Test Methodology
Comparison Motherboard Configurations |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | MSI X99A Gaming Pro Carbon |
Asus ROG Strix X99 Gaming |
Asus Z170 Pro |
| Reviewed Price | £270 |
£270 |
£130 |
| Firmware Version | E7A20IMS.111 |
0601 |
1801 |
| Chipset | X99 |
Z170 |
|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-6950X |
Intel Core i7-6700K |
|
| CPU Cores / Threads | 10 / 20 |
4 / 8 |
|
| CPU Base Clock / Turbo | 3.0GHz / 3.5GHz |
4.0GHz / 4.2GHz |
|
| CPU Cache | 25MB |
8MB |
|
| CPU TDP | 140W |
91W |
|
| Memory | Crucial Ballistix Elite 16GB (4x4GB) |
||
| Memory Speed | DDR4-2666 |
||
| Memory Timings | 16-17-17-36-2T |
||
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 |
||
| Graphics Driver | GeForce Game Reader Driver v368.25 |
||
| Storage Device | SK hynix Canvas SC300 512GB |
||
| Power Supply | be quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 (750W) |
||
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home (64-bit) |
||
CPU and Memory Benchmarks |
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|---|---|---|
| HEXUS PiFast | Our number-crunching benchmark stresses a single core by calculating Pi to 10m places. | |
| Cinebench | Using Cinebench's multi-CPU render, this cross-platform benchmark stresses all cores. | |
| Handbrake | Free-to-use video encoder that stresses all CPU cores. | |
| AIDA64 | Benchmark that analyses memory bandwidth and latency. | |
Storage Benchmarks |
||
| CrystalDiskMark | Popular free-to-use storage benchmark, used to gauge read and write performance via M.2 (512GB Toshiba OCZ RD400), SATA (512GB SK hynix Canvas SC300) and USB 3.0 (512GB SK hynix Canvas SC300). | |
Gaming Benchmarks |
||
| 3DMark | Run using Fire Strike Ultra 4K UHD test. | |
| Dirt Rally | Benchmarked at a 4K UHD resolution with 4xMSAA and ultra quality settings. | |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider | Benchmarked at a 4K UHD resolution with DX12 enabled, FXAA and very-high quality settings. | |
Miscellaneous Benchmarks |
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| Power Consumption | Noted at idle, while running the HandBrake video-transcoding test and when playing Dirt Rally. | |
Notes
We've historically had a large number of benchmarks detailing performance between chipsets. Due to the levels of integration in the processor practically all modern motherboards benchmark at the same levels, give or take a per cent or two, so 30-odd graphs showing near-identical performance isn't what you (or we) want to see.
We're running a dozen benchmarks - three each for CPU, memory, storage and gaming - to see if the boards perform at the expected levels. This is more of a sanity check than anything else, and we'll then dabble with a touch of CPU overclocking.
All three of the above-listed boards have been tested from the ground-up using the latest available BIOS and drivers. The two X99 offerings are a natural comparison, and for reference's sake we've also included a high-end Z170 platform.