Test Setup
Throughout the testing phase, lots of different applications were used including gaming benchmarks and an array of synthetic tests too.
These included:
- SiSoft Sandra
- AIDA64
- ATTO
- HDTach
- PCMark Vantage
- 3DMark 06
- 3DMark Vantage
- 3DMark 11
- HyperPi
- WinRAR
- Cinebench R10
- Cinebacnh R11.5
- TechArp x264 HD Benchmark
We also use other software in terms of system performance monitoring. These include CoreTemp, CPUID Hardware Monitor and SpeedFan for measuring temperatures and also Prime95 to simulate 100% load on the system’s CPU.
We also measure the overall power of the system using a plug-in electricity monitor, which gives us a wattage result of the complete system power draw at the plug in idle and load states.
When reviewing a motherboard and completing tests, it is usually easy to compare one product to a similar one. This gives a clear indication into the performance of the test sample.
Our test system remains very similar throughout all of our tests so that the results remain fair. Our test system consists of the following hardware:
| Test System | |
|---|---|
| Processor (CPU) | AMD Phenom II X6 1090T |
| Motherboard | ECS A785GM-M Black Series |
| Memory (RAM) | 8GB Kingston HyperX DDR3 1800MHz |
| Graphics Card | AMD Radeon HD 6850 1GB |
| Primary Hard Drive | Kingston V+ Series 64GB SSD x 2 (Raid 0) |
| Power Supply | BFG EX Series 1200watt |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Professional 64-bit |
