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Seven $260-$320 X79 Express Motherboards, Reviewed
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1. LGA 2011 Motherboards, Just A Little Cheaper

When Intel launched its Sandy Bridge-E-based processors and platform, the company sampled its $1000 processor exclusively. Certainly the top-end Core i7-3960X is a worthy successor to the Gulftown-based Core i7-990X that it replaces.

As we all know, though, paying a premium to get that flagship part isn't the direction most enthusiasts go. Instead, it's more common to buy down the stack and overclock, extracting real value from less-expensive parts. Last generation, it was common to see power users buying pricey motherboards and affordable Core i7-900-series chips, turning them into 4+ GHz speed demons.

Intel's new high-end platform is no different. The Core i7-3930K is a much more attractive high-performance prospect than the -3960X. And now that we've seen what a -3930K can do, we're ready to have a look at some of the less expensive LGA 2011-based motherboards more appropriate for the second-fastest CPU's more attainable price tag.

As we wait for Intel to push its least-expensive Core i7-3000 CPU into retail, today's round-up sees seven mid-priced motherboards put to the test.

X79 Motherboard Features
 ASRock X79 Extreme6/GBAsus P9X79 ProECS X79R-AXFoxconn Quantumian-1
PCB Revision1.041.021.01.0
ChipsetIntel X79 ExpressIntel X79 ExpressIntel X79 ExpressIntel X79 Express
Voltage Regulator12 Phases10 Phases14 Phases14 Phases
BIOSP1.00 (12/16/2011)0802 (11/15/2011)79R1B29A (11/29/2011)B47F1P01 (11/01/2011)
100.0 MHz BCLK100.0 (+0.00%)100.1 (+0.10%)99.8 (-0.2%)100.0 (+0.00%)
Internal Interfaces
PCIe 3.0 x163 (x16/x16/x8)4 (x16/x0/x8/x16 or x16/x8/x8/x8)4 (x16/x0/x16/x0 or x8/x8/x8/x8)4 (x16/x8/x16/x0 or x16/x8/x8/x8)
PCIe 2.0 x16NoneNoneNoneNone
PCIe x1/x41/02/02/01/0
Legacy PCI2NoneNone1
USB 2.03 (6-ports)3 (6-ports)2 (4-ports)2 (4-ports)
USB 3.01 (2-ports)1 (2-ports)1 (2-ports)1 (2-ports)
IEEE-13941NoneNoneNone
Serial Port1None1None
Parallel PortNoneNoneNoneNone
SATA 6.0 Gb/s5484
SATA 3.0 Gb/s4444
4-Pin Fan2621
3-Pin Fan4None35
FP-Audio1111
S/PDIF I/OOutput OnlyOutput OnlyOutput OnlyOutput Only
Power ButtonYesYesYesYes
Reset ButtonYesYesYesYes
CLR_CMOS ButtonNoYesNoNo
Diagnostics PanelNumericNumericNumericNumeric
I/O Panel Connectors
P/S 22None11
USB 3.04442
USB 2.04666
IEEE-13941NoneNoneNone
NetworkSingleSingleDualDual
eSATA12 (Powered)22
CLR_CMOS ButtonYesYesYesYes
Digital Audio OutOptical + CoaxialOpticalOpticalOptical + Coaxial
Digital Audio InNoneNoneNoneNone
Analog Audio6 (Onboard) +4 (Card)656
Other DevicesNoneBluetooth V2.1+EDRBluetooth V2.1+EDR
802.11b/g/n WiFi
None
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
4 x SAS 6Gb/s
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
4 x SATA 3Gb/s
Chipset RAID Modes0, 1, 5, 100, 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
88SE9128 PCIe
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
ASM1061 PCIe
2 x eSATA 6Gb/s
2 x ASM1061 PCIe
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
2 x eSATA 6Gb/s
ASM1061 PCIe
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
JMB362 PCIe
2 x eSATA 3Gb/s
USB 3.01 x TUSB7340 PCIe
1 x ASM1042 PCIe
2 x ASM1042 PCIe
1 x VL810 4-Port Hub
1 x TUSB7340 PCIe
1 x TUSB7320 PCIe
2 x D720200F1 PCIe
IEEE-1394VT6315N PCIe
2 x 400 Mb/s
NoneNoneNone
Gigabit Ethernet
Primary LANBCM57781 PCIeWG82579V PHYRTL8111E PCIeWG82579V PHY
Secondary LANBCM57781 PCIe (Card)NoneRTL8111E PCIeRTL8111E PCIe
Audio
HD Audio CodecALC898 (Onboard)
Core3D PCIe (Card)
ALC898ALC892ALC892
DDL/DTS ConnectNot SpecifiedDTS ConnectNot SpecifiedNot Specified
Warranty

Three Years


X79 Motherboard Features
 Gigabyte X79-UD3Intel DX79SIMSI X79A-GD65 8D
PCB Revision1.011.1
ChipsetIntel X79 ExpressIntel X79 ExpressIntel X79 Express
Voltage RegulatorNine PhasesEight Phases12 Phases
BIOSF4 (11/21/2011)SI0380P (11/28/2011)V1.3 (11/22/2011)
100.0 MHz BCLK100.0 (+0.00%)100.0 (+0.00%)100.0 (+0.00%)
Internal Interfaces
PCIe 3.0 x164 (x16/x8/x16/x0 or x16/x8/x8/x8)3 (x16/x16/x8)3 (x16/x16/x8)
PCIe 2.0 x16NoneNone2 (x1/x1)
PCIe x1/x42/02/01/0
Legacy PCI11None
USB 2.03 (6-ports)4 (8-ports)2 (4-ports)
USB 3.01 (2-ports)1 (2-ports)1 (2-ports)
IEEE-1394None11
Serial Port1NoneNone
Parallel PortNoneNoneNone
SATA 6.0 Gb/s624
SATA 3.0 Gb/s442
4-Pin Fan345
3-Pin Fan2NoneNone
FP-Audio111
S/PDIF I/OOutput OnlyOutput OnlyNone
Power ButtonNoYesYes
Reset ButtonNoYesNo
CLR_CMOS ButtonNoNoNo
Diagnostics PanelNoneNumericNumeric
I/O Panel Connectors
P/S 21None1
USB 3.0222
USB 2.0868
IEEE-1394None11
NetworkSingleDualSingle
eSATA2NoneNone
CLR_CMOS ButtonNoBack to BIOSYes
Digital Audio OutOptical + CoaxialOpticalOptical + Coaxial
Digital Audio InNoneNoneNone
Analog Audio656
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 SATA3 x 88SE9172 PCIe
4 x SATA 6Gb/s
2 x eSATA 6Gb/s
NoneASM1061 PCIe
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
USB 3.02 x FL1009-2Q0 PCIe2 x D720200F1 PCIe2 x D720200F1 PCIe
IEEE-1394NoneVT6315N PCIe
2 x 400 Mb/s
VT6315N PCIe
2 x 400 Mb/s
Gigabit Ethernet
Primary LANWG82579V PHYWG82579LM PHYWG82579V PHY
Secondary LANNoneWG82574L PCIeNone
Audio
HD Audio CodecALC898ALC892ALC892
DDL/DTS ConnectNot SpecifiedNot SpecifiedNot Specified
Warranty

Three Years


The Trouble With Overclocking

Between the Tom's Hardware editors, we have several Sandy Bridge-E-based chips. Editor-in-chief Chris Angelini has a Core i7-3820, -3930K, and two -3960Xs, Don Woligroski has a Core i7-3960X, and I have three Core i7-3960X processors. Two are C0 processors, but the other represents the retail-class C1 stepping. Naturally, that's the one most representative of what you'll find on shelves.

Unfortunately, not all processors are created equal, even within the same stepping. Furthermore, not all flaws qualify as show-stopping defects. After receiving a second unlocked processor that wouldn't take a manual multiplier adjustment on a majority of motherboards, we contacted the first engineer we could find for a full diagnosis.

Simply increasing the multiplier causes both this C1 processor and Don's to hang while loading Windows 7, even when trying to boot from the Windows 7 DVD. A few changes to the power settings prevents UEFI initialization, and a few additional power management changes sees some motherboards to read the processor at 91° Celsius, the point at which it throttles. On most platforms, the only multiplier range that works starts at the lowest Intel Turbo Boost ratio (36x) and goes downward.

Our friendly engineer then started testing every processor he could get his hands on and noted that around 1 out of 40 C1-stepping samples exhibited the same behavior. Not willing to settle on a single source, we went on to contact the representative of a second motherboard manufacturer and, without reporting the information from the first, were told that approximately 2% of Intel’s retail C1-based processors exhibit the same behavior. Rather than split hairs over the exact number of affected chips, we searched the Internet to find two overclockers who reported the same problem to online forums with their retail builds.

Both of our processors work perfectly at default settings. So, they can't be returned for replacements under warranty, even though their elevated multipliers don't work. One of our CPUs still manages to hit 4.4 GHz using BCLK adjustments. The other stretches as high as 4.7 GHz at 1.35 V. Since the flaw is out there, in the wild, we proceeded with our testing using the better of the two C1-based chips. When necessary, we used the BCLK to hit highest stable frequency on each motherboard.

Now that C2-stepping processors are becoming available, you can look forward to us trying our luck with Intel's new stepping in our next round-up.

2. ASRock X79 Extreme6/GB

Performance enthusiasts often have multiple and conflicting needs, so ASRock targets the middle of that market by fitting its X79 Extreme6/GB with multiple and occasionally conflicting options. For example, on-board audio is available in addition to an included PCIe audio/network card.

Three add-on SATA, one eSATA, and internal/external FireWire ports that might be needed by video enthusiasts can be disabled by gaming enthusiasts, and the same goes for the two internal and four external USB 3.0 ports. Those features are all pretty much expected in high-end hardware though, so where’s the conflict?

Although the X79 Extreme6/GB’s Creative Core3D/Broadcom Gb Ethernet card is a huge part of its bundle, you can't use it with the motherboard’s other top feature, three-way SLI. It won’t even fit into the lone x1 slot with a double-slot graphics card installed. Instead, you have to populate an x16 slot with the little value-add. Even if we ignore the PCIe-based extra, we still have a motherboard worth $280 or so, which is priced right on that dot.

We count twelve voltage regulator phases, eight DRAM slots, and three-way SLI support with an extra space between the first and second card for improved GPU cooling, all indicating the X79 Extreme6/GB’s worth.

Persistent overclockers will love the X79 Extreme6/GB’s Port 80 diagnostics display (it even got us out of a couple jams during testing), while bench testers will value the included power and reset buttons. System integrators will find greater value in the USB 3.0 front-panel header that's placed well above the top graphics card, easily in reach.

Our only complaint is that the front-panel audio connector is shoved a little too far back along the X79 Extreme6/GB’s bottom edge, increasing the chance that a case’s front-panel cable might be too short to reach. You'll also want to choose a chassis with cable clearance behind the hard drive cage, since eight of the X79 Extreme6/GB’s nine internal ports point forward.

The X79 Extreme6/GB includes two- and three-way SLI bridges, six SATA cables, a 3.5” external-bay USB 3.0 adapter, and the PCIe x1 Game Blaster audio/network card.

3. X79 Extreme6/GB UEFI

This editor’s second C1-stepping Core i7-3960X has the same supposedly-rare issue as his first, preventing Windows 7 from loading when the multiplier is increased beyond 36x on most motherboards. We spent days with ASRock trying to diagnose the issue. So far, though, only one manufacturer has a workaround.

As a result, the highest six-core overclock was achieved using 36 x 130 MHz. ASRock automatically implements the chipset’s 1.25x BCLK to PCH multiplier anywhere between 113 and 149 MHz. So, the chipset was barely beyond its specification as we shot the CPU to an impressive 4.68 GHz. Default Turbo Boost modes were disabled, since allowing the chip to jump to 39x with two cores active resulted in 5.07 GHz, and that wasn't a stable frequency.

Ratios, power limits, and frequency controls are followed by three overclocking profile set points on ASRock’s OC Tweaker main menu.

Found in a separate submenu, voltage controls include core, CSA, VTT, PLL, DRAM, and PCH. That covers just about everything that most overclockers need.

The X79 Extreme6/GB has both primary and secondary memory timing controls, without the inconvenient double-setting change found on earlier ASRock boards.

4. Asus P9X79 Pro

The P9X79 Pro offers buyers a less-costly alternative to Asus' Deluxe board by dropping a few features that many enthusiasts won’t even notice. Notably missing are Wi-Fi and the twin Ethernet controllers, while Bluetooth, dual eSATA, and quad rear-panel USB 3.0 ports are retained.

Ubiquitous on its enthusiast-level products, Asus' USB BIOS Flashback feature allows a BIOS update without so much as a CPU installed. In fact, even this board's slot arrangement is carried over from the more-costly Deluxe platform.

That means three-way SLI is still configurable using double-slot cards within a seven-slot case, but without any extra space between the top and middle cards to improve GPU cooling. Asus places all front-panel headers above or below this card space to avoid any fitment issues, and the company points its eight SATA ports forward for the same reason.

Asus’ TPU switch still enables one of its overclocking profiles. The EPU switch still enables one of its power-saving profiles. And the MemOK button can still be used to underclock RAM below its SPD profile, just in case you end up with poorly-programmed memory.

Overclockers will love the Port 80 diagnostics display, while bench testers will take advantage of on+board power and reset buttons. Both will likely favor the CLR_CMOS button as well, which is cleverly hidden between a USB 2.0 header and fan port along the motherboard’s bottom edge.

With no serious complaints to voice over Asus’ layout, we can still point out that Asus is the only company not implementing Intel’s standard arrangement for front-panel power, reset, and LED pins. In fact, Asus may be the reason why so many cases have split power LED connectors, why some cases have those same pins three spaces apart (in AT-form-factor-fashion) rather than adjacent to each other, and why no case manufacturer has yet switched to a single-piece standard for the eight associated wires.

Asus includes six SATA cables, three-way and two-way SLI bridges, and front-panel quick connectors in its P9X79 Pro installation kit. CrossFire users should find the appropriate bridge cables included with their cards, though you'll probably find them to be too short to bridge between this board's 16-lane slots. Because of this design decision, we would have liked to see a long CrossFire bridge (similar to the included two-way SLI bridge) come bundled with this kit.

5. P9X79 Pro UEFI

Asus appears to be the only firm with a solution to the multiplier issue plaguing our two C1-stepping Core i7-3960X processors. Every X79-based board we've tested from the firm boots and enters Windows at high frequencies using pedestrian multiplier adjustments. Competing platforms require BCLK-based overclocking with our problematic CPUs (and apparently, a small percentage of retail chips based on this stepping as well).

Frequency and ratio controls occupy the top of Asus’ Ai Tweaker menu. Multiplying a 101 MHz base clock by 46x gets us to 4.65 GHz, which is an excellent result at 1.35 V, the setting we deemed safe enough for everyday use.

Voltage controls are found a little farther down the Ai Tweaker’s main menu, providing CPU core, CSA, VTT, and PLL options, along with DIMM and PCH. Our 1.35 V target was achieved at the board’s 1.345 V setting.

Per-channel DRAM reference voltage levels consume much of the remaining Ai Tweaker main menu, while CPU features are diverted to a separate submenu.

The middle Load-Line Calibration option kept our CPU near its target voltage when placed under the stress of twelve Prime95 threads.

Primary, secondary, and tertiary timings are available to please even the most aggressive memory overclocker.

6. ECS X79R-AX

One of the most surprising entries in this mid-market X79 Express motherboard comparison is ECS’ X79R-AX, manifesting the company’s efforts to earn some respect among the enthusiast community. No other board comes close to this one by way of features, though a $310 asking price also puts it near the top of this comparison’s budget limit.

The things Asus had to strip from its P9X79 Deluxe to nudge its Pro model into a mid-market price point (Wi-Fi and twin Ethernet controllers) are proudly made available alongside Bluetooth, four USB 3.0, and two eSATA ports on the X79R-AX’s I/O panel.

When it comes to exposing storage connectivity, ECS shoots for the moon with 12 internal ports. It gets there by adding an ASM1061 PCIe x1 controller to the X79's six native connectors. But it also enables the four SAS ports that we know are part of X79 PCH, but were supposedly disabled by Intel.

But wait, if X79's SAS ports are actually functional, why isn't everyone else using them? It turns out that many vendors actually did design their boards to expose SAS support. However, Intel issued an update during week 32 stating that the company "...will issue an errata on those ports as non-functional for the X79 chipset."

In other words, Intel felt that there was something wrong with those ports, and rather than enumerate the issue, it asked motherboard manufacturers to remove them. A few rumors even mention an upcoming chipset revision that fixes the mysterious errata. Nevertheless, ECS is using the original stepping of X79.

While another site took the time to define the complex method a user must follow to activate those non-bootable ports (enable SCU devices and SCU OpROM, then reinstall Intel RST Enterprise drivers), ECS hints at the amount of faith you should have in them by saying, "the compatibility and stability of SATA port (SAS6G1_2/3_4) may differ by different devices." Our warning is to use the chipset's SAS ports at your own risk. Although there's a chance that they might work perfectly with your hardware, it's certainly not being guaranteed.

Intel’s SAS controller monopolizes some of the processor's PCIe-based connectivity, which explains why ECS doesn’t have a permanent x8 slot. Instead, the two white x16 slots are slaves to the grey ones, stealing eight of the parent slot’s lanes when activated by installing a card.

Our necessary caveats aside, we think the X79R-AX is a gutsy design. ECS is the only firm with the audacity to go up against Intel's bulletin. This is, of course, the same company that called VIA’s bluff over KT266A supply warnings by producing the only mass-market SiS 735-based products way back in AMD’s heyday.

The design isn’t perfect, though, as it’s impossible to install a fourth double-slot graphics card and front-panel USB 3.0 cable at the same time. We’ve sharply criticized past products for this incomprehensible negligence, and we’re not going to let ECS off any easier than its competitors. This little mistake is enough to force many users to either accept unusable front-panel ports or to give up four-way CrossFireX. ECS doesn’t include a four-way SLI bridge, so that configuration wouldn't have been possible anyway.

In fact, ECS’ best-featured motherboard doesn’t even include a three-way SLI bridge, though it does have a printed Wi-Fi antenna and internal extension cable for optimizing signal without external wires. Also included are eight internal SATA cables and a USB 3.0-to-3.5” drive bay adapter, though connecting it prevents the bottom slot from accepting a double-slot graphics card.

7. X79R-AX UEFI

The biggest competitive shortfall ECS runs into most often is its firmware implementation. We commonly find that they lack settings that other boards include. Fortunately, the X79R-AX is moderately improved, though overclockers will want further enhancement.

Key voltage levels, for example, must be set as offset levels, and without any core voltage droop compensation.

Multiplier-based overclocking is limited to per-core values. ECS overcomes our processor's 36x multiplier limit, which affects every other board except Asus', but only by one ratio setting. We used a 120 MHz base clock to push this platform's 4.44 GHz stability ceiling.

Primary, secondary, and tertiary memory timings are all adjustable, which is a huge improvement over past ECS products. We’re also mindful that many builders won’t overclock at all. If you're in that boat, pay particular attention to all of the hardware extras that ECS' X79R-AX includes.

8. Foxconn Quantumian-1

Spelled by Foxconn both with and without the hyphen, Quantumian-1 is a member of its recent re-focus on the enthusiast market. Therefore, we're naturally expecting advanced overclocking settings. Before we get to this platform's UEFI, though, let's have a look at its other enthusiast-oriented featues.

We find, for example, two Ethernet controllers, dual eSATA ports, and an additional pair of SATA 6Gb/s connectors. None of those features are remarkable in the enthusiast segment, but they do add a value kick to this $270 board.

Foxconn also presents four x16-length PCIe slots, which are spaced in such a way as to prevent most folks from considering a four-way SLI arrangement. The upper black x16 slot uses eight lanes from a Sandy Bridge-E-based CPU, while the lower black slot, when it's active, takes eight lanes from the lower red slot. Two-way CrossFire and SLI (admittedly more common than any four-way config) receive a cooling benefit from the extra space between the two red slots.

Foxconn places a row of voltage detection points along the Quantumian-1’s front edge specifically to please hardcore overclockers (along with base clock control buttons and a Port 80 diagnostics display). They all reside above the top graphics card to ease access in a completely configured system. Power and reset buttons are more remote, near the front of the board’s lower edge.

Except for the odd spacing of its eight-lane center slot, we have no other qualms about the Quantumian-1’s layout. The internal USB 3.0 header is located far above the top graphics card, the front-panel audio jack is moved around an inch forward of its traditional bottom-rear-corner location for easier cable reach, and the forward-facing SATA ports are perfectly matched to modern cases that have space between the motherboard tray and hard drive cage. The CD audio header is an odd find on modern boards, but it does nothing to detract from this platform's good overall design.

Eight SATA cables, two-way, and three-way SLI bridges complete a relatively sparse Quantiumian-1 installation kit.

9. Quantumian-1 UEFI

Much time has passed since Foxconn last got firmware tips from overclocking legend Shamino, and that lack of guidance is starting to show in its overclocking controls. A classic AMI Aptio interface lacks all but the most basic clock controls, though we were still able to push our problematic processor to 4.53 GHz using a 151 MHz base clock.

A frequency hole between 133 MHz (the highest stable BCLK at the 1.25x strap) and 150 MHz (the lowest stable BCLK at the 1.66x strap) forced us to reduce our multiplier to use a higher base clock. This is normal for X79 boards and a great workaround for our particular CPU, especially since Foxconn lets us do this with alternative Turbo Boost ratios disabled.

Voltage controls are relatively limited, but we still got everything we needed to boost both CPU and DRAM frequencies. These settings include CSA voltage, which can help with memory overclocking.

Memory timings are limited to primary and a few secondary timings. Good enough for most overclockers, extreme memory tweakers will likely look towards the greater flexibility of competing products.

10. Gigabyte GA-X79-UD3

We've seen a lot of excitement surrounding Gigabyte’s $260 X79-UD3, from early overclocking failures to recent spectacular successes. But before we consider the firmware that bridges this transition, a quick look at the hardware could demonstrate why this continues to be such a newsworthy product.

The least-expensive of today’s contenders, the X79-UD3 still includes a standard set of mid-market enthusiast features, such as front- and rear-panel USB 3.0, eSATA, and two additional SATA 6Gb/s ports via a third-party controller. Gigabyte goes one step further, though, by endowing this product with four-way SLI support, rather than the three-way capability we'd expect to find on a more affordable platform, besting its own X79-UD5.

Gigabyte does remove a few things to facilitate the X79-UD3’s lower price, such as the UD5-version’s Bluetooth/Wi-Fi card and eight-DIMM support. But only a minority of enthusiasts will miss those particular features (surely not the gamers who prefer to play over wired network connections).

The X79-UD3’s only major layout weakness comes from the placement of two SATA ports along the bottom edge, where attached cables would typically block the installation of a fourth graphics card. While most users in the -UD3's target market don’t actually want or need ninth and tenth internal drives, they're equally justified in not wanting to pay for a feature they can’t use.

A minor issue that affects installation into some cases is the bottom-rear-corner audio connector, which is roughly half of an inch beyond the reach of many front-panel audio cables. A larger problem could be USB 2.0 and front-panel LED/power header placement, since those cables must typically be smashed flat to fit beneath a performance graphics card’s oversized fan cover. There are no perfect solutions to that problem, though the base of the plastic shell that surrounds each header also forces it to be roughly 1 mm taller.

Though only four SATA cables are included, the X79-UD3 adds an impressive collection of bridges to enable multi-card graphics arrays. CrossFire and SLI are presented alongside three- and four-way SLI, and users who need more-elaborate CrossFireX configurations will usually find an extra bridge with each of their cards.

11. GA-X79-UD3 UEFI

Gigabyte’s UEFI remains unchanged from our previous review, with the same over-abundance of features and menus to set just about anything an overclocker desires. Gigabyte says the F4 revision we used includes over-current protection for the CPU voltage regulator, while the later F7 revision recently proved itself in a recent record-breaking overclock.

Gigabyte even burns a little space by breaking some items into unnecessary submenus, while providing others with redundant locations. Ratio settings found in the Advanced Frequency Settings menu are, for example, also found in the submenus of each component they refer to.

Though most motherboards have trouble setting our CPU to multipliers beyond 36x, we were still able to get 4.5 GHz from the X79-UD3 using 36 x 125 MHz. Gigabyte made these settings easier to achieve by allowing higher Intel Turbo Boost ratios to be reduced. It's worth noting, though, that the “Real Time CPU Ratio Control in OS” option that sets all ratios simultaneously triggers the bug in our CPU when it's enabled.

Gigabyte’s Advanced Voltage Control submenu gets tedious, with several sub-submenus that appear overloaded, and others that should have probably been folded into a combined page. We can understand why, for example, the 3D Power Control submenu is set apart:

Two pages of settings adjust everything from loadline calibration to PWM frequency on both the CPU core and DRAM. The X79-UD3 even extends memory current protection settings to per-channel levels, though we’re not sure why anyone would want to have lower limits on one channel than another.

While CPU voltage, DRAM voltage, and PCH voltage are all necessary settings in an overclocking board, spreading these across three menus simply complicates navigation.

Setting DRAM Timing Selectable to “Quick” in the Advanced Memory Settings submenu allows all channels to be set simultaneously. Meticulous experts can also set each channel individually.

12. Intel DX79SI

Not content to be the standard on which its partners improve, Intel’s enthusiast-class offerings meld a few exclusive features and the firm’s legendary stability. The DX79SI goes full-speed into the heart of this market by providing two Intel gigabit Ethernet controllers and eight DIMM slots at a moderate $280 price.

A white “Back to BIOS” button on the rear panel is particularly useful to overclockers, as it forces the system to boot at default values without changing the custom settings of the BIOS menu. Some boards achieve similar functionality automatically after detecting a boot failure, but this manual option avoids the problem of a non-detected boot failure or a hang after booting.

Intel finally got around to using the front-panel USB 3.0 header that early-implementer ASRock credited Intel for designing a long time ago. But we were a little surprised to find legacy features like PCI and FireWire on a board that lacks PS/2 connectivity. We can be certain that the internal USB 3.0 header is located far enough below the bottom PCIe x16 slot that it doesn’t interfere with the installation of most graphics cards.

Overclockers will love the DX79SI’s internal power and reset buttons, along with a Port 80 diagnostics display to supplement a row of device status LEDs along its bottom edge. The front of that lower edges is a little better-endowed than most competing designs in that it supports up to eight front-panel USB 2.0 ports or devices, leaving us to complain only that the front-panel audio port is stuffed a little too far back into the bottom-rear corner.

A more questionable layout consideration is the x16-x16-x8 pathway arrangement for three-way CrossFire or SLI. Many builders would be tempted to use the upper and lower x16 slots in their dual-card configurations to improve cooling between boards. But doing so limits the lower card to x8 mode, while leaving the center x16 slot empty.

Our DX79SI arrived without several accessories, so we checked a few sellers and found that retail customers get a driver CD, four SATA cables, and a Bluetooth/Wi-Fi module. That last item might have been a key point of interest if it had been included with our sample.

13. DX79SI UEFI

Intel’s unusual UEFI is easy to use and navigate once you're familiar with its layout. Primary frequency and secondary voltage controls are found under the main “Performance” menu.

Though the lack of CPU core and DRAM voltage settings on a voltage menu is certainly unusual, Intel chose to put them on their respective “Overrides” menus.

The “Runtime Turbo Ratio” setting allows ratio controls from a Windows-based application, but it also sets all Turbo Boost ratios simultaneously. As with most other motherboards, enabling this setting with our problematic CPUs prevented Windows from loading. Alternatively, setting every Turbo Boost ratio to 36x with a 121.92 MHz BCLK gave us a consistent 4.36 GHz CPU clock at full load, regardless of the number of active cores.

Primary and most secondary timings are adjustable from the DRAM Overrides menu, along with DRAM voltage and multiplier. XMP is also functional for those who lack either the time or skill to manually configure maximum memory performance.

Like many of its partners, Intel now offers built-in overclocking profiles. Of course those don't work with our CPU due to its rare (but clearly not isolated) multiplier condition.

14. MSI X79A-GD65 (8D)

Far more than an eight-DIMM version of the –GD65, MSI’s X79A-GD65 (8D) features major PCB design revisions. Granted, some of those changes might have been necessary to clear room for the extra memory slots.

While the I/O panel remains unchanged with a stealthy CLR_CMOS button, eight USB 2.0 and only two USB 3.0 ports, OC Genie, Direct OC, and power buttons have all been relocated to the bottom edge, where they're likely to get hidden under a graphics card in a three-way CrossFireX configuration.

Other than the additional memory slots, there’s very little else added or subtracted from this more scalable motherboard. For example, a BIOS IC selector switch that benefits overclockers who corrupted their firmware is a nice find, but it was already present on the four-slot version of the board. A row of voltage detection points along the top of the front edge is similarly nice, but the cheaper version had a probe holder for this function. Both versions sport an added pair of SATA 6Gb/s ports via a third-party PCIe x1 controller. This enhanced version simply moves the ports down a couple inches.

Worse is that the USB 3.0 front-panel connector placed along the bottom edge limits both motherboard versions to either three-way graphics card arrays or front-panel USB 3.0, since a card won’t fit with the cable installed. That's really our only big layout complaint. Minor issues like the front-panel audio cable located a little too far back along the bottom edge only affects a minority of builders. And though the four-pin supplemental power connector below the bottom PCIe slot typically can’t be used with a card installed, it’s not really needed anyway.

We'll neither pick apart nor praise the two PCI Express x16 slots with different latches, which are only wired up to a single PCI Express lane. If you want to drop a graphics card into either of those connectors for expanded display support, a single-lane slot is probably just fine for 2D desktop needs.

Like ECS, MSI de-emphasizes the X79A-GD65 (8D)’s triple graphics support by not including a three-way SLI bridge. Both companies have the same issue regarding card installation and USB 3.0 header placement, anyway.

We also find six internal SATA cables and, since the board lacks eSATA, an internal SATA to eSATA break-out plate.

15. X79A-GD65 (8D) UEFI

MSI loves its spectacular-scale menu buttons and clock display, though the design minimizes the settings that we actually want to read. The enthusiast-oriented clock and voltage controls are available through a menu that uses around one-third of the UEFI’s total screen space.

Disabling Intel Turbo Boost meant accepting a 12x multiplier on this platform, so we had to leave the frequency-altering feature enabled in order to overclock our processor. Unfortunately, this is one of many boards unable to overcome our Core i7-3960X's thermal sensor problem, which prevents it from scaling beyond stock Turbo Boost ratios. A 119 MHz base clock was our best overclocking option, using the 1.25x boot strap.

A setting of 1.35 V was reported back to us as 1.36 V, though our meter read it closer to the set value. MSI adds per-channel DRAM reference voltage to the standard set of CPU and chipset voltage levels.

Our overclock ran into an uncharacteristically large snag in the CPU Features submenu because this is the only board in the round-up that does not let us reduce Turbo Boost ratio settings. A 119 MHz base clock yielded 4.28 GHz with all cores loaded, and up to 4.64 GHz in lightly-threaded applications. Firmware would disable Intel C-states when we tried to increase the lower multipliers, triggering the bug in our CPU. When we re-enabled Intel C-states, the multiplier would drop to 12x. We’ll blame our CPU for the fact that we couldn't utilize its unlocked multiplier the way most enthusiasts would. However, our inability to drop the single-core Turbo Boost ratio below 39x is something that MSI needs to fix.

The X79A-GD65 (8D) provides a full set of primary and secondary memory timing controls, plus a few tertiary timings for those few overclockers who know how to use them.

16. 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 4 x 4 GB DDR3-1600 CAS 9 defaults
GraphicsNvidia GeForce GTX 580: 772 MHz GPU, GDDR5-4008
Hard DriveSamsung 470 Series MZ5PA256HMDR, 256 GB SSD 
SoundIntegrated HD Audio
NetworkIntegrated Gigabit Networking
PowerSeasonic X760 SS-760KM: ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Gold
Software
OSMicrosoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64
GraphicsNvidia GeForce 285.62
ChipsetIntel INF 9.2.3.1020


Resurrected and repurposed for the LGA 2011 interface, Swiftech’s Apogee GTX kit keeps our CPU temperature well below the 91-degree Celsius thermal throttling ceiling under every test condition. We added an SFF21D cooling fan above the water block to assist voltage regulator and DRAM cooling.

G.Skills Ripjaws DDR3-2200 allows us to test the overclocking capabilities of each motherboard using 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 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 IIVersion 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
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
17. Benchmark Results: DiRT 3

Gigabyte leads the pack at our lowest DiRT 3 settings, though Foxconn catches up at 2560x1600. Because of a small amount of variability between runs, overall placement is far more important in this test than single-result differences of less than one frame per second.

ECS jumps to the top under Ultra Quality settings and 8x anti-aliasing, but the differences are too small to call that result definitive.

18. Benchmark Results: Metro 2033

ECS climbs to the top a second time in Metro 2033. When results like these are too close to be definitive, we instead start looking for patterns.

Asus finally scores a performance win at our highest Metro 2033 settings.

19. Benchmark Results: StarCraft II

Asus scores its second win at our lower StarCraft II test settings, with one-time-leader Gigabyte at the bottom of the chart.

Asus again leads overall at StarCraft II's highest settings. Perhaps a pattern is emerging?

20. Benchmark Results: Audio And Video Encoding

MSI takes a one-second overall lead in audio encoding, while ECS falls one second behind. Everyone else trades blows in the middle, with differences being far too small to notice in actual use.

MSI takes its second lead in HandBrake.

A seven-way-tie in MainConcept produces a performance chart that’s arranged alphabetically, rather than by order of performance.

21. Benchmark Results: Productivity

Our second seven-way tie produces an Adobe Photoshop performance chart that’s again arranged alphabetically.

ASRock falls behind in 3ds Max. We retested several times and found these results to be consistent, but unexplainable.

ASRock and MSI both fall behind in WinZip, again consistent through several tests and again without any visible cause or errors.

ABBYY finds ASRock and Foxconn one second behind the pack, but differences this small are unnoticeable in daily use.

22. Power, Heat, And Efficiency

MSI unexpectedly takes the lead from Intel, which is known to optimize for power, in this consumption metric, though only by a small margin.

Foxconn’s Quantumian-1 is a cool operator, while ECS’ voltage circuitry runs a little warm. We also found that Foxconn has a supremely stable voltage regulator, though it wasn’t the best overclocker.

We put both average performance and average power consumption on a percent scale and subtract 100% from the findings to zero out the chart. This shows that MSI’s 6% lower-than-average power consumption gives its boards a 6% higher-than-average efficiency rating.

23. Overclocking
BIOS Frequency and Voltage settings (for overclocking)
 ASRock X79 Extreme9Asus P9X79 ProECS X79R-AXFoxconn Quantumian-1
Base Clock90-300 MHz (1 MHz)80-300 MHz (0.1 MHz)50-250 MHz (1 MHz)100-125 MHz (0.1 MHz)
CPU Multiplier12x to 60x (1x)12x to 57x (1x)12x to 65x (1x)Unlimited
DRAM Data Rates800-2400 (266.6 MHz)800-2666 (266.6 MHz)1066-2400 (266.6 MHz)1066-2400 (266.6 MHz)
CPU Vcore0.60-1.70 V (5 mV)0.80-1.70 V (5 mV)-0.30 to +0.70 V (10 mV)+0.10 to +0.63V (10 mV)
CPU VCCA0.60-1.70 V (5 mV)0.80-1.70 V (5 mV)-0.30 to +0.60 V (10 mV)+0.10 to +0.63V (10 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)1.01-2.01 V (12.5 mV)
X79 PCH Voltage0.73-1.91 V (13 mV)1.10-1.70 V (6.25 mV)-0.20 to +0.30 V (10 mV)1.01-2.01 V (12.5 mV)
DRAM Voltage1.20-1.80 V (15 mV)1.20-1.99 V (5 mV)-0.30 to +0.50 V (10 mV)1.01-2.30 V (12.5 mV)
CAS Latency4-15 Cycles3-15 Cycles3-15 Cycles3-15 Cycles
tRCD4-15 Cycles4-15 Cycles3-15 Cycles3-15 Cycles
tRP4-15 Cycles4-15 Cycles3-15 Cycles3-15 Cycles
tRAS9-63 Cycles4-40 Cycles9-63 Cycles9-63 Cycles
BIOS Frequency and Voltage settings (for overclocking)
 Gigabyte X79-UD3Intel DX79SIMSI X79A-GD65 8D
Base Clock80-133 MHz (0.01 MHz)90-147 MHz (225 kHz)90-200 MHz (1 MHz)
CPU Multiplier12x to 59x (1x)5x to 65x (1x)12x to 60x (1x)
DRAM Data Rates800-3200 (266.6 MHz)800-2400 (266.6 MHz)800-2400 (266.6 MHz)
CPU Vcore0.80-1.74V (5 mV)1.00-1.92 V (5 mV)0.80-1.80 V (5 mV)
CPU VCCA0.83-1.96 V (10 mV)0.85-1.80 V (5 mV)0.85-1.80 V (5 mV)
VTT Voltage0.72-2.08 V (5 mV)1.05-1.80 V (12.5 mV)0.85-1.69 V (10 mV)
X79 PCH Voltage0.83-1.51 V (5 mV)1.10-1.50 V (12.5 mV)0.90-1.90 V (10 mV)
DRAM Voltage1.10-2.10 V (5 mV)1.20-1.93 V (12.5 mV)1.05-2.45 V (15 mV)
CAS Latency5-15 Cycles5-16 Cycles5-15 Cycles
tRCD5-31 Cycles5-16 Cycles4-15 Cycles
tRP5-15 Cycles5-16 Cycles4-15 Cycles
tRAS5-63 Cycles15-75 Cycles10-40 Cycles


While chipset limitations make made super-high mainstream LGA 1155 base clocks impossible to achieve, the X79 platform’s base clock ratios also make them unnecessary. For example, Foxconn’s low-looking 125 MHz base clock limit can be multiplied by 1.67 before it gets to the CPU, and the 208 MHz result yields a CPU clock more than 100% above stock.

That’s not to say that any specific combination of hardware can be pushed more than 100% beyond stock. Even by dropping our CPU multiplier, we were unable to push any of these platforms beyond 158 MHz. With the 1.66x strap employed, that should be an underclock for the X79 PCH.

Asus might be the only company with a workaround for our processor’s multiplier issue, but that didn’t make its P9X79 Pro the top overclocker in today’s competition. That honor goes to ASRock, using 36 x 130 MHz in conjunction with a 1.25x strap.

Asus continues to lead in memory overclocking, which is why this editor so often chooses its products for our memory round-ups. That’s not to say memory overclocking packs a particularly noticeable performance punch, but we do like to know the limits of our hardware.

24. Which X79-Based Motherboard Is Right For You?

For as little as $305, Asus' P9X79 Pro provides the best overall performance and best memory overclocking of the boards tested today. Yet, that performance advantage is only 0.1% above the cheapest board in this round-up, Gigabyte’s X79-UD3.

If we were to consider the same cut-rate vendor's $250 price for the X79-UD3, we’d have to disqualify it from this $260-320 motherboard round-up. On the other hand, a $270 price at several of our preferred venders puts it back within this roundup's target price range. We asked Gigabyte about the price spread before placing its board in this price segment, and the company insisted that it's able to compete against higher-end products. If we split the difference and call it a $260 contender, its four-way SLI support would still make it a top value pick with hardcore gamers. Asus has more memory slots, more USB 3.0 ports, and a Bluetooth transceiver to offset its higher price and the loss of four-way SLI, however. So, anyone who can’t afford or simply doesn’t want four high-end graphics cards could find either of these two chief competitors offering similar value.

ASRock’s X79 Extreme6/GB, on the other hand, takes first place in overclocking, in spite of the fact that it was unable to overcome the bug that prevented our CPU from employing multiplier-based overclocking on most boards. We can instead look at the positive side of our overclocking experience, in that the X79 Extreme6/GB demonstrates exceptional base clock-based overclocking, which could make it the best choice for anyone running a Core i7-3820.

Availability of the X79 Extreme6/GB is currently a little awkward, since the only seller currently offering it has a poor customer service reputation. That same seller offers spectacular pricing, though. Unfortunately, we're not able to speculate how much this platform might cost when it reaches some of the other vendors we prefer. Again, we’re left using Gigabyte’s less expensive board as a point of comparison, and for $30 more, an X79 Extreme6/GB buyer gains two rear-panel USB 3.0 ports, loses four-way SLI support, and gets a very nice audio/network card that won’t even fit if you use three-way CrossFire or SLI. While some builders will be willing to sacrifice graphics in order to retain the Creative Core3D secondary audio and Broadcom secondary Ethernet functionality, we’d instead hope to see ASRock's X79 Extreme6/GB available at a more trusted etailer, selling at a lower price, and without the combo card vs 3-way graphics debate.

Honors for the best on-board features go to ECS’ X79R-AX, with its four-way graphics card support (matching Gigabyte), Bluetooth module (matching Asus), and integrated Wi-Fi adapter (trumping both). If we buy it from a vendor we trust, the X79R-AX’s $310 Web price is actually cheaper than what we pay for Asus’ P9X79 Pro. Yet, its lack of three- or four-way SLI bridges, along with a USB 3.0 port that can’t be used when a fourth card is installed, hint at a product designed with more ambition than forethought. Also employing Intel’s unsanctioned SAS controller, the X79R-AX is probably the gutsiest board, and we'd like to see it revised to offer front-panel USB 3.0 connectivity and four-card support simultaneously.

Foxconn’s Quantumian-1 delivers on a good layout and super-stable voltage regulator, but UEFI limits prevent it from gaining notoriety as an overclocking champion. The added value of dual network controllers offsets its lack of four-way SLI support compared to Gigabyte’s X79-UD3, though the two are apparently targeting slightly different buyers with similar budgets. We have to reserve value awards for platforms with fully fleshed-out firmware, and this one's not quite there.

Intel’s $280 DX79SI does most things well, but nothing spectacularly. That’s a great way to keep loyal customers, but a tough way to pick them off from the competition. We like its high efficiency and “Back to BIOS” button. However, mediocre overclocking and pricing garnered lukewarm reactions.

MSI tops our charts in efficiency, and nothing else. Its price fluctuates between $290 and $300, coming in at the upper range of where we think it belongs. Lacking the four-way graphics capability of Gigabyte’s X79-UD3 and the two network controllers on Foxconn’s Quantumian-1, the added value of its eight DIMM slots is offset by a front-panel USB 3.0 connector that blocks a third high-end graphics card from being installed. The inability to reduce Turbo Boost ratios prevented us from getting the best overclock possible.

We conclude this review with a tie between Asus and Gigabyte, depending on the features that matter most to you. While the differences between the customers targeted by these two products are too vast for us to single one out for our “Recommended Buy” award, our “Approved” award can go to multiple products. Today, that’s how we recognize the value leadership both companies share within the $260-320 price segment.