Overclocker motherboards by MSI and Gigabyte (Intel P45)
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Date: 18.09.2008 |
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Performance tests
While determining the starting FSB speed, we found that the Gigabyte's board sets it at a high enough precision, as compared to the MSI board which overstated it by over 1 MHz.
In our test setup, we used the following hardware:
Besides our boards, we used Foxconn P45A-S in the tests.
Tests of application software
Video encoding (DivX, Xvid) was measured in seconds, i.e. the less the better.
Data compression (WinRAR) was measured in KB/sec, i.e. the more, the better.
Synthetic tests
Gaming benchmarks:
Final Words
We have tested two products aimed at computer enthusiasts and overclockers. Among them, only Gigabyte EP45 Extreme can be regarded as a platform for overclocking. We were able to easily make the most out of the test components (primarily, the CPU), and the board showed potentials for further overclocking. Moreover, the board comes bundled with an additional massive radiator which is able improving the cooling at high frequencies. If you are lucky to get a CPU with the FSB Wall over 600-650 MHz, you can reach the frequency through using a fluid-powered cooling system which can be plugged in to the water block on the north bridge. In other words, this board is 100% ready for a hard life inside of the overclocker's computer.
 Nor computer enthusiasts will be disappointed by Gigabyte EP45 Extreme because it has three slots for PCI-E video cards. However, for this category of users the choice between this board and MSI P45 Diamond will be rather hard. The thing is, although the MSI's board offers merely 2 PEG slots, it is better at other expansion options: it offers more SerialATA links (by 4, 2 of which are external), plus an additional sound card based on the modern Creative X-Fi chip. At the same time, the MSI's board offers a water block on the north bridge, but in this case this feature may interest only those who are into quietness. On the other hand, the Gigabyte's board has an additional radiator which will also suit to this category of users. The choice becomes even more difficult in view of the fact that the retail prices of these boards are about the same.
Are there any shortcomings in these boards? Yes, they have one common issue: insufficient optimization to various RAM kits. While for the Gigabyte's board that reads like "with XXX modules I reached FSB = 558 MHz, with ZZZ - 566 MHz", for the MSI's board all is much worse: "the board is unable to run with the memory whose frequency is 1333 MHz".
Gigabyte EP45-Extreme and MSI P45 Diamond
Conclusion
Pros:
- High stability and good performance level;
- Three PCI Express x16 slots;
- Support for SerialATA II/RAID ( 6 links; ICH10R);
- Support for one P-ATA link (IT8213);
- Integrated 8-channel audio and two LAN (Gigabit Ethernet) controllers;
- Support for USB2.0 (12 ports) and IEEE-1394 (FireWire, 3 ports);
- Rich selection of Gigabyte's proprietary technologies (C.I.A2, EasyTune Center, FaceWizard, @BIOS, etc.);
- Support for Dynamic Energy Saver, DualBIOS;
- Passive/fluid system for cooling the chipset and the power supply module;
- Additional radiator of the cooling system;
- Functional rear panel;
Cons:
The board's specific features:
- Superb results of overclocking the CPU (FSB = 564 MHz) and the memory;
- 7-stage POST indicator;
- Buttons to power-on, reset, and clear the CMOS;
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Pros:
- High stability and good performance level;
- Two PCI Express x16 slots;
- Support for SerialATA II/RAID (10 links; ICH10R + JMB363 + JMB362);
- Support for one P-ATA link (JMB363);
- Two LAN controllers (Gigabit Ethernet);
- Sound card based on the Creative X-Fi chip;
- Support for USB2.0 (12 ports) and IEEE-1394 (FireWire, 2 ports);
- A wide selection of MSI's proprietary technologies (Dual CoreCenter, LiveUpdate, D.O.T., etc.);
- MSI Green Power;
- Passive/fluid system for cooling the chipset and the power supply module;
Cons:
- Partial incompatibility to memory modules at 1333 MHz;
The board's specific features:
- Overclocking results are below the average;
- Buttons to power-on, reset, and clear the CMOS;
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