Intel Z68 Chipset Launch Gigabyte Z68X-UD7-B3 and Asus P8Z68-V Pro Review

Intel Z68 Express Chipset Launch Review
featuring ASUS P8Z68-V Pro Motherboard
Gigabyte Z68X-UD7-B3 Motherboard and
Intel SSD Larson Creek 20GB

It is probably fair to say that Intel have had a tough time with their H67 and P67 chipsets since launch. The SATA issue which caused a recall of all products shortly after launch has only in the last month or been resolved fully with the arrival of B3 revision boards on retail shelves (and eShelves). That may have led some to believe that it would be some time before we saw any refresh or update to the socket 1155 platforms chipsets however that isn’t the case.

Today we have the launch of Intel’s new socket 1155 chipset, the Z68, which brings with it a plethora of new motherboards. On our test bench we have two separate approaches; the first is Gigabyte’s enthusiast Z68X-UD7-B3 and the second, the ASUS P8Z68-V Pro which is aimed at mainstream consumers. Let’s find out how they compete against the P67 and 890FX… especially when combined with Intel’s new Larson Creek SSD and Smart Response Technology.