When it comes to the popularity of our stories, CPUs run second only to new graphics cards (which seem to get everyone's blood pumping the fastest). Motherboards fall behind quite a ways. That's a shame though, because the right board is an absolute necessity for connecting processors to GPUs, and every other components inside your machine.
This is where AMD gives a lot of love to its customers, whereas Intel tends to skimp more often. Nowhere is the difference between both company's mainstream parts more evident than in the chipset segment. The 990FX's 42 total PCIe 2.0 lanes provide a lot more potential throughput than Intel's popular Z68 Express, which is limited to 16 lanes from the CPU and a handful more on the Platform Controller Hub.

Of course, a fan of Intel's work could argue against the need for 42 lanes of second-gen PCIe when the 36 native to X58 Express support multi-card graphics configurations just as capably. But such a comparison really isn't necessary. After all, we've known for almost a year that Intel’s lower-cost Sandy Bridge-based part outperform the pricey six-core Gulftown-based processors in many desktop benchmarks, including pretty much every gaming scenario we throw at the two platforms.
And, it just so happens that Intel's mainstream (and multiplier-unlocked) Core i5 and Core i7 chips are more in the same league as AMD's most expensive enthusiast-oriented FX CPU.
The Importance Of PCIe
Gaming is where the Sandy Bridge architecture most easily proves that you don't need a thousand-dollar processor to turn in the best frame rates, and that's in spite of the 16 lanes built into each CPU's die. We've even seen situations where an NF200 bridge soldered down onto a Sandy Bridge-based motherboard enables performance just as compelling as a high-end LGA 1366 configuration. The thing is, a Z68 or P67 platform's 24 total PCIe 2.0 lanes aren't explicitly set aside for graphics cards. They have to handle every device attaching via PCI Express, including network and storage controllers.
We’ve even tested a few "enthusiast-class" Sandy Bridge-based motherboards so loaded with features that simply installing an add-in card forced certain slots or on-board controllers to become disabled. That doesn’t sound like a solution a power user would willingly accept to us.
As of this moment, enthusiasts who need more connectivity than the LGA 1155 platform offers are left to choose between “upgrading” to one of Intel’s older LGA 1366 platforms, paying extra for a motherboard with bandwidth-sharing PCIe bridges, or shifting to a platform with more native PCI Express, a wider range of unlocked processors and prices, several times the reference clock overclocking headroom for locked processors, and a downright respectable chipset: AMD’s high-flying 990FX.
Today we consider a few of the most enthusiast-oriented Bulldozer-compatible motherboards that employ the 990FX northbridge.

| 990FX Motherboard Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional | Asus Sabertooth 990FX | ECS A990FXM-A | Gigabyte 990FXA-UD7 | MSI 990FXA-GD80 | |
| Warranty | Three Years | Five Years | Three Years | Three Years | Three Years |
| PCB Revision | 1.03 | 1.01 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 2.2 |
| Chipset | AMD 990FX/SB950 | AMD 990FX/SB950 | AMD 990FX/SB950 | AMD 990FX/SB950 | AMD 990FX/SB950 |
| Voltage Regulator | Seven Phases | Ten Phases | Seven Phases | Ten Phases | Ten Phases |
| BIOS | P1.30 (09/08/2011) | 0810 (09/28/2011) | 9/26/2011 | F6 (10/14/2011) | V11.5 (09/19/2011) |
| 200.0 MHz RCLK | 200.9 (+0.45%) | 200.7 (+0.35%) | 200.0 (+0.0%) | 200.9 (+0.45%) | 200.0 (+0.0%) |
| Internal Interfaces | |||||
| PCIe 3.0 x16 | None | None | None | None | None |
| PCIe 2.0 x16 | 3 (x16/x16/x4) | 4 (x16/x4/x16/x0 or x16/x4/x8/x8) | 3 (x16/x0/x16 or x16/x8/x8) | 6 x(16/x4/x0/x4/x16/x0 or x8/x4/x8/x4/x8/x8) | 4 (x16/x0/x16/x4 or x16/x8/x8/x4) |
| PCIe x1/x4 | 2/0 | 1/0 | 2/0 | None (See x16 Above) | 2/0 |
| Legacy PCI | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| USB 2.0 | 2 (4-ports) | 2 (4-ports) | 2 (4-ports) | 3 (6-ports) | 2 (4-ports) |
| USB 3.0 | 2 (4-ports) | 1 (2-ports) | 1 (2-ports) | 1 (2-ports) | 1 (2-ports) |
| IEEE-1394 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Serial Port | 1 | 1 | None | None | 1 |
| Parallel Port | None | None | None | None | None |
| SATA 6.0 Gb/s | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6 |
| SATA 3.0 Gb/s | None | 2 | None | None | None |
| 4-Pin Fan | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 3-Pin Fan | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| FP-Audio | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| CD-Audio | None | None | None | None | None |
| S/PDIF I/O | None | Output Only | Output Only | Output Only | Output Only |
| Power Button | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reset Button | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CLR_CMOS Button | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Diagnostics Panel | Numeric | None | Numeric | Numeric | Numeric |
| I/O Panel Connectors | |||||
| P/S 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| USB 3.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| USB 2.0 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 8 (1 shared w/eSATA) | 6 (2 shared w/eSATA) |
| IEEE-1394 | 1 | 1 | None | 1 | 1 |
| Network | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| eSATA | 2 | 2 (1-powered) | 2 | 2 (1-powered by USB) | 2 (powered by USB) |
| CLR_CMOS Button | Yes | No | Yes | None | Yes |
| Digital Audio Out | Optical + Coaxial | Optical | Optical | Optical + Coaxial | Optical + Coaxial |
| Digital Audio In | None | None | None | None | None |
| Analog Audio | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Other Devices | None | None | Bluetooth Transceiver | None | None |
| Mass Storage Controllers | |||||
| Chipset SATA | 6x SATA 6Gb/s | 6x SATA 6Gb/s | 6x SATA 6Gb/s | 6x SATA 6Gb/s | 6x SATA 6Gb/s |
| Chipset RAID Modes | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 |
| Add-In SATA | 88SE9172 PCIe 2x eSATA 6Gb/s | 2x JMB362 PCIe 2x SATA 3Gb/s 2x eSATA 3Gb/s | 2x 88SE9128 PCIe 2x eSATA 6Gb/s 1x PATA 133 MB/s | 2x 88SE9172 PCIe 2x SATA 6Gb/s 2x eSATA 6Gb/s | JMB362 PCIe 2x eSATA 3Gb/s |
| USB 3.0 | 3x EJ168A PCIe | 2x ASM1042 PCIe | 2x ASM1042 PCIe | 2x EJ168A PCIe | 2x D720200F1 PCIe |
| IEEE-1394 | VT6315N PCIe 2x 400 Mb/s | VT6308P PCI 2x 400 Mb/s | None | VT6308P PCI 2x 400 Mb/s | VT6315N PCIe 2x 400 Mb/s |
| Gigabit Ethernet | |||||
| Primary LAN | BCM57781 PCIe | RTL8111E PCIe | RTL8111E PCIe | RTL8111E PCIe | RTL8111E PCIe |
| Secondary LAN | BCM57781 PCIe | None | RTL8111E PCIe | None | None |
| Audio | |||||
| HD Audio Codec | ALC892 | ALC892 | ALC892 | ALC889 | ALC892 |
| DDL/DTS Connect | Not Specified | Not Specified | Not Specified | Not Specified | Not Specified |
A trio of USB 3.0 controllers, a pair of high-performance BCM57781 network controllers, and a sharp-looking red-on-black color scheme all set ASRock’s Fatal1ty 990FX Professional apart from similarly-priced competitors. Meanwhile, a large “clear CMOS” button on the I/O panel professes this model’s high-end overclocking intentions.
Spread three spaces apart for better GPU cooling, the top two PCIe x16 slots are both fixed with true x16 pathways to assure the best possible performance in two-way SLI or CrossFire. We didn’t really expect three-way SLI support from a sub-$200 motherboard, so the bottom slot’s four-lane limitation is only a minor disappointment. The slot could potentially be used in a three-way CrossFire configuration, though its modest bandwidth is better suited to high-end storage controllers, network devices, an dedicated GeForce graphics card for independent PhysX calculations, or additional 2D-only displays.
AMD’s SB950 southbridge feeds all six of the Fatal1ty 990FX Professional’s internal SATA 6Gb/s ports. Rather than give us a bunch of extra internal SATA controllers that most builders probably wouldn't use anyway, ASRock decided to try something different by adding a second internal header for a total of four front-panel USB 3.0 ports. Because USB 3.0 cables are notoriously thick and stiff, ASRock smartly places them above the add-in card slots for better clearance.
The Fatal1ty 990FX layout is very good overall, though we did notice a few small issues. For example, the single-sided DIMM latches originally designed to let you pull memory sticks without popping your graphics card out first face the wrong way, and some older case designs lack drive cage clearance for the forward-facing SATA ports. Overall, the port design makes sense because you're more likely to need vertical card clearance, but the potential for conflict still exists.

The most pleasing part of the Fatal1ty 990FX Professional motherboard’s bundle is its inclusion of a full set of six SATA cables, though we also really like the fact that ASRock adds a 3.5” bay adapter for cases that lack a front-panel USB 3.0 connector. Barely visible atop the installation manual are a single SLI bridge and audio patch cable.
ASRock offers a three-year warranty on specific high-end models, including the Fatal1ty 990FX Professional, but has not yet added a list of applicable models to its RMA policy page. We mention that only because we prefer to see our warranty coverage in writing!
The Fatal1ty 990FX Professional provides most of the overclock settings needed to push AMD’s FX CPU near its limits, though the firmware version we used still appeared somewhat immature. For example, setting “AMD Turbo Core Technology” to “Disabled” did not prevent the board from jumping up one or two multiplier settings under low to moderate load, so that our search for the highest stable frequency forced us to enable and then disable Turbo Core using AMD's Overdrive software.

CPU Load-line Calibration kept our voltage stable throughout testing.

The Fatal1ty 990FX Professional provides tuners with a full set of primary and secondary memory timing adjustments through drop-down ratio menus that appear only after selecting “Manual” from the timing’s main tab.

Asus attempts to extract maximum utility from AMD’s 990FX and SB950 chipset by providing ten USB 2.0 ports on the I/O panel and four PCIe x16 slots. Sabertooth 990FX buyers give up the secondary network and tertiary USB 3.0 controllers found on ASRock's board, but gain two additional internal SATA ports.
Performance seekers could be disappointed that both third-party SATA controllers operate at 3 Gb/s data rates, that two of the PCIe x16 slots share sixteen lanes, that the x16 slot in the middle is limited to four lanes, or that this is the only board in today’s round-up that lacks any Port 80 diagnostics display.
Asus, on the other hand, stresses both quality and stability as features. Unfortunately, we can’t test these boards for the years it would take to quantify the company's claims. However, Asus puts its money where its mouth is by backing the Sabertooth with a vastly superior five-year warranty. On the bright side, we get at least get some insight on firmware quality and system stability during our upcoming overclocking evaluation.
PCIe lane sharing is, in fact, one place where the Sabertooth beats ASRock's Fatal1ty. While the competition fixes its three slots as x16-x16-x4, the Sabertooth switches those same slots from x16-x16-x0 to x16-x8-x8 for added bandwidth to a third card. This should be fast enough for most three-way CrossFire and SLI configurations, though the board's bundle notably lacks the three-way SLI bridge you'd need.
Attached to only four PCIe 2.0 lanes, the center black slot is not intended for CrossFire or SLI. It can still host a fourth (single-slot) graphics card for added displays or PhysX calculations, even as the other slots are used in a three-way configuration. Some users might even want to place a high-performance drive controller there.
Asus proclaims quad-GPU SLI support, referencing a pair of dual-GPU GeForce GTX 590s. In fact, that arrangement is supported by all SLI-capable motherboards. Our problem with the quad-GPU terminology is that it almost appears to be an attempt to confuse neophytes into believing this four-slot board will take four cards working cooperatively. Asus clearly indicates on Page 2-16 of its manual that this is a triple-card SLI design, though.
An innovator in single-clip DIMM slots, Asus actually uses an AMD-specific version for the Sabertooth 990FX (compared to its competitor’s upside-down slots). And yet, while Asus' design is directionally correct, neither single-sided design is particularly useful in boards that have this much space between memory and the first graphics card.
The biggest layout concern we spot is still decidedly small: the latch atop the eight-pin CPU power connector faces up, and is blocked by the eight-lead cable whenever that cable is routed over the top of the board from behind the motherboard tray. Asus simply ran out of space to lay down this connector any other way.

Four SATA cables are enough for most builders. Though the Sabertooth 990FX does support up to eight internal drives, we’d probably use the two 3 Gb/s ports for front-panel eSATA. We are a little disappointed to see only one SLI bridge accompanying a board that should (in theory and according to its manual) support three-way SLI.
Although it was the GUI that often scared new overclockers away from the BIOS, underlying limitations of that technology were the driving force behind Asus’ switch to UEFI. Nevertheless, we enjoy and appreciate the BIOS-like simplicity of the Sabertooth 990FX's UEFI interface.

Spanning three pages, Asus’ Ai Tweaker menu provides a wide range of clock and voltage controls that, unlike those of many competitors, actually work in a predictable manner. For example, when we disabled AMD Turbo Core to stability-test our maximum continuous overclock, the Sabertooth 990FX actually locked in the speed we set.

A little experimentation with Asus’ multi-stage Load Line Calibration revealed that the “High” setting kept our overclocked CPU very close to the continuous voltage we desired.

Asus-specific features are primarily limited to operational modes for its PWM, though all of the expected CPU, DRAM, and chipset voltage settings are also available.
Primary, secondary, and tertiary memory timings are individually selectable from Ai Tweaker’s DRAM Timing Control submenu.
Opposite Asus, ECS packs its A990FXM-A with a full set of third-party controllers for dual gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, and 6 Gb/s eSATA, leaving out any additional internal SATA ports. Opposite ASRock, its three PCIe x16 slots support either x16-x0-x16 or x16-x8-x8 transfer modes, depending on whether or not a card is installed in the middle.
Though at first this appears to be the best combination of Asus' and ASRock's features, ECS doesn’t fall in the middle on price. In fact, the A990FXM-A costs around 25% more than its rivals (even if neither of them come with Bluetooth connectivity).
Of the A990FXM-A’s two third-party SATA 6 Gb/s controllers, one serves eSATA needs and the other is reserved exclusively for enabling Ultra ATA 133. Questions of marketability aside, we’re certain that dual SATA ports would have taken up less space on the motherboard’s front edge and may have even allowed a forward-facing USB 3.0 internal interface to be placed next to those alternative ports.
The A990FXM-A’s internal USB 3.0 header is instead found along its bottom edge, where it creates cable clearance problems for most dual-slot blower-style GPU coolers. If you aren't concerned about breaking the header, you can try forcing a card into place, but we’d suggest using the USB 3.0 header only in conjunction with carefully selected card configurations instead.

The A990FXM-A installation kit includes six internal SATA cables, three SLI bridges, a 3.5” bay adapter for USB 3.0, a slot bracket for repositioning the ports of its bay adapter, and several USB port dust covers.
Our A990FXM-A sample arrived with a pre-Bulldozer firmware that required the installation of a pre-Bulldozer CPU to update. That could be a problem for anyone who doesn't already have a Socket AM3 CPU sitting around. However, later samples of this board should ship with the newer firmware factory-installed.

ECS spreads the fewest overclocking options across as many menus as it could, with the primary M.I.B. menu offering only reference clock settings and a few voltage options. We were a little disappointed in the menu’s lack of a fixed voltage option, which forced us to hunt for our 1.40 V target using offsets. Also, the integrated northbridge's voltage cannot be controlled independently.

CPU multiplier control turns out to be an inexact science as well, since it controls neither the minimum nor maximum ratio, but instead the target base ratio for AMD Turbo Core. CPU VID control appears to require an alphanumeric input that we didn’t have a chart for, and none of this menu’s options are even described in the manual.

Memory ratios are fully adjustable, while timings are limited to primary and a few secondary settings.

The external HyperTransport frequency ratio is adjustable, but the CPU’s internal HT interface is not. This dramatically limits how far we can push the CPU’s reference clock.
Because of missing overclock settings and the inability to control Turbo Core through firmware, we were forced to use AMD Overdrive for most of the A990FXM-A’s O/C testing.
Gigabyte targets the gaming community by offering the only true four-way SLI-compatible slot configuration in today’s round-up. Getting back to the AMD theme, that could also make the 990FX-UD7 ideal for four-way CrossFireX.
Anyone who would rather have a ton of monitors attached to their PC will note that the 990FXA-UD7 supports up to six single-slot PCIe graphics cards, though lane limitations force the second and fourth x16 slots down to four-lane transfers. The first and third graphics slots switch from x16/x0 to x8/x8 when a card is installed into the third slot, as do the fifth and seventh slots.
This would be almost perfect had Gigabyte put a forward-facing USB 3.0 header where its “ATX4P” connector resides. Instead, the USB 3.0 header is found along the bottom edge, faces outward, and cannot be utilized when a graphics card is installed in the bottom slot. Gigabyte tells us that this was necessary to accommodate the motherboard's layout, and mentioned making a more conscious effort to relocate that header in the future.
Unlike Asus' and ASRock's models, the 990FXA-UD7 is the only board with a graphics slot located so close to its memory slots that users might actually want single-sided DIMM latches. Also unlike Asus and ASRock, Gigabyte doesn’t have them. Fortunately, we were able to install and remove memory with a card in the top slot, but we're also craftier than many system builders.
Bench testers will love that the 990FXA-UD7 includes a lighted CLR_CMOS button right next to its power and reset buttons, but they’ll probably have more love for the fact that it employs a clear snap-on cover to prevent accidental invocation.
Filling the 990FXA-UD7 with graphics cards would prevent builders from adding any add-in storage controllers. So, Gigabyte integrates a couple of them on the board itself. A pair of Marvell 9172 SATA 6Gb/s controllers add two eSATA and two SATA ports to the six enabled by AMD’s SB950 southbridge.

The 990FXA-UD7 includes two-way, three-way, and four-way SLI bridges. Gigabyte even throws in a pair of CrossFire bridges, in spite of the fact that most AMD cards include them. Four SATA cables, on the other hand, appear merely adequate for a board that has eight ports, even after we consider that we’d probably use the third-party-controlled ports for front-panel eSATA.
Gigabyte's Hybrid EFI takes a beating from the marketing departments of its competitors, but we have yet to see any of its competitors’ claims against it demonstrated in a meaningful way. With Windows 8 on the horizon, suggestions that UEFI will be required could turn out to be true. Then again, we're still waiting for proof that UEFI will help slash the boot time of Microsoft's next-gen operating system.

Gigabyte’s traditional M.I.T. menu provides most of the settings needed to extract ultimate performance from any compatible CPU.

A full set of frequency, ratio, and voltage controls are present. But we were a little disappointed to find fixed-voltage mode missing for the CPU. Something else is also missing…

We find that missing something in the 990FXA-UD7’s “Advanced Features” menu. Multi-level Load Line control allows overclockers to overcome a phenomenon known as Vdroop, where CPU voltage is normally reduced under high loads.
Getting back to the M.I.T. menu, we find a fairly complete set of DRAM timings and clock strength controls in its “DRAM Configuration” submenu.
MSI’s three-way SLI and CrossFireX solution risks becoming an also-ran in a market topped by Gigabyte’s four-way alternative. MSI has a trick up its sleeve, though. Priced at only $180, the 990FXA-GD80 is the cheapest product to properly support three-way graphics modes. MSI gets there by automatically switching from x16-x0-x8 transfers to x16-x8-x8 whenever a card is installed in the middle slot, just like the more expensive offering from ECS.
Like ECS, MSI adds a CLR_CMOS button to its I/O panel. Unlike ECS, MSI chooses to conceal this button to reduce the incidence of accidental engagement. The 990FXA-GD80 also lacks ECS' second network port and Bluetooth transceiver, but the sacrifice of a few features was required to maintain this model's low price.
Layout aside, the most closely matched product in a combination of features and price comes from Asus. Yet, while the Sabertooth 990FX requires an eight-slot case to hold three double-slot cards in SLI or CrossFire, the 990FXA-GD80 can fit those same cards into a standard seven-slot case. The 990FXA-GD80 does lose the usefulness of its four-lane slot in this configuration, but the board also has a x1 slot at the top that’s completely missing from its Asus competition.
MSI slides its USB 3.0 header further south along the 990FXA-GD80’s front edge, but avoids collision with graphics cards by facing that connector forward. Case designers have long been making room for SATA cables in this area, so appropriate cases are plentiful.
Remaining layout concerns are trivial and apply to every model in this round-up, such as the bottom-rear corner front-panel audio connector and the close proximity between memory slots and the CPU socket. Both MSI and its competitors require extra-long front-panel cables, along with careful consideration of clearance between oversized CPU coolers and tall memory modules.

The 990FXA-GD80 includes three SLI bridges, the longer one designed to accommodate cross-connector placement for three-way SLI, along with the full set of six SATA cables and a USB 3.0 slot adapter plate.
MSI favors big navigation buttons and tiny adjustment menus in its latest firmware, which still doesn’t support this editor’s Logitech G5 laser mouse. The same mouse is supported by the default drivers of nearly every somewhat-modern operating system, and navigating the menus via keyboard is unnecessarily cumbersome.

A wide variety of frequency and voltage controls in the OC Setting menu should please most overclockers, and MSI even allows tuners to set a target voltage rather than limit them to offset modes.

Unfortunately, we had to choose 1.4325 V to reach 1.400 V at idle, and the lack of Vdroop control in this UEFI revision allowed the processor to drop to 1.36 V at full load.
The Advanced DRAM Configuration submenu contains both primary and secondary timing adjustments, while a separate sub-submenu adds a limited selection of tertiary timings.
| Test System Configuration | |
|---|---|
| CPU | AMD FX-8150 (Zambezi): 3.6 GHz, 8 MB Shared L3 Cache, Socket AM3+ |
| CPU Cooler | Sunbeamtech Core-Contact Freezer w/Zalman ZM-STG1 Paste |
| RAM | G.Skill F3-17600CL9Q-16GBXLD 16 GB (4x 4GB) DDR3-2200 Benchmarked at 2 x 4 GB DDR3-1600 CAS 9 defaults, 1.65 V |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon HD 6950 2 GB: 800 MHz GPU, GDDR5-5000 |
| Hard Drive | Samsung 470 Series MZ5PA256HMDR, 256 GB SSD |
| Sound | Integrated HD Audio |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
| Power | Seasonic X760 SS-760KM: ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Gold |
| Software | |
| OS | Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64 |
| Graphics | AMD Catalyst 11.9 |
| Chipset | AMD Platform Driver 3.0.842.0 |
Sunbeamtech’s Core Contact Freezer provides adequate cooling and factory-style clip mounting to ease motherboard swaps.

Seasonic’s X760 provides the consistent efficiency required to assess motherboard power differences.

G.Skill’s RipJaws X DDR3-2200 16 GB kit provides the super-high XMP value we needed to evaluate each motherboard’s overclocking capabilities. We used two of the four modules for benchmarks.

AMD’s 2 GB Radeon HD 6950 reference card removes any questions of brand mismatch between the tested CPU and GPU.

| Benchmark Configuration | |
|---|---|
| 3D Games | |
| DiRT 3 | V1.01, Run with -benchmark example_benchmark.xml Test Set 1: High Quality Preset, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Preset, 8x AA |
| Metro 2033 | Full Game, Built-In Benchmark, "Frontline" Scene Test Set 1: DX11, High, AAA, 4x AF, No PhysX, No DoF Test Set 2: DX11, Very High, 4x AA, 16x AF, No PhysX, DoF On |
| StarCraft II | Version 1.4.1.19776, Tom's Hardware custom map Test Set 1: Medium Details, No AA, 8x AF Test Set 2: Highest Details, 8x AA, 16x AF |
| Audio/Video Encoding | |
| iTunes | Version 10.4.1.10 x64: Audio CD (Terminator II SE), 53 minutes, default AAC format |
| Lame MP3 | Version 3.98.3: Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min, convert WAV to MP3 audio format, Command: -b 160 --nores (160 Kb/s) |
| HandBrake CLI | Version 0.95: "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 Reference | Version: 2.2.0.5440: 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 CS5 | Version 12.1 x64: Filter 15.7 MB TIF Image: Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates |
| Autodesk 3ds Max 2010 | Version 12.0 x64: Space Flyby Mentalray, 248 Frames, 1440x1080 |
| WinZip | Version 15.5 Pro: THG-Workload (464 MB) to ZIP, command line switches "-a -ez -p -r" |
| WinRAR | Version 4.01: THG-Workload (464 MB) to RAR, command line switches "winrar a -r -m3" |
| 7-Zip | Version 9.22: THG-Workload (464 MB) to .7z, command line switches "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5" |
| ABBYY FineReader | Version 10.0.102.82: Read PDF save to Doc, Source: Political Economy (J. Broadhurst 1842) 111 Pages |
With the 990FX chipset and FX-8150 CPU reviews behind us, a new platform gives us the opportunity to try new benchmarks. DiRT 3 replaces F1 2010 this time, while Metro 2033 takes over where Crysis left off. StarCraft II brings RTS back to our gaming suite, at least for now.


Asus takes first and second place in DiRT 3, depending on the settings. Higher image quality options tend to shift a greater portion of the game’s load toward a GPU bottleneck.


Asus continues to hold second place in Metro 2033. Consistent second-place finishes are typically more valuable than jumps between first and fourth, as they lend themselves to higher average scores.
Speaking of average scores, we should probably mention that these frame rates do not reflect smooth playability in Metro 2033’s default benchmark map. The minimum performance level was around 19 FPS for all boards at our lowest test settings, though a portion of the test map appears to yield more taxing loads than most gamers typically experience.


StarCraft 2 plays smoothly on a Radeon HD 6950 and FX-8150, regardless of the motherboard or even the test settings chosen. This editor had problems getting consistent performance, however, as the game often reported a series of low FPS readings followed by a series of high FPS readings at the same setting. That range might be narrow enough for broader tests, such as different market levels of graphics cards, but isn’t well-suited for comparing extremely-similar hardware.
Gigabyte snatches a small lead in Apple iTunes encoding, while ECS falls slightly behind. That tiny lead could be credited to its out-of-spec reference clock, which is 0.45% over default.


MSI leads in HandBrake video transcoding, its one-second advantage reflecting an actual lead of a few tenths of a second prior to number-rounding.

MainConcept Reference shows the two boards with in-spec reference clocks trailing the three boards that don't dutifully adhere just slightly.
Gigabyte leads slightly in Photoshop.


A surprise performance split in 3ds Max puts the most egregiously over-spec motherboards from Gigabyte and ASRock behind the pack.

The longest benchmark in our compression suite, WinZip shows the greatest performance differences between boards. Gigabyte leads once again, though ASRock’s similar clock does not provide the expected second-place finish.

ABBYY FineReader results are close enough that the chart lists today’s comparison motherboards in alphabetical order.
ASRock and MSI tie for first place in power-savings, with MSI showing the lowest idle wattage, and with all power-management options enabled in each motherboard’s firmware.


Asus has the lowest voltage regulator temperatures, closely followed by Gigabyte.

Since efficiency is a comparison of work to energy, we compare average performance to average power consumption. The Sabertooth 990FX has the best overall performance, even though it’s a very small lead.

ASRock’s first-place power savings and second-place performance puts it at the top of our efficiency chart, where 100% represents the average of all motherboards tested.
| BIOS Frequency, Voltage and Timings | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional | Asus Sabertooth 990FX | ECS A990FXM-A | Gigabyte 990FXA-UD7 | MSI 990FXA-GD80 | |
| Reference Clock | 150-500 MHz (1 MHz) | 100-600 MHz (1 MHz) | 190-400 MHz (1 MHz) | 200-500 MHz (1 MHz) | 190-690 MHz (1 MHz) |
| CPU Multiplier | 8.0-31.5x (0.5x) | 4.0-35.0x (0.5x) | 2.5-23.5x (0.5x) | 7.0-35.0x (0.5x) | 4.0-32.5x (0.5x) |
| DRAM Data Rates | 800-1866 (266.6 MHz) | 800-2400 (266.6 MHz) | 667-1866 (266.6 MHz) | 667-1866 (266.6 MHz) | 800-1866 (266.6 MHz) |
| CPU Vcore | 0.60-2.00V (12.5 mV) | 0.68-2.08V (6.25 mV) | +0 to +500 mV (50 mV) | -0.06 to +0.60V (25mV) | 1.08-2.05V (~10.5 mV) |
| CPU NB | 0.60-2.00V (12.5 mV) | 0.50-1.90V (6.25 mV) | Not Adjustable | -0.06 to +0.60V (25mV) | 1.00-1.82V (~11mV) |
| 990FX Voltage | 1.11-1.66V (10 mV) | 0.80-1.51V (6.25 mV) | +0 to +500 mV (10 mV) | 0.87-1.98V (5 mV) | 0.96-1.39V (~5.5 mV) |
| DRAM Voltage | 1.25-2.07V (10 mV) | 1.20-2.50V (6.25 mV) | -30 to +600 mV (10 mV) | 1.03-2.14V (5 mV) | 1.20-2.45V (~7 mV) |
| CAS Latency | 5-14 Cycles | 5-19 Cycles | 5-14 Cycles | 5-14 Cycles | 5-14 Cycles |
| tRCD | 5-19 Cycles | 2-19 Cycles | 5-19 Cycles | 2-19 Cycles | 2-19 Cycles |
| tRP | 5-19 Cycles | 2-19 Cycles | 5-19 Cycles | 2-19 Cycles | 2-19 Cycles |
| tRAS | 15-40 Cycles | 8-40 Cycles | 10-35 Cycles | 8-40 Cycles | 8-40 Cycles |
All enthusiast-grade motherboards provide a wide enough range of voltage controls to fry our processor, and a wide-enough range of frequencies to make our processor completely unbootable, even before we have a chance to fry it. Yet, our tests target long-term stability, and that’s why we choose a maximum 1.40 V at the CPU core for our overclocking efforts.

Gigabyte leads Asus in maximum CPU overclock, but we still preferred overclocking with the Asus Sabertooth 990FX due to its ability to set a target voltage in firmware. The 990FXA-UD7 forces us to chase the appropriate voltage by increasing core offset and retesting until the desired voltage level is achieved.
ECS appears to beat ASRock, but we were not able to do this with firmware. Because AMD Turbo Core was always enabled, getting a consistent clock required the use of AMD Overdrive. We further had to make adjustments in Overdrive at every reboot, making the 4.30 GHz clock rate unacceptably cumbersome to use.
MSI’s low score was caused by voltage drop that resulted from MSI’s voltage compensation mechanism removed from its first AMD Bulldozer firmware.

The Sabertooth 990FX achieves the highest CPU reference clock, which is a setting that achieves its greatest significance when used to overcome the limits of locked multipliers (which, incidentally, none of the FX processors suffer from). MSI’s apparent misfortune is caused by boot failures whenever we attempted to manually lower its CPU-NB ratio, which climbed past the edge of stability in “Auto” mode as we pushed up the CPU base clock.

Asus must not have gotten the message that AMD’s FX has no DDR3-2133 ratio, as this is the setting it uses to achieve a class-leading DDR3-2205 data rate. Gigabyte forces us to make our push from the DDR3-1866 ratio by increasing reference clock, and both Gigabyte and MSI even drop that capability with four modules installed.
If value were simply a comparison of performance per dollar, MSI would walk away a clear winner by providing the cheapest board in this round-up. This is a story about enthusiast-class motherboards, though, and for $10 more, an enthusiast can get a motherboard with fully-functional overclocking controls today. We realize that further development could put MSI on top in the near future, but the 990FXA-GD80 has yet to prove itself in this regard. The board could be a top value to anyone who doesn’t overclock, but the enhanced capabilities of its competitors are worth far more than the $10 price difference to us.
ASRock arguably provides the most features for the money, yet one of the features missing is three-way SLI capability. Past experience also dissuades us from using its x4 slot to enable three-way CrossFireX. Added Ethernet and USB 3.0 ports surely make the Fatal1ty 990FX Professional a top pick for anyone who desires neither overclocking nor three-way graphics configurations, but a true enthusiast product should really offer both.
Furthering the cause for added features, ECS’ A990FXM-A includes both three-way SLI and dual gigabit Ethernet controllers. ECS even adds a Bluetooth transceiver, all for a petty $50 over competing models from Asus and ASRock. While its biggest problem is an underdeveloped firmware that doesn’t properly support overclocking AMD’s new FX processors, the most nagging layout issue is its inability to accommodate many graphics card models once front-panel USB 3.0 is connected. The A990FXM-A is attractive, yet troublesome in so many ways that we’re left perplexed, and that’s not a feeling we’d want to pay an extra $50 for.
With six graphics card slots, eight internal SATA 6Gb/s ports and eSATA 6Gb/s, Gigabyte’s 990FXA-UD7 is almost in a league of its own. It even costs $10 less than the otherwise-featured ECS competitor, while offering four-way SLI. We believe four-way SLI is a killer feature, though not many builders use it.
The problem is that using four-way SLI in the 990FXA-UD7 prevents the use of its USB 3.0 front-panel header. We can’t even add a third-party USB 3.0 controller card to gain another header in this configuration, since all the slots are full. And we are beginning to think that front-panel USB 3.0 is yet another killer feature.
In the end it’s the top overclockers that get our attention. A low price and great firmware put Asus $190 Sabertooth 990FX side-by-side with Gigabyte’s $230 quad-SLI 990FXA-UD7. Our inability to overlook Gigabyte’s poor USB 3.0 front panel header placement makes it far easier for us to choose the cheaper Asus model for our own systems.
















