Intel Z77 Motherboard Review with Ivy Bridge - ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI

Updates to our Testing Methodology

In light of various requests and as a naturally evolving process, some of our motherboard tests have changed.  This has the unfortunate consequence of making many of our previous results incomparable, but if they were never updated, we would still be on Catalyst 6.3 or something similar!  Also with experience allows us to pick tests that are able to run and give a nice score without having to sit with a stopwatch for twenty minutes each time.

For our CPU tests, we introduce Xilisoft Video Converter, a tool used to convert one type of video to another.  What I like about XVC is that it works using all threads available as much as it can, and if you have a GPU that is compatible, it will use it to help speed up conversion.  We also add in x264 HD Benchmark, a standard video encoding benchmark that a few other review websites use.

For the system benchmarks, we utilize two new features for USB testing.  In terms of hardware, we use a SATA 6 Gbps to USB 3.0 device connected up to an OCZ Vertex3 240 GB drive in order to really stress both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0.  For this test, we are also using software called DiskBench - a utility that records accurate times to copy from one drive through the USB to another.

Our GPU test suite also gets a bump.  Previously all benchmarks were run at 1920x1080, a reasonable gaming screen size.  Today we move all our benchmarks up to 2560x1440 using a 27" Yamakasi Catleap Q270 LED, a common Korean gaming monitor.  In terms of actual GPUs, we are retiring our now two generations old HD 5850s, and with many thanks to ASUS, now using a set of HD 7970s for up to four-way CrossFireX (should the motherboard allow it).  For NVIDIA, we still use a pair of ECS GTX 580s for SLI testing.  The games are also changing with AVP becoming a relatively trivial (120 FPS+) benchmark at 1920x1080, so we are replacing it with Civilization 5 at 2560x1440.

Test Setup

Many thanks to...

Many thanks to ASUS as they have kindly allowed us to retire our now two generations old HD 5850s.   By providing us with a set of ASUS HD 7970s for up to four-way CrossFireX, we can really test any system that comes our way (coupled with that 2560x1440 monitor).

The ASUS HD7970-3GD5 was ASUS' first 7970 product on the market, using the reference design but being coupled with ASUS GPU Tweak software and support.  These cards offer solid performance, and I have easily overclocked them from 925/1375 to 1200/1800 with small bumps in voltage.  With any luck, the limiting factor for the next few generations of motherboards will be the motherboard rather than our GPU in the GPU testing, as well as some special X79 boards we are testing soon.

A little preview of some overclocking I have done with these cards for a future review

Many thanks should also go to G.Skill, for sending us one of their new TridentX memory kits designed specifically for the Z77 Platform.  The kit they have sent is the F3-2666C11D-8GTXD, or put simply, a dual channel 8 GB kit (two 4 GB modules) designed to run at DDR3-2666 MHz with 11-13-13-35 timings at 1.65 volts.

Having DDR3-2666 memory does seem a little far-fetched, given that Panther Point and the CPUs are only rated up to DDR3-1600.  However, with the integrated memory controller on Ivy Bridge, most motherboards should support up to DDR3-2666 to DDR3-2800 by default.  In the real world, this means that bulk memory transfers, or memory transfer limited situations, should get a boost.  This is in the realm of video processing, or integrated graphics gaming, or multi-monitor gaming (depending on how the game is processed).  However, given that motherboard manufacturers are releasing the fact that their motherboards should support these high frequencies, it does not hurt to test them!

In terms of G.Skill’s part in all this – their TridentX range will cover dual channel kits and quad channel kits, from 2x4 GB kits, 2x8 GB kits, 4x4 GB kits and to 4x8 GB kits.  The smaller 4 GB module kits will have speeds from 2400 to 2800 MHz, and are assured to be competitively priced, as well as overclockable.  In terms of our 2x4 GB 2666 11-13-13 kit, we were able to bump up the ratio to 2800 MHz without any change of voltage or subtimings.  With a little voltage push, we were able to go to 2950 MHz with some frequency adjustments.  As long as the CPU can take it, it seems that G.Skill have some overclockable kits ready for the taking.