Is Gigabyte's Ultra Durable whatever just buzzwordy crap?

[Agent]

All Gimmicks mostly like the high durability claims. However it will make your board more sellable when you sell it.

The only one I'd call a gimmick is PCB copper amount (within reason). I don't think it makes a huge difference on mobos - certainly when paired with decent cooling.

Solid caps, ferrite cores, higher rated components against ESD and certainly IR3550 PowIRstage ICs can all be measured. They do have substance, but it's relative. An office machine probably wouldn't get any use out of them (and would be binned anyway after a few years), but for enthusiasts they are nice features.

I've certainly had a few boards where the caps have gone after prolonged overclocking, so I like solid caps. It's also only really the UD5 that has a big price jump due to the excellent IR3550 PowIRstage ICs. It's not like you're paying a huge premium with these features, it's just a nice easy way to know what you're getting.

I don't like excessive marketing as much as the next guy, but I don't think Gigabyte are pulling a fast one here. The theories behind each added thing are known in the electronics circle. It's not like Gigabyte are claiming anything that breaks the laws of physics here

[KeyboardDemon]

I have just finished building a PC using a Gigabyte Z77-D3H and my early impressions are that the BIOS is much nicer than the Asus BIOS and I think I prefer the Gigabyte layout for things like the way they do the front panel connectors, this is a lot better than the Gigabyte boards of 8 or 9 years ago that I remember.

[BobF64]

The only one I'd call a gimmick is PCB copper amount (within reason). I don't think it makes a huge difference on mobos - certainly when paired with decent cooling.

I think it also acts as additional shielding, but I think PCB noise is something users are unlikely to notice unless in a very EM noisy environment.

[shaithis]

I have just finished building a PC using a Gigabyte Z77-D3H and my early impressions are that the BIOS is much nicer than the Asus BIOS

I built a PC this week around the same board......initially I was a bit miffed with the BIOS tbh. Overly graphical for no good reason and then it took me a while to notice that there was no legacy support in the BIOS......could only get Windows to install in EFI/GUID mode. Luckily updating the BIOS to the latest version added it back in though.

[KeyboardDemon]

I updated the bios before doing anything else with the mobo and it was so easy to do, drop the bios onto a USB key, insert into a USB slot and press the button.

Plus the utilities that came with it for setting up Rapid start, Smart Response and Intel Connect were really easy and allowed me to configure the m-Sata SSD really quickly. My father in law is so impressed with the PC I built for him and for a mobo that was about a third of the price of my mobo I'm surprised at how good it is. I might build my next PC with a Gigabyte board.

[ggusta]

Sorry to bump an antique thread if that bothers anyone!

I am no tech guy, but agent is on the money. I had fried a mobo's caps on my wife's pc maybe in 2013. (I think it was MSI brand, no idea which model, but it was probably pretty low end came with a core2 duo porcessor and old, bought in like '05), the ud series had come pretty highly recommended as a replacement by other IT professionals for durability purposes. With respect to how else it stacks up I am pretty ignorant.

So my point is, before you just dismiss something as hype, which frankly, we all do, because there is so much marketing hype! try harder to at least qualify opinions with some basis your actual firsthand knowledge.

[i stumbled on this trying to search for any recent durability shootouts between asus, gigabyte, msi and others]

To call it marketing hype and just dismiss it is really pretty dumb. I care about durability and ability to withstand a less than vigilant owner with respect to how treats his stuff.

The only one I'd call a gimmick is PCB copper amount (within reason). I don't think it makes a huge difference on mobos - certainly when paired with decent cooling.

Solid caps, ferrite cores, higher rated components against ESD and certainly IR3550 PowIRstage ICs can all be measured. They do have substance, but it's relative. An office machine probably wouldn't get any use out of them (and would be binned anyway after a few years), but for enthusiasts they are nice features.

I've certainly had a few boards where the caps have gone after prolonged overclocking, so I like solid caps. It's also only really the UD5 that has a big price jump due to the excellent IR3550 PowIRstage ICs. It's not like you're paying a huge premium with these features, it's just a nice easy way to know what you're getting.

I don't like excessive marketing as much as the next guy, but I don't think Gigabyte are pulling a fast one here. The theories behind each added thing are known in the electronics circle. It's not like Gigabyte are claiming anything that breaks the laws of physics here

[Giraffe]

Just been looking at some H97 Asrock and Asus boards. They boast of 12,000 hours and 5,ooo hours respectively min. life for the caps. Now, 12k hours? - less than 18 months! Not impressed.
My leaning atm is towards MSI and Gigabyte. Used Asus in in the past, but a 12 month warranty is taking the proverbial!

[EndlessWaves]

Just been looking at some H97 Asrock and Asus boards. They boast of 12,000 hours and 5,ooo hours respectively min. life for the caps. Now, 12k hours? - less than 18 months! Not impressed.

I think you'll find that's at a very high temperature. How hot capacitors get during normal use I'm not sure, but I know the companion lower temperature figures are frequently 5-10x longer.

[Giraffe]

Ah, thanks - I was a bit worried that a new build wouldn't last as long as the current one (8 years so far).

[Lenny_Nero]

You cant just give a single number for a capacitors life, its xxx at yyy same as you cant just say it has to be solid caps or nothing, because some things are better at what they are good at. Paper in oil give the best sound.

Up until a few years back (well early to mid 2000's) 90% of all the caps I saw were rated at 85c, say 4500 hours at 85c that is their life and depending on the quality they will get better as they cool, say 10,000 at 65c 20,000 at 55c and so on.

One pretty solid rule is "heat is the enemy" you can say that about most things, from the power you an get out of an engine, or the power rate a bit of silicon can work at ...to the reason why as a race mammalia stood up.