Installation CD
Just as one would suspect, the included installation CD has all of the necessary drivers and software to get your system up and running in ample time. GIGABYTE has continued the trend of including browser, anti-virus, media software and much more; all optional installations of course! An “Xpress Install” option is also available, for unattended installations, if you so desire.
Here we can see the installation information about the all new GIGABYTE App Center software, which is an all-in-one solution to handle many of this motherboards additional features in a single application for convenience.
Here is a look at some of the additional applications related to the Intel specific components of the motherboard and more.
A handy Cyberlink media suite is also included on the installation CD.
Software
Gigabyte’s all-new App Center loads on Windows startup, which is optional of course; and is the go-to solution for tuning, overclocking, updating motherboard drivers, software, and the BIOS. It is a relatively simple application with a low system footprint.
The @BIOS portion of the App Center allows the user to view specific information regarding the currently installed BIOS ROM, as well as a means to update the BIOS within the operating system on the fly, or from a downloaded file. This has always been a handy feature for myself and I am positive that I am not alone in that thought process. The USB Blocker portion of the App Center allows the user to lock or unlock specific USB functions with a password, for situations such as privacy for example. The Cloud Station unlocks new potential for remote control of your PC settings using your smart phone or tablet devices to communicate, share resources, and control desktop PCs via wireless connection. The revised EasyTune has also received some upgrades and has a more user-friendly interface this time around. EasyTune gives the user complete control over their frequency and voltage settings for both the CPU and memory components within windows. Saving and loading custom overclock profiles is also possible within the software.
Even a Harware Monitor is available within the App in a compact mode.
The System Information Viewer portion of the App has a wealth of information available regarding voltages, temperatures and fan speed, which is programmable by the way!
So what about this motherboard’s performance? I am sure you are dying to know; so let us get on with the testing!
