Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 X58 Motherboard Review

Voltage Regulation

Our voltage regulation testing will focus on the various voltages and the differences encountered between what is selected in the BIOS, what is reported by EasyTune6 (when available), and what is reported by a digital multi-meter (DMM). We have found five voltage read points on the motherboard so the vCORE, CPU PLL, QPI/VTT, IOH Core, ICH Core, and vDIMM will be recorded with our DMM. The vCORE will be read from the underside of the motherboard at the output side of the corresponding inductor. The remaining voltages will be read from points on the top of the motherboard. vDIMM will be read directly from a DIMM slot's VDD pin. The ground point used for all readings will be a screw hole. Here are a few photos showing the various read points used.


Now that we have established where the read points are, let’s have a look at the results. These measurements were taken at stock system speeds and with Turbo Boost, C1E, EIST, and Thermal Monitor disabled in the BIOS. Just to clarify, the vCore (LLC) section is the vCore results with Load-Line Calibration enabled. Here are our extensive findings:


Taken as a whole, the EX58-UD5 has very good voltage output. There is relatively little variance between what you select in the BIOS and what the board actually outputs. The vCore, ICH Core, and DRAM voltages are effectively perfect, while the CPU PLL, QPI/VTT, IOH Core overvolt slightly. Aside from the vCore, none of the voltages displayed any variances between idle and load states, which is quite remarkable. We were initially suspicious of these results, but test after test proved them to be accurate. There is some very minimal line droop (vDroop) on the vCORE when going from idle to load, but it is not substantial enough to negatively affect stability nor overclocking. Also, once Load-Line Calibration is enabled, the vDroop is nearly eliminated. Since it is such a crucial setting with regard to overclocking and overall system stability, let's take a closer look at the vCORE's characteristics with a one hour OCCT stress test using our overclocked configuration.


While OCCT 3.0.0 makes the vCore line looks pretty erratic, the overall ripple was only 3.4%. If we disregard the starting voltage, the actual variance under load is a mere 0.03V or 2.2%, which is extremely good. Having said that, there is always room for improvement and that is where Load-Line Calibration comes into play...


With LLC enabled, the ripple is reduced to a minuscule 1.1% and most of the small voltage spikes are ironed out. Optimally, we would like to see 0% ripple and no spikes whatsoever, but overall this implementation of LLC is definitely worth praising.

Temperature Testing

Now it's time to see if the EX58-UD5's distinctive cooling system works as well it as looks. Although this is a high-end motherboard it only comes with a temperature sensor for the northbridge, and it is only viewable in the BIOS. Therefore, we relied on our trusty digital thermometer for all temperature measurements. We set the system to its overclocked configuration, and then ran Prime 95 Blend for two hours. The temperatures were recorded at twenty minute intervals throughout the two hour test and the results averaged out. The ambient temperature was 20°C/68°F


Considering our substantial overclock and liberal use of voltage, we were quite satisfied with these temperature results. None of the above components benefited from any direct air cooling, so all these figures essentially represent a worst-case scenario. In a regular case with some half-decent airflow, temperatures should be even lower. As a result, we can definitely state that the UD5's cooling system is capable of handling all but the most extreme overclocking attempts.