Mother Board Voltage Control group is split into several sub-categories referring to processor, chipset and memory. It is very convenient that the first column reminds us of the standard parameter values, but we wish there have also been the actual voltages set by the board. During overclocking the board will automatically increase processor Vcore, Vchipset and Vmem set to Auto. If you want to leave the default voltage intact independent of the overclocking, set it to Normal.

Too high values are highlighted pink, while dangerously high values – blinking red. However, it is only true for the memory voltage settings.

If you take a look at the supported voltage intervals and increments, you will see that Gigabyte GA-EP45-DQ6 mainboard can send too high voltage not only to the memory subsystem:

• CPU:
  • CPU Vcore: from 0.5 to 1.6V with 0.00625V increment, then to 2.3V with 0.02V increment;
  • CPU Termination: from 0.8 to 1.1V with 0.1V, from 1.16 to 1.94V with 0.02V increment;
  • CPU PLL: from 1.1 to 1.5V with 0.1V increment, from 1.56 to 2.8V with 0.02V increment;
  • CPU Reference: from 0.445 to 1.03V with 0.015V increment;
  • CPU Reference2: from 0.44 to 0.8V with 0.02V increment, then to 1.0V with 0.025V increment.
• MCH/ICH:
  • MCH Core: from 0.8 to 1.1V with 0.1V increment, from 1.14 to 1.8V with 0.02V increment;
  • MCH Reference: from 0.5 to 0.76V with 0.02V increment, then to 1.045V with 0.015V increment;
  • MCH/DRAM Reference: from 0.55 to 1.01V with 0.02V increment, then to 1.81V with 0.05V increment;
  • ICH I/O: from 1.0 to 1.5V with 0.1V increment, from 1.54 to 2.3V with 0.02V increment.
• DRAM:
  • DRAM Voltage: from 1.8 to 3.0V with 0.02V increment;
  • DRAM Termination: from 0.73 to 1.01V with 0.02V increment, then to 1.435V with 0.025V increment;
  • Channel A Reference: from 0.55 to 1.01V with 0.02V increment, then to 1.81V with 0.05V increment;
  • Channel B Reference: from 0.55 to 1.01V with 0.02V increment, then to 1.81V with 0.05V increment.

The only settings missing from the MB Intelligent Tweaker (M.I.T.) section are those dealing with processor technologies: they have been moved to Advanced BIOS Features.

I doubt that you have ever seen an extensive Integrated Peripherals section like that. Of course, it increased primarily because of the parameters for four network controllers of Gigabyte GA-EP45-DQ6 mainboard.

PC Health Status is the only section where you see how the functionality of Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3 mainboard has been limited compared with its elder sister. Unlike their predecessors on Intel P35 Express or even older chipsets, both EP45 boards cannot recognize what type of processor fan was connected to them: a three-or four-pin one. However, Gigabyte GA-EP45-DQ6 has CPU Smart Fan Mode parameter that allows to manually set the rotation speed adjustment algorithm. That is why this board is capable of adjusting the rotation speed of three-pin processor fans, while Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3 can’t do the same. It is actually a little strange that so many parameters, even not the most essential ones, are the same by both mainboards, while trying to “save” at the expense of such a small but very useful trifle.

Gigabyte GA-EP45-DQ6 mainboard is equipped with a TPM module (Trusted Platform Module), therefore, there is a new section in its BIOS called Security Chip Configuration. You can enable or disable this module here:

It is the last section in the list, however, the BIOS functionality is not over yet. We can’t help mentioning built-in Q-Flash utility that can be accessed from the BIOS by pressing F8 or during system boot-up by pressing End. We would also like to point out an extremely convenient opportunity to save a complete settings profile by simply pressing F11 and to provide it with a detailed description. The desired profile can be later loaded by pressing F12.

Overall, BIOS of all Gigabyte mainboards and particularly Gigabyte GA-EP45-DQ6 is very functional. However, there are a few evident drawbacks as well as ways to improve, which we have already mentioned a few times before. For example, it would be more convenient if the parameters dealing with processor technologies could be moved from Advanced BIOS Features section to MB Intelligent Tweaker (M.I.T.) section. It would also be nice to have current voltage settings displayed here, too, or at least in the PC Health Status section. And of course, many overclockers have long been suffering from a typical peculiarity of all Gigabyte mainboards: their ability to suddenly reset the BIOS settings and continue booting the OS with all defaults without even notifying the user. Only if you get to the MB Intelligent Tweaker (M.I.T.) section you will get informed about it. Thank god that at least it doesn’t reset the already adjusted parameters to their nominal values.

In fact, it is overclocker’s fault. Nothing happens by itself. The installed parameters may have turned out not the most optimal ones, the system may have got a little over-overclocked. And even though the system may have booted just fine a few times, the problem surfaced sooner or later and the board had to reset all parameters. We understand that we need to continue searching for the more optimal settings, but why not stop and inform us about the problem on boot-up?

In fact, looks like they have been doing something about it already. For example, we discovered that unless we entered the BIOS and restored the necessary settings after clearing CMOS, the board would display the following:

Once the time elapses, the board will automatically load the last known good configuration. However, the user can manually select one of the previously saved profiles or access the BIOS to adjust the parameters. Very simple, but truly genius. It is way better than stop and wait for the user’s permission to continue like most other mainboards do. If Gigabyte manages to have their boards do the same thing after over-overclocking, their solutions will be a few steps ahead of all their competitors just like that. In the meanwhile, Gigabyte mainboards do the worst possible thing: reset all the settings and continue booting the OS…

In conclusion I can only add that despite a few issues we have already pointed out about the BIOS of Gigabyte GA-EP45-DQ6 mainboard, it has all the necessary theoretical functionality for successful CPU overclocking. Now it is time for us to see how successful it will actually turn out in reality.