UEFI Features
GIGABYTE includes the latest version of their UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) with the the X99-SOC Champion motherboard. The UEFI offers full keyboard and mouse support while using the UEFI pages with enhanced mouse navigation supported by right clicking the mouse – goes back to previous view if inside a settings pop-up or on a sub-menu page. Note that this right click functionality behaves this way in Classic Mode only. Right clicking in ST (Smart Tweak) Mode displays the Shortcuts menu. GIGABYTE also includes a screen capture utility, which generates a 1024×768 BMP image in normal resolution mode and a 1920×1080 BMP image in HD resolution mode on an attached USB drive upon clicking the F12 function key.
UEFI Notable Features
GIGABYTE continues to innovate with their UEFI design, offering the user four different interfaces from which to modify system settings and monitor devices. The UEFI's four operational modes include Smart Tweak HD mode, Smart Tweak mode, Classic Mode, and Startup Guide mode. You can switch between ST mode and Classic mode using the F2 function key. Further, GIGABYTE integrated multi-language support into the UEFI with support for 18 languages including English. On their configurable Home section, they integrated two additional tabs – Recent and Favorites – for easy access to more UEFI settings from a centralized location. The changes wouldn't be complete without additional visual tweaking options for the ST HD mode UI itself with options for changing the background theme and the resolution.
Startup Guide mode, Main page
The Startup Guide interface gives the user a fully graphical UI to set the most common options in the UEFI including UEFI active language, system fast boot, system time, drive boot sequence, SATA controller operational options, UEFI security, and interface-related startup options.
Startup Guide mode, System Language page
Classic Mode, System Language popup
Startup Guide mode, Main page (non-English language)
ST HD Mode, Frequency section (non-English language)
Classic Mode, M.I.T. tab (non-English language)
Selecting the System Language button from the Startup Guide main page opens the System Language page. From here, you can select one of 18 languages with which to customize the UEFI text and labels.
ST HD Mode
GIGABYTE simplified the UI interface for their HD mode, re-dubbing it Smart Tweak mode and allowing for user customization of performance-related features. All settings and features present in the Smart Tweak interface also exist in the Classic mode interface.
ST HD Mode, Home section, Recent page
ST HD Mode, Home section, Favorites page
GIGABYTE added new pages to the Home section of the ST UEFI, labeled Recent and Favorites. The Recent page hosts settings that you have recently accessed via the ST pages. The Favorites page houses common settings used for board performance configuration.
ST HD Mode, Save & Exit section, Preferences page
The Preferences page accessed from the Save & Exit section of the ST UEFI houses settings for configuring the look and feel of the Smart Tweak interface, including the Start-up page settings, background wallpaper, and HD resolution. There are numerous wallpapers that can be selected after clicking the Select button tied to the Background Wallpaper setting. The High Display Resolution setting allows the user to set the ST HD interface to two different resolutions, 1200 or 1600 pixels wide.
UEFI Walkthrough – Smart Tweak HD Mode Interface
Frequency section, Frequency page with CPU Base Clock set to Manual
Frequency section, Advanced CPU Core Settings page
Frequency section, Advanced CPU Core Settings page continued
Memory section, Memory page
Memory section, Channel X Memory Sub Timings page, Standard and Advanced Timing Control settings
Memory section, Channel X Memory Sub Timings page, Misc Timing Control settings
Memory section, Channel X Memory Sub Timings page, Misc Timing Control settings
Memory section, Channel X Memory Sub Timings page, Misc Timing Control settings
Voltage section, Advanced Power Settings page
Voltage section, CPU Core Voltage Control page
Voltage section, Chipset Voltage Control page
Voltage section, DRAM Voltage Control page
Miscellaneous section, Miscellaneous page
Miscellaneous section, PC Health Status page
Home section, Performance page
Home section, Your Name 1 page, Setup User Options popup
Home section, Favorites page, Select a Shortcut popup
Can anyone explain why modern
Can anyone explain why modern motherboards STILL come with PS/2 ports? Does some common non-KB/Mouse hardware peripheral that i’m completely unaware of use them? I can’t imagine someone forking out cash for a new X99 system and thinking “alright, done. Now to plug in this old PS/2 mouse and keyboard”
Exactly you fucking jackass.
Exactly you fucking jackass.
Yes PS/2 keyboards are very
Yes PS/2 keyboards are very much in use by builders/overclockers/tweakers. The support is better, the pitfall fewer. Some gamers think they get better performance with PS/2, but I dunno. I just know it is much less of a pain to deal with an overclocked and unstable system with a PS/2 keyboard. USB needs to init correctly, PS/2 usually hasn’t that problem.
Of course an extreme overclockers board has at least a keyboard PS/2 port. It would sell a lot less if it lacked it.
I’ve overclocked my last
I’ve overclocked my last three personal 24/7 systems and cant say i’ve ever run into an issue with my usb kb/mouse setup, but i’m not an extreme overclocker either. I admit, i don’t follow that scene closely. So perhaps it’s just an issue i’ve never run into. I have a stack of old PS/2 keyboards and mice that i haven’t touched in years. The idea of using one, to me, is on the same level as adding in an old 3.5″ floppy drive. I’ll have to read up on the pros/cons of PS/2 peripherals since i haven’t looked at one in so long.
Yes, you should read up on
Yes, you should read up on this. PS/2 has some important advantages over USB that should not be ignored or glossed over.
PS/2 has a much lower CPU overhead, especially when running mouse polling above 100Hz. If you want low latency input with low CPU overhead and you also want high polling rates then you must use PS/2. USB simply cannot do all three of those things at the same time.
For me, the inclusion of two PS/2 ports on a motherboard is a must have, even now in 2015. Motherboards with only one, or no PS/2 ports don’t even make it on to my short list.
Somehow I got a double post.
Somehow I got a double post.
It has less input latency and
It has less input latency and overhead, supports key rollover better, and is supported by many UEFIs and BIOSes better than USB. I enjoy it because it will give you a much faster boot than anything else if you have your keyboard plugged into that and disable USB init in the UEFI.
In the pricing section you
In the pricing section you talk about the gaming G1 instead of the SOC?????
Thanks for the heads up, it
Thanks for the heads up, it has been corrected…
it is good to have at least
it is good to have at least one PS/2 keyboard & mouse if overclocking/IT “desktop” computer repair. USB keyboard & mouse require drivers but PS/2 one doesnt. overclocking require more time testing & not in windows OS boot with drivers. meaning sometimes usb keyboard & mouse are plug in & dont work because drivers hasnt been loaded yet & try PS/2 one instead. PnP stand for Plug and Play today but early it was Plug & Pray it work.
i work at a small computer store & build over 40+ new computers in 2014 from simple “Low End”, “high End” & even something close to the “Dream System” (tinyurl.com/m4zpl8k). using USB keyboard & mouse is fine. but get desktop repair with DDR1 or DDR2 with windows xp even IDE hard drives with AGP/PCI cards. so good to have spare parts around.
this is the same thing with serious & parallel ports. i dont use it personally since 1990s but get about a few requests for it from businesses for old LEGACY machines.
Right, i understand having
Right, i understand having them around if you’re in the business of repairing and maintaining old systems. That’s the exact reason i have a few around. But an X99 board isn’t an old system with AGP ports and Windows XP.
Anyway, there’s a good reply up above about it that i responded to as well.
I dont know about anyone
I dont know about anyone else. but I have a Z97 UD5H with same bios. and I find it incredibly annoying, and very contradictory
So Gigabyte copies Asus’ OC
So Gigabyte copies Asus’ OC Socket plus violates patents in order to enable the higher clock speeds on both the CPU and memory side and nothing is mentioned about it? This is not Gigabyte engineering prowess, it is their ability to once again copy whatever Asus does on their boards.
Also, Gigabyte no longer advertises their copied socket as being Intel Certified like on their other X99 boards. Does this mean if I use this board and the cpu dies that Intel will not provide a warranty? Will Gigabyte warranty the CPU?