Traditionally, motherboards with integrated video are bottom of the heap, middling at best. That’s why the majority of micro-ATX boards are typically viewed as lower end platforms that lacking performance features. While often true, we have seen some performance boards in the last couple years built on mATX and even mini-ITX platforms. But what if a full sized ATX motherboard supported both integrated graphics and discrete GPUs at the same time? What if that same board could overclock like a champ? Would this board interest you?
We’ve now handled a couple of top Z68 motherboard choices from ASUS and GIGABYTE. Both sporting Intel Smart Response which utilizes an SSD to augment hard drive performance. There is also LucidLogix Virtu which gives us access to Sandy Bridge’s integrated graphics and is part of what makes Z68 a Z68. Coupled with these two features, we’re seeing motherboards with integrated graphics in a whole new light and they are anything but weak.
New Z68 Features: LucidLogix Virtu and Intel Smart Response Technology
The INTEL Z68 Express Chipset is basically another Cougar Point B3 revision that combines the best P67 and H67 features in one. We can now access Sandy Bridge’s Integrated Graphics Processor (IGP) while using a higher performance discrete GPU, through LucidLogix Virtu. This technology dynamically switches between the IGP and a video card allowing users to put the IGP to work in 2D apps while you play your favorite game title using the same or different monitors. Thanks to clever Virtu optimizations, it doesn’t require much of your system resources at all.
The feature you may not have heard about is Intel Smart Response Technology (ISR). The Z68 chipset offers an additional feature where users can add any SSD up to 64GB to speed up their system. The system will then cache commonly used programs to the SSD. This results in increased system performance and response times automatically while you use your computer. The important thing here is that it should be fairly simple to set up and use.
Another new feature is Intel Identity Protection Technology. Instead of relying on software security only, the appropriate Z68 motherboard will feature a two tier hardware based level of security. If someone wants the sensitive information in your system, they’ll need more than a login and password. Without the code, it’s like banging your head against the hard drive to get to the data.
In the spirit of Z68 exploration, we have a couple motherboards to show you: One from ASUS and one from GIGABYTE. One board features both ISR and Virtu and seems to be a great do it all board. The other board caters to high end users or traditionalists that scoff at IGPs on their boards, but still offers ISR.
ASUS P8Z68-V Pro Motherboard: Quick Preview
The ASUS P8Z68-V Pro motherboard here is one of three performance models from ASUS. All of them support video out via LucidLogix Virtu. This gives users the choice of using the Sandy Bridge processor’s onboard video card. A couple benefits to this is power savings and the ability to split the picture to two monitors and the ASUS has it. Also onboard is INTEL Smart Response which we’ll get into shortly.
The ASUS looks to be a fully capable Cougar Point revision B3 motherboard underneath with some improved tuning. That means it has the above Z68 features plus everything from the latest ASUS tech includingMemOK!, TPU, EPU, to their award winning DIGI+VRM components. With DIVI+VRM comes very respectable overclocking especially when tuning for offset voltages. In fact, this board is very reminiscent of the P8P67 EVO used in one of our previous P67 round ups.
Again, the three currently available ASUS P8Z68 boards all support ISR and Virtu. One step down we find the V model, followed bv the V Pro here and then the Pro at the top. Each one gives a little extra overclocking and performance headroom as you go up. The P8Z68-V Pro currently retails for $209 US/CA at the usual retailers.
GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD5-B3 Motherboard: Quick Preview
Here, we have the Z68X-UD5-B3 which is one of 7 boards that offers Intel Smart Response but does not LucidLogix Virtu. Therefore, it doesn’t have any video out ports and is aimed at gamers who may not be worried about using Sandy Bridge’s integrated graphics for anything. On the one hand, there’s more USB and eSATA without options traded for the loss of Virtu. On the other hand, you’re missing out on a feature that is a signature of the Z68 platform. If you want Virtu, you’ll have to opt for one of their four cheaper models in the Z68X-UD3 series.
Like previous UD5 boards, this is a fully loaded ATX platform boasting all the latest expansion features like USB 3.0 and eSATA 6Gbps. It sports many of the same features as the P67A-UD7 we reviewed a couple months back, but without the 3-way NVIDIA SLI. This board also packs driver-MOSFET 20-Phase circuitry in tothe platform. Obviously, that means there is some head room for high end overclocking performance.
The new Z68 series also features GIGABYTE’s new Windows based Click BIOS rather than a UEFI BIOS. The word from their engineers is this is a more stable solution. Future testing for our X68 round up will confirm or deny this rumour. But we remain skeptical that a software BIOS control can be more stable than direct BIOS control at start up.
Compared to the Z68X-UD5-B3 is a higher priced platofrm at $269 USD/CA. However, you can get the more modest Z68X-UD3H-B3 for $179 US/CA without the high phase overclocking and 6Gbps eSATA. The rest of the UD3 models continue to drop in price as you go down the line. With eleven boards in the line up, GIGABYTE definitely has the widest stable of boards of the Z68 bunch.
Test System Configurations
In order to test the two new features of the INTEL Z68 platform, and to show off the new Virtu powered integrated graphics, we’ll be running very similar components to the ones in our P67 round up. The only additon will be Intel’s new 20GB 311 SSD which will allow us to properly test Intel Smart Response.
The Larson Creek SSD has been launched specifically to support of Intel Smart Response. It offers sequential read 200MB/s – write 105MB/s transfer rates and 4KB random data read 37K – write 3.3K transfer rates. This is not really meant to be a boot drive as much as a “cache” drive for the Z68 system.
Here’s the rest of the system setup:
- Processor: Intel Next Generation Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge
- Motherboard 1: ASUS P8Z68-V Pro
- Motherboard 2: GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-UD4-B3
- Motherboard 3: Intel DP67BG Barrage
- Memory: Kingston HyperX Genesis 4GB 2133MHz DDR3 Dual Channel
- Graphics: 2 x ZOTAC Geforce GTX 560 Ti (Single and SLI)
- Power Supply: Antec CP-850 CP Series
- Storage OS: Seagate 500GB SATAII 7200.11
- Smart Response Storage – Intel SSD 311 Series 20GB
We’re running the Z68 motherboards with the BIOS that they shipped with. We’re also using the latest NVIDIA 270 series drivers. The driver configurations were left to default as installed. Let’s cover a couple quick notes about getting Intel Smart Response set up.
Setting Up Intel Smart Response
Assuming you already have an SSD or plan to get one to add later, users need to first set their BIOS storage option to RAID in preparation of installing the OS. Setting up RAID in advance of getting your SSD will not degrade desktop performance. Save and restart the system. You do not need to configure your RAID configuration. Go straight to installing the RAID driver as needed in the OS.
Once Windows is patched and ready to go, install the Intel Rapid Storage Technology software. The system may need to be restarted a couple times. Finally, start up IRST. There should now be an Accelerate button in the header. Select the SSD you added in the right column and press Accelerate. IRST will set the SSD up automatically including formatting.
Take a couple minutes to familiarize yourself with the options. Everything is in a default set up. The Enhanced and Maximized modes determine the performance. Enhanced provides acceleration optimized for data protection. Maximized tunes acceleration for pure transfer rate performance. I personally like the Enhanced setting which offers a bit more protection for my data.
Special Note: Now, if you happen to set up your system without setting up RAID in the BIOS first, or you forgot to and are now reading this, there is a handy automated fix that may be able to help save you a lot of time. With the help of our elite Intel colleagues (Sir Justin and Sir Alan) in Oregon, we found this work around very useful after a couple quick tests.
Enabling LucidLogix Virtu
For this demonstration, we used the ASUS P8Z68-V Pro as the GIGABYTE does not have Virtu onboard. To experience the benefits of Virtu, enter the BIOS, locate, and enable the LucidLogix Virtu option. Simply save the settings and boot back in to the OS. Windows should now prompt you to install the “video controller” driver needed to initialize the IGP. If not, manually install the video driver through the hardware management.
Once it’s installed, it’ll look exactly like this. Clicking the “ON” button activates Virtu. Now, you have the benefits of Intel Quick Sync for some super quick transcoding on supported apps while playing a few rounds of your favorite game title on the other monitor. We observed a resource load increase of about 10 to 35% while transcoding a 1GB video to 720p and running Battlefield Bad Company 2. Your resource load will vary depending on what you’re actually doing and playing. Of course, if one isn’t doing anything with INTEL Quick Sync, then there is no additonal system load as the IGP is effectively turned off.
Benchmark Suite Notes
To demonstrate the tangible benefits of the new Z68 chipset using Intel’s 311 series SSD, we’ll be using Sysmark 2007 under stock settings. Sysmark performance can be effected by the performance level of the SSD and its ability to cache data. We’ll revisit this again later in a small SSD performance comparison. Preliminary testing thus far points to the best value being found in SSDS sized from 20 to 64GBs. That means that you shouldn’t run out and waste your money buying a 128GB SSD as the maximum cache size supported is only 64GB anyway.
Even though Z68 overclocking isn’t included in Sysmark scores, we have been looking into it and have a small spoiler in advance of our round up. Preliminary overclocking on the ASUS P8Z68-V Pro at 1.45 volts pushed the CPU to 4.6GHz. The GIGABYTE Z68X-UD5-B3 on the other hand pushed the CPU to just about 4.5GHz with the same voltage. While the GIGABYTE is positioned as the premium offering, our preliminary look is saying otherwise. But we will be back with a final verdict a little later.
We’re sure you would like to see how some of the other Z68 motherboard options out there stack up and we’re happy to bring them to you very soon in our upcoming round up. For now, let’s get to Sysmark and see what Intel Smart Response does for us.
Sysmark 2007
This program benchmarks a computer’s overall performance. E-Learning, Video Creation, Office Productivity, and 3D Modeling are all areas that are looked at and a score is given at the end of each test. The higher the score, the better of course.
E-Learning uses Adobe Flash to execute rich image, video, and audio in a web page presentation of learning materials. Video Creation creates a video rendering using special effects and images from multiple sources that are HD in content. Office Productivity uses common Microsoft Office applications used in communication, data processing, project management, and file manipulation. And, 3D Modeling, creates a flyby animation and photo-realistic building image using a large architectural presentation.
Your eyes do not deceive you. We reran triple iteration tests over and over with similar results each time. Without running Intel Smart Response, the stock Z68 systems are slightly faster than the P67. But, with the Intel 311 SD in Smart Response mode, the Z68 machine’s score were off the chart. In fact, the score improved upon each subsequent pass of the benchmark.
Here, you can see how the three systems perform without Intel Smart Response and the benefits of the 20GB SSD cache. Without the feature, we see a very different picture. It’s much slower overall, but still somewhat faster than the P67 system, which could merely be optimizations and better tuning in the newer Z68 platform. However, Sysmark doesn’t tell us how it does with 3D performance so we’ll be moving to 3DMark11 next.
Does Virtu Benefit 3DMark11 Performance?
To answer this question, three iterations of 3DMark11 were performed on each motherboard using the same graphics. Using the Performance setting, averages are reported in the graph.
Based on our results, there is no performance benefit to graphics. It doesn’t matter if the motherboard supports both features or not. However, you will get quicker program load times as Smart Response learns which game you play the most. If it’s just games you’re wanting and nothing else, then you have your answer. Test results are also showing that there is no reason why a top end board should not be offered with the Virtu technology as it does not impede performance in any way.
What About Program Load and Boot Times?
How fast your programs load depends on your SSD’s transfer rate performance. That’s how Intel Smart Response works. It keeps track and caches programs that you use repeatedly. Because we’re running repeated Sysmark 2007 benchmarks, the load times decreased each time it ran and the scores increased as a result. Battlefield Bad Company 2 also started loading a little quicker each time it was restarted. However, frame rates in preliminary testing did not increase. Since, system restarts are a very common thing we do around here, we observed about a 30% reduction in boot times on average.
Since your mileage will vary based on the SSD you choose, boot and program load times can shorten even further. Again, we’ll do some comparison tests for you later as we get more 30 to 64GB SSDs. In the meantime, if you buy a Z68 system, make sure you enable RAID before installing the OS as mentioned in our setup walk through. You will thank us later.
The Z68 Perspective
It really is cool in a strange way seeing an INTEL Z68 motherboards with integrated video flexing huge guns. The Z68 chipset offers both the performance and connectivity of P67 and H67 chipsets. Despite limited program support for Sandy Bridge’s Intel Quick Sync capability, LucidLogix Virtu gives users a plug and play option of utilizing the discreet and integrated graphics at the same time. You can task out the IGP for productive purposes and use your video card for your gaming. Or you can even split monitors and save some video card resources, letting the IGP do the 2D thing while your discrete GPU do its 3D thing.
The real benefit of Z68 comes from Intel Smart Response. Our performance numbers alone validate the hunch that professional users and content creators will benefit the most once they get it setup. Refer to our set up section for clarification though as this will save you some time and frustration. However, It won’t benefit gamers so much other than quicker game loading times. So, if you’re a P67 gamer, you can stay right where you are at for the moment.
We do have a couple reservations in regards to high performance motherboards like the GIGABYTE Z68X-UD5 that do not offer Virtu. Our own findings revealed that there was no penalty for including it. We can’t help but feel there’s less value in a $269 platform that’s missing support for a staple feature unless it offers some other tangible replacement like higher end audio or 3-way NVIDIA SLI. The only apparent upgrade are 6 GBps eSATA ports. But if you use eSATA a lot, then I guess that’s a benefit.
The INTEL Z68 series breaks tradition by giving you a high end offering with an IGP, that doesn’t suck. All the performance is there along with much better implementation of INTEL Quick Sync thanks to Virtu technology. The increased hard drive and system responsiveness via Smart Response is especially welcome. If you’re looking for a more productive computing experience, Z68 is a great alternative to P67 or X58 systems. Stay tuned for our round up of Z68s top boards later on!
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The Intel Z68 Chipset – A Polished Cougar Point Motherboard Platform – Photo Gallery
