EVGA X58 3X SLI Classified LGA1366 Motherboard Review

Like the EVGA X58-SLI, the Classified has a whole host of easy to access onboard voltage read points as we saw earlier and pictured above. We will be using a calibrated UEI DM393 True RMS multi-meter to measure the voltages at these read points both at idle and under load, then chart those with what was set in the BIOS, and what E-LEET reports. Again, the settings we used to test at is our stable 24/7 overclock with exactly the same voltages as we used for our stability testing at this overclock. This means we have vDROOP enabled which explains the discrepancy between the vCORE readings from idle to load.

Overall the Classified seems to really hold its voltages well going from idle to load. vDIMM droops ever so slightly and so does VTT which are the two most important but less than a .020v droop between the two of them from idle to load is extremely impressive. The vCORE droops as it should well within Intel spec doing what it is designed to do.

The actual voltages being supplied to the various components based on what we have selected in the BIOS is very accurate but VTT is slightly under volted as is the vCORE. Running with vDROOP is the reason for the vCORE difference though so on the whole, we are quite pleased with the Classified voltage selections. The one large discrepancy is with VTT, in particular, what E-LEET and the BIOS report for VTT compared to the actual voltage measurement. We noticed that E-LEET (and the BIOS) reported much higher vDIMM and VTT on the original X58 3X SLI and that trend seems to have been carried over to the Classified with VTT. vDIMM is close enough to the actual voltage readings we were pulling from the board to consider it accurate, but keep the higher than actual VTT in mind when you get your board up and running. What you select in the BIOS for VTT is a lot closer to the actual VTT than what E-LEET is reporting.

Here now is a pair of OCCT vCORE charts illustrating the effectiveness of the EVGA vDROOP control on the X58 3X SLI Classified.

vDROOP Chart from OCCT - vDROOP Enabled

vDROOP Chart from OCCT - vDROOP Disabled

vDROOP is always a hotly debated item in enthusiast forums as to whether or not vDROOP is good, bad, necessary, or not. Intel has specified vDROOP for the CPU as it allows a bit of a "cushion" for vCORE when switching between idle and load. When you use your computer the CPU load is always spiking and dropping and this equates to vCORE doing the same. vDROOP is designed to help soften this effect. Running without vDROOP obviously eliminates the drooping of vCORE under load and allows for a lower overall voltage to be set but has been known to cause adverse effects.

We aren't trying to argue for the use or lack of vDROOP, we are simply reporting here that the vDROOP elimination option in the BIOS of the Classified appears to be working quite well at doing its job of eliminating vDROOP of vCORE under load.

Software voltage readings should not be considered accurate reproductions of the actual voltage supplied but they can be used to get a reasonably accurate representation of what is going on. We simply present these charts to you because we have access to them. They show a fairly consistent reading of vDIMM and VTT but do indicate that VTT seems to bump up slightly under load. This seems to contradict what we measured with the digital multi-meter. We measured a number of times throughout the twenty minute test with the digital multi-meter and consistently saw the results we presented in the chart higher up on the page. Again, this is just another example of having to take software voltage readings with a grain of salt.