This software is a 100% multi-threaded application, which loves SMP, HT and everything you can throw at it. We always see the multiple cores kick in very well with this test, obviously the Core i7 takes a lead. The test likes hyper-threading big-time. But again we see a good performance increase for Phenom II overall.
We use the 'Sponge Explode' model consisting of over 19.2 million rendered polygons. The outcome is the actual number of frames rendered by the CPU per second, higher is better.
It's in applications like these where the Core i5 750 caves in due to the lack of Hyper-threading. The good old Bloomfield 965 and 975 remain on top, thanks to the triple channel memory controller.
AES data encryption
For this test we encrypt some precious data. Data encryption has become a sad necessity for responsible data managers. Cryptography is the science of secret codes, enabling the confidentiality of communication through an insecure channel. The AES algorithm uses one of three cipher key strengths: a 128-, 192-, or 256-bit encryption key (password). Each encryption key size causes the algorithm to behave slightly differently, so the increasing key sizes not only offer a larger number of bits with which you can scramble the data, but also increase the complexity of the cipher algorithm. AES encryption is applied in a lot of compressing software like WinZIP.
AMD typically is very good with AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption, and that shows.
3DMark 06 CPU test
Well, everybody loves 3DMark06, and nowadays, it's CPU limited, making it an okay application to check CPU performance. The scores that you see obviously are the CPU test itself, not overall 3DMark06 scores.
Look at that overclocked 870 btw, dang ...
3DMark Vantage (DirectX 10)
3DMark Vantage focuses on the two areas most critical to gaming performance: the CPU and the GPU. With the emergence of multi-package and multi-core configurations on both the CPU and GPU side, the performance scale of these areas has widened, and the visual and game-play effects made possible by these configurations are accordingly wide-ranging. This makes covering the entire spectrum of 3D gaming a difficult task. 3DMark Vantage solves this problem in three ways:
1. Isolate GPU and CPU performance benchmarking into separate tests, 2. Cover several visual and game-play effects and techniques in four different tests, and 3. Introduce visual quality presets to scale the graphics test load up through the highest-end hardware.
To this end, 3DMark Vantage has two GPU tests, each with a different emphasis on various visual techniques, and two CPU tests, which cover the two most common CPU-side tasks: Physics Simulation and AI. It also has four visual quality presets (Entry, Performance, High, and Extreme) available in the Advanced and Professional versions, which increase the graphics load successively for even more visual quality. Each preset will produce a separate, official 3DMark Score, tagged with the preset in question.
The graphics load increases significantly from the lowest to the highest preset. The Performance preset is targeted for mid-range hardware with 256 MB of graphics memory. The Entry preset is targeted for integrated and low-end hardware with 128 MB of graphics memory. The higher presets require 512MB of graphics memory, and are targeted for high-end and multi-GPU systems.
The results are all done with a BFG GeForce GTX 280 OC graphics card.
3DMark Vantage also has a standalone CPU test. It's very multi-core and multi-threading aware, it was no surprise to see the Hyper threading Core i7 processors kick in real hard. The Phenom IIs have a really hard time battling that.
What is interesting in the overall P test is everything that you see above is based off the same graphics card, same driver, same operating system. The only difference is memory and processors. We use a BFG GeForce GTX 280 OC graphics card and focus on the overall score (P - Performance).
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Hell's Highway, another WWII shooter some might say. But in reality the setting of war is really just a vehicle for Gearbox to tell the storyline of a Band of Brothers which is led by you, Sergeant Matt Baker, as they deal with the madness and consequences of war. The game tells the story of Operation Market Garden in the country yours truly lives, in the Netherlands (aka Holland). It's about the besieged journey from Eindhoven to Arnhem where tremendous battles were fought.
Exactly that road, Highway 69; the road from Eindhoven to Arnhem was later nicknamed: Hell's Highway.
One of the most impressive details is that the area of Operation Market garden was completely reconstructed by historical documents and images. It's uncanny to see and experience the design of 1944 Holland. Even now in 2008 you can still see striking similarities of our country. Street signs, building structures, clothing, and even the clinker bricks on the roads dispense a true authentic mood. This reviewer is Dutch, so what level would be more appropriate than one of the starting levels, in a field in the Netherlands, moving towards a large windmill ahead of us. Lots of geometry is to be found here and in fact one of the more complex scenes to render for the GPU. Yes, welcome to Holland.
rothers in Arms: Hell's Highway is an interesting title as it is using the Unreal 3 graphics engine. That engine is multi-core optimized, but that by itself doesn't move mountains.
Texture Quality HIGH
Shadow Texture Quality HIGH
Shadow Detail HIGH
Vsync OFF
We use high detail image quality settings. We test in a real life situation, the way you play the game at home, and as you can see even with a BFG GeForce GTX 280 OC edition graphics card the results are all really close.
As you can see it is here where we see a difference only at 1024x768. The reality remains though that's up-to 1280x1024 you can measure a performance difference, after which GPU bottlenecks already kick in, even with a 400 USD GTX 280 Overclocked edition from BFG.
Of course make no mistake, in the long run with multiple GPUs or future graphics cards, the faster clocked processors would benefit and translate to a higher framerate, but it's very game title dependant and the GPU is just so much more important.
Crysis WARHEAD
As in last year's game, expect to encounter dense jungle environments, barren ice fields, Korean soldiers and plenty of flying aliens. There's no denying that this is more of the same, except here it's a more tightly woven experience with a little less freedom to explore.
With a top-end PC (although Warhead has supposedly benefited from an improved game engine you'll still need a fairly beefy system), rest assured, developer Crytek has enhanced more than just the graphics engine.
Vehicles are more fun to drive, firefights are more intense and focused, and aliens do more than just float around you. More emphasis on the open-ended environments would have been welcome, but a more exciting (though shorter) campaign, a new multiplayer mode, and a whole bunch of new maps make Crysis Warhead an excellent expansion to one of last year's best shooters.
Crysis Warhead has good looks. As mentioned before, the game looks better than Crysis, and it runs better too. Our test machine that struggled a bit to run the original at high settings ran Warhead smoothly with the same settings. Yet as much as you may have heard about Crysis' technical prowess, you'll still be impressed when you feast your eyes on the swaying vegetation, surging water, and expressive animations. Outstanding graphics. Couldn't say more here.
Our image quality settings; we opt for the gamers mode. However, we select DirectX 10 mode as well to allow a much heftier shader code which will take a big toll on the GPU, yet also frame buffer utilization.
Level Ambush
Codepath DX10
Anti aliasing 2xMSAA
Ingame Quality mode Gamer
Crysis WarHEAD is a game title that likes more than 2 CPU cores AND likes faster clocked processors. But observe how incredibly close all results are.
Overclocking and / or faster processors will only benefit you in the lower resolutions as that's the place where you are free of GPU limitations. The reality however is simple, no-body with a system like tested today plays their games under 1600x1200 IMHO.
The Verdict
It really is rare that I am as impressed as I am now with a motherboard like shown in this review. And props to MSI for that, they did their homework as from beginning to end the motherboard is exemplary.
The GD80 has so many additional features that you'd almost forget about the simple stuff like dual Gigabit Ethernet, Multi-channel audio over both analog and digital connectors, CrossFireX and SLI support, 8 SATA II ports, 9 USB 2.0 ports, 1 FireWire ports, 1 eSATA ports. Then features like the new OC Genie real-time overclocking processor with accompanying OC Genie & DirectOC buttons, touch-sensitive onboard power/reset switches, phase LEDs for every major component, a post code debug display. Nobody will disagree with me that this really is one of the most feature rich motherboards we have ever laid our hands on.
Quality typically comes at a price, and as such the P55-GD80 is priced roughly at 200 USD and that's the same in EUR. For a motherboards series intended in a somewhat enthusiast mainstream segment it might be a little too high for some of you. But trust me when I say, every penny spent on this motherboard is worth it, the GD80 is a beast.
Any negatives then? Well ... the P55 chipset only has 16 PCie lanes available on the graphics ports. So if you decide to go 2-way SLI or 2-Way crossfire the ports will be split into x8 slots. Now the honest truth is that to date it hardly matters. A test a long time ago was showing a 1 to 2% offset with high-end SLI and as such was insignificant. But with graphics technology advancing in the upcoming year .. it might become a wee bit of a limitation. Furthermore for a motherboard designed for LN2 overclocking festivities the capacitors close to the CPU socket seem a little out of place. But that's aesthetic at best and for the rest of the 99.999998% of the end-users not even a remote worry.
We also noticed that baseline performance was a tiny little bit below Intel stock defaults, it's really a tiny bit, but it's there alright. It's easily tweaked out and likely fixed with a future BIOS update.
Other than that from ground up the GD80 is well thought through. It's silent due to the passive cooling design, yet being equipped with high-end 8mm thick heatpipes it offers enthusiast cooling performance. The DrMOS design is just lovely as well, high quality components, active phases, shutting down when in idle over a total of 14 phases, it's all good.
Overclocking then. For the not so savvy tweakers, the OC Genie button is a on step dream come true as it makes overclocking completely painless. On average both our tested processors were overclocked 800 MHz faster with just a touch of a button. For the true tweakers the BIOS is a nice Walhalla to drown in. Loads of features there, high voltages options and a lot of diversity will make your manual overclocking experience grand. And then for the true masters of overclocking the voltage monitoring points, the voltage switches and on the fly DirectOC buttons are just totally l33t features.
Yeah, from ground up this motherboard was designed to set a new standard. Much can be said about this motherboard, but let me just cut it down and trim this conclusion a bit as you already can understand the generic consensus.
The P55 proofs to be a high performance chipset, and combined with a motherboard like the P55-GD80 from MSI, the sky is the limit. Everything you want and then some more can be found on this motherboard and as such we can do only one thing ... grant it our most exclusive award, the one that we merely hand out maybe once or twice a year .. the award for best hardware.
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