ECS Z87H3-A2X Golden Motherboard Review
ECS Software
eBlu or ECS BIOS Live Update is software from ECS that allows the user to check online on one of ECS’ servers for a BIOS update and install it from Windows. I could not however, get this software to ever tell me if the BIOS was up to date or if there is a newer BIOS. After about 20 minutes waiting for the software to finish, I gave up.
The eDLU or ECS Drive Live update is a tool that will automatically go out and check the versions of the drivers installed on the system with the latests versions available from ECS. This software performed flawlessly and I was able to get it to function and update drivers after installing the drivers on the CD. Typically I do not use the drivers on the CD as they are out dated by the time the consumer gets the product. Normally, I would head to the manufactures (i.e. Intel, RealTek, etc.) website and snag the latest and greatest drivers.
eOC is the Overclocking utility in Windows. This was the HARDEST piece of software to get to work and even then it still didn’t work properly. There are four tabs at the top.
In the Easy tuning tab, only the Bus speed is available for tweaking. Now, I have an i7 4770K, where are my multiplier options. Maybe in the next tab?
Nope, not here either. Only voltage adjustments have been added for tweaking.
In the final tab of eOC are the options. This allows the user to automatically apply the over clocking settings they just set upon starting Windows or delay the application of the configuration for a short time until Windows fully boots.
Before I go out too far, admittedly I didn’t spend a whole lot of time with eOC. I tried a few things and the software just didn’t seem to function very well. Minor tweaks to the bus speeds were ok, but to ramp up any more I needed to hit up the multiplier, and that meant a trip to the BIOS.
The final piece of ECS software is the eSF or ECS fan speeds. This software actually worked very well. Similar to the BIOS, the CPU, System, and Power fans can be set here with one of four presets or can be manually configured. After changing the fan speeds and hitting apply it only took a few seconds for the changes to take place in the fans.
this board is funky. i like that it splays GANK proudly on the cover. so many connotation. then the heatsinks remind me of a waves and a waverunner. its like the motherboard a middle east dictator would use.
Thanks for the excellent review Tom. Those are my thoughts exactly Vajoiner. lol. GANK is an unfortunate name for a motherboard. There’s plenty of great ideas on this board but the price tag is certainly extremely high (although affordable to mid-east dictators. lol)