Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 Motherboard Review

High-detail video games with DirectX-11 graphics played on large monitors require a powerful video card or two... or three. Intel's X58-Express chipset has been the platform of choice for enthusiasts wanting that demand the most from their computer hardware. While not all overclockers have the need for multi-card graphics, they certainly like to tweak memory and processor settings to push the system beyond its rated speed. Triple-channel memory and socket LGA1366 Core-i7 processors are another hallmark of the X58-Express, and Intel offers their Extreme Edition CPUs exclusively to this platform.

Sometimes Intel's tick-tock plans don't coincide with the technical improvements made to other areas, such as SuperSpeed USB-3.0 or SATA-III 6.0-Gbps controllers. Most hardware enthusiasts agree that it's awkward to see Intel's "Enthusiast" branded X58-Express chipset paired to older standards while "Mainstream" P55 motherboards enjoy the better and faster new ones. Gigabyte agrees, too, and has re-launched the X58A-series as a refresh for their flagship platform. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard against the ASUS P6X58D Premium in heat-to-head performance, and compares to the original X58 platform.

SuperSpeed USB-3.0 is an appropriately named technology, and several file transfer tests during the 2010 CES demonstrated the impressive 5Gbps signaling rate. Although USB3 devices won't compete with third-generation SATA6G interface in terms of operational file transfers, SuperSpeed USB easily beats bandwidth performance from the older second-generation SATA-3Gbps controllers. This is precisely why Gigabyte has incorporated the NEC D720200F1 SuperSpeed USB-3.0 chip on their GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard.

SATA 6Gb/s (SATA-III) has also been added onto the X58-Express platform, allowing enthusiasts to enjoy faster top-end bandwidth speeds from capable Solid State Drive storage devices. Instead of waiting for Intel to add SATA-6G support into their upcoming X68-Express platform planned for 2011, Gigabyte includes support on X58A-series motherboard models right now by utilizing the Marvell 88SE9128 SATA 6Gb/s controller.

Generally speaking, system performance should not change between X58-Express platform motherboards. Individual graphics, memory, processor, and storage performance should each deliver results approximately equal to tests on each brand and model of X58 motherboard... unless the manufacturer has introduced technology or changes that might penalize the pipeline performance. This project compares three X58-Express motherboards: the original Gigabyte X58-series against their new X58A-series, and the ASUS P6X58D-Premium. This article will concentrate on the differences that exist between video card, processor, system memory, and SSD performance.

About Gigabyte United Inc. (G.B.T. Inc. USA)

Gigabyte United Inc., established in December 2006, is assuming the Gigabyte TECHNOLOGY Co., Ltd. Brand, which for the past 20 years has been a world-renowned leader in the motherboard industry. Continuing to focus on its core businesses of Gigabyte branded motherboards and graphics cards, Gigabyte United Inc. is committed to providing our valued customers with the highest quality products and services featuring the industry's most innovative design.

In order to meet the challenges of today's intensely competitive channel market, Gigabyte United Inc. fully utilizes its key assets including its cutting-edge research and development team as well as its professional sales and marketing resources to continue to develop technologies to fit a complete range of digital life solutions. Now and for the future, Gigabyte United Inc. will continue to embody the unique spirit and culture, which has made Gigabyte one of the foremost brands in the industry.

Intel Core i7: Platform

The Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard is built specifically for LGA1366 Intel Core-i7 desktop processors. The feature highlights for all current Core-i7 processors are:

• 45nm Process
• Intel Virtualization Technology
• Execute Disable Bit
• Eight processing threads with Intel HT technology
• Triple-Channel DDR3 memory support

What is Nehalem Technology?

The Intel Core i7 microprocessor is built using the codename "Nehalem" micro architecture, that allows chips to handle more data, quicker and more energy efficiently. Go inside Intel's labs and meet some of the thousands of Intel engineers who helped design and test the new processor. "Building this microprocessor brings a lot of people together, like architects, micro architects and the design teams," says Rani Borkar, vice president of Intel's Digital Enterprise Group. "As you get into the development phases, working with the process technology, it's a mind-boggling effort that requires a lot of teamwork across the board."

Before going into the specifications and features of the entire Intel Core i7 processor series we thought some background information about the new Nehalem technology might be in order. While doing research for this review I came a cross a very useful document on Intel's website entitled: "First the Tick, Now the Tock: Next Generation Intel Micro-architecture (Nehalem)". This white paper article helped me to gain a much better understanding of not only the features we'll see today in the Core i7 series of processors, but in future product releases we're likely to see that will implement other aspects of the Nehalem architecture. The article itself is 8 pages long so I'll leave it to you to read it in its entirety, but I will share a few excerpts that may help you to gain a better understanding of the products we'll visit today.

The first chapter is all about scalability. Next generation Intel micro architecture (Nehalem) is a dynamically scalable and design-scalable micro architecture. At runtime, it dynamically manages cores, threads, cache, interfaces, and power to deliver outstanding energy efficiency and performance on demand. At design time, it scales, enabling Intel to easily provide versions that are optimized for each server, desktop, and notebook market. Intel will deliver versions differing in the number of cores, caches, interconnect capability, and memory controller capability, as well as in the segmented use of an integrated graphics controller. This allows Intel to deliver a wide range of price, performance, and energy efficiency targets for servers, workstations, desktops, and laptops.

To extract greater performance from this new micro architecture, in targeted market segments, Intel is also introducing a new platform architecture: Intel QuickPath Architecture. Through integrated memory controllers and a high-speed interconnect for connecting processors and other components, Intel QuickPath Architecture delivers best-in-class performance, bandwidth, and reliability. In turn, it truly enables systems to fully unleash the new levels of performance that new and more powerful next generation micro architecture-based processor cores will deliver.

Next generation Intel micro architecture (Nehalem) marks the next step (a "tock") in Intel's rapid "tick-tock" cadence for delivering a new process technology (tick) or an entirely new micro architecture (tock) every year. The first Nehalem-based processors are expected to release in the latter part of 2008. The family will grow to include server, workstation, desktop, and mobile processors.

The next generation micro architecture's performance and power management innovations include:

• Dynamically managed cores, threads, cache, interfaces, and power.
• Simultaneous multi-threading (SMT) for enabling a more energy efficient means of increasing performance for multi-threaded workloads. The next generation micro architecture's SMT capability enables running two simultaneous threads per core-an amazing eight simultaneous threads per quad-core processor and 16 simultaneous threads for dual-processor quad-core designs.
• Innovative extensions to the Intel Streaming SIMD Extensions 4 (SSE4) that center on enhancing XML, string, and text processing performance.
• Superior multi-level cache, including an inclusive shared L3 cache.
• New high-end system architecture that delivers from two to three times more peak bandwidth and up to four times more realized bandwidth (depending on configuration) as compared to today's Intel Xeon processors.
• Performance-enhanced dynamic power management.

For more information on Intel's Core i7 series, please visit our Featured Reviews: Processors section which includes comprehensive articles on the Core i7-920 (BX80601920) and Core i7-965 Extreme Edition processors.

Intel X58-Express Platform

The ASUS P6X58D-Premium motherboard platform consists of the Intel Core i7 processor (CPU), Intel X58-Express Chipset (IOH) and the ICH. The CPU now incorporates the system memory controller and accesses DDR3 memory through three independent memory channels. The IOH provides support for the two PCIe graphics slots and connects to the CPU via the Quick Path Interconnect (QPI) bus. The ICH provides the support for the SATA, USB and other system interfaces and is connected to the IOH via the DMI bus.

All motherboard busses and components are driven from a single 133.33 MHz base clock. The resulting component speed values are generated by applying a multiplier value to this base clock. There are four multipliers on the motherboard which are used to set the system speed:

1. CPU Speed: When multiplied by the system base clock speed (default 133.33 MHz) gives the CPU frequency. Four multipliers are used to define different speeds based on the number of active CPU cores.
2. Memory Speed: When multiplied by the system base clock speed gives the memory frequency. For example a memory multiplier of 10 times the base clock of 133.33 MHz results in a memory frequency of 1333 MHz.
3. Quick Path Interconnect (QPI) Speed: Selectable transfer rate of data transferred between the CPU and the IOH.
4. Uncore Speed: This multiplier applies to the non-CPU related items in the processor. The limit on this multiplier is set by the memory multiplier.

The Intel X58 Express Chipset

The Intel X58 Express Chipset continues to push innovation with capabilities designed to deliver quality, performance and headroom The Intel X58 Express Chipset achieves this performance by supporting the latest Intel Core i7 family of processors at 6.4 GT/s and 4.8 GT/s speeds via the Quick Path Interconnect (QPI), and enabling increased system bandwidth by supporting industry leading technologies, such as PCI Express 2.0 graphics, Intel Turbo Memory and support for Intel High-Performance Solid State drives.

PCI Express 2.0

Intel's high-end desktop chipset continues support for PCI Express 2.0 and adds flexibility with support of dual x16 and up to quad x8 graphics card configurations and combinations in between. The greatly improved 32GB/s of graphics bandwidth capability enables much higher levels of performance on graphics intensive applications such as high end gaming and video rendering for digital content creation.

Faster System Performance

With the growing imbalance between processor and memory performance, it is critical to optimize the memory controller design to obtain the maximum possible performance from the memory subsystem. The transition of the integrated memory controller (iMC) into the processor significantly increases overall system performance through the optimization of available bandwidth along with reduction of memory access latency. The Intel Core i7 family of processors brings triple channel DDR3 memory technology support. The DDR3 SDRAM devices operating at 1066 MHz, offer peak data transfer rates of up to 25.6 GB/s (when operated in triplel-channel interleaved mode), enabling the platform to take advantage of the higher bandwidth, faster system performance, and higher performance per watt at 1066MHz2.

Intel I/O Controller Hub 10 (Intel ICH10 and Intel ICH10R)

The Intel ICH10 I/O controller hub of the Intel X58 Express Chipset integrates several capabilities to provide flexibility for connecting I/O devices.

• Intel Matrix Storage Technology1: Native support of external SATA ports (eSATA), combined with Intel Matrix Storage Technology (Intel MST), provides the flexibility to add an external drive for increased data storage with up to 6 times faster performance than USB* 2.0 or IEEE 1394 4002. Support for eSATA enables the full SATA interface speed of up to 3 Gb/s outside the chassis. The Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) provides easier expandability with support for eSATA devices and native hot plug, while boosting boot and multi-tasking performance with Native Command Queuing (NCQ). In addition, support for Command Based Port Multipliers, and RAID levels 0, 1, 5 and 10 enable greater reliability for personal data, or maximum storage performance for intensive applications.
• Intel Rapid Recover Technology (when configured with ICH10R I/O controller): With the ability to instantly boot off of a clone hard drive, Intel Rapid Recover Technology provides a fast, easy to use method for the end user to recover their data and return their system to an operational status.
• Intel Turbo Memory: The Intel X58 Express Chipset with the Intel ICH10R also supports Intel Turbo Memory, an innovative flash memory-based overall system performance and boot time accelerator. This feature is easily implemented using a PCI
  Express x1 module and can be used with any SATA Hard Drive to improve system responsiveness. Intel Turbo memory enables faster application loading and concurrent performance enhancements when used in conjunction with Intel Matrix Storage
  Technology. Intel Turbo Memory, paired with the Intel X58 Express Chipset, also allows the user to easily control the applications or data in the cache using the new Intel Turbo Memory Dashboard interface, boosting performance further.
• Intel Solid State Drives support: The Intel X58 Express Chipset, when paired with Intel X25-E Extreme and X25-M Mainstream SATA Solid State Drives (SSDs), provides a high performance solution that can enable faster overall system response, boot and resume times. With no moving parts, SSDs run cooler and quieter and are a more reliable option than hard drives. In addition, SSDs remove input/output (I/O) performance bottlenecks associated with hard disk drives that help maximize the efficiency of Intel processors, such as the new Intel Core i7 processor family.

Gigabyte X58A Features

Based on the Intel X58 chipset, the GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD7 delivers all the killer next generation features that gaming enthusiasts and power users have been waiting for including GIGABYTE's 333 Onboard Acceleration features with support for USB 3.0, Serial-ATA Revision 3.0 (6Gbps) and a 3x USB Power Boost, as well as multi-GPU support for NVIDIA 3-Way SLI^TM and ATI CrossFireX^TM and support for Intel's upcoming 32nm high performance processors offering a high level of future CPU headroom for users wanting to maintain cutting-edge levels of performance. With the memory controller integrated directly into the processor die, the GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD7 also supports triple channel DDR3 memory for blazing fast memory performance.

The GA-X58A-UD7 was designed specifically to take advantage of the raw power of the next generation Intel Core^TM i7 processors and the Intel X58 Express chipset, whose new evolution in computing architecture is able to deliver an amazing performance break through from past processor generations. Replacing the Front Side Bus is the new Quick Path Interconnect, or QPI, whose 25.6 GB/sec transfer rates (double the bandwidth of the 1600MHz FSB) eliminates the communication bottleneck between the processor and chipset.

USB 3.0 Support
The GIGABYTE X58A series motherboards support the latest generation SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology made possible through an onboard NEC uPD720200 host controller. With superfast transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps, users are able to experience an almost a 10x improvement over USB 2.0. Additionally, backwards compatibility with USB 2.0 assures users of long term use of their legacy USB 2.0 devices. The onboard NEC SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology also provides new power management features that include increased maximum bus power and device current draw to better accommodate power-hungry devices.

SATA 6 Gbps Support
Yet another onboard feature of GIGABYTE X58A motherboards are Marvell's new SE9128 chips for high-speed SATA Revision 3.0 compatibility, delivering superfast 6Gbps link speeds for twice the data transfer rates of SATA Revision 2.0 (3 Gbps). When used in RAID 0 (Stripe) mode, GIGABYTE X58A series motherboards offer even faster data transfer rates of up to 4x the speed of current SATA interfaces.

3x USB Power Boost
GIGABYTE X58A series motherboards feature a 3x USB power boost, delivering greater compatibility and extra power for USB devices. GIGABYTE's unique USB power design is also able to efficiently regulate output over the full voltage range, which greatly enhances USB device compatibility. In addition, dedicated lower resistance fuses ensure lower voltage drops, and provide more stable and plentiful power delivery.

Industry's First 24 Phase Power VRM Design
GIGABYTE's cutting edge 24 phase power VRM design utilizes the highest caliber components to provide unadulterated, smooth power delivery for the CPU. Like a high performance sports car engine, GIGABYTE's 24 phase power design enables the best delivery of power to supercharge your system, giving extreme users unparalleled overclocking ability and the lowest temperatures to reach maximum performance levels.
The innovative 24 phase power VRM has been designed and engineered to deliver fast transient response times through quick and seamless power delivery during extensive CPU loading variations. In addition, heat from the VRM is effectively reduced by spreading the load between the 24 power phases, resulting in a cooler and more stable platform.

Qualified for Windows 7
The motherboard qualified for WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs) certification of Windows 7 from Microsoft, setting the standard for future Windows 7 certified motherboards... more

Dynamic Energy Saver 2
GIGABYTE Dynamic Energy Saver 2 incorporates a host of intelligent features that use a proprietary hardware and software design to considerably enhance PC system energy efficiency, Reduce power consumption and deliver optimized auto-phase-switching for the CPU, Memory, Chipset, VGA, HDD, and fans with a simple click of button.

Smart 6- A Smarter way for PC system Management
GIGABYTE Smart 6 is designed with user-friendliness in mind, and offers a combination of 6 innovative software utilities that provide easier and smarter PC system management. Smart 6^TM allows you to speed up system performance, reduce boot-up time, manage a secure platform and recover previous system settings easily with a click of the mouse button.

Smart QuickBoot: No more waiting for PC Boot up
Smart DualBIOS: Smart personal reminder
Smart QuickBoost: One-click Overclocking
Smart Recorder: Your PC's Watch Dog
Smart Recovery: Reverse time for you
Smart TimeLock: Time Controller for PC

AutoGreen- Greening your PC via Bluetooth cellphone
AutoGreen technology can automatically save power for you simply by your bluetooth cell phone when you are away from your computer.
Note: GIGABYTE motherboards do not include a Bluetooth receiver; the addition of a 3rd party Bluetooth receiver is required.

XHD (eXtreme HardDrive)-Accelerating hard drive performance with ease
Accelerating system performance is made easy with the user friendly GIGABYTE eXtreme Hard Drive (X.H.D). GIGABYTE eXtreme Hard Drive (X.H.D) provides a quick and easy way to boost your hard drive performance simply by adding another hard drive.

Integrated Memory Controller: Intel Core i7 Processors feature triple channel DDR3 support
Intel Core-i7 processors feature the memory controller integrated directly into the processor die, rather than as part of the Northbridge as in previous generations, allowing for faster memory performance. Core i7 processors also provide additional memory support including.

QPI , QuickPath Interconnect: Replacing the role of FSB
Intel uses the QPI to connect internal components of Core i7 processors , and to connect the CPU itself to the Northbridge and banks of memory. QPI delivers up to 25.6GB/sec of bandwidth between Core i7 processors and the rest of the system,providing exactly double the bandwidth of 1600 Hz FSB

Intel Turbo Boost Technology
Dynamically reroutes power to improve performance For situations when all cores are not needed for a particular workload, Intel Turbo Boost Technology powers down the idle cores and dynamically reroutes the power to the active cores, boosting their performance without wasting power. This allows the active cores to achieve significant overclocks.

Multi-display support with 3 way CrossFireX and 3 way SLI
Flexible graphics capabilities - Up to 3 VGA cards are supported for either 3 way CrossFireX or 3 way SLI action, delivering the ultimate in graphics performance for gaming enthusiasts who demand the highest frame rates without compromising on resolution.

Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2
GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard now features the revolutionary new GIGABYTE Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2, a fusion thermal solution that combines GIGABYTE's proprietary screen cooling technology, external heat sink and liquid cooling with chipset water block to deliver maximum thermal performance.

Unique Screen Cooling thermal design effectively reduces the temperature around the CPU zone, and removes the heat between NB and SB area.
Liquid Cooling system featuring special waterblock design with an enlarged dissipating surface area for enhanced heat dissipation and optimum flow-rate.
High-Precision die forming technology utilized to increase the thermal conductivity of the material that makes up the heat sink.
High performance Copper Heat Pipe with sintered process designed for ultra efficient thermal conductivity.
External Heat Sink design utilizing a convection slot at the back of the chassis to increase thermal dissipation.

Benefits of 2 oz Copper PCB

• Cooler than traditional motherboards
• Enhanced durability
• Improved energy efficiency
• Greater margins for overclocking... more

50,000 Hours Japanese Solid Capacitors
GIGABYTE Ultra Durable motherboards are equipped with solid capacitors developed by leading Japanese manufacturers. With an average lifespan of 50,000 hours, these solid capacitors provide the stability, reliability and longevity essential to meet the power needs of high-end processors and other components running today's most demanding applications and games.

Quick and Effortless Overclocking with One Click
GIGABYTE Quick Boost provides 3 levels of CPU performance enhancement; a simple click on the desired level delivers quick and effortless overclocking for novice and experienced users alike.

EasyTune6
GIGABYTE has completely redesigned EasyTune6 from the ground up to make it easier than ever to manage and monitor your hardware resources as well as tweak your system settings in order to achieve maximum system performance. Whether you are an overclocking enthusiast, or a computer novice, EasyTune6 provides the tools you need to quickly and effortlessly fine tune your system.

DualBIOS - Patented Dual Hardware BIOS Protection
DualBIOS^TM is a GIGABYTE patented technology that automatically recovers BIOS data when main BIOS has crashed or failed. Featuring 2 physical BIOS ROMs integrated onboard, GIGABYTE DualBIOS allows quick and seamless recovery from BIOS damage or failure due to viruses or improper BIOS updating.

2 Gigabit LAN
High Velocity 2X Bandwidth Boost

Hardware OverVoltage Control IC - Enabling Extreme Overclocking
GIGABYTE Hardware Overvoltage Control ICs featuring more voltage control options than before for the CPU North Bridge and memory. The overvoltage controllers also provide hardware linear real-time voltage control, which means there is no delay compared to the GPIO controller in past implementations. In addition, GIGABYTE's Hardware Overvoltage Controller ICs also allow for much finer voltage control, allowing power users to adjust voltage in as little increments as 20mV for better overclocking performance.

Visible Overvoltage Reminder
Debug LED Embedded post code LED display simplifies motherboard signals and indicates system status

OV-Alert LED
4 sets of OV-Alert LEDs indicate the overvoltage level of the CPU, Memory, North Bridge and South Bridge to prevent component damage.

Visible Overclocking Reminder
OC-Alert LED indicates the level of CPU overclock from low to high.

Visible Temperature Reminder
Two sets of Temperature Alert LEDs indicate the current temperature level of the CPU and North Bridge

Onboard Quick Switches
Onboard Power, Clear CMOS and Reset buttons allow for quick and easy tweaking for power users working in an in chassis environment.

Dolby Home Theater - Enjoy a Rich Home Theater Surround Sound Experience
Dolby Home Theater places listeners in the middle of the action, giving their PCs a powerful set of tools to deliver a cinema-style experience in vivid surround sound.

Delivers vivid surround sound for music, movies, and games, using two to eight speakers or any set of headphones
Designed to automatically deliver the best possible listening experience

GA-X58A-UD7 Specifications

eXtreme Hard Drive (X.H.D)

With GIGABYTE eXtreme Hard Drive (X.H.D)(Note 1), users can quickly configure a RAID-ready system for RAID 0 when a new SATA drive is added. For a RAID 0 array that already exists, users also can use X.H.D to easily add a hard drive into the array to expand its capacity. All with a simple click of a button, X.H.D helps to enhance your hard drive read/write performance without the need for complex and time-consuming configurations. The following procedure details the steps to set up a RAID-ready system and configure it for RAID 0.

Setting Up a RAID-Ready System

1. Configure the system BIOS
   Enter the system BIOS Setup program, set eXtreme Hard Drive (X.H.D) under the Integrated Peripherals menu to Enabled to enable RAID for the Intel SATA controllers.
2. Install the RAID driver and Operating System
   The X.H.D utility supports Windows 7/Vista/XP. Before installing the operating system, you have to load the SATA controller driver first. Without the driver, the hard drive may not be recognized during the Windows setup process.
3. Install the motherboard drivers and the X.H.D utility
   After installing the operating system, insert the motherboard driver disk. You can click the Xpress Install All button to automatically install all motherboard drivers, including the X.H.D utility. Or you can go to the Application
   Software screen to individually install the X.H.D utility later.

Using GIGABYTE eXtreme Hard Drive (X.H.D)

Before launching X.H.D, make sure the newly added drive has equal or greater capacity than the RAID-ready system drive. (To add a new hard drive into a RAID 0 array that's been created earlier, make sure the new drive is greater than or equal to the biggest drive in the array. )

1. To automatically set up a RAID 0 array:
   Click Auto to automatically and quickly set up a RAID 0 array.
2. To manually set up a RAID array: (Note 3):
   Click Manual to access the Intel Matrix Storage Console, with which you can build a RAID 0, RAID 1, or other supported RAID array depending on your needs and hardware components.
3. Click Cancel to exit the X.H.D utility.

• The X.H.D utility only supports the SATA controllers integrated in the Intel Chipset.
• It is recommended that before you run the X.H.D utility, back up all of your data to avoid risk of hardware damage or lost of data.
• If you manually build a non-RAID 0 array, you'll not be able to automatically set up a RAID 0 array later using the Auto function.

Gigabyte X58A-UD7 Components

Intel originally launched the X58-Express platform on 3 November 2008, and despite some incremental improvements here and there very little has changed with the original core design. While it shares many of the same feature attributes as other products they offer, the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard is designed for overclocking hardware enthusiasts through-and-through. Benchmark Reviews has tested several motherboards from many different manufacturers, and Gigabyte continually improves its product design to include new technology and better hardware stability. While our benchmark tests will prove this point later in this article, this section will cover motherboard features and component details.

Surrounding the new Lotes LGA1366 processor socket (which replaced the problematic Foxconn retaining unit) are several high-quality CPU power-management modules that utilize ferrite core chokes to minimize electromagnetic (and radio) interference signal noise and create a cleaner electrical circuit and comprise the finer points to Gigabyte's Ultra Durable-3 power efficient design. A lower Resistance from Drain to Source rDS (ON) MOSFET array allows for transitional power steps. Japanese manufactured SMD solid state capacitors, which contain a solid organic polymer and lower equivalent series resistance (ESR), are implemented throughout this board and will likely outlast the useful life of the X58A-UD7 motherboard.

External SATA connectors are not part of the motherboards I/O panel, however Gigabyte has included one SATA expansion bracket with the GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard kit. There are two eSATA ports available with a 4-pin Molex power connector between them for a total of two eSATA ports. In regards to standard integrated SATA ports, the X58A-UD7 motherboard offers six Intel ICH10R (colored blue) Southbridge ports capable of RAID-0, 1, 5, and 10. Along side these ports are four SATA-6.0 connections supplied by the Marvell 88SE9128 controller (colored white) which support RAID-0, 1, and JBOD.

Gigabyte is the first (and presently the only) motherboard manufacturer to offer RAID support on the new 3rd-generation SATA 6Gb/s interface. Another note of interest is that all of the SATA ports utilize a transverse-mount orientation that allows cable connections to stem off towards the side of the motherboard for both SATA6G and SATA3G ports. This layout works extremely well for all modern video cards, especially the larger GeForce GTX 285 and Radeon HD 4870 X2 video cards which occupy multiple expansion slots.

Like most other Gigabyte X58 motherboards, there are six DIMM slots available for DDR3 memory. The GA-X58A-UD7 accepts up to 24GB of DDR3 system memory. If overclocked 2000MHz DDR3 can be used; otherwise 1600/1333/1066MHz Non-ECC Un-buffered triple-channel memory architecture is supported. Support for Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory kits is standard on the X58-Express platform. X58-Express does not retire dual-channel memory mode, so enthusiasts who are already using their favorite DDR3 memory in an older system can upgrade to X58 without purchasing additional memory; the drawback is that dual-channel mode only doubles memory bandwidth while triple-channel mode will (you guessed it) triple the original bandwidth.

24GB of available system memory will really add momentum for 64-bit computing support, but the six DIMM slots might also help optimize current 32-bit systems with smaller 1GB modules. 32-Bit Windows Operating Systems for example, offers a 4GB maximum memory mapping space and anything more is ignored. Since most all PCI-E video cards available today offer at least 256MB of vRAM, it's theoretically impossible for enthusiasts to completely realize 4GB of system memory on a 32-bit O/S.

A single nickel-plated copper heat-pipe rod spans from the ICH10 Southbridge of the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard into the X58-Express Northbridge chip's heatsink/waterblock. From this point two heat-pipe rods continue on to a position above processor power-management components, where they are cooled by two aluminum fin-sinks. For additional cooling at the expense of occupying a single PCI-E slot, the Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2 module can be attached onto the Northbridge heatsink for improved chipset cooling and a more stable system overclock. In addition to the Gigabyte X58A-UD7, the Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2 feature was last seen on the Gigabyte GA-EX58-EXTREME, and the GA-EP45T-EXTREME before that; all of which offer an integrated liquid-cooling waterblock for the X58 Northbridge.

The rear Input/Output panel (I/O panel) receives the first major update: SuperSpeed USB-3.0 support. Color-coded PS/2 ports are available for older keyboard or mouse peripherals, purple for keyboard and green for mouse. Gigabyte includes the high-definition Realtek ALC889A audio controller with DTS Connect capability on the X58A-UD7. This audio chipset may be integrated, but with a featured 106 dB Signal to Noise ratio over eight channels it is anything but low-end. Digital audio outputs arrive in two varieties: optical and coaxial S/PDIF connectors. Realtek's ALC889A with DTS Connect is meant to enable high quality full-rate lossless audio, and offer support for both Blu-ray and HD-DVD.

In the image above the two lower yellow ports share dual functionality and double as USB/eSATA combo connectors, while the Firewire ports retain their standard purpose. Because of their unique color, I initially though they might be part of the new USB-3.0 technology, and apparently that's exactly what Gigabyte wants me to think. Sadly, these are basic IEEE-1394a and USB-2.0 ports simply colored to look different. Skip one more set of plain black USB-2.0 ports and you find the only pair of SuperSpeed USB-3.0 ports offered on the X58A-series motherboard. Colored blue, these two SuperSpeed USB-3.0 ports depend on the NEC-D720200F1 controller chip (part number µPD720200).

A total of eight USB ports populate the rear I/O panel (six are USB-2.0, and two are USB-3.0), with another four available from two mainboard header connections. Additionally, there are two more eSATA ports available using the included expansion panel. The Texas Instruments TSB43AB23 processor allows three total IEEE-1394a Firewire ports, with two on the I/O panel and one more via the IEEE 1394a bracket connected to the internal IEEE 1394a header panel. The remainder of the input/output panel is quite busy, with a wide assortment of ports and connections for everything that is connectable by today's standard. Dual Realtek 8111D Gigabit Ethernet LAN adapter ports are supplied, with activity and link speed indicators at the corner of the RJ-45 port.

Based on Intel's X58-Express chipset, the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 comes with the requisite two 16x PCI-Express 2.0 lanes, and single 8x PCI-Express 2.0 lane. NVIDIA Triple-SLI or ATI CrossFireX video card sets perform their best with X58-Express platforms, which allow extreme-bandwidth graphics processing hardware to take advantage of the 32 total link lanes available. A single-lane PCI-Express slot and two standard PCI slots also offer additional expansion capabilities, if you should need them.

One particular feature the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 SATA 6Gb/s motherboard offers to gamers is a marriage of CrossFireX (Tri-Fire) and Triple-SLI support on the same motherboard. Gigabyte includes a standard and 3-way SLI bridge connector, while CrossFire bridge connectors are usually supplied by respective manufacturers.

Gigabyte offers three PCI-Express 2.0-compliant ports on the GA-X58A-UD7: the first slot offers 16x link lanes, the second operates at 16x lanes or switches to 8x whenever the third slot is occupied, which also operates at 8x. In a two-card graphics setup using either ATI CrossFire or NVIDIA SLI configuration, the first two PCI-E 2.0 ports operating at 16-lanes per video card offers the most ideal bandwidth.

While adding a third video card for triple-SLI or CrossFireX won't come close to bandwidth saturation and should not see any measure of reduced performance for most video games, there could be a penalty for using that third PCIe slot when SATA6G (Marvell 9128) and USB-3.0 (NEC D720200F1) are enabled. Intel's X58-Express offers 32 total PCI-E 2.0 link lanes reserved for graphics, and the Intel X58 IOH provides an additional four lanes that can be used for graphics or I/O for a total of 36 PCI-Express lanes. More likely uses of those four lanes will be the DMI link, Marvell, and NEC chips, which will share those lanes or borrow as-needed for normal operation.

Previous generation LGA775 cooling products are not compatible with the LGA1366 socket. The X58-Express LGA1366 socket increased the distance between CPU cooler mounting holes to 80mm, which is significantly more footprint area than the 72mm used by the LGA775 socket. This has opened the door for several new aftermarket cooling solution, since the Intel Core-i7 desktop processor series is by definition an enthusiast product line made to endure overclocking.

Many CPU cooler manufacturers have designed adapters to fit existing LGA775 coolers onto the LGA1366 socket, which isn't safe because of the enlarged processor surface area. For systems not receiving an overclock, this may not be such a problem. But if you're going to re-use your Core 2 cooler on any enthusiast-grade Nehalem LGA1366 Core-i7 processor, it had better be listed near the top of our Best CPU Cooler Performance list. I'll explain why in my final thoughts section, which should be helpful information for hardware enthusiasts.

Please continue on towards the next section, which how Benchmark Reviews will go about testing the top-of-the-line Gigabyte X58A-UD7 motherboard.

BIOS and Overclocking

Let's face it: Intel X58-Express is the platform of choice for enthusiast hardware overclockers and extreme-performance gamers. This is why Intel only offers the Core i7-965EE and Core i7-975 Extreme Edition LGA1366 processors and triple-channel DDR3 memory exclusively on X58-Express motherboards. With a solid foundation provided by Intel, manufacturers such as Gigabyte are responsible for feature-added services and BIOS optimizations.

Every user has their personal preferences, and mine have always favored Award BIOS software, such as the revision F6 firmware that came on the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7. For clarification, Award Software merged with Phoenix Technologies Ltd. back in 2008, and now exists as the Award Software brand under the Phoenix name. The combination of two BIOS-focused companies has led to several key advantages over their competition, namely American Magatrends, Inc (AMI), which designs less-ergonomic BIOS software. After all, hardware is only as functional as the software that controls it and the BIOS firmware can make a major difference in overclocking experiments.

First and foremost, every chip is different. Despite close production tolerances and identical architecture, not all same-model computer hardware will perform the same. For example, the Intel Core i7-920 processor used for testing on this Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard may overclock better on another GA-X58A-UD7. Likewise, a different Core i7-920 CPU might overclock better than the processor we've used. Furthermore, firmware revisions will generally alter all these results even when retested using the same product sample. To avoid an unfair evaluation of overclocking performance, we will instead concentrate on the overclocking features available within the BIOS.

Beginning with the MB Intelligent Tweaker menu, both easy to understand basic settings and more advanced options are readily available. Serving both novice and experienced overclockers is a must for manufacturers of desktop hardware to survive into the age of portable computing. Gigabyte does an excellent job of keeping the options easily discovered, and adding detailed information when an item is highlighted (using the arrow keys).

As most overclockers know, the key to success is finding the right combination of component voltage and hardware settings to run stable at their higher speeds. Gigabyte goes into deep detail for the advanced hardware overclocker who enjoy the myriad of optional configuration settings available to them, while at the same time the X58A-UD7 delivers enough basic menu options to beginners for decent OC results without all of the tedious trail-and-error. Gigabyte also provides their own C.I.A.2 (CPU Intelligent Accelerator 2) feature on the X58A-UD7 which is designed to automatically adjust CPU computing power to maximize system performance. C.I.A.2 allows your system bus to be changed dynamically based on CPU loading through the use of 5 preset states:

• Disabled Disables the use of C.I.A.2. (Default)
• Cruise Increases CPU frequency by 5% or 7% depending on CPU loading.
• Sports Increases CPU frequency by 7% or 9% depending on CPU loading.
• Racing Increases CPU frequency by 9% or 11% depending on CPU loading.
• Turbo Increases CPU frequency by 15% or 17% depending on CPU loading.
• Full Thrust Increases CPU frequency by 17% or 19% depending on CPU loading.

Gigabyte CIA2 is fine for novices, but more experienced hardware enthusiasts will leave the feature disabled and work the settings themselves. This is where Gigabyte's OV-Control integrated circuit comes into play. The OV-Control IC allows fine voltage stepping of 6.25 mV (+/- 0.00625 volt increments) for all hardware components.

For memory tweakers, the DRAM Timing Selectable (SPD) option allows Quick or Expert settings which reveal all DRAM timing control items to be configured. Options are: Auto (default), Quick, Expert. Profile DDR Voltage. When using a non-XMP memory module or Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.) is set to Disabled, this item will display as 1.5V. When Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.) is set to Profile1 or Profile2, this item will display the value based on the SPD data on the XMP memory. XMP options offer the easiest method to achieve an instant memory overclock, but most experienced hardware enthusiasts will choose to define their own settings using the manual Quick or Expert options.

While CPU overclock settings run moderately deep depending on your end-goal, system memory configurations become highly complex with options that travel well-beyond CAS latency, CAS-RAS delay, RAS pre-time, RAS act-time, and RAS delay. In fact, with over 31 different configuration options, it might be easier to keep within the 'Quick' set of variables to avoid spoiling the overclock.

The real challenge begins when you work with component voltages, and this is where Gigabyte's use of the Award BIOS pays dividends. Displayed to the immediate left of all configuration variables is the default value, which can be a voltage rating, memory latency, or clock multiplier. As we've recently discovered in our review of the ASUS P6X58D-Premium, without the default values committed to memory you'll be forced to move between pages and make your overclocking experiment less enjoyable. On the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 all default voltage, timing, and clock settings are displayed beside the new optional configuration.

In summary the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard offers the best of both worlds: basic entry-level overclocking options for novice hardware enthusiasts, as well as some very complex BIOS options for fine tuning minutia hardware settings. Default hardware variables are located beside their optional setting, giving Gigabyte's Award BIOS design and edge to hardware overclocker.

Current and future GA-X58A-UD7 BIOS firmware updates are available for download directly from the Gigabyte product website.

Motherboard Testing Methodology

Benchmark results are only as good as their test methodology, and there are several different methods to compare product to one-another. Yet, even when you try to directly measure motherboard performance the features don't always stack up. Since processor compatibility changes across platforms, and firmware/driver updates change frequently, it's very difficult to compare motherboards in an "apples-to-apples" fashion. Still, we try.

Unless otherwise noted, exclusive P55 vs X58 comparisons use system memory configured to operate at 1333MHz on X58/P55-Express systems, with CL 7-7-7-20 timings. These are the specified memory speeds supported by the chipset, according to Intel. Unless noted, no overclock was given to any of the hardware and BIOS settings were matched as closely as possible.

At the start of all graphics tests, the previous display adapter driver is uninstalled and trace components are removed using Driver Cleaner Pro. We then restart the computer system to establish display adapter settings and define the monitor. Once the hardware is prepared, we begin our testing. To compare and contrast CPU- and GPU-dependency, Benchmark Reviews conducts testing at both the lowest- and highest-possible resolutions. Low display resolutions create a dependency on CPU performance, while high display resolutions place the load on GPU power.

Each benchmark test program begins after a system restart, and the very first result for every test will be ignored since it often only caches the test. Each test is completed five times, with the highest and lowest scored removed. The average results of the three remaining tests are displayed in our article.

Since all of the benchmarks we use for testing represent different game engine technology and graphic rendering processes, our battery of tests will provide a diverse range of results for you to gauge performance on your own computer system. Although many gamers and enthusiasts are still using Windows XP, Benchmark Reviews has made the switch to Microsoft Windows 7 as the Operating System of choice for our test platforms.

NOTICE: Because Award BIOS software is used on Gigabyte motherboards and American Megatrends is utilized by ASUS motherboard products, it's difficult to guarantee that processor and memory hardware configuration settings precisely match each other between manufacturers. Minor differences in clock speed rendering or deep-set advanced memory timing latency may account for performance differences within a small margin of error.

ASUS P6X58D-Premium Test System

• Motherboard: ASUS P6X58D-Premium (Intel X58/ICH10R/Marvell SE9123) with F0702 BIOS
• Processor: Intel Core i7-920 Nehalem 2.66 GHz (BX80601920)
• CPU Cooler: Prolimatech Megahalems (fan attached to PSU - not motherboard)
• System Memory: 6GB 2000MHz DDR3 Kingston HyperX (KHX2000C8D3T1K3/6GX)
• Primary Drive: OCZ Agility-EX SLC SSD OCZSSD2-1AGTEX60G firmware 1.50
• Graphics Adapter: ASUS ENGTX285 TOP GeForce GTX 285 (Forceware 196.21)
• Power Supply Unit: OCZ Z Series Gold 850W OCZZ850

Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 Test System

• Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 (Intel X58/ICH10R/Marvell SE9128) with F4 BIOS
• Processor: Intel Core i7-920 Nehalem 2.66 GHz (BX80601920)
• CPU Cooler: Prolimatech Megahalems (fan attached to PSU - not motherboard)
• System Memory: 6GB 2000MHz DDR3 Kingston HyperX (KHX2000C8D3T1K3/6GX)
• Primary Drive: OCZ Agility-EX SLC SSD OCZSSD2-1AGTEX60G firmware 1.50
• Graphics Adapter: ASUS ENGTX285 TOP GeForce GTX 285 (Forceware 196.21)
• Power Supply Unit: OCZ Z Series Gold 850W OCZZ850

Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4P Test System

• Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4P (Intel X58/ICH10R Chipset) with F10k BIOS
• Processor: Intel Core i7-920 Nehalem 2.66 GHz (BX80601920)
• CPU Cooler: Prolimatech Megahalems (fan attached to PSU - not motherboard)
• System Memory: 6GB 2000MHz DDR3 Kingston HyperX (KHX2000C8D3T1K3/6GX)
• Primary Drive: OCZ Agility-EX SLC SSD OCZSSD2-1AGTEX60G firmware 1.50
• Graphics Adapter: ASUS ENGTX285 TOP GeForce GTX 285 (Forceware 196.21)
• Power Supply Unit: OCZ Z Series Gold 850W OCZZ850

Benchmark Software

• Lavalys EVEREST Ultimate Edition v5.30
• Futuremark PCMark Vantage v1.0.1.1901 64-Bit
• Maxon CINEBENCH R10 64-Bit
• Far Cry 2 v1.02 (640x480 Med/High or 1920x1200 Ultra Performance and Quality)
• Operating System: Windows-7 Ultimate Edition 64-Bit

Support Hardware

• HighPoint Rocket 620LF PCI-E SATA 6Gb/s Card (Marvell SE9128 with firmware 1.0.0.1210)
• Crucial RealSSD-C300 SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive
• Crucial M225 CT128M225 SATA-3Gbps Solid State Drive
• P3 International Kill-A-Watt EZ (model P4460) Power Meter

EVEREST CPU Benchmarks

Lavalys EVEREST Ultimate Edition is an industry leading system diagnostics and benchmarking solution for enthusiasts PC users, based on the award-winning EVEREST Technology. During system optimizations and tweaking it provides essential system and overclock information, advanced hardware monitoring and diagnostics capabilities to check the effects of the applied settings. CPU, FPU and memory benchmarks are available to measure the actual system performance and compare it to previous states or other systems. Furthermore, complete software, operating system and security information makes EVEREST Ultimate Edition a comprehensive system diagnostics tool that offers a total of 100 pages of information about your PC.

All of the benchmarks used in our test bed: Queen, Photoworxx, ZLib, and AES, all rely on basic x86 instructions, and consume very low system memory while also being aware of HyperThreading, multi-processors, and multi-core processors. While the EVEREST CPU tests really only compare the processor performance more than it measures platforms, it still offers a glimpse into what kind of power each platform possesses.

Queen and Photoworxx tests are synthetic benchmarks that operate the function many times over and over-exaggerate by several magnitudes what the real-world performance would be like. The Queen benchmark focuses on the branch prediction capabilities and misprediction penalties of the CPU. It does this by finding possible solutions to the classic queen problem on a chessboard. At the same clock speed theoretically the processor with the shorter pipeline and smaller misprediction penalties will attain higher benchmark scores.

Since the exact same Intel Core i7-920 processor was used for all tests it's not surprising to see similar results reported in each benchmark; which is why we're focusing on finding the trend. Since we consider the Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4P motherboard to be our reference in these tests, the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 out-performs the original design by 1.25%. ASUS further extends performance with the P6X58D-Premium motherboard in CPU-Queen calculations.

Like the Queen benchmark, the Photoworxx tests for penalties against pipeline architecture. The synthetic Photoworxx benchmark stresses the integer arithmetic and multiplication execution units of the CPU and also the memory subsystem. Due to the fact that this test performs high memory read/write traffic, it cannot effectively scale in situations where more than two processing threads are used. The EVEREST Photoworxx benchmark performs the following tasks on a very large RGB image:

• Fill
• Flip
• Rotate90R (rotate 90 degrees CW)
• Rotate90L (rotate 90 degrees CCW)
• Random (fill the image with random colored pixels)
• RGB2BW (color to black & white conversion)
• Difference
• Crop

Using the Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4P motherboard as a point of reference, the Core i7-920 performed 1.28% better at PhotoWorxx tasks on X58A-USD7, while the ASUS P6X58D-Premium motherboard delivered an additional increase.

The Zip Library test measures combined CPU and memory subsystem performance through the public ZLib compression library. ZLib is designed as a free lossless data compression library for use on virtually any computer hardware and operating system. The ZLib data format is itself portable across platforms and has a footprint independent of input data that can be reduced at some cost in compression.

Zip-library performance produced 90,050 KBps with the EX-58-UD4 motherboard, while the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 delivered a 0.9% increase to 90,820 KBps. The ASUS P6X58D-Premium motherboard rendered 94,294 KBps in Zip-library benchmarks.

The AES integer benchmark measures CPU performance using AES data encryption. It utilizes Vincent Rijmen, Antoon Bosselaers and Paulo Barreto's public domain C code in ECB mode and consumes 48 MB of memory.

The Gigabyte EX58-UD4 motherboard produced a 21261 score in AES benchmark, with the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 leading by this reference by an additional 1.27% while the ASUS P6X58D-Premium motherboard further extended performance.

The memory tests are included for illustration, since the system memory bandwidth offers a very minor impact on gaming performance and real-world experience. Nevertheless, it's evident from the results that not all motherboards respond to identical memory kits and settings in the same way.

The Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard delivered the best memory read, write, and copy performance of all motherboards tested, followed by the ASUS P6X58D-Premium and then the EX58-UD4 motherboard.

In summary, the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 delivered improved CPU performance of nearly 2% over the previous generation of Gigabyte X58 motherboards when BIOS settings were identical, and over 5% improvement to memory copy performance. Overall the performance between all X58-Express motherboards was extremely similar, as we should expect. Determining the 'best' motherboard will most likely come down to feature availability.

NOTICE: Because Award BIOS software is used on Gigabyte motherboards and American Megatrends is utilized by ASUS motherboard products, it's difficult to guarantee that processor and memory hardware configuration settings precisely match each other between manufacturers. Minor differences in clock speed rendering or deep-set advanced memory timing latency may account for performance differences within a small margin of error.

Maxon CINEBENCH Results

Cinebench is a real-world test suite that assesses the computer's performance capabilities. Maxon Cinebench is based on Maxon's award-winning animation software, Cinema 4D, which is used extensively by studios and production houses worldwide for 3D content creation. Maxon software has been used in blockbuster movies such as Spider-Man, Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia and many more.

Maxon Cinebench runs several tests on your computer to measure the performance of the main processor and the graphics card under real world circumstances. The benchmark application makes use of up to 16 CPUs or CPU cores and is available for Windows (32-bit and 64-Bit) and Macintosh (PPC and Intel-based). The resulting values among different operating systems are 100% comparable and therefore very useful with regard to purchasing decision-making. It can also be used as a marketing tool for hardware vendors or simply to compare hardware among colleagues or friends.

The OpenGL test measures graphics card performance and is run inside the 3D editor window. The project file used can test all graphics cards that support the OpenGL standard. In this scene, only the camera was animated. This scene places medium to low demands on graphics cards and tests the maximum speed with which the scene can be properly displayed at the 800x580 resolution. Essentially, the Cinebench test removes the system hardware from the scoring influence, and centers the results around the GPU.

Using processor-only graphics computation and ignoring the installed video card, Cinebench R10 revealed very interesting results which have been illustrated in the chart above.

In terms of OpenGL CPU-generated graphics performance the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 beats out the ASUS P6X58D-Premium by nearly 5%, but only before slipping back to reference levels in Single-CPU and Multiple-CPU render tests. The Intel Core i7-920 processor we've tested on each platform appears to perform extremely well on all X58-Express motherboards, with only a minor degree of difference between benchmark results. Synthetic results are likely to continue matching each other across the board, which will place emphasis on power consumption and overclocking features.

NOTICE: Because Award BIOS software is used on Gigabyte motherboards and American Megatrends is utilized by ASUS motherboard products, it's difficult to guarantee that processor and memory hardware configuration settings precisely match each other between manufacturers. Minor differences in clock speed rendering or deep-set advanced memory timing latency may account for performance differences within a small margin of error.

PCMark Vantage Test Results

PCMark Vantage is an objective hardware performance benchmark tool for PCs running 32 and 64 bit versions of Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows 7. PCMark Vantage is perfectly suited for benchmarking any type of Microsoft Windows Vista/7 PC from multimedia home entertainment systems and laptops to dedicated workstations and hi-end gaming rigs. Benchmark Reviews has decided to use a few select tests from the suite to test the X58-Express platform in this article. Our tests were conducted on 64-bit Windows 7, with results displayed in the charts below.

TV and Movies Suite

The tests in the TV and Movies Suite have been selected to represent the Windows Vista TV and Movies Consumer Scenario. The combination of test sets covers the common TV and Movies usage. The TV and Movies Suite gives a separate PCMark TV and Movies Score which does not affect the overall PCMark Score. TV and Movies Suite include the following tests:

• TV and Movies 1
  • Two simultaneous threads
  • Video transcoding: HD DVD to media server archive
  • Video playback: HD DVD w/ additional lower bitrate HD content from HDD, as downloaded from net
• TV and Movies 2
  • Two simultaneous threads
  • Video transcoding: HD DVD to media server archive
  • Video playback, HD MPEG-2: 19.39 MBps terrestrial HDTV playback
• TV and Movies 3
  • HDD Media Center
• TV and Movies 4
  • Video transcoding: media server archive to portable device
  • Video playback, HD MPEG-2: 48 Mbps Blu-ray playback

Gaming Suite

The tests in the Gaming Suite have been selected to represent the Windows Vista Gaming Consumer Scenario. The combination of test sets covers the common Gaming usage. The Gaming Suite gives a separate PCMark Gaming Score which does not affect the overall PCMark Score. Gaming Suite includes the following tests:

• Gaming 1
  • GPU game test
• Gaming 2
  • HDD: game HDD
• Gaming 3
  • Two simultaneous threads
  • CPU game test
  • Data decompression: level loading
• Gaming 4
  • Three simultaneous threads
  • GPU game test
  • CPU game test
  • HDD: game HDD

Music Suite

The tests in the Music Suite have been selected to represent the Windows Vista Music Consumer Scenario. The combination of test sets covers the common Music usage. The Music Suite gives a separate PCMark Music Score which does not affect the overall PCMark Score. Music Suite includes the following tests:

• Music 1
  • Three simultaneous threads
  • Web page rendering - w/ music shop content
  • Audio transcoding: WAV -> WMA lossless
  • HDD: Adding music to Windows Media Player
• Music 2
  • Audio transcoding: WAV -> WMA lossless
• Music 3
  • Audio transcoding: MP3 -> WMA
• Music 4
  • Two simultaneous threads
  • Audio transcoding: WMA -> WMA
  • HDD: Adding music to Windows Media Player

Using the same GeForce GTX 285 video card with Forceware 196.21 driver and 1333MHz DDR3 memory kit with CL 7-7-7-20 timings between all motherboards, and aided by the OCZ Agility-EX SSD using TRIM/GC-enabled firmware 1.50, PCMark Vantage benchmark tests were repeated and averaged for the chart illustrated above.

Using the Gigabyte EX58-UD4P as a reference point, TV and Movies performance was improved by 1.9% with the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard with output further increased by the ASUS P6X58D-Premium. Gaming and Music benchmark tests showed a 3.41% benefit to the Gigabyte X58A-UD7, while the ASUS P6X58D-Premium delivered an additional performance boost. While these synthetic results are all slightly different in final score, the differences are negligible and unlikely to be perceivable in real-world applications.

NOTICE: Because Award BIOS software is used on Gigabyte motherboards and American Megatrends is utilized by ASUS motherboard products, it's difficult to guarantee that processor and memory hardware configuration settings precisely match each other between manufacturers. Minor differences in clock speed rendering or deep-set advanced memory timing latency may account for performance differences within a small margin of error.

HD-Tune Pro Benchmarks

HD-Tune Pro is a benchmark designed for testing many different aspects of a storage device. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the Crucial RealSSD-C300 SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive and Crucial M225 CT128M225 SATA-3Gbps SSD on four different storage controllers. The Gigabyte EX58-UD4P utilizes the Intel ICH10R storage controller, and operates as our point of reference for the others. Gigabyte's X58A-UD7 includes the Marvell SE9128 SATA 6Gb/s controller, while ASUS adds the Marvell SE9123 SATA-6G controller chip to their product. Tested on the Gigabyte EX58-UD4P, the PCI-Express 2.0-based HighPoint Rocket 620LF SATA 6Gb/s controller card also utilizes the Marvell SE9128 controller.

Our test results were obtained after each SSD had been prepared using the DISKPART program with the "clean all" command. Because performance will degrade after write-to operations, even in the presence of Garbage Collection and TRIM support, Benchmark Reviews utilized read-from tests for our performance benchmarks. Intensive read and write benchmark testing is appropriate for our Storage Device Reviews, but for this article the purpose is to illustrate top-end performance.

Since the Marvell SE91xx series of third-generation SATA controllers is still rather new to market, firmware and driver updates occur almost weekly. Benchmark Reviews originally tested each of these storage controllers with their out-of-the-box firmware, and in every test the ASUS P6X58D-Premium produced results there were 25 MB/s faster than the other motherboards. After we received the Marvell Magni Firmware 1.0.0.1210, performance results were much more level across the board.

Beginning with the second-generation SATA Solid State Drive attached to the EX58-UD4P to produce a reference score, the Intel ICH10 controller and M225 delivered a 198 Mb/s average read speed with 218 MB/s peak performance. Using the same M225 SSD on the other motherboards, Gigabyte's X58A-UD7 uses the SE9128 to produce 206/226 while the ASUS P6X58D-Premium uses the Marvell SE9123 chip to deliver 202-226 Mb/s. The add-in HighPoint Rocket 620LF delivered 200/222 using an integrated Marvell SE9128 chip.

Switching to the third-generation SATA-6G compatible Crucial RealSSD C300 Solid State Drive, the 222/223 MB/s reference score produced with a SATA-3G Intel controller becomes obsolete. The Crucial C300 SSD performed at 305/313 on the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard, which was matched by the ASUS P6X58D-Premium and HighPoint Rocket 620LF add-in card. As firmware is updated, it becomes increasingly likely that performance will change as well.

Random Access tests are divided into 512b, 4KB, 64KB, 1MB and random size test files sizes. The Random Access test measures the performance of random read or write operations. The amount of data which will be read varies from 512 bytes to 1 MB. Performance is reported in operations per second (IOPS), average access time, and average speed. Benchmark Reviews has focused only on 4KB transfer size IOPS read performance for this article.

Read IOPS performance was very similar among all SATA controllers when testing the Crucial M225 SSD, with the Intel ICH10 producing an average score of 6942. The RAID-capable Marvell SE9128-equipped Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 delivered nearly 5% better performance than Intel's ICH10 controller and was nearly identical to the SE9128-equipped HighPoint add-in card, while the ASUS P6X58D-Premium also produced matching read-from IOPS performance.

Using the SATA-6G Crucial C300 SSD for testing, the Intel ICH10 controller reported an average of 7147 read-IOPS performance. Gigabyte's X58A-UD7 produced 7999 for a 12% boost in performance, which the HighPoint PCI-E card and ASUS P6X58D-Premium set pace with.

All Marvell SE9123/SE9128 SATA 6Gb/s controllers are limited to 5.0Gbps by the PCI-Express bandwidth, regardless of motherboard manufacturer. Ultimately these Marvell-based controllers all depend on driver and firmware improvements to deliver increased performance and improved stability, and the company to offer the most up-to-date software will be in the best position. Watch for software updates to be available directly from the Gigabyte product website to ensure optimal speeds.

Drive Hardware

• Crucial RealSSD-C300 SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive
• Crucial M225 CT128M225 SATA-3Gbps Solid State Drive

Far Cry 2 Benchmark

Ubisoft has developed Far Cry 2 as a sequel to the original, but with a very different approach to game play and story line. Far Cry 2 features a vast world built on Ubisoft's new game engine called Dunia, meaning "world", "earth" or "living" in Farci. The setting in Far Cry 2 takes place on a fictional Central African landscape, set to a modern day timeline.

The Dunia engine was built specifically for Far Cry 2, by Ubisoft Montreal development team. It delivers realistic semi-destructible environments, special effects such as dynamic fire propagation and storms, real-time night-and-day sun light and moon light cycles, dynamic music system, and non-scripted enemy A.I actions.

The Dunia game engine takes advantage of multi-core processors as well as multiple processors and supports DirectX 9 as well as DirectX 10. Only 2 or 3 percent of the original CryEngine code is re-used, according to Michiel Verheijdt, Senior Product Manager for Ubisoft Netherlands. Additionally, the engine is less hardware-demanding than CryEngine 2, the engine used in Crysis.

However, it should be noted that Crysis delivers greater character and object texture detail, as well as more destructible elements within the environment. For example; trees breaking into many smaller pieces and buildings breaking down to their component panels. Far Cry 2 also supports the amBX technology from Philips. With the proper hardware, this adds effects like vibrations, ambient colored lights, and fans that generate wind effects.

Included within the PC version of Far Cry 2 is an advanced benchmark tool, which offers an excellent array of settings for performance testing. For CPU-dependant testing, Far Cry 2 was configured to run at the ultra-low resolution of 640x480 with settings turned to their lowest possible options. With no strain on the GPU, frame rates were bound by CPU performance.

Oddly enough, it was the older Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4P motherboard that has been designated as our reference point for benchmarks that performed the best when FarCry-2 was made to be CPU-bound. The other motherboards trailed behind the 102 FPS lead with 98.8 FPS each.

Benchmark Reviews used the maximum settings allowed for Far Cry 2 DirectX-10 tests, with the resolution set to 1920x1200. Render Quality and Performance settings were all set to 'Ultra High', and HDR and Bloom were enabled. At this resolution, the X58 systems all became GPU-bound.

The Gigabyte EX58-UD4P motherboard leads with 60.8 FPS, with the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 producing 59.8 FPS on average followed by the ASUS P6X58D-Premium which rendered 59.5 FPS. After comparing the results, it appears that the original Gigabyte X58-Express motherboard may have a very slight edge over the newer versions with shared PCI-Express 2.0 link lanes, but not enough to notice with most video games.

Power Consumption Results

Life is not as affordable as it used to be, and items such as fuel and electrical energy top the list of resources that have exploded in price over the past few years. Add to this the limit of non-renewable resources compared to demand and you can see that the prices are only going to get worse. Planet Earth is needs our help, and needs it badly. With forests becoming barren of vegetation and snow capped poles quickly turning brown, the technology industry has a new attitude towards suddenly becoming "green". Motherboard manufacturers, in particular, have been touting their new energy saving features. How effective these power management system are, is exactly what we intend to measure in our power consumption tests.

Up to this point, Benchmark Reviews has compared each X58-Express motherboard against one-another in benchmark performance tests. For this section, only one topic is of primary concern: electrical power consumption. So then, since the Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4P has relegated as the reference for our benchmarks, it should be interested to see how old power-management technology compares to the new features.

To measure system power consumption, Benchmark Reviews uses the Kill-A-Watt EZ (model P4460) power meter made by P3 International. A baseline test is taken as the system is allowed to boot into Windows and rest idle at the login screen for three minutes before power consumption is recorded. Once the baseline reading has been taken, Lavalys EVEREST Ultimate Edition is loaded and the System Stability Test is run with 100% stress on the CPU and FPU for five minutes and the results recorded. Next, the CPU, FPU, Cache, and System Memory stress options are turned on for five minutes. After the CPU/Cache/RAM test results are recorded, our final loaded power consumption reading is taken with the video card running at 100% using the FurMark stress test.

Power consumption is at it's least-controlled state before the Operating System and drivers can manage system hardware and deliver commands to control power efficiency. For this reason, power usage within the BIOS setup page is much higher than at idle. The Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4P, which lacks a second Ethernet port or additional USB-3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s controllers, offered the best result at 166 watts of consumption. The Gigabyte X58A-UD7 required not more than 170W (169W average), while the ASUS P6X58D-Premium fit in-between with 168W consumed maximum. At idle, both the Gigabyte GA-X58-UD7 and ASUS P6X58D-Premium measured identical 136W, which is slightly more than the EX58-UD4P required.

When the power is turned up for 100% processor utilization, all three motherboards increased power consumption by nearly 84 watts each. When the processor, system memory, and cache subsystem were all taxed, the EX58-UD4P increased by 92W over idle, while the Gigabyte GA-X58-UD7 added 96W and the ASUS P6X58D-Premium consumed 94W. Taken as a whole, all three X58-Express motherboards shared nearly identical power efficiency features and delivered similar power consumption. The level of power savings can be further improved using Intel SpeedStep and Core-i7 C-state features in conjunction with motherboard tools such as Gigabyte's Dynamic Energy Saver Advanced tool.

Tylersburg Refresh Final Thoughts

Back when Benchmark Reviews launched the Intel Core i7 CPU & X58-Express platform in November 2008, having a team of two or more graphics cards seemed plausible for a few elite gamers. Extremely low retail prices on DDR3 system memory helped ease the new standard into mainstream acceptance when it would return in the P55-Express platform. However, it's because of Intel's X-before-P launch schedule that new technologies such as SuperSpeed USB-3.0 and third-generation SATA 6Gb/s were delivered on the mainstream P55 and overlooked the aging X58-Express "Tylersburg" enthusiast chipset. Without fail, the manufacturers have created their very own Tylersburg-refresh options ahead of the Intel X68-Express platform.

If X58 is good for anything, it's the 32-link lanes it provides PCI-Express 2.0 graphics. For single-unit video cards this is a non-issue, since sixteen lanes are more than enough and both the P55 or X58-Express platforms offer this. It's the multi-card setups that will see the most benefit from X58, primarily Triple-SLI and CrossFireX 'Tri-Fire' sets with three video cards. Additionally, the new NEC SuperSpeed USB3 and Marvell SATA6G controllers won't cause any performance penalty for borrowing much-needed PCI-Express link lanes on the X58 platform like they would on P55. But even still, X58-Express cannot offer what P55 has introduced: optimal memory management. Benchmark Reviews has further documented the differences in our P55 vs X58 article.

With DRAM being sold at the lowest prices we've seen in many years, the introduction of a motherboard willing to harness large amounts of DDR3 may be a blessing in disguise. Even though enthusiasts have yet to fall in love with 64-bit versions of the Windows Operating System, there has been renewed interest since the launch of Windows 7. Supporting up to 24GB or system memory on a desktop motherboard is unheard of, and it's all thanks to triple-channel support on X58. The downside, however, is that transaction times are far worse than if the memory controller was integrated into the processor such as on Intel's 'Lynnfield' Core-i5/i7 LGA1156 processors.

As the Intel P55 chipset has now demonstrated, the future is in PCH-based designs, and 32- (or 22nm) technology has paved the way for Moore's law to continue as predicted. A true Tylersburg refresh (X68) may deliver all of the hardware features we desire for modern computing, but this isn't Field of Dreams, and if you build it they won't come. Computer hardware needs more than speed and power; it needs purpose.

New and upcoming DirectX-11 software notwithstanding, video games have generally required the same graphical power as they needed over the past few years. Newer server and virtualization technology continues to refine efficiency and uses fewer CPU cycles. So essentially software is barely moving forward while hardware is making leaps and bounds. Which raises the question: to what end?

Software just hasn't been keeping up its end of the deal, and most people still use 32-bit technology (introduced back in Windows 95). it's sad but true. Games like Crysis helped give reason for advancing graphics technology, just like virtualization technology and Terminal Services helped push processor power. But the apex of software demands hasn't really changed in several years, and having massive amounts of system memory are only helpful if there's an application that requires it.

I used to overclock my Pentium 4 (and later Pentium D and Core 2) processor to get a few extra frames out of Battlefield 2 and earn more work units per day with Folding@Home. But now I have a graphics card that performs 600x better at folding proteins than my CPU ever did, and I have a Core-i7 processor that can encode my self-authored DVD's in a fraction of the time it used to take. We haven't hit the wall, but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting very close.

If software doesn't come around soon, perhaps in the shape of widespread adoption towards 64-bit computing using Microsoft Windows 7, we'll soon share the same dilemma facing the automobile industry: high-horsepower engines with break-neck torque driving down roads with a 65-MPH speed limit. I personally feel that this has been the case ever since Intel launched the Core 2 processor, which is why we're now sharing the other auto-industry dilemma: power efficiency.

Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 Conclusion

Although our rating and final score are made to be as objective as possible, please be advised that every author perceives these factors differently at various points in time. While we each do our best to ensure that all aspects of the product are considered, there are often times unforeseen market conditions and manufacturer changes which occur after publication that could render our rating obsolete. Please do not base any purchase solely on our conclusion, as it represents our product rating for the sample received which may differ from retail versions.

Benchmark Reviews begins our conclusion with a short summary for each of the areas that we rate. The first is performance, which considers how effective the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 X58-Express SATA-6G motherboard performs in operation against direct competitor products. Graded on a scale of 1.0 to 10, the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 receives a score of 9.25 when compared against the other products in its related category. CPU benchmark performance was usually higher than first-generation X58 motherboards, even with the exact same settings applied. DDR3 system memory bandwidth was above-average for the X58A-UD7, but overall system performance was slightly better than others. The Marvell SE9128 SATA 6Gb/s controller performed extremely well, and was certainly better than Intel's ICH10 controller, but firmware and driver updates will keep Marvell motherboard solutions closely approximate to each other. SuperSpeed USB-3.0 functionality is made possible by the NEC D720200F1 chip, although the market has yet to respond with storage devices optimized for the new specification.

Performance is further enhanced by utilizing SLI/Triple-SLI and CrossFireX/TriFire video card sets for high-performance graphics. Overclockers can use either quick or expert settings to reach their optimal clock speeds, and BIOS options are superior to others we've tested lately. Only socket LGA1366 X58-Express motherboards support Intel's Extreme Edition (EE) Core-i7 processors, and according to Intel's roadmap the future code-named "Gulftown" six-core Westmere chip will be included with support on the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard. At the time of this writing firmware version F5 already includes Gulftown processor support, along with numerous system memory enhancements. Version F6 firmware is already available to further improve memory compatibility.

Contrary to previous motherboard products they've offered, Gigabyte has really toned-down the color effects on their X58A-UD7. A blue mainboard hosts baby-blue and white plastic components with dark-nickel plating on heat-pipe rods. Overall the motherboard looks a lot more serious than past iterations, which means that hardware enthusiasts can begin to take Gigabyte more seriously as well. The colors used for expansion card slots are matched to bus speed and type, and the power phase and onboard LEDs give just as much for user feedback as they do for captivating looks.

Much like their original X58-Express motherboard series, Gigabyte has achieved near-perfect component layout on their GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard. It would be great to have more space between PCI-Express slots, but you'll need an extended-ATX form factor to accomplish that. Motherboard construction is outstanding, and Gigabyte has truly established themselves as a potential industry leader for mainboard manufacture. All of the SATA ports are turned sideways, which allows full access to them even with large video cards installed. Six DDR3 memory module banks are located far enough away from the socket for better access to them and unrestricted cooling for the processor. The low-profile chipset coolers surrounding the processor will ensure that aftermarket CPU coolers are not obstructed, plus the Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2 module can be attached onto the X58 Northbridge heatsink for improved chipset cooling. Alternatively, the X58 Northbridge can also be added into a liquid-cooling circuit for maximum cooling performance and a more stable system overclock.

In terms of functionality the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 offers everything that previous X58-Express motherboards delivered, plus it adds third-generation SATA 6Gb/s and SuperSpeed USB-3.0 support. The Marvell-SE9128 chip used on the GA-X58A-UD7 is presently the only SATA 6Gb/s controller to offer RAID functionality, giving Gigabyte an edge over other manufacturers that choose the Marvell SE9123 chip, but also excels in single-drive performance as our test results have shown. Eight-channel high-definition audio and dual-Gigabit Ethernet adapters compliment the platform, along with 24GB total DDR3 memory capacity. Intel's X58-Express chipset receives 32 total PCI-Express link lanes, but when you consider that the SATA6G and SuperSpeed USB 3.0 take up to six PCI-E lanes there's only one place to borrow them from: graphics. With the Marvell and NEC controllers enabled in a single card configuration there are still sixteen link-lanes remaining for PCI-Express graphics bandwidth, which is more than enough, but a dual-card set would be reduced to 16+8 since these controllers require the remainder. For most gamers, this isn't going to make a difference because they're using only one or two video cards anyway, but triple-card sets may experience a small performance penalty.

As of late-February 2010 online retailers such as NewEgg sold the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard for $349.99, with others listed in our price comparison tool. The premium price tag places a lot of responsibility on the X58A-UD7, and the asking price is considerably higher than the other two Gigabyte-X58A motherboard options. After some comparison it appears that the X58A-UD7 is identical to the X58A-UD5 and X58A-UD3R in terms of mainboard and functionality, but differences in chipset cooling or additional network adapter set them apart. Lacking the Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2 module and X58 waterblock option, an otherwise identical GA-X58A-UD5 sells for only $289.99 and seems worth the money. A scaled-down GA-X58A-UD3R is also available for $209.99, but the limited chipset cooling and single NIC might relegate this motherboard to entry-level enthusiasts and gamers.

In conclusion, the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 demonstrated that it can deliver great overall system performance compared to the original X58-Express platform while also adding updated SuperSpeed USB-3.0 and SATA-III 6.0Gb/s functionality. Of course, X58-Express isn't the chipset platform for everyone, and only the serious hardware overclockers and high-power gamers should apply so that features like triple-graphic cards and high-precision overclocks can be enjoyed. The Advanced 24+2+2 Power Phase design with VRD 11.1 support is a welcome addition over the previous X58-series for all of us concerned about wasting electricity at idle, although this feature is now standard in nearly every Gigabyte motherboard of late. Casual gamers and mainstream computer users would be better suited with the high-capable Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 motherboard we recently tested, which both offer outstanding performance and value for the Intel P55-Express platform. However, if you're one of the elite few who use an Intel Extreme Edition processor or multiple video cards, then the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 would go nicely with a Crucial RealSSD-C300 SATA-III 6Gbps SSD. If 64-bit Windows-7 is your Operating System of choice, there are several 12GB DDR3-1600 memory kits that will deliver exceptional performance for the density.

Novice and enthusiast overclockers will feel right at home with the well-documented and detailed BIOS options offered on the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7. Initial BIOS firmware was not very friendly to several memory kits, but otherwise the F (and now F6) firmware tested in this article was bullet-proof and worked great for eight different sets of memory. Eight total SATA ports will ensure that no drive is left behind (a popular initiative for my SSD collection), but the SATA-III 6Gbps interface will only benefit compatible modern drives that can reach or exceed the SATA-3GB/s threshold. SuperSpeed 3.0 is really the only functional leap over the others, as SuperSpeed USB 3.0 External Storage Products are actually selling. The full depth of proprietary product features adds value to the asking price when you add them up, especially TPM encryption security and the Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2 module or X58 waterblock. Considering the improved real-world performance against existing USB-2.0/SATA-3G X58-Express solutions, enthusiasts can count on top-level system performance with the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard.

Pros:

+ Only X58 Motherboard with SATA-6G RAID Support
+ SuperSpeed USB-3.0 offers 5Gbps transfer speed
+ Advanced 24+2+2 Power Phase/VRD 11.1 reduces power costs
+ Supports ATI CrossFireX or NVIDIA SLI dual and triple video card sets
+ Supports 24GB of dual-channel DDR3 up to 2000MHz
+ BIOS offers infinite enthusiast overclocking options
+ Japanese-manufactured surface mount all-solid capacitors
+ Blu-Ray/HD-DVD Full-rate audio with DTS connect
+ Marvell 88SE9128 SATA 6Gb/s controller adds forward compatibility
+ 6 Intel ICH10R SATA ports deliver RAID 0/1/5/JBOD
+ NEC-D720200F1 SuperSpeed USB 3.0 controller
+ Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2 improves overclocked system stability
+ 2oz Copper Ultra Durable 3 construction improves cooling and stability
+ BIOS updates are made safe with dual-BIOS

Cons:

- Very expensive 'enthusiast' motherboard solution
- Only 3GB total memory be utilized by 32-bit O/S
- SATA6G/USB3 borrow from PCI-E link lanes

Ratings:

• Performance: 9.50
• Appearance: 9.25
• Construction: 9.50
• Functionality: 9.75
• Value: 7.00

Final Score: 9.0 out of 10.

Excellence Achievement: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.

Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.

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