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Mainstream Or Hardcore? Two X58 Motherboards Compared
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1. Purchasing A Motherboard Isn’t Always Easy

There are dozens of very similar motherboard products available for each processor interface, and the industry has blanketed the market with offerings to cover all possible segments from entry-level to uber-enthusiast and all niches in between. However, too many options can sometimes breed confusion and questions about true value. Does it make sense to spend money on a top-end enthusiast motherboard, or can most of the benefits be had for a fraction of the cost? We decided to compare MSI’s BigBang Xpower against the X58 Pro-E to find out.

The LGA 1366 platform, required for Intel’s fastest Core i7 quad- and hexa-core processors, is a costly affair. “Entry-level” X58 motherboards start at roughly $160. The majority of X58 products land above $200, and it’s easily possible to spend $400 on a premium X58 motherboard if you go for a Gigabyte X58-UD7 or UD9, Asus P6T7 SuperComputer, EVGA X58 Classified, or the BigBang Xpower from MSI.

Does it make sense to spend several hundred dollars just on the motherboard? Many people purchase an entire PC for this amount of money. Enthusiasts with deep pockets can leap first and look later since these motherboards offer tremendous overclocking capabilities and typically ship with a plethora of useful add-ons and features.

Performance-wise, though, don’t expect substantial differences beyond less-costly offerings, as the X58 chipset has little impact on overall performance. In the end, processor clock rate and core count have the largest influence on computing performance, followed by memory configuration. Since the memory controller is now part of the CPU, that's one less motherboard-based subsystem able to set platforms apart from each other. Unless (you guessed it) we dive into serious overclocking.

Let’s put the X58 Pro-E, MSI’s starter X58 offering, against the new BigBang Xpower.

2. Mainstream: MSI X58 Pro-E

The X58 Pro-E is a mainstream motherboard, although the word “mainstream” and “X58” don’t really belong in the same sentence. While some of the cheapest X58 solutions start at around $160, we opted for the Pro-E since the $30 to $40 premium provides a fully-featured motherboard solid enough for any user who doesn’t have significant overclocking or feature needs.

Hard Features

The X58 Pro-E takes advantage of the many features offered by Intel’s chipset, including six SATA 3Gb/s ports, two 32-bit PCI 2.3 and two x1 PCIe 1.1 ports, dual x16 PCI Express 2.0 slots, and an additional x16 PCIe slot powered by four PCI Express 1.1 lanes. Twelve USB 2.0 ports are available, and six of these sit ready on the ATX panel. Three additional headers for six more USB 2.0 ports wait on the motherboard. MSI decided to add a secondary mass storage controller by JMicron, adding two more SATA 3Gb/s ports (one of which is exposed as eSATA) and a parallel UltraATA/133 channel for legacy devices. The primary controller is part of the ICH10R southbridge and offers RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 support across all six integrated SATA 3 Gb/s ports.

The six DDR3 DIMM sockets can accept up to 4GB each and support a triple-channel configuration. Overclocking is supported at speeds up to DDR3-1600 when running the reference clock at its 133 MHz default. As with any other X58-based platform, overclocking that reference clock will also alter the memory frequency as well. HD Audio support is enabled through the X58 chipset and a mainstream-class Realtek ALC889 codec. Realtek’s 8111C serves as the gigabit Ethernet PHY, and another JMicron controller provides two IEEE 1394a ports. We found four fan headers on the motherboard, as well as a connector for an optional TPM.

Soft Features and Quality Items

The Pro-E’s feature list is already fairly comprehensive. Therefore MSI added several proprietary features, such as the DrMOS voltage regulator design. This includes a five-phase voltage regulator, together with an oversized northbridge and voltage regulation heat sink. Solid capacitors and shielded chokes are mandatory in this price segment and don’t come as a surprise. MSI supports live software updating and BIOS updates via USB devices.

Overclocking

The board comes with a full set of BIOS overclocking features, but it also includes a set of DIP switches that allow for dialing-in overclocked system speeds. We reached a maximum of 4.13 GHz on our Core i7-980X processor on the X58 Pro-E at an effective 1.472 V idle voltage. The BigBang Xpower didn’t reach higher speeds than the Pro-E, but that was due to cooling limitations.

Power Consumption

You would think that the X58 Pro-E might require less power than the BigBang Xpower because of its sleeker voltage regulator design, but this isn’t the case. In idle, the X58 Pro-E consumed 98W, while the hardcore motherboard is more efficient at 85W. Peak power was almost identical on both motherboards. In our overclocking testing, idle power remained lower on the X58 Pro-E, but it required a higher voltage to reach the 4.13 GHz overclock.

3. Hardcore Enthusiast: MSI BigBang Xpower

MSI states that the BigBang Xpower focuses on four key areas: gaming visuals, audio, component quality, and performance. While we found that many of these claims are true, there are very few benefits to be seen in direct performance comparisons. Value is mainly found in the extensive feature set.

The basic feature set isn’t too different from the X58 Pro-E: six SATA 3Gb/s ports with RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 support, triple-channel DDR3 memory support up to 24 GB, and six plus six USB 2.0 ports.

Everything else, though, is implemented differently. The PCI Express connectivity is distributed over a total of six physical x16 PCI Express slots and one x1 slot. The first two x16 slots support PCIe 2.0 x16, the next two can run at up to a x8 link speed (for quad graphics setups), and the last two are each limited to x4 links. The board supports both ATI CrossFire and Nvidia’s SLI.

A note about the memory slots: MSI uses EZ DIMM sockets, which work with a single lock on one side of the memory socket to avoid mechanical interference with graphics cards. We had to smile about this, as MSI has complained about a competitor that uses the same EZ DIMMs on its P55 motherboards. A German MSI PowerPoint sales presentation states that the modules can fall out, making Q-DIMMs an inferior choice. We’ve found that the simpler sockets work quite well on at many boards, regardless of vendor.

Voltage Regulators: 16 Phases

MSI employs a total of 16 phases using so-called “military-class” components (according to the MIL-PRF-39003L specification) that consist of highly conductive capacitors with tantalum cores. These are said to be more thermally and mechanically robust. Super ferrite chokes ensure cooler operation and provide increased current capacity. Solid capacitors are mandatory for such a premium product anyway. MSI talks about having 96% power efficiency of its voltage regulator array, and the design is purportedly capable of supporting up to 640A peak current and 480W.

Five fan headers are available to ensure sufficient cooling. The multi-phase design is certainly the right path for extreme overclocking, and we found that the active power switching (APS) implementation actually helps to keep idle power low. In fact, draw is lower than on the X58 Pro, which we wouldn’t have expected from a premium motherboard.

High-End Audio Included

Rather than rely on a simple HD Audio solution tied to the chipset audio controller, MSI here bundles a x1 PCI Express card called the Quantum Wave. The card is based on an EAX 5.0-capable audio controller and supports both THX and 24-bit/192 kHz streams. The add-on card sports gold-plated 3.5 mm jacks and a Realtek ALC889 audio chip, the same as on the X58 Pro-E. These are back-lit using the appropriate ATX colors that you are familiar with from the ATX connector panel.

 

4. BigBang Xpower Features

With a total of six x16 PCI Express ports, this board ties with Gigabyte’s new X58A-UD9 for extreme flexibility. There are a few slot combinations you should be aware of, as the total number of physical PCI Express 2.0 lanes is limited to 32 on the X58 chipset. The following table shows the supported lane configurations:

PCI Express Slot Overview Table
1
x16
x16
x16
x8
x8
x8
2
-
-
-
x8x8x4
3
-
-
-
-
-
x4
4
-
x16x8x8x8x8
5
-
-
x8x8x4x4
6
-
-
-
-
x4x4


Since this motherboard targets overclockers, MSI made sure that sufficient power flows to the processor and graphics card. There is an ATX 8-pin connector to provide additional power to the processor, and MSI added a 6-pin PCIe power connector that will satisfy the power requirements of PCIe graphics cards. Keep in mind that a graphics card’s auxiliary 6-pin power connector generally takes care of GPU power, and it could be helpful to provide more power via PCI Express to ensure reliable memory operation. This applies to multi card setups and overclocking.

MSI mounts its massive 8 mm “SuperPipe” cooler for the chipset and voltage regulators using metal screws, meaning that hardcore overclockers can easily remove it if they want to apply liquid nitrogen cooling solutions. The BigBang Xpower also comes with a “V-check” point, which allows you to measure voltages quickly with a voltmeter.

The OC Dashboard is a little tethered box that comes with the BigBang Xpower. A special connector on the ATX panel connects the PC to the OC Dashboard, which can then be used to adjust CPU, memory clock, and voltage settings on the fly instead of tweaking the BIOS or overclocking software. The box also displays clock speeds and voltages during benchmark runs, and it shows POST codes during bootup. An additional two-digit LED display sits on the motherboard for the same purpose. The OC Dashboard is a great add-on, but Abit’s µGuru Clock was a more thorough solution, thanks to its larger displays and ability to rest stably on a desk. In contrast, the OC Dashboard is a smooth box without a stand.

A much simpler way to overclock the BigBang is with its OC Genie switch. This is a button on the motherboard for automatically overclocking the system and fine tuning overclock speeds with two adjustment buttons. However, OC Genie is available on other MSI boards, too, and it would be odd to select a top-end solution just to use an out-of-the-box overclocking process that won’t reach overclocking limits.

5. Direct Comparison

The BigBang Xpower has a significant advantage over the X58 Pro-E thanks to its more modern feature set, including such perks as SATA 6Gb/s (two internal ports) and USB 3.0, which the X58 Pro-E lacks. The BigBang’s audio solution is state-of-the-art, and only the high-end board comes with the coaxial and optical S/PDIF ports needed to link the audio system to surround receivers. Both motherboards support at least one eSATA port for external storage devices.

You have a five-phase voltage regulator on the X58 Pro-E versus 16 phases on the BigBang Xpower. The latter required even less idle power and similar peak power. The BigBang would only require higher power during overclocking, which is the platform's true domain. We found that the hardcore motherboard required less voltage to operate at stock speeds, and it required a bit less voltage to run at 4.13 GHz overclocked speed. However, idle voltage would not drop as much on this board, causing higher idle power consumption in overclocked scenarios.

BIOS
MSI X58 Pro-EMSI Big Bang Xpower
CPU
Turbo Ratio Limit ProgramYesYes
TDC Limit OverrideYesYes
TDP Limit OverrideYesYes
Active Processor CoresNo
Yes
Frequency
CPU Base Frequency133 MHz - 400 MHz133 MHz - 600 MHz
RAM Ratio3x - 8x3x - 8x
Voltage
CPU Voltage-320mV - +630 mV0.9V - 1.69375 V
CPU PLL Voltage1.05V - 2.43 V1.05V - 2.6 V
QPI Voltage-320mV - +630 mV0.88V - 1.6 V
DRAM Voltage1.2V - 2.77 V1.2V - 2.2 V
DDR_VREF0.435V - 1.05 V0.51V - 1.053 V
IOH Voltage
0.8V - 1.5 V
IOH PCIE Voltage
1.108V - 1.998 V
NB Voltage0.8V - 2.37 V
ICH Voltage0.7V - 2.13 V1.1V - 2.0 V
6. Overclocking And Feature Comparison

Platform Overclocking Results

MotherboardMSI X58 Pro-EMSI Big Bang Xpower
Core i7-980X Clock4134 MHz4134 MHz
Multiplier31x
31x
Turbo Multi-Core32x
32x
Turbo Single-Core33x33x
Base Frequency133 MHz133 MHz
Turbo BoostYes
Yes
System Idle Power99 W108 W
System Peak Power349 W351 W
BIOS Vcore+0.250 V1.50 V
CPU-Z VT idle1.216 V1.472 V
CPU-Z VT load1.448 V
1.416 V
PLL
1.880 V1.900 V
PCH
1.8 V1.8 V
RAM
1.5 V1.5 V
Fritz chess benchmark2201821851
Stable
Yes
Yes


Feature Comparison Table

Board SetupMSI X58 Pro-EMSI Big Bang Xpower
Power Connector1 x 8-Pin2 x 8-Pin
PCIe Power-
1 x 6-Pin
Port 80 DebugNo
Yes
PCI-E x16 Slots3x6x
PCI 32 bit2x-
CPU PWM Phases6
16
HD Sound
RealtekRealtek ALC889
EAX 5.0-compliant
SATA6 x 3Gb /s

6 x 3Gb/s

2 x 6Gb/s
eSATA1x1x
Combinded USB/eSATA-
1x
USB 3.0-
2x
USB 2.06 x panel6 x panel
6 x connector4 x connector
Gigabit Ethernet1x2x
UltraATA/1331x-
Fan Headers1 x CPU, 3 x Sys1 x CPU, 4 x Sys
7. Test Settings And Benchmarks
System Hardware
HardwareDetails
Performance Benchmarks
Motherboard
(Socket LGA1366)
MSI BigBang Xpower (Rev. 1.0), Chipset: Intel X58, BIOS: 1.0 (02/08/2010)
Motherboard
(Socket LGA1366)
MSI X58 Pro-E (Rev. 1.0), Chipset: Intel X58, BIOS: 8.9 (02/08/2010)
CPU IntelIntel Core i7-980X (32 nm, 3.33 GHz, 6 x 256KB L2 and 12MB L3 Cache, TDP 130W)
RAM DDR3 (triple-channel)3 x 2GB DDR3-1600 (Corsair TR3X6G-1600C8D 8-8-8-24)
GraphicsSapphire Radeon HD 5850
GPU: Cypress (725 MHz), Graphics RAM: 1024 MB GDDR5 (2000 MHz), Stream Processors: 1440
Hard DriveWestern Digital VelociRaptor, 300GB (WD3000HLFS), 10,000 RPM, SATA/300, 16MB Cache
Power SupplyPC Power & Cooling, Silencer 750EPS12V 750W
System Software & Drivers
Operating SystemWindows 7 Ultimate x64
Updated on 2010-03-03
Drivers and Settings
Intel Chipset DriversChipset Installation Utility Ver. 9.1.1.1025
Intel Storage DriversMatrix Storage Drivers Ver. 8.​9.​0.​1023
Audio Benchmarks and Settings
BenchmarkDetails
iTunesVersion: 9.0.3.15
Audio CD ("Terminator II" SE), 53 min.
Convert to AAC audio format
Lame MP3Version 3.98.3
Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min.
Convert WAV to MP3 audio format
Command: -b 160 --nores (160 Kbps)
Video Benchmarks and Settings
BenchmarkDetails
Handbrake CLIVersion: 0.94
Video: Big Buck Bunny (720x480, 23.972 frames) 5 min.
Audio: Dolby Digital, 48000 Hz, 6-channel, English
to
Video: AVC1 Audio1: AC3 Audio2: AAC (High Profile)
MainConcept Reference v2Version: 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 Kbps)
Codec: H.264 Pro
Mode: PAL 50i (25 FPS)
Profile: H.264 BD HDMV
Application Benchmarks and Settings
BenchmarkDetails
7-ZipVersion 9.1 beta
LZMA2
Syntax "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5"
Benchmark: 2010-THG-Workload
WinRARVersion 3.92
RAR
Syntax "winrar a -r -m3"
Benchmark: 2010-THG-Workload
WinZip 14Version 14.0 Pro (8652)
WinZip Commandline Version 3
ZIPX
Syntax "-a -ez -p -r"
Benchmark: 2010-THG-Workload
Autodesk 3ds Max 2010Version: 10 x64
Rendering Space Flyby Mentalray (SPECapc_3dsmax9)
Frame: 248
Resolution: 1440 x 1080
Cinebench 11.5Version 11.5 Build CB25720DEMO
CPU Test single and multi threaded
Adobe Photoshop CS 4 (64-Bit)Version: 11
Filtering a 16MB TIF (15000x7266)
Filters:
Radial Blur (Amount: 10; Method: zoom; Quality: good)
Shape Blur (Radius: 46 px; custom shape: Trademark sysmbol)
Median (Radius: 1px)
Polar Coordinates (Rectangular to Polar)
Adobe Acrobat 9 ProfessionalVersion: 9.0.0 (Extended)
== Printing Preferenced Menu ==
Default Settings: Standard
== Adobe PDF Security - Edit Menu ==
Encrypt all documents (128 bit RC4)
Open Password: 123
Permissions Password: 321
Microsoft PowerPoint 2007Version: 2007 SP2
PPT to PDF
Powerpoint Document (115 Pages)
Adobe PDF-Printer
FritzFritz Chess Benchmark Version 4.3.2
Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings
BenchmarkDetails
3DMark VantageVersion: 1.02 Patch 1901
Options: Performance
Graphics Test 1
Graphics Test 2
CPU Test 1
CPU Test 2
PCMark VantageVersion: 1.0.2.0 Patch 1901
PCMark Benchmark
Memories Benchmark
SiSoftware Sandra 2010Version: 2010.1.16.10
Processor Arithmetic, Cryptography, MemoryBandwith
8. Benchmark Results: Synthetics

9. Benchmark Results: PCMark Vantage, 3DMark Vantage

10. Benchmark Results: Applications

11. Benchmark Results: Audio/Video

12. Benchmark Results: Power Consumption And Efficiency

Power Consumption

Idle power is significantly lower on the hardcore BigBang Xpower motherboard, requiring only 85W. That includes the Radeon HD 5850 card we used for this article. In contrast, the X58 Pro-E needs 98W to operate and idle.

Peak power was almost identical on both motherboards.

Power Efficiency

Performance was marginally higher on the X58 Pro-E, as our workload finished quicker. Keep in mind that this applies to the motherboard's default settings.

Average power consumption was a bit lower on the mainstream X58 Pro-E.

The efficiency in performance per watt-hour is slightly better on the X58 Pro-E, although the difference is relatively small.

13. Conclusion

What did we learn from comparing the fully-loaded BigBang Xpower with the more modest X58 Pro-E? Both are perfect examples for two very different market segments—hardcore enthusiast and solid mainstream. We could have also made this comparison with an Asus Rampage III Extreme and a P6T, or with Gigabyte’s X58A-UD9 and a UD4 motherboards. Any of these comparisons would have yielded very similar results as to whether or not it makes sense to purchase an overkill motherboard. This shootout sets a $300+ product against an $180 one. Alternatively, you might view it as as reason against ego.

The BigBang Xpower is superior to the X58 Pro-E, in every way except for performance. It provides many more features, extras, overclocking flexibility, settings, and power inputs. You also get more connectivity through six PCI Express slots, USB 3.0, eSATA, SATA 6Gb/s, better multi-GPU graphics support for CrossFireX and SLI, a more sophisticated audio solution, presumably better-quality components, more advanced and more efficient voltage regulation circuitry, and better power consumption behavior at stock speeds. Disregarding costs, you have no reason to avoid the BigBang Xpower. That $120 premium really provides a much bigger, um, bang.

However, the X58 Pro-E is not slower, because processor and chipset largely define performance. The more affordable board overclocks similarly, so long as you're using air cooling. It comes with all of the interfaces and flexibility most users want, and it also supports dual graphics cards. It can’t do SLI, USB 3.0, or SATA 6Gb/s, though, and it has higher idle power. Can you live with this?

Entry-level users will not buy either product, instead settling for more affordable platforms. Advanced users should look at purchasing the a motherboard in the X58 Pro-E price range, investing the saved money into an SSD, which will provide a more noticeable performance impact than overclocking processors that are already fast enough for 95% of applications and users. The remaining 5% will want to buy the BigBang Xpower or a board like it, either because they have the budget or they want the fastest and most advanced platform at any cost.