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Configuration CPU: Intel Core i7 Extreme 965 MB: GIGABYTE EX58-UD4P DRAM: CORSAIR Dominator 2GBX3 DDR3 1866C9D VGA: MSI N9600GT Diamond HD: Intel X25-M 80GB POWER: Corsair HX1000W Modular Power Supply Cooler: Thermaltake BigTyp VP Core i7 platform system setup HD Tune Pro 3.50 Average Read is 210.8MB/s, average write is 71.7MB/s Random read is 244MB/s, Random write is 80MB/s EVEREST Linear Read average is 239.5MB/s, the highest is 250.5MB/s. HD Tune Pro files base test, the highest read is over 250MB/s, and write also reach 75MB/s ATTO DISK Benchmark over 64k test can reach highest read at 267MB/s, and write at 80MB/s CrystalDiskMark is read 249.8Mb/s, and write 75.43MB/s EVEREST Random Read average is 237.3MB/s, and peak is 315.2MB/s. HD Tach average read is 214.7MB/s. FDBNECH Read 251906 KB/s,Write 73722 KB/s Intel X25-M reading performance is really amazing. It’s almost the best in the SSD market right now. The write is limited by MLC structure. However, the office spec, 70MB/s, is also the top of MLC or 2.5 HDD. Small files performance is also very high score. The next NB platform test, I will compare it with 2.5 HDD. NoteBook test I use DELL Latitude E4300. The chipset is Intel GS45. The NB test will be more detail. After all, most 2.5? storage is installed in NB. So the NB performance will separate into 3 parts. 1.Intel X25-M 80GB SSD MLC(Intel X25-M) 2.SAMSUNG 64GB SSD MLC(SAMSUNG SSD) 3.WD2500BEVS 250GB 5400rpm(WD2500BEVS) Test One WD2500BEVS SAMSUNG SSD Intel X25-M NB chipset performance is not as high as PC version. But the read performance is almost same as PC. Intel X25-M has much higher performance than Samaung MLC SSD

Since about 2008, I started to see some SSD, SATA Solid-State Drive, articles and test report in the internet. 1st half 2008, SSD higher price and smaller capacity made it be hard to accept by end users. Till the 2nd half, more and more manufacturers launched their products. The supply became more and the competition started. SSD price started to drop and the mainstream capacity increased from 4~8GB to 32~64GB. At the moment, the most popular size of SSD is 2.5. There are some 1.8 version, but not very popular. I think it because the most NB supports 2.5 HDD. In addition, SSD and SD or CF has 2 kinds of NAND Flash technologies, one is SLC and the other is MLC. Generally, SLC read/write speed is more average, and life is longer. However, the price is much higher. MLC read speed is same as SLC, but the write speed is slower. But the advantage of MLC is the price is much lower than SLC. This test report is fastest MLC SSD, Intel X25-M SSD to compare with the other 2.5 products. Over the years, Intel has decisive position in CPU and Chipset territory. Since 2nd half 2008, Intel launched SSD product line to enter this latest storage industry. There are many Intel SSD products available, they are X25-E 32GB, X25-E 64GB, X18-M 80GB and 160GB, X25-M 80GB and 160GB. Intel X25-M or X18-M. 25 and 18 means SSD dimension, 2.5 or 1.8 . Currently, Intel SSD types are MLC, X25-M/X18-M 80GB and 160GB. For the SLC, Intel also has X25-E 32GB and 64GB. Intel X25-M 80GB outlook Official spec is READ 250MB/s, WRITE 70MB/s. It’s the fastest performance in the market now. The interface is SATA II, voltage is 5V. It supports both NB and PC platform. Intel SSD has 7mm or 9.5mm two different models to fit all mechanical system. My test is 7mm model, it’s a little bit thinner than 2.5 HDD 9mm. X25-M compaonents Controller chip is the key factor of SSD performance Other IC The PC test platform uses GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P. The chipset is Intel latest X58 and ICH10R. I believe it can bring out the best performance of Intel X25-M.

DDR3 1999 CL9 9-9-24 1T Sandra Memory Bandwidth-34312MB/s EVEREST Memory Read-20960MB/s DDR3 2101 CL9 9-9-20 1T,187V Hyper PI 4 X 32M,HT Turn off DDR3 2130 CL9 9-9-24 1T Sandra Memory Bandwidth-35648MB/s EVEREST Memory Read-21768MB/s The memory performance of tri-channel architecture is awesome; the result is 2~3 times higher than dual channel. DFI did great job in DRAM overclocking again, especially in high FSB mode. About CPU Intel Core i7 Extreme 965 OC 20X20=>3997Mhz DDR3 1999 CL9 9-9-24 1T CrystalMark 2004R3 CINEBENCH R10 Hyper PI 4 X 32M,HT Turn off Hyper PI 8 X 32M,HT Turn on When I OC CPU to 4GHz (200FSB/ 2000DRAM), DFI UT X58 finished all benchmark stably; it also got high score in CPU/ DDR3 test. About 3D MSI N9600GT Diamond SLI 3DMARK2006 3DMARK VANTAGE Crysis Benchmark X58 supports both ATI CrossFireX & NVIDIA SLI technology; if you are hare core gamer, you have more flexibility in choosing VGA cards. Conclusion Advantage 1. The highest level of LANParty series, adopts the best materials. 2. 8-Phase full digital PWM; all Japan made solid capacitors; Flame Freeze cooler. 3. Wide range of parameter of BIOS setting; supports ABS technology 4. Potential for hi-frequency with the best stability; it takes lower voltage for higher frequency than competitors. 5. Special large-sized cooler for better stability. 6. On board “Power/ Reset” buttons. Weakness 1. Change Realtek ALC889 into Creative should be better. 2. No eSATA Performance ?????????? Material ?????????? Appearance ?????????? Price ?????????? DFI did great job in the new platform. When OC DDR3, you can get higher frequency with lower voltage. Beside, you can also OC higher in CPU/ DDR3. LANParty UT series always come with the best quality, performance & overclocking. However, DFI still have to improve in “Price”. If DFI can refer to competitors price and make more exposure in retail market, DFI will getting better & better. Also, I hope DFI can keep launching more mid-high product for users. In conclusion, if you are a “performance oriented” user, I recommend DFI LANParty UT X58 for you.

When overclocking, the DRAM/ UnCore ratio should be around 1:2. CPU Feature DRAM parameter Default of « Memory LowGap » is 1536M , you can set it into 1024M for better performance. Voltage setting There are many options for tuning, but you can try the most important four settings first. CPU VID Control 1.06255~1.60000V CPU VID Special Add 100.23~114.88% Vcore Droop Control (to avoid the drop of voltage) DRAM Bus Voltage 1.455~2.400V CPU VTT Special Add +0.0125~0.1875V CPU VTT Voltage 1.21~1.61V (Turn off “O.C. Shut Down Free” when overclocking) PC Health Status The picture above is the setting for 200/ 2000MHz, you can refer it for overclocking if you have the same platform (Note: the result might be different caused by CPU/ Memory quality) Testing platform CPU: Intel Core i7 965 Extreme MB: DFI LANParty UT X58-T3eH8 DRAM: CORSAIR Dominator 2GBX3 DDR3 1866C9D VGA: MSI N9600GT Diamond SLI HD: SAMSUNG 250GB POWER: Corsair HX1000W Modular Power Supply Cooler: DFI LANParty Cooler/JETART Nano Diamond/Lubic About DRAM CORSAIR Dominator 2GBX3 DDR3 1866C9D The default specification is DDR3 1866 CL9 9-9-24 1.65V DDR3 1862 CL9 9-9-24 1T,1.64V SP2004 3 X Blend Mode DDR3 1862 CL8 8-8-24 1T,1.64V SP2004 3 X Blend,5.86GB (Stable when in heavy loading) DDR3 1862 CL9 9-9-24 1T Sandra Memory Bandwidth-32362MB/s EVEREST Memory Read-20145MB/s DDR3 1999 CL9 9-9-24 1T,164V SP2004 3 X Blend,5.71GB(Stable when in heavy loading)

I/O in rear panel 6 USB 2.0 1 IEEE 1394 port 2 RJ45 Gigabit LAN port DFI LANParty UT X58 cooler design Cooler on ICH10R. The metal plate makes it more luxurious. Large black cooler on north bridge. The cooler design increase the surface for eliminating heat. The “easy to screw up” design makes you change the cooler into water cooling kit without damaging north bridge. The tri-channel DDR3 architecture is a significant revolution on LGA 1366 platform. Install Flame Freezer in rear I/O (You can also install it on north bridge). The boot screen The main page of BIOS

Intel unveiled Core i7 (LGA1366) CPU in November 2008, and X58+ICH10R is the only solution that compatible with it. There are many brands launched X58 motherboards within this few months, and the price is divided into two segments. One is hi-end product that higher USD $300, the other one is mainstream that below USD $250. To compare with X48 solution, DFI launched X58 product earlier than before. DFI unveiled hi-end UT X58 in December 2008, and DK X58 follows it within one month. The most interest thing is DFI also launched microATX edition X58 which called “JR X58-T3H6”. The leader role today is “DFI LANParty UT X58-T3eH8”, the price is same with other hi-end competitors. UT is the highest level in LANParty series, I believe the quality & material will be great! The color box: DFI use totally different design for the new product. Accessories A thick user manual, cables, I/O shield, utility DVD, SLI bridge for 3-Way SLI. The audio daughter card, powered by Realtek ALC 889; the capacitors are Tantalum-cap. Flame freezer is an unique feature in LANParty UT series, you can install it into I/O shield for balancing the case temperature; also, you can install it on north bridge. Of course, the best quality thermal paste and installation guide are accompanying it. DFI LANParty UT X58-T3eH8 Bottom left of board 3 PCIe x16 (Supports x16/ x16/ x4 and x16/ x8/ x8 mode for ATI CrossFireX & NVIDIA 3-way SLI) 1 PCIe x4 2 PCI Bottom right of board 6 SATA II(with RAID 0/ 1/ 5/ 10 by ICH10R) 2 SATA II(with RAID 0/ 1/ JBOD by JMicron JMB363) Power/ Reset buttons (Press at the same time for clearing CMOS) Debug LED Upper right of board 6 DIMM DDR3, supports 800/ 1066/ 1333/ 1600 (OC) (DFI is conservative in writing specification, ; actually, you can OC DDR3 modules up to 2000MHz) 1 IDE by JMicron JMB363 Upper left of board 8-phase full digital PWM, this is the most unique feature in DFI UT series.

3D MSI N9600GT Diamond SLI mode 3DMARK VANTAGE Crysis Benchmark X58 also support both CF and SLI. This is excellent for the users who demand for 2/3 VGA cards. GIGABYTE EX58-UD4P conclusion Good 1.UD4P uses 2oz and UD3 which are same as EXTREME. 2.All Japanese solid capacitors. NB and DIMM also have extra 2 phase PWM. 3.BIOS provides vary voltage and frequency and also built-in Power/Reset/Clear CMOS buttons. 4.DDR3 has excellent 3 channel performance and supports SLI/CFX 5.6+6 phase PWM and DES, Intel latest VRD11.1 PWM spec and combine with GIGABYTE DES advanced for better energy saving. Bad 1.LGA 1366 platform is still expensive currently. 2.Make audio module will be better. Performance ?????????? Components ?????????? Outlook ?????????? C/P Value ?????????? GIGABYTE UD4P and EXTREME only have some difference : the hybrid thermal pipe, 2 SATA ports and dual GbE LAN. UD4P in PCB, components, BIOS items and performance are not far behind EXTREME. X58 supports 2 VGA CF/SLI technology also make Intel platform be more powerful in 3D graphic performance. As the naming rule, Intel X is the high end series. In the beginning, the boards are all over 300USD. After the revision, like simplify the function and accessories, the price could be around 200USD. Furthermore, Intel also positions Core i7 CPU in high end product. The price will be close to LGA775+Quad Core CPU. Most users should feel the LGA1366 platform is too expensive. However, it’s just the new structure to the market. In the beginning, Core i7 in high price is also the normal marketing strategy. LGA775 also took 2-3 years to become mainstream product. LGA1366 launch can replace current LGA775 high end product and push LGA775 middle end product to drop price. Users just decide by your own budget to see if you want high end LGA1366 or mainstream LGA775. At least the users have more choices now.

Configuration CPU: Intel Core i7 Extreme 965 MB: GIGABYTE EX58-UD4P DRAM: CORSAIR Dominator 2GBX3 DDR3 1866C9D VGA: MSI N9600GT Diamond SLI HD: SAMSUNG 250GB POWER: Corsair HX1000W Modular Power Supply Cooler: Thermaltake BigTyp VP/JETART Nano Diamond DRAM CORSAIR Dominator 2GBX3 DDR3 1866C9D The official spec for X58 platform is DDR3 1866 CL9 9-9-24 1.65V DDR3 1862 CL8 8-8-24 1T,BIOS 1.66V SP2004 3 X Blend mode, stable in full load at 5.73G DDR3 2004 CL9 9-9-24 1T,BIOS 1.66V SP2004 3 X Blend mode, stable in full load DDR3 1862 CL9 9-9-24 1T,BIOS 1.66V Sandra Memory Bandwidth-32598MB/s EVEREST Memory Read-20122MB/s DDR3 2064 CL9 9-9-24 1T,BIOS 1.68V Sandra Memory Bandwidth-35353MB/s EVEREST Memory Read-21363MB/s As Intel new structure supports 3 channel DDR3, the best advantage of LGA1366 is DDR3 performance. It’s almost 3 times faster than previous DDR2/DDR3 platform. It’s good news for users who demand lots of memory resource. UD4P is perform well in DDR3 OC. It almost only needs 1.6~1.7V to reach the score above. Also, the DDR3 bandwidth, X58 products also have very good score. CPU Intel Core i7 Extreme 965 OC 166X24=>3983.8Mhz DDR3 1993 CL8 9-9-24 1T Hyper PI 4X32M CrystalMark 2004R3 CINEBENCH R10 Intel Core i7 920 211X19=>4009.2Mhz DDR3 1688 CL8 8-8-24 1T Hyper PI 4X32M Frequencyis depending on QPI/VTT Voltage. Core i7 clock and DDR3 voltage are varied in each CPU. This is the main difference with 775 platform. UD4P is stable at 211with Quad core in PI 32M

EX58-EXTREME thermal module and NB also has 2 phase PWM. Boot up screen BIOS main page M.I.T. frequency and voltage setup page CPU Vcore 0.5000~1.90000V QPI/VTT Voltage 1.075~1.995V IOH Core 1.000~2.000V ICH I/O 1.050~2.500V DARM Voltage 1.300~2.600V CPU Features Clock Control Momory frequency ratio PC Health Status Press F8 in main page can enter Q-Flash mode to flash BIOS

Since 2008/11, Intel launched LGA1366 structure, all MB makers announced their corresponding X58 boards and the price is over 300USD. Even though Core i7 is positioning in high end, but most users are looking for more reasonable price boards to make platform cheaper. It can make LGA775+Quad core CPU users to upgrade to Core i7 platform. X58 has been launching for 2 months, every maker also announce some cheaper solution. GIGABYTE is the fastest. Except the top EX58-EXTREME, GIGABYTE also has a full series X58 boards, UD5/UD4P/UD4/DS4/UD3R. The price is between 210~270USD. All series is using X58+ICH10R. This price is quite reasonable. This time my review is GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P and the price is 270USD. Let’s look at the box focus on GIGABYTE latest 2 oz PCB. Accessories UD4P includes SLI bridge and high end 3 Way bridge GIGABYTE EX58-UD4P body Left lower corner 2 X PCI-E X16 2 X PCI-E X8(these 3 PCI-E support SLI/CrossFireX 3WAY technology) 1 X PCIE X4 1 X PCIE X1 2 X PCI Realtek 8111D is LAN chip supports Teaming technology Realtek ALC889A supports 7.1 channel and High Definition Audio technology. DolbyR Home Theater surround audio technology. PCB is MADE IN TAIWAN Right lower corner 6 X SATAII(provided by ICH10R), support RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 2 X SATAII, support RAID 0, RAID 1 and JBOD 1 X IDE Dual BIOS for dual protection. Also provide diagnostic LED. Right upper corner 6 X DIMM DDR3 support 800/1066/1333/1867/2133/2400 and 2133/2400 are special spec. DRAM has 2 phase PWM and 24pin is nearby. POWER/RESET buttons. New version blue/white DIMM slots which is matched with PCB color. This LED is for DES. The users can observe DES status. CPU VRM uses 6+6 phase and supports DES advanced. The latest VRD11.1 bundle with Intel i7 CPU can bring Intel energy saving into full play. IO part 8 X USB 2.0 1 X RJ-45 1 X S/PDIF 1 X 1394 Here is also a Clear COMS button.

When VGA card installed,MSI R4670 2D512/D3 3DMARK2005 3DMARK VANTAGE Crysis Benchmark You can install VGA card for better 3D performance; ATI 4670 is cheap & has good power efficiency, or you can choose NVIDIA 9600GT. DFI ACP products are designed for industry & business purpose; so, revision control, material & warranty are very important. Revision control means you don’t have to worry when the board is malfunctioned; you can always get the same product and material from DFI for at least 5 years. In power consumption, you can choose Core 2 Duo CPU to save more power. Then you can use 150W PSU to run this platform. It’s the first time I test this kind of platform, I’m very impressive of the power consumption & size. If you are interest in ACP product, you can link to DFI Global: industrial, commercial, motherboard, industrial chassis, embedded computer, embedded chassis, embedded system. In some day, I hope I can buy ACP board in retail market (At least it’s not ATOM + 945GC again).

Testing platform CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme Q9300 MB: DFI CA230-BF DRAM: Wind Series DDR2 667 4GBX2 SO-DIMM VGA: Intel GMA4500&MSI R4670 2D512/D3 HD: SAMSUNG 2.5 250GB 7200 RPM POWER: Corsair 400W Power Supply SW installation page; CPU-Z showed it’s T9400, diagnose incorrect. CPU 266X9.5=>2.53Ghz Quad core DRAM DDR2 667 CL5 4GBX2 CPU Hyper PI 32M&CPUMARK99 CrystalMark 2004R3 CINEBENCH R10 EVERETS Cache&Memory 30 degree when stand by; 40~45 degree when running testing tools. 3D Performance Integrated VGA: Intel GMA4500 3DMARK2003 3DMARK2005 It’s my first time to test GMA 4500. GMA4500 is the best 3D core in Intel; the 3D performance is fair, but quite enough for IPC board. Power consumption (test by power angel) 34W when stand by 3DMARK2005-59W It consumes 59W when running 3DMark. It’s very low with quad core CPU, CM45 & ICH9M.

In Channel market, everybody knows that DFI sells hi-end overclocking & performance motherboard in “LANParty” brand. However, only few people know that DFI is even better in applied computing platform. In industry motherboard market, quality & stability are everything. I’ve seen some company demonstrated ACP boards in Computex, the boards are all simple & smaller than microATX. The QC requirement of ACP (Applied computing platform) is very strict; all ACP boards have to take switching surge & flash impact. And, the longer warranty period & better material are also the differences between channel motherboards & ACP boards. The leading role today is DFI CA230-BF (mini-DTX; 20.3 x 17 cm), it could not be installed in mini-ITX case. DFI adopts the most powerful Intel integrated chipset “GM45+ICH9M” into this board. The packing: For IPC only, it is very simple. Accessories: User manual, Driver CD, SATA cable, IDE cable, I/O shield, extension USB. DFI CA230-BF The layout is very solid. Bottom side of board 1 PCIe x16 1 PCIe x1 1 PCI (It’s awesome that adopt so many slot in mini-DTX) 1 IDE 4 SATA II with AHCI LAN: Realtek RTL811C-GR; Audio: Realtek ALC262 One ceramic thermal pad covers the south bridge. Upper side of board 2 SO-DIMM for DDR2 667/ 800 Rear I/O 1 D-sub 1 DVI 4 USB 2.0 1 RJ45 port 2 COM port It supports mPGA478M socket (For notebook use), you can find one QX9300 on the socket. It’s my first to use “Hi-end” NB CPU. The tiny cooler works well, it dissipate heat efficiently to keep the temperature low. The white connector calls “LVDS LCD panel”, it designed for connect cashier/ ATM/ POS and other interactive devices.

3DMARK2005 3DMARK2006 Crysis Benchmark Overclocked test (without limits) Test settings CPU 240X15=>3600Mhz 1.337V DRAM DDR3 1600 CL8 8-8-24 1T VGA 650/1625/850Mhz Hyper PI 3X32M & CPUMARK CrystalMark 2004R3 CINEBENCH R10 DDR3 1600 CL8 8-8-24 1T Sandra Memory Bandwidth-14476MB/s EVEREST Memory Read-10544MB/s 3DMARK2005 3DMARK2006 Crysis Benchmark The tested AM3 chipset is the 790FX northbridge with the SB750 southbridge, which is currently AMD's pinnacle product. Price-wise, because it has come out after AM2+ has been on the market for a while, it isn't too much of a jump from previous boards. MSI put a lot of thought and attention to detail into its AM3 platform 790FX-GD70. Aside from adding new functions and design, the cooling system is a thing of beauty and adds to the overall sense of quality in this board. This was my first time using the 45nm AM3 platform, and I can already see a big drop in temperature and energy-use. The frequency peaks have also been raised quite a bit from the 65nm chips - online results I have seen indicate the AM2+ PhenomII can be overclocked to 4GHz or higher. Regarding the performance, although they results weren't the surprise I had imagined, the 45nm design showed a not too small improvement in lowering the temperature and conserving energy. Add to that AMD's CPUs lower price-range, then I can see this platform attracting a lot of customer attention if the 45nm triple-core or other PhenomII CPUs can maintain a price similar to the current 65nm versions. Personally, given the high price-performance ratio, I feel that this AMD platform has a lot of potential in the mid-/low-price segments of 2009. This review marks a new beginning for AMD, and it is my hope that even better AM3 overclocking performance or special functions will appear in the many reports to follow .

M-Flash, you can directly update the BIOS H/W Monitor Tested platform CPU: AMD AM3 45nm 2.8G MB: MSI 790FX-GD70 DRAM: CORSAIR Dominator 1GBX2 DDR3 2133C9D VGA: MSI N9600GT Diamond HD: SAMSUNG 250GB POWER: Corsair HX1000W Modular Power Supply Cooler: Thermaltake V1 AX/JETART Nano Diamond CPU info 45nm, triple-core, without L3 version (the tested CPU has specs which won't be produced anymore). The graphics card used is MSI N9600GT Diamond Its components are outstanding, Hi-c CAP,DrMOS and its specs use the special 9600GT. IO ports have DVI, HDMI, D-SUB via a DVI-D-Sub adapter, S/PDIF-in and an overclocking button. The DDR3 used the high-end, CORSAIR Dominator 1GBX2 DDR3 2133C9D Preliminary test CPU 200X14=>2800Mhz 1.300V DRAM DDR3 1333 CL6 6-6-18 1T VGA 650/1625/850Mhz Hyper PI 3X32M & CPUMARK CrystalMark 2004R3 CINEBENCH R10 DDR3 1333 CL6 6-6-18 1T Sandra Memory Bandwidth-12269MB/s EVEREST Memory Read-93533MB/s

On this board, aside from the usual power, reset, and clear CMOS buttons, MSI include three buttons to ease the overclocking process. The left-most, after changing the clock speeds, helps the user figure out the CPU's overclocking limits. MSI's recent cooling system is the Flat Fins Copper-Pipe. Its appearance has a lot of class, and truly gives off an air of being a high-level product. The pipes' flow can bring the temperature down below 52 degrees C, which is in part due to the benefits of the AMD(ATI) chipset's low temperature, and low energy use. Here is the screen after powering on the machine BIOS main screen Cell Menu You can tweak the voltage quite a bit Memory-Z DRAM settings page; opening the selection menu lets you see several more performance settings.

Everyone's deepest impression of AMD came about three or four years ago with the hot release of the K8 chipset, which was the first desktop board to support dual-core processors. This architecture raised the bar on performance and low-temperature processing, and was very popular in the market for quite some time. Intel, at that time, was fighting back with its P4 architecture, but though it updated to the LGA 755 P4, its performance didn't show a significant improvement. This continued until about two years ago when Intel released its Core 2 Duo processor and began a whole new dominance in the market - one that it still maintains. Although AMD later released its AM2 Phenom with much anticipation, aside from its performance at comparable frequencies lagging behind Intel, its built-in L3 Cache and 65nm structure made it impossible to decrease its running temperature and energy use. It was also hard to bring the frequencies to a 3.2~3.6 GHz level. As such, the Phenom series had a hard time attracting customers concerned with performance and/or temperature. This all changed in January of 2009, when AM2 Phenom released a new 45nm chip, the Phenom II. This new CPU has already received a lot of attention from online and traditional media, and tests are showing that its temperature has come down a lot, whiles the frequencies can reach 4GHz using only air-type cooling systems. AMD's time in the back is finally over with the release of this new, strong chip. In February of this year, news about the AM3 has begun to be leaked. The AM3 is the first platform to support DDR3 memory, and, if history is any indication of the future, this will quickly become standard for AMD. This takes me back to the new AM3 motherboard: MSI 790FX-GD70. This board is able to support AMD Phenom II triple- and quad-core processors, and below is of course the DDR3 version box. Inside peripherals MSI 790FX-GD70 board itself The MB's lower-left side 4 X PCI-E X16, supporting ATI CrossFireX 1 X PCI-E X1 2 X PCI sound chip is Realtek ALC889,which supports HD Audio 7.1 channels MB's lower-right side 6 X SATAII(SB750),supporting Raid 0, 1, 5, 0+1 2 X SATAII(JMB322) 1 X IDE Indicator lights: POWER/RESET/clr CMOS/Green Power/OC Dial and function buttons MB's upper-right side 4 X DIMM DDR3, with two power supply connections Supports 800/1066/1333/1600/1800/2133 MHz with a 16GB maximum memory. The 1600/1800/2133 frequencies require overclocking to be obtained. The power supply connectors are 24 PIN. MB's upper-left corner CPU connection is a Socket941 supporting the latest AMD AM3 45nm PhenomII CPUs. The board comes with a 5 phase power supply supporting MSI's unique DrMOS technology. IO ports 7 X USB 2.0 1 X IEEE 1394a 2 X RJ45 1 X eSATA

12V Most around 11.78~11.84V, it’s around 0.5% drop The voltage above is measured in the board. Every board’s 3.3V, 5V and 12V are low or high sometimes, so it doesn’t mean the real voltage. If you want to know the real voltage, please use the meter. OCCT only can work under high load, the voltage is only for reference. Even though GIGABYTE ODIN Pro 1200W in 3.3V/5V/12V has some difference, but overall it’s all under 0.1%, it’s very small gap. Using this configuration to test power consumption Refer by Power Angle Log into system desktop - 274W (It’s around 160W without 9600GT. The difference is small, but better than nothing.) OCCT i7 3.99G Quad Core full load - 413W My past system was Q9950 OC 3.7G+9800GTX and its full load is only 309W. So even use high end VGA and Quad Core CPU, the OCCT only test CPU is hard to over 420W For the high wattage PSU, OCCT software is hard to make PSU to reach the max Watt 3DMARK2005 - 473W 3DMARK2005 is most power consumption 3DMARK program. That’s why I use it to test 4870X2+9600GT. Used to test 3DMARK Vantage several times, but the peak power consumption is hard to be higher than 3DMARK2005 SP2004 Quad core full load+3DMARK2005-572W During the test, only use single VGA card, so the max consumption is only 572W. If you are the extreme gamers and use 4870X2 CF or latest GTX 295, or ther other 3 Way VGA combination, it’s possible to reach 1000~1200W load. This is the reason why 1000~1200W PSU exist. Meter measurement Test result of 5V is 5.10V. It’s higher than test by the board. Operating under 3DMARK2005 and standby status are also 5.10V Test result of 12V is 2.08V. Compare to 11.84V which test by board is much higher. Operating under 3DMARK2005 is 12.09V and standby is 12.08V. GIGABYTE ODIN Pro 1200W Power Supply Conclusion Good 1. The case is mat black coating. Good style. It’s also very heavy which you can feel it’s really high end product. 2. Active PFC passed 80% Plus certificate. The max efficiency is 87% 3.During high load mode, the PSU body is still cool. The 14cm fan is also very quiet. I am hard to hear the noise. 4. The 3.3V/5V/12V voltage is stable. The voltage drop is not obvious. Especially 5V/12V is no drop during test by meter. Need to improve 1. Manual is too simple. It’s better to have more detail manual 2.1000W PSU price is over 300USD. GIGABYTE ODIN Pro 1200W is around 12500NTD (ab. 370USD) Performance ?????????? Components ?????????? Outlook ?????????? C/P ?????????? Most users think the high end PSU is too expensive and C/P is not good. However, we should treat it fairly in extreme user’s view, so let’s compare the C/P value of this 1200W PSU to the others same grade products. GIGABYTE ODIN Pro 1200W spec can be considered one of the best. It reaches the high standard in all test and no noise. The most important is compare to low wattage PSU in the same configuration, the power consumption is the same. GIGABYTE has been in this industry for awhile, and also has very high commitment in product components. The first impression of GIGABYTE ODIN Pro 1200W components is better than CWT own products. It’s good sign. If it was OEM by the others, and made the same product, the only attractive point would be only price. If use the better components quality and keep the same price as OEM brand or lower, that will be the best for users. I do hope GIGABYTE can launch more mainstream PSU to encourage the market. If you are the extreme gamers or enthusiasts who use high end CPU/VGA and change PSU very often as the lack of wattage, GIGABYTE ODIN Pro 1200W is the good choice for you to avoid this issue:)

It looks like OEM product of CWT 1200W. But same as CORSAIR HX1000W PSU, the look and used components are better and more solid than CWT own 1000/1200W. I think GIGIBYTE also asks CWT to provide better components and quality. Test Platform CPU: Intel Core i7 965 Extreme MB: DFI LANParty DK X58-T3eH6 DRAM: CORSAIR Dominator 2GBX3 DDR3 1600C8D VGA: MSI R4870X2-T2D2G-OC/MSI N9600GT Diamond HD: Seagate 7200.10 320GB POWER: GIGABYTE ODIN Pro 1200W Power Supply Cooler: Thermaltake BigTyp VP/JETART Nano Diamond/Lubic OS Setup CPU 133X30=>3990Mhz(C1E Enable) DARM DDR3 1600 CL8 8-8-24 1T OCCT test, Quad core full load CPU voltage change, it almost stops at 1.311V in full speed 3.3V Most around 3.235~3.219V, it’s around 0.49% drop 5V Most around 4.955~5V, it’s around 0.9% drop

The well known MB manufacturer GIGABYTE is tier 1 in this industry. Besides MB, GIGABYTE also has other components product line. Power Supply is one of GIGABYTE main product line. In my impression, GIGABYTE has been in PSU industry for over 2 years. Now in the market, you can see several series in GIGABYTE PSU, which are Superb, ODIN GT and ODIN Pro. There are 550W, 800W and 1200W in ODIN series. This time I got is ODIN Pro 1200W, the highest wattage and most high end ODIN Pro series of GIGABYTE PSU. GIGABYTE ODIN Pro 1200W emphasizes high wattage, modulize, active PFC and quiet. Let’s have a look of package first. Front Back cover information, ATX 12V v2.2EPS 12V v2.91 Accessories Pack of modulized cables Easy installation guide 4 easy installed screws 1 X ATX 20/24 PIN 1 X ATX 4+4 PIN 1 X ATX 8 PIN 6 X PCI-E 6+2PIN 10 X SATA 8 X 4PIN 2 X Floppy GIGABYTE ODIN Pro 1200W body The case is mat black coating. Good style. Back is power connector, and sides are cellular holes for heat dissipation. Power LED turns red as power on. The users can know the status clearly. Active PFC passed 80% Plus certificate. The max efficiency is 87% Modulize holes, as it’s 1200W, you can see many connectors. Official spec list. 12V has 4 ways input which can support 99A(1200W) It also supports the latest GTX 290 SLI or 4870X2 CF. Let’s look inside the PSU. Look furtively, the fan brand is GP and model is D14BH-12. 14cm fan have good air blow and lower noise. In the spec. the lowest noise is 20dBA Used components are Japanese high quality capacitors.

Operation System Setting: CPU 500X8.5=>4250Mhz DARM DDR3 2000 CL8 7-6-20 1T In OCCT test, the dual CPU will be in full usage. The CPU voltage curve is a flat and straight line. 3.3V The voltage is between 3.2 and 3.22V. Voltage change % is about 0.625%. 5V The voltage is between 4.85 and 4.87V. Voltage change % is about 0.4%. 12V The voltage is between 11.71 and 11.78 V. Voltage change % is about 0.6%. The Voltage numbers above are tested by motherboards. Different motherboards will show little difference in the 3.3V/5V/12V test. I won’t say this voltage numbers are most correct. If you want to get the real voltage number, please use the electronic measurement. OCCT only can take the high-load operation, the variance from the voltage rise or drop only for reference. According to this test platform, here is the result: I use the results from Power Angle as reference. Enter the operation system condition (269W) Use OCCT test with dual core CPU in full load (351W) In previous test, I use Q9950 OC 3.7G + 9800GTX, quad cores in full load. The result is 309W. Even adding high level VGA and quad cores, in OCCT test, the result is always below 420W. For a higher Waltz PSU, OCCT test could not show its biggest performance. 3DMARK2005-489W 3DMARK2005 is the most waltz-consuming 3DMARK software, so we use this software to match with 4870X2 for performance test. OCCT + 3DMARK2006-523W The result for the OS platform with 3DMARK2005 Test Conclusion of be quiet! Dark Power Pro 1200W Advantages: 1.High quality package and clear instruction manual 2.High Efficiency Certification, such as Active PFC and 80 PLUS. Wires are long and thick enough with small instruction tag. 3.With 6 PCI-E/ 11 SATA Connectors. Sufficient support for 3 Way VGA or Server with multiple HDD. 4.Great voltage performance in 3.3V/5V/12V test. 5.PSU temperature is low in operation. Equip with 14cm fan to lower the operation noise. 6.18 months for free renew. 3 years door-to door shipping, and 5 years warranty. Disadvantages: 1.The small tags on wires drop easily. 2.Need to enhance its distribution channels in Asia Performance ?????????? Components ?????????? Outlook ?????????? C/P ratio ?????????? 14cm FDB-fan could adjust its speed according to temperature and power consume. From 0 to 100% power consuming, the noise goes from 18 to 30 dB. Seeing the extremely quiet fan, I really admire this brand name. Some people might think higher Waltz PSU will consume more power. Actually, this is wrong. Power consume depends on your PC and peripheral. High Waltz PSU only provides higher power quota for usage, but won’t consume more electricity. If your PC only consumes 350W, for this Dark Power Pro 1200W, it will only provide 350W to your PC. When you need higher power, it could support you till 1200W. Especially this high-level PSU with 80 PLUS and Active PFC certification, it could save more electricity by its high efficiency. Now be quiet! develops more products in its two series. From its brand requirement in quality and quietness, we could have one more choice in the high-level PSU. Moreover, it does provide a really complete warranty. If be quiet! could make the price more friendly, its revenue will raise a lot.

When you heard the name “be quiet!”, you could know intuitively that it is a PSU brand with focus on extremely quietness. be quiet! is an European brand, and its research teams are located in Germany. In Asian market, their products are available from last year, but in European market, be quiet! has built its own eminent position already. be quiet! has two series products: Straight Power & Dark power Pro. Straight Power is un-module power and targets at regular market. Dark Power Pro is module power. Its level and standards are higher and superior. Now, you could find 450/550/650/750/850/1000/1200W Dark Power Pro products on the market. Because they sort their products in small scale, it will help customers fit their own need. What I have on hand is a Dark Power Pro 1200W, the best and highest standard product be quiet! publishes. First of all, we could see its outside package, black and high quality. Its size is 533 X 405 X 329mm(W*L* H) Their package looks like a present. After unpacking, we could find its PSU and manual. The module wires Its wires are thicker than other brands. It is safer in use. The instruction manual is thick, including 7 different languages. 1 X 20/24pin(MB) 1 X P8 1 X 12V P4 1 X EPS 6pin 11 X SATA 13 X HDD(4pin) 2 X FDD 1 X PCI-E 6pin 6 X PCI-E(6+2pin) RPM control X1/Fan connectors X4(This is one of be quiet!’s advantages) Power itself of be quiet! Dark power Pro 1200W Black metal material, Mirror-like special design out figure, no finger print left. 14cm FDB(Fluid Dynamic Bearing) fan to cool down the power. According to the PSU’s usage, the speed of fan changes. From 10% usage to 100%, the noise goes from 20 dB to 35dB. The cellular back holes emphasize the Active PFC The module outlets There have detail pictures for all cable positions. Specification of Dark Power Pro 1200W There are six 12V inputs. Output power could reach 85A, enough for any high-level computer. Test Platform CPU: INTEL Core 2 Duo E8400 E0 MB: DFI LANParty LT X48-T3RS DRAM: CORSAIR Dominator TWIN3X2048-1800C7DIN VGA: MSI R4870X2-T2D2G-OC HD: Seagate 7200.10 320GB POWER: be quiet!Dark Power Pro 1200W Cooler: Thermaltake BigTyp VP/JETART Nano Diamond/Lubic

CPU Dual-Core E8400 E0 500 X 9=>4.5G Hyper PI 32M stable CrystalMark CINEBENCH R10 521.7 X 8=>4173.9Mhz SP2004 stable. Quad-Core Q8200 M1 420 X 7=>2940Mhz Hyper PI 32M stable DRAM 2GBX2 CORSAIR Dominator TWIN2X4096-8500C5D DDR2 1056 CL5 5-5-15 2T 1.90V SP2004 in Blend mode and 3GB stable EVEREST bandwidth testing 3D MSI HD4670 512MB OC 833/2250 3DMARK2005 3DMARK2006 Crysis Benchmark MSI P45-8D Memory Lover Testing Result Advantages: 1.Multi DDR2/DDR3 DIMM support is the main selling point of this product. 2.All Made-in-Japan solid capacitor and good appearance of heat-pipe and heat sink. 3.Utilizing 6+2 SATA slots and 2 eSATA expansion slots, a total of 10 SATA slots can be installed. 4.E8400 dual-core can reach 520 FSB stable which provides a pretty good OC ability. 5.MSI’s exclusive DrMOS energy-saving technology and all Made-in-Japan solid capacitors. Disadvantages: 1.Only one PCIE X16 slot can not support ATI CrossFireX Dual-card technology. 2.If the FSB of Quad-core can reach to 450MHz, the stability will be better. Performance ?????????? Features/ component ?????????? Appearance: ?????????? C/P ratio ?????????? MSI P45-8D Memory Lover is currently priced at NT$4800 (about 145 USD). Because it is a Combo motherboard, so I do not request too much in the overclocking capability. Dual-core can be stabilized to achieve 520MHz, as well as 2GBX2 DDR2 can also be stabilized to achieve 1056MHz. Basically, the overclocking capability is better than my requirements. The performance is also good. When users want to upgrade the motherboard, users can use the existing DDR2 memory to save money as well as retain the future escalation of the DDR3 memory flexibility. While the price of DDR3 memory declines, users can utilize this to increase the performance. MSI P45-8D Memory Lover provides the best P45 combo motherboard solution. Network related news also pointed out that, Intel has announced that LGA775+P45 series motherboards is still the mainstream in 2009. Personally, I think that the P45-8D Memory Lover with the ultra-low-cost DDR2 can be aimed at the general demand for overclocking. Or, when the DDR3 become the mainstream in 2009 and its price is reduced, it is the better P45 motherboard for prolonged use.

BIOS main screen Cell Menu Voltage CPU Voltage 0.9111~+1.8801V DRAM Voltage 1.428~3.324V MCH Voltage 0.728~2.624V VTT Voltage 0.90~2.47V MSI’s exclusively Memory-Z, which is similar to CPU-Z function, enables user to see the DRAM-related information through BIOS. DRAM parameters details ClockGen Tuner Dual-core CPU can try to adjust CPU CLK Skew to increase the FSB limit. DDR2 Options Two setting groups enables user to store or access the preference settings. H/W Monitor Testing Platform CPU: INTEL Core 2 Duo E8400/Quad Q8200 MB: MSI P45-8D Memory Lover DRAM: CORSAIR Dominator TWIN2X4096-8500C5D VGA: MSI HD4670 512MB HD: Seagate 7200.10 320GB POWER: CORSAIR 400W Power Supply Cooler: Thermaltake V1 AX/JETART Nano Diamond

Currently, the unprecedented low cost DDR2 and some mainstream 2GB products can be purchased under NT$500 (about 15 USD) due to vicious selling and competition of IC manufacturing in the memory market. The DDR3 price is quite low. The entry-level 1GB DDR3 1333 is only NT$1000 (about 33 USD). But, I personally believe that this is not a normal marketing ecology. In the past, a mainstream DRAM price is at least 33USD. But right now, most people still choose the DDR2 memory. So the DDR2 + DDR3 combo motherboard still have the position in the market. With such vicious competition in the DRAM market, some large-scale IC plant will run out of business. Then the small number of IC manufacturers will monopolize the market which unfortunately will victimize the consumers. So price competition is not a good thing indeed. Perhaps in the future, the expensive DRAM products will happen again just like many years ago. This time, I tested the MSI P45-8D Memory Lover, which is P45 + ICH10R motherboard equipped with 4 DIMM DDR2 and 4 DIMM DDR3 memory slots. Different from the previous P45 series’ Orc patterns, this package uses a very clear product positioning. Accessories include wires, XP/VISTA driver CD, I/O shields, eSATA/USB expansion port. MSI P45-8D Memory Lover motherboard 1 X PCI-EX16 1 X PCI-EX1 3 X PCI 1 X FLOPPY Realtek ALC999 High Definition Audio Codecs, supports 7.1-channel. Realtek RTL8111C Gigabit Ethernet controller South Bridge ICH10R supports AHCI controller and SATA RAID 0/1/5/10 2 X SATAII(JMicronR 363) 1 X IDE(JMicronR 363) Built-in Power/Reset button and D-LED2 information display, easy to use for the DIY users. This motherboard is equipped with 8 DIMM DRAM memory slots. There are 4 DIMM of DDR2 in 667/800/1066MHz (overclocking). 1066 is the special specifications for overclocking set up. DDR2 memory maximum supports to 16GB. There are 4 DIMM of DDR3 in 800/1066/1333/1600MHz (overclocking). 1600 is the special specifications for overclocking set up. DDR3 memory maximum supports to 8GB. Of course, these two DRAM specifications cannot be used together, because the design and voltage are different. Using the DDR2/DDR3 together can lead to hardware damage. Comes with five-phase power supply and solid capacitors can strengthen the durability for prolonged use. This product also supports MSI DrMOS energy-saving technology. IO 4 X USB 2.0 1 X IEEE1394 1 X Clear CMOS There is also a LPT printer port, although most people will rarely use it, but some companies still use the old-type printer. It is an essential device. The North Bridge is using the butterfly-shaped catheter design heat sink which is connected with the South Bridge. There is an OC jumper next to the heat sink which enables users to set up the overclocking FSB easily.