Z68A-GD80 vs Z68A-GD65 vs X79 boards

Hello!
I'm building a new computer. I intend to use i5-2500k, OC'd above 4.4GHz.
A google search yielded no results, so I'm asking here.
What are the differences between the Z68A-GD80 and GD65 boards?
How do they affect performance in terms of gameplay?
What are the differences between the Z68A-GD80 and an X79 board?
How do they affect performance?
Thanks a lot in advance!

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That would mean that I can plug in 4 RAM sticks and get the most out of it? Is it a lot better over dual channel?
In terms of memory bandwidth, yes, definately.
Please keep in mind that an i5-2500K won't work on an X79 board (different socket).
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It also supports DDR3 memory at 1600MHz (which is what I'm getting) without the OC tag. Is that any different from the z68 board, which has the OC tag?
Different CPU/Memory architecture.

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Using the Z68A-GD65 board with graphics card and Lucid Virtual Driver

Edit: I found the online manual for Lucid, so the main question is answered (where to plug in the monitor). However, I'd appreciate tips or suggestions on how to use this new technology.
I play a few games, burn/rip blu-rays, but mostly use Photoshop. The latest Photoshop and Win7 both use the processing power of a discrete graphics card. However, I'm going to install an i7 2600k which also has the graphics built into it. I understand the Lucid software allows video processing with the i7 and gaming with the discrete card. It sounds as though "i-mode" is the way to go, but are there any drawbacks?
Also, while I have your attention, here's my planned build, and I'd appreciate any recommendations/suggestions. Thanks for the help.
Win7 Pro
Z68A-GD65
Intel i7 2600k
16 gigs of Corsair Vengeance Low Profile (1600)
EVGA GTX 560Ti
Crucial SSD 128gig SATA III (for the boot drive)
Plus, all the leftover gear from the old build (BD drive, 3 hard drives, OZC 700w psu)

Thanks for your feedback .

Unboxing MSI's Mainstream Z68A-GD65 Motherboard

After the release of the Z68A-GD80 model, MSI has launched another Z68 for the mainstream segment named “Z68A-GD65”. Below is a short comparison of the GD65 against the GD80.
Z68A-GD80   /   Z68A-GD65
Firewire         1         N/A
e-SATA         1         N/A
Gigabit LAN        2         1
PCIEx16 Slots      3 (8/8/4)      2 (8/8)
Chipset Heatsinks    Better      Smaller
For the motherboard features, both are identical. Super Charger (charge USB mobile devices even if your PC is turned off), DrMOS (Driver in MOSFET which was been copied by G brand already), Military Class II Components, Active Phase Switching (hardware based energy saving), THX Studio Pro Audio, Click Bios and V-Check Points.
Packaging
• L Shaped SATA Cables
• SATA Power
•Manuals and Software DVD
•SLI Bridge Cable
•V-Check Points Connector and Header Guide
•USB 3.0 PCI Bracket and Backplate
Next, actual shots of the board.
Clean layout and sturdy looking components.
Color Red Header is for the SuperCharger feature of the board. You will also find the dual bios chips located on top of that.
Big room for large Pots if you are into extreme overclocking and you won’t have a hard time putting insulations around the socket area. You will also find the OC Genie button near the 24pin-power which I find it weird for placing it here and not with the Easy Buttons
Easy Power and Reset Buttons
Lastly, IO Rear Terminal Connections
That’s it. Thank guys

Gzhil, thanks for posting this.
If you have time, do you think you could please test the Virtu Switchable Graphics functionality and post power consumption readings? I'd find it very interesting to see how effective the technology is.

Z68a-GD65 questions (PWM, eSata etc.)

Hi,
New here and possibly new owner of a Z68 card finally
I have a few questions about the Z68a-GD65 card.
- I read at a few places that this card only has 1 pwm (4 pins, which is the CPU fan connector)), but when i look at the board, i can see a "4 pins" next to the ram connector, it's named "SystemFan1" ( http://infohw.com/wp-content/uploads/Reviews/Motherboards/MSI%20Z68A-GD65/Z68A-GD65_01.jpg Look the number of pins at the bottom right there for example). Is it a pwm connector or am I just blind??? (the Asus -V board has 3 pwm so i'm interested to know if the Z68a-GD65 got 1 or 2 pwm)
- Why did MSI take out the eSata connector? There were 2 in the P67a-GD65 board
Thanks in advance for the help!

Recommend to download the pdf manual from the Global MSI Website for the board you are interested in. After taking a look at the Back Panel Ports, I think it will be evident why the E-Sata is missing. Something had to go to make room for the HDMI/VGA/DVI ports.
If you need E-SATA, have a look at the Z68A-GD80(B3) or (G3) which doesn't have the VGA port, but does have a single E-SATA port.

Z68A-GD65 (G3) fails to boot with new Gigabyte Radeon HD 7950 OC

Hi,
I have a problem with my new Gigabyte AMD Radeon HD 7950 (GV-R795WF3-3GD):
My system fails to boot with this GPU, with the old Radeon HD 4850 everything works fine.
Here are my system specs:
MSI Z68A-GD65 (G3)
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K
RAM: 8Gb DDR3-RAM (Corsair)
power supply: be quiet! Pure Power L7 530W
What I have already tried to fix the problem:
-CMOS Reset
-other PCI-e slot
-other power supply (old 750W)
Nothing worked.
Do I need a Bios update? My current version is V23.7, but I'm not sure whether I can use the latest versions because my CPU is a SandyBridge...

We can't help you woth your vga as it is no MSI product. You can try latest bios for your board (http://www.msi.com/product/mb/Z68A-GD65--G3-.html#/?div=BIOS) because the latest bios versions for G3 boards are working well with Sandy and Ivy. If latest bios should not help and you like to downgrade the bios we can give you the needed files if you ask here.

Z68A-GD65 (G3) Component Advice

I am in the process of putting together my first PC and look like getting a Z68A-GD65 (G3) board.
The CPU will be a i5 2500K, but I would like some advice regarding ram and the CPU cooler. I intend just using the O/C button on the board method of over clocking as I am new to over clocking. I will be adding 8 gig system ram. What ram have people been using that causes no problems.
With regard to the CPU cooler I have read a few reviews where the bottom support bracket on the back of the board fouls with one on the board heat sink mounting screws. From the pictures one screw is close the the mounting hols.
The cooler I am thinking of is the Noctua NH-C12P, but it has quiet a big back plate. The other one I am looking at is the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO. I tend to like coolers that have back plates and screws to mount them rather than push pins as they are easier to reuse and mount firmly.
Are these coolers good enough for my overclocking needs. I hope the auto overclock will give me just over 4 gig which will be fine for me.
For the case I will use a HAF X or a Corsair model, should have enough airflow.
So what ram have people used with this board that overclocks well and does not cause reboots during the overclocking process, and of course the CPU cooler.
This is my first full build, and first go at overclocking so I am looking at compatibility and reliability over performance, and I do not need a big overclock for my needs. This is a build mainly for FSX flight simulator.
Also from reading some posts here I will need to flash the BIOS as well. The process described here to flash the BIOS seems complicated to what I have done in the past which has been on gigabyte boards only. I used to just download a small exe and run it from within windows. Is that possible with this board as I do not understand the process from what I have read here in the forums?
I presume my choice of mother board from the MSI range is right from my needs, if not please recommend what I should be using.
Any advice will be appreciated.
Regards MarkL

Quote from: HU16E on 10-March-12, 20:18:08
Zalman 9900 series. Copper version up to the Max-B. Superior cooling ability. No blocked dimm slots & no mount hole problems. As for RAM, Corsair GT's, Vengeance, or Dominators are my brand of choice. DDR3 1333 is the platforms CPU IMC native supported RAM speed, & testing has proved RAM speed above 1600 is mostly a waste of time & money for a gaming rig, with only a slight performance gain when rendering. The most trouble free RAM will be kits that properly default to the 1333 speed. X.M.P. can be used, or manual settings above 1333 can be tried.
That choice of mainboard should serve your requirement quite nicely.
I have a question about the memory. I have been looking at the Corsair Vengeance range that I can buy online in Australia and they all seem to be 1600 not 1333.
PC Case Gear seems to have the best range, but they are inconsistent in the way they give the specs, at least to my understanding which is next to nothing.
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=186_218_1125
The closest I can see is the "Corsair Vengeance CML16GX3M4A1600C9 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3" kit.
This kit has a SPD speed of 1333, speed rating of PC3 12800 (1600 MHz) and a tested speed of 1600. Voltage is 1.5v
Is the SPD rating the most important? If the SPD is 1333 is this the memories real speed?
Most of the memory they do not give the XPD speed but mention it has a XMP profile for overclocking.
Very confusing. I must admit that in the past I have just purchased the value range when upgrading and have had no idea what I have really purchased.
The Dominators are out of my price range but all seem to be much higher specked than the vengeance series.
Is the "Corsair Vengeance CML16GX3M4A1600C9 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3" kit OK for my needs?
One thing building your own PC, you start to learn a little more and realise the value of forums like these and how little you really know.
Regards MarkL

Z68A-GD65 G3 No video on GPU, IGD works fine

Hello everyone. I'm making a post on a recent board, mainly the MSI Z68A-GD65 G3, that I've received from a previous RMA due to bad pins. This one boots up normally just fine when plugged into VGA, DVI, and HDMI directly and able to use Windows with no problem. So I use my EVGA GTX 750 that I saved up for the new MB However, once I try to install my gpu and power it up it doesn't show any sign of post nor boot screen avail. I've updated the bios to the beta from .80 to .93, cleared cmos, and tried installing Intel ME8 afterwards from reading other posts with the same issues. Yet, after some of the suggestions that I've tried out it still shows a blank screen with no post code nor progress whatsoever. I switched the GPU around to the second PCIe slot and tried out my older GTS 250 ones as well, no dice. Is there anything that I'm doing wrong or any alternative that I can try to make it show?
Board: MSI Z68A-GD65 G3
Bios: Version: 25.93B
VGA: EVGA GTX 750
PSU: Corsair TX850W
CPU: Intel i5 2500 3.30 GHz
Mem: 8GB 2x4 Kingston PC3-8500 DIMM 1066 MHz DDR3
HDD: Western Digital 1TB
CPU Fan: Intel i5-2500 Processor Fan
OS: Windows 7 x64 Ultimate
Any help is greatly appreciated.

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GTS 250 also shows a blank screen with no post code?
Did you attach the PCI-E power cable, and update the vbios?
PCI-E cables are connected to it since the GTS 250 requires them, but the 750 doesn't. So they do run fine when I tested them out once more on my old EVGA motherboard. Not sure how to update the vbios, but that sounds like a good idea to give it a shot.
Quote
Id this the first time you try VGA card in it since it was RMAd?
If it is I suggest you take it back with them.
Well the GTX 750 was recently bought brand new and I tested it out on my previous motherboard along with a friends system as well. It showed up properly with no problem. The z68a motherboard was the one I had to RMA because of broken pins on the CPU slot that gave me an infinite boot loop. Even when plugged into the system and using the onboard graphics, it seems that the board doesn't even detect it in the device manager. I do see 'Unknown Device' in it, but it doesn't exactly tell if its for the VGA card or something else.

Z68a-gd65 boot loop after bios update using USB

Hi there,
My z68a-gd65 (G3) went into a boot loop after I did a bios update from a USB key that I installed using the latest BIOS version on the MSI site 7681vP8.zip
After the system restarted, it keeps booting up for 5 seconds and then shutting down, I removed all external devices and the Geforce GTX 550 Ti card and used the onboard card, but still no change...
Is there a way to set the board to factory defaults again???
Marcel

Hi there,
Maybe for others to solve the same problem, I found out what was the cause of this problem, I had a USB/Firewire card installed in the PC, after removing it the BIOS update could proceed from the USB stick as planned.
After the update though, my USB/firewire card can still not be installed back into the slot, because doing so will make the boot loop appear again, very odd!
Does anyone know why this new BIOS will not work with the card that has been inside my PC for 2 years???
Marcel

Z68A-GD65(B3) Memory Problems

In an effort to install more memory, I'm having the following problems with my Ram:
1. The computer will only boot with a memory stick installed in the DIMM4 socket. No other socket will work.
2. Both bios and Windows only recognize the memory installed in DIMM4. Memory sticks installed in the other sockets are not recognized.
3. If a memory stick is installed in DIMM3 (in addition to DIMM4), the computer will not boot.
I have tried the following: (the bios was cleared before all of these)
1. Reverting to all default settings for bios.
2. Customized voltage (1.65V), timing, clock speed, etc. to match my DRAM.
3, Removing the CPU to check for bent pins. None were found.
4. Re-flashing bios with the latest available release.
I would appreciate any suggestions for additional things I can try before RMAing my MOBO.
Thanks,
Bill ([email protected])
Z68A-GD65(B3), BIOS V22.6, i5-2500K, Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit
Patriot Viper Extreme 1600MHz, now 4Gb, but would like to take it to 16Gb
Zotoc nVidia GeForce GTS450
Cooler Master 650W ATX12V
WD Caviar Black WD1502FAEX 1.5TB SATA 6.0
Sony DVD/CD R-W w/LightScribe combo drive

Quote from: Bernhard on 02-March-12, 11:08:36
Which BIOS do you have on that board ?
If some RAM slots are not being recognised, then there is a possibility that you may have bent some CPU socket pins. You will have to remove your CPU and do a proper inspection of the socket grid array and whether your CPU contact pads have even pin imprints on the contact pads. Use a magnifier and a strong light for the inspection.
Thanks Bernhard. I have v22.6 BIOS. I removed the cpu and inspected the socket pins and cpu contact pads as you suggested. As near as I can tell, they are all fine. I probably should have mentioned that I had previously replaced the main board and reused this same cpu on the new one. So, it makes it difficult to tell if the pads on the cpu are showing the imprints from the old board or the new one. Also, I was having a similar problem on the other board. When I installed additional memory on it and tried to boot up, there was an odor of something burning and the board would never boot again, regardless of where memory sticks were installed. So, I RMAed both the main board and all of the memory sticks. I am starting to suspect that the cpu itself has a problem.
Bill
Bill

Z68A-GD65 (G3) - Motherboard's not booting with a PCI Soundblaster Audigy 2.

Hi everybody, as thread title says I've got some trouble with my motherboard, Z68A-GD65 (G3) and a Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS that a friend of mine gave to me. I gave a try in both PCI slots avaiable on the motherboard but as i place the SB in PCI slot 1 or PCI slot 2 the system do not boot up. As soon as i take it off, the system works great as usual.
Of course i disabled the onboard audio to avoid resource sharing between the two. This is the only hint i had reading around on MSI trobleshootin.
The only other parameter i can change regarding PCI is latency in the BIOS. I found to be 32 cycle by default and i did not modified it.
The Audigy works flawlessly on another Intel P45 Board from a different brand and with the same video card in the PCI-E Slot. Of course Cpu end Ram ar different. When i did the try i disconnected everything unnecessary for the boot process.
Any hint would be very appreciated.
Thanks, Daniele.

As i read on manual, the PCI setting into the bios is not something can cause instability:
PCI Subsystem Settings
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu.
PCI Latency Timer
This item controls how long each PCI device can hold the bus before another
takes over. When set to higher values, every PCI device can conduct transactions
for a longer time and thus improve the effective PCI bandwidth. For better PCI
performance, you should set the item to higher values.

Does the mobo support Z68A-GD65 (B3) was removed?

Does the mobo support Z68A-GD65 (B3) was removed?. Currently not find BIOS updates and Virtu does not work with the Core i5 3570K.

Well, that is highly irregular! One day it's not found on the Websites, and now it is. That was not on the Global site yesterday, because I looked. And a (G3) UEFI/BIOS at that.
You are mostly on your own on this one. The 'key' or 'certification' has obviously been removed from hardware/firmware or whatever it is on the board that handles that aspect. How you get it back depends on what you decide to do. If it is that important to you, the mainboard may have to be restored to it's former glory of Sandy only UEFI/BIOS's. Use the link in one of my previous replies and contact MSI Technical about all this. They are the only ones that can help you possibly get the Virtu problem resolved. What have you really gained using an Ivy CPU on a Z68 (B3)? Good luck!

Z68A-GD65(G3) Planning to RAID 0 & 1

I am planning a new desktop system custom build in the new few weeks. Working from home the system needs to be both suitable for development and for gaming.
The plan I currently have is to use a Z68A-GD65(G3) motherboard. The detailed specs list 4 x SATA III connections.
So Im looking to:
2 x SSD SATA III drives in RAID 0 for boot and software installs (games and apps).
2 x HDD SATA III drives in Raid 1 for protection and some speed boost.
Would that work?
Opinions?
Im debating whether to add a SATA III Raid controller card. If I do that I dont necessarily need a 4 x SATA III motherboard.

the GD65 (G3) has 4 sata III ports but only 2 on the Intel side the other 2 are on the marvel sata III controller.
I would recommend just putting them all on the intel side the SSDs on port 1 and 2 (sataIII intel) and the other drives on sata II intel side, if you are running raid 1 performance of raid 1 on 2 spinny drives should not excede the sata II speed. my raid 0 on 2 WD 1tb drives on the sata II intel ports reads and writes are around 276meg/sec.
The marvel controller was around 250meg/sec I am no expert but I think it does not get the priority the intel ports do or has more overhead or something smart like that.
Also I am not impressed with the performance or the software on the marvel controller.
thats my experience with this board just got it tho, logged in here to post for some help with that marvel controller for hotswap Esata drive.
Good Luck other then that love this board so far.

Z68A-GD65 (G3) not detecting discrete video

Yesterday I picked up the following:
mobo: msi Z68A-GD65(G3)
cpu: i7 2600k
ram: gskill ripjaws x 2133 mhz
I put my video card that was working just fine in my old system (ati hd 6870) and I cannot get a picture out of it on this new setup. I tried out of the box to just hook up the dvi to the card and didn't get a signal, I went into the bios and tried disabled virtu with the initiate video on peg and that failed, I've tried virtu -d mode as well. The fan is spinning on my gpu. I installed windows on integrated, windows doesn't recognize the card. I tried to install virtu software, which says I don't have a discrete video card. It's essentially viewed as just not there.
Any help would be very appreciated.

Quote from: SonDa5 on 07-November-11, 23:28:23
Does the BIOS have any options for Discrete video out vs. CPU video out? Try the DVI/VGA outputs from the MB?
I just got this MB and haven't had time to set it up. I hope I don't have this problem.
It has the option to, but its not detecting that it's in the slot at all. The onboard/onprocessor video works fine.
Quote
This is not just an MSI problem; if you do a search on the web for Z68 and no video out; you will find other motherboards from other companies are having the same issue. For some people they work just fine and for others they don't. From what I've read; some have fixed this problem by pulling the battery and doing a bios reset and others this has not worked. There is some speculation by some; that for some reason the bios is not seeing that there is a graphics card installed in the PCI-e slots and because of this is not turning off the onboard video. While other people think that it is a problem with the PCI-e slots themselves.
The general idea is that the board gives you an option for which video output to 'primary' - it uses the primary if it's found, and falls back to secondary if not. Everything powers up and fans spin, etc. It's quite annoying. -_-' lol. I'll need to try pulling the mobo battery. Still looking for a fix. Planning to call MSI tomorrow.

Z68A-GD65 G3 with i7 2600K, Crossfire (resolved: Poor seating)

Hi everyone!
New to this forum, and unfortunatly my first post here has to do with a problem.
First, my specs:
Mobo: MSI Z68A-GD65 G3
CPU: Intel i7 2600K 3.4GHz
RAM: Corsair Vengance DDR3 4x4GB 1600MHz XMP
SSD: Corsair Force 3 series 120GB (SATA 3.0)
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB (SATA 3.0)
GPU: 2 x XFX Radeon 7950 "Double D" 3GB GDDR5 800MHz
PSU: Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 800W (80 Plus Gold)
Now my problem: I can`t get my videocards to run in AMD CrossfireX, there is no box to check off in CCC, and the card not beeing used on screen is disabled.
My first mobo had a faulty PCIe slot (PCIe_02 i believe, the top one of the blue 3.0 slots), because nothing worked in that slot. But now that I have a board with functioning slots (cards work fine alone in that slot, so just assuming it's ok), I can`t seem to get them to work in Crossfire.
RESOLVED! After seating the cards about 15 times, they finally both run at PCIe 2.0x8 and work in Crossfire.
- EDITED - (Because it's late here (3am), and I resolved it...)

Thanks for your feedback .

Z68A-GD65 (G3) build in progress, have a driver question

First, everything works so far. Have installed most drivers, all windows updates.
Have some misc driver questions not covered in MSI docs or driver WWW page.
Question: MSI's list of updated drivers for this MB includes the following.
Note that the title doesn't list Z68 (typo, or ?), so should I install this driver?
Title: Intel Management Engine Driver for P67/H67
Description: System & Chipset Drivers
Ver: 7.0.10.1203
Date: 2011-03-11
http://us.msi.com/product/mb/Z68A-GD65--G3-.html#/?div=Driver&os=All
Also, I did not install the following driver:
Intel Rapid Storage Technology Floppy Driver (F6)
Reason: no floppy in system (whats a floppy? )
Should I install this for some other reason?
Thanks for a great forum.

Strictly speaking all the needed drivers should be on your DVD. You can always update them with the drivers on the MSI site if they are later ones and you have issues, otherwise the drivers that shipped with the board should be fine.
Here is a bit of history on floppy drives http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floppy_disk
Yes, some people still use them.
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Floppy disks are used for emergency boots in aging systems lacking support for other bootable media, and for BIOS updates since most BIOS and firmware programs can still be executed from bootable floppy disks. If BIOS updates fail or become corrupt, floppy drives can be used to perform a recovery

Z68A-GD80 vs Z68A-GD65 vs X79 boards

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