GIGABYTE GA-890FXA-UD7 (rev. 2.0) Pro Reviews

As you can see, the Gigabyte 890FX-UD7 with the AMD 1055T CPU is a rather powerful solution for just about anyone. This combination was handling anything I could throw at it, and then keep asking me for more through out my testing. Even I have to admit that if I did not already have my current Intel Core i7 930 system, I would seriously consider this CPU as a possible candidate for my computer. As good of a combination the AMD Hex core 1055T CPU and the Gigabyte 890FXA-UD7 motherboard is, I had a small issue when it pertained while trying to Crossfire my two 5750 video cards. No matter what I tried (switching the video cards to different PCI-E ports) I could not get my two 5750's to Crossfire. After a few emails back, and forth between myself and one of Gigabyte's technicians Leo; one of the two 5750's is a Asus 5750 Formula while the other 5750 referenced design VisionTek. I did not have any issues trying to Crossfire these two video cards on my other two Intel based machines. Leo over at Gigabyte, was able to Crossfire two 5750 video cards with the 890FXA-UD7 motherboard he was using. I am guessing he was using two matched sets of 5750 video cards; where my two were different manufactured video cards (Asus and a VisionTek). Leo sent me the 890FXA-UD7 he was using for his testing, when I received that motherboard I tried Crossfiring my two 5750 video cards on that motherboard.

Combination USB2.0 and eSATA jacks are great because the slots provide power from the USB2.0 port to an eSATA device over one hybrid cable. eSATA alone cannot power a device, but there is enough electricity from a USB socket to power certain devices. The GA-890FXA-UD7 also has two USB 3.0 jacks on the back of the board. The Gigabyte GA-890FXA-UD7 motherboard is built on a PCB with 2 oz copper substrate is used for the inner grounding layers. The thicker layers of copper aid in the cooling of board mounted electrical component and lower impedance. Overclocking features for the Gigabyte GA-890FXA-UD7 include hardware over voltage control via IC for more direct voltage adjustments of processor, memory and chipsets

The Gigabyte 890FXA-UD7 is really a top-shelf motherboard for AMD processors. If you want to build a gaming computer based on a Phenom II CPU and are looking for a motherboard with plenty of PCI Express x16 slots in order to make a three-way or four-way CrossFireX array, with nice overclocking settings, high-end voltage regulator circuit, excellent on-board audio, USB 3.0 and six SATA-600 ports and lot of features, this is the board. As a bonus, you get a motherboard with a high-end cooling system, supporting liquid cooling or a big expansion card type passive heat sink. This motherboard is not inexpensive and you will also need a case with eight expansion slots.

GIGABYE's entry into the 890FX arena is a solid one. It is not the fastest in all cases, but it does well even when pitted against the more expensive Intel P55 boards. The extra features on the board like the six full SATA 3.0 ports add to the value.

ASUS Crosshair IV Formula is somewhat cheaper than Gigabyte GA-890FXA-UD7, but the difference is small. Both mainboards are actually quite expensive and intended for a small category of computer enthusiasts. As we said in the beginning of this review, the key benefit of AMD processors is that they are rather cheap whereas an expensive mainboard would negate this advantage.

Aside from the size and price issues, the 890FXA-UD7 really doesn't have any glaring flaws, at least none that aren't shared by nearly every other 890FX motherboard. It has a convenient layout, a great VRM with excellent voltage regulation, a user-friendly and option-rich BIOS, proven manual overclocking capabilities, and a quirky yet surprisingly capable cooling system with an integrated water block. On the connectivity front, this motherboard has few equal equals since it it has dedicated ports and connectors for USB 2.0, USB 3.0, SATA 3Gb/s, SATA 6Gb/s, eSATA, and two types of FireWire.