Six Socket FM2 Motherboards For AMD's Trinity APUs

FM2-A85XA-G65 Firmware

MSI continues to mix up the settings we'd rather be looking at, hiding the most important options with small fonts underneath large time and temperature readings.

The expected 4.5 GHz never materialized for this board, though a 102 MHz reference clock and 44x CPU multiplier pushed the same APU to a still-respectable 4.48 GHz.

Our target of 1.45 V for the processor was approximated at the board’s 1.45 V setting, but our memory reached its 1.65 V ceiling at the board’s 1.62 V setting. Like most of its competition in today's round-up, MSI isn't being accurate with its memory voltage. Could it be that all of these vendors are trying to unfairly secure a win in our DRAM overclocking charts? Regardless of the actual explanation we're correcting the settings of every board in today's competition to give us the proper voltage.

The FM2-A85XA-G65 provides primary and secondary memory timing control through its Advanced DRAM Configuration sub-menu. XMP modes aren’t selectable, but tuners willing to make manual adjustments will be happy to find a full timings report within its associated Memory-Z menu.

“CPU Core Vdroop Offset Control” within the FM2-A85XA-G65’s Digital Power sub-menu allows users to compensate for voltage changes due to changes in CPU load. The 60% setting kept our processor’s voltage almost perfectly stable under four threads of Prime95.

Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
  • buzznut
    And I would penalize Asrock for the brown PCB. Its an otherwise nice looking board, but this is a trend I don't care for.
    Reply
  • Cryio
    Why, why do you keep posting Skyrim as being a DirectX11 title? It IS NOT. It's just DX9
    Reply
  • Crashman
    CryioWhy, why do you keep posting Skyrim as being a DirectX11 title? It IS NOT. It's just DX9Why don't you point to where you see that?
    Reply
  • Sakkura
    CrashmanWhy don't you point to where you see that?Sneaky, lol. Now he's going to be downvoted.
    Reply
  • Crashman
    SakkuraSneaky, lol. Now he's going to be downvoted.Not sneaky, I just see a lot of sniping in here. I checked the article and didn't find it, and I really need to find it before I can gripe at the person who made the final revisions to this article. His comment could be completely false for all I know...
    Reply
  • cangelini
    I fixed the typo earlier tonight guys, thanks.
    Reply
  • abbadon_34
    Sounds like someone is owed an apology
    Reply
  • Darkerson
    buzznutAnd I would penalize Asrock for the brown PCB. Its an otherwise nice looking board, but this is a trend I don't care for.Penalizing a company over a PCB's color is asinine and petty. Even if you have a case with an acrylic window, do you stare into your PC all day and night? If so, that is trend I don't care for.

    There are much more important things to worry about, like quality, price, and features, to name a few...
    Reply
  • cangeliniI fixed the typo earlier tonight guys, thanks."Adoby Creative Suite"

    just one?

    :lol:
    who cares, good job to crash and the rest of the crew . . .

    edit: i had to fix a typo . .oh karma!
    Reply
  • cangelini
    looniam"Adoby Creative Suite"just one? who cares, good job to crash and the rest of the crew . . .edit: i had to fix a typo . .oh karma!Heh, apparently, editing motherboard round-ups in a Thanksgiving food coma is not conducive to catching typos. Got that one as well--thanks looniam! :)
    Reply