Seven $260-$320 X79 Express Motherboards, Reviewed
With 40 lanes of PCIe 3.0 connectivity to host all of our high-bandwidth devices, LGA 2011 certainly qualifies as a premium processor interface. Today we examine seven X79-based motherboards that offer high-end features at a more palatable price.
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.
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Crashman jprahmanSo when will we see results with a C2?It's going to take around a month to prepare another roundup...so I guess good news comes with bad news, sorry.Reply -
Crashman amuffinfoxconn boards are pretty good.They've been making decent enthusiast boards on-and-off for a while.Reply -
morne Quick coment on looks only (I know its specs that count not looks but oh well)Reply
ASRock X79 Extreme6/GB - very nice all black looks better than gigabytes atempt
Asus P9X79 Pro - new baby blue they use on all the boards... not for me
ECS X79R-AX - looks like my old pentium 2 board with the white slots
Foxconn Quantumian-1 - i like i like gives a feeling of the ROG ASUS boards
Gigabyte X79-UD3 - rip of from the ASRock X79 Extreme6/GB (lol) plus the southbridge heatsink looks old fasion and ugly.
Intel DX79SI - now this board for me looks good actualy more than good looks the best :) must be the scull lol
MSI X79A-GD65 8D - also very nice love the blue + Black.
If you have one of the boards and i insulted it, wasnt the intention, just my view of the board>
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stingstang My only question is.. Why do you guys need 6 freaking $1050 processors? Good golly gosh!Reply -
ubercake Great descriptive article.Reply
One thing I'm not sure of is the acceptance and actual usage of eSATA. While practical at some level, is anyone actually using this MB feature or is this one of those things the MB producers can skip out on like parallel and serial ports? I'm not sure enthusiasts are all that into using their eSATA ports?
Personally, I think this is one of those money saving opportunities MB producers should consider. -
geekapproved After the X58 anal pounding, you would be a moron to buy a X79. It's life is predicted to be even shorter than X58.Reply -
morne Actualy i agree with you ubercake, i have never used my E-sata, and with usb 3.0 out doubt anyone still uses E-sata if they have before.Reply