Here is the test bench used for all Z270 motherboard reviews:
Hardware
Software
Memory
For our memory tests, we use the built-in memory benchmarks in AIDA64 Engineer and SiSoft Sandra. For more details on each of the benchmarks please see here and here respectively.
Storage
To test the storage performance in our motherboard reviews we use AIDA’s Disk Benchmark utility built into their AIDA64 Engineer Edition software package and run linear read and write tests. We run each of the benchmark tests on a SATA III, USB 3.0 and M.2 device. For SATA III testing we use a SanDisk Extreme Pro 240GB, for USB 3.0 testing we use the Supersonic Magnum 256 GB USB 3.0 flash drive and for M.2 testing we use Plextor’s 256GB M.2 M6e SSD. The drives are always formatted before use.
Networking
For our networking tests we connect the test system up to our Intel Gigabit-enabled ASUS Rampage IV Extreme X79 motherboard test system through the ASUS RT-AC68U router and run our tests. We opted for this over a direct point-to-point connection because we wanted to simulate real-world performance. For our WiFi tests we do the same except we connect the test system to the ASUS RT-AC68U router via WiFi at a distance of 2 metres from the router. The testing is conducted using PassMark’s Advanced Network Test detailed below.
PassMark
The PassMark Advanced Network Test (which is part of PerformanceTest) is designed to test the data transfer rate between two computers both of which must be running PerformanceTest. One of the computers must act as the server and will sit waiting for a connection. The other computer acts as a client. It connects to the server machine and sends data to it for the duration of the test. You can download a trial version of PerformanceTest from here.
Power Usage
To measure power consumption we, use a “killawatt” meter and measure the total system power draw at the wall. We run three different use-case scenarios for 5 minutes and take the average reading.
RightMark Audio Analyser (RMAA)
RMAA suite is designed for testing quality of analog and digital paths of any audio device. The results are obtained by playing and recording test signals passed through the tested audio path by means of frequency analysis algorithms. A more common mark is also provided for those unfamiliar with measured technical parameters. Available here. We run the RMAA test using a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable connecting the line out to the line in to test the quality of the motherboard audio codec, not any external audio devices. We run the complete playback and recording test at default settings and then get RMAA to interpret the results giving the below outputs. We sync the playback and recording audio devices to the same setting as the test for accurate results.
DPC
DPC is a Windows tool that analyses the capabilities of a computer system to handle real-time data streams properly. It may help to find the cause for interruptions in real-time audio and video streams, also known as drop-outs. This software is available for download free here.
wPrime
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. wPrime is a free utility that is available for download here.
Cinebench R15
Cinebench is a widely respected benchmark for testing the performance of x86 CPUs. The program allows you to test single and multi-threaded performance as well as GPU performance by rendering with Open GL. Download here.
3D Mark
The new 3DMark includes everything you need to benchmark your hardware. With three all new tests you can bench everything from smartphones and tablets to notebooks and home PCs, to the latest high-end, multi-GPU gaming desktops. Download here.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is an action role-playing stealth video game developed by Eidos Montreal and published by Square Enix. Set in a cyberpunk-themed dystopian world in 2029, two years after the events of Human Revolution, Mankind Divided features the return of Adam Jensen from the previous game, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, with new technology and body augmentations.
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a third-person action-adventure game that features similar gameplay found in 2013’s Tomb Raider. Players control Lara Croft through various environments, battling enemies, and completing puzzle-platforming sections while using improvised weapons and gadgets in order to progress through the story. The game is run on the Very High preset with FXAA enabled. Please note, the DirectX 12 API has been selected and an average from 3 benchmark runs is taken for the final result.
ColourPrimary ColourBlackForm FactorMotherboard formfactorATXMotherboardMotherboard ChipsetIntel B760CPUCPU ManufacturerIntelCPU Socket1700Wi-Fi & LANLAN Ports1x 2.5 Gbit/sMemoryMax. Memory128 GBMemory…
LightingLightingYesLighting ColourRGBColourPrimary ColourBlackMemoryMemory size (total)64 GBMemory TypeDDR5Memory Form FactorDIMMNumber of modules2Memory Speed6000 MHzMemory latencyCL 30-40-40-96Memory…
Clock SpeedsMax. GPU Clock (Base)1900 MHzMax. GPU Clock (Boost)2615 MHzMax. Memory Clock20000 MHzLightingLightingYesLighting ColourRGBLighting CompatibilityASRock…
Its 45-inch 21:9 Ultra-WQHD display gives you a 34% wider view than a standard 16:9…
Introducing the Fighter Edition, meticulously crafted for the RX 7800 XT series. The Fighter Edition…
Game in comfort with the AKRacing California Series TAHOE chair, which features a smaller seat…