Gigabyte EP45-UD3P (P45) Motherboard

 

The AWARD BIOS of the EP45-UD3P is very similar to most other Gigabyte BIOS, so anyone familiar with Gigabyte motherboards or indeed the AWARD BIOS format will feel right at home here. Skipping the usual sections, we will head right to the business end of the BIOS – the M.I.T (Motherboard Intelligent Tweaker) which is actually the first section in the BIOS.

 

 

Again, this BIOS is almost identical to previous Gigabyte P45 motherboards, having the same settings throughout the first page. The majority of settings can be entered either manually or by the use of a sub menu where you scroll through the various settings. This makes for quick and easy application of settings instead of wasting time scrolling through the many settings available.

 

 

The FSB is one of those settings where you really need to input the setting manually, as scrolling through 1100 options could be a little tiresome, not that there any CPU’s around capable of such a ludicrous front side bus. CPU and PCIe clock drives can be adjusted in a sub menu, as can the CPU and Northbridge clock skew.

 

 

Automatic FSB strap changes are a thing of the past with the UD3P, as it allows you to set the MCH frequency latch from 200mhz to 400mhz. If you wish to let the board sort the strap out for you then you can choose the strap by the memory divider you settle on.

 

 

The Memory sub timings are basic in comparison to the higher end models, but the 6 main sub timings are there along with the individual channel timing and drive settings. What the UD3P lacks in sub timings it makes up for in voltages. Some very dangerous settings are available here that should satisfy even the most extreme overclocker, hopefully with LN2 to hand. A massive 2.3v on the CPU along with 3v+ for the memory should be enough to eek every last MHz from a CPU, presuming you have the methods with which to cool your silicon at those extreme voltages!

 

 

One oddball setting is the security chip Enabled/Disabled setting. This settings is normally in found bundles along with the settings in the advanced section, allowing a password protected BIOS, so why Gigabyte have chosen to give this somewhat insignificant setting a page by itself is quite beyond me. As with the M.I.T section, the PC health status page has all of the temperature and voltage readouts you could need.

 

Like the other Gigabyte P45 BIOS before it, the UD3P’s BIOS is well laid out, but that irritating jerkiness when scrolling the page is still there, which is a shame.

 

Let’s move on to our test setup and see how  much of an effect these BIOS options have in our overclocking tests…