ECS Elite Group alias is not the same for motherboards offer affordable and ECS-A2X Z77H2 heavy mission is to compete with the references made by Asus, Gigabyte and MSI. Thus Z77H2 ECS-A2X equipped Z77 chipset excellent is designed to accommodate the Intel socket 1155 performance report which is currently the best price. Compatible with multi-GPU technologies SLI and CrossFireX, the ECS Z77H2-A2X is more towards players who will also enjoy Lucid Virtu MVP permitting cumulation of multiple GPUs any brand. Overclockers will take the full potential of their processor with the ECS-A2X Z77H2 incorporating a BIOS when all options are present to set voltages and frequencies as finely as possible. The integration of Dell Inspiron 6000 quality components such as solid capacitors and adding gold all contacts will be a guarantee of stability, performance and reliability. To complete its dedicated storage equipment, a port can be used with mSATA Intel Smart Response with which we will combine speed SSD and hard drive capacity. Then the ECS Z77H2-A2X new queen of Z77 priced ultra tight? Or unfulfilled promises?

Presentation

The ECS-A2X Z77H2 like to become a high-end motherboards and ATX based on a socket 1155. We can install all processors meet this format. Being primarily designed for the players, we will consider the Intel i5 3770k or 3570K as they embark enough power to not limit or graphics cards. To accompany the CPU, chipset selected by the ECS-A2X Z77H2 Z77 is the most interesting time because it embeds the latest technologies: Intel Smart Response, USB 3.0 and memory management fast. Besides this new Pavilion DV7 motherboard supports speeds up to 2800MHz modules. But this is also where ECS Z77H2-A2X among the models present in the catalog of the brand? New models share the ECS chipset and socket 1155 Z77 and if it only stops the socket, sixty-five cards are all available chipsets combined. While users like to have the choice but at this rate the, we will lose more than anything else. For example just to test our model Z77H2-A2X, there are four versions! Three are called "Deluxe" in revision V1.0, V2.0 and V5.0 last pass directly. The last two have the right to power button, reset and display debug. What revolution. Our test version is 1.0. The brand does not lack arguments to reassure consumers increased reliability as ECS Technology Nonstop 72h burntest is 50 ° C. Nothing to impress us.

However, we appreciate the E6410 battery integration of selected components increasing the lifetime of the card. We thus find gold to fifteen microns, solid capacitors, and power levels up to 150% more stable. The Z77H2-A2X has also the right to protection against electrostatic discharge and accelerates EZ load battery charging time. But to qualify, must necessarily pass through the USB ports of the box deported because those on the rear panel are not compatible with this function. The Z77H2-A2X has a UEFI BIOS and MIB X menu developed to expand opportunities for overclocking and more support multi GPU as AMD than Nvidia. We can go further by taking advantage of Lucid Virtu MVP, a welcome feature for exploiting commonly IGP processor and dedicated graphics card. Finally thanks to its port mSATA, we can combine the advantages of SSD and hard drives using Intel Smart Response technology and its controller is compatible with THX.

Layout

Rather successful in terms of aesthetics with a mixture of black, gray and white, the ATX PCB is covered with inscriptions to the point where the color is barely distinguishable. We find a very basic HP 484170-001 design with a socket at the center of the upper part. The four-port RAM take place right while feeding floors surround processor. They are cooled by radiators of the most curious forms. On the coils, it is not known if their disposition is voluntary or not, but they are slightly askew. This suggests an error of more drilling PCB as a desired effect. We appreciate ka available CPU power connector located far enough from the auxiliary socket. It thus becomes more accessible in the use of massive coolers. In the lower part, two PCI Express 3.0 16X are welcome as well as 1X. As against this, wonders why two 32-bit PCI ancestral limited to 60MB / s take place here. Storage side, again ECS logic escapes us somewhat careful as six SATA ports are not cranked all managed by the Z77 chipset. Whites are managed by the chipset but 3Gbps. Those in the center are still supported by the chipset but 6Gbps while the two above are controlled by a third party chipset Asmedia ASM referenced 1061 supports standard SATA 6Gbps. 

The Z77 manager six SATA ports, two remain one of which is wired in and the last mSATA eSATA on the rear panel. This means exit the RAID volumes on six storage units unless you include the mSATA and eSATA configurations that clearly can not recommend as very risky for the data integrity. Note however that the port is suitable mSATA since it remains accessible even when imposing a graphics card is installed. The Z77 it has a radiator undersized compared to competing  Latitude E6510 products using regular models twice as large. Management remains well below the breakdown of typical configurations because only three connectors are present: one for CPU, one for system and one for the case. Only the CPU has the right contacts to ensure four PWM technology. The rear panel connectors embeds a relatively complete with eight USB ports (4 on the standard 3.0), one eSATA port, one DVI and VGA video output, Ethernet and 5 gigabyte mini jack for sound. A S / PDIF digital audio output as expected. The Ethernet interface is handled by a Realtek 8111E and the sound is assigned to a Realtek ALC 892. On the network, it must be ensured especially not to use the driver available for download on the ECS site because it is impossible to recognize with gigabyte networks. The connection is limited to 100Mb. Therefore recover drivers directly from the Realtek site. Bottom of the map, there is a complete connection to the connectors on the housing deported: audio, usb and power / reset.

The Advanced Menu provides access to the various options embedded components such as  Pavilion DV2000 network, storage or supervision of temperatures and pressures. The Chipset menu allows you to work on the sound or video options of the IGP. MIBX the menu is dedicated to overclocking. All useful options are present but beware, the CPU Vcore voltage is limited to 1.5V. A constraint difficult to accept for a map of its kind. Fan management is also disappointing because we feel we do a good ten years ago. Only four profiles are available: Normal, Quiet, Silent and Full. Even the first prize cards offer customizable profiles pace solicitations. If the BIOS is convincing platform for entry level, it will be difficult to convince users and more demanding fans of overclocking.

Applications

ECS Intel platforms have a right to a specific application dedicated to overclocking. Once again it seems outdated and unsuitable for a map oriented gamers. Simply compare to those offered by MSI, Gigabyte and Dell especially to realize how ECS train delay. The application reserved for ventilation hardly entitled to more attention. Only the Latitude e6400  is customizable.

Overclocking

A single time, our Intel i7 2600K has shown itself stable 1.5V or he needs a little more to show perfectly stable.

And it has not failed once we wanted to replicate our overclocking, Z77H2-A2X flatly refused to start with the same settings.

Yet all motherboards have received this CPU have never had any problems to support this overclocking. The Z77H2-A2X will eventually satisfy overclockers who do not seek very high frequencies and expect more of 4.6GHz to avoid significant thermal clearances above and wishing to maintain a long life for their components.

Performance synthetic

Super Pi shows results common to all platforms tested a little more in 7s and 10s without overclock. wPrime also gives consistent results with less overclock in 250s and 400s in less than base speed. Truecrypt confirms previous VGP-BPS13 tests with 3300Mo / s base frequency and 4700 overclock. Earnings more interesting with a frequency of 5GHz unfortunately not reproducible. File processing also requires large computational resources, Winrar is doing very well with almost 3500 KB / s base speed and more from 5000 to 5GHz. 7zip follows the same path as Winrar with almost 20,000 points to base speed and more than 25,000 once overclocked. PCMark 2011 faithfully representing multimedia usage shows almost 3000 points and speed stock nearly 4000 once our i7 2600K overclocked. Video encoding, compression X264 with good results with Z77H2-A2X even if it remains just below 50 FPS after overclocking set on the second pass. Cinebench knows take advantage of all the cores of a CPU and is not far from the 10 points once overclocked processor. Side memory bandwidth, it oscillates between 18000 and 23000Mo / s. Again the results are very convincing.

The Realtek network is doing pretty well provided you do not use the driver available on the ECS because it limits the speed at 100Mb while the chip is compatible gigabyte. Is achieved through the Realtek over 110MB / s downstream and over 70MB / s upload. Results common to most embedded interfaces. The sound also given to a Realtek chip is far from the desired 90dB while maintaining satisfactory but the surprise for the distortion much lower than the Dell Vostro 1510 competition yet also based on ALC 898. On bandwidth, it is also much more linear than other brands. If the Z77H2-A2X has many faults, on this point it is much better than the other controllers.

Multimedia performance & Storage

We use a Radeon 6950 BIOS 6970 carrying a single Lucid Virtu then with MVP, we benefit from the power of the IGP present in the Intel 2600K. 3DMark 11, we earn twenty points. A result that can be improved with a 3770k IGP which is much more powerful. Under Metro, gains are still interesting quality via high resolution but this is not even an FPS won.

Storage

 If you have the habit of seeing higher speeds on the ports managed by the chipset, this is not always the case because Asmedia is much faster reading with 343Mo / s. In writing that either 3 or 6Gbps, the gains are surprisingly low. The VGP-BPS12  not convince either on storage performance. RAID, we used to see in low flow mode 5 because it is just over 20MB / s write. Avoid donc.au benefit of RAID 10. On interfaces nothing to report because rates are consistent with each respective connections. Unless the eSATA cable directly on the chip is expected to rise much higher level of internal SATA 3Gbps interface.

Temperatures and consumption

 The temperatures of the motherboard to remain low base frequency. Fault for not being able to climb 5GHz a second time, we were not able to measure temperatures in overclocking. As mentioned in section BIOS, ventilation management offered by Z77H2-A2X is the most basic. Therefore remain constant speeds in normal mode. A shame for a Dell Studio 1555 motherboard of this generation. In terms of consumption also unable to reproduce overclocking at 5GHz, it is able to base frequency is 52 watts at rest and less than 120 watts being sought.

Conclusion

The Z77H2-A2X ECS motherboard is complete as well equipped. We have the right to support SLI, CrossFireX of Lucid Virtu MVP and that will appeal to players. The equipment does not stop because the mSATA port provides opportunities to extend the storage level. Our attempts at configuration (yet very simple) Smart Response has always resulted in destruction of the Bootloader files Windows. A disappointment which we would have liked to happen. We are pleased to discover a thoughtful design Latitude d830 and a satisfactory level of finish but it can not be forgotten BIOS acceptable platform for entry level but in no case for a motherboard in its class. Worse maximum voltage for the processor is only 1.5V. While it is dangerous to go beyond, but for a model dedicated to overclocking, it is difficult to understand. Fortunately a simple update will remove this big handicap. The number of revisions to the Z77H2-A2X does nothing  to reassure users as to present three different revisions in a row, you can not help but imagine some immaturity of products sold. And proposed $ 200 or a little over 150 euros, although its distribution is almost non-existent in our country, the Gigabyte GA-Z77-d3h (one example among many others) available fifty euros cheaper retains the same level of functionality. This difference of 30% will be well to mention a black PCB.

Tags: Latitude d630 , Dell Vostro 1400 , Dell XPS M1530