Motherboard Testing Methodology

At the start of all tests, the previous display adapter driver is uninstalled and trace components are removed using Driver Cleaner Pro.We then restart the computer system to establish our display settings and define the monitor. Once the hardware is prepared, we begin our testing. The synthetic benchmark tests in 3DMark06 will utilize shader models 2.0 and 3.0. In our higher-end VGA products we conduct tests at the following resolutions: 1280x1024 (19" Standard LCD), 1680x1050 (22-24" Widescreen LCD), and 1920x1200 (24-28" Widescreen LCD). In some tests we utilized widescreen monitor resolutions, since more users have adopted these products for their own computing.

Each benchmark test program begins after a system restart, and the very first result for every test will be ignored since it often only caches the test. This process proved extremely important in the World in Conflict and Supreme Commander benchmarks, as the first run served to cache maps allowing subsequent tests to perform much better than the first. Each test is completed five times, with the average results displayed in our article.

Our site polls and statistics indicate that the over 90% of our visitors use their PC for playing video games, and practically every one of you are using a screen resolutions mentioned above. Since all of the benchmarks we use for testing represent different game engine technology and graphic rendering processes, I feel that this battery of tests will provide a diverse range of results for you to gauge performance on your own computer system. Since most gamers and enthusiasts are still using Windows XP, DirectX 9 will be used for all tests until demand and software support improve for Windows Vista or Windows 7 gains widespread acceptance.

Test System 1

• Motherboard: ASUS M4A79T Deluxe (0902 BIOS)
• System Memory: 2X 2GB OCZ Reaper HPC DDR3 1600MHz (7-7-7-24)
• Processor: AMD Phenom II 720 Black Edition (Overclocked to 3.8 GHz)
• CPU Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper Z600
• Video: ASUS EAH4850 TOP 512MB GDDR3 PCI-E 2.0
• Drive 1: OCZ Core v2 SSD, 30GB
• Optical Drive: Sony NEC Optiarc AD-7190A-OB 20X IDE DVD Burner
• Enclosure: CM STORM Scout Gaming Case
• PSU: Corsair CMPSU-750TX ATX12V V2.2 750Watt
• Monitor: SOYO 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor (DYLM24E6) 1920X1200
• Operating System: Windows XP SP3

Test System 2

• Motherboard: ASRock AOD790GX/128M (1.40 BIOS)
• System Memory: 2X 1GB OCZ Reaper HPC DDR2 1150MHz (5-5-5-15)
• Processor: AMD Phenom II 720 Black Edition (Overclocked to 3.8 GHz)
• CPU Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper Z600
• Video: ASUS EAH4850 TOP 512MB GDDR3 PCI-E 2.0
• Drive 1: OCZ Core v2 SSD, 30GB

Test System 3

• Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P Rev 1.1 (F7c BIOS)
• System Memory: 4X 1GB Corsair Dominator DDR2 800MHz (4-4-4-12)
• Processor: Intel E7300 Core2 Duo 2.66GHz (Overclocked to 3.8 GHz)
• CPU Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 RR-CCH-LB12-GP
• Video: ASUS EAH4850 TOP 512MB GDDR3 PCI-E 2.0
• Drive 1: OCZ Core v2 SSD, 30GB (OS and Programs)
• Drive 2: Seagate ST3750330AS 750GB 7200.11 (Cache and Data)

Benchmark Applications

• 3DMark06 v1.1.0 (8x Anti Aliasing & 16x Anisotropic Filtering)
• PCMark05 v1.2.0 System Test Suite for Windows XP
• Crysis v1.21 Benchmark (High Settings, 4X and No Anti Aliasing)
• Devil May Cry 4 Benchmark Demo (Ultra Quality, 8x MSAA)
• CINEBENCH Release 10
• Everest Ultimate Edition v4.60.1594 Beta by Lavalys

Support Equipment

• P3 International Kill-A-Watt EZ (model P4460)

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