GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Pros: It's stable. It has lots of SATA ports. I bought this to replace my previous GA-Z68X-UD3-B3. That board had an Etron USB 3.0 controller chip. That thing was a pain and sometimes messed up all my USB ports such that I would have to reboot to get them working again. This one has the Intel Z77. It's much smoother and more stable.

Cons: I wish it had more rear USB ports.
Although I like this board better than my previous one, that one had a RealTech audio driver. This one comes with VIA. I liked the RealTech better. I found the sound to be fuller and the software had better configuration options.
Also, the UEFI is a little buggy. If it comes across a USB device that it doesn't like for whatever reason, it will lock up. The solution I found from other people having this problem is to unplug the offending device before entering BIOS. From there I was able to configure my BIOS with no problems.

Pros: High value for this price. My favorites:

1. 4 SATA III connectors instead of 2. 8 SATA connectors in all plus the mSATA.

2. 20-pin USB 3.0 located right side, mid-board, which is more convenient for the case front panel.

3. All MB connections work on my build.

4. Windows 8 Pro is comfortable with this board.

5. UEFI BIOS.

6. Has been working fine now for about 5 weeks.

7. Looks good!

Cons: 1. I miss Touch@BIOS - like to view and change BIOS via Windows.

2. Haven't found a way to use my case speaker with this MB.

Other Thoughts: This my 3rd Gigabyte MB. I'm quite satisfied with all three.

I've got a stock I5-3750K, 4x4GB Corsair Vengeance 1600, and powered by a Seasonic X750 in a CM 922 USB 3.0/Black Int with Samsung 840 256 SSD and 2xWD Black @ TBs. Win 8 Pro for $15 (I'm getting along with but not loving it).

Pros: Everything works great both under Windows 7 and Linux (Ubuntu 13.04). I ran with the factory-installed BIOS for a long time, and recently upgraded to F15. I also switched over from MBR/BIOS to GPT/UEFI. (Note: a linux kernel bug in some versions prevents a UEFI menu entry from being created. If you have issues, use a livecd with a different kernel version and manually create an entry with 'efibootmgr'. This was a linux kernel bug, not a problem with the board).

Cons: Small issue, unsure as to the cause: infrequently, when powering on or resuming from suspend, a device plugged into a USB port will need to be unplugged and replugged. I do stress this is infrequent, but it's happened enough to notice.

Other Thoughts: I would definitely recommend this motherboard!

Pros: Easy setup
Resilient
UEFI BIOS
Lots of usb 3.0

Cons: LAN issues
HD audio issues
3.5 mm jack issues in back

Other Thoughts: I am not sure If these issues are my fault or not. I did crush the solder pieces for the standoffs.

Pros: PCI-E 3.0 and USB 3.0 at a great price. Good overclocker, easy install. Useful manual.

Cons: Not enough room for two full-sized PCI cards. I use a PCI wireless adapter and In the past I have also kept an NVidia 8800GT in my rig for Physx. But that's not possible with this mobo because of the arrangement of the slots. Not a huge deal, I just took out the NVidia but I'd prefer not to have to.

Other Thoughts: I upgraded from a Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P and even though that MOBO is previous gen, it had a few nice features I miss, like a bit more room for PCI cards and a BIOS reset switch right on the motherboard. Having said that, I'm happy as a clam to get PCI-E 3.0 and USB 3, along with plenty of SATA and USB ports, for a good price. Now that I have owned two Gigabyte motherboards, I'm a fan of the quality and stability of these, and I especially like that this new generation of them is lower profile and does away with over-engineered heat pipes.

Pros: Very high quality board for the price, and works great so far.

Cons: Had a little bit of difficulty getting the screws from this board fitted into my Corsair Carbide 500R Case. Only managed to get 6 of the 9 screws into place, after almost an hour of moving it around and trying to fit it in.

Other Thoughts: Even with a few screws either loose or absent, everything seems fine with my setup.

Pros: Looks good on paper

Cons: *** WARNING:THESE ARE COMMON PROBLEMS ***
(same with the udh5)

Problems out of box
Now has looping crashing
NIC intermittent in several linux distros, non-responsive in Windows 7
Bluescreen of death frequently, frequent restarts
Audio issues
Graphical issues
Disappearing drives
USB issues

System stabilizes when swapping mobos
Every driver manually updated and automatically when possible
Both OS's installed on completely formatted drives using extended formats.
Direct link to CM and tethering both have issues.
No grounding issues.

Buy anything but Gigabyte. After researching, everybody has trouble RMA'ing, it usually takes one to two months minimum, and they usually send you back the same broken board or deny your claim. I don't even want to deal with it because all hardware companies now have 0 accountability.

Remember, if they replace it, it's still going to be the same problematic, shittily built board.

Other Thoughts: Lighting $150 on fire would have been more pleasurable and fiscally responsible than buying this motherboard.

Oscar The Grouch would call this series of mobo 'garbage'.

Manufacturer Response:

Thank you for your comments. Honest and constructive opinions are always welcome. We apologize for your difficulty with your Gigabyte product.

If you require further assistance, please contact us at newegg-support@gigabyte-usa.com with the case number 2013050201 in the subject line. We will provide personalized service and analysis to help solve your issue as soon as possible.

Please contact our Live Technical Support at 626-854-9338, option 3 if the matter is urgent.

GIGABYTE VIP Support Team

Pros: As reliable as other Gigabyte boards I've used. Has all the features I needed. EFI a bonus.

Cons: Somewhat confusing "bios" (EFI) configuration screens. Seems they could have done more here.

Other Thoughts: I've found over the years that the Gigabyte boards I've used have no trouble whereas others are hit or miss. I often put together PC's for friends and haven't had any board problems from the guys with Gigabyte boards and I've put together a lot of PC's.

Pros: 8 SATA ports, lots of USB, an extra graphics slot, a PCI slot, dual BIOS, what more could you ask for out of a midrange board? I like the simple cooling solution for the VRMs and PCH, big heatpipe coolers connecting multiple components are way over-engineered for what they do.

Runs my 3770K @ 4.5 with 2x8GB of Mushkin Redline 1866 CAS 9. Fastest thing I've built to date.

Cons: Enough to dock an egg IMO, System fan control is tied to PCH (southbridge) temperature. It really should have the option to go off CPU temp, like most other decent boards. Maybe we will see this in a future BIOS update, but I wont get my hopes up. I run them on 'normal' mode in the bios and use EasyTune software in windows to keep everything quiet. One more fan header would have been nice too, PWM or not.

Other Thoughts: Would be nice to have seen a PATA/IDE port for older drives, some of us still have piles of those things around. I guess the tradeoff is the extra pair of SATA ports, which I don't mind.

The side-facing SATA ports didn't bother me, they are in perfect position to route the cables through the cutout in my Cooler Master HAF-XM. Check your case for clearance before you buy!

Great service from newegg, as always :)

Pros: Replaced a Gigabyte P35C-DS3R board with this one, much like the old board build quality was pretty high, and ease of basic setup out of box makes this simple even for novice users. MSata on board is a plus, eventually I'll get around to using it. Lots of decent features and not a real high price tag. There are better boards out there but way the price versus, features you may not use and make your decision.

Cons: The front facing Sata connectors... This was probably the biggest PITA on my build. Prefer the connectors just straight up on the board. While I see the advantages for some cases, for mine its a deterrent made cable management a chore trying to keep stress off the cables and connectors.

Other Thoughts: So Far another good Gigabyte board easy to adjust timing settings, and overclock if you choose to do so. Still see potential issues dealing with spacing between the expansion cards and onboard components. Cable management on this board was an adventure with the front facing sata connectors, its a gimmick at best.
I am using the factory cooler currently on my I5 (not OC'd) and its running pretty cool even under load, one of my concerns would also be clearance with an aftermarket cooler setup if I decide to overclock.