Where is the Gigabyte GA-Z270X-UD5?

[timetrapped]

The GA-Z270X-UD5 is listed in the Buyer's Guide, but I can't find it for sale anywhere. I need a new motherboard with Thunderbolt capabilities (for an Apple Display) and that model seemed to be the only affordable option. Has it been discontinued? Are there any alternatives; perhaps another model with the Thunderbolt add-on?

Thanks!

 

[timetrapped]

Another question: can a USB-C port take a Thunderbolt display? In other words, can I use a motherboard with USB-C instead of searching for one that has Thunderbolt 3 labeled ports? Has anyone done this to know if it works?

 

[Jamesbond007]

The GA-Z270X-UD5 is listed in the Buyer's Guide, but I can't find it for sale anywhere. I need a new motherboard with Thunderbolt capabilities (for an Apple Display) and that model seemed to be the only affordable option. Has it been discontinued? Are there any alternatives; perhaps another model with the Thunderbolt add-on?

Thanks!

With the release of the Z370 and Coffee Lake CPUs in October, it seems that Z270 motherboards are going out of production. I can't find the GA-Z270X-UD5 available anywhere also and it seems to me that its production has been halted. There are two others, GA-Z270X-Gaming 7 and GA-Z270X-Gaming 9, which also supports Thunderbolt 3, but they also seem to be unavailable.

Unfortunately there are pretty much no motherboards available with integrated Thunderbolt 3 at present, except for one Z370 ITX board from ASRock.

 

[Jamesbond007]

Another question: can a USB-C port take a Thunderbolt display? In other words, can I use a motherboard with USB-C instead of searching for one that has Thunderbolt 3 labeled ports? Has anyone done this to know if it works?

If a motherboard has USB-C but no Thunderbolt 3 controller chip, then the USB-C port will not work with Thunderbolt devices. That's why boards like GA-Z270X-UD5 work with Thunderbolt 3 but boards like GA-Z270X-UD3 does not.

 

[Sean86114]

Luckly I bought the last Z270X-UD5 from my local Computer store, @Jamesbond007 have you tried hooking up a Thunderbolt Display with the TH3 to TH2 adaptor? Or do you know if this is possible? I bought this MoBo mainly is to get my th Display to work on my new hachintosh build.

 

[Jamesbond007]

Luckly I bought the last Z270X-UD5 from my local Computer store, @Jamesbond007 have you tried hooking up a Thunderbolt Display with the TH3 to TH2 adaptor? Or do you know if this is possible? I bought this MoBo mainly is to get my th Display to work on my new hachintosh build.

No, I don't have a Thunderbolt display.

As far as I know, you need to "activate" Thunderbolt 3 on that motherboard by installing a copy of Windows (no need to activate) and then installing the Thunderbolt drivers on it. Only then will the Thunderbolt 3 work in MacOS. I have not tried that yet on my motherboard, however.

 

[Sean86114]

No, I don't have a Thunderbolt display.

As far as I know, you need to "activate" Thunderbolt 3 on that motherboard by installing a copy of Windows (no need to activate) and then installing the Thunderbolt drivers on it. Only then will the Thunderbolt 3 work in MacOS. I have not tried that yet on my motherboard, however.

Thanks for the information, that really help me clearing some doubt, I guess this is part of the fun from building your on hachintosh!

 

[cloudfenrir92]

I called Gigabyte directly and they informed me that they have discontinued that model and their Ultra Durable line. The Z370 chipsets are the successors to those motherboards. However, they told me that these new motherboards will continue to support Thunderbolt 3.

 

[Sean86114]

Z370 and coffee lake is still pretty new for hachintosh I am staying way from them

 

[Jamesbond007]

I called Gigabyte directly and they informed me that they have discontinued that model and their Ultra Durable line. The Z370 chipsets are the successors to those motherboards. However, they told me that these new motherboards will continue to support Thunderbolt 3.

The Ultra Durable line has been discontinued? That is a pity.

No Z370 motherboard from Gigabyte offers Thunderbolt 3 support on the motherboard itself at this time. If what they meant by "Thunderbolt 3 support" is "by adding a AIC (add-in card)" then it is not quite meaningful IMO. Their own Thunderbolt 3 AIC, the GC Alpine Ridge, is very difficult to find. It almost seems to me they don't want to sell it. And of course, such an AIC may not even work on MacOS anyway.