Zotac Has a Bigger and Badder SuperOverclock Motherboard Too

We've seen the small, mini-ITX 7-Series motherboard from Zotac, and now we get to look at what is essentially the polar opposite, in both size and features. 

The ZT-Z77-U1D SuperOverclock hasn't actually been launched officially, or at least we haven't spotted the press release yet. 

Instead, it is Expreview that got a hold of the press photos and the specifications. 

Just looking at the mainboard is enough to see that Zotac has every intention of using this as one of, if not the flagship, Z77 models. 

A 27-phase VRM powers the LGA 1155 socket. That's right, this is a professional overclockers' board, pure and simple. 

Since we're on the subject, we suppose it wouldn't hurt to elaborate on the VRM: it uses AIO ferrite-core solid-state chokes, DrMOS, tantalum capacitors, a super-ML multiphase capacitor (for power conditioning) and a VRD12-compliant controller. 

The VRM isn't the only thing that makes Zotac's creation so well-suited for clock tweaking. 

The company also tossed in a redundant UEFI BIOS, onboard switchers, POST LEDs, consolidated voltage measurement points and a lot of room on the upper half, for easy application of LN2 pots. 

Everything else about the ZT-Z77-U1D is what one would expect from a high-end Panther Point motherboard. 

Two PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots (x8/x8 in dual-card mode) are accompanied by four PCI Express 2.0 x1 slots. 

Buyers will also find six SATA ports (two SATA 6.0 Gbps, four SATA 3.0 Gbps) and a rear I/O panel with DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, 8+2 channel HD audio, Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 3.0 ports (four more are available via headers), some USB 2.0 ports and, naturally, wireless support (802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0). 

Finally, everything gets power through an 8-pin EPS connector and a 4-pin Molex (optional, only needed if two slot-powered video cards are present).

Posted in: Hardware, Preview