Power, Heat, And Efficiency
Foxconn’s Inferno Katana GTI has the lowest average power consumption, but having the fewest onboard features could be a big part of that efficiency.
Gigabyte’s 2 oz. copper PCB could be the reason behind its lower VRM temperatures, while Biostar’s big open sinks put it in second place for motherboard cooling. Foxconn’s Inferno lives up to its name by comparison, but it’s hard to classify temperatures this low as fiery.
The most miserly of today’s motherboards, the Inferno Katana GTI’s performance is good enough to push it to first place in efficiency. Biostar, with its inability to support the highest power-saving C-states and thus the highest Intel Turbo Boost multipliers, unfortunately suffers a sizeable efficiency defeat.
