14 DAY TRIAL // It doesn't really matter how overclockable a central processing unit is if the motherboard doesn't have the necessary features to take advantage of the multiplier. That is why Gigabyte has made the GZ-Z87X-OC.
The product hasn't been formally introduced, not exactly. Instead, some photos of it have been published by Lab501.ro web-site.
The new mainboard is one of the very few made specifically for overclocking purposes. Gigabyte actually launched only one of this before.
That makes the un-priced GA-Z87Z-OC the second such attempt, and it is easy enough to see why the company expects records to be set with it.
The platform does, after all, have high-end components, advanced power circuits and the E-ATX form factor.
Just as important is the special design for liquid nitrogen cooling. Professional overclockers normally have to work around the various slots and capacitors, but Gigabyte made their life easier now.
Furthermore, the GA-Z87Z-OC has onboard buttons and switches for controlling the CPU multiplier, and the BCLK of microprocessors.
Then there are the IR3550 PowIRstage ICs from International Rectifier (integrated circuits), and even 2x copper printed-circuit boards and high current ferrite core chokes (decrease temperature by 60 degrees compared to normal platforms).
Taking all these things into account, it should definitely be possible to set new records with LGA 1150 CPUs like Ivy bridge and, more importantly, Haswell.
As for everything else, Gigabyte's GA-Z87X-OC has a USB connector and PCI Express auxiliary connectors near the SATA ports, four PCI Express x16 slots, one PCI Express x1, two legacy PCI slots and four DDR3 memory slots, plus six SATA connectors for storage.
Shipments will begin around the middle of the year (2013), when Intel releases the Haswell line of central processors, USB 3.0 Problems or no. We'll be keeping an ear to the ground for it.
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