The Asus P8Z77-V LX is an LGA1155 board that has almost everything you need, but nothing more. Reliable (non-extreme) CPU and memory overclocking for ASUS i7 ​​motherboards Switch gpu boost on asus motherboard

A cycle of our reviews of motherboards in the lower price range, based on the older set system logic for Intel processors Haswell - Z87, revealed in them quite usable products. However, a common feature for each of them was poor stabilization of the CPU supply voltage. Whether this is due to the inability of manufacturers to organize the correct approach when working with the ISL95820 PWM controller, which is common to each of them without exception, is a rather rhetorical question, but the facts are clear.

In this review, we will look at a similar, cheapest motherboard manufactured by ASUSTeK Computer Inc. — Z87M Plus. The products of this company are based on other components relabeled by the manufacturer, but, apparently, these are International Rectifier products. Considering new the lineup company in one of the first reviews, you could see that the simplest is another model - ASUS Z87-K. However, actual retail prices since then, they have remained unchanged for all models, with the exception of today's test participant. For him in domestic retail asking for an amount equivalent to $ 125.

In addition, the Z87M-Plus is the most preferred for enthusiasts on a budget, as it has several specific abilities - the MemOK button! and a GPU Boost operation status switch. In all other respects, this is the most ordinary board, not burdened with any additional interface controllers, but at the same time it has everything necessary to build a modern multimedia computer.

Characteristics

Model
Chipset	Intel Z87
Processor socket	socket 1150
Processors	Xeon, Core i7, Core i5, Core i3, Pentium, Celeron (Haswell)
Memory	4 DIMM DDR3 SDRAM 1333/1600/1866*/2000*/2133*/2200*/2400*/2600*/2666*/2800*/2933*(OC), 32 GB maximum
PCI slots	1 x PCI Express 3.0x16 1 x PCI Express 2.0 [email protected] 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x1
PCI slots	-
Integrated video core	Intel HD Graphics/4600/P4600
Video connectors	HDMI, DVI-D, D-Sub
Number of connected fans	3x 4pin
PS/2 ports	1 (keyboard/mouse)
USB ports	6 x 3.0 (4 connectors on the rear panel, Z87) 8 x 2.0 (2 connectors on the rear panel, Z87)
Serial ATA	6 x SATA 6Gb/s (Z87)
RAID	0, 1, 5, 10 (Z87)
Built-in sound	Realtek ALC887 (7.1, HDA)
S/PDIF	Optical, connector on the board (output)
Networking	Realtek 8111GR (Gigabit Ethernet)
firewire	-
LPT	-
COM	1 (internal)
BIOS/UEFI	AMI UEFI
Form Factor	mATX
Dimensions, mm	244x213
Additional features	TPM connectivity, AMD Quad-GPU CrossFireX support, GPU Boost status switch, MemOK!

Packaging and equipment

For testing, the board came in a regular white box. A full-fledged package cannot surprise you with anything special. On the official product page, you can get acquainted with all the features of the Z87M-Plus, which the manufacturer focuses on to increase the attractiveness of their solutions. I would like to note the USB BIOS Flashback technology. This mechanism will allow in case of trouble with the firmware to update it without a visit to the service center.

Given that the product in question is not a retail copy, the delivery set also differs from the usual. In addition to the board, the box contained:

• disk with drivers and proprietary software;
• company logo sticker;
• a plug for the body, complete with a white sticker with color and symbol designation of all sockets;
• two SATA cable 6Gb / s, one of which has an L-shaped connector on one of the ends.

Appearance

Thanks in part to a simplified CPU voltage regulator, the product is a good 3cm shorter than the standard mATX format. In addition, the division of sixteen PCI-E lanes for the needs of several video cards is not provided. Only one switch can switch four lines from the system logic between three groups of slots: concentrate all their number on a full-size socket, or leave only two lines, transferring the rest to regular PCI-E x1.

The simplicity of the device also affects its reverse side, where there is no third party elements, in particular, in the area where the reinforcement plate of the CPU cooler is located. The heatsinks are fixed on the board with spring-loaded plastic latches.

The unification of production leads to the use of the same elements on different devices; the chipset cooler is exactly the same as on the previously reviewed H87I-Plus, doing its job well. Four ordinary SATA sockets have taken their place in the corner, and just above them, in the area where the video accelerator is located, there are two more longitudinal versions. The slots for RAM are equipped with latches on only one side, which will add comfort during the operation of the system.

The pin connectors of other interfaces are habitually located along the bottom edge. Among them there is not a single block for connecting a fan; one is located in the very center of the PCB. The network and audio controller are basic solutions from Realtek - 8111GR and ALC887, the technical documentation of which is available only to the company's partners.

The second of the two fan connectors is located at the top of the board, next to the processor. All three have a four-pin design, and the processor is deprived of a sensor-identifier of the type of connected device, just like it was on the H87I-Plus. In contrast to the latter, there is a curious GPU_BOOST switch here. Looking ahead, I note that its role is equivalent to TPU - one of the "intelligent processors" included in the older product - Z87-Plus. In other words, when using it, the functions for automatic overclocking of all system components are activated, and not just the graphics module that is part of the Intel Haswell processors, as its naming implies. At the same time, a green or orange LED next to it lights up, depending on the position of the switch, and - as a result - the profile used.

NTMFS4937N and NTMFS4955N. PWM controller ASP1253. In the Vanguard B85 review, I already made an assumption about its true essence in the face of IR3570A, nothing changes today, because in fact the entire converter is a complete copy of the solution considered then. Such heredity is gratifying - at that time the whole complex of overclocking measures was carried out without any complaints. Today, a natural increase in temperature is possible as a result of a reduction in the area allocated for cooling circuit elements.

Once again, I would like to draw parallels between these models: the filling of the rear panel is also very similar, only here instead of DisplayPort there is S/PDIF. In general, a lot of interface outputs form a complete set for a modern PC.

Summing up, I will note that consideration of the design of the simplest product does not cause any remarks. The expected simplifications should not affect the overall performance of the system. Let's move on to the consideration of the software component.

Modern motherboards ASUS have recently been used new version BIOS. BIOS UEFI - translated as Unified extensible firmware interface.BIOS UEFI is responsible for setting up and initializing devices at the moment the PC is turned on and provides them with the ability to exchange data between themselves and the system.

Consider the main advantages of UEFI BIOS:

• convenient and beautiful graphical interface has 2 setting modes: EZ Mode for inexperienced users quick setup andAdvanced Mode for advanced users, allowing you to maximize the use of computer resources
  
• it became possible to work with rigid drives larger than 2.2 terabytes
• 64 bit operating system with new BIOS UEFI began to load much faster
• convenient bootloader selection
• visual monitoring temperature sensors computer
• High protection against boot viruses
• Flexible switching between graphics subsystems, uniquetechnology LucidLogix Virtu allowswill automatically switch between the integrated graphics core and an external graphics card. Those. when working with text, the external video card enters sleep mode and consumes a minimum of energy and resources, but as soon as we start a game, for example, the external video card automatically turns on.
• Fast video transcoding -Intel® Quick Sync Video, modern motherboards ASUS support hardware acceleration on the integrated graphics core
  
• Technology Intel Smart Response — speeds up the disk subsystem by caching information on the built-in solid state drive small capacity from where then the information goes to the main hard drive. This reduces energy consumption.
• Second-generation intelligent chips with DIGI+ power system, digital controller processes signals without digital-to-analog conversions, thereby reducing delays. Intelligent chips through the use of power transistors and dual drivers, and load sharing improve cooling.
• TPU- using the function autotuning, GPU Boost and TurboV the chip on the motherboard overclocks the processor by simply switching the operating mode of the TPU functions
• Technology ASUS GPU Boost- using a convenient and intuitive interface, you can overclock the built-in graphics core.
• BT-GO This technology makes it possible connect all kinds of Bluetooth devices without the use of additional equipment
• Full Support USB 3.0
• SATA 6Gb/s support
• Modern connector LGA1155 allows you to install processors Core i7, i5 and i3

Detailed UEFI BIOS settings for each manufacturer motherboards we'll look at it in another article. We will now look at how to initial installation and improve performance.

Initial ASUS setup UEFI BIOS

We turn on the computer, and during boot press F2, the BIOS UEFI settings window will open. We change the language to Russian. Let's select the maximum performance mode. it's a speedometer icon with a red light, save and exit. To switch to advanced mode, press exit/advanced mode

MSI UEFI BIOS initial setup

Similarly, turn on the computer, press F2, the BIOS UEFI window appears. Change the language at will, turn on the mode oc green mode.

oc green mode Automatic overclocking that increases performance in 1 second.

Our introduction to motherboards designed to work with AMD's new APUs continues. This time we'll look at a mid-range model from ASUS, which is based on the older AMD A85X chipset and has support for AMD CrossFireX, AMD Dual Graphics technologies, compatibility with Microsoft's new OS - Windows 8, as well as a number of proprietary technologies.

As you remember, in 2012 we got acquainted with, which, as of February 2013, is the flagship model of the company. ASUS F2A85-V, the heroine of this material, is, in fact, a slightly simplified version of the model mentioned above. We offer a small comparative table for greater clarity:

external/internal
external/internal
RAM
Video outputs
Audio outputs on the interface panel	Optical S/PDIF out	Optical S/PDIF out
Power phases	(with cooling)	(with cooling)
Average cost in USD*

*price is as of February 2013

As you can see, the difference in cost is quite significant. Having lost $45 in price, ASUS F2A85-V also lost two USB 3.0 ports, a DisplayPort video output, two power phases and, perhaps, the most important thing - the ability to work two video cards in x8 + x8 mode. At first glance, everything is logical, since this model is positioned as simpler and more affordable, then its limitations may not suit only the owners of two graphics adapters, and for most other potential buyers, the acquisition of ASUS F2A85-V looks more economically feasible. However, these conclusions are based only on motherboard specifications, for a more detailed study of the ASUS F2A85-V, we suggest going directly to the review:

ASUS F2A85-V motherboard specification:

Manufacturer
	F2A85-V (rev 1.0)
Processor socket
Supported processors	AMD A (Socket FM2) AMD Athlon (Socket FM2)
Used memory	2400(O.C.)/2250(O.C.)/2200(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/2000(O.C.) /1866/1600/1333/1066 MHz
Memory support	4 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM slots supporting up to 64GB of memory
Expansion slots	1 x PCI Express 16 2.0 (x16) 1 x PCI Express 16 2.0 (x4)
	2 x PCI Express x1
Disk subsystem	AMD A85X chipset supports: 7 x SATA 6Gb/s ports 1 x eSATA 6Gb/s port
	1 x Atheros 8161 Gigabit Network Controller (10/100/1000 Mbps)
Sound subsystem	Realtek ALC887 codec 2/4/5.1/7.1 channel audio
	24-pin ATX power connector 4-pin ATX12V power connector
Fans	1 x CPU fan header (4-pin) 2 x connectors system fans(4-pin)
Cooling	South bridge aluminum heatsink Aluminum heatsink on MOSFET chips
External I/O ports	6 x Audio ports 1 x optical SPDIF Out 1 x PS/2 (mouse, keyboard)
Internal I/O ports	1 x USB 3.0 with support for connecting two USB 3.0 (19-pin) 7 x SATA 6Gb/s ports 1 x COM port 1 x front panel audio output connector 1 x front panel connector block 1 x CMOS reset jumper
	64 Mb Flash ROM, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.7, ACPI 2.0a,
Equipment	user's manual; a brochure describing the warranty; disk with drivers and utilities; 2 x SATA cables; interface panel cover.
Form Factor dimensions, mm
Products webpage	New BIOS and driver versions can be downloaded from the support page.

Packaging and equipment

Motherboard ASUS F2A85-V comes in a standard size cardboard box, which is decorated mainly in black and yellow. On the front side, in addition to the name of the board, there is a large logo, which indicates that the ASUS F2A85-V is fully used digital system DIGI+VRM power supply. In addition, support for the new operating system is marked on the package. Windows systems 8, AMD CrossFireX technologies, AMD Dual Graphics, and the new AMD A family (Socket FM2) processors. It should also be noted that the following technologies are supported:

· Remote GO!– Remote GO technology! designed to connect the computer with other devices in home network(computers, tablets, smartphones, TVs) over a wireless connection and provides the following features: DLNA Media Hub with which you can cast video from your computer to a DLNA-compatible TV or use a tablet (smartphone) to remote control desktop PC; Remote Desktop - virtual desktop for real-time desktop control can be set up on both tablet and smartphone; File Transfer- an easy way to share files between PC and mobile devices.

USB 3.0 Boost - to speed up work USB interface 3.0, support for the UASP protocol (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) is implemented.

Fan Xprert 2- A technology implemented by ASUS engineers at the hardware level, thanks to which there are advanced options for controlling all fans that are connected directly to the motherboard. Fan speed control is available, both in manual and in automatic mode. Also, the user has the opportunity to select the fan mode, configured specifically to minimize the noise level generated by the PC cooling system.

GPUBoost- a technology that allows you to overclock the integrated graphics core of the processor both in software and using a switch on the motherboard.

On the reverse side there is a photo of the motherboard itself, its specification, and the advantages of the technologies listed above are shown in more detail.

In the motherboard box we found:

Documentation

CD with drivers and utilities;

Two SATA cables;

Interface panel cover.

Design and features of the board

Like its older sister, the ASUS F2A85-V motherboard is made in ATX format, but on a brown textolite, not black. We did not have any special claims to the layout and location of ports and connectors. The only negative point is that due to the smaller width of the textolite (231 versus 244 for ASUS F2A85-V PRO), there are no mounting holes on its right side, so connecting SATA devices will require some accuracy, since the edge on which the corresponding ports are located " sags." Also note that when installing a video card in a black PCI-Express x4 slot, access to the COM port will be limited.

All components fit on the front side of the board without any problems, so its reverse side attracts attention only with a reinforcing plate, which provides the possibility of installing enough powerful systems cooling that may be needed during extreme overclocking of the processor.

The following connectors are located at the bottom of the board: front panel audio header, S/PDIF out, CMOS reset jumper, COM port, and three USB 2.0 headers. In total, the board has ten USB 2.0 ports, six internal and four on the interface panel. All ten ports are implemented by the chipset.

Closer to the lower right corner are the front panel connection block and seven SATA ports. All seven ports comply with the SATA 6 Gb / s specification and are implemented by the AMD A85X chipset. There is support for SATA RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 arrays. Due to the fact that the chipset supports eight SATA 6 Gb / s ports, and there are seven of them on the motherboard, the eSATA port located on the interface panel , also implemented using the chipset.

The right side of the ASUS F2A85-V motherboard attracts attention not only by the presence of a remote panel connection block with two USB ports 3.0 (not supplied) but also with the presence of the MemOK! button.

Similar to the older model, ASUS F2A85-V is equipped with four DIMM slots for installing DDR3 RAM modules, which are equipped with latches on both sides. The RAM can operate in dual-channel mode, for its implementation, memory modules must be installed either in the first and third, or in the second and fourth slots. Modules operating at frequencies from 1066 to 1866 MHz in the nominal mode and up to 2400 MHz in overclocking are supported. The maximum amount of memory can reach 64 GB, which should be enough for any task.

The cooling system of the board under consideration consists of two aluminum heatsinks: one removes heat from the AMD A85X chipset, the other covers the MOSFET chips. Both radiators are attached with plastic clips on springs.

In the process of testing the board, the temperature of the heatsinks did not rise above 43°C, which is a fairly average result. Recall that the temperature of ASUS F2A85-V PRO radiators did not exceed 32°C.

The processor is powered by a 6-phase scheme for computing cores and additional nodes. The power stabilization system uses Japanese-made solid capacitors and chokes with ferrite cores.

The converter itself is based on a digital power stabilizer Digi + VRM ASP1106. ASUS F2A85-V is powered by the main 24-pin and additional 4-pin connectors. As you can see, compared to ASUS F2A85-V PRO, not only the number of phases has decreased, but also a simpler, 4-pin ATX12V connector is used, which tells us that ASUS F2A85-V is less overclocking.

The possibilities for expanding the functionality of the ASUS F2A85-V motherboard are quite standard. There are two slots for installing graphics adapters - PCI-Express. The first slot, blue, always uses 16 lines, while the capacity of the second, black, is limited to 4 lines. Both slots comply with the 2.0 specification.

The manufacturer claims support for AMD CrossFireX technology. When using two graphics adapters, the lines between the slots are distributed according to a far from the most optimal x16 + x4 scheme.

Also, expanding the functionality of the motherboard is possible due to two PCI-Express x1 slots and three PCI.

Multi I/O capabilities are provided by the ITE IT8603E chip, which controls COM ports and PS / 2, the operation of system fans and provides monitoring.

An Atheros 8161 gigabit LAN controller is used to support network connections.

The sound subsystem of the motherboard in question is based on the Realtek ALC887 HDA 8-channel audio codec, which supports 2/4/5.1/7.1 audio formats.

The following ports are displayed on the interface panel of the ASUS F2A85-V motherboard:

• 1x Optical S/PDIF out;

  6 x Audio ports;

  1 x PS/2 (mouse, keyboard).

It is worth noting the good layout of the interface panel. Everything you need for a full and most importantly comfortable use is available. The only drawback is the presence of only two USB 3.0 ports, unlike the ASUS F2A85-V PRO interface panel, which has four.

The ASUS F2A85-V motherboard is equipped with three fan headers, one is used to power the CPU cooling fan, while the other two can be used to connect the system fans. All connectors are made in a four-pin version.

The tested ASUS F2A85-V motherboard, like most modern motherboards from ASUS, uses a modern preloader based on the UEFI graphical interface, in which you can also make settings with the mouse. The UEFI BIOS main screen monitors temperatures and voltages on the power supply and processor lines. This section also displays the BIOS version, processor model, and amount of RAM.

All settings related to overclocking of the system are located in the “Ai Tweaker” tab.

The memory frequency multiplier allows you to select a frequency from 800 to 2400 MHz.

Also, if necessary, you can access the memory delay adjustments.

To increase stability during overclocking, voltage management settings on the processor, memory and chipset can serve, which is convenient for fine system optimization.

The settings required for overclocking and optimizing the system are summarized in the table:

Parameter	Menu name	Range
RAM frequency	memory frequency	800, 1066, 1333, 1600, 1866, 2133, 2400
Processor multiplier
CPU frequency
Northbridge frequency
Processor graphics core frequency	GPU Engine Frequency	434, 447, 460, 475, 490, 506, 524, 542, 562, 584, 608, 633, 660, 690, 723, 760, 800, 844, 894, 950, 1013, 1085, 1169, 1266, 1381, 1520, 1688, 1900
The amount of memory allocated for the needs of the graphics core of the processor	UMA Frame Buffer Size	32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1, 2
RAM timings	DRAM Timing Control	CAS, RAS to CAS, RAS PRE Time, RAS ACT Time, COMMAND Mode, Row Cycle Time, READ to PRE Time, RAS to RAS, WRITE to READ, CAS Write Latency, WRITE Recovery Time, FOUR ACT WIN Time, REF Cycle Time
	CPU Voltage Frequency
Permissible deviation from the set voltage on the processor	CPU Offset Voltage	0,00625 – 0,33750
Permissible deviation from the set voltage on the bus processor - northbridge	VDDNB Offset Voltage	0,00625 – 0,36250
RAM voltage
Voltage on the line 1.2 Volts	APU 1.2V Voltage
		2,5000 – 2,8000

The "Monitor" section provides access to monitoring the temperature of the processor and chipset, as well as the speed of rotation of installed fans.

Also in this section you can follow:

voltage on the processor core;

voltage on the power lines + 12V, + 5V and + 3.3V.

Unfortunately, traditionally for mass-produced ASUS solutions, the ability to monitor the supply voltage of memory modules is not implemented.

Testing

To test the capabilities of the motherboard, the following equipment was used:

	Scythe Mugen 3 Rev. B.PCGH Edition
RAM	2x DDR3-2000 1024MB Kingston HyperX KHX16000D3T1K3/3GX
video card	AMD Radeon HD 7660D
HDD	Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS, 500 GB, SATA-300, NCQ
optical drive	ASUS DRW-1814BLT SATA
Power Supply	Seasonic X-560 (560W, 120mm fan)
	CHIEFTEC Libra LF-01B

Test results:

As you can see, the results differ from the motherboards we reviewed earlier within the test error, which tells us about the quality level of the board's performance and good BIOS optimization.

Overclocking options

Overclocking capabilities were tested using an unlocked AMD A10-5800K processor, which was accelerated to 4.5 GHz.

The main view of the utility

With the help of the automatic overclocking function, the test AMD processor A10-5800K was able to accelerate to 4.3 GHz.

We also note that with the help of the GPU Boost switch, it was possible to increase the frequency of the graphics core to 960 MHz.

RAM worked stably at a frequency of 2400 MHz.

Testing the audio path based on the Realtek ALC887 codec

Test report in RightMark Audio Analyzer

16-bit, 44.1 kHz

		Very well
Noise level, dB (A)
Dynamic range, dB (A)
Harmonic distortion, %
		Very well
		Very well
Intermodulation at 10 kHz, %		Very well
Overall score		Very well

Operating mode 24-bit, 192 kHz

Frequency response unevenness (in the range of 40 Hz - 15 kHz), dB
Noise level, dB (A)
Dynamic range, dB (A)
Harmonic distortion, %		Very well
Harmonic distortion + noise, dB(A)
Intermodulation distortion + noise, %		Very well
Interpenetration of channels, dB		Very well
Intermodulation at 10 kHz, %		Very well
Overall score		Very well

The pre-installed Realtek ALC887 audio codec provides enough sound quality for everyday use.

conclusions

Based on the results of testing, the motherboard left a good impression. ASUS F2A85-V is an ATX format solution that differs good value cost and functionality, competent layout and high quality onboard elements. As we noted at the beginning of the review, ASUS F2A85-V is a simplified version of ASUS F2A85-V PRO and, accordingly, has a more humane cost, which is about $ 95. In this case, we see that some of the simplifications that the solution we reviewed today have undergone did not harm, and the only limitation that may get in the way of a purchase is the not optimal AMD CrossFireX mode of operation - x16 + x4. Otherwise, apart from the "sagging" of the right side of the textolite, which will require a more accurate connection of SATA devices, we did not find any significant shortcomings. Accordingly, ASUS F2A85-V can be recommended for purchase to everyone except for owners of two video cards, for whom, with a great desire to use the Socket FM2 platform as the basis of a gaming station, although this is not entirely rational, ASUS F2A85-V PRO will be a more interesting choice.