challenge

Continuing with the persistence for product stability and quality, the MSI FM2 series of mainboards use Military Class III components that have passed rigorous third-party laboratory tests, and are equipped with the AMD Dual Graphics technology that integrates the computing ability of the APU's built-in graphics card and a discrete graphics card, increasing 3D performance. They are also equipped with MSI's exclusive one-second overclocking technology OC Genie II, further increasing 3D performance to allow gamers to fully enjoy gaming fun.

With the availability of AMD's new lineup of APUs MSI, the world leader in extreme performance mainboards and graphics cards, is pleased to announce the availability of a new lineup of Socket FM2 mainboards. Amongst the models available are the full-fledged FM2-A85X-G65 Gaming mainboard, compact MicroATX models and a brilliant miniITX model with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Aiming to deliver the best gaming performance you will find the FM2-A85XA-G65 equipped with an amazing feature set to deliver an unprecedented gaming experience for the AMD platform. OC Genie II boosts the APUs CPU & GPU performance, Memory performance is enhanced with support for both AMP and XMP memory overclocking profiles. And MSI clock generator allows for much faster bus speeds which increases the performance of Dual Graphics and CrossFire even further! This is topped off with the first DigitALL PWM with Military Class III on a MSI mainboard.

In addition to the Hi-Fi A85W, Biostar unveiled a mainstream socket FM2 motherboard in the micro-ATX form-factor, the T-Series TA75MH2. Based on the AMD A75 FCH, the motherboard is designed keeping essential connectivity in mind, and is built in the compact micro-ATX form-factor. The FM2 socket, which supports the latest AMD A-Series "Trinity" APUs, is powered by a simple 5-phase VRM. Nevertheless, Biostar included a MOSFET heatsink. The FM2 socket is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot.

In addition to the PCI-Express 2.0 x16, the TA75MH2 features two PCI-Express 2.0 x1 and a legacy PCI slot. The AMD A75 FCH gives out six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, all of which are assigned as internal ports on the TA75MH2. Display connectivity includes DVI, HDMI, and D-Sub. The TA75MH2 packs legacy connectivity, including COM (serial) and LPT (parallel), via headers. Other connectivity includes 6-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, and four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two via header). The board is driven by UEFI BIOS. It is expected to be priced at US $70.

Biostar unveiled its second socket FM2 motherboard in its audio-optimized Hi-Fi series, following the mid-September launch of Hi-Fi A85X. The new Hi-Fi A85W is designed to be a more affordable model, based on a new PCB design, while retaining the Puro Hi-Fi audio with integrated amplifier. It is built in the compact ATX form-factor. The FM2 APU socket, which supports the latest A-Series "Trinity" APUs, is powered by a 6-phase VRM, which draws power from a 4-pin ATX connector. It is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory, and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot.

Expansion slots include two long PCI-Express slots, however, only one is wired to the APU, and is electrical PCI-Express 2.0 x16, the other is electrical PCI-Express 2.0 x4, wired to the A85X FCH. Other expansion slots include two each of PCI-Express 2.0 x1 and legacy PCI. All eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the chipset are assigned as internal ports. The four USB 3.0 ports from the chipset are distributed as two rear-panel ports, and two via header. Display outputs include DVI, HDMI, and D-Sub. Gigabit Ethernet and 10 USB 2.0 ports make for the rest of the connectivity. The board is driven by AMI UEFI BIOS. It is expected to be priced around US $90.

Gigabyte unveiled its flagship socket FM2 motherboard, designed for upcoming AMD A-Series "Trinity" APUs, the F2A85X-UP4. Based on the new AMD A85X FCH chipset, the board implements Gigabyte Ultra Durable 5 motherboard construction, which includes 2 oz copper PCB layers, humidity-proof glass-fabric layers, solid-state capacitors, new high-current ferrite core chokes, and PowIRstage IR3550 driver-MOSFETs. The FM2 socket is powered by an 8-phase VRM. It is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3-2400+ MHz memory; and three PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots.

The three PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots are electrically configured as x16/NC/NC, x8/x8/NC, or x8/x4/x4, depending on how they're populated. AMD CrossFireX is supported. Other expansion slots include three PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and a legacy PCI. The AMD A85X FCH gives out a total of eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, seven of which are assigned as internal, and one eSATA, on the F2A85X-UP4. Display connectivity includes DVI, D-Sub, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Other connectivity includes six USB 3.0 ports (four rear, two by header), 8+2 channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, and keyboard/mouse combination PS/2 connector. The board is driven by dual-UEFI BIOS, with a graphical 3DBIOS setup program. We expect the F2A85X-UP4 to be priced anywhere in the US $150-$200 range.

Behold, the new world record of CPU overclocking! The World's Legendary Overclocker Nick Shih has overclocked an Ivy Bridge Core i7 377oK processor to a mind blowing 7.136GHz with the newly released ASRock Z77 OC Formula. The world leading motherboard manufacturer, ASRock Inc., is overjoyed to announce that we have landed on the number one spot on HWBOT and also set a new overclocking world record.

The overclocking world champion, Nick Shih, exclaimed "Hitting number one on HWBOT makes my day, but scoring number one with the motherboard I designed is like the wildest dream come true! Thanks to everyone who helped make my dream, ASRock Z77 OC Formula, into reality.

Here are some of the first pictures of EVGA's upcoming Z77 Mini ITX motherboard. EVGA's newest creation is one of the first mini-ITX motherboards with CPU socket north of the chipset, clearly a response to community feedback. EVGA's Z77 Mini ITX is geared for overclocking, with the LGA1155 socket bolstered by an 8-phase VRM that uses International Rectifier PowIRphase driver-MOSFETs. The board draws power from 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors. The LGA1155 socket is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory; and a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot.

In terms of storage connectivity, the EVGA Z77 Mini ITX is equipped with two each of SATA 6 Gb/s and SATA 3 Gb/s ports, and an mSATA 3 Gb/s slot wired to the Z77 PCH; and two eSATA 6 Gb/s driven by a Marvell-made controller. Display connectivity includes HDMI and mini-DisplayPort. High-bandwidth connectivity includes six USB 3.0 ports (four on the rear panel, two via headers), and two eSATA 6 Gb/s. 8+2 channel HD audio (Realtek ALC898 CODEC), gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, and a number of USB 2.0/1.1 ports make for the rest of the connectivity. The board is driven by UEFI BIOS. Find more pictures at the source.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today launched their latest overclocking powerhouse Z77X-UP7 motherboard, featuring the industry's most robust 32+3+2 power design with Ultra Durable 5 high current capable components including 60A rated IR3550 PowIRstages chips from IR.

"With the Z77X-UP7 and its 32+3+2 power phase design featuring Ultra Durable 5 technology, we have created the very best CPU power design of any motherboard available today," commented HiCookie, GIGABYTE In-house Overclocking Expert. "Not only does this help extreme overclockers to reach 7GHz+ on their Intel Core i7-3770K CPUs and take down benchmark records, but it also provides System Integrators with a platform cool and stable enough to withstand the rigors of an always-on, overclocked water cooled system for their customers."

MSI launched the Z77IA-E53 mini-ITX motherboard, which was first pictured in July. Based on a markedly different PCB as the recently-launched B75IA-E33, the Z77IA-E53 is based on the feature-rich Intel Z77 Express chipset, and packs a formidable CPU overclocking muscle thanks to its 7-phase CPU VRM. The board draws power from 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connectors, and packs overclocker-friendly features such as OC Genie II, one-touch OC, and ClickBIOS UEFI firmware utility.

The LGA1155 socket is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory; and a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. The only other expansion slot is an mPCI-Express 2.0, wired to the Z77 PCH. Storage connectivity includes two SATA 6 Gb/s, two SATA 3 Gb/s, and an eSATA 3 Gb/s. The Z77 PCH gives out four USB 3.0 ports, two of which are on the rear panel, and two available via headers. There are several other USB 2.0 ports, including a high-current header that charges mobile devices faster.

Texas Memory Systems, Inc. (TMS), provider of The World's Fastest Storage, today announced that TMS RamSan PCIe storage systems, including RamSan-70 products, are now bootable storage devices. This functionality is provided through a new firmware feature that allows most common servers to load operating systems directly from RamSan PCIe Flash storage systems, without requiring the presence of legacy hard drives or RAID controllers.

Launched in 2011, TMS RamSan-70 products have already been adopted by a broad variety of customers in healthcare, banking, e-commerce, and many other industries. Industry-leading bootability further minimizes complexity in such business-critical systems. Newly bootable RamSan-70 products are available with up to 900 GB of SLC Flash storage capacity and capable of 1.5 million I/Os per second (IOPS), 2.5 GB/s of bandwidth, and 30-60 microsecond latency. Bootability is available with the purchase of all new RamSan-70 PCIe storage systems, or as a firmware update with no hardware replacement necessary for existing RamSan-70 PCIe storage customers.

To provide the best user experience on the AMD platform, ASUS has refreshed a variety of motherboards, including mainstream channel models, dedicated products from ROG and the TUF Series, plus FM1 socket-compatible and power-efficient APU-based models. Each product offers a variety of new ASUS exclusive technologies such as digital power control, Remote GO!, and Network iControl, alongside innovative Fast Boot, ASUS Boot Setting, and DirectKey, all specifically leveraging upcoming Windows 8 capabilities. Both new and existing features have been tailored and tested to comply with the Windows 8 architecture for total stability and maximized utility, while all motherboards have gone through a full series of compatibility assurance tests in getting ready for the move to Windows 8.

A decade ago, updating system BIOS was a cumbersome and risky task that required you to have spare bootable disks and the know-how of flashing from MS-DOS command-line. One wrong command-line argument, and your motherboard is bricked. Then came utilities that flashed BIOS for you, if you specified the updated BIOS ROM image files located on a floppy. As these image files grew in file-size these utilities added support for bigger media, such as USB flash drives. ASRock's latest innovation could see you getting rid of storage media holding BIOS images.

ASRock has developed an update to its UEFI BIOS program that lets it update itself from the web. All you have to do is point it to a working internet connection that uses the motherboard's onboard Ethernet controller. Once configured, the utility calls home to ASRock, checks if a newer version of the BIOS is available, downloads it, and updates itself, with minimal user-intervention. The feature cuts down time spent in finding the right BIOS ROM image online, and copying it to a USB flash drive. Unlike Intel's Express BIOS Update program, it does not need the motherboard to have any storage devices connected. Upcoming ASRock motherboards could ship with the feature, and select current ones could get this feature via a BIOS update.

The UEFI Forum has ratified an update to the UEFI 2.3.1 Specification that adds important firmware considerations and addresses numerous engineering change requests. The updated Specification will be referred to as "UEFI 2.3.1C".

• UEFI 2.3.1C adds: An OS Indications Variable - OS/FW feature & capability communication - when implemented, allows end-users to make an OS menu request to enter BIOS setup after next reboot.
• UEFI 2.3.1C adds: A mechanism which, when implemented, facilitates Open Source Operating System installations and OS- agnostic end-user configurations of retaining the factory default keys while in Setup Mode (see Specification for full technical detail of Setup Mode).
• UEFI 2.3.1C removes: Runtime driver requirement on Network UNDI drivers - this allows UNDI drivers to be delivered in EFI Byte Code (EBC) Virtual Machine format supporting systems based on different processor architectures.

Phoenix Technologies Ltd., the global leader in UEFI firmware technology, products and tools, today announced it has signed an agreement with Intel Corporation to be its collaborative partner for BIOS. The two companies will jointly develop the new reference UEFI firmware for the Intel code base.

Phoenix will provide on-site engineers who will work collaboratively with Intel across various global locations to create the reference UEFI core code firmware that will greatly improve and standardize the code base support for all future Intel client platforms. These improvements will be included in areas such as tools, re-visioning schemes and other firmware structures that will support bringing customer products to market quickly and efficiently. This jointly created reference standard for UEFI BIOS on Intel platforms will optimize an OEM's ability to meet market demands such as long battery life, instant-on and always connected for ultra-thin client products, as well as reliability, scalability and performance.

Although ASRock was bold enough to give its upcoming entry-level FM2A75M-DGS socket FM2 motherboard the SATA 6 Gb/s equipped AMD A75 FCH, the company did not have any motherboards based on the new AMD A85 FCH chipset, on show. It's fair to assume that the company's mid-range ATX motherboard, the FM2A75 Pro4, will be topping up its socket FM2 lineup. Pictured below, the ASRock FM2A75 Pro4 utilizes everything the chipset provides, and adds a few third-party controllers.

The FM2 socket, which supports upcoming AMD "Trinity" APUs, is powered by a 6-phase VRM. There are four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting DDR3-2400+ MHz by overclocking. The socket is also wired to a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. The second x16 slot is electrical x4, and wired to the A75 FCH. ASRock somehow found it necessary to add three legacy PCI slots, and just two PCI-Express 2.0 x1.

With AMD's "Trinity" desktop APU platform just around the corner, ASRock is ready with motherboards that run it. At Computex, the company displayed a pair of micro-ATX socket FM2 motherboards, based on the AMD A75 FCH chipset. The two include the FM2A75 Pro4-M, and FM2A75M-DGS (pictured in that order).

The FM2A75 Pro4-M is the more premium offering between the two, designed for home desktops, while the FM2A75M-DGS is designed for entry-level PCs. The reason we feel FM2A75M-DGS will win in its segment, is because unlike competitors' offerings (such as MSI A55M-P33 (F2) and GIGABYTE F2A55M-DS2), the board is based on the A75 chipset, with SATA 6 Gb/s ports. It will be priced competitively.

ASRock showed off its new high-end socket LGA1155 motherboard for overclocking, the Z77 OC Formula. The new product sits several notches above its Extreme and Fatal1ty series. Its design focus is on CPU overclocking potential, with ASRock cramming in strong VRM circuitry, active-cooling for the CPU VRM area, and a load of overclocker-friendly features, at the expense of connectivity.

The CPU is powered by a 12+4 phase DigiPower VRM that uses high-current chokes, tantalum capacitors, and active cooling to the MOSFETs. The VRM active-cooler packs a coolant channel, as well as a 40 mm fan. The CPU is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting dual-channel DDR3-3000+ MHz memory, by overclocking. A staggering 8-phase VRM powers the memory, preventing even the slightest voltage droop.