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Three AMD AM1 Motherboards For The Kabini APU, Reviewed
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1. Kabini Appeals To Low-Cost, Low-Power

Does anyone remember VIA’s C3 processor, introduced more than a decade ago? Designed mostly for x86-based Internet appliances and kiosks, the mini-ITX platform it popularized was admired by builders who just wanted something smaller. After several generations of improvement, VIA's boards achieved some degree of mediocrity. In reality, though, compact dimensions, modest heat, and conservative power consumption were the only reasons anyone voluntarily chose those slow, expensive configurations. Sounds pretty industrial, right? There were even inventive technologists who used the C3 to experiment with automotive entertainment. 

Eventually, the mini-ITX form factor went in an entirely different direction as enthusiasts attempted to copy Shuttle’s portable gaming cubes. Meanwhile, low-power platforms like Intel's Atom continued to take over the roles formerly targeted by the original C3-based mini-ITX platform.

And then there's AMD. In case you missed our look at the company's most recent introduction on the processor side, check out AMD Athlon 5350 And AM1 Platform Review: Kabini In A Socket. And if you're not familiar with Kabini, the APU architecture that drops into AM1, give AMD's Kabini: Jaguar And GCN Come Together In A 15 W APU a read.

While everyone else was running around soldering CPUs onto motherboards, AMD took notice of the enthusiast backlash and retained its upgradeable ZIF socket. On paper, that means you may have an upgrade path, providing the next generation of entry-level APUs is still AM1-compatible. 

Motherboard makers have to appreciate the socketed configuration because it frees them up to design a wider range of products without outfitting each with different soldered-down processors.

Supporting a single PCIe 2.0 x4 slot and four additional x1 devices, that kind of flexibility could be important to some buyers. Even more important to AMD and its partners on the motherboard side is that those interfaces are built into the Kabini APU, without the need for the extra FCH (Fusion Controller Hub, or AMD's name for the southbridge component) found on its higher-end Kaveri platform. AMD’s Kabini–based Socket FS1b processors really are the SoC (System on a Chip) design that companies like Cyrix could have only dreamed about.

AM1 Motherboard Features
 Asus
AM1I-A
Gigabyte
AM1M-S2H
MSI
AM1I
PCB Revision1.011.02.1
ChipsetK16 IMCK16 IMCK16 IMC
Voltage RegulatorTwo PhasesTwo PhasesThree Phases
BIOS0505 (04/15/2014)F1 (01/27/2014)V10.0 (02/21/2014)
100.0 MHz BCLK99.98 (-0.02%)99.80 (-0.20%)99.80 (-0.20%)
I/O Panel Connectors
P/S2222
USB 3.0222
USB 2.0422
Network111
CLR_CMOS ButtonNoneNoneNone
Digital Audio OutHDMI-onlyHDMI-onlyHDMI-only
Digital Audio InNoneNoneNone
Analog Audio333
Video OutVGA, DVI-D, HDMIVGA, HDMIHDMI, VGA, DVI-D
Other Devices9-Pin Serial Com PortNoneNone
Internal Interfaces
PCIe 3.0 x16NoneNoneNone
PCIe 2.0 x161 x Open-Ended PCIe x41 (4-Lanes)1 (4-Lanes)
PCIe 2.0 x1None21 x Mini-PCIe
USB 3.0NoneNoneNone
USB 2.02 (4-ports)3 (6-ports)2 (4-ports)
SATA 6.0 Gb/s222
4-Pin Fan221
3-Pin FanNoneNone1
FP-Audio111
S/PDIF I/ONoneOutput OnlyNone
Internal ButtonsNoneNoneNone
Internal SwitchNoneNoneNone
Diagnostics PanelNoneNoneNone
Other DevicesSerial Com, LPT PrinterSerial Com, LPT PrinterSerial Com
Mass Storage Controllers
Chipset SATA2 x SATA 6Gb/s2 x SATA 6Gb/s2 x SATA 6Gb/s
Chipset RAID ModesNoneNoneNone
Add-In SATANoneNoneNone
USB 3.0Integrated-onlyIntegrated-onlyIntegrated-only
Networking
Primary LANRTL8111GR PCIeRTL8111F PCIeRTL8111G PCIe
Secondary LANNoneNoneNone
WiFiNoneNoneNone
BluetoothNoneNoneNone
Audio
HD Audio CodecALC887ALC887ALC887
DDL/DTS ConnectNoneNoneNone
WarrantyThree YearsThree YearsThree Years

Reminiscing about mini-ITX's history becomes even more relevant as we look at the legacy features enabled by all three boards. Asus even includes a nine-pin serial port on the AM1I-A's I/O panel, making it a more-suitable replacement for legacy manufacturing PLCs. And those printer port break-out headers certainly come in handy when your 20-year-old PoS software still uses a parallel port dongle for authentication.

2. Asus AM1I-A Features

The AM1 platform’s advantages are supposed to be that it’s cheap and converts very little energy into heat. Asus primarily caters to that theme, though its AM1I-A is the most expensive board in this round-up at $55.

Some builders might even argue that the AM1I-A is the most feature-rich, with both DVI and HDMI outputs on the back panel, legacy serial and VGA ports, and two additional USB 2.0 ports on the I/O panel compared to most competitors. And most users wouldn’t even notice anything missing, since the PCIe x4 slot has an open end to support longer PCIe x16 graphics cards.

Keep looking, and you'll find headers for a second serial port and parallel port internally, just like the 486s of yore, in addition to the two internal USB 2.0 dual-port headers. Yet, the one reminder that this is a fully modern platform, a front-panel USB 3.0 header, is left blank. Nearby there's an empty pad for the controller that would have driven the extra connectivity. Fortunately, Kabini does support a couple of USB 3.0 ports natively, and Asus exposes this functionality on the AM1I-A's back panel.

In total, the AM1I-A has two more I/O panel USB 2.0 ports and one more serial port—also on the I/O panel—compared to its competitors. It also includes two SATA cables, which are perfectly sufficient for AMD’s Socket FS1b SoCs, which enable two SATA 6Gb/s ports.

3. Asus AM1I-A Software and Firmware

The AM1I-A includes Asus Ai Suite 3, but the available functionality is extremely limited. Network iControl is carried over from higher motherboard models, but there aren’t many tuning options since the APU's multiplier is locked.

Asus is particularly fond of its firmware's default page, which is designed to provide simpler control of the functions newer builders might be inclined to use. On the AM1I-A, those settings include D.O.C.P., which is Asus' name for XMP (Intel’s memory profile technology) on AMD platforms, plus quick fan settings.

Unfortunately, D.O.C.P. decreases this board’s performance if we enable it with our DDR3-2400 samples. That’s because the feature would have used the slower CAS 11 timings needed to maintain stability at such a high data rate, while also using the motherboard’s top DDR3-1600 ratio. We instead leave it in automatic mode, which our memory specifies at DDR3-1600 CAS 9.

Even though we did not enable XMP, the AM1I-A still used the XMP profile's 1.65 V rather than the default 1.50 V specified by SPD for its DDR3-1600 CAS 9 defaults. This could add a couple of watts to the system’s overall power profile.

The point? Since AMD's AM1 platform isn’t designed to facilitate performance enhancements, we wanted to test all three motherboards at their default settings. If you'd like to tinker, you might benefit from Asus' advanced memory timing menu, which includes full access to primary, secondary, and tertiary settings.

4. Gigabyte AM1M-S2H Features

Before the advent of mini-ITX, several large manufacturers built space-saving systems on a previous three-slot standard called FlexATX. Proving it can party like it’s 1999, Gigabyte jumped on-board with a motherboard that’s microATX in name only, the AM1M-S2H.

The company calls it microATX for the same reason that makers of DTX cases call them mini-ITX: they're sticking to the most familiar name possible. This isn’t a problem for either example, since smaller boards fit nicely into larger cases. In other words, the AM1M-S2H gives builders with microATX enclosures a little extra room to spare. It could even breathe new life into the old FlexATX cases previously favored by Gateway and IBM (assuming your case has a replaceable I/O shield, of course).

Another benefit of the AM1M-S2H’s sub-microATX design is that if you really need a legacy printer port on the back of your microATX case, the missing slot is a great place to put the breakout plate. The associated header is found along the board’s bottom edge.

AM1M-S2H buyers gets two extra PCIe x1 slots compared to the Asus sample in today’s round-up, two fewer USB 2.0 ports on the I/O panel, and one more internal USB 2.0 front-panel header for a total of six front-panel ports.

AM1M-S2H buyers also get two SATA cables to interface with the APU’s pair of SATA 6Gb/s ports.

5. Gigabyte AM1M-S2H Software and Firmware

The AM1M-S2H includes Gigabyte’s EasyTune6 software, though tuning isn’t so easy on a multiplier-locked processor. DRAM ratios are selectable, but only go to DDR3-1600. And a few voltage levels can be increased, but without the higher data rates that would necessitate an increase.

There is a knob you can use to tweak the APU's GPU clock, and that setting is found in the board's firmware. But don't expect much from it; the Radeon graphics engine is fed by a single 64-bit channel of DDR3-1600 memory, at best.

As with the Asus board we just looked at, Gigabyte’s offering supports Intel’s XMP technology for DRAM. You’re still stuck with a DDR3-1600 limit, but some modules can push CAS 7 at this data rate with a little voltage applied.

DRAM timings can also be configured manually, if you really want to take the time to extract maximum performance from your low-energy CPU.

Even though you can’t overclock the CPU, Gigabyte still lets you dial in some “Loadline Calibration” to stabilize voltage. Consider this feature unnecessary until AMD can be convinced that we need a more flexible Kabini-based APU.

6. MSI AM1I Features

I shot MSI's AM1I with my new camera, which really makes the circuits of its AM1I pop. If anyone wants to tell me why the bottoms of my DSCRX100M2 images look uniquely out-of-focus though, I’m listening.

As for the board, it looks a lot like the competition from Asus. The MSI AM1I loses two USB 2.0 and one nine-pin serial port from the I/O panel. Then again, this board is also $19 cheaper.

MSI uses a full x16 connector for its second-gen PCIe x4 slot, which gives you access to the end latch that’s missing from Asus’ open-ended version. That could be important if you’re using a wobbly case. Also potentially important is the notebook-style mini-PCIe slot, which often hosts Wi-Fi controllers. Asus doesn’t give you one of those.

So what’s missing? Asus has two internal USB 2.0 headers like MSI, but also adds two more ports to the I/O panel. Gigabyte has two USB 2.0 ports on the I/O panel like MSI, but also adds an extra front-panel header. In other words, MSI's AM1I comes up two ports short of its competitors.

The parallel printer ports header is also gone, which could limit the board’s potential as a replacement part in certain PoS applications. Then again, I don’t think that’s the market MSI had in mind when it configured the AM1I’s slots.

Since AM1-capable APUs support only two SATA 6Gb/s ports, MSI’s AM1I includes exactly two internal SATA cables.

7. MSI AM1I Software and Firmware

MSI’s overclocking utility doesn’t work with the AM1I, nor is it listed in the installation DVD’s autorun application (even though it’s included in a folder on that disc).

We also find an old-fashioned Aptio overclocking menu in the firmware; the only thing you can tune, though, is slow DRAM. The APU's official limit is DDR3-1600.

Primary memory timings can also be altered, but secondary and tertiary values are hidden.

MSI includes its overclocking profiles menu, though there aren’t many things you can change that would make this option useful.

MSI configures its AMD motherboards to support Intel’s XMP profiles, though that technology isn’t useful with this RAM. We instead rely on the memory’s top SPD value of DDR3-1600 CAS 9, which runs happily at 1.50 volts without requiring manual configuration.

8. How We Test AM1 Kabini APU Motherboards
Test System Configuration
CPUAMD Athlon 5350 (Kabini): 2.05 GHz, 2 MB L2 Cache, Socket FS1b
CPU CoolerAMD Socket FS1b boxed (2-pin) cooler
RAMPatriot Viper 3 PV316G240C1K (16 GB) at DDR3-1600 C9 Defaults
GraphicsAMD Radeon HD 8400 integrated (600 MHz)
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 13.4
ChipsetAMD 13.250.26

We purchased a new, retail-boxed AMD Athlon 5350 specifically for today’s test. It will probably end up in the hands of a contributing editor, eventually.

We specifically seek out DRAM that defaults to DDR3-1600 CAS 9 for use in motherboard round-ups, since some boards don’t use XMP properly and others make unwanted changes when XMP is enabled. We started with Patriot’s PV332G240C1QK 32 GB DDR3-2400 kit and removed two modules, transforming it into the same company’s 16 GB dual-channel part number PV316G240C1K.

Far overcapacity for these low-power platform, Corsair’s AX860i remains efficient even at low loads. Since I don’t have any smaller-yet-more-efficient parts laying around, it stays on the test bench.

Benchmark Settings
3D Games
Battlefield 4Version 1.0.0.1, DirectX 11, 100-sec. Fraps "Tashgar"
Test Set 1: Low Quality Preset (No AA, No AF, SSAO)
Test Set 2: Medium Preset (No AA, 4X AF, SSAO)
Grid 2Version 1.0.85.8679, Direct X 11, Built-in Benchmark
Test Set 1: Medium Quality, No AA
Test Set 2: High Quality, No AA
Arma 3
Version 1.08.113494, 30-sec. Fraps "Infantry Showcase"
Test Set 1: Low Quality Preset (No AA, No AF)
Test Set 2: Standard Preset (No AA, Standard AF)
Far Cry 3V. 1.04, DirectX 11, 50-sec. Fraps "Amanaki Outpost"
Test Set 1: Low Quality, No AA, No ATC., SSAO
Test Set 2: High Quality, No AA, Standard ATC., SSAO
Adobe Creative Suite
Adobe After Effects CCVersion 12.0.0.404: Create Video which includes 3 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
9. Results: 3DMark and PCMark

The major reason to benchmark similar platforms is to look for trouble spots. When we don’t find any, we really don’t have much to say. Our 3DMark 11 results, for example, look equally terrible on all three motherboards, and the situation gets even worse in 3DMark Professional. Although the 600 MHz Radeon-branded graphics engine sporting 128 shaders sounds like it could be moderately capable, this isn't a platform you'd want to do much gaming on.

PCMark is a fairly good test for the “performance feel” of a storage subsystem. Even though our benchmarks don't run very fast, the Kabini APU’s integrated SATA 6Gb/s controller does a great job of facilitating quick transfer from our Samsung 840 Pro SSD.

10. Results: SiSoftware Sandra

We're only on the second page of benchmarks and it's already apparent that performance tests aren't differentiating these motherboards. Really, that's a good thing. If you're short on time, I'd typically suggest that you skip ahead to our overclocking analysis. Unfortunately, the Athlon 5350 doesn't give us much to talk about there, either. At least we'll have some new gaming tests to look at on the next page.

A single-channel memory controller really cuts into Kabini's memory bandwidth compared to what we're used to from dual-channel configurations, as shown in Sandra 2014. This will likely take a toll on gaming performance as well, though the weak CPU and GPU might bottleneck frame rates before the APU runs out of memory throughput.

11. Results: Battlefield 4 and Arma 3

Gaming performance on Kabini is weak enough that we’re using our low-quality settings for today's round-up. The Athlon 5350 cannot, for example, push playable frame rates using Battlefield 4’s middling Medium preset, so that becomes our ceiling, while we keep our fingers crossed that the Low preset approaches playability.

Failing to find any playable options in Battlefield 4, I started Arma 3 at our previous low mark, the Standard preset. Still unplayable, the game approached viability at the NES-tacular Low Quality preset. Perhaps VGA mode would help?

12. Results: Grid 2 And Far Cry 3

Based on an older engine, mid-range hardware normally blazes through Grid 2 using the game's High quality preset. Unfortunately, getting the Athlon 5350 down under a 25 W thermal envelope necessitated cutting the graphics resources needed to push ample frame rates, even in this mainstream title. We dropped below our previous low-water mark to test using Medium details.

Unable to get smooth gameplay in Grid 2, I pulled something older from the shelf and hoped it'd fare better. Far Cry 3 used to be a pretty tough title, so we dropped our lowest test standard from High to Low quality, yet failed again.

13. Results: Audio and Video Encoding

Dismayed by the inability of AMD's Kabini-based Athlon 5350 to play even semi-modern games at very low graphics settings, I was at least somewhat pleased to see its 2.05 GHz CPU cores generating decent audio transcoding times in iTunes and Lame.

HandBrake encodes occur almost in real-time, bringing us back to 21st-century performance levels. That's not bad, particularly since we're looking at transcode times across four Jaguar cores. That's AMD's less complex x86 architecture.

TotalCode Studio performance lags, but this is a motherboard comparison and the boards all look comparable.

14. Results: Adobe Creative Suite

MSI takes a small jump in Adobe After Effects rendering, but differences so minor are virtually zeroed-out when averaging this many benchmarks for our final analysis.

Spotting no more surprises, we move on to the next benchmark set.

15. Results: Productivity

MSI’s AM1I takes another small lead in Blender rendering. Not that anyone would wait ten minutes to render one frame. The threaded tests on this page all overshoot the target market of AMD's AM1 platform. Still, it's important that we establish just what the Athlon 5350 can do in these three motherboards.

The same AM1I falls slightly behind in Visual Studio 2010. This is one application where a platform that consumes roughly one-third the power of our mainstream parts produces more than one-third the performance. Hurray for efficiency!

16. Results: File Compression

AMD’s AM1 platform is sure to end up in offices where terminals once sufficed, so file compression could be the most realistic application of our benchmark set.

Gigabyte’s AM1M-S2H takes a small lead in our WinRAR workload, while Asus’s AM1I-A leads when using WinZip’s CPU-based compression.

17. Results: Power and Efficiency

What would a high-efficiency PC’s power consumption look like if its automatic configuration went wrong? The AM1I-A used our memory’s XMP voltage at default SPD values, and I suspect that's why its draw is higher across the board.

Performance parity looks as good as we can expect.

Using automatic configuration, the results don't look great for Asus. To be clear, we could have manually forced a 1.5 V memory setting. However, most folks won't know to do that, nor will they have comparison platforms at their disposal to realize the slight difference in power consumption.

If you're looking for an AM1 platform, purposely pick a memory kit rated for 1.5 or 1.35 V to achieve top efficiency from any of these three motherboards.

18. Choosing The Right AM1 Motherboard

It's always easiest for me to write value conclusions when the differences in price outstrip the dissimilarities in hardware design. This is exemplified by the similarly-configured $50 and $36 motherboards from Asus and MSI.

For one dollar less, you could get Gigabyte's AM1M-S2H, the FlexATX motherboard that fits superbly into a microATX case, but doesn’t fit at all in the mini-ITX form factor evangelized by Asus and MSI. The larger Gigabyte board gives you two PCIe x1 slots that simply don't fit on a mini-ITX board, though. Conversely, MSI exposes a mini-PCIe slot to serve a similar function within the limited scope of notebook-based parts.

I don’t like giving value awards to a majority of contenders in one of my round-ups. But Gigabyte and MSI really do serve two different markets. The only thing bad I can say about them relates to the APU I used to test, which costs almost twice as much as the boards, but won't satisfy many of our readers. Of course, I can’t deny either company an award based on market factors beyond their control. Thus, Gigabyte’s microATX / FlexATX AM1M-S2H gets its value award for its chart-topping position...

...and the $1 more-expensive MSI AM1I gets its value award specific to the mini-ITX form factor.