After the long wait, Ivy Bridge is here! Everything until now has been speculation and rumors. Even while we were at CES, all of the Intel Express Z77 boards were NDA and off limits to publish. We could look and touch, but there were no active benchmarks running, and no pictures or video could be taken. We even had a meeting with Intel representatives, but all information was off the record. It's been a few months since then and the anticipation has been growing. We were hinted at much improved integrated graphics and double the Quicksync speed, both of which I use regularly.
ASUS is always quite reliable with a new motherboard launch. They have never missed a beat and have always had a good variety, whether it be their top end Republic of Gamers, middle end Deluxe and Pro, or ultra reliable TUF motherboards. Rest assured, the Intel Express Z77 lineup is no different. The selection and reliability is there with no features left out. A sneak peek has been seen from some of the manufacturer's Z77 lineup, however, this was only with the older Sandy Bridge processors. Now, we can finally release numbers showing what they were really created for, Ivy Bridge.
The ASUS P8Z77-V Pro Motherboard is positioned to blend price and features for the mainstream user. The P8Z77-V Pro includes many updates to appeal to the new builder, or system upgrader. The P8Z77-V Pro uses the newest Intel Express Z77 chipset. There is an LGA1155 CPU socket and support for up to 32GB DDR3 up to 2400MHz(O.C.). ASUS uses their newest DIP3 technology, which combines a new DIGI+ power control with Smart DIGI+. This totals 12 phases for the CPU, 4 phases for the IGPU, and 2 phases for the system DRAM, all of which is now fully digital. Inputs are plentiful. There are 8 USB 3.0 ports, with the help of an Asmedia ASM1042 controller, and 10 USB 2.0 ports. Internally, there are 4 SATA 6Gb/s and 4 SATA 3Gb/s ports. Two of the SATA 6Gb/s ports are native to the Intel chipset, while the other two are through an Asmedia SATA controller. Audio still uses the Realtek ALC892 codec, however, it features DTS UltraPC II enhancement and DTS Connect encoder. If using the IGPU, one new addition to the P8Z77-V Pro is a Display Port. ASUS has put a lot of work and effort into their new Wi-Fi GO! technology, and has integrated it with the P8Z77-V Pro's 802.11n WiFi attachment. The last big change has been the use of the newest LucidLogix Virtu Universal MVP, which is supposed to combine the IGPU and discrete card for even more speed.
