How We Test
Since the Prime X299-Deluxe was tested at the same time as MSI's sample, it gets the same extra hardware for today's comparison. The Core i7-7800X becomes the extra CPU for validating proper CPU scaling and will take a back seat to the more power hungry Core i9-7900X in future tests. The legacy platform, Asus's own Rampage V Extreme/U3.1 with Core i7-6950X, sets the baseline.
Test Hardware
Sound | Integrated HD Audio |
Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
Software | |
OS | Windows 10 64-bit |
Graphics | GeForce Game Ready 382.53 |
Due to the tremendous heat of modern six and ten-core processors, I was forced to upgrade from my previous Big Air cooler to our award-winning Fractal Design S24 liquid system. We could call that “putting our money where our words went.”
I needed something to hold the cooler and that would point air towards the hot voltage regulators of each motherboard, yet I wasn’t prepared to cut open the restrictive fan grills of our previous Lian-Li platform. I found what I needed in an old review sample of Cooler Master’s HAF-XB.
Comparison Products
Benchmark Suite
Benchmark Settings | |
Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings | |
PCMark 8 | Version 2.7.613 Home, Creative, Work, Storage, Applications (Adobe & Microsoft) |
3DMark 13 | Version 4.47.597.0 Skydiver, Firestrike, Firestrike Extreme Default Presets |
SiSoftware Sandra | Version 2016.03.22.21 CPU Arithmetic, Multimedia, Cryptography, Memory Bandwidth |
DiskSPD | 4k Random Read, 4k Random Write 128k Sequential Read, 128k Sequential Write |
Cinebench R15 | Build RC83328DEMO OpenGL Benchmark |
CompuBench | Version 1.5.8 Face Detection, Optical Flow, Ocean Surface, Ray Tracing |
Application Tests and Settings | |
LAME MP3 | Version 3.98.3 Mixed 271MB WAV to mp3: Command: -b 160 --nores (160 Kb/s) |
HandBrake CLI | Version: 0.9.9 Sintel Open Movie Project: 4.19 GB 4k mkv to x265 mp4 |
Blender | Version 2.68a BMW 27 CPU Render Benchmark, BMW 27 GPU Render Benchmark |
7-Zip | Version 16.02 THG-Workload (7.6 GB) to .7z, command line switches "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=9" |
Adobe After Effects CC | Release 2015.3.0, Version 13.8.0.144 PCMark driven routine |
Adobe Photoshop CC | Release 2015.5.0. 20160603.r.88 x64 PCMark driven routine (light and heavy) |
Adobe InDesign CC | Release 2015.4, Build 11.4.0.90 x64 PCMark driven routine |
Adobe Illustrator | Release 2015.3.0, Version 20.0.0 (64-bit) PCMark driven routine |
Game Tests and Settings | |
Ashes of Singularity | Version 1.31.21360, DirectX 12, GPU-Focused High Preset Crazy Preset |
F1 2015 | 2015 Season, Abu Dhabi Track, Rain Medium Preset Ultra High Preset |
Metro Last Light Redux | Version 3.00 64-bit High Quality Very High Quality |
The Talos Principle | Version 267252, 64-Bit, DirectX11 High Preset, Max Render 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, Max Render 1920x1080 |
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