ASRock X58 Extreme - $169.99 is not too Extreme
by Gary Key on July 2, 2009 12:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
Test Setup
We selected the ASUS ENGTX260 video card for GPU duties. It is a non-reference design that offers improved thermals and acoustics over the standard NVIDIA GTX260 216 designs. The WD Caviar Black 640GB is our hard drive of choice for storage purposes. LG’s GGC-H20L Blu-ray playback capable drive fills in for optical duties. We utilized Patriot’s DDR3-2000 C8 6GB kit for memory duties. We use 6GB in our standard benchmarks with memory set at DDR3-1600 with 7-8-7-20 1T timings at 1.6V.
We chose the new Corsair Hydro Series H50 CPU cooler for thermal duties and it worked very well in our NZXT Panzerbox. Our standard power supply is the excellent Corsair HX520 and considering our standard test bed is limited to a single video card, this power supply is perfectly suited for us. Finally, we have dropped Vista 64 and moved to Windows7 64-bit RC for our testing today, it just works better.
Overclocking
ASRock considers the X58 Extreme an entry level X58 motherboard with the capability to overclock in a similar fashion to boards costing up to $80 more. They are correct for the most part. There are definitely boards that will hit higher Bclk rates and offer better memory clocking, but we are concentrating on mainstream overclocking abilities in our tests. We focus on the type of overclocks that support 24/7 operation with reasonable cooling alternatives and the ability to run a multitude of programs without a problem. We are not optimizing for Super Pi or 3DMark records.
We put an emphasis on stability during our testing sessions so we test with real world applications ranging from a variety of games to digital imaging software to various audio/video creation programs, along with the typical OCCT and PCMark Vantage tests.
i7 920 D0 6GB Results
Our maximum 24/7 overclock using our cooler selection with the i7 920 D0 resulted in a 4.62GHz clock speed at a respectable 220 Bclk. The 6GB Patriot memory kit is set to DDR3-1760 at 7-8-7-20 1T timings. The primary voltage settings were 1.38V Core VID, 1.41V VTT, 1.85V PLL, 1.65V VDimm, and PCIe at 105MHz. We tried to enable basic power management options (SpeedStep/CState) so idle Core VID voltages could be reduced to the 1.18V range, but we just could not do it and maintain stability at this setting compared to other boards we have tested.
Dropping down to a much easier 24/7 friendly 21x200 (4.2GHz) setting allowed us to run all power management features without a problem at lower voltages. In fact, 21x210 (4.4GHz) was fine also although we had to run the same CPU voltage offset as we did at 4.6GHz. Core Vdroop was approximately -.04V with the Vdroop setting disabled and is our recommended setting. Maximum Bclk that we have reached on the board with standard cooling is 230 (19x230, 4.33GHz) straight from the BIOS, however, memory settings had to be relaxed to 9-9-9-24 at DDR3-1840 for stability. ASRock is continuing to fine tune memory performance on this board, even though the CAS difference does not adversely affect application performance, just the synthetic benchmarks.
i7 920 D0 High Clock Low Volt Results
While overclocking is an important and fun measurement of a board’s capability, we also realize that undervolting can be just as important to others. As such, we devised a quick multitasking test that allows us to push our systems with real world applications that stress the GPU, CPU, Memory, and Storage subsystems. We load up Sony Vegas Pro 9.0 64-bit and set it to transcode a 1080P video while running our FarCry 2 loop benchmark at 1680x1050 2xAA DX10 High Quality in window mode. Average CPU usage is 98% throughout this process with HT enabled.
The ASRock X58 Extreme passed our full test suite at 21x160 for a final 3.37GHz core speed. We enabled the BIOS with full power management options and Core Vid at 1.15V (with offset) resulting in an idle voltage of 0.880V and full load voltage at 1.016V. VTT was set to 1.2V and VDimm at 1.60V with memory timings at 7-8-7-20 1T for DDR3-1600 speeds.
DPC Latency
We receive numerous requests for DPC latency results on each board we test. The ASRock X58 Extreme passed with flying colors using our stock settings at 21x133, but with 12GB of memory at DDR3-1600 with 8-8-8-24 1T timings.
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44 Comments
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tommydokc - Monday, November 23, 2009 - link
Hey guys, beware of this board. check all the negative posts on differnt forums.been 3 weeks trying to rma this board. apparently from searching around this board dieing is a very common issue.
I’ve had this motherboard working for a total of two days and now it’s dead. It will not post. Just shows the A7 code on the LED readout. This no posting has been a problem since I bought this thing. It worked just long enough for me to load windows7, one day after it didn’t post on the original build, I took the thing apart and rebuilt it only changing the sata port where the hdd is plugged into then it posted and I loaded win7. Found all the drivers etc. everything was looking good. Then the next day I loaded my apps and then made an image / backup of the disk. This was all done over last weekend. Two days later I turn it on and it will not post. I’ve got an Antec truepower 650 i7 920, thermaltake v1, 6gb Corsair XMS ddr3 1600 nvidia gts 250 512mb. Sata and ide liteon DVDs. That’s it. nothing special. The monitors don’t even show to be receiving a signal from the video card. I swapped the GTS out for an ATI raedon and it made no difference. Tried the other pci-e slots also. As I stated above. This board was working for 2 days just fine. It’s now dead.
yummypaint - Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - link
This board turned out to be quite a headache. If you get this and there's any indication that something may not be right, return it before your 30 days. You DO NOT want to have to deal with asrock support, unless you enjoy waiting for weeks for responses and not being able to contact them at all via phone.First, there are some major ram compatibility issues which Asrock is not fixing that result in stability problems (firmware 1.4) which are causing problems for many people. there is no acknowledgement on their end that these problems even exist. in fact it's hard to get any response from them at all.
Second, if you think you might run linux and use any IDE drives at all, this board won't work. Asrock pulled shenanigans when they merged the ide and firewire controllers, which prevents the unix/linux kernel from even seeing let alone booting from ide devices. This will probably get fixed eventually in software, but who knows. there sure aren't going to be any linux drivers coming from asrock.
Third, there are problems with the network interface. you can do your own searching on this one, or check the newegg reviews to see people complaining about it.
InterClaw - Thursday, August 6, 2009 - link
Does the CPU fan header support temperature control?mi1stormilst - Wednesday, July 8, 2009 - link
Now if I could actually find one on sale for $169.00 or at all? :-)cube26 - Wednesday, July 8, 2009 - link
IDIOT,there is only one such idiot snakeoil - and he worships useless daamit in any possible way.You not another,stop lying dirty green bastard :D Im visiting VR Zone every day for 5 years,and know your way to post "comments" you asshole :D Here is typical your "comments" you inbredSoon more than half people in internet will know you,you green idiot gay,because of you idiocracy about how good daamit is - go in hospital you inbred,check your last half of brains,if you have some.
YOU ARE VERY WELL KNOWN IDIOT - and you just confirmed that.What can you expect from from loosers daamit fangays HAHAHAHAHA
Just get lost you inbred HAHAHA
snakeoil - Wednesday, July 8, 2009 - link
let me guess, the poor grammar, etc.... you suffer down's syndrome isnt it?, well don't be ashamed of you. you can live a normal and productive life, with the right therapy and medication.cube26 - Wednesday, July 8, 2009 - link
Jesus,SNAKEOIL,you even come here to post your trolling idiotic BS?Isnt enough VR-Zone alone,you start spreading your pathetic,n00bish,idiotic nonsence everywhere.Here is not VR-Zone,here you going to be f...ed up LOLLads - he is very well know idiot from VR-Zone forums,no point to talk to him,he doesnt have any sense of reality,living only for one reason - trolling against intel and nvidia for no reason at all,just because he is idiot - pure IDIOT.Not even tests can help him see real true.
Snakeoil - you are complete I D I O T rofl
snakeoil - Wednesday, July 8, 2009 - link
i'm another snakeoil, moron.snakeoil - Friday, July 3, 2009 - link
well for 170 dollars you get the crappiest of all core 17 motherboards which is asrock. that's sadinstead if you use phenom II you can get asus motherbords since 60 dollars
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...">http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...
and if you pay 170 you get a fine motherboad asus deluxe
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...">http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...
is so sad.
sotti - Saturday, July 4, 2009 - link
an the fastest phenom II they make is still only about 70% as fast as a core i7 on the asrock board.And aside from not having a name brand is there any reason to thing this asrock board is not an extremely solid mobo?
That $60 mobo doesn't hold a candle feature wise, and the $170 motherboard while comprable on features is the same on price and will be signfigantly slower than a core i7?
Amy I missing something or are you just a troll?