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Six $200-$260 LGA 2011 Motherboards, Reviewed
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1. Can LGA 2011 Be Made More Affordable?

Motherboard designers can approach cost-cutting from several different angles. They can selectively lop off certain features or change their layouts, facilitating fewer PCB layers. They can pare back value-added bundles or even offer mail-in rebates that a majority of folks never take the time to redeem. We've seen these approaches work really well on mainstream platforms, and we're sometimes surprised to find exceptional reliability persisting, despite the need to shave off precious dollars and cents. But Intel's LGA 2011 interface is a different animal entirely. Its four memory channels feed a complex processor, which attaches to a more expensive PCH. Together, that all results in a higher starting price for Core i7-3000-compatible motherboards.

And then you have to take the cost of Intel's processors into account. Even the lowest-end Core i7-3820 is expected to sell for close to $300, and that's a quad-core mode. Consequently, we can't expect too many enthusiasts to tolerate a cut-down, incomplete motherboard to complement any Sandy Bridge-E-based chip. 

Pricing and quality expectations come to a head in the sub-$260 LGA 2011 market, where some buyers will certainly wonder why an entry-level board still costs $100 more than LGA 1155-based platforms with seemingly similar on-board extras. Quite simply, the costs associated with Sandy Bridge-E are higher, in part because of Intel's prices and also because the boards are more difficult to design.

X79 Motherboard Features
 ASRock X79
Extreme4
Asus
P9X79
Biostar
TPower X79
PCB Revision1.031.015.0
ChipsetIntel X79 ExpressIntel X79 ExpressIntel X79 Express
Voltage RegulatorEight Phases10 PhasesSix Phases
BIOSP1.70 (02/02/2012)0906 (12/22/2011)X79AE118 (01/18/2012)
100.0 MHz BCLK100.0 MHz (+0.00%)100.1 MHz (+0.10%)100.0 MHz (+0.00%)
Internal Interfaces
PCIe 3.0 x163 (x16/x16/x8)3 (x16/x16/x8)3 (x16/x16/x8)
PCIe 2.0 x16NoneNoneNone
PCIe x1/x42/02/02/0
Legacy PCI211
USB 2.03 (6-ports)4 (8-ports)2 (4-ports)
USB 3.01 (2-ports)None1 (2-ports)
IEEE-13941NoneNone
Serial Port111
Parallel PortNoneNoneNone
SATA 6.0 Gb/s523
SATA 3.0 Gb/s444
4-Pin Fan261
3-Pin Fan4None2
FP-Audio111
S/PDIF I/OOutput OnlyOutput OnlyOutput Only
Power ButtonYesNoYes
Reset ButtonYesNoYes
CLR_CMOS ButtonNoNoYes
Diagnostics PanelNumericPass/Fail LEDNumeric
I/O Panel Connectors
P/S 2211
USB 3.0246
USB 2.0662
IEEE-139411None
NetworkSingleSingleSingle
eSATA12 (1-Powered)1 (Powered)
CLR_CMOS ButtonYesYesNo
Digital Audio OutOptical + CoaxialOpticalOptical + Coaxial
Digital Audio InNoneNoneNone
Analog Audio666
Other DevicesNoneNoneNone
Mass Storage Controllers
Chipset SATA2 x SATA 6Gb/s
4 x SATA 3Gb/s
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
4 x SATA 3Gb/s
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
4 x SATA 3Gb/s
Chipset RAID Modes0, 1, 5, 100, 1, 5, 100, 1, 5, 10
Add-In SATA2 x ASM1061 PCIe
3 x SATA 6Gb/s
1 x eSATA 6Gb/s
ASM1061 PCIe
2 x eSATA 6Gb/s
ASM1061 PCIe
1 x SATA 6Gb/s
1 x eSATA 6Gb/s
USB 3.02 x ASM1042 PCIe2 x ASM1042 PCIe4 x ASM1042 PCIe
IEEE-1394VT6315N PCIe
2 x 400 Mb/s
VT6315N PCIeNone
Gigabit Ethernet
Primary LANBCM57781 PCIeWG82579V PHYRTL8111E PCIe
Secondary LANNoneNoneNone
Audio
HD Audio CodecALC898ALC892ALC898
DDL/DTS ConnectNot SpecifiedDTS ConnectNot Specified

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X79 Motherboard Features
 ECS X79R-AX
Black Deluxe
Intel
DX79TO
MSI X79A-
GD45 8D
PCB Revision1.012.0
ChipsetIntel X79 ExpressIntel X79 ExpressIntel X79 Express
Voltage RegulatorSeven PhasesSix PhasesEight Phases
BIOS79D1B29A (11/29/2011)SI0424P (01/27/2012)V10.2 (01/31/2011)
100.0 MHz BCLK100.0 MHz (+0.00%)100.0 MHz (+0.00%)100.0 MHz (+0.00%)
Internal Interfaces
PCIe 3.0 x164 (x16/x0/x16/x0
or x8/x8/x8/x8)
2 (x16/x16)3 (x16/x16/x8)
PCIe 2.0 x16NoneNone2 (x1/x1)
PCIe x1/x42/03/01/0
Legacy PCINone1None
USB 2.02 (4-ports)4 (8-ports)2 (4-ports)
USB 3.01 (2-ports)None1 (2-ports)
IEEE-1394None1None
Serial Port1None1
Parallel PortNoneNoneNone
SATA 6.0 Gb/s622
SATA 3.0 Gb/s444
4-Pin Fan245
3-Pin Fan3NoneNone
FP-Audio111
S/PDIF I/OOutput OnlyNoneNone
Power ButtonNoYesYes
Reset ButtonNoYesNo
CLR_CMOS ButtonNoNoNo
Diagnostics PanelNoneNumericNone
I/O Panel Connectors
P/S 21None2
USB 3.0422
USB 2.0666
IEEE-1394None1None
NetworkSingleSingleSingle
eSATANoneNoneNone
CLR_CMOS ButtonNoBack to BIOSYes
Digital Audio OutOpticalNoneOptical + Coaxial
Digital Audio InNoneNoneNone
Analog Audio536
Other DevicesNoneNoneNone
Mass Storage Controllers
Chipset SATA2 x SATA 6Gb/s
4 x SATA 3Gb/s
4 x SAS 6Gb/s
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
4 x SATA 3Gb/s
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
4 x SATA 3Gb/s
Chipset RAID Modes0, 1, 5, 100, 1, 5, 100, 1, 5, 10
Add-In SATANoneNoneNone
USB 3.0TUSB7340 PCIe
TUSB7320 PCIe
D720200F1 PCIe2 x D720200F1 PCIe
IEEE-1394NoneVT6315N PCIeNone
Gigabit Ethernet
Primary LANRTL8111E PCIeWG82579LM PHYWG82579V PHY
Secondary LANNoneNoneNone
Audio
HD Audio CodecALC892ALC892ALC892
DDL/DTS ConnectNot SpecifiedNot SpecifiedNot Specified


Feature tables tell a lot about what each motherboard offers. But design and implementation make some features more valuable than others. We’re now ready to examine and detail the design, performance, and overclocking capabilities of these six not-quite-economical products.

Before we move on to the next page, though, we want to point out that, finally, all six of these vendors are on-board with similar three-year warranties, satisfying our former criticisms about a lack of value in the form of support.

2. ASRock X79 Extreme4

ASRock’s continued effort to provide higher-end hardware without letting this platform's inherent price premium get out of control is easily illustrated in an X79 Extreme4 that has three extra SATA 6Gb/s ports, eSATA, dual-controller USB 3.0 for internal and I/O ports, and a full set of O/C-friendly features.

Those O/C-friendly features include a Port 80 diagnostics display, an I/O panel CLR_CMOS button, internal power and reset buttons for bench testing, and a eight-phase CPU voltage regulator with oversized cooling.

Front-panel USB 3.0 and one of the added SATA ports are found above-center on the motherboard’s front edge for easy reach of front-panel connector cables. Conversely, the front-panel audio cable is located as far away from any front-panel connectors as it could possibly be, at the rear of the X79 Extreme4’s bottom edge. Remaining ports are designed to coexist with up to three double-slot graphics cards, and ASRock even adds an extra space between the board’s two true x16 PCIe slots for additional graphics cooling.

The provision of a full feature set on a low-cost board is never free of compromise, as the X79 Extreme4 has only four memory slots. Although you'd have to decide right away whether to use 2 GB, 4 GB, or 8 GB modules to achieve quad-channel functionality without any option for future memory expansion, low memory prices make this a reasonable production-cost concession in our minds.

This is the first ASRock Extreme-series board in recent memory not to include the firm’s USB 3.0 front-panel bay adapter. We partly credit case manufacturers with making this part unnecessary, as removing it allows ASRock to further reduce cost and pricing.

We would have liked to see more than four SATA cables, however, even though this is probably enough to serve the budget-enthusiast market.

3. X79 Extreme4 Firmware

ASRock attacks the overclocking market on two fronts, with “CPU EZ OC” profiles up to 5.0 GHz, plus full manual controls. We recommend keeping any of Intel’s 32 nm CPUs below 1.40 V for increased longevity, and we perform our own comparative analysis at 1.35 V.

After suffering through two motherboard round-ups with a CPU bug for which only one of ASRock’s competitors had a workaround, we finally moved on to a new bug-free processor based on Intel's newer C2 stepping. Choosing 47 x 100 MHz gets us to a respectable 4.7 GHz, though the board’s 1 MHz BCLK increments prevented us from seeking a few MHz more (we would have liked to see more granularity there).

Memory data rates up to DDR3-2400 are available at stock base clock, though most Sandy Bridge-E processors require advanced tweaking to reach this data rate.

Voltage controls include CPU core and CSA, the latter assisting primarily in memory controller overclocking. Benchmarked at default settings, our memory gets bumped up to its recommended 1.65 V when overclocked.

Unlike most entry-level boards, the X79 Extreme4 adds secondary and tertiary timings to its manual memory configuration.

4. Asus P9X79

Asus puts all four of the P9X79’s USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel, eliminating the possibility of a front-panel header. The board does, however, retain eSATA and IEEE-1394 ports from its more-expensive siblings, along with Asus’ USB BIOS Flashback and Quick BIOS Screen Capture features.

USB BIOS Flashback uses a custom IC to enable firmware flashing from a USB drive with no other hardware installed. That’s particularly beneficial to users who actually need a firmware update to simply support hardware they bought with the board. As you'll see shortly, this is a very real concern, and a competitor was affected by its inability to accommodate our C2-stepping processor right out of the box.

The P9X79 beats several competing products in maximum memory support by including eight slots. While the board also gives up any additional SATA ports, most enthusiasts will expand beyond four modules long before they see the need to expand beyond the X79 Express' six SATA ports.

The P9X79 includes switches and a button for Asus’ EPU, TPU, and MemOK modes. EPU is an automatic underclocking routine for enhanced power savings under low loads, TPU is an automatic overclocking routine, and MemOK temporarily underclocks memory to ease booting with improperly-programmed modules.

Like most other entry-level X79-based platforms, the P9X79 relies on Sandy Bridge-E’s 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes to support up to three graphics cards with x16-x16-x8 connections. Asus pushes the x8 slot to the bottom of the board, however, where installing a dual-slot graphics card requires an eight-slot case (in addition to smashing flat any cables connected to headers along the board’s bottom edge). This is particularly frustrating for users who hoped to take advantage of Asus’ Q-Connector cable bundling feature. Dual-card users fare better, since the board provides an extra space between its two x16 slots for improved airflow.

Though the P9X79 supports three graphics cards, it does not include a three-way SLI bridge. A two-way SLI bridge, I/O shield, and four SATA cables complete its installation kit.

5. P9X79 Firmware

P9X79 firmware includes several automatic and manual overclocking options in addition to Asus OC Tuner, which is designed to automatically find the company's idea of an optimized overclock based on incremental clock increases and stability tests. We’re a little cautious with core voltage settings, though, and prefer to set this manually.

We didn’t quite reach 4.7 GHz on the P9X79, but small 0.1 MHz BCLK increments allowed us to set 4672 MHz using the same 47x CPU multiplier.

The P9X79 plays on our love of simplified menus by placing key voltage controls on the main Ai Tweaker menu. Per-channel DRAM reference voltage levels might be perceived as over-the-top, however, since only the most persistent tweakers use these.

Choosing “Ultra High” CPU Load-line Calibration from the DIGI+ Power Control submenu allows us to retain a CPU core voltage very close to our targeted 1.35 V under heavy processor loads.

Disabling EIST within the CPU Performance Settings submenu let us lock in a constant 47x CPU multiplier, exceeding non-Turbo Boost ratios even though the menu shows Turbo Mode disabled.

The P9X79’s DRAM Timing Control submenu adds slew rate to the familiar primary, secondary, and tertiary timings.

6. Biostar TPower X79

Often perceived as a contender for extracting some of the best overclocking value, Biostar stepped its game up a bit with its TPower X79 by providing twice as many USB 3.0 ports compared to most competitors. We find six of those connectors on the I/O panel and two available via front-panel header.

Biostar's customers aren’t even forced to give up a bunch of other features to get those extra ports, since the board still features a third-party SATA/eSATA controller, three PCIe 3.0 x16 slots electrically wired to run at x16-x16-x8, a Port 80 diagnostics display for overclocking failure analysis, and integrated power/reset/CLR_CMOS buttons for bench testing.

The TPower X79 even has two high-capacity EPS12V connectors to feed its mid-capacity voltage regulator. Perhaps the most significant compromise is a quartet of memory slots, giving you one shot to grab the quad-channel kit you need and no room for an upgrade. With a Web price of only $230, that sacrifice is fairly small in exchange for such a wide range of added controllers.

Unfortunately, installing a third graphics card will be problematic for performance enthusiasts, since the extra-stiff USB 3.0 front-panel connectors of most cases block the installation of most cards. As with Asus' board, two-way CrossFire and SLI are preferred, and Biostar provides an extra space between the top two x16 slots to assist airflow between a pair of boards.

Competitors could learn a thing from Biostar about low-cost installation kits, as the TPower X79 includes six SATA cables to support all of the chipset’s native ports. But perhaps Biostar could also learn something from ASRock, the company that enables three-way SLI with a bundled bridge and smarter header placement. The TPower X79 is almost exclusively focused on dual-card graphics configurations, though going the single-GPU route is certainly an option too.

7. TPower X79 Firmware

Biostar copies over its familiar O.N.E. menu from earlier BIOS implementations to its UEFI with a few modifications, such as moving the menu bar to the bottom of the GUI.

Unfortunately, this particular board was uncharacteristically difficult to overclock compared to the firm’s other recent efforts, with nonfunctional boot failure recovery and a lack of overclocking profile storage that forced us to continuously clear all settings and then reset everything to known-good values in our overclocking attempts. We finally reached a stable (but frankly pretty weak) 4455 MHz overclock using a below-stock 99 MHz base clock with a 45x multiplier.

We also had to set a 1.37 V Vcore to achieve something close to 1.35 V.

Primary and secondary memory timings are also available from the main O.N.E. menu.

Though voltage settings are few, core, DRAM, and CSA voltage are all available. Unlike the CPU voltage found further up its menu, this CPU core voltage setting is an offset that complements the baseline figure.

8. ECS X79R-AX Black Deluxe

ECS' X79-based branding is a little strange. Its “Black Extreme” moniker applies to a high-end part labeled X79R-AX, while its “Black Deluxe” moniker goes to the mid-range part officially called the X79R-AX Deluxe. Those official names come from both the company's Web site and the descriptor labels applied to its boxes. In other words, the Deluxe is a lower-end model than the non-Deluxe, and the word Extreme rarely appears on the top-end variant. In order to keep things simple, we’re ignoring the word Black and going by the label’s official X79R-AX Deluxe designator.

Deluxe could refer to the board’s support for four graphics cards, its four rear and two front-panel USB 3.0 ports, or perhaps its quad SAS 6Gb/s connectors. Two of those features are unique amongst today's contenders.

Pathway switches allow the X79R-AX Deluxe to go from two full-bandwidth PCIe 3.0 x16 links to four x8 connectors by sending eight of each grey slot’s lanes to the corresponding white slot. That only happens when the switches detect a card in the white slot, though.

Of course, four-card arrays aren't for everyone, and they may not even be for anyone shopping in the X79R-AX Deluxe's price range. They certainly can't be used if you also want front-panel USB 3.0 support, since the front-panel header is placed too closely to the fourth graphics slot for a card and a cable to coexist. Three-way CrossFire is still a solid possibility, but the slots are most suitably situated to support two really big graphics coolers.

The CPU’s remaining eight lanes of third-gen PCIe are reserved for on-board devices, with four of them providing a communications pathway for the PCH's SAS controller. These are the same ports Intel decided to disable on desktops, and ECS was the only manufacturer to enable them anyway. These must be enabled in both firmware and by Intel drivers supplied by ECS. Mixed tales of triumph and tragedy have been attributed to the use of these ports, and the tragedies are mostly likely related to the fact that Intel decided not to support them.

In the days to come, Intel will introduce the server/workstation version of this same PCH, which will be largely identical to the desktop version, aside from its name. That'll be the product to look to for official Intel SAS support.

The X79R-AX Deluxe officially supports six drives and actually includes six SATA cables. ECS adds a single SLI bridge. You'll need to look to your graphics vendor for a CrossFire bridge.

9. X79R-AX Deluxe Firmware

As ECS continues developing its firmware, we’re looking at a product that appears nearly perfect and full of value. Of course, appearances can be somewhat deceptive.

The M.I.B. X main menu provides all of the chipest ratio and voltage controls we require, disappointing us only in that those voltage settings are represented by added or subtracted voltage, rather than fixed-mode values.

The CPU Overclocking submenu includes base and Turbo Boost ratios, along with voltage increases for Turbo Boost and current limit overrides.

Memory ratio, primary, and secondary timings are also available from the Memory Overclocking submenu.

All of those options should be enough to get us to the limits of our CPU, or at least this board. However, the shipping firmware’s inability to support our C2-stepping processor put a wrench in our overclocking plans. ECS did hurry to send us a replacement firmware, which did the trick, but presented us with a couple of other issues.

Yes, the replacement UEFI worked. But giving ECS another shot after our cut-off date for submissions would have forced us to re-do all testing on the other five boards as well. Plus, there's the fact that end-users don't have the luxury of swapping out a new C2-based processor for a C1 chip to flash a new firmware. This is a compatibility issue that'll create sticky situations until all of the X79R-AX boards available include ECS' latest build. The consolation that we offered was a chance to participate in our benchmark suite using the older C1-stepping CPU. We simply couldn't count our overclocking attempts on two different processors, though.

10. Intel DX79TO

Intel now counts itself amongst the motherboard vendors with thorough overclocking functionality. Its DX79TO stands out most clearly for its lack of passive voltage regulator cooling compared to the other boards tested in this round-up. A fairly large heat sink positioned where you would have expected to find a northbridge is nothing more than an extension of the PCH cooler that alleviates any need for a chipset cooling fan.

Intel adds two USB 3.0 ports to its rear panel and not much else. Though a Port 80 diagnostics display, a power button, and a reset switch all aid in bench testing, IEEE-1394a is its only other concession to add-in connectivity.

We would expect Intel’s reduced-price motherboards to maximize the platform's built-in capabilities, and were pleased to find eight memory slots available for quad-channel upgrades. On the other hand, a mere three 1/8" analog audio jacks on a board that lacks even a single digital output is far more disappointing, and we're left to wonder where the CPU's eight remaining lanes--normally reserved for a third graphics slot--have gone.

At least the board still includes Intel’s Back-to-BIOS button, which allows the system to boot at its default configuration, while still retaining custom settings in its firmware GUI.

While a mere two graphics slots is likely sufficient for most enthusiasts, those same enthusiasts could save even more money by simply switching to LGA 1155. Slot connectors are relatively cheap, and the eight lanes that most competing products use for a third slot are native to all LGA 2011 CPUs. Intel doesn't even take advantage of the reduced graphics support by spacing remaining slots farther apart for increased graphics cooling. Though we're certain some LGA 2011 buyers are simply looking for a low-cost yet reliable way to support Intel's latest six-core processors, competing platforms that include both an extra graphics slot and extra space between the two primarily slots should be far more attractive to the majority of buyers.

A board with fewer internal headers should inherently be easier to lay out, though we would have preferred to find the front-panel audio header a little further forward from its bottom-rear corner placement. The cables of some cases come up less than an inch short of reaching this location.

Four SATA cables and a single SLI bridge illustrate Intel’s focus on cutting cost in the DX79TO’s least-significant places. These savings add up to a board that comes in as the least expensive of today’s competitors, in spite of Intel’s reputation for arming its boards with stability through thorough validation.

11. DX79TO Firmware

Intel’s atypical GUI is easier to use than a number of competing firmware implementations, though it does take a few minutes to master. The main “Performance” menu, for example, shows many settings, but only a few are selectable.

Host Clock Multiplier refers to the setting formerly known as a boot strap on older LGA 775 boards. This sets the ratio between the X79 PCH and CPU base clock. Other settings include base clock, CSA voltage, I/O and PLL voltage, and PCH core voltage.

CPU core voltage is found in the DX79TO’s Processor Overrides submenu, along with V-Droop control, current limits, and Turbo Boost ratios. Setting Runtime Turbo Ratio to Enable allows a single Turbo Boost multiplier to be adjusted from within Windows while reducing firmware GUI ratios to a single setting. We used the 47x ratio with a slightly underclocked 98.88 MHz BCLK to reach a stable 4.616 GHz overclock.

The DX79TO’s Memory Overrides submenu includes memory voltage and multiplier, plus primary and secondary timing controls.

12. MSI X79A-GD45 (8D)

MSI rivals Asus in offering the fewest extras for the money by integrating two USB 3.0 controllers and chipset-only SATA (compared to Asus’ eSATA ports and lack of front-panel USB 3.0). Both boards support triple-card CrossFireX, though, and both have a full set of eight DIMM slots.

It bears mention that the X79A-GD45 (8D)’s extra USB 3.0 connectivity is a little less valuable than Asus' eSATA because you can't use the front-panel USB 3.0 header with three graphics cards installed. Short add-in cards fit. Thin add-in cards fit. But USB 3.0 front-panel cable ends are simply too stiff to fit under a graphics card heat sink.

The other two x16-length slots each have a single PCIe 2.0 pathway suitable only for low-bandwidth devices. That functionality could include low-end graphics cards serving 2D needs.

Apart from the unfortunately-positioned USB 3.0 front-panel header, we have no major objections to the X79A-GD45 (8D)’s layout. It's somewhat inconvenient to have the front-panel audio header positioned a little too far back for some of our cases. That's offset by a minor design triumph in MSI's inclusion of a manual switch for its dual-BIOS function.

Supporting up to six internal SATA drives, the X79A-GD45 (8D) includes all six SATA cables. MSI’s M-Connector cable bundler, a single SLI bridge, and an I/O shield complete the installation kit.

13. X79A-GD45 (8D) Firmware

Overclockers generally know what settings they want to change. Meanwhile, MSI sets its firmware's fonts really large for the most trivial settings and really small for the most important settings. Could that reverse emphasis be designed to discourage more casual users from playing with the wrong option?

All primary clock and voltage controls are found within the main OC menu, including base clock, chipset ratio (Clock Strap), CPU multiplier, and DRAM ratio.

CPU Core, CSA, VTT, and PLL voltages are all adjustable.

If you choose not to manually specify CPU voltage but still want a little more performance using Intel’s stock voltage scheme, use the separate Override Voltage option. DIMM voltage is adjustable in channel pairs, while DIMM reference voltage is further divided into single-channel settings.

While Turbo Boost ratios are adjustable based on the number of active cores within the CPU features menu, our target was to simply find one stability limit with all cores loaded. Hitting that target was as simple as setting the base ratio to 47x in the main menu, pushing our CPU to 4.70 GHz.

Primary and secondary memory timings are adjustable from the Advanced DRAM Configuration submenu. Shown timings correspond to XMP values for our test modules.

14. Test Settings And Benchmarks
Test System Configuration
CPUIntel Core i7-3960X (Sandy Bridge-E): 3.60 GHz, 15 MB  Shared L3 Cache, LGA 2011
CPU CoolerSwiftech Apogee GTX, MCP 655b, Triple Fan Radiator Kit
RAMG.Skill F3-17600CL9Q-16GBXLD 16 GB (4 x 4 GB) DDR3-2200
Benchmarked at DDR3-1600 CAS 9 defaults
GraphicsNvidia GeForce GTX 580: 772 MHz GPU, GDDR5-4008
Hard DriveSamsung 470 Series MZ5PA256HMDR, 256 GB SSD, SATA 3Gb/s
SoundIntegrated HD Audio
NetworkIntegrated Gigabit Networking
PowerSeasonic X760 SS-760KM: ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Gold
Software
OSMicrosoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64
GraphicsNvidia GeForce 285.62
ChipsetIntel INF 9.2.3.1020


A credit to Swiftech’s reliability, its LGA 775-era Apogee GTX kit keeps our CPU temperature well below its thermal throttling limits under every test condition, even while using its original coolant and nothing more than a bracket and screw change to fit the newer LGA 2011 platform. We added an SFF21D cooling fan above its water block to assist voltage regulator and DRAM cooling.

G.Skills Ripjaws DDR3-2200 allows us to test the overclocking capabilities of each motherboard at one module per channel, and the basic performance of each board at default DDR3-1600 SPD values. The firm sent a second set for our eight-DIMM tests using the same ICs, but different XMP values.

Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 580 pushes our CPU limits under games, enhancing any small performance deficits that some motherboards occasionally exhibit.

Samsung’s MZPA256HMDR 256 GB SSD keeps load times and idle power low.

Benchmark Configuration
3D Games
DiRT 3V1.01, Run with -benchmark example_benchmark.xml
Test Set 1: High Quality Preset, No AA
Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Preset, 8x AA
Metro 2033Full 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 IICustom map "Tom's Hardware Guide V2"
Test Set 1: High Details, High Quality
Test Set 2: Ultra Details, Extreme Quality
Audio/Video Encoding
iTunesVersion 10.4.1.10 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 0.95: "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 ReferenceVersion: 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, Two-Channel, 16-Bit, 224 Kb/s), Codec: H.264 Pro, Mode: PAL 50i (25 FPS), Profile: H.264 BD HDMV
Productivity
Adobe Photoshop CS5Version 12.1 x64: Filter 15.7 MB TIF Image: Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates
Autodesk 3ds Max 2012Version 14.0 x64: Space Flyby Mentalray, 248 Frames, 1440x1080
WinZipVersion 15.5 Pro: THG-Workload (464 MB) to ZIP, command line switches "-a -ez -p -r"
WinRARVersion 4.01: THG-Workload (464 MB) to RAR, command line switches "winrar a -r -m3"
7-ZipVersion 9.22: THG-Workload (464 MB) to .7z, command line switches "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5"
ABBYY FineReaderVersion 10.0.102.82: Read PDF save to Doc, Source: Political Economy (J. Broadhurst 1842) 111 Pages
15. Benchmark Results: DiRT 3

For most games, our lowest settings show differences in CPU and/or memory performance, while our highest settings show differences in GPU and/or PCIe performance. We expect substantially similar results across all tests, but look for any large gains to expose less-than-honest default clock rate settings or large losses to expose implementation problems.

ECS leads DiRT 3, followed closely by Intel, but no evidence to suspect anything out of the ordinary. Both boards show spot-on base clock frequencies in CPU-Z.

16. Benchmark Results: Metro 2033

Metro 2033 chokes most systems, making this already-old game an excellent replacement for the ancient, original Crysis. Once again, we look for large differences to expose non-standard clocks or configuration issues.

The leaders from DiRT 3, ECS and Intel each take top positions in one of the two test charts. Typical variations of roughly 0.5 FPS between consecutive runs point to performance that’s very close to par for all tested boards.

17. Benchmark Results: StarCraft II

ASRock and Biostar lead in StarCraft II, though those leads are within the typical performance variation between consecutive runs (around 2-3 FPS). Those leads vanish completely at 2560x1600.

18. Benchmark Results: Audio And Video Encoding

Though we haven’t seen any consistent performance leadership up until this point, both of our audio encoding applications favor the same three motherboards. Both applications are also single-threaded, scaling based on the clock rate of a single core. We didn't see a noticeable difference in base clock, though, which would have allowed one platform to run slightly faster than the others.

HandBrake shows no performance difference between motherboards.

One of the three motherboards to top our audio transcoding charts, Asus’ P9X79, leads again in MainConcept.

19. Benchmark Results: Productivity

Performance differences in Adobe Photoshop are too small to detect during a one-minute project.

Biostar picks up a miniscule lead in 3ds Max.

Two of the three leaders from our audio encoding benchmarks retake top positions in file compression.

Biostar’s TPower X79 picks up its second productivity win in ABBYY FineReader.

20. Power, Heat, And Efficiency

Intel demonstrates the lowest idle power consumption, while MSI matches it, on average, with the lowest full-load power consumption. ECS' idle power result could be slightly off due to the fact that we had to use a C1-stepping processor with its qualifying firmware revision.

A big heat sink on MSI’s voltage regulator, along with moderate power consumption, contributes to impressive thermals at stock CPU settings. Biostar’s second-place temperature is equally notable given its higher power consumption.

With less than 1% performance difference separating various motherboards, efficiency is primarily a reflection of power consumption. MSI's 0.1% advantage in the benchmarks barely puts the X79A-GD45 8D over Intel's DX79TO for the top two positions.

21. Overclocking
BIOS Frequency and Voltage settings (for overclocking)
 ASRock X79 Extreme4Asus P9X79Biostar TPower X79
Base Clock90-300 MHz (1 MHz)80-300 MHz (0.1 MHz)80-300 MHz (0.1 MHz)
CPU Multiplier12x to 60x (1x)12x to 57x (1x)1x to 59x (1x)
DRAM Data Rates800-2400 (266.6 MHz)800-2666 (266.6 MHz)800-2400 (266.6 MHz)
CPU Vcore0.60-1.70 V (5 mV)0.80-1.70 V (5 mV)1.00-1.52 V (10 mV)
Up to +0.54 V Offset
CPU VCCSA0.60-1.70 V (5 mV)0.80-1.70 V (5 mV)0.88-1.82 V (20 mV)
VTT Voltage0.95-1.49 V (7 mV)1.05-1.70 V (6.25 mV)-0.20 to +0.50 V (10 mV)
X79 PCH Voltage0.73-1.91 V (13 mV)1.10-1.70 V (6.25 mV)1.09-1.50 V (12 mV)
DRAM Voltage1.21-1.81 V (13 mV)1.20-1.99 V (5 mV)1.15-2.08 V (12.5 mV)
CAS Latency4-15 Cycles3-15 Cycles3-15 Cycles
tRCD4-15 Cycles4-15 Cycles3-15 Cycles
tRP4-15 Cycles4-15 Cycles3-15 Cycles
tRAS9-63 Cycles4-40 Cycles9-63 Cycles

The TPower X79's fixed and offset Vcore settings can be used simultaneously, boosting its theoretical maximum to 2.06 volts.

BIOS Frequency and Voltage settings (for overclocking)
 ECS X79R-AX
Black Deluxe
Intel
DX79TO
MSI X79A-
GD45 8D
Base Clock50-250 MHz (1 MHz)90-147 MHz (225 kHz)90-200 MHz (1 MHz)
CPU Multiplier12x to 65x (1x)12x to 57x (1x)12x to 60x (1x)
DRAM Data Rates1066-2400 (266.6 MHz)800-2400 (266.6 MHz)800-2400 (266.6 MHz)
CPU Vcore-0.30 to +0.70V (10 mV)1.00-1.92V (5 mV)0.80-1.80V (5mV)
CPU VCCSA-0.30 to +0.60V (10 mV)0.85-1.80V (5 mV)0.85-1.80V (5mV)
VTT Voltage-0.20 to +0.50V (10 mV)1.05-1.80V (12.5 mV)0.85-1.69V (10mV)
X79 PCH Voltage-0.20 to +0.30V (10 mV)1.10-1.50V (12.5 mV)0.90-1.90V (10 mV)
DRAM Voltage-0.30 to +0.50V (10 mV)1.20-1.93V (12.5 mV)1.05-2.45V (15 mV)
CAS Latency3-15 Cycles5-16 Cycles5-15 Cycles
tRCD3-31 Cycles5-16 Cycles4-15 Cycles
tRP3-15 Cycles5-16 Cycles4-15 Cycles
tRAS9-63 Cycles15-75 Cycles10-40 Cycles

Though several of this round-up’s motherboards offer base clock increments of less than 1 MHz, the best overclockers weren’t among them. ASRock’s X79 Extreme4 and MSI’s X79A-GD45 both reach 4.70 GHz. Neither could push our processor to 4747 MHz (which would have been required for 47 x 101 MHz), and the lack of more granular base clock settings results in a tie.

ECS gets excluded from this overclocking comparison because its old firmware did not support our newer C2-stepping CPU. Comparing a C1 overclock to a C2 wouldn't yield a fair result, especially since our C1-stepping chip is afflicted with a bug that prevents proper operation above a certain multiplier (and only Asus has been able to work around it). The new CPU is also less capable of supporting a 1.66x chipset-to-CPU multiplier, which puts the boards employing it at a disadvantage.

Every Sandy Bridge-E processor has a frequency window that includes an underclocking floor. ASRock’s 152 MHz base clock, which is achieved using a 1.66x strap, requires the base frequency be underclocked to 91 MHz, which is roughly the lowest setting this CPU supports.

The 1.25x strap is far easier to use, and the top three boards to employ it all reach 134 MHz. This capability is particularly useful to owners of locked processors like the Core i7-3820, since they’re still be able to increase their CPU’s frequency up to 34% beyond its highest multiplier.

Asus does wonderful things with memory overclocking, which is why we often use its products as our reference platform in memory reviews. Intel follows closely behind, though it isn’t able to effectively use its DDR3-2133 setting when all eight slots are filled. Pushing past the possible DDR3-2400 setting would require far-more-aggressive voltage adjustments than we’re comfortable using.

22. Which X79-Based Motherboard Offers More Value?

Today’s motherboards range from Intel’s $210 DX79TO to a $260 price shared by Asus, MSI, and ECS. Gigabyte’s X79A-UD3 might have also fit within our qualifying range, had its board not already been used for our $260 to $320 roundup. If you want to know more about the Gigabyte platform, check out Seven $260-$320 X79 Express Motherboards, Reviewed.

Because all of today’s boards exhibit similar performance, a price-per-performance chart primarily reflects price.

For $5 more than Intel's baseline, ASRock’s X79 Extreme4 adds three-way SLI, front-panel USB 3.0, rear-panel digital ports, twice as many analog audio jacks, three more SATA ports, and eSATA. While all of those features are worth several times as much as the price difference, we're left wondering how much money ASRock saved by leaving out the second set of DIMM slots.

Biostar’s TPower X79 goes a step further by integrating four more USB 3.0 ports compared to the X79 Extreme4. It still has only a single set of memory slots, however, and we’re unhappy to find its front-panel USB 3.0 header located less than one space below its third graphics slot. While most builders at this budget level don’t plan to use three graphics cards, we like to leave that option available when the slots are there. Furthermore, the TPower X79 is an extraordinarily troublesome overclocker. All of these things diminish the value of its added peripheral connectivity, compelling us to choose between ASRock and Intel.

Asus’ P9X79 splits the difference between the two most value-oriented boards by offering four rear-panel USB 3.0 ports but—strangely—no front-panel USB 3.0 headers. The board also comes up two SATA ports shy of the X79 Extreme4, and its super-valuable USB BIOS Flashback feature is so infrequently needed that it alone can’t justify its significantly-higher $260 price.

Nobody needs a win right now more than MSI, and the firm does beat its competitors with impressive efficiency. Like the TPower X79, MSI’s X79A-GD45 also has the problem of an unfortunately-placed front-panel USB 3.0 header. Anyone who knows for certain that they’ll never place a conflicting card in the bottom PCI Express slot should consider its superb efficiency as a reason to buy, though we find it hard to justify a $45 mark-up (compared to the similarly-featured X79 Extreme4) for its second set of memory slots.

ECS’ X79R-AX Deluxe faces several challenges compared to the competition, beginning with the fact that it was the only board to require a firmware update simply to support our new CPU. Anyone who orders a new processor with this board could potentially suffer the same fate. This is one of those instances where a feature similar to Asus’ USB BIOS Flashback could truly be useful, but ECS doesn’t have it. That could explain why the X79R-AX Deluxe is out-of-stock everywhere we looked.

This leads us back to a race between ASRock’s X79 Extreme4’s added features and the extra memory slots provided by Intel’s DX79TO. We could try to use the DX79TO’s higher efficiency to offset its lack of front-panel USB 3.0 support, but we prefer to have both. We were also disappointed that Intel chose to use only 32 of the CPU's 40 PCIe lanes by leaving off the third graphics slot. Add superior CPU overclocking to its superior feature set, and ASRock’s X79 Extreme4 takes the value crown.