Introduction
Contents
The Gigabyte Z77-HD4 is an entry-level socket LGA1155 motherboard targeted to the “Ivy Bridge” processors (third-generation Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors). Let’s see what this motherboard has to offer.
The Intel Z77 is an upgraded version of the Z68 chipset with the same basic features (Intel Smart Response Technology and Virtu video switching technology), plus native support to four USB 3.0 ports. It also includes the addition of two new technologies: Smart Connect (allowing the computer to receive emails and refresh webpages while it is in sleep mode) and Rapid Start (faster boot times).
Being an entry-level motherboard, the Z77-HD4 doesn’t support the Virtu Universal MVP technology, which is present on more expensive products and allows you to combine the performance of the integrated graphics processor available in the CPU with the performance of any video card installed.
Gigabyte has launched 21 different motherboard models based on the Intel Z77 chipset; we list the differences between them in the tables below. We won’t describe the Z77X-UD5H-WB WIFI and the Z77X-UD3H-WB WIFI models, as they are simply a version of the Z77X-UD5H and the Z77X-UD3H models bundled with a PCI Express x1 expansion card containing IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networking and Bluetooth 4.0. This card is also included with the Z77X-UP7 and with the G1.Sniper 3 motherboards. Prices were researched at Newegg.com on the day we published this article.
| Specification | G1.Sniper 3 | Z77X-UP7 | Z77X-UD5H | Z77X-UD4H | Z77X-UD3H | Z77X-D3H | Z77-HD4 |
| Form Factor | E-ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX |
| Memory Sockets | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| PCI Express x16 3.0 | 4 (x16/x0/x16/x0 or x16/x0/x8/x8 or x8/x8/x8/x8) | 4 (x16/x0/x16/x0 or x16/x0/x8/x8 or x8/x8/x8/x8) + 1 | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) | 1 |
| PCI Express x16 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (x4) | 1 (x4) | 1 (x4) | 1 (x4) | 1 (x4) |
| PCI Express x1 2.0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Standard PCI | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| CrossFireX | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SLI | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| SATA-300 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| SATA-600 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| eSATA-300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| eSATA-600 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 (shared) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| mSATA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| USB 2.0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| USB 3.0 | 8* | 10 | 8* | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 |
| FireWire | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BlueTooth | Yes, 4.0 | Yes, 4.0 | No | No | No | No | No |
| Gigabit Ethernet | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes, a/b/g/n | Yes, dual-band 802.11b/g/n | No | No | No | No | No |
| VGA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| DVI | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| HDMI | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| DisplayPort | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Thunderbolt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Audio | CA0132 | ALC898 | ALC898 | ALC892 | VT2021 | VT2021 | ALC887 |
| Voltage Regulator | 12+2+1 | 32+3+2 | 12+2+1 | 8+2+1 | 6+2+1 | 6+2+1 | 6+2+1 |
| Price | USD 280 | USD 400 | USD 190 | NA | USD 160 | USD 145 | NA |
* The motherboard has only four “real” USB 3.0 ports that are expanded to eight using hub chips.
| Specification | Z77-HD3 | Z77-D3H | Z77-DS3H | Z77P-D3 | Z77X-UP4 TH | Z77X-UP5 TH |
| Form Factor | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX |
| Memory Sockets | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| PCI Express x16 3.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 (x16/x0/x0 or x8/x8/x0 or x8/x4/x4) | 3 (x16/x0/x0 or x8/x8/x0 or x8/x4/x4) |
| PCI Express x16 2.0 | 1 (x4) | 1 (x4) | 1 (x4) | 1 (x4) | 0 | 0 |
| PCI Express x1 2.0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Standard PCI | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| mSATA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 | 1 |
| CrossFireX | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| SLI | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | Yes | Yes |
| SATA-300 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| SATA-600 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| eSATA-300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| eSATA-600 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| USB 2.0 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| USB 3.0 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 10 |
| FireWire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bluetooth | No | No | No | No | No | Yes, 4.0 |
| Gigabit Ethernet | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Wi-Fi | No | No | No | No | No | Yes, dual-band 802.11b/g/n |
| VGA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| DVI-D | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| HDMI | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| DisplayPort | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | No* | No* |
| Thunderbolt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Two ports | Two ports |
| Audio | ALC887 | VT2021 | ALC887 | ALC887 | ALC892 | ALC898 |
| Voltage Regulator | 6+2+1 | 6+1+1 | 4+1+1 | 4+1+1 | 10 phases total | 12 phases total |
| Price | NA | USD 120 | USD 105 | NA | USD 185 | USD 250 |
| Specification | G1.Sniper M3 | X77MX-D3H | X77MX-D3H TH | Z77M-D3H | Z77M-D3H-MVP | Z77N-WiFi |
| Form Factor | microATX | microATX | microATX | microATX | microATX | Mini-ITX |
| Memory Sockets | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| PCI Express x16 3.0 | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) | 2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| PCI Express x16 2.0 | 1 (x4) | 1 (x4) | 1 (x4) | 1 (x4) | 1 (x4) | 0 |
| PCI Express x1 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Standard PCI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| CrossFireX | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| SLI | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| SATA-300 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| SATA-600 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| eSATA-300 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| eSATA-600 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| mSATA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| USB 2.0 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 |
| USB 3.0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| FireWire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bluetooth | No | No | No | No | No | Yes, 4.0 |
| Gigabit Ethernet | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Wi-Fi | No | No | No | No | No | Yes, dual-band 802.11b/g/n |
| VGA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| DVI | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| HDMI | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| DisplayPort | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Thunderbolt | 0 | 0 | Two ports | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Audio | CA0132 | VT2021 | VT2021 | VT2021 | VT2021 | ALC892 |
| Voltage Regulator | 6+2+1 | 4+1+1 | 4+1+1 | 4+1+1 | 4+1+1 | 4+1+1 |
| Price | USD 180 | USD 135 | NA | USD 115 | USD 110 | USD 130 |
You can see the Gigabyte Z77-HD4 motherboard in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Gigabyte Z77-HD4 motherboard