Benchmark Testing

Synthetic Benchmark Testing

SiSoft Sandra 2012

The Sandra benchmarks are a fast and easy to determine how well the system's CPU and memory are functioning. The Z87-GD65 Gaming board performs as expected, with its memory and CPU performance falling in line with the other Intel Z87 board.

LinX

LinX is a graphical interface for CPU-based testing using the Intel Linpack benchmarks. It serves as a good indicator of proper system CPU functioning and is considered one of the most intensive CPU benchmarks currently available. LinX was run with Memory set to All and for a total of 3 runs. This test was repeated three times with the highest repeatable GFlops (Giga-Floating Point Operations Per Second) score recorded.

This CPU torture test is good for proving out how well the CPU to motherboard interface is designed. MSI did a bang up job with the Z87-GD65 Gaming with everything performing as it should.

Multimedia and System Benchmark Testing

Handbrake

Handbrake was used to convert an uncompressed version of the Iron Man Blu-ray movie in MKV format to a compressed 720P MP4 format. The Iron Man MKV file was ripped from the Blu-ray disc in the past with the file size for the uncompressed media coming in at 26 GB. Handbrake was run with default settings enforced with the exception of Anamorphic set to Loose and Video width set to 1280. This test was repeated three times with the lowest repeatable conversion time recorded.

No surprises here, the Z87-GD65 Gaming board powers through this benchmark, easily matching performance with the competing Z87-based system. Video encoding is one of the more system intensive operations with good performance in the benchmark indicative of similar board performance.

Maxon Cinebench 11.5

Maxon’s Cinebench 11.5 benchmark can be used determine a system's ability to render 3D content based on their Cinema 4D animation software. The CPU benchmark test was run three times, with the highest reproducible Cinebench points score recorded.

The Z87-GD65 Gaming makes quick work of this multi-threaded rendering test, again performing well within expectations.

PCMark 7 Professional

Future Mark Corporation’s PCMark 7 can be used to reliably ascertain a given system’s performance in a Windows 7-based non-gaming type use environment. The professional version of the benchmark test was run three times, with the highest reproducible PCMark scores recorded.

The Z87-GD65 Gaming makes short work of this business application-centered test, powering past the other Z87 board for the top performance spot.

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