TUF stands for The Ultimate Force. The TUF series delivers a “tough” image. With a unique design and high-quality components (military-standard), the TUF series is born for pursuing preeminent stability, all-round compatibility, and extreme durability.
Start with the ultimate cooling solution, which combines TUF Thermal Armor for total airflow-boosting heat dissipation, and TUF Thermal Radar for real time temp detection and heat removal. The military-standard TUF Components, such as Choke, Cap. and MOSFET, enable rock solid stability even under heavy duty or severe environments. New DIGI+ Power Control presents an all-new precise digital power control for CPU, iGPU and DRAM for better efficiency and overclocking margin. More features like UEFI BIOS for full-scale performance tuning with easy BIOS Interface, USB 3.0 Boost technology, network iControl for real-time bandwidth control and USB BIOS Flashback for easy, worry-free BIOS update or recovery guarantee an incredible performance, easy functionality tweaking, and effortless system maintenance. The LucidLogix Virtu MVP enables up to a 60% hybrid graphics boost while the SLI and CrossFireX support in combination with the PCIe 3.0 capabilities push the graphics performance to a new level to bring you a brand new gaming experience.
"Ultimate COOL!" Thermal SolutionNew generation Thermal Armor boosts cooling with dual turbo fans, enhancing the original TUF thermal design and helping direct hot air away from components and the motherboard via smart shunt funneling. It covers the entire board with more powerful airflow, and uses special heat pipes to expedite thermal removal and make sure temperatures stay low. The dedicated I/O cover fan draws additional cold air in and expels even more heat for improved stability, plus special convection holes in the PCB facilitates underside airflow. Thermal Radar monitors temperatures in critical parts of the board, automatically adjusting fan speeds for better system stability. Fan Overtime keeps fans working in critical minutes post shutdown to extend component lifespan, dropping temperatures by 45°F in just ten minutes after the computer turns off. New Fan Off consists of a switch that disables fans should temperatures drop below a manually or automatically set level for effective power consumption.
TUF Components (Choke, Cap. and MOSFET; Certified by Military-Standard)Get rugged performance even in the most challenging conditions with robust TUF chokes, solid capacitors, and MOSFETs--certified through third-party, military-grade testing. TUF Choke, also known as the “Alloy Choke”, is made of a compound of various types of metal instead of standard iron, enabling the support of up to a massive 40A of rated current, 25% higher than conventional components. Furthermore, the single piece packaging also eliminates the emission of vibration noise, delivering superb characteristics as well as durability under extreme conditions.
New DIGI+ Power ControlNew DIGI+ Power Control includes multiple digital voltage controllers, allowing ultra-precise modulation and tuning for CPU, iGPU, and DRAM. This innovative and industry-leading ASUS technology provides an extremely accurate voltage tuning for better efficiency, stability, and performance. With the next generation Intel VRD 12.5 future power design, CPU wattage can be decreased by half, creating a cooler and quieter PC. This innovation of industry-leading ASUS technology provides the smartest control for better power saving scenarios.
LucidLogix Virtu MVPLucidLogix Virtu MVP featuring HyperFormance Technology boosts your discrete graphics card up to 60% beyond its original performance through the test of 3DMark Vantage. Designed for Intel processor graphics and Windows 7 PCs, it perfectly combines the performance of discrete graphics cards with fast computing iGPU. Also with the newly designed Virtual Sync, users can enjoy a smoother gaming experience by eliminating tearing artifacts. LucidLogix Virtu MVP could also dynamically assign tasks to the best available graphics resource, based on power, performance and system load. This allows users to fully utilize three times faster video conversion with Intel Quick Sync Video technology while retaining high-end 3D rendering and gaming performance, provided by both NVIDIA and AMD graphic cards. When the discrete graphics card is not required, power consumption goes automatically down to near zero, making the system more environmentally-friendly.
Intel Smart Response TechnologyIntel Smart Response Technology boosts overall system performance. It uses an installed fast SSD (min 18.6GB available capacity required) as a cache for frequently accessed data. Key benefits include reduced load and wait times, and lower power consumption through the elimination of unnecessary hard drive spin. This technology combines SSD performance with hard drive capacity, operating up to six times faster than a hard drive-only system.
SLI and CrossFireX SupportSABERTOOTH Z77 brings you the multi-GPU choice of either SLI or CrossFireX. The motherboard features the most powerful Intel Z77 platform to optimize PCIe allocation in multiple GPU configurations. Expect a brand-new gaming style you’ve never experienced before!
Learn more about the ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77
Model
Brand
ASUS
Model
SABERTOOTH Z77
Supported CPU
CPU Socket Type
LGA 1155
CPU Type
Core i7 / i5 / i3 (LGA1155)
Supported CPU Technologies
Turbo Boost Technology 2.0
Chipsets
Chipset
Intel Z77
Onboard Video
Onboard Video Chipset
Supported only by CPU with integrated graphic
Memory
Number of Memory Slots
4x240pin
Memory Standard
DDR3 1866/1600/1333
Maximum Memory Supported
32GB
Channel Supported
Dual Channel
Expansion Slots
PCI Express 3.0 x16
2 (x16/0 or x8/x8)
PCI Express 2.0 x16
1 @x4
PCI Express x1
3 x PCI Express x1
Storage Devices
SATA 3Gb/s
4 x SATA 3Gb/s
SATA 6Gb/s
4 x SATA 6Gb/s
SATA RAID
2 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), brown and 4 x SATA 3Gb/s port(s), black Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10
Onboard Audio
Audio Chipset
Realtek ALC892
Audio Channels
8 Channels
Onboard LAN
LAN Chipset
Intel 82579V
Max LAN Speed
10/100/1000Mbps
Rear Panel Ports
HDMI
1 x HDMI
DisplayPort
1 x DisplayPort
USB 3.0
4 x USB 3.0
USB 1.1/2.0
4 x USB 2.0
eSATA
2 x eSATA 6Gb/s
S/PDIF Out
1 x Optical
Audio Ports
6 Ports
Internal I/O Connectors
Onboard USB
2 x USB 3.0 + 6 x USB 2.0
Other Connectors
1 x CPU Fan connector(s) (4 -pin) 1 x CPU OPT Fan connector(s) (4 -pin) 4 x Optional Fan connector(s) (4 -pin) 2 x Assistant Fan connector(s) (3 -pin) 1 x S/PDIF out header(s) 1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector(s) 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector(s) 1 x Front panel audio connector(s) (AAFP) 1 x System panel(s) (Q-Connector) 1 x MemOK! button(s) 1 x Clear CMOS jumper(s)
Physical Spec
Form Factor
ATX
Dimensions (W x L)
12.0" x 9.6"
Power Pin
24 Pin
Features
Features
LGA1155 Intel 3rd/2nd Generation Processors Ready
TUF Thermal Armor - Total Airflow-Boosting Heat Dissipation
TUF Dust Defender - Repel the Dust, Expand the Lifespan
TUF Thermal Radar - Real Time Temp. Detection and Heat Removal
TUF Components [Choke, Cap. & MOSFET; Certified by Military-standard] - Certified for Tough Duty
New DIGI+ Power Control - All-New Digital Power Control for both CPU and DRAM
Pros: Easy setup, lots of fan plugs, bios very simple to setup and update!
Cons: Non at all!
Overall Review: Board developed a serious problem after 3.5 years so I requested an RMA and shipped it out.
The RMA process with Asus was flawless from start to finish! Only took 14 days from the time I shipped it out until it was back in my hands. If I had not purchased a board with a 5 year warranty, it would have been junk!
It also gave me an excuse to upgrade my system to the newer version Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1 which I am completely satisfied with!
Pros: Great motherboard for overclocking. Solid BIOS. Good software systems for bios updates, driver updates. Looks sleek.
Cons: Pricey. There are less costly motherboards that do a similar job. Dust cover makes it harder to put screws into the case during assembly - make sure you have a magnetic screw driver.
Overall Review: Using this with: Windows 8, i7 3770K, geforce gtx 670 ftw, 16gig corsair ddr3@1600, corsair tx650 psu.
Not sure what to say about the thermal armor. It looks nice but I'll see how hard it is to clean. After almost 6 months, there doesn't seem to be too much build up.
Pros: Sleek, beautiful, cool and the BIOs rock. Super easy to update and OC.
Cons: The main issue with these baords is the memory issue: Mine would only boot with DIMM slots b1 and b2 with tested memory. This seems to be a common issue.
This motherboard is VERY particular and using ram from its Qualified Vendor List (QVL). Do some homework before purchasing this board to insure your ram is on the list.
Another issue that can cause this problem is a bent pin in the CPU slot. After I purchased more ram from the QVL in the manual to be on the safe side, it still would read all the dimm slots. I decided to inspect the CPU slot before I RMA'd the board and I found one bent pin. I carefully moved the pin back and now the board works perfect. Still a huge hassle on an expensive board.
Overall Review: 1. Do homework on the QVL RAM. VERY Important!
2. Carefully inspect the board for bent or broken pins upon arrival. Mine was New In Box and had one.
Cons: Newegg seems to have difficulty understanding this board.
Overall Review: Ok so I bought one of these and some other parts, the system would shutdown abruptly periodically. After spending time with ASUS they said to return it so I sent it back. Newegg offered to send me a new one in parallel as long as I paid so I did that. Got the new board, same problem. Turns out it was the power supply (also from newegg). Meanwhile, newegg looks at the mobo I sent back and denies the return. They said the cpu socket was damaged. I asked for photos but they never sent them. Got the mobo back. Meanwhile they also denied the PS return because I had cut the UPC off to do one of their rebates. Sent the PS to the mfg and got that replaced. So now I've got this extra mobo which newegg said was bad. Sat around for a while until I decided to upgrade my sons computer. Popped in a cpu and it's been working great for 6 months. So much for the newegg return dept. They must have gotten confused by how the pins are swept on this boards' CPU socket. I do know newegg failed to follow through with photos AND I've been in this industry for 27 years so I know what I'm doing AND I know the board is working fine AND newegg kept my money.
Pros: Fast board, easy to install, solid construction.
Cons: The RAM slots are a little stiff and it's very easy to think you have your RAM seated properly when it isn't quite in all the way. I'm not taking an egg off for that though - you just have to be careful and make sure your RAM is properly seated.
Overall Review: I wrote a review above where I complained that the CPU socket pins were bent, but I was wrong. What I had thought were bent pins was a trick of light from something having gotten on them.
Also, the reason I wrote that it didn't POST turned out to be either that problem, or a RAM module not seated all the way in.
This board is great and I apologize to anyone misled by my earlier review below. If a Newegg employee could remove it I'd be very grateful. :-)
Pros: Very slick looking.
Extremely easy to use BIOS, even in advanced mode.
Fan overtime is wonderful.
Thermal Radar works like a charm!
Cons: Does NOT come with a unicorn ridden by batman.
Overall Review: I am extremely pleased with this board. Coming from an i5-2400 and a P8P67, to an i5-2500k and this board, it's just worlds apart performance wise. Stable overclock to 4.5GHz without a hitch. Very very pleased. I also love AI Suite II and ASUS' support, I never really did understand why people didn't...
System Specs:
CPU: i5-2500k @ 4.5GHz
MB: Asus Sabertooth Z77
RAM: 8GB G.Skill Sniper RAM @ 1600MHz
Storage: 90GB Corsair Force Series 3 SSD & Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM Storage Drive
GPU: Asus EAH6950 2GB Card
Case: Corsair Obsidian 650D
PSU: Corsair HX750
Pros: Color, built like a tank, thermal armor, usb 3.0, UEFI Bios, 5 year warranty, very easy to update the bios if needed. Too many pros to list.
Cons: People who buy this board and complain about the sata ports being "sideways". The sata ports are designed this way for better cable management. If your GPU interferes with the sata ports then you either have a cheap 40-50$ case that does not have a motherboard cutout or you are installing the GPU prior to installing your sata cables. This mobo deserves a high end case for optimal operation and ease of installation.
Overall Review: Not sure why some users classify themselves as "High" tech knowledge but they dock a few eggs because of the position of the sata ports. Makes no sense at all..
Pros: Easy setup, lots of fan plugs, bios very simple to setup and update!
Cons: Non at all!
Overall Review: Board developed a serious problem after 3.5 years so I requested an RMA and shipped it out. The RMA process with Asus was flawless from start to finish! Only took 14 days from the time I shipped it out until it was back in my hands. If I had not purchased a board with a 5 year warranty, it would have been junk! It also gave me an excuse to upgrade my system to the newer version Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1 which I am completely satisfied with!