Motherboard GIGABYTE GA-990XA-UD3: an overview, features and reviews

For many potential buyers, the search for gaming motherboards begins with the lower price segment of High-End devices, the cost of which exceeds 15,000 rubles. However, as experts note in their reviews, most of the requirements for the motherboard remain unrealized for most users. In the focus of this article, a representative of the budget class - the GIGABYTE GA-990XA-UD3 motherboard, to which few buyers pay attention at all. After all, 8-9 thousand rubles clearly hint at the user's low performance of the device. But, as practice shows, budget representatives can surprise their owners.

Motherboard Features

The main criterion when choosing for most customers is the support of all modern processors. Form factor AM3 + FX / AM3 Phenom II is the latest AMD platform, and, accordingly, supports any novelty in the processor market of the manufacturer. Hybrid system ATI CrossFireX and Nvidia SLI on the same platform is also one of the criteria for purchasing a motherboard. And the device GIGABYTE GA-990XA-UD3, this function is implemented on the hardware level.

Often the cost of motherboards overestimates the built-in RAID controller for a six-channel SATAIII interface. But here the developers GIGABYTE were on top. In addition, the motherboard is provided with other useful functions, which the reader will learn about when reading this article.

First introduction to the motherboard

The ATX device comes in a large cardboard box. Its displays are quite informative for the buyer: on one side of the package the motherboard itself is drawn, the characteristics and available technologies are painted on the back of the box. Confuses only the small font in the descriptions of the functional, but it's an amateur. After all, someone is enough to see a bright picture, and other users prefer a full explanation.

Complete set of the device is complete and, as owners in their reviews note, pleasant. In addition to the motherboard and the stub of the interface panel, the user will find in the box: complete installation instructions, drives with utilities and drivers, one SLI bridge and 4 SATA cables. Naturally, the presence of interface cables for all owners is a pleasant surprise from the manufacturer. It is worth noting that the two cables have a L-shaped connector for easy installation.

Appearance and build quality

Even motherboards, the price of which is twice the cost of the device in question, is not arranged in this way. In their responses, many owners note that the motherboard is collected on a feng shui:

1. Most power and heating elements are located between the interface connectors and the socket for the processor. They are built in straight rows and covered with radiators.
2. The internal connectors for connecting the control panel and USB connectors are also neatly placed in one row and have a different coloring from each other.
3. SATA-connectors are in one block, and for convenience of connection the interface is placed parallel to the motherboard (it will not interfere with the game video adapter).

The only negative, which draws attention to users, - the location of pads for connecting additional coolers. Their manufacturer also nicely arranged around the edges of the motherboard. Owners of cases with a lot of fans will have to use 12-volt extensions.

Technical characteristics of the device

Dual BIOS system with 32 MB Flash ROM, implemented on the technology ACPI, is the key to the performance of the motherboard for all overclocking enthusiasts. GIGABYTE GA-990XA-UD3 AM3 gaming features provide three PCI Express slots. The South Bridge AMD SB950 guarantees the work of building RAID 0, 1, 5, 10. For the sound answers the controller Realtek ALC889, and the gigabit network is implemented on the chip Realtek RTL8111E. All in an adult way, as on expensive motherboards.

For expansion of technical capabilities, there are two PCI slots, access to which is not blocked by the cooling system of the video card. Present on the motherboard GIGABYTE GA-990XA-UD3 and PCI Express 2.0 x1, which became popular again due to the appearance of superfast SSD drives for this interface. The weak link in the whole system is the north bridge. It supports 4 DDR3 memory modules working in dual, but is limited by 16 GB of RAM.

Processor Mounting Features

Reinforced removable plate on the back of the GIGABYTE GA-990XA-UD3 motherboard reviews is positive. But all users are greatly confused by the presence of one capacitor in the vicinity of the mounting screws of the processor heatsink. When installing a passive cooling system, it will obviously interfere. The only way to remove it is to solder the same, but on long legs (just bend it to the side).

Solve the issue with a capacitor can be by installing any existing cooler on the market. The same reinforced plate will ensure a tight fit of the radiator to the processor, and the user may not worry that installing a kilogram cooling system will damage the motherboard.

Overview of the Interface Panel

The budget motherboard GIGABYTE GA-990XA-UD3 is equipped with an optical output for connection of audio devices. This is an obvious breakthrough in the market of computer devices in the lower price segment. In addition, the manufacturer made two USB 3.0 connectors on the back of the board, which again surprised all users, because AMD has constant problems with this. Also on the board is:

• 6 USB 2.0 ports;
• 1 PS / 2 (either a mouse or a keyboard);
• 1 IEEE 1394 interface;
• One Gigabit RJ-45 port;
• Six ports for audio connection.

As users note in their reviews, they consider it superfluous to consider the unpopular IEEE 1394 connector and are inclined to think that the eSATA port would be more acceptable on the interface panel. And in general, as the review shows, the back panel is very well equipped with connectors.

Features of the basic input-output system

It's unclear why the GIGABYTE GA-990XA-UD3 has a touch support in the BIOS, but according to the owners, this technology works with the mouse, which simplifies the setup of the entire computer. The input-output menu is modest and does not have its own graphical shell, which confuses many users. But the configuration suits all the necessary components: processor, memory, power of tires and much more.

The BIOS menu is completely in English, but each item has a detailed description, so the advanced user should not have to configure the system of problems. There are remarks only to the complexity of the functional for unlocking processor cores. This is implemented in the form of an algorithm, which must be performed by selecting specific settings (the description is present in the manual). The owner will also like the "sandbox", in which you can test the overclocked system without rebooting the computer.

On the latest technologies

The motherboard, the characteristics of which are painted on a bright package, clearly needs a detailed review of all the technologies declared by the manufacturer. However, the owner is waiting for a surprise. Most high-profile applications, such as 108 db, Blu-ray, 3TB, 3X-USB Power, are the usual marketing move. In fact, this is the usual AMD AM3 + standard, which obliges all manufacturers to provide the motherboard with the support of the corresponding functions: noise limitation 108 db, work with Blu-ray stream, support for 3TB hard drives and provide decent power for the USB interface.

Under Ultra Durable 3 Classic technology, the use of textolite with copper conductors and the installation of solid-state Japanese capacitors are concealed. A Power 10 is a description of the amplified power supply system in the 8 + 2 phase scheme. The beautiful ON / OFF Charge marking is nothing more than a power saving system for idle time (realized by lowering the frequency of the processor, memory and video adapter both on laptops).

Disadvantages of the device

Striving to introduce new technologies, often manufacturers refuse from old, unnecessary (in their opinion) interfaces. And if motherboards, the price of which exceeds the ceiling of 20,000 rubles, are equipped with IDE, LPT and FDD connectors (albeit optionally), then budget copies are deprived of necessary ports. For many users, the lack of an IDE connector is critical, since most still have an optical DVD drive.

A bit easier with the LPT port, which is used to connect the printer. You can "make a friend" a computer with a printer using a special adapter for USB, but with the rest of the interfaces is really a problem.

Finally

Conducted on the motherboard GIGABYTE GA-990XA-UD3 review once again proves to potential buyers that the search for gaming solutions need to start in the budget segment. The seller's task is to provide the buyer with the most expensive system (financial benefit), and the buyer seeks to purchase a price-balanced device (saving money). The manufacturer is trying to please everyone, because in any case he earns on sales.