ASRock X79 Extreme11 Review: PCIe 3.0 x16/x16/x16/x16 and LSI 8-Way SAS/SATA
by Ian Cutress on September 3, 2012 10:15 AM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
- ASRock
- X79
- LSI
- PLX
PCIe 3.0 vs. PCIe 2.0
As part of our testing on the X79 Extreme11, we decided to test both PCIe 2.0 and PCIe 3.0 scenarios. Due to the PLX chips onboard giving us a full x16/x16/x16/x16 minus any PLX latency, it should give a rough idea of how these two technologies perform. Our testing incorporated each benchmark at 2560x1440 using full eye candy settings. Here are our results, indicated by percentage difference of PCIe 3.0 over PCIe 2.0:
|
PCIe 3.0 vs. PCIe 2.0 2560x1440, Full AA/AF ASRock X79 Extreme11 x16/x16/x16/x16 |
||
| Metro 2033 | Dirt3 | |
| 1x 7970 | -0.3% | +3.8% |
| 2x 7970 | +2.6% | +4.3% |
| 3x 7970 | +1.2% | +4.2% |
| 4x 7970 | +1.9% | +0.5% |
As we can see, there is an improvement for Dirt3 and Metro2033, though the difference is barely noticable. The effect of PCIe 3.0 depends on the different engines using DirectX and OpenGL – each system, and thus each gaming engine, uses the PCIe bus differently. In the games where the PCIe bus is used extensively, then PCIe 3.0 will win out. Otherwise we are at the whim of statistical variation between runs.
Dirt 3
Dirt 3 is a rallying video game and the third in the Dirt series of the Colin McRae Rally series, developed and published by Codemasters. Using the in game benchmark, Dirt 3 is run at 2560x1440 with full graphical settings. Results are reported as the average frame rate across four runs.
Due to the PLX chips, we would expect the X79 Extreme11 to fall behind slightly in single and dual GPU performance, which is confirmed in the benchmark results. In four-way GPU however, the X79 board falls behind some Z77 boards.
Using NVIDIA GPUs, Dirt3 is still agnostic to any CPU or PCIe performance.
Metro2033
Metro2033 is a DX11 benchmark that challenges every system that tries to run it at any high-end settings. Developed by 4A Games and released in March 2010, we use the inbuilt DirectX 11 Frontline benchmark to test the hardware at 2560x1440 with full graphical settings. Results are given as the average frame rate from 4 runs.
Metro 2033 mirrors similar findings from Dirt3 - the ASRock cannot keep pace with the other boards. This must suggest that having dual PLX chips offers a much bigger hit to frame rates than previously thought.
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puppies - Monday, September 3, 2012 - link
22 USB drinks coolers for the crate of redbull you consume while doing an all night rendering session?08solsticegxp - Sunday, June 9, 2013 - link
You can also use all those ports for USB rocket launchers to be warlord of the office.bobsmith1492 - Monday, September 3, 2012 - link
I regularly use up all my USB ports at work and have to use a hub. I'd love to have 22.Mouse
Keyboard
Software key dongle
Flash drive
External hard drive
Multiple USB-to-serial converters
Dev kit
Programmer
martyrant - Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - link
Why are you using a software key dongle?Your IT team should be able to produce a software license server, removing the need for USB keys.
Multiple USB-to-serial converters? Are you serious? They have dongles for at least 4 of these from one USB slot, I've got at least 4 x2 slots lying around.
jigglywiggly - Monday, September 3, 2012 - link
ppl here whine too muchgr8 review
:D
Performance Fanboi - Monday, September 3, 2012 - link
...but a $600 board should include Intel nics over Broadcom.Iketh - Monday, September 3, 2012 - link
It is very hard for me to read an article that refers to a company as plural. I have to pause every time i come to "ASRock have..." because it's so unnatural to read since it should be "ASRock has..."While I'm on the subject, I don't know which is correct... "an SAS" or "a SAS" ? I read "SAS" as a word so "an" is incorrect, but if you read it saying each letter, then "a" is right...
Iketh - Monday, September 3, 2012 - link
-- , then "a" is right... --should be
-- , then "an" is right... --
ggathagan - Monday, September 3, 2012 - link
The British writing convention is to refer to companies in the plural.Sufo - Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - link
Well, a company is a group of people is it not? Rather than one single hive-mind. "ASRock" as a singular entity is simply a brand, and I don't like the idea that an abstract concept can make human decisions - technically, because it is impossible, but mainly because it is creepy... :/