Thunderbolt is the next-generation I/O interface that significantly boosts file transfer rates. With transfer rates of up to 10 Gbps, Intel says that it can transfer a full-length HD movie in less than 30 secs. Compare that to USB 2.0 and it is generations ahead in both read and write speeds. Asus today announced P8Z77-V Premium, a mainboard that supports the exact same high-speed interface. It is the first Intel-certified motherboard with Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt is said to be two times faster than USB 3.0 and 20 times faster than USB 2.0 which remains to be the most widely used I/O technology across most devices. Each Thunderbolt port is capable of reading and writing 10 Gbps and up to six compatible devices can be connected to Asus P8Z77-V Premium. Fully display support with a monitor equipped with either DisplayPort or Thunderbolt is also made possible by a seventh port. But you won’t be limited to Thunderbolt with P8Z77-V Premium because it also includes half a dozen USB 2.0 and five USB 3.0 ports.

Hardware

Specifications	Asus P8Z77-V Premium Motherboard
Form factor	ATX Form Factor, 12 x 9.6 in
CPU	Intel socket 1155 for 3-rd/2-nd Generation Core i7/Core i5/Core i3/Pentium/Celeron Processors; Supports Intel 22nm, 32nm CPU and Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 depending on CPU types
Chipset	Intel Z77
Memory	4 x DIMM, Max. 32GB, DDR3 1066/1333/1600/1800(OC)/1866(OC)/2000(OC)/2133(OC)/2200(OC)/2400(OC)/2600(OC)/2800(OC) Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory Dual Channel Memory Architecture Supports Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) *Hyper DIMM support varies depending on CPU
Graphic	Integrated Graphics Processor Multi-VGA output support: HDMI/DisplayPort/Thunderbolt ports
Multi-GPU support	Supports NVIDIA 4-Way SLI, AMD 4-Way CrossFireX, and LucidLogix Virtu MVP Technology
Expansion slots	4 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x 16 slots 2 x PCIe 2.0 x 1 slots
Storage	Intel Z77 chipset: 2x SATA 6Gbps ports 3x SATA 3Gbps ports 1x mini-SATA 3Gbps ports with on-board 32GB SSD Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10 Supports Intel Smart Response, Rapid Start, and Smart Connect Technology Marvell PCIe 9230 controller: 4x SATA 6Gbps ports Support Raid 0, 1, 10 ASMedia PCIe SATA controller: 2x eSATA 6Gbps
LAN	Intel 82579V, 1x Gigabit LAN Controller Intel 82583, 1x Gigabit LAN Controller Dual Gigabit LAN controllers Intel LAN Dual interconnect between the integrated LAN controller and Physical Layer (PHY)
Wireless Data Network	WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n Supports dual bad frequency 2.4/5 GHz
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.0, Bluetooth 3.0 + HS
USB ports	ASMedia USB 3.0 controller: 2x USB 3.0 ports Intel Z77 chipset: 4x USB 3.0 ports or 6x USB 2.0 ports
Overclocking features	ASUS CPR (CPU Parameter Recall)

Features

One feature of Asus P8Z77-V is multiple SSD caching for installing multiple SSDs without restrictions on capacity. The same feature also allows installation of different HDD/SDD combinations for optimum performance. The onboard 32GB mSATA SSD enables fast boot times and reduces resume times coming from sleep or hibernate. Smart DIGI+ technology boosts performance speeds by up to 85 percent but can also reduce CPU wattage at the same time, cutting it in half.
These are but a few of the many cool features of Asus P8Z77-V Premium. Other functions include real-time network bandwidth control, USB BIOS flashback, and faster USB 3.0 Transmission with UASP. The motherboard also supports ASUS Crystal Sound for an improved audio experience.