Overclocking - The Hardware

Gigabyte included both a 4-pin and 8-pin EPS connector to make sure you have enough power available and that providing it doesn't create one huge, hot path down the board's surface. You can use one or the other, or both. I say BOTH :p. The usual Dual BIOS feature Gigabyte has had for quite some time is here too, with a tweaked version that sees a third BIOS chip for all the add-on stuff I'll get to in just a minute.


The CPU VRM is composed of eight main input phases that deliver power to the CPU's internal power regulation. They are all controlled by the International Recitifier 3563B controller.


DIMM power is provided by dual phases at the bottom of the DIMMs. The International Recitifier controller is close by; more towards the socket.


The main OC section of the board, found at the top-right of the board, is completely filled with buttons and switches, so you can tweak to your heart's content in real-time. Thirteen buttons and seven switches in total give you the ability to do anything you could think of--so much so that it would take me pages to explain it all. There's also a huge grouping of measuring points here. I would suggest downloading the manual for a full explanation, or buy the board and be ready to overclock. There's even another button, a Clear Battery button, at the bottom left of the board. This board was clearly never meant to be installed into a case.


With the huge amount of monitoring functionality and all these buttons and doodads, quite a bit of supporting chipper is required, including a couple of Super I/O chips that are here to manage voltage reporting and fan control.


Gigabyte included one other accessory I didn't talk about earlier: the OC Brace. The OC Brace is a metal bracket that can be attached to the board using the provided hardware by way of the normal ATX mounting points found on the board's bottom-left edge. This provides the proper support for installating a device into every slot without a motherboard tray or case.


I attached the bracket as the instructions asked, including the metal support across the back of the board. I was at first worried about shorting something out, but that was a rather foolish thought. It's more than secure enough to act even as a stand for the board; that is, if it should stand up-right rather than laying on its back.


I placed the board back on its box. The OC Brace overhung the edge just a bit, keeping the board in the right place. Instant test bench. Add your favorite insulation and LN2 pot and you're ready to go.