Gigabyte X58A-UD5 Intel X58 Motherboard Review

When I’m thinking about building a new system there are only a few names that come up when it comes time to deciding which motherboard to purchase.  Gigabyte is one of those names.  With any new system build you want the components to last for a while a be reliable.  Gigabyte knows this and does a lot to insure the quality of their products.  This is why they started their Ultra Durable motherboard technology, now called Ultra Durable 3.  Ultra Durable 3 continues on the idea of durability and quality and adds 2 one ounce coppers layers to the PCB and even better Japanese capacitors that are said to last up to an impressive 50,000 hours.

Gigabyte has a full line of Intel X58 motherboards, today we will be taking a look at the X58A-UD5, which is much like the X58A-UD3R we reviewed back in February.  The X58A-UD5 supports the latest Intel 6-core 32nm processors, features the latest generation of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology with super fast transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps, as well as Marvell’s new SE9128 chips for high-speed SATA 3.0 compatibility, delivering super fast 6Gbps link speeds.  Other cool features like the 16 phase unlocked power design, dual power switching, USB charging support, and the Cloud OC and Hotkey OC are perfect for power users.  Let’s take a look and see what all the X58A-UD5 has to offer.

Special thanks to Gigabyte for providing us with the X58A-UD5 Motherboard to review.

Packaging
The X58A-UD5 comes in the typical packaging we are used to seeing with motherboards.  The front tells you the model number and has logos for all of the features.  On the back you have an explanation of many of the features.

Gigabyte X58A-UD5 Intel X58 Motherboard Gigabyte X58A-UD5 Intel X58 Motherboard

Opening the box everything is nicely packed inside.  Included with the motherboard you have 4 blue SATA cables, an IDE ribbon cable, 2 SLI bridges (one for 3-way and one for 2-way), I/O shield, utility CD, user’s manual, Smart6 user’s manual, and a Gigabyte sticker.

Gigabyte X58A-UD5 Intel X58 Motherboard Gigabyte X58A-UD5 Intel X58 Motherboard

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