EVGA X58 3X SLI Classified LGA1366 Motherboard Review

A Closer Look at the EVGA X58 3X SLI Classified

The EVGA X58 3X SLI Classified is in a class of its own when it comes to PCI-E 16X layout. One of the major features EVGA has been boasting about is the ability to run 3X SLI, a dedicated PhysX GPU, and still be able to fit in a PCI-E 1X sound card. Of course, even with these capabilities, some users will still complain that the use of the lone PCI slot on the Classified will be unusable. Unfortunately, motherboards are only so big and at some point, something has to get left out. The next obvious feature of the landscape is the rather massive heat sink sitting directly on the north bridge. This passive design eliminates the fan that populates the X58 3X SLI by EVGA. Aside from that, we have a very typical layout with memory DIMMs spaced nicely from the CPU socket, low profile heat sink over the south bridge to allow large video card use in all slots, and all connectors appear to be toward the outside edges of the motherboard for easy cable management. From above, it looks like we really have a spectacular layout.

Even with the menacing north bridge heat sink looming over the CPU socket area, the Classified has a uniquely clean area setup here. The major reason is the ten phase digital PWM being implemented on this board. Like the DFI X58-T3eH8, the Classified uses a digital PWM that really cuts down on the surface mount components around the CPU socket. Insulation will be rather easy when preparing for sub zero cooling.

Despite being beefier than the previous EVGA X58 motherboard, the Classifieds PWM heat sink almost appears to be smaller. We found a little bit of an interference issue with larger CPU heat sinks on the previous board, but this Classified design appears to be much better suited for large CPU cooling accommodation. Another of the unique Classified features is the implementation of dual 12v+ EPS connectors capable of supplying the CPU with up to 600W of power. For air and water users this is going to be overkill and a single connector is more than enough, but when pushing i7 processors north of 5GHz under LN2 cooling, that second connector will become a saving grace for supplying clean and steady vCORE.

As mentioned, the six DDR3 DIMM slots appear to be spaced nicely from the CPU socket but we fully anticipate the same issue all X58 motherboards have encountered when mated to a Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme in a North/South orientation. The closest DIMM slot will likely be unusable for taller memory like the Corsair Dominator or Kingston HyperX modules. That aside, the power delivery for the memory appears to be quite substantial and very well designed. The three phase power design is very similar to the Classified’s sibling X58 3X SLI and utilizes two capacitors for every inductor with low RDS MOSFETs.

At the top of the DIMM, again like the X58 3X SLI, the Classified has a number of voltage read points. The number has increased to include every single adjustable voltage in the Classifieds BIOS. These read points allow for a reasonable facsimile of what the voltages are for each labeled component. The BIOS voltage readings, and subsequent values in Windows, aren't always accurate and we will be utilizing these read points later on to investigate what voltage we receive compared to what is set in the BIOS.

Moving our way down past the 24-pin ATX power connector located to the east of the DIMM slots, we find this small cluster of jumper pins. Labeled appropriately enough, "PCIE Disable", these jumpers allow us to enable or disable any of the four PCI-E 16X slots individually. This is another feature primarily for the enthusiast trying to trouble shoot a multi GPU setup that utilizes cooling that makes it difficult to simply remove a card. Water cooling multiple GPUs or benching with fully insulated sub-zero cooling pots makes it difficult to just pull a card for trouble shooting. These jumpers in essence allow us to shut off the individual slots and perform the trouble shooting without removing anything. This functionality can also be found on the EVGA Control Panel (ECP) when connected.

South bridge corner is our next stop on this tour and like everything we have looked at thus far, the layout is superb. All of our six ICH10R SATA II connections and two JMicron SATA II connections are at a 90 degree angle as well as the single legacy IDE connector. This allows for the smoothest of cable management and eliminates any possible interference issues with the massive GPU's that are going to be used in conjunction with this motherboard.

The bottom edge of the board is littered with pin headers along with our LED readout. A number of the pin headers are for USB or firewire connections but the large bank in the very bottom right corner is where our ECP will connect expanding a number of the functions found in this area to an offsite location.

Along this bottom edge we also find two of the five total fan headers alongside the power and reset buttons. We also have a convenient CMOS clear button to round out the controls down here. The buttons appear on the motherboard for those that will not be running this motherboard in a traditional closed case. These features have been increasingly popular with enthusiast level motherboards and with the Classified being marketed as the ultimate enthusiast’s motherboard, they are obviously parts of the landscape. It is weird but when we get a motherboard that doesn't implement onboard power and reset buttons, it takes us a couple seconds to realize it and grab a screw driver to power a motherboard up as we have become so use to the luxury.

We mentioned in the opening section of this page the unique layout of PCI-E 16X slots that the Classified offers. The implementation of the onboard NF200 chip provides the Classified with a unique amount of PCI-E 16X slots. Only the ASUS P6T6 WS Revolution boasts more. The layout of the slots is the key though. If shooting for a two card SLI setup, you can use the top most slot and the third slot down while keeping everything at 16X. This offers plenty of airflow for both cards and leaves the middle 16X slot open for a Raid controller or an expansion card of that nature. This setup would also leave the PCI slot open for use. At the same time, there is a 1X PCI-E slot right at the top of the pile primarily for PCI-E sound cards.

The layout also allows for triple SLI of dual slot cards using the top three PCI-E 16X slots while still not hanging a video card over the bottom edge. The ultimate configuration EVGA has been showing off, however, involves utilizing triple SLI in the top two and bottom 16X slots, with a single slot GPU in the third slot as a dedicated PhysX card. This configuration would still allow the use of a sound card in the top PCI-E 1X slot for the most comprehensive setup you have ever seen. We will explore the various setup options a little later on during the installation section.

In a departure from the rather scarce DFI X58-T3eH8, the Classified has packed everything but the kitchen sink into the rear I/O panel. With 8 x USB 2.0 ports, 2 x gigabit NIC, 6-pin firewire, eSATA, Coaxial SPDIF output, Optical SPDIF output, PS/2 keyboard, 8-channel audio connections, and a clear CMOS button; there isn't much else EVGA could pack into this area. The motherboards backside is another highlight of discussion as EVGA has continued with the tradition of spring loaded screws holding all the heat sinks in place. The lack of any push pins is always a welcome site and the method in which EVGA implements the screws is as good as it gets. You can't really over tighten the screws creating warping issues but they still provide more than enough accurate pressure for solid mounts.

The last of our photos focus on the completely passive Classified heat sink assembly. We start off with a low profile heat sink that covers the Intel ICH10R south bridge and the NIVDIA NF200 chip. This heat sink is discretely connected to the large cooling fin mass sitting above the north bridge via a single heat pipe that angles up into the cooling fins to dissipate the heat from the south bridge. The north bridge is cooled via three heat pipes that also angle up into the exhaustive amount of cooling fins. This assembly, thankfully, is completely separate from the PWM cooling solution like the EVGA X58 3X SLI is.

Because there is no connection between the two, the NB and VTT MOSFETs are cooled by a neat little heat sink tucked underneath the large north bridge heat sink. As mentioned, the PWM heat sink appears to be a beefed up design from its predecessor. We will be taking a closer look at the cooling and the components involved in the heat and acoustical testing section. This is where we will also focus on the cooling abilities of this passive design. A lot of the forum talk thus far regarding the EVGA X58 3X SLI Classified revolved around NB/PWM temperatures and is something we want to investigate in depth.