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Which A88X-Based Board Should You Buy For Your Kaveri APU?
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1. Four Motherboards For AMD's Kaveri-Based APUs

Enthusiasts are a vocal bunch, and they're quick to point out when certain companies force obsolescence more frequently than others. A good example was when Intel switched from LGA 1156 to LGA 1155 for the sake of integration. The platform controller hubs themselves were interchangeable, and many of the folks shopping for upgrade parts couldn't fathom replacing an entire platform for the sake of a relatively-insignificant component.

Fans of AMD see their brand of choice a little differently, pointing out that the company has used the same processor interface over and over again. Minor alterations often allow previous-gen CPUs to drop into new platforms. By necessity, the reverse typically isn't true, though. AMD often leaves owners of older motherboards unable to upgrade their CPU. At least the motherboard makers are happy.

Not that we fault either company either way. Yes, we're quick to fire off criticism when a company kills a platform after just one generation. But we also understand that changes to power delivery, on-die functionality, and requisite pin-outs take precedence over forward or backward compatibility.

Our A88X block diagram looks familiar, as it should. The chipset claims a new XHCI version for improved peripheral compatibility and/or stability. Typically, changes that small would qualify as a new stepping of the previous product, rather than an update deserving of a new model designation.

Personally, I believe that the primary reason for the new chipset name is to assure builders that they’re getting PCIe 3.0-capable circuitry. Also, AMD's “new” socket is meant to prevent builders from accidentally putting Kaveri-based APUs into boards that haven't been updated to accept it.

Welcome to AMD’s version of Intel’s LGA 1156 to 1155 transition, with the usual AMD twist that you can at least upgrade your motherboard while using your old CPU, even if we don't expect a whole lot of that to happen.

Rather, Kaveri is the only reason we can think of for anyone who owns an A85X platform to take the A88X plunge. Fortunately, that's a pretty compelling justification to upgrade all on its own. AMD is hoping to leverage its work germinating the HSA Foundation, back software development of heterogeneous computing-aware applications, and ultimately demonstrate its GCN-based graphics hardware accelerating workloads beyond gaming. Some of our benchmarks already utilize AMD's shaders via OpenCL, and our hats are off to AMD for its role in advocating the use of whichever hardware resources yield the best overall experience. Hopefully, more developers follow suit.

A88X ATX Motherboard Features
 ASRock
FM2A88X+ Killer
Asus
A88X-Pro
Gigabyte
F2A88X-UP4
MSI
A88X-G45 Gaming
PCB Revision1.001.013.01.1
ChipsetAMD A88XAMD A88XAMD A88XAMD A88X
Voltage RegulatorSix phasesEight phasesEight phasesSix phases
BIOSP1.80 (02/20/2014)0904 (02/19/2014)F5c (02/06/2014)1.0 (01/23/2014)
100.0 MHz BCLK99.80 (-0.20%)99.98 (-0.02%)100.51 (+0.51%)100.48 (+0.48%)
I/O Panel Connectors
P/S 21111
USB 3.04446
USB 2.04222
Network1111
CLR_CMOS Button1NoneNoneNone
Digital Audio OutOpticalOpticalOpticalOptical
Digital Audio InNoneNoneNoneNone
Analog Audio5566
Video OutVGA, DVI-D, HDMIDisplayPort, HDMI, VGA, DVI-DVGA, DVI-D, HDMI, DisplayPortVGA, DVI-D, HDMI, DisplayPort
Other DevicesNoneDual eSATA, USB BIOS FlashbackeSATANone
Internal Interfaces
PCIe 3.0 x161 (x16 link)2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8)2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8)2 (x16/x0 or x8/x8)
PCIe 2.0 x161 (x4 link)1 (x4 link)1 (x4 link)1 (x4 link)
PCIe 2.0 x1223 (1-shared w/slot above)3 (2 share 1-lane)
USB 3.01 (2-ports)1 (2-ports)2 (4-ports)1 (2-ports)
USB 2.03 (6-ports)4 (8-ports)4 (8-ports)3 (6-ports)
SATA 6.0 Gb/s8678
4-Pin Fan2533
3-Pin Fan4None12
FP-Audio1111
S/PDIF I/ONoneOutput-onlyOutput-onlyNone
Internal ButtonsNoneMemOK, BIOS_FLBK, DirectKeyPower, Reset, CMOS selectorOC Genie, Power, Reset, CLR_CMOS
Internal SwitchNoneEPU, TPUNoneOC mode, Slow mode
Diagnostics PanelNoneNumericNumericNumeric
Other Devices3x PCI, Serial COM portSerial COM portSerial COM portSerial COM port
Mass Storage Controllers
Chipset SATA8 x SATA 6Gb/s6 x SATA 6Gb/s
2 x eSATA 6Gb/s
7 x SATA 6Gb/s
1 x eSATA 6Gb/s
8 x SATA 6Gb/s
Chipset RAID Modes0, 1, 5, 100, 1, 5, 100, 1, 5, 100, 1, 5, 10
Add-In SATANoneNoneNoneNone
USB 3.0ASM1042 PCIe
(2-ports)
ASM1042 PCIe
(2-ports)
VLI VL805 PCIe
(4-ports)
VLI VL805 PCIe
(4-ports)
Networking
Primary LANKiller E2205 PCIeRTL8111GR PCIeRTL8111F PCIeKiller E2205 PCIe
Secondary LANNoneNoneNoneNone
Wi-FiNoneNoneNoneNone
BluetoothNoneNoneNoneNone
Audio
HD Audio CodecALC1150ALC1150ALC892ALC1150
DDL/DTS ConnectDTS ConnectNoneNoneNone
WarrantyThree yearsThree yearsThree yearsThree years

All four major manufacturers are targeting the performance-mainstream market with full-sized A88X-based motherboards priced from $105 to $120, and the most expensive one includes a game certificate worth at least $20. Builders who value that title at full price will find a mere $15 separating the field. With pricing differences almost trivial, let’s take a look at what each of these boards can give us for roughly $112.

2. ASRock FM2A88X+ Killer

Even though the A88X Fusion Controller Hub was released in concert with Socket FM2+, ASRock still sees the need to be clear by adding a plus symbol to the name of its FM2A88X+ Killer. The rest of the name lets us know right away that it’s equipped with a PCIe-based Killer E2205 GbE controller.

Other improved features include an extra pair of USB 3.0 ports via ASMedia’s ASM1042 controller and DTS Connect software for Realtek’s ALC1150 eight-channel audio codec. The extra ports are only needed because the A88X’s aging design supports only four ports natively.

Four USB 2.0 ports on the I/O panel take care of basic needs, such as keyboards and mice, while the even more outdated VGA output simply wastes space, since the same function could have been achieved through a DVI-I (rather than DVI-D) connector. The more flexible DisplayPort interface is sorely missing, though users of native 1080p displays might prefer the HDMI output.

ASRock doesn’t outfit the top of the board with a bunch of buttons, though it does add a CLR_CMOS switch to the I/O panel. Instead, we find a tidy collection of AMD-supported features, such as a single PCIe 3.0-capable x16 slot, a four-lane PCIe 2.0 slot in a x16-length connector, two USB 3.0 ports on an internal front-panel header, and eight SATA 6Gb/s ports carried forward to A88X from the older A85X FCH.

Missing are cost-adding PCIe switches that could have allowed the A88X chipset to support two cards in x8 slots using PCIe 3.0 signaling, though ASRock already knows that most of the cards able to benefit from such a configuration overpower AMD's mainstream APU. Whatever bandwidth the company makes available to a second graphics card should be suitable for most non-gaming needs, such as crypto-currency mining and additional display connectivity.

The FM2A88X+ Killer also has two single-lane PCIe 2.0 slots, though adding a graphics card will cover one of them. ASRock appears to favor legacy PCI in this design.

A replaceable BIOS IC simplifies repairs on a board that’s probably too entry-level to justify a dual-BIOS implementation. Other layout advantages include power and USB 3.0 connectors within easy reach of their corresponding cables. Our only criticism concerns the FP-Audio connector that’s shoved all the way into the bottom-rear corner. This isn't relevant to most folks, but we still review cases that lack the cable length to reach.

We feel that two is the minimum number of SATA cables required to fill the needs of most entry-level builders. While we’re not pleased to see a manufacturer skate by on our bare minimums, that’s exactly the number of cables found in the FM2A88X+ Killer installation kit.

3. FM2A88X+ Killer Firmware

The top tuning option for ASRock’s FM2A88X+ Killer offers several factory-defined overclocks, from which the 4.2 GHz setting got us closest to our desired voltage levels.

Switching back to manual mode, we found that the 1.2625 V setting brought this processor closest to CPU thermal limits that generally occur at actual outputs exceeding 1.45 V. We can’t think of a good reason to push any CPU manufactured at 28 nm beyond that voltage.

The 4.59 GHz frequency achieved by our A10-7850K sample on ASRock’s FM2A88X+ Killer represents its 46x 100 MHz setting, with the board’s actual 99.8 MHz reference clock.

Thanks to its popularity with enthusiasts, XMP is an Intel technology that motherboard manufacturers now implement on AMD models. The looser timings and higher voltage triggered by XMP mode helped ASRock’s FM2A88X-Killer push G.Skill’s “Intel-optimized” DDR3-3000 to DDR3-2496 on AMD’s integrated memory controller.

The FM2A88X+ Killer memory tuning menu begins with a timings table that could help enthusiasts find their way back to stable settings, without clearing current settings to start over.

Primary and secondary timings are completely covered, while tertiary timings are reserved for the motherboard to determine.

4. Tuning With ASRock F-Stream

The F-Stream menu opens to three power options, with the Power Saving setting able to drop stock-speed idle power by around 10% in our configuration. An Advanced button opens more easy-tuning options.

EZ OC profiles reflect those available in firmware. The same menu offers an Auto Tuning algorithm that increases CPU clock and tests stability continuously until it detects the CPU’s highest sustainable frequency.

Our A10-7850K reached a peak Turbo Core clock rate of 4.3 GHz at stock voltage, using a 3.8 GHz base frequency.

Additional overclocking options are found under F-Stream’s OC Tweaker tab, including CPU and GPU multipliers.

The full set of motherboard voltage levels are represented, though DRAM ratio is not.

Tuners can track their changes, along with other vital component statistics, under F-Stream’s System Info tab.

A click of the Hardware Monitor button pops up an image of the FM2A88X+ Killer, which should show every detected component. While this could be useful for indicating a component that stopped responding during an aggressive overclock attempt, it also erroneously detects graphics cards that aren't installed.

5. Additional F-Stream Tools

Much more than an overclocking utility, ASRock F-Stream is the launching point for most of the company's other utilities.

ASRock’s complimentary RAM disk software, XFast RAM, provides super-fast temporary storage for frequently-accessed files.

ASRock Fast Boot includes a reboot-to-UEFI feature that’s easier to find than Windows 8's equivalent, and its Online Management Guard lets you schedule Internet access restrictions. Far simpler in function, Good Night LED turns the power LED off.

F-Stream includes custom curves for four of the FM2A88X+ Killer’s fan headers, and a dehumidifier function that heat-cycles the system to reduce condensation.

Two gaming-oriented features, Key Master and Fatal1ty Mouse Port, let you easily set custom keyboard macros and mouse polling rates.

USB Key allows you to log into your account by plugging in a designated USB device, rather than typing a password.

The final F-Stream tools option, OC DNA allows tuners to import and export overclocking profiles.

6. Asus A88X-Pro

We don't give out awards for concise and easy-to-remember names, but we certainly appreciate Asus’ effort to keep nomenclature simple. Big on features, the A88X-Pro adds DisplayPort, eSATA, a Port 80 diagnostics display, USB BIOS Flashback, and a larger CPU voltage regulator for around $5 compared to ASRock's competing platform.

That’s a pretty long feature list for such a small bump up in price, but realistically, the added cost for some new functionality is low. The eSATA ports, for example, come from the A88X FCH's SATA 6Gb/s controller, and they only benefit builders who need no more than six internal 6 Gb/s connectors.

The A88X-Pro’s Realtek-supplied GbE controller is cheaper than the Qualcomm Atheros Killer E2205 on ASRock's platform, but Asus' feature advantage doesn't stop with the already-mentioned list. Enthusiasts who want to add multiple graphics cards will find that the A88X-Pro has three PCIe x16 slots, including the four-lane slot exposed by ASRock. The middle interface on this particular board is fed by eight lanes from the top slot, via four dual-lane PCIe switches.

Only one of the PCIe x1 slots will be available to power users adding discrete graphics on top of AMD's integrated Radeon engine, since the dual-slot coolers found on most performance-oriented cards block the second x1 link. On the other hand, if you go the three-card route, you'll still have access to a legacy PCI slot in the middle of the board, in addition to the top x1 slot. Mainstream APUs and multi-card graphics arrays are far from balanced in a gaming machine, but they could be a realistic option for anyone who needs a lot of compute potential for, say, a cryptocurrency mining rig.

The A88X-Pro’s layout is nearly perfect for every case I’ve tested, owing to the USB 3.0 header mounted above card slots and front-panel audio header slid around an inch forward from its traditional bottom-rear corner. That last part remains unbelievably important, since we’re still finding new cases with FP-Audio cables around half of an inch too short.

Without any good reason to criticize this layout, I can still point to Asus’ non-standard front-panel I/O header as the reason why case manufacturers haven’t been able to unify that bundle of leads.

Asus’ A88X-Pro includes four SATA cables, or twice as many found in ASRock's bundle. We also find a couple of header extensions, which can be used to bundle loose front-panel cable ends together prior to connecting the board. These wouldn't be necessary if everyone used the same layout, but they're still handy in today's non-unified world.

7. A88X-Pro Firmware

XMP is an Intel-backed technology for specifying more aggressive DRAM settings through a small amount of flash memory on the memory module. In general, Asus customers who want to take advantage of that feature and overclock other components must first choose XMP mode from the Ai Overclock Tuner menu before making any changes.

Asus has branded XMP for AMD as D.O.C.P (DRAM overclocking profiles), and its application of our memory’s DDR3-3000 profile at least allows us to use AMD’s top 24x memory multiplier together with a little extra reference clock. Unfortunately, the A88X-Pro tries to pair that multiplier with a non-bootable 125 MHz reference clock. After starting over at 100 MHz and working our way up, we eventually reached a data rate of 2542 MT/s.

Unlike ASRock's board, the A88X-Pro never breached our processor’s thermal limit, even after pushing the core to an approximate 1.45 V using the board’s 1.425 V setting. Better still, it continued to run a few degrees cooler, while also reaching 4.55 GHz.

With memory reporting moved to a different screen, the DRAM timings menu starts off with actual settings. Primary and secondary timings take up the first page.

Scrolling down a page reveals tertiary timings and signal controls.

Digi+ Power Control adds load-line calibration to reduce droop under load, plus voltage regulator and current limit controls.

8. Tuning With Asus DIP 4

Wrapped within its AI Suite 3, Dual Intelligent Processors 4 opens to a status menu with several minor controls, such as power-saving profiles and a link to the fan controller software, plus an automatic overclocking algorithm.

The “TurboV Processing Unit” menu provides firmware-level voltage and clock controls from Windows, including the board’s full range of reference clock, CPU multiplier, and voltage levels for the DRAM and chipset, in addition to the CPU.

GPU Boost settings apply automatic tuning to the APU’s graphics engine.

The opposite of TPU, EPU lets you pick custom power-saving features that can drop clock rates and voltage at various loads.

Also available in a firmware menu, Digi+ Power Control offers voltage compensation for changing core loads and amperage limit adjustments.

Four levels of custom fan control are available to five of the A88X-Pro’s fan headers, and a “Fan Tuning” button allows the board to pick settings based on the thermal profile of your specific CPU.

9. Additional AI Suite 3 Tools

Asus Ai Suite 3 offers bonus features for the A88X-Pro’s USB ports in the form of Ai Charger+, USB 3.0 Boost, and USB Charger+.

Ai Charger Plus adds BC 1.1-compliant devices to its list of quick-charge capabilities, while USB 3.0 Boost adds USB 2.0 Turbo mode and UASP support for USB 3.0.

From the hardware side, USB Charger+ is nothing more than a high-current port that moderately speeds the charging of non-quick-charge devices. The associated application sets the port to remain in high-current mode even when the rest of the system is in a low-power state.

Asus EZ Update searches for new drivers and firmware files, while the associated USB BIOS Flashback utility will also search for new firmware and load it to a flash drive for reprogramming at reboot.

Asus even integrates its Network iControl software into Ai Suite 3, allowing customers to access prioritization software from the same interface as the board’s other controls.

10. Gigabyte F2A88X-UP4

The second motherboard in today’s round-up with support for up to three PCIe x16 cards, Gigabyte’s F2A88X-UP4 combines an older ALC892 audio codec with a couple of extra front-panel USB 3.0 ports to attract buyers with different priorities. At $105, it’s also a little cheaper than the competing A88X-Pro.

Gigabyte scales its I/O panel down to a single eSATA port, but keeps the DisplayPort feature of its more expensive rival. This board also retains the outdated VGA connector, employs an eight-phase CPU power regulator, and includes a Port 80 diagnostics display. And that missing eSATA connector is instead found as an internal SATA port.

Up until this point, Gigabyte’s feature set appears on par with what Asus offers, and at slightly lower cost. But Gigabyte also attempts to boost value by adding two BIOSes, a firmware selector button, a power button to ease open-air testing, and a reset button for the same purpose.

Not all of the F2A88X-UP4’s features are available to all configurations, though. For example, the second front-panel USB 3.0 header is located beneath the bottom graphics card slot, and associated cables are too stiff to tuck under a graphics cooler. Populating one means losing the other. The seventh SATA connector could have similar issues, but only if your third graphics card is particularly long.

Furthermore, the bottom slot, wired up to four lanes, gets kicked down to x1 mode whenever a card is installed into the third PCIe x1 slot. We’re not sure why the firm didn’t share that interface with the middle PCIe x1 slot, or even eliminate the second x1 slot entirely and use its lane for the third slot, since any slot under the primary graphics card inevitably gets blocked by a heat sink and fan.

The front-panel audio header presents the only other installation difficulty; the cables of some cases are around half of an inch too short to reach the bottom-rear corner. We realize that most companies have placed this header there for years, but several chassis vendors continue shipping shorter leads. Many competing motherboard designs move their connectors forward slightly to compensate.

Imagining that your case has a long FP-Audio cable, that you don’t plan to use the seventh SATA header, you never plan to install a card into the third PCIe x1 slot, and you don’t have a second front-panel USB 3.0 breakout cable to install, the F2A88X-UP4 could be a great platform for dropping a trio of GPUs into for general-purpose computing. That's going to be an incredibly rare combination, though. If we instead treat the F2A88X-UP4 as a solution for up to two graphics cards, its layout similarly approaches perfection.

Gigabyte sets high standards for out-of-the-box SATA support, providing six internal cables for its seven-port F2A88X-UP4.

11. F2A88X-UP4 Firmware

Displaying a few key hardware stats at the bottom of the screen, Gigabyte’s M.I.T. menu is a launching point for several more detailed menus.

The advanced frequency submenu contains reference clock and multiplier controls, including CPU core, graphics, and DRAM ratios. Choosing a 46x core ratio and 100 MHz reference clock, we reached a stable 4.6 GHz at our desired voltage level.

The Advanced Memory Settings submenu provides redundant DRAM ratio control. Control over memory timings is achieved by selecting either “Manual” mode for all-channel timings, or “Advanced Manual” mode for per-channel settings.

A full set of primary and secondary timings can be individually set, along with a few tertiary timings and signal detection.

Unlike some of Gigabyte's other efforts, the F2A88X-UP4 conveniently places all voltage controls on a single submenu. These include advanced options like DRAM Termination voltage and Loadline Calibration (also referred to as Vdroop compensation).

Our chosen voltage limit for overclocking was 1.45 V. The F2A88X-UP4 had no trouble setting it, and medium Loadline Calibration kept that voltage stable. At 4.6 GHz, our A10-7850K sample remained several degrees below its thermal limit through the most brutal stability tests.

12. Gigabyte Software

Gigabyte’s EasyTune 6 doesn’t get its own page in this review because it does not yet work with this combination of motherboard, CPU and drivers. The company has acknowledged the issue and is working towards a solution in future EasyTune revisions.

The F2A88X-UP4 provides file and drive backup via Gigabyte Smart Recovery 2. Backups can be stored locally and remotely, and users unable to enter Windows can access those save points from the board’s installation DVD.

Gigabyte On/Off Charge 2 enables quick-charge methods, but was originally named for the increased-amperage ports that Gigabyte keeps active when the system is powered down (and still plugged in).

Gigabyte @BIOS provides firmware updates from within Windows, and synchs to Gigabyte’s servers to search for new versions.

Gigabyte Face Wizard is designed to replace the factory boot logo (splash screen) with user-selected images up to 640x480 at 8-bit color.

Because it modifies firmware, Face Wizard should only be applied in conjunction with factory firmware settings.

13. MSI A88X-G45 Gaming

An Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD registration key (worth $20 on Steam) and a Killer E2200 GbE controller add relevance to the Gaming Limited Edition label of MSI’s A88X-G45. The motherboard also exercises AMD’s triple graphics card option by splitting sixteen PCIe 3.0-capable lanes across two of its three x16-length slots (when a second card is added), and even bolsters rear-panel USB 3.0 to six ports through a third-party controller.

Add an OC switch for two levels of automatic overclocking via the OC Genie button, a Slow Mode switch to underclock (which can help with booting if you're using LN2), and you’ll begin to wonder what’s missing from the A88X-G45 Gaming. Power, reset, and CLR_CMOS buttons are still there, just in case you’re trying to run this motherboard outside of a case. A Port 80 diagnostics display is present for diagnosing an overclocking-incurred lock-up. And though the board has no eSATA connectivity, all eight of the chipset's ports are exposed internally. Even the eight-channel audio codec is the modern, ALC1150 version.

The $120 A88X-G45 Gaming does cost a little more than its rivals, but enthusiasts who want the free game will note that the included code more than offsets the price difference. MSI’s six-phase voltage regulator is the only specification that comes up a little short of Asus and Gigabyte, but we could have a tough time stressing even six phases with AMD’s mainstream Kaveri-based APU family.

Judging specifications alone, the A88X-G45 Gaming appears to be a top value. But only testing reveals whether the board can keep up with its competition.

And then there’s the matter of layout: MSI claims perfect slot spacing on its A88X-G45 Gaming webpage, but the image that shows three cards at triple-slot spacing is fictitious. A look at the board proves that the second and third x16 slots are double-slot spaced. In and of itself, that shouldn't be a problem for most cards, aside from the location of MSI's USB 3.0 header. Located beneath the bottom x16-length slot, the front-panel USB 3.0 header can’t be used in conjunction with any dual-slot card. Even some single-slot GPU coolers will get in the way, since the cables that plug here tend to be extra-stiff. Gigabyte has the same issue with its second USB 3.0 front-panel header. But at least the F2A88X-UP4 has a primary header in an easy-access location.

MSI beats Gigabyte's platform with PCIe x1 support. On the A88X-G45 Gaming, lane sharing occurs between x1 slots two and three, rather than sharing between the third x1 and third x16 slot. In other words, it is possible to use three dual-slot graphics cards at x8-x8-x4 mode, plus two PCIe x1 cards, simultaneously.

If we pretend that front-panel USB 3.0 doesn’t matter, the A88X-G45 Gaming appears a top competitor. But if we acknowledge that front-panel USB 3.0 is important to many builders, we need to treat the board as if it only supports two double-slot cards.

The A88X-G45 Gaming Limited Edition motherboard includes four SATA cables, documentation, and a certificate for the game titled on its box.

14. A88X-G45 Gaming Firmware

The A88X-G45 Gaming pushed our A10-7850K sample to 4.6 GHz at 1.45 volts with little effort. Memory overclocking wasn’t as simple; our DDR3-3000 modules only reached 2292 MT/s, in spite of the memory controller’s DDR3-2400 capability.

The 1.45 V setting took a little guesswork though, since the board only offers voltage offset. Full-load temperatures several degrees below the CPU’s thermal threshold are the best indicator that CPU-Z is reporting accurate figures for this motherboard.

The “Click BIOS 4” overclocking menu is fairly dense, making it easy to find the settings most overclockers access frequently. It even has DRAM reference voltage on the same main menu as main voltage, clock, and ratio controls.

Primary, secondary, and tertiary timings are all packed into a single page of settings. Unfortunately, the board is programmed to use tighter-than XMP timings if the ratio drops below XMP values. That meant we had to manually configure our RAM’s rated timings in order to get as far as DDR3-2292.

The Memory-Z submenu helped guide us towards timings that supported our RAM at frequencies above DDR3-2133.

15. Tuning With MSI Command Center

Users who prefer not to use the A88X-G45 Gaming’s adequate firmware might instead choose MSI Command Center for tweaking within Windows. It opens to a CPU overclocking menu with full multiplier and reference clock control.

Fan curve adjustment is also found under Command Center’s CPU tab. The program includes an algorithm for custom-setting fan speed to keep it within MSI-defined thermal parameters.

The tabs aren’t all that useful, since scrolling to the side is required to reach additional CPU controls, such as voltage. It’s possible to scroll through the entire range of settings without clicking a new tab.

Scrolling past the non-functional DRAM settings, we reach GPU ratio and voltage controls. Unfortunately, those sliders are locked.

MSI’s RAM disk utility is strangely found among its overclocking tools. Fortunately, it works!

MSI OC Genie wouldn't work with our APU, but that's probably because the Kaveri-based part is relatively new. Like Gigabyte, MSI continues to polish its existing software to add compatibility with new hardware.

Located at Command Center’s lower edge, the “Advanced” tab exposes several pop-up menus. Additional voltage controls are found here, along with redundant fan settings.

Command Center also includes data logging for voltage, fan speed, and temperature.

MSI even offers a mobile app to adjust Command Center settings remotely.

16. Additional MSI Software

MSI Fast Boot makes it easy to reboot straight to firmware. It also changes the UEFI to Windows 8 quick boot settings.

Killer Network Manager provides network management and packet prioritization options for the Killer E2205 controller present on both MSI's A88X-G45 Gaming and the competition from ASRock. MSI adds its own logo.

Live Update searches MSI servers for the most recent drivers and BIOS. It can even be scheduled to scan for these automatically at user-defined intervals.

MSI Video Genie offers image enhancement for video playback. Then again, AMD’s graphics driver does as well.

17. Test Hardware And Benchmark Configuration
Test System Configuration
CPUAMD A10-7850K (Kaveri): 3.7 - 4 GHz, 4 MB L2 Cache, Socket FM2+
CPU CoolerSunbeamtech Core-Contact Freezer w/Zalman ZM-STG1 Paste
RAMG.Skill F3-17600CL9D-8GBXLD (8 GB) at DDR3-1600 C9 Defaults
G.Skill F3-3000C12D-8GTXDG (8 GB) at XMP-3000 C12 Timings
Graphics
Hard DriveSamsung 840 Series MZ-7PD256, 256 GB SSD 
SoundIntegrated HD Audio
NetworkIntegrated Gigabit Networking
PowerCorsair AX860i: ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Platinum
Software
OSMicrosoft Windows 8 Professional RTM x64
GraphicsAMD Catalyst 14.1 beta 6

Thanks to its easy attachment mechanism and good overall performance, Sunbeamtech’s Core-Contact Freezer remains a top pick in my AMD testing arsenal.

G.Skill’s F3-17600CL9D-8GBXLD is the only memory kit in our lab that defaults to our DDR3-1600 CAS 9 test standard. Faster RAM always uses slower defaults, and slower RAM requires XMP to get there. The problem is that some boards automatically enable other overclocking features when XMP is enabled. Consistency rules these tests.

We replaced the slower memory with G.Skill’s DDR3-3000 kit for our overclocking stability tests.

Boasting 80 PLUS Platinum efficiency, Corsair’s AX860i keeps our voltage levels steady throughout benchmarks and overclocking sessions.

Benchmark Settings
Adobe Creative Suite
Adobe After Effects CCVersion 12.0.0.404: Create Video which includes Three Streams, 210 Frames, Render Multiple Frames Simultaneosly
Adobe Photoshop CCVersion 14.0 x64: Filter 15.7 MB TIF Image: Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates
Adobe Premeire Pro CCVersion 7.0.0 (342), 6.61 GB MXF Project to H.264 to H.264 Blu-ray, Output 1920x1080, Maximum Quality
Audio/Video Encoding
iTunesVersion 11.0.4.4 x64: Audio CD (Terminator II SE), 53 minutes, default AAC format 
LAME MP3Version 3.98.3: Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min, convert WAV to MP3 audio format, Command: -b 160 --nores (160 Kb/s)
HandBrake CLIVersion: 0.99: Video from Canon Eos 7D (1920x1080, 25 FPS) 1 Minutes 22 Seconds
Audio: PCM-S16, 48,000 Hz, Two-Channel, to Video: AVC1 Audio: AAC (High Profile)
TotalCode Studio 2.5Version: 2.5.0.10677: MPEG-2 to H.264, MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec, 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG-2), Audio: MPEG-2 (44.1 kHz, Two-Channel, 16-Bit, 224 Kb/s), Codec: H.264 Pro, Mode: PAL 50i (25 FPS), Profile: H.264 BD HDMV
Productivity
ABBYY FineReaderVersion 10.0.102.95: Read PDF save to Doc, Source: Political Economy (J. Broadhurst 1842) 111 Pages
Adobe Acrobat 11Version 11.0.0.379: Print PDF from 115 Page PowerPoint, 128-bit RC4 Encryption
Autodesk 3ds Max 2013Version 15.0 x64: Space Flyby Mentalray, 248 Frames, 1440x1080
BlenderVersion: 2.68A, Cycles Engine, Syntax blender -b thg.blend -f 1, 1920x1080, 8x Anti-Aliasing, Render THG.blend frame 1
Visual Studio 2010Version 10.0, Compile Google Chrome, Scripted
File Compression
WinZipVersion 18.0 Pro: THG-Workload (1.3 GB) to ZIP, command line switches "-a -ez -p -r"
WinRARVersion 5.0: THG-Workload (1.3 GB) to RAR, command line switches "winrar a -r -m3"
7-ZipVersion 9.30 alpha (64-bit): THG-Workload (1.3 GB) to .7z, command line switches "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5"
Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings
3DMark 11Version: 1.0.5.0, Benchmark Only
3DMark ProfessionalVersion: 1.2.250.0 (64-bit), Fire Strike Benchmark
PCMark 8Version: 1.0.0 x64, Full Test
SiSoftware SandraVersion 2014.02.20.10, CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / Multimedia / Cryptography, Memory Bandwidth Benchmarks
18. Results: Synthetic Tests

Properly-configured firmware assures boring benchmark results. Anyone who can’t tolerate the mundane will likely want to skip ahead to our power tests and overclocking results.

MSI’s A88X-G45 Gaming falls slightly behind in Sandra's Arithmetic module, but a look at our power charts could indicate the reason. Our benchmark script has wait periods between tests.

The Asus A88X-Pro produces exceptional memory bandwidth scores, even though the board chooses the same DDR3-1600 data rate as every other platform. The difference is likely due to secondary and tertiary timing optimizations.

19. Results: Media Conversion And Content Creation

Once again, we’re looking for problems in the benchmark charts and find none. MSI’s A88X-G45 Gaming takes a little longer to finish our After Effects workload, but that could be due to the CPU reaching a lower-power idle state between tests.

Asus finishes the OpenCL-based Photoshop filters test a little more quickly, and retests showed this result consistent. A check of BIOS settings for all boards revealed no single change responsible for that gain, but it could be due the A88X-Pro’s enhanced memory performance.

20. Results: Productivity And File Compression

We’re still only looking for problems in our benchmark suite, and we’re still only focusing on a few tests that appear to take a couple of seconds longer for the MSI A88X-G45 Gaming motherboard to start (after idling down).

We’re hoping that any extended time to resume from idle is also reflected in lower idle power consumption.

21. Power, Heat, And Efficiency

Noticing that MSI's submission appeared to perform a little more slowly in a couple of benchmarks, I theorized that the board might have been hitting a lower power state between tests. A look at our power charts supports that theory, as the same A88X-G45 that needed more full-load power than the F2A88X-UP4 also needed far less energy when idle.

MSI also has the lowest voltage regulator temperatures, though the hottest motherboard in this comparison—ASRock’s FM2A88X+ Killer—is still fairly cool.

Even though I enabled power-saving features, Asus appears to have devoted its attention to performance. MSI goes after lower power, but takes a slight hit in the benchmark results. Perhaps a balanced approach is most appropriate?

The most average performer, Gigabyte’s F2A88X-UP4, was also the most efficient. It achieved its power advantage not at idle, but at load.

22. Overclocking
BIOS Frequency and Voltage settings (for overclocking)
 ASRock
FM2A88X+ Killer
Asus
A88X-Pro
Gigabyte
F2A88X-UP4
MSI
A88X-G45 Gaming
Reference Clock100-136 MHz (1 MHz)80-300 MHz (1 MHz)100-200 MHz (1 MHz)90-190 MHz (0.1 MHz)
CPU Multiplier14-63x (1x)8-63x (1x)8-79x (1x)8-63x (1x)
DRAM Data Rates800-2400 (266.6 MHz)800-2400 (266.6 MHz)800-2400 (266.6 MHz)800-2400 (266.6 MHz)
CPU Vcore0.60-1.55V (6.25 mV)0.80-1.90V (6.25 mV)0.80-2.30V (6.25 mV)-0.10 to +0.50 (10 mV)
CPU NB0.60-1.55V (6.25 mV)0.80-1.75V (6.25 mV)0.80-2.10V (6.25 mV)-0.10 to +0.50 (10 mV)
A88X Voltage1.10-1.40V (10 mV)1.10-1.40V (100 mV)1.00-1.50V (10 mV)1.35-1.80V (10 mV)
DRAM Voltage1.17-1.80V (5 mV)1.35-2.14V (5 mV)1.10-2.62V (10 mV)1.10-1.40V (10 mV)
CAS Latency5-16 Cycles5-16 Cycles5-16 Cycles5-16 Cycles
tRCD5-19 Cycles2-19 Cycles2-19 Cycles2-19 Cycles
tRP5-19 Cycles5-19 Cycles5-19 Cycles5-19 Cycles
tRAS15-42 Cycles8-42 Cycles8-42 Cycles8-42 Cycles

Most of the boards in today’s test reached 4.6 GHz, except for Asus’ A88X-Pro at a similar 4.55 GHz.

Maximum reference clock could be important to memory overclockers who’ve already exceeded the Kaveri architecture's top 24x DRAM multiplier, or to anyone who somehow ends up with a multiplier-locked APU. Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI are closely matched in this capability.

Asus tops our memory overclocking tests even after also topping our stock-speed memory bandwidth tests. Performance and stability are definitely a killer combo.

MSI's firmware automatically attempted to tighten memory timings when we reduced memory clock rate, even though our frequency reductions were an attempt to recover from failed boots. The A88X-G45 Gaming might have been able to reach a slightly higher DRAM clock with more manual timing adjustments. On the other hand, our most recent tests show that data rates beyond DDR3-2133 provide no performance benefit to recent platforms.

23. Which A88X Motherboard Is Best?

The best board for fans of AMD's Kaveri architecture is a matter of perspective, since each buyer has different needs. It might surprise you, however, that price is not a major factor in this round-up. All of the boards cost between $105 and $120, and the most expensive model includes a game voucher worth at least as much as its price difference.

Anyone who doesn’t care about that game (and to be honest, it hasn't received the most flattering reviews) might be tempted by the chart above. But that purely objective graph also doesn't include the cost of added features, or what those extra capabilities might add to your experience beyond benchmarked performance. Incidentally, besides the included game code, MSI’s A88X-G45 Gaming also has the most inclusive feature set.

In fact, the least extravagant feature set doesn’t even belong to the cheapest board in this round-up. For $110, ASRock’s FM2A88X+ Killer doesn't support a third graphics card. For most folks, that won't be any sort of issue. After all, we're talking about AMD's mainstream APUs here, and any attempt to build a multi-GPU gaming platform is going to be an exercise in imbalance. But the factor still needs to be considered in a value comparison. ASRock does give you the higher-end Qualcomm Atheros Killer GbE controller, but so does MSI's A88X-G45 Gaming.

With its combination of premium integrated networking, three-way graphics card support, extra I/O panel-based USB 3.0 ports, and handy bench testing features, MSI’s A88X-G45 Gaming could have been our top choice for award recognition, and it is a great choice for a mainstream gaming platform with one or two discrete graphics card. It's telling, though, that something as minor as a single USB 3.0 header under the third graphics card slot is what complicates our decision. Not price. Not power. Not performance. But rather, layout.

Gigabyte’s F2A88X-UP4 nearly matches MSI’s feature set, and the Gigabyte board is also the least-expensive in today’s round-up. You do get a larger voltage regulator, if that matters to you, though our tests didn't expose any apparent benefits. Gigabyte also shares MSI’s triple-card USB 3.0 header conflict, but only with the F2A88X-UP4's second front-panel USB 3.0 header. That's right, the motherboard offers two. On the other hand, the F2A88X-UP4 has an issue where it shares one of only two remaining PCI Express slots with the third graphics card slot. As staunch opposition of slot sharing, that affects our judgement, too.

The final contender, Asus’ A88X-Pro, doesn’t have any of those problems. It also comes up shorter on features, though most of the missing capabilities are buttons that get hidden once your machine is buttoned up inside of a case. Asus even takes the precaution of moving its front-panel audio header forward by about an inch, compensating for the design issue of too many cases with leads that are too short. And the middle slot that Gigabyte loses? Asus replaces it with a PCI slot.

Most of us probably don’t care for legacy PCI, but it’s hard to deny an award to the only board in this round-up that doesn't come up noticeably short on features or land on our test bench with a significant design compromise. Even after tacking-on an extra $5 for Asus-exclusive features that many users like (but don’t want to pay for), and even coming up 50 MHz short of our top CPU overclock, Asus’ trouble-free $115 A88X-Pro takes the win.

Update: 3/20/2014: We love constructive feedback, and many of our readers let us know that the slow third x16-length slot offered by Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte isn’t an important consideration in their purchase decision. Configurations where the extra slot might be important, such as digital signage and crypto-currency mining, usually don’t need front-panel USB 3.0 (blocked on the A88X-G45) or an extra x1 slot (disabled in the F2A88X-UP4). The A88X-Pro retains its higher honor for enabling rarely-used hardware configurations, but the boards that don’t are equally viable to just about everyone. With that in mind, we’re adding our stamp of approval to the F2A88X-UP4 and A88X-G45 Gaming.