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Six A75-Based Motherboards For AMD’s A8 And A6 APUs
By ,
1. AMD's A75 Platform: The Triumph Of Adequacy

Never before has the term “adequate” sounded so good.

Following years of what we were expected to recognize as groundbreaking advances in integrated graphics (which were almost always completely insufficient for gaming, mind you), the Llano APU’s Radeon HD 6500-series graphics processors are the first to actually support a minimum level of playability across many popular 3D titles. While we discovered that fast DDR3 memory plays a role in improving graphics performance, this is incidentally what we were led to expect from Intel's HD Graphics 3000, but never actually saw.

Going head-to-head against Intel’s low-cost second-gen Core i3 lineup, AMD's solution doesn't just have a better graphics processor. Its accompanying A75 chipset also features integrated USB 3.0, potentially cutting motherboard cost. The APU also sports four additional PCIe 2.0 lanes, and AMD wouldn’t want us to forget its often-forgettable support for Dual Graphics.

These capabilities join up to enable a low-cost, low-energy platform with far better 3D performance than the competition offers. If that's the combination you're looking for, the hardest decision is going to be picking the right motherboard. And that's where we step in to help. Our first A75-based round-up consists of six contenders from as many manufacturers.

A75 Motherboard Features
 ASRock A75MAsus F1A75-M ProECS A75F-M2
PCB Revision1.021.021.0
ChipsetAMD A75 FCHAMD A75 FCHAMD A75 FCH
BIOSP1.40 (07/21/2011)8630 (07/10/2011)A752B720 (07/20/2011)
100.0 MHz Clock99.8 (-0.2%)100.0 (+0.0%)99.8 (-0.2%)
Internal Interfaces
PCIe x161 (Full x16)2 (x16/x4)1 (Full x16)
PCIe x1/x41/01/02/0
Legacy PCI211
USB 2.03 (six ports)4 (eight ports)2 (four ports)
USB 3.0None1 (two ports)1 (two ports)
IEEE-1394NoneNoneNone
Serial Port111
Parallel Port1None1
SATA 6.0 Gb/s566
SATA 3.0 Gb/sNoneNoneNone
4-Pin Fan231
3-Pin Fan111
FP-Audio111
S/PDIF I/OOutput OnlyOutput OnlyOutput Only
I/O Panel Connectors
P/S 2211
USB 3.0442
USB 2.0226
IEEE-1394NoneNoneNone
Network111
eSATA1NoneNone
Digital Audio OutOpticalOpticalHDMI Only
Digital Audio InNoneNoneNone
Analog Audio563
Video OutVGA, HDMIHDMI, VGA, DVI-DVGA, HDMI
Mass Storage Controllers
Chipset SATA5 x SATA 6Gb/s
1 x eSATA 6Gb/s
6 x SATA 6Gb/s6 x SATA 6Gb/s
Chipset RAID Modes0, 1, 100, 1, 100, 1, 10
Add-In SATANoneNoneNone
USB 3.0FCH IntegratedFCH Integrated, ASM1042 PCIeFCH Integrated
IEEE-1394NoneNoneNone
Networking
Gigabit LANRTL8111E PCIeRTL8111E PCIeRTL8111E PCIe
Audio   
HD Audio CodecALC892ALC892ALC662
DDL/DTS ConnectNoneNoneNone


A75 Motherboard Features
 Gigabyte A75M-UD2HJetway TA75MGMSI A75MA-G55
PCB Revision1.01.01.0
ChipsetAMD A75 FCHAMD A75 FCHAMD A75 FCH
BIOSF3 (07/12/2011)A02 (07/19/2011)V1.2 (07/05/2011)
100.0 MHz Clock100.0 (+0.0%)99.8 (-0.2%)99.8 (-0.2%)
Internal Interfaces
PCIe x162 (x16/x4)1 (Full x16)2 (x16/x4)
PCIe x1/x41/02/01/0
Legacy PCI111
USB 2.02 (four ports)2 (four ports)2 (four ports)
USB 3.01 (two ports)1 (two ports)1 (two ports)
IEEE-13941NoneNone
Serial Port111 (Mini)
Parallel Port1None1 (Mini)
SATA 6.0 Gb/s546
SATA 3.0 Gb/sNoneNoneNone
4-Pin Fan212
3-Pin FanNone11
FP-Audio111
S/PDIF I/OOutput OnlyOutput OnlyOutput Only
I/O Panel Connectors
P/S 2121
USB 3.0222
USB 2.0424
IEEE-13941NoneNone
Network111
eSATA1NoneNone
Digital Audio OutOpticalHDMI OnlyHDMI Only
Digital Audio InNoneNoneNone
Analog Audio636
Video OutVGA, DVI-D, HDMI, DisplayPortVGA, DVI-D, HDMIHDMI, VGA, DVI-D
Mass Storage Controllers
Chipset SATA5 x SATA 6Gb/s
1 x eSATA 6Gb/s
4 x SATA 6Gb/s6 x SATA 6Gb/s
Chipset RAID Modes0, 1, 100, 1, 100, 1, 10
Add-In SATANoneNoneNone
USB 3.0FCH IntegratedFCH IntegratedFCH Integrated
IEEE-1394VT6308P PCINoneNone
Networking
Gigabit LANRTL8111E PCIeRTL8111E PCIeRTL8111E PCIe
Audio   
HD Audio CodecALC889VT1705ALC892
DDL/DTS ConnectNoneNoneNone
2. ASRock A75M

We like short, easy-to-remember names, and the A75M certainly delivers on that wish. But does a short name also imply a short list of features?

The board's rear panel lacks a DVI output, but that could be excused if we view this as an HTPC-oriented part. Llano’s two different built-in GPUs are powerful enough to satisfy that role. They're even capable of light gaming duties. HDMI is, of course, backward-compatible with DVI. But if you want to attach a DVI display to this platform, you'll need to purchase either an adapter block or adapter cable.

ASRock questionably places all four of the A75 FCH’s USB 3.0 ports on the A75M's rear panel, leaving only USB 2.0 headers for front-panel ports. This might appear an odd move from the first company to respond to our call for standardized front-panel USB 3.0 connectors, but this could be in deference to traditional HTPC-oriented cases, which evolve more slowly than gaming enclosures and still typically lack USB 3.0 jacks.

If this were intended to sit in as an HTPC-specific design, we'd say that the board's PCIe x16 slot placement isn't quite right, since graphics riser cards typically align with the top slot. But if we use the A75M as a vehicle for utilizing integrated graphics, the top x1 slot could be used with a riser to support a tuner card.

Five SATA 6Gb/s ports connect internal drives, while a sixth port goes to the I/O panel for eSATA. All five ports are placed above the x16 slot to eliminate card clearance issues, though placing them there on such a narrow layout eliminates the flexibility to expose four DIMM slots (as you can see in the picture above). If you find yourself unable to live without memory expansion, ASRock does sell full-width models with the extra slots.

Less HTPC-oriented features include the full-sized serial and parallel port headers, which are most frequently needed to retain compatibility with old peripherals in commercial environments. That secondary market could also explain the presence of a legacy VGA connector on the back panel, where we'd rather see DVI or DisplayPort.

Two SATA cables accompany the A75M. Though we prefer to see at least four cables with microATX or larger motherboards, this is enough to comply with the basic needs of most builders. An online price of only $80 makes it even harder to fault the sparse installation kit.

3. Overclocking ASRock's A75M

ASRock doesn’t let a low price stand in the way of an overclocker’s desires, instead equipping the A75M with most of the settings needed to extract optimal performance from the finished build.

Builders can set the CPU multiplier up to 47x, and CPU-Z even shows the added frequency. However, our multiplier-locked processor stayed true to its 26x ratio, in spite of that errant reading (as determined by benchmarking the overclocked system). The only useful method for overclocking is via the APU's reference clock, and the A75M is very good at using this method.

Our VGA output stopped working above a 107 MHz base clock setting, necessitating the use of HDMI to retain integrated GPU functionality.

The A75M even includes CPU Load-Line Calibration to assist in the removal of “droop” under high CPU loads. We didn’t need it, as the board pushed our CPU to 1.40 volts under four threads of Prime95 using its 1.365 V core setting.

Primary and secondary memory timings are also adjustable within realistic ranges. Each menu item must be changed from “Auto” to “Manual” to reveal a second menu beneath it.

4. Asus F1A75-M Pro

Asus’ F1A75-M Pro goes several steps beyond its low-cost competitors by providing more USB 3.0 connectivity, more on-board graphics options, and greater discrete graphics support.

Though the board lacks DisplayPort output, Asus has most monitors covered with its selection of HDMI, VGA, and DVI connectors. Users with two HDMI or two DVI monitors can even use an adapter on the other digital connector, since these are cross-compatible.

Four USB 2.0 ports ease the installation of front-panel bay devices, such as card readers, in addition to the traditional port extension cables. Internal USB 3.0 is also available in addition to the I/O panel’s four ports, since two of the rear ports are interfaced through a third-party PCIe-based controller.

Llano-based APUs have twenty PCIe 2.0 lanes, so Asus adds a second graphics card slot capable of running in x4 mode. While that might be fast enough for certain mid-range 3D cards, its probably most useful for adding displays that won't be tasked with gaming. And choose carefully. A dual-slot card in that bottom slot would almost certainly conflict with the USB 2.0 and 3.0 headers lining the board's bottom edge.

Switches on the side support Asus’ TPU automatic-overclocking utility and EPU energy saving modes, while the MemOK button underclocks memory to make it easier to boot up with low-quality modules installed.

Like its lower-cost rivals, the F1A75-M Pro only includes two SATA cables. While we would have liked to see four cables accompany such a fully-featured board, we earnestly question why Asus didn’t include at least three.

5. Overclocking Asus' F1A75-M Pro

The F1A75-M Pro lacks the integrated GPU overclocking controls available on some competing products. However, more hardcore enthusiasts willing to spend extra on a higher-end motherboard could be expected to add discrete graphics to a platform like this one anyway.

The APU reference clock is easily adjustable, though we weren’t able to push it past the point where VGA output stops working as with competing boards.

A 1.3875 V core setting provided 1.40 V output at full load using Load-Line Calibration to reduce voltage droop.

Primary, secondary, and tertiary timings are all available to optimize memory performance.

6. ECS A75F-M2

As the second slim microATX board in today’s roundup, ECS’ A75F-M2 isn’t really slim on features. Two of the chipset’s four USB 3.0 ports are relocated internally for front-panel output, leaving a two-DIMM limit and the absence of DVI as its only connectivity shortcomings.

The A75 FCH has USB 2.0 aplenty, so ECS fills the back panel with eight of those ports.

Analog audio is limited to three jacks, but that’s enough to connect a 5.1-channel speaker system to the rear panel with headphone and microphone access on the case.

The combination of VGA and DVI display outputs seem to be optimized for home theater systems, but like ASRock’s effort, the ECS A75F-M2 also adds commercial-duty serial and parallel port headers. Front-panel USB 3.0 separates these two products, as does the top position of PCIe x16 that allows it to more easily fit the riser cards of some low-profile cases.

Two of the A75F-M2’s SATA 6Gb/s ports face forward, allowing the cables to slip under any long graphics card. The other four point outward to avoid conflicts with nearby drive bays.

Though its $73 online price qualifies this as a budget-oriented product, the A75F-M2 has the same number of SATA cables as the upper-range Asus F1A75-M Pro. That’s more of an indictment of the pricier product than it is praise for the cheaper product, though.

ECS’ overclocking options fit onto a single UEFI menu and focus primarily on memory. There simply isn’t enough here to justify an extra firmware-oriented page in this comparison, though memory data rates up to DDR3-1866 certainly boosts the graphics performance of the Llano APU.

7. Gigabyte A75M-UD2H

The GA-A75M-UD2H shoots for overkill on rear-panel connections, adding DisplayPort, eSATA, and FireWire when we compare it to Asus' model. On the other hand, it sacrifices two of the four USB 3.0 ports that Asus gives you, along with reducing internal SATA connectivity from six ports to five.

Front-panel USB 3.0 is still available, along with front-panel FireWire. That combination could make the A75M-UD2H attractive for both old and new home theater-style cases.

Gigabyte also adds full-sized serial and parallel port headers. Four DIMM slots provide builders with the best options for achieving maximum memory capacity. A four-lane PCIe x16 slot at the bottom of the board completes Gigabyte’s attempt to provide the most flexible and complete design possible, though again you'll have to be careful with the card you drop into it.

One more place Gigabyte exceeds is in its provision of four SATA cables. Though we only consider this number adequate, it’s still two times higher than most competitors.

8. Overclocking Gigabyte's A75M-UD2H

Unlike its competitors, the A75M-UD2H doesn’t allow tuners to fake a higher multiplier using APUs with locked ratios (currently, that includes all of them). Our CPU is locked above 26x, so 26x was the maximum we could set.

Gigabyte endows its A75M-UD2H with a full set of overclocking controls, including GPU clock rate  modifications, on a single menu. The board set our overclocking target 1.40 V core by default.

A DRAM configuration submenu includes primary and most secondary memory timings. Enabling “Manual” configuration disables “Auto” for all settings, but leaves the default as a baseline so that users need not experiment with unfamiliar timings.

9. Jetway TA75MG

Jetway targets the low-cost PC market by producing its TA75MG with the fewest I/O connectors in today’s roundup. Yet, all of the key features are still there. For example, the three most popular video standards (VGA, DVI, and HDMI) are retained. The only one you don't get is DisplayPort.

In fact, the DVI connector separates the TA75MG from low-cost competitors ASRock and ECS, making the TA75MG a more obvious choice for office duty. Unfortunately, the scarcity of I/O panel-based USB 2.0 ports could make that choice difficult.

Notice that we didn’t mention a scarcity of USB 3.0 ports. The A75 FCH only has four available, and two of them are found on Jetway’s front-panel internal header. This again puts Jetway ahead of its chief competitor ASRock, though ECS also has the internal interface in its favor.

Two internal USB 2.0 headers bring the port count up to six using a chipset that supports 10. Two SATA ports are also missing, for a total of four internal 6 Gb/s connectors. While both of these interfaces are represented well enough to satisfy the TA75MG’s target market, we’re a little disheartened to see so many already-integrated features neglected for the cost of a few physical connectors and motherboard traces. On the other hand, we can't deny that this board delivers a clean layout.

Jetway’s installation kit is a bit disappointing, like so many other boards in this round-up. Two SATA cables support a single hard drive and a single optical drive. Anyone who needs another drive has to buy cables separately, hurting the overall value of a value-oriented product.

The TA75MG does not support overclocking, unless your memory can be set to a higher data rate without increasing voltage or timings.

10. MSI A75MA-G55

The third high-end contender in this comparison is MSI’s A75MA-G55, which is the only board with its pair of PCIe x16 slots spaced properly to support two double-slot graphics cards within a microATX case.

MSI doesn’t forget that one of the Llano APU's biggest features is its adequate on-board GPU, adding the DVI connector that many less-expensive platforms lack. We might have preferred a combination of display outputs and bundled adapter blocks, if only to make room for more USB 2.0, though four of those legacy ports is probably enough for most users.

Two of the A75 FCH’s four USB 3.0 ports are moved to an internal header, located two slots below the middle graphics card. That extra space could make the A75MA-G55 the only choice for a second mid-range graphics card, though AMD’s controller limits the slot to only four lanes of bandwidth.

That same slot is also somewhat limited by SATA port placement; two ports are blocked off by the ends of long expansion cards, so you really need to be careful what you install there.

MSI's A75MA-G55 lacks the FireWire controller found on Gigabyte's A75M-UD2H, as well as the extra USB 3.0 controller on Asus' F1A57-M Pro. MSI seems to understand that most builders no longer need FireWire, and the lack of any additional USB 3.0 controller helps the firm keep its price $10 lower than the competing Asus model. Unfortunately, the loss of FireWire does not result in a lower online price compared to the Gigabyte board, though many users may still choose MSI's offering simply for its layout.

MSI includes only two SATA cables with the A75MA-G55, but adds an HDMI cable. As we were deciding whether to feel slighted or lucky in our finding, we only had to consider that an HDMI cable is far more valuable than an extra pair of SATA cables.

11. Overclocking MSI's A75MA-G55

The A75MA-G55’s overclocking menu is fairly elaborate, especially given the APU's currently-modest capabilities. Several submenus provide additional controls and information. Fortunately, the settings themselves are fairly straightforward.

In addition to the expected CPU voltage and frequency controls, MSI provides the chipset and GPU settings needed to overclock an entire platform.

The one submenu that also controls performance is dedicated to memory timings. Users can adjust the settings they’re comfortable with while leaving the others in automatic mode.

12. Test Settings
Test System Configuration
APUAMD A6-3650: 2.60 GHz, four cores, 4 MB Combined L2 Cache, Socket FM1
APU CoolerRosewill FORT120
RAMG.Skill F3-17600CL9Q-16GBXLD: 4 x 4 GB (16 GB Total), DDR3-2200
Benchmarked at 2 x 4 GB (8 GB total), DDR3-1600 CAS 9
GraphicsIntegrated Radeon HD 6530D: 320 Shaders, default settings, shared system RAM
Hard DriveSamsung 470 Series MZ5PA256HMDR, 256 GB SSD 
SoundIntegrated HD Audio
NetworkIntegrated Gigabit Networking
PowerSeasonic X760 SS-760KM: ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Gold
Software
OSMicrosoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64
Graphics and ChipsetAMD Catalyst 11.6


AMD was fresh out of A8-series APUs by the time this editor needed one, but the lower price of its A6 series makes the runner-up an attractive option for buyers in the $100 motherboard market.

Rosewill’s FORT120 might not be available on the market any longer, but it has proven itself the perfect cooler for our socketed AMD processors. Anyone envious of this older model can find similar performance from the similar designs of other manufacturers.

G.Skill’s 16 GB DDR3-2200 kit provided the four super-fast DIMMs needed to assess memory overclocking capabilities. We set these to DDR3-1600 CAS 9 for remaining benchmarks.

After determining that our 80 PLUS Gold-rated 760 W Seasonic power supply was 84% efficient at a mere 2.5% load, this editor decided to use it in every possible review.

We included a few games in today’s tests to gauge the benefit of improved memory with AMD’s integrated GPU.

Benchmark Configuration
3D Games
Aliens vs PredatorAlien vs Predator Benchmark Tool
Test Set 1: Low Textures, No Shadows/SSAO/Tesselation/AA, 1x AF
Test Set 2: Low Quality, No Shadows/SSAO/Tesselation, 4x AA, 1x AF
Call of Duty:
Modern Warfare 2
Campaign, Act III, Second Sun (45 seconds FRAPS)
Test Set 1: Lowest Quality/Details, No AA
Test Set 2: Lowest Quality/Details, 4x AA
CrysisPatch 1.2.1, DirectX 10, 64-bit executable, benchmark tool
Test Set 1: Low Overall Quality, High Shaders, DX 10, No AA
Test Set 2: Low Overall Quality, High Shaders, DX 10, 4x AA
Audio/Video Encoding
iTunesVersion 9.0.3.15 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)
MediaEspresso 6.5Version 6.5.1210_33281: 1080i HDTV (449MB) to iPad H.264, 1024x768
MediaConverter 7Version7.1.0.68: 1080i HDTV (449MB) to iPad, SmartFit profile
Handbrake CLIVersion 0.94: "Big Buck Bunny" (720x480, 23.972 FPS) 5 Minutes, Audio: Dolby Digital, 48 000 Hz, Six-Channel, English, to Video: AVC Audio: AC3 Audio2: AAC (High Profile)
MainConcept ReferenceVersion: 2.0.0.1555: MPEG-2 to H.264, MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec, 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG-2), Audio: MPEG-2 (44.1 kHz, 2 Channel, 16-Bit, 224 kb/s), Codec: H.264 Pro, Mode: PAL 50i (25 FPS), Profile: H.264 BD HDMV
Productivity
Adobe Photoshop CS5Version 12.0 x64: Filter 15.7MB TIF Image: Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates
WinZipVersion 14.0 Pro: THG-Workload (464MB) to ZIP, command line switches "-a -ez -p -r"
WinRARVersion 4.0 Beta 4: THG-Workload (464MB) to RAR, command line switches "winrar a -r -m3"
7-ZipVersion 9.2: THG-Workload (464MB) to .7z, command line switches "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5"
13. Benchmark Results: Aliens Vs. Predator

One way a motherboard manufacturer might try to trump the competition is by overclocking Llano’s integrated GPU. Barely capable of playing modern games, AMD’s integrated Radeon HD6530D still smashes Intel’s completely-inadequate efforts. But our 1280x720 target resolution still requires us to turn off the eye candy.

AvP is completely playable at 1280x720, and we might have even been able to increase the details a little before inconsistent frame rates would spoil our experience. Asus’ F1A75-M Pro takes a small victory.

The difference between average and minimum FPS is usually fairly low in this title, yet 21 FPS is still only playable most of the time. We’d probably use the performance in excess of our target in the previous chart to improve image quality rather than turning on AA or suffering through 800x600.

14. Benchmark Results: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Though it’s a popular title, Call of Duty has a reputation for presenting a light system load that makes it easy to play on nearly any combination of well-balanced hardware.

Even at 1600x900, CoD is completely playable using AMD’s integrated graphics engine. Asus retains its lead.

The addition of AA gets us closer to the graphics engine’s limits, yet there’s still enough room to enable additional features without sacrificing perceived smoothness.

15. Benchmark Results: Crysis

Prior to Metro 2033, Crysis was the game-based stress test for graphics hardware. Since many discrete graphics cards are unable to play the newer title, Crysis once again takes center stage.

Our target 1280x720 is easy for the integrated GPU at low overall details, and even 1600x900 is probably playable. Asus stays ahead once more.

The integrated GPU reaches its limit with 4x AA. We’d probably opt to disable AA entirely and use higher detail settings if we wanted to play this title using an APU.

16. Benchmark Results: Audio And Video Encoding

Apple iTunes does its job faster than Lame when encoding our soundtrack. System frequencies are similar enough that no difference is seen between the motherboard models we're testing. Identical results are arranged alphabetically.

Numerous performance differences can affect MediaEspresso transcoding times, leading to non-identical results. Hardware acceleration has significant benefits in MediaEspresso encoding time, though we've explored a few quality concerns in the past.

ArcSoft doesn't offer separate encode and decode controls for AMD’s APP acceleration, so it was only tested with both features turned on or off simultaneously. Asus leads, though the difference between models remains small.

Asus keeps its lead through our HandBrake and MainConcept workloads.

17. Benchmark Results: Productivity

Asus and MSI top the Photoshop benchmark by a small margin, while Jetway falls slightly behind.

Asus leads again in 3ds Max, and still the margins are too small for most people to notice.

The F1A75-M Pro’s lead finally becomes noticeable in WinZip, at least when compared to the slowest boards. On the other hand, MSI’s second-place finish is probably close-enough to win over a few buyers.

Asus and MSI repeat their finishes at the top of our ABBY FineReader chart, though again, the difference is probably too small for real-world users to notice.

18. Power, Heat, And Efficiency

Motherboards with more on-board devices tend to consume more power, while those with the most effective power-saving schemes tend to produce slightly lower benchmark results. We thus expect to see faster and/or better-featured motherboards at the bottom of our power consumption chart.

With its extra USB 3.0 controller and a slight performance lead in most benchmarks, we're not surprised to see Asus’ F1A75-M Pro using the most power. The slowest and least feature-packed board, Jetway’s TA75MG, takes the top of the power-saving chart.

MSI and Gigabyte constantly battle each others' marketing supremacy over voltage regulator temperature, and the two top our heat-reduction chart. The bottom two boards, ECS and ASRock, don’t use voltage regulator heat sinks at all.

The TA75MG comes to the table with around 1% less performance compared to the average of today’s samples, yet it consumed around 7% less power. That gives Jetway a big lead in our efficiency chart.

19. Overclocking
BIOS Frequency and Voltage settings (for overclocking)
 ASRock A75MAsus F1A75-M ProECS A75F-M2
CPU Base Clock100-136 MHz (1 MHz)90-300 MHz (1 MHz)Not Adjustable
CPU Multiplier16x - 47x (1x)8x - 47x (1x)1x - 47x (1x)
GPU Frequency253-800 MHz (4.5 MHz)NoneNot Adjustable
DRAM Data Rates800-1866 MT/s (266 MHz)800-1866 MT/s (266 MHz)800-1866 MT/s (266 MHz)
Core Voltage0.60-1.86 V (12.5 mV)0.80-1.70 V (12.5 mV)Not Adjustable
GPU Voltage0.60-1.86 V (12.5 mV)1.20-1.80 V (10 mV)Not Adjustable
APU VDDP1.11-1.80 V (15 mV)0.80-1.55 V (12.5 mV)Not Adjustable
FCH Voltage1.10-1.40 V (10 mV)1.10-1.40 V (10 mV)Not Adjustable
DRAM Voltage1.30-1.97 V (52 mV)1.35-2.30 V (10 mV)Not Adjustable
CAS Latency5-14 Cycles5-14 Cycles4-12 Cycles
tRCD5-14 Cycles5-12 Cycles5-12 Cycles
tRP5-14 Cycles5-14 Cycles5-12 Cycles
tRAS15-36 Cycles15-36 Cycles15-30 Cycles
BIOS Frequency and Voltage settings (for overclocking)
 Gigabyte A75M-UD2HJetway TA75MGMSI A75MA-G55
CPU Base Clock100-500 MHz (1 MHz)Not Adjustable100-131 MHz (1 MHz)
CPU Multiplier8x - stock  (1x)8x - 47x  (1x)16x - 40x (1x)
GPU Frequency300-2000 MHz (1MHz)Not Adjustable400-2000 MHz (1MHz)
DRAM Data Rates1066-1866 MT/s (266 MHz)800-1866 MT/s (266 MHz)800-1866 MT/s (266 MHz)
Core Voltage-0.60V to +0.40 V (25 mV)Not Adjustable1.41-2.00 V (10 mV)
GPU Voltage-0.60V to +0.30 V (25 mV)Not Adjustable1.18-1.50 V (10 mV)
APU VDDP0.73-1.84 V (5 mV)Not AdjustableNot adjustable
FCH Voltage0.63-1.74 V (5 mV)Not AdjustableNot adjustable
DRAM Voltage1.03-2.14 V (5 mV)Not Adjustable1.37-1.90 V (10 mV)
CAS Latency5-14 CyclesNot Adjustable5-14 Cycles
tRCD5-14 CyclesNot Adjustable5-14 Cycles
tRP5-14 CyclesNot Adjustable5-14 Cycles
tRAS15-36 CyclesNot Adjustable15-36 Cycles


ASRock, Gigabyte and MSI have addressed Chris’ unsuccessful Llano overclocking efforts with changes that allow the SATA controller to continue functioning at higher base clock rates. The analog VGA output still ceases to operate at reference clocks beyond 107 MHz, but integrated digital outputs and discrete graphics cards function normally. This is just one more reason for us to ditch VGA altogether.

With SATA controller functionality no longer an issue, our SSD worked even with Gigabyte’s A75M-UD2H running at 144 MHz. Of course the CPU wasn’t as forgiving, and we did have to lower its multiplier to reach this high reference clock.

A 143 MHz base clock worked at the CPU’s stock (maximum) multiplier, allowing Gigabyte’s A75M-UD2H to push an impressive 3.7 GHz CPU clock out of our lowly A6-3650 APU.

AMD’s memory overclocking issues appear to be a thing of the past, as ASRock’s A75M pushed our DDR3-2200 memory past the rating of its intended (P67-based) platform.

20. Which A75-Based Motherboard Is The Best?

The Asus F1A75-M Pro demonstrated the best performance, but it didn't turn out as well in our overclocking efforts. Gigabyte’s A75M-UD2H was a great overclocker, but had 2% lower performance than the F1A75-M Pro. Jetway showed us the best efficiency, but finished at the bottom of our performance charts. Any further discussion of stock performance is probably narrow-minded anyway, since a mere three percentage points separated the top from the bottom model.

Price is where ECS makes known the presence of its A75F-M2. Representing the next step down from a features standpoint, Jetway might have a hard time beating that mark, though we couldn't find its offering for sale anywhere, anyway. Meanwhile, ASRock’s similarly-equipped motherboard at least offers middle-of-the-road overclocking capabilities, which is something that ECS ignores completely.

ECS splits the A75 FCH's USB 3.0 ports between front-panel and rear-panel outputs, while ASRock places all four ports exclusively around back. While it would be easy for budget builders to choose between both boards based on whether or not their case has front-panel USB 3.0, differences in overclocking capability and price complicate that decision. We’d probably recommend the A75F-M2 to white-box builders, since overclocking is less desirable, while front-panel USB 3.0 is more valued. That leaves the A75M as a low-cost option for hobbyists.

Buyers looking for more features could balance Gigabyte’s FireWire controller against Asus’ extra pair of USB 3.0 ports. The importance of USB 3.0 continues to grow, while FireWire fades into history. But Gigabyte’s A75M-UD2H also costs 10% less than the F1A75-M Pro. Superb overclocking capability puts a huge spotlight on Gigabyte’s value-oriented price, while Asus’ F1A75-M Pro appears to be a big upgrade over ECS for system integrators to consider.

MSI has the best slot layout for dual graphics cards, yet the APUs that fit its A75MA-G55 aren’t designed for high-end gaming configurations. That means its multi-GPU support is best targeted towards office users with multiple monitors. Any of us could combine MSI’s mid-grade overclocking capability, four DIMM slots, and multiple GPU support to build a truly high-end office PC, though we’re fairly certain most of its buyers will instead focus on the APU’s low energy consumption.

With so many good choices available, the easiest way to pick a winner would be to apply our own proclivity for choosing the lowest-cost option able to enable the highest performance. Doing so allows us to recognize Gigabyte’s A75M-UD2H for its modest pricing and unsurpassed overclocking capability.