Joined on 03/29/04
excellent value
Pros: Burn tested the mobo for more than 48 hours and works like a charm. I should note that the mobo ships with the new EasyTune 6 software, a vast improvement over the prior version 5. EasyTune is designed as a Windows interface to overclock/overvoltage the CPU, memory and graphics card (yes, everything). Most ocr's say you are best to overclock directly by tweaking the BIOS, and they have been right (in the past). But it looks like Gigabyte got it right with EasyTune version 6. All BIOS voltage and other settings can be controlled and finely tuned with this new version, giving you total manual control. Think of it as a graphical interface to the system BIOS. New to overclocking (like me)? EasyTune 6 provides pre-defined "templates" to jump to three different overclock/overvoltage conditions. You can also easily jump back to the default settings.
Cons: Not being paid for marketing this mobo.
Overall Review: People criticized prior versions of EasyTune and they were probably correct. Version 6 is a game changer. Check it out.
Sometimes works, sometimes not
Pros: A nice layout of card reader slots, activity lights and USB 3.0 port. But problem-plagued operations.
Cons: I really liked the design of this memory card reader, which enabled me to easily download files from cards and connect USB 3.0 portable hard drives to the front of my PC. Problem: this device intermittently flakes out. About 25 percent of the time it doesn't operate, as if the connection to the motherboard header was cut. Sometimes I'd have to reboot to get it to work. I put up with the random outages because I thought perhaps I had a bad mobo header or the USB 3.0 drivers were flakey. I just had two days where it would not work, no lights, nothing. Rebooting, powering down, etc. didn't help.
Overall Review: I am shopping for another USB 3.0 card reader from a different vendor. This unit only cost $25 and it's not worth going back to Newegg for a refund. One last shot before I toss this unit: I just got a new SSD drive, so I am reinstalling Windows 7. Will see if that changes anything. However, when I installed this device originally it was right after a fresh Windows install, so I don't have much hope. And to note, all of my USB 3.0 back panel mobo ports work fine, never flake out. So tending to think the header is fine too.
G.Skill Commitment: 100% error-free memory
Pros: This was my first purchase of G.Skill memory. For years, I have purchased the Corsair brand, which has been reliable and Corsair has always been very responsive if there was ever any product issue or complaint. I decided with my new build (Gigabyte motherboard, i7-3550K CPU) to try 16GB of G.Skill memory because of the lower latency (9 vs. 10) and the ratings on Newegg (most popular memory in the 16GB DDR3 class). I was disappointed after I completed the build and ran Memtest86+ ver 4.20: I was getting memory errors on every completed pass, and I was not able to isolate the problem to a single module (testing individually). In other words, inconsistent results. There is a G.Skill email address listed on the Newegg product page, so I sent a note asking if a few errors were OK. I also sent a note to Newegg reporting the issue. G.Skill responded within 24 hours. (Someone is listening, yeah!) The G.Skill response: even one error is not acceptable to our company. Right answer! Newegg immediately shipped replacement G.Skill memory and included a pre-paid UPS mailing label to return the defective memory, so there was no cost to me for the replacement. I could have just as easily asked Newegg to refund the G.Skill and send me comparable Corsair memory. But I wanted to give G.Skill a chance. I received the replacement G.Skill memory in 2 days and tested with Memtest86+ for more than 48 hours with NO errors.
Cons: I can't recall ever getting a bad memory stick; it pays to test. I didn't like having to go through the hassle of the return, but Newegg was stellar in this case. G.Skill has zero tolerance for imperfection. Whoa!
Overall Review: It's been stated by prior users, but more than likely your motherboard will not automatically set the memory frequency to 1600. It will probably be set at 1300. When your mobo boots, go into the BIOS settings and select the option for memory settings and change the Extreme Memory Profile (also called XMP) to a custom profile. In the case of the Gigabyte mobo, on doing that it automatically switched the memory frequency from 1300 to 1600. Save and you're done. Nice if all mobos could parse the memory and do this setting change automatically, but not.
Go for gold
Pros: Works but now wish I purchased the gold certified because I decided I like the idea of modular cables and higher energy efficiency.
Cons: Not modular, not gold.
Overall Review: This is now my backup PSU. I just purchased the gold, modular version with 7 year warranty, vs 5 years for bronze. An expensive lesson. Stick with gold if you can afford it. Wait for the sales.
Great product
Pros: This is a well made docking station that has a hefty feel; not the typical light cheap plastic. SATA drives fit in nicely. I like the fact that there is an on/off switch, a power on light and a drive I/O light. I have tried other solutions involving non docking stations (wires and connecting devices and power adapters). The docking station keeps things simple and clean.
Cons: It's not free.
Overall Review: I have only tried the USB interface, which works well. Plug in the drive, turn on the power and your computer will recognize the drive same as if it were an external USB drive in a housing. I have not tried eSATA, but assume the process for connection would be the same with a few exceptions: 1) will your motherboard accept a SATA connection without a fresh boot up? 2) does your motherboard allow hot-swapping of SATA drives. If the answer is no to both questions, then you will have to re-boot to get your system to recognize the drive, same as replacing a HD installed in your computer case. Duh! USB works fine, though the I/O speed would be slower. Still, you don't have to worry about re-booting to get the system to see the drive with USB. Unless you need high I/O, USB is just fine.
CPU Power Connect Update: 8 pin
Pros: Confirming a prior review: The CPU power connector on this mobo is 8-pin, NOT 4. That's actually a good thing, higher end mobos deliver more power to the CPU. But Newegg or Gigabyte should update the product specs and the product photos. They are aged.
Cons: None, just received the mobo.