In a really welcome move Gigabyte has revamped their software offerings and the result is a good thing. Both the BIOS and the Windows control panel are all new and much improved.
The biggest change is in the BIOS, the old screens and menus are buried or dead. While you can access the old text menus if you really feel like banging the bits old school (yo), there really is no need. If you are familiar with the last generation Gigabyte ‘3D’ BIOS screens you probably won’t shed much of a tear that they are gone. The replacement is pretty slick and useful.
All new Gigabyte BIOS, now with user configuration
The most obvious change to the BIOS screens are seen on a big screen, it now uses the full 1080p resolution for more than just bigger text. On both sides of the work area, the new Gigabyte BIOS lists off a lot of useful system status and CPU status items. If you are changing one voltage and need to figure out what another is, the list is on the left or right. It may not be a comprehensive setting list but there is enough there to be worthwhile.
If that sounds good enough, it does get better for the geeks among us. If you are an overclocker or enthusiast, you probably have some features you use more than others, and some you don’t care about at all. These are all never in the right place or ordered in the right way for everyone so Gigabyte has made it completely customizable. If you care enough, you can set up the BIOS menus and features to your liking.
The BIOS version SemiAccurate was shown was early and a few features weren’t fully implemented but should be there before the devices hit the shelves or as an update shortly thereafter. BIOSes are now customizable for looks and functions, a first that we are aware of and this is only the beginning. Gigabyte implemented a new framework that is far better than the old one on the first rev. It will only get better from here.
Easytune is also all new
On the OS side both EasyTune and @BIOS apps have been comprehensively redone. In keeping with the modern trend, pun intended, it is big, flat, and blocky with contrasting but customizable colors. On the up side it allows you to download widgets for added functionality and tweak far more than the last generation. While there didn’t seem to be any big bangs, it is once again far better than the old one on the first rev.
As a whole, with the Haswell generation boards Gigabyte has redone everything with one eye on customization and the other on the future. The two new software suites are both much better than their predecessors and according to Gigabyte, there is much more to come. I for one can’t wait to see it.S|A
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Charlie Demerjian
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