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How We Tested
As before, this motherboard was set up on an open-bed test case. All components were the same as those used in recent write-ups.
Test System Configuration
| CPU Cooler | Boxed Cooler |
|---|---|
| Sound | Integrated HD Audio |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
Software
For comparison purposes, the results obtained will be compared to those from the recent three-board mini-ITX review.
Benchmark Suite
| PCMark 8 | Version: 2.3.293, Work, Home, and Creative Benchmarks |
|---|---|
| SiSoftware Sandra | Version: 2015.01.21.15, Memory Bandwidth |
| Crystal DiskMark 3.03 | Sequential Read |
| Unigine Heaven 4.0 | Version 4.0, Built-in Benchmark DirectX 9, Low Detail, 1280x720, 2xAA, No Tessellation |
Although stock settings are needed to generate comparative data, overclock settings will be shown as well. As before, I used a Kill A Watt meter rather than the readout of the UPS. With the system off, the UPS on its own draws about 6W.
As before, I ran only the sequential test in CrystalDiskMark, because I was interested in testing the chipset SATA and USB3.0 throughputs, not the attached drives. Similarly, I looked for bandwidth differences in the RAM. I dispensed with an additional Heaven setting I'd used before, since its results aren't relevant to a motherboard review.
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