ASUS M4A88TD-M/USB3 & M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 AM3 Motherboards Review

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Synthetic Benchmarks

Synthetic Benchmarks

Lavalys Everest Ultimate v5.02

Everest Ultimate is the most useful tool for any and all benchmarkers or overclockers. With the ability to pick up most voltage, temperature, and fan sensors on almost every motherboard available, Everest provides the ability to customize the outputs in a number of forms on your desktop. We selected two of Everest's seven CPU benchmarks: CPU Queen and FPU Mandel. According to Lavalys, CPU Queen simple integer benchmark focuses on the branch prediction capabilities and the misprediction penalties of the CPU. It finds the solutions for the classic "Queens problem" on a 10 by 10 sized chessboard. At the same clock speed theoretically the processor with the shorter pipeline and smaller misprediction penalties will attain higher benchmark scores. The FPU Mandel benchmark measures the double precision (also known as 64-bit) floating-point performance through the computation of several frames of the popular "Mandelbrot" fractal. Both tests consume less than 1 MB system memory, and are Hyper-Threading, multi-processor (SMP) and multi-core (CMP) aware.

Lavalys Everest Ultimate v5.02

Everest Ultimate is the most useful tool for any and all benchmarkers or overclockers. With the ability to pick up most voltage, temperature, and fan sensors on almost every motherboard available, Everest provides the ability to customize the outputs in a number of forms on your desktop. In addition to this, the memory benchmarking utility provides a useful tool of measuring the changes to your memory sub-system.

ScienceMark v2.0

Although last updated almost 3 years ago, and despite its rudimentary interface, ScienceMark v2.0 remains a favorite for accurately calculating bandwidth on even the newest chipsets.

 

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General Task Benchmarks

General Task Benchmarks

PCMark Vantage x64

PCMark Vantage Advanced 64-bit Edition (1.0.0.0)
PCMark Suite / Default Settings
Comparison: Generated Score

The main focus of our General Tasks category lies with the most recent installment of the PCMark series, Vantage. While still classified under the description of a Synthetic benchmark, PCMark Vantage uses many of Vista's (Note - Vantage is Vista-only) built-in programs and features along with its own tests, so it is "real-world" applicable in regards to CPU performance. The following is a general list of the tests in the PCMark suite, very much in line with tasks of an average user: Data encryption, Data compression, CPU image manipulation (compression/decompression/resize), Audio transcoding,Video transcoding,Text editing,Web page rendering, Windows Mail, Windows Contacts, and CPU game test.

x264 HD Benchmark

x264 HD Benchmark v3.0
Test: MPEG-2 HD 720P Video Clip Conversion to x264
DVD Video Length: 30 Seconds
Comparison: FPS of Second Pass

x264 is quickly becoming the new codec of choice for encoding a growing number of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC videos. Think of it as the new Divx of HD and you can understand why we felt it critical to include. Tech Arp's recent development of the x264 HD Benchmark takes a 30 second HD video clip and encodes it into the x264 codec with the intention of little to no quality loss. The test is measured using the average frames per second achieved during encoding, which scales with processor speed and efficiency. The benchmark also allows the use of multi-core processors so it gives a very accurate depiction of what to expect when using encoding application on a typical full length video.

WinRAR

WinRAR 3.9.3
Test: WinRAR Benchmark
Comparison: MB/s

WinRAR is one of the most popular file compression/decompression tools. It is a great benchmark for the CPU, Memory, and Hard Drive subsystems.

 

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System Benchmarks

System Benchmarks

SuperPi Mod v1.5

When running the SuperPI 32MB benchmark, we are calculating Pi to 32 million digits and timing the process. Obviously more CPU power helps in this intense calculation, but the memory sub-system also plays an important role, as does the operating system. We are running multiple instances of SuperPi via the HyperPi 0.99b interface - one per each core. The final time is calculated by averaging the times from all instances.

Cinebench R11.5 64-bit

Comparison: Generated Score

Developed by MAXON, creators of Cinema 4D, Cinebench 11 is designed using the popular Cinema software and created to compare system performance in 3D Animation and Photo applications. The CPU test makes use of up to 16 CPUs/Cores, and renders a realistic photo while utilizing various CPU-intensive features such as reflection, ambient occlusion, area lights and procedural shaders.

wPrime 2.03

wPrime is a leading multithreaded benchmark for x86 processors that tests your processor performance by calculating square roots with a recursive call of Newton's method for estimating functions, with f(x)=x2-k, where k is the number we're sqrting, until Sgn(f(x)/f'(x)) does not equal that of the previous iteration, starting with an estimation of k/2. It then uses an iterative calling of the estimation method a set amount of times to increase the accuracy of the results. It then confirms that n(k)2=k to ensure the calculation was correct. It repeats this for all numbers from 1 to the requested maximum. This is a highly multi-threaded workload.

 

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Gaming Benchmarks

Gaming Benchmarks

Futuremark 3DMark06

3DMark06 v1.1.0
Graphic Settings: Default
Resolution: 1280X1024

Test: Full Test
Comparison: Generated Score

The Futuremark 3DMark series has been a part of the backbone in computer and hardware reviews since its conception. The trend continues today as 3DMark06 provides consumers with a solid synthetic benchmark geared for performance and comparison in the 3D gaming realm. This remains one of the most sought after statistics, and it will undoubtedly be used for years to come.

Futuremark 3DMark Vantage

3DMark Vantage v1.0.1
Graphic Settings: Performance Preset
Resolution: 1280X1024

Test: Specific CPU Score and Full Run 3Dmarks
Comparison: Generated Score

3DMark Vantage is the follow-up to the highly successful 3DMark06. It uses DirectX 10 exclusively so if you are running Windows XP, you can forget about this benchmark. Along with being a very capable graphics card testing application, it also has very heavily multi-threaded CPU tests, such Physics Simulation and Artificial Intelligence (AI), which makes it a good all-around gaming benchmark.

Crysis

Crysis Benchmark Tool 1.05
Resolution: 1024x768
Anti Aliasing: None
Quality Settings: Low
Global Settings: DX10

Test 1: CPU Benchmark
Comparison: FPS (Frames per Second)

Still one of the most hardware intensive game on the market today, Crysis has been chosen for its obvious ability to be able to showcase the differences between platforms and to showcase just how far one will need to go in the quest for maximum performance. The game also features the renowned CryEngine, the power behind the incredible graphics, which is expected to be foundation of future titles.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R - Call of Pripyat

S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat Benchmark Tool
Resolution: 1024x768
Graphics Preset: Low
Renderer: Enhanced Full Dynamic Lighting (DX11)

When it was first released, the latest STALKER game was hailed for its use of DX11 but people quickly realized for all its bluster, the graphics were decidedly mediocre at the best of times. Nonetheless, the stand-alone benchmark that was released prior to the game’s North American debut is still used by many people due to its comprehensive interface and seemingly consistent results.

Left 4 Dead 2

Left 4 Dead 2 (Latest Update as of June 13, 2010)
Resolution: 1024x768
Film Grain: Default
Anti-Aliasing Mode: None
Filtering: Bilinear
Graphic Settings: Low
Shader Detail: Low
Comparison: FPS (Frames per Second)

Left 4 Dead 2 is the second installment of the latest disorienting, fast-paced zombie apocalypse mega-hit from Valve. L4D2 uses the latest version of the Source engine with enhancements such as multi-core processor support and physics-based animation. For benching, we used a pre-recorded 5 minute timedemo taken on the Dead Center campaign during the Hotel mission.

 

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Processor Unlocking and Overclocking

Processor Unlocking and Overclocking

Core Unlocking – Simply Easy

With “Core Unlock” prominently advertised as one of these boards’ distinguishing features and coupled with the dedicated “Core Unlocker” toggle situated on the motherboard itself, it would be a big embarrassment if the boards did not support unlocking.

Just as expected, unlocking our AMD Phenom II X2 555BE was a breeze. Core unlocking can be enabled in BIOS as well. In addition, in the BIOS you can select which of the two disabled cores that you would like to unlock. This feature is particularly useful for users with X2 processors that only have one unlockable core.

M4A88TD-M/USB3

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M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3

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Processor Overclocking

Maximum Multiplier Overclock

M4A88TD-M/USB3

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M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3

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*Important Note* - Please ensure that you have the latest BIOS for both motherboards.

Originally, we had tested both motherboards with BIOS versions 0901 and 1404 for the M4A88TD-M and M4A88TD-V respectively. During our testing endeavors we ran into an interesting phenomenon. The screenshots above represent the highest stable speeds we were able to obtain with the two motherboards. While these two boards are capable of pushing even higher clock speeds with additional voltage, we encountered some sort of thermal throttling when the CPU socket temperature diode temperatures hit more than 55°C. Both motherboards would automatically drop the CPU into a lower P-state, thereby reducing the voltage and multiplier of the chip and thus lowering temperatures to compensate for the added heatload.

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Even after updating to BIOS 0902 for the M4A88TD-M, we ran into the exact same problems where the CPU would automatically drop to a a lower P-state. The easiest way to record this drop is to use HWMonitor 1.14. Under the "CPU Powers" section, we can see that HWMonitor recorded a drop from ~140W to ~91W. Alternatively, users can also log CPU frequencies using CoreTemp. A drop in the P-state would be shown by a drop in CPU frequency.

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On the contrary, for the M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3, updating to BIOS 1702 solved all issues. We were able to obtain a stable 4.0GHz overclock at 1.45v load, with a CPU-NB frequency of 2800MHz at 1.30v.

In conclusion, with the M4A88TD-M/USB3, we were able to hit 3.6GHz CPU clock speeds with a CPU-NB overclock at 2.6GHz. For the M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3, we were able to hit 4.0GHz CPU clock speeds at a 2.8GHz CPU-NB overclock.


Maximum FSB Overclock

M4A88TD-M/USB3

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M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3

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For non-Black Edition processor owners, the only method of overclocking would be to increase BUS speeds. In this area, both motherboards performed similarly well and nearly identical to competing motherboards on the market. The M4A88TD-M/USB3 and M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 topped out at roughly 342MHz, which is ample headroom to push any processor currently on the market.

 

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Motherboard Temperature & Power Consumption Testing

Temperatures & Power Consumption

Temperature Testing
Temperatures play a vital role in determining the stability of a system. In addition to keeping CPU and RAM cool, the MOSFETs, Northbridge, and Southbridge chipsets also require cooling to keep them operating at peak efficiency and performance.

In this section, we investigate just how hot motherboard components can get on the ASUS M4A88TD-M/USB3 and M4ATD-V EVO/USB3.

For our test setup, we will install both motherboards on an open bench-top setup using the Antec Skeleton case with the top fan set at the lowest speed possible. This test setup should emulate the typical temperatures experienced by most users with moderate to high airflow case setups.

We will attach our K-type thermocouple to the heatsinks of various components on the motherboard and record the temperature of those parts.

Temperature readings will be taken at 2 stages: Idle, and 100% Load.

Idle readings are taken after a cold boot of the computer followed by 30 minutes of idling.

100% Load settings are taken 5 minutes after the simultaneous start of a Prime95 Blend test and an infinitely looped Crysis GPU test.

For these tests, we will use the AMD Phenom II X6 1090T processor.

As expected, the heatsinks on both motherboards provide acceptable cooling to the Northbridge and Southbridge. Even the MOSFETs on the M4A88TD-M/EVO3 stayed well within acceptable temperature limits without a heatsink.

Overall, both motherboards did not suffer any overheating problems at the voltages and frequencies tested. However, please keep in mind that at higher voltage settings, temperatures will increase.

Because these are passive heatsinks, they require an environment with good airflow to dissipate heat quickly. Therefore, for those who intend to overclock with these motherboards, please ensure that your case has adequate airflow.


Power Consumption Testing

All motherboard manufacturers boast that their products have the lowest power consumption and feature the latest new development in energy efficiency. Well that is what we are here to find out.

For this test, we used the voltage and frequency settings posted above and measured the power consumption of the computer at IDLE and LOAD.

For our idle test, we let the system idle for 15 minutes and measured the peak wattage through our Blue Planet EM100 power meter.

For our CPU load test, we ran Prime 95 In-place large FFTs on all available threads for 15 minutes, measuring the peak wattage via the Blue Planet EM100 power meter.

For our overall system load test, we ran Prime 95 In-place large FFTs on all available threads for 15 minutes, while simultaneously loading the 3DMark Vantage Calico Test at default settings.

 

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Conclusion

Conclusion

There have been many out there who have questioned the pricing strategies of Intel’s latest solutions and in many cases with good reason. AMD’s own processors may not perform at the same level as Intel’s finest but a strategy which focuses on performance per dollar seems to be paying dividends. As we saw in this review, well rounded AM3 boards can be purchased for about $100 without making much in the way of sacrifices.

The M4A88TD-M USB3 and the M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 may be considered entry level motherboards but ASUS has packed them to the brim with features aplenty. Both feature AMD’s latest SB850 southbridge and NEC’s USB controller, which provide SATA 6Gbps and USB3.0 for future-proofing purposes. In addition, they have integrated graphics processors ( based on the HD 4250) thanks to the 880G chipset. The M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3, with its slightly higher price tag and larger form-factor, also offers 128MB of Sideport memory and Hybrid CrossfireX support to boost graphics performance.

In terms of outright performance, there really won’t be much to differentiate these boards from those of the competition but the strength of these budget AMD boards lie in some technologies that are usually seen on up market products. Dedicated push-buttons are included for core unlocking and overclocking which can literally increasing your system’s performance without having to fiddle with a dozen or so settings. This in itself really goes to show how manufacturers are taking AMD’s value-added mentality to heart.

Unfortunately, overclocking on theses motherboards is not quite as straightforward as we had hoped. The M4A88TD-M USB3 suffers from an automatic downclocking “feature” which seems to be engaged whenever CPU temperatures increase past a certain threshold. This phenomenon does not happen with similar motherboards from the competition, nor does it occur with other ASUS motherboards that we have tested. On the other hand, the M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 (after updating the BIOS to 1702) performed adequately well and has the potential to push for higher clocks with better cooling.

Both of these ASUS boards seemed geared towards HTPC systems or systems where integrated graphics are required. When used in those types of systems, we wouldn’t expect much major overclocking to occur so the above-mentioned issues won’t factor into many people’s buying decisions. The integrated Radeon HD4250 GPU offers adequate performance to stream 1080p video and even for some leisurely first-person shooter gaming. However, for those who can sacrifice integrated graphics, we would suggest a 870G motherboard instead. The Gigabyte 870A-UDP is a great board which offers similar features at a lower price point and without the overclocking hassles.

AMD products continue to impress us with their impressive feature sets at extremely reasonable price points and these two ASUS motherboards really did live up to our expectations in almost every regard. There were some stumbling points particularly with the mATX board but that doesn’t stop them from providing an well rounded experience at a budget friendly price point.



Pros

• Numerous BIOS tweaking options for voltages and ram timings
• Dedicated switches for CPU Unlocker (for unlocking X2 and X3 processors), MemOK!, and Turbo Key (for automated overclocking on theM4A88TD-V EVO/USB3)
• SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0 connectivity
• Comprehensive software suite

Cons

• Large CPU coolers + tall memory heatsinks will cause installation annoyances
• Poor location for IDE connector (on the M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3)
• Thermal throttling of CPU greatly reduces overclocking capabilities (on the M4A88TD-M USB3)
• CMOS switch is difficult to access (on the M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3)