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 Z87H3-A2X Extreme board performs on par with the competing Z87-based systems. Same or better performance demonstrates the CPU and memory subsystems working optimally.
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. This benchmark again demonstrates that ECS did a fine job with the design of the Z87H3-A2X Extreme.
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.
Video encoding is one of the more system intensive operations with good performance in the benchmark indicative of similar board performance. Again we see the Z87H3-A2X Extreme perform well against the other Z87 systems.
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 Z87H3-A2X Extreme continues to perform well against the competing systems.
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 Z87H3-A2X Extreme pulls out all the stops with its tough to beat performance in these business application-centered tests.
Sounds like a pile of gank to
Sounds like a pile of gank to me.
Great review Morry. I just
Great review Morry. I just wanted to point out an error in your article: GIGABYTE includes only the bare minimum needed to get the board functional. Shouldn’t “Gigabyte” say “ECS”? LOL
Thanks for pointing that
Thanks for pointing that out…
You just got *puts on
You just got *puts on sunglasses* ganked. YEEEOOOWWWW!
I was really thinking this
I was really thinking this would be a good motherboard, until the picture showing the gfx card next to the cooler. This made me realise that the pcie slot is placed right at the top of the board.
Not only does this mean you can install some gfx cards with large backplates (think msi lightening with the addon board) but also it means on many cases you cant plug cables intot the gfx card as the space between the top of the cases surround of the expansion slots gets in the way (mainly due to thickness of cable connectors).
This will definately stop me from buying this, everything else seemed so great too. Oh dear.
Whats with companies in
Whats with companies in putting nameplates on heatsinks designed for passive cooling. My old m4a78 plus got a 15c drop in temperature on the northbridge when I pried the name plate off.
The side panel fan then did a better job at cooling the motherboard.
Covering the top of a heatsinks only increases cooling performance when you have active airflow in the direction of the fins (eg taping some cardboard to the top of the xbox 360 heatsinks lowers the temperature)
But if airflow is coming from the top then it significantly reduces performance.
Are you Ganking my chain…I
Are you Ganking my chain…I thought they were out of business…my first build 13 yrs ago was an ECS.
AMD Athlon ! LOL
AMD Athlon ! LOL
What a terrible name for a
What a terrible name for a motherboard, it should be a big hit with 12 year old pant saggers.
Indeed; the name puts this in
Indeed; the name puts this in the “will not buy I don’t care how good it is” category.
Good piece, but the
Good piece, but the watermarks in the photos are incredibly distracting. I know you want to protect your property, but they’re too much.