14 DAY TRIAL // With just a week to go until the official launch of Intel's Z68 Express chipset, the first details about Gigabyte's upcoming Z68X-UD5 and Z68X-UD4 motherboards have made their way to the Web together with some initial prices.
Starting with the Z68X-UD5, this is pretty much the same motherboard as the P67A-UD5 since the only thing Gigabyte has changed, outside of the PCH of course, is the color of the USB 2.0 ports that have now painted red.
This means that the board still features three PCI Express x16 slots, two SATA 6Gbps connectors as well as four rear mounted USB 3.0 ports, and that sadly, it doesn't pack any sort of video outputs.
As a result, the Z68X-UD5 is incompatible with Intel's Quick Sync video transcoding technology, one of the main reasons to go for a Z68 board, and the only thing that users get over the P67A-UD5 is support for the Smart Response SSD caching technology.
The Z68X-UD4 on the other hand has gone through an extensive redesign and the board resembles more the yet unreleased P67X-UD4 than the P67A-UD4.
Some of its features include a revamped VRM cooling assembly, a pair of PCI Express x16 slots, that drop to an x8 mode when both are populated, two x1 PCI Express slots and two legacy PCI slots.
In addition, the Z68X-UD4 also packs four SATA 6Gbps ports, a pair of Etron USB 3.0 host controllers that drive two rear mounted slots and two internal USB 3.0 ports (that are available through an on-board header), 7.1-channel audio and an eSATA port.
Just like the UD5, the Z68X-UD4 doesn't feature any video outputs, so this is also incompatible with Intel's Quick Sync technology.
The two motherboards have already been listed by an Australian retailer that sells the Z68X-UD5 for $319 AUD ($359 US), while the Z68X-UD4 is priced at $239 AUD.
For comparison, the Gigabyte P67A-UD5 is available, on the same website, for $305 AUD ($331 USD). (via VR-Zone)
