We will do as we promised. We will test all motherboards with two processors – a powerful one, which will push the board hard, and a weaker one, which will show something a bit different. Namely, how the more expensive motherboard will (not) help the cheaper processor from the lower class. Can more expensive boards really benefit cheaper models in CPU tests, as some believe? Read more “Follow-up: MSI MAG B660M Mortar WiFi performance with Core i5”
While others have resigned from full-fledged motherboard tests long ago, we’re just kicking it off. Tests with differently powerful processors, without power limits, but also with limits set by Intel. And when we test performance, we also test M.2 slots, USB or Ethernet. Power draw analysis done at the level of individual branches, and thermal imaging with temperature tests (including SSD heatsink efficiency measurements) are a no-brainer. Read more “Larger test of the smaller MSI MAG B660M Mortar WiFi mobo”
New AM5 platform and a socket is coming this year for AMD CPUs, even adopting the LGA approach for the first time. Some details have already leaked, but much remains unknown. Rather interesting news about the new chipsets, to be used on ADM AM5, has popped up recently: a mainstream version named B650 and a high end version called X670 are coming, the latter being notable for allegedly consisting of multiple chips. Read more “AMD X670 chipset on AM5 platform could be a pair of B650 dies”
There was news that (some) boards for Alder Lake using B660 chipset won’t support PCI Express 5.0. But it looks that may not be an actual limitation of that chipset, but rather something that will depend on pricing of each particular model. It turns out that even some Z690 boards will be like this. Gigabyte has a first such board, and it seems that these models might be the key to building an Alder Lake PC relatively cheaply. Read more “Z690 Alder Lake boards can lack PCIe 5.0 too, for cost reasons”
We already have one of the Alder Lake processors in our editorial office and this time we’ll be quick – we’ll publish the full tests at the earliest possible date, November 4. Until then, we have to keep quiet about the features of Intel’s new processors. But we can already give you a little teaser with a preview of the platform we’re testing on. In the article you will also find a thermal image of the VRM of the MSI MEG Z690 Unify motherboard. Read more “Alder Lake testing toolkit: the MEG Z690 Unify and DDR5 memory”
There are only a few modern motherboards of the Thin Mini-ITX format. The latest among them is the ASRock X300TM-ITX. It is in its essence very simple and does not even have its own chipset. The equipment of the board is thus more modest, but it will be one of the cheapest options for AMD APU. Support is across all classes, from Athlon Raven Ridge to the highest performance Renoir (Ryzen 7 Pro 4750G). Read more “ASRock’s cheap chipset-less Thin Mini-ITX motherboard with AM4”
If you’re running an AMD Ryzen processor, you’re probably familiar with updating the so-called AGESA code, which is built into (and updated with) the motherboard’s BIOS. This can improve performance on newly released AMD processors and also fix various bugs. Such an update is now being prepared for the new Ryzen 5000 with AM4 architecture: AGESA 1.1.9.0 should bring several improvements, including in stability. Read more “AGESA 1.1.9.0 update coming to Ryzen: AMD lists the new features”
Do you know what is most often replaced on graphics cards and motherboards during the repair process? Really, try to guess before you begin reading this article. Visiting an Asus repair shop revealed a lot of attractive information you can’t be deprived of. In addition to responding to annoying questions, you’ll learn ways in which hardware failures are routinely detected and fixed. Read more “Report: How it works in an Asus service center”
You’ve already read the details about the A520 chipset in a separate article. The new cheap AMD motherboards lag behind B450 in some respects, in others they have the upper hand. Support for Zen 3 processors promises longer moral life, and this platform also offers pairing with APU Renoir. Modern connectivity with HDMI 2.1 is a standard here which is not a matter of course even with the B550. Can you find your favorite? Read more “All motherboards with AMD A520 in one place. Prices included”
We like small computers, so we are delighted with the Mini-STX format which represents boards that are even smaller than Mini-ITX but still with “full-fledged“ processors. Mini-STX does not allow the use of external graphics cards, making AMD processors with their relatively strong iGPU an interesting choice. Mini-STX boards have not been produced for them yet, but it looks like ASRock is about to change that. Read more “ASRock Mini-STX boards for AMD processors?”
We have added the third major manufacturer to our tests of X370 boards – MSI. The X370 Pro Carbon is about thirty euros cheaper than its opponents from Gigabyte and Asus, so it will be interesting to watch how these savings are reflected in overall quality and design. We don’t want to give away too much, but we can say that it is definitely worth checking. Read more “MSI X370 Gaming Pro Carbon: A convenient choice for Ryzen 7”
There is something appealing about the possibility of taking the fastest hardware that exists in the PC world and putting it in the smallest case possible rather than using conventional tower case. We have seen this with X299E-ITX/ac mini-ITX board for Skylake-X processors. We probably won’t witness a similar scenario for Ryzen Threadripper, because of the size of the socket, but there is a new MicroATX model at least. Read more “There is no Mini-ITX for Threadripper, but there is MicroATX already”
Several years ago, small coolers with 40mm fans were quite common for chipsets instead of heatsinks. Often so noisy that modding was practically necessary. After a couple of years, this trend was fortunately defeated, but recently, rotors with blades are back on high-end boards. Evga presented X299 Dark which even stands out: it has three fans. Read more “A high-end board from Evga has three fans”
This summer, Intel and AMD introduced processors with significantly higher power consumption and heat output: Threadripper with 180W TDP and Skylake-X that does not fall behind. After OC, both can consume over 300W (and Core i9-7980XE even more). These are new challenges for cooling, but maybe they are not the final “boss”. It looks like OC possibilities will now open for the latest generation of Xeon servers with 28 cores. Read more “New challenge: OC of Xeon on a Asus board with 2× LGA 3647”
Mini-ITX boards are great when you want to have the smallest computer possible. They were originally meant for economical low-profile PCs, but today they are also used in gaming computers. However, small size can also be practical on a workstation, so it’s nice to have Intel Skylake-X processors with 18 cores available with ITX format now. It will be possible to buy a Mini-ITX board with the LGA 2066 socket. Read more “Mini-ITX board for Skylake-X processors and a water block for it”
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