Z97 Motherboard Round Up: EVGA, MSI, Gigabyte

Next up we have the Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H. Like the other motherboards featured here, the Z97X-UD5H is an enthusiast class, Z97 based motherboard for socket 1150 Haswell-based 4th Gen Core processors (and future 5th Gen Core processors), though the Z97X-UD5H isn’t quite as loaded up with the numerous bells and whistles of the others.

Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H Specifications & Features

The Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H offers all digital voltage regulation and the board is part of Gigabyte’s “Ultra Durable” family of products. As such, it is reportedly outfitted with double the amount of copper within the layers of the PCB and a newer fiberglass fabric in the PCB which offers better humidity protection. Ultra Durable branded products reportedly offer enhanced electrostatic and thermal protection as well.

In terms of more tangible features, the Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H offers a total of 14 USB ports (eight USB 3.0 and six USB 2.0), eight SATA 6Gbps connectors, CrossFireX and SLI support, DualBIOS technology, and On/Off USB Charge support. The Z97X-UD5H also offers DVI, HDMI and VGA display outputs. We should mention that the board sports both Intel and Killer E2200-series LAN controllers.

Other noteworthy features of the Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H include on-board power and reset switches, newly designed heatsinks, a POST code error reporter, and a new, totally redesigned BIOS / UEFI. Gigabyte’s new UEFI is much smoother and quicker to navigate than its older “3D BIOS”, but still give’s users the ability to navigate through the menus via mouse. We should also mention that the Z97X-UD5H offers Gigabyte’s Dual-BIOS feature as well, which gives users the ability to quickly recover from a bad flash.

Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H Rear IO Cluster

The Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H doesn’t have a very extensive bundle. The board comes with a couple of user's manuals, an installation disc, a case badge, four SATA cables, and SLI bridge, and a custom IO shield.