Review of the motherboard ASUS A88XM-E. Review and testing of the motherboard ASUS A88XM-A Motherboard specifications

Motherboard ASUS A88XM- A As the name implies, it is based on the flagship AMD A88X chipset, with the key features of which we have already introduced you earlier. Due to the compact microATX format, as well as good equipment, in theory, this new product is perfect for assembling small-sized entry and middle-level home systems with AMD Kaveri series processors or with solutions from the AMD Trinity / Richland lines. Separately, we note that its indisputable advantages include its quite affordable cost, which at the time of writing the review is an average of $ 70.

Since you can familiarize yourself with all the key features of the system logic set and supported processors using the links above, we suggest going directly to the review of the motherboard, having studied in more detail all its advantages and disadvantages, if any.

See all prices for Asus + A88XM-A

Packaging and equipment

The processor is powered by a 3 + 2-phase scheme for computing cores and additional nodes. The converter itself is based on the ASP1206 digital PWM controller with a built-in DIGI + power management subsystem. All components of the processor power supply are highly reliable: Japanese solid-state capacitors and ferrite core chokes are used. The main 24-pin and additional 4-pin connectors are provided for the supply voltage.

Multi I / O capabilities are implemented using the ITE IT8603E chip, which controls the system fans, COM and PS / 2 ports, and provides monitoring.

In line with the 5X PROTECTION concept, ASUS A88XM-A's interface panel is made of high quality stainless steel with a chromium oxide coating, which makes it more durable. It includes the following ports:

• 1 x HDMI;
• 1 x DVI-D;
• 1 x D-Sub;
• 2 x PS / 2 for connecting a mouse and keyboard;
• 1 x LAN (RJ45);
• 2 x USB 3.0;
• 2 x USB 2.0;
• 3 x audio ports.

Such a layout of the interface panel can be safely called quite worthy for affordable solutions: there is not only a good set of video outputs, but also modern USB 3.0 ports. Additionally, we note the support for connecting peripherals with a PS / 2 connector, as well as the ability to bring the COM port to the PC interface panel using the corresponding connector on the printed circuit board. As features, we note not the most convenient connection of multichannel speakers, as well as our desire to see more USB ports.

The possibilities of organizing cooling inside the system case of ASUS A88XM-A are quite standard. There are two 4-pin fan headers, one for cooling the CPU while the other is for the system turntable.

UEFI BIOS

ASUS A88XM-A motherboard uses a state-of-the-art UEFI GUI preloader that can be configured with a mouse. The UEFI BIOS home screen displays CPU temperature and voltage monitoring. Also in this section you can see the BIOS version, processor model and the amount of installed RAM.

All settings related to overclocking are located in the "Ai Tweaker" tab.

The memory frequency multiplier allows you to set the speed of the connected modules in the range from 800 to 2400 MHz.

You can also access the memory latency adjustments as needed.

To increase stability during overclocking, the DIGI + digital power subsystem control settings can be used.

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

Parameter	Menu name	Range
System bus frequency
Chipset frequency
CPU multiplier
	CPU Voltage Frequency
RAM frequency	System Memory Multiplier
RAM timings		CAS Latency, RAS to CAS Delay, RAS Pre Time, RAS ACT Time, COMMAND Mode, Row Cycle Time, READ to PRE Time, RAS to RAS Delay, WRITE to READ Delay, CAS Write Latency, WRITE Recovery Time, FOUR ACT WIN Time , REF Cycle Time
Permissible deviation from the set voltage on the processor	CPU Offset Voltage	0,00625 - 0,50000
	VDDNB Offset Voltage	0,35000 - 0,50000
Voltage on RAM modules		1,35000 - 1,65000
Chipset voltage		1,10000 - 1,22000

The "Monitor" section provides access to monitoring the temperature of the processor and chipset, as well as the rotational speed of the installed fans. Additionally, in this section, you can monitor the voltage on the processor core and on the + 12V, + 5V and + 3.3V power lines.

Unfortunately, the ability to monitor the voltage supply of memory modules is not implemented.

Separately, it is worth noting the ability to take "screenshots" in the BIOS and support for the Russian language.

Overclocking capabilities

In manual mode, by simply increasing the multiplier, it was possible to achieve stable operation of the system at an AMD A10-5800K APU frequency of 4500 MHz and a voltage of 1.464 V, which is a good result for a high-quality motherboard.

Despite the declared support for the 2400 MHz frequency, even with the manual adjustment of the timings, the speed of the RAM modules was only increased to 2133 MHz. Perhaps this is due to the use of APUs of the AMD Trinity line, because the RAM controller in the solutions of the AMD Kaveri series has been significantly improved.

Testing

The following hardware was used to test the capabilities of the ASUS A88XM-A motherboard:

	Scythe Mugen 3 Rev. B PCGH Edition
RAM	2 x 4 GB DDR3-2400 TwinMOS TwiSTER 9DHCGN4B-HAWP
Video card		AMD Radeon HD 7660D
Video capture device		AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable
HDD	Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB SATA-300 NCQ
Optical drive	ASUS DRW-1814BLT SATA
Power Supply	Seasonic X-560 Gold (SS-560KM Active PFC)
	CODEGEN M603 MidiTower (2x 120 mm blowing / blowing fans)

Test results

During testing, ASUS A88XM-A performed well on par with the competition. Based on the results obtained, we can conclude about the high-quality performance of the board, the selection of effective components and good optimization of the BIOS settings.

Testing the audio path based on the Realtek ALC887 codec

RightMark Audio Analyzer Test Report

16-bit, 44.1 kHz

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

Operating mode 24-bit, 192 kHz

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

The capabilities of the pre-installed audio subsystem based on the Realtek ALC887 audio codec will be quite enough for everyday use, due to the high sound quality. If you want to install a discrete sound card, then remember that if you have a video card with a dual-slot cooling system, you can only use the PCI slot.

conclusions

Summing up our acquaintance with the motherboard ASUS A88XM- A, a well-balanced solution with an affordable cost of about $ 70, it can be noted that it is quite capable of competing for the attention of buyers. Such a conclusion can be easily justified by the presence of a large number of SATA 6 Gb / s ports, support for a modern USB 3.0 interface, compliance with the 5X PROTECTION concept, good capabilities for manual overclocking of the processor, as well as the overall high quality of performance and support for a number of proprietary technologies and utilities.

However, it is quite obvious that the affordable cost almost always goes in parallel with a number of disadvantages and features. And if the first ones were not noticed in this case, then as the second ones it is worth highlighting the inconvenient connection of multichannel acoustics, the absence of holes for fastening screws on the right side of the motherboard, as well as the availability of only one PCI slot in the case of installing a two-slot video card.

As a result, the ASUS A88XM-A motherboard can be safely recommended for purchase due to its excellent price / good equipment ratio, which is complemented by the absence of critical flaws. In our opinion, this model may be most popular in the segment of inexpensive multimedia centers and home PCs with one video card.

Advantages:

• reliable 5-phase digital power supply for the DIGI + VRM processor;
• improved hardware components and compliance with the 5X PROTECTION concept for more reliable and stable operation of the motherboard;
• support for a large number of SATA 6 Gb / s ports;
• support for AMD Eyefinity and AMD Dual Graphics technologies;
• support for a number of useful proprietary technologies and utilities (AI Suite 3, Ai Charger, Network iControl, USB 3.0 Boost, Disk Unlocker, Fan Xpert and others);
• good overclocking potential;
• affordable cost.

Peculiarities:

• lack of mounting holes in the corners of the right side of the printed circuit board;

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Recently, due to the financial crisis and rising prices, when assembling a home computer, there are more and more solutions on the AMD platform. For a lower price, you can get enough performance for most tasks. And against this background, the platform on the FM2 + socket is confidently gaining popularity. Previously, it was chosen for assembling a multimedia computer, because an APU for this socket is a successful combination of a central and video processor, two in one, so to speak. And today, on this socket, you can build gaming computers on a limited budget, with a discrete graphics card. For example, on the Athlon 860K processor, a quad-core processor for socket FM2 + costs only about 5000 rubles. APU A8-7650K with GPU Radeon R7 on board will cost you a couple of hundred more expensive if you also want to save on a video card.

For a budget assembly, we will also choose a budget motherboard based on a flagship chipset AMD A88X... This chipset will allow us to overclock K processors.

Today we will consider one of the applicants who want to settle in your home computer. It will be a compact format motherboard ASUS A88XM-E.

Why exactly she? The fact is that budget motherboards always have some limitations: competitors at this price may lack an HDMI interface (for a multimedia assembly this is a big disadvantage - not to connect to a TV or receiver), there may be no USB 3.0 output to the front panel ( unpleasant moment), there is often no PCI slot (there is no place to plug your old TV tuner into). The same motherboard has all this, but of course the limitations have not gone away: only 4 USB sockets on the rear panel, only two slots for RAM, inconvenient connection of 7.1 acoustics.

If you are interested, then let's get acquainted with the motherboard in more detail and in order.

Specifications

Chipset: MD A88X (Bolton D4)

Processor: AMD Socket FM2 + Athlon ™ / A- Series Processors

RAM: 2 x DIMM, Max. 32GB, DDR3 2400 (O.C.) / 2133/1866/1600/1333 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory

Graphics: HDMI maximum resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz

DVI maximum 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz

RGB maximum 1920 x 1600 @ 60 Hz

Maximum memory usage 2048 MB

AMD Dual Graphics technology

Expansion slots: 1 x PCIe 3.0 / 2.0 x16, 1 x PCIe 2.0, 1 x PCI

Drive Ports: 6 x SATA 6Gb / s, Raid 0, 1, 10, JBOD

LAN: Realtek 8111GR, 1 x Gigabit LAN

Sound: Realtek ALC887-VD 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC

USB ports: 4 x USB 3.0 (two rear), 6 x USB 2.0 (two rear)

Rear Panel Connectors:

1 x PS / 2 keyboard (purple)

1 x PS / 2 mouse (green)

3 x Audio jack (s)

Connectors on the board:

1 x USB 3.0 connector for 2 USB 3.0 ports

2 x USB 2.0 connectors for 4 USB 2.0 ports

1 x CPU Fan 4-pin

1 x Chassis Fan 4-pin

1 x S / PDIF out

1 x 4-pin ATX 12V

1 x audio connector

1 x system front panel connector

BIOS: 64 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS

Form Factor: mATX (22.6 cm x 18.8 cm)

Packaging and equipment

An ordinary compact box made of thick cardboard with color printing. Made in black and yellow colors. Despite the budget, compliance with the proprietary concept of ASUS 5X Prptection is declared, which provides for all kinds of protection (overload, corrosion, etc.) and high-quality components.

On the reverse side, in English, all the advantages and features, as well as the supported technologies, are described. Someone may be interested in AMD Dual Graphics technology and the ability to output images in 4K Ultra HD.

The complete set is minimal: a CD with software, instructions, a bracket for the interface panel and two SATA cables.

Appearance

Dark brown printed circuit board with dimensions 226 × 188 mm. Due to its compact size, the layout of the elements may seem inconvenient to some.

So, for example, the PCI Express × 16 slot is located close to the latches of the DIMM slots; when installing a video card with a backplane, the latches cannot be opened. The video card will cover a single PCI Express x1 slot.

The USB 3.0 header is located on the bottom, not on the convenient right edge.

Only two 4-pin contacts for connecting fans. But the original SATA ports are located - three horizontally and three vertically. Creation of RAID arrays is possible.

There is only one of the radiators - a small aluminum one for cooling the chipset, it is attached with plastic clips.

There are only two slots for installing memory sticks. If you can buy 16 GB slats somewhere, you can install 32 GB of RAM. You can put bars with a frequency of 2133 MHz or overclock up to 2400 MHz. I would like to draw your attention: if you plan to use the built-in video core, then it is better to install the memory in dual-channel mode.

Power is connected to the board through a 24-pin connector and an additional 4-pin connector. The power supply is built on a five-phase system 3 + 2, reliable solid-state capacitors are used.

The network controller is presented in the form of Realtek 8111GR, and the sound system is based on the Realtek ALC887 codec.

Now let's take a look at the interfaces of this motherboard. There are archaic PS / 2 ports for mouse and keyboard, three video interfaces: HDMI, DVI-D, and D-Sub. There are four USB ports, two of them are version 3.0. Gigabit LAN port and three 3.5 mm audio ports. To connect 7.1 acoustics, you will also have to use the audio output on the front panel.

You can expand the number of USB ports with additional brackets: 2 more USB 3.0 and 4 USB 2.0 can be connected to the motherboard. Plus it is possible to connect a COM port.

You can also expand the number of USB by purchasing this controller:

The reverse side of the PCB is not worth a detailed examination, there is only a mounting plate for coolers.

BIOS

When entering the BIOS, we are greeted by a friendly UEFI interface, you can turn on the Russian language. The main screen displays all information about devices, temperatures, system fan speeds and drive boot priorities. It is possible to take BIOS screenshots: just insert a USB flash drive and press F12.

We will certainly be more interested in the capabilities of the Ai Tweaker tab. The memory frequency multiplier can be changed from 800 to 2400 MHz, and the memory latency can be changed.

To overclock the processor, we can change the multiplier, voltage, system bus and chipset frequencies.

In the Monitor tab, you can adjust the rotational speed of the system fans.

In the download tab there is an option to set a fast boot. At the same time, the initial stage of loading is really faster, but this naturally does not affect the speed of loading the OS.

And one more additional tab to launch the BIOS update utility. I took advantage of this opportunity, the site had a fresh version of the BIOS. The procedure is quite simple: download a new BIOS from the manufacturer's website, extract it from the archive, write it to a USB flash drive formatted in FAT. Next, we launch the utility in the BIOS, specify the file we need, and wait for the procedure to complete.

Assembly and test bench

A8-7650K APU was installed on the motherboard.

As a thermal interface, I used an unusual paste: HY710 with a declared thermal conductivity of 3.17 W / m-k. You will not find this in stores - the thermal paste was discharged from China, a special plastic spatula was included in the kit.

A compact cooler Zalman CNPS8X Optima was used for cooling - you will not find it in the CSN catalog either, although the cooler is quite efficient for its size.

The stand is open, the rest of the components are not so important, unfortunately the memory was available with only one bar, it is advisable to use the dual-channel mode with this processor.

The previously installed Windows 7 booted without problems, all drivers from the manufacturer's website and proprietary utilities were installed.

Utilities

It is worth dwelling on the proprietary software in more detail. ASUS AI Suite 3 consists of several tabs. The system fan speed control tab is remarkable in that it can pre-test the fans connected to the motherboard, determine their minimum and maximum speeds. You can use automatic modes, or you can configure everything manually.

The next tab allows you to enable the USB 3.0 Boost feature. The fact is that the motherboard supports the UASP protocol.

When you switch to accelerate mode, your drive disconnects and reconnects, but unfortunately, speeds only increase when using the appropriate peripheral. There were no noticeable changes on my flash drive.

The most interesting tab allows you to overclock the processor from under the operating system. I’ll say this is a bad idea right away. At first everything goes well: you increase the multiplier and test it, but when the computer freezes, the values ​​are not discarded, and upon loading the utility is automatically loaded with the latest values, which again leads to a freeze. You need to have time to turn off the utility at startup before the computer freezes.

Overclocking

On the ASUS A88X-PRO motherboard, this processor ran at 4.4 GHz. Here, the frequency was only raised to 4.0 GHz.

And it was the motherboard that was the limitation - the chipset overheated, the temperature of the heatsink on it during overclocking rose above 86 ° C. Most likely this is what caused the system to freeze.

The BIOS also allows overclocking processors with a locked multiplier. In this case, overclocking is possible. This processor worked stably with a bus frequency of 115 MHz.

Conclusion

When choosing a motherboard for the FM2 + socket, you should take a closer look at motherboards based on the A88X chipset. Model ASUS A88XM-E stands out from the competition for a minimal budget. Despite a number of compromises, this board has many advantages: a reliable component base, a variety of video interfaces, and ample overclocking capabilities for both processors and memory.

Pros:

Signature 5X PROTECTION concept

DIGI + VRM five-phase power supply system

Six SATA 6Gb / s ports

Availability of USB 3.0, including output to the front panel

Supports AMD Dual Graphics Technology

BIOS overclocking capabilities

HDMI connector

Branded utilities included

Low cost

Minuses:

Only two slots for RAM

When installing a video card, the PCI-E slot will overlap

Few USB ports on the back

Chipset heatsink heats up during overclocking

Just two fan headers

Earlier, we presented a review of the budget Gigabyte GA-F2A78M-DS2 motherboard priced at $ 70 for socket FM2 +. Today we offer you to familiarize yourself with a high-quality motherboard from ASUS, which is also released for AMD processors of the Kaveri, Trinity and Richland series, but costs $ 20 more. The price is not the only difference between this board and the previously presented competitor. ASUS A88XM-PLUS received many advantages, namely: the presence of SATA 6 Gb / s ports, a PCI Express x16 expansion slot, the ability to install new AMD processors and use AMD CrossFireX technology.

Motherboard specifications

According to the manufacturer's official data, the specifications of the ASUS A88XM-PLUS motherboard are as follows:

Manufacturer	ASUS
Official manufacturer page	A88XM-PLUS (rev 1.03)
Chipset	AMD A88X (Bolton D4)
CPU socket	Socket FM2 +
Supported processors	AMD A / AMD Athlon
Memory frequency	2400 * / 2250 * / 2200 * / 2133/1866/1600/1333 MHz (* OC)
Memory support	4 x DDR3 DIMM slots supporting up to 64GB memory
Expansion slots	1 x PCI Express 3.0 x16	x16
	1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16	x16 + x4
	1 x PCI Express 2.0 x1
	1 x PCI
Disk subsystem	AMD A88X Chipset Supports:
	8 x SATA 6Gb / s
	RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, JBOD
LAN	1 x Realtek 8111G (10/100/1000 Mb / s)
Sound subsystem	Realtek ALC887 Codec
	2/4 / 5.1 / 7.1-channel audio
	S / PDIF Out
Nutrition	1 x 24-pin ATX power connector
	1 x 4-pin ATX12V power connector
Fans	1 x CPU fan connector (4-pin)
	2 x system fan connectors (4-pin)
Cooling	Chipset aluminum heatsink
	Aluminum radiator on the elements of the power subsystem
External I / O ports	1 x HDMI
	1 x DVI-D
	1 x D-Sub
	1 x LAN (RJ45)
	2 x USB 3.0
	4 x USB 2.0
	3 x audio ports
	2 x PS / 2 (for connecting a mouse and keyboard)
Internal I / O ports	1 x USB 3.0 with support for two USB 3.0 connections (19-pin)
	3 x USB 2.0, each supporting two USB 2.0 connections
	8 x SATA 6Gb / s
	1 x COM connector
	1 x LPT connector
	1 x TPM connector
	1 x front panel audio connector
	1 x S / PDIF out
	1 x Front Panel Connector Block
	1 x CMOS Clear Jumper
	1 x MemOK Button!
	1 x GPU Boost Switch
BIOS	64 MB Flash ROM UEFI AMI BIOS
	PnP, ACPI 4.0a, SM BIOS 2.6, DMI 2.0, WfM 2.0
Equipment	user guide
	warranty brochure
	CD with drivers and utilities
	2 x SATA cables
	1 x interface panel cover
Form factor,	microATX, 9.6 inch x 9.2 inch (24.4 cm x 23.4 cm)
Supported OS	Windows 7 32bit / 64bit Windows® 8.1 32bit / 64bit Windows® 8 32bit / 64bit Windows XP 32bit
Dimensions (edit)	244 x 234 mm
Price	90$

Packaging, design and internal layout

Motherboard ASUS A88XM-PLUS comes in a thick black cardboard box, on the main side of which the name of the device, manufacturer, chipset and type of supported graphics processors are indicated. The emphasis is also placed on the new production concept of 5X Protection, which includes 5 protective mechanisms, namely:

• Special fuses against overcurrent, short circuits and overvoltage.
• Digital PWM controllers that are used in accordance with the DIGI + VRM concept.
• Japanese solid-state capacitors that can operate up to 5 thousand hours at temperatures up to 105 degrees Celsius.
• Reinforced interface panel, which is made of stainless steel and coated with chromium oxide. Such material does not oxidize, does not rust and lasts 3 times longer than usual.
• New ESD protection function.

On the reverse side there is a brief technical characteristics of the motherboard in the form of a diagram, as well as a list of supported technologies. Among the latter, the emphasis is on AI Suite III, Fan Xpert, Network iControl, USB 3.0 Boost.

The set with the motherboard itself includes:

• Instructions for installation and operation of the device;
• Disk with drivers and proprietary software;
• Two SATA 6 Gb / s cables;
• Scheme for assembling the board and connecting components;
• A cover for the back panel.

The appearance of the device is as follows. Motherboard ASUS A88XM-PLUS is made of dark brown PCB with bright yellow elements, which is typical for the corporate identity of ASUS.

The set of elements of this board is standard. However, the location of the TPM connector, which the manufacturer placed above the expansion slots, deserves attention. Also, the location of the connector for the external panel with USB 3.0 ports has been changed. It is now located on the lower right side of the board. Separately, it is worth highlighting the lack of connectors for mounting the motherboard on the right side. Given this nuance, it is necessary to approach the installation of the device with extreme caution so as not to break anything. There are 4 DIMM slots for installing RAM brackets for DDR3. The total amount of RAM can be 64 GB.

There are no electronic components on the back of the board. Note the presence of a powerful reinforcing plate, which is designed for mounting the processor and cooling system.

The card's possibilities for organizing the graphics subsystem are quite wide. The board has a PCI Express 3.0x16 slot, as well as PCI Express 2.0 x16 and PCI Express 2.0 x4. Also here, on the bottom of the board, there are elements such as:

• Front panel audio jacks;
• Front panel connection block;
• COM and LPT ports;
• Three USB 2.0 ports and one USB 3.0.

The storage subsystem is organized by SATA 6 Gb / s ports. Their location is as follows:

• 3 ports are perpendicular;
• 5 ports are arranged horizontally.

For RAM, this motherboard has four DIMM slots for DDR3 modules. All slots have latches on both sides. Installation of RAM is carried out according to the principle: 1-3rd slot or 2-4th. For ease of installation, pairs of slots are marked with different colors. Such a board will be able to support 64 GB of memory. However, in fact, the maximum volume will not exceed 32 GB, since there are no bars with a capacity higher than 8 GB.

It is worth noting a useful novelty - the Memory OK button, which allows you to select the necessary parameters for the slats.

The cooling system consists of two parts:

• Aluminum heatsink for heat dissipation from the chipset;
• Aluminum radiator for cooling the power subsystem elements.

The processor is powered according to the 4 + 2-phase scheme for computing cores and additional nodes. The converter is based on the ASP1106 DIGI + VRM PWM controller. Also, the power system includes high-quality solid-state capacitors and chokes with a ferrite core. The voltage is supplied via 24- and 4-pin connectors.

Multi I / O capabilities are realized thanks to the Nuvoton NCT6791D chip. It controls the operation of fans, COM, LPT and PS / 2 ports, and is also responsible for monitoring.

The audio subsystem is implemented by the 8-channel HDA codec Realtek ALC887. This codec supports 2/4 / 5.1 / 7.1 audio systems.

In accordance with the 5X PROTECTION concept, the following connectors are located on the stainless steel interface panel:

• 1 x DVI-D;
• 1 x D-Sub;
• 1 x LAN (RJ45);
• 2 x PS / 2;
• 2 x USB 3.0;
• 3 x audio.
• 4 x USB 2.0;

The possibilities of organizing the cooling system inside the case are standard. There are three 4-pin fan headers.

UEFI BIOS overview

The firmware of this motherboard is characterized by a user-friendly interface and a simplified mode, which is designed specifically for inexperienced users.

After booting into the UEFI BIOS, the My Favorites section will appear on the screen, which presents the most popular system setup functions. There is also a “Quick Note” function that allows you to add notes in the margins.

In the "Main" section there are language settings, time and date, security.

The "Ai Tweaker" section contains settings for computing modules, the built-in north bridge, as well as the processor control mode. Also, this section is intended for overclocking components.

The settings for the capabilities of the motherboard, disk and network subsystem are located in the "Advances" tab.

You can control the operation of temperature sensors and the fan in the "Monitor" section.

Finally, EZ Mode allows you to set the basic configuration of the motherboard. With its help, you can activate X.M.P profiles for RAM bars, adjust the operation of fans, set the time and date, select the performance mode, and specify the priority of loading drives.

New technologies and proprietary utilities

This motherboard implements new technologies for which special utilities have been released. Among them, we will single out the most useful ones.

GPU Boost technology allows you to overclock the integrated graphics core using the ASUS AI Suite 3 utility. Therefore, despite the affordable price of $ 90, this board can be used to build a budget gaming PC.

If the fan noise is bothering you, you can reduce it. The ASUS Fan Xpert 2 utility is designed for this. This program allows you to control the fans and adjust the cooling system.

It should be noted that AI Suite 3 is a software shell for working with a motherboard. Through a single interface, you can configure as simply and accurately as possible, overclock your computer and control its parameters.

Also worth noting is the easy setup of the RAM and the elimination of problems that may arise with the system memory. The MemoryOK technology is intended for this. It is activated by pressing a special button on the motherboard. It also allows you to boot into the BIOS in case of errors.

The principle of operation of this button can be seen in the video:

AMD Eyefinity and AMD Dual Graphics technologies are designed to create a fuller and more detailed picture. Thanks to the first technology, two video cards can be connected to one motherboard. And the second technology allows you to create a more powerful tandem with the AMD processor and AMD graphics card and increase the performance in games.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among advantages this motherboard is worth highlighting:

• Democratic price;
• High-quality 6-phase power supply subsystem GPU DIGI + VRM;
• Improved element base thanks to the 5 Protection concept;
• The presence of the MemoryOK button, which allows you to solve problems with system memory;
• Availability of SATA 6 Gb / s ports;
• Support for AMD Eyefinity and AMD Dual Graphics technologies, as well as proprietary utilities USB 3.0 Boost, AI Suite 3, Fan Xpert, Network iControl, Ai Charger, Disk Unlocker;
• Good overclocking potential;
• Support for COM and LPT ports.

Disadvantages:

• Inconvenient connection of sound acoustics;
• Lack of holes for fasteners on the right side of the board.

conclusions

The ASUS A88XM-PLUS motherboard can be called an acceptable option for assembling stationary PCs for study, office work, and even for games at minimal settings, since it was released for AMD Kaveri, Trinity, Richland processors and has the ability to overclock components.

It is also worth noting that this board fully reveals the capabilities of the AMD A88X chipset. It has USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and SATA 6Gb / s ports.

Additionally, it is worth highlighting the build quality of the board and its components, which are specially selected for the 5X PROTECTION concept and are fully protected from voltage drops, high temperature conditions, corrosion, oxidation and other negative factors.

Motherboard video review:

Foreword

If you are interested in the Socket FM2 + platform, then the best place to start is to read "AMD A10-7850K (Kaveri) Processor Review: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back"... In the article, all the innovations and features of the new processors are consistently considered, a detailed comparison with the predecessor and competitors is made. Unfortunately, the arrival of all the latest desktop processors from AMD and Intel leaves a disappointing feeling, the difference is only in the degree of disappointment. One would be glad that the Kaveri processors are produced according to a reduced technical process to 28 nm, and the cores have undergone a redesign, thanks to which the new Steamroller microarchitecture is superior in efficiency to the previous Piledriver. However, the innovations provided a slight increase in speed, and the significantly increased complexity of the crystal not only did not allow increasing the frequencies, it was not even possible to keep the previous ones. As a result, it is not at all surprising that FM2 + processors are still outperformed by competing solutions from Intel, but it is very sad that even the predecessor Socket FM2 is often ahead. The new hUMA and hQ technologies, which are part of the HSA heterogeneous computing system, are theoretically capable of providing an advantage to processors, but Kaveri is unlikely, since by the time these technologies are implemented in practice, we will already be using other AMD processor models.

So the only indisputable advantage of the new processors is the integrated graphics core. It was pretty good before, but now it's even better, even faster. Of course, there can be no comparison with discrete high-end or mid-range graphics cards, you can only compete with entry-class models, but by the standards of integrated graphics, the performance is unmatched. In the end, although new processors have become more expensive, there is still a lucrative opportunity to build an entry-level gaming system without an external graphics card, if your requests are not too large and the budget is limited. This feature will certainly be of interest to our readers, and therefore it was decided to test several Socket FM2 + motherboards. Older models are not suitable for acquaintance, since they will be in limited demand, but I did not want to be disappointed once again when faced with the disadvantages of the cheapest motherboards. As a result, Asus A88XM-Plus and Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H models were chosen similar in characteristics and price. Both boards are made by the largest manufacturers with the name, both are based on AMD A88X logic, both are made in the microATX form factor, which is best suited for an entry-level system. It remains only to find out how these two models are comparable.

Asus A88XM-Plus board review

Sometimes motherboard manufacturers use different box designs for models that are designed for AMD or Intel processors. Often, even the packaging for different platforms is noticeably different, but in this case we see the design option typical for modern motherboards from ASUSTeK. On the front side there is the name of the model and logos of the processors, a set of logic and technologies, and on the back there is an image of the board, a short list of technical characteristics and a story about some of the features. Apart from the logos and model names, the packaging of the Asus A88XM-Plus looks exactly the same as the Asus Z87M-Plus, for example.

A lot of space on the front side of the box is occupied by the emblem of the complex of technologies "5X Protection" - this is a set of engineering solutions that provide the board with reliability and long service life. It includes a stable power supply thanks to the digital regulator "DIGI +", protection against overloads, against short circuits and against static electricity. Durable solid capacitors and oxidation and corrosion resistant, thin chromium oxide coated steel rear connector panel will keep this model running for a long time.

Boxes with junior models of ASUSTeK motherboards differ from packages of other manufacturers in a noticeably smaller thickness, which is due to a special compact way of placing components. The sheet of cardboard separating the board and accessories is longer than usual, its edge is wrapped, forming a separate compartment where the relatively thick SATA cables are located. The rest of the components and documentation do not take up much space and are located below, under the board. The difference in size, weight and quantity of packaging materials compared to standard cartons may seem small, but when the fees are in the millions, the total savings and reduction in environmental burden must be substantial.

The set of accessories supplied with the board is not rich as expected and includes everything only the most necessary:

two Serial ATA cables with metal latches, one with two straight, the other with one straight and the second L-shaped connector, cables are specially designed for connecting SATA 6 Gb / s devices (differ in white inserts on the connectors);

user guide;
folding sheet containing brief assembly instructions;
a memo with information about electrical safety and general rules of work;
DVD with software and drivers;
"Powered by ASUS" sticker on the system unit.

The appearance of the Asus A88XM-Plus board also seems familiar for a long time, even if you see it for the first time, since the same design option is used for all modern models from ASUSTeK that are not included in special series. The yellow color evokes associations with gold, and the nobility of the precious metal should emphasize the quality, reliability, performance and manufacturability of motherboards. The beauty of gilding is questionable, but color-coded key connectors make it easier to assemble the system. For example, the two slots in which the memory modules should be installed are highlighted in yellow, if this is the only pair of modules. The main connector for a discrete video card differs from the secondary one in the same color.

The digital power supply system "ASUS DIGI + VRM", built according to the 4 + 2 formula, will be equally effective not only for new Socket FM2 + processors, but also for old Socket FM2. The developers of the board thought that a four-pin ATX12V power connector would be enough for the processor, but the heating elements of the power converter are still covered with an additional radiator, which is fastened with spring-loaded latches. But the main slot PCI Express 3.0 / 2.0 x16 will ensure the operation of an external video card according to the third version of the protocol only when using new processors. The second PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot is based on PCI-E chipset lines and supports x4 speeds, which, nevertheless, even allows you to combine video cards for joint work in AMD CrossFireX mode. In addition, there is one PCI Express 2.0 x1 and one PCI slot for expansion cards. Various layouts of eight SATA 6Gb / s connectors, which are provided by the AMD A88X chipset, will allow you to choose the most convenient option for connecting drives.

The available rear panel area is not fully utilized, which is also typical for entry-level models. Here you can find the following set of connectors:

two PS / 2 connectors for connecting a keyboard and mouse;
video outputs HDMI, D-Sub and DVI-D;
four USB 2.0 ports, and six more can be brought out using three internal connectors on the board;

LAN connector (the network adapter is built on the Realtek RTL8111G gigabit controller);
three analog audio connectors, the operation of which is provided by the eight-channel Realtek ALC887 codec.

The layout of the elements allows you to detect parallel and serial connectors LPT and COM, count three four-pin connectors for connecting fans, find the "MemOK!" to the graphics processor core. The Asus A88XM-Plus model is equipped with convenient wide latches on the Q-Slot video card slots from the “Q-Design” technology complex, which simplifies the assembly and operation of ASUSTeK boards.

Let's save our impressions and evaluations of the Asus A88XM-Plus motherboard until we compare its capabilities with today's rival, and start getting to know it immediately.

Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H board review

In terms of design, the box with the motherboard Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H practically does not differ from the packaging of other models of the company. On the front side, we see the name of the board and the logos of the supported processors and technologies.

On the reverse side of the package, you can find a short list of the technical characteristics of the board and its image with the indication of individual features, approximately the same as in the illustration below.

As expected, the set of accessories included with the board is not rich, but sufficient to start:

four Serial ATA cables with metal latches, one pair with two straight, the other with one straight and a second L-shaped connector, cables are specially designed for connecting SATA 6 Gb / s devices;
back panel cover (I / O Shield);
user guide;
a brochure with quick assembly instructions in several languages;
DVD with software and drivers.

While the Asus motherboard was customarily “gold”, the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H model is also traditionally monochrome, only those Gigabyte motherboards that belong to the gaming and overclocking series look attractive. It is simply impossible not to notice this, but since such a gray-black design has been used by most Gigabyte motherboards over the past years, it seems that this situation is quite satisfactory for the company.

The boards of ASUSTeK company use a complex of technologies "5X Protection", which ensures reliability and a long service life; the complex "Ultra Durable 4 Plus" is intended for similar purposes. "Ultra Performance" - Uses long-life solid state capacitors and low impedance MOSFETs Low Rds (on) MOSFETs. Ultra Safe is the increased reliability provided by the proprietary DualBIOS function. In addition, the complex includes a number of other functions, such as protection against short circuits and static discharges, resistance of boards to high humidity thanks to a textolite made of tightly woven fibers.

The board does not have an additional heatsink on the heating elements of the processor's converter, but it is powered by an eight-pin ATX12V connector. The rest of the characteristics are exactly the same as those of the previously reviewed Asus board. Four slots for DDR3 memory modules can accommodate up to 64 GB of total capacity with frequencies from 1333 to 2400 MHz, there is support for AMD Memory Profile (AMP) and Extreme Memory Profile (XMP). For an external video card, there is a PCI Express 3.0 / 2.0 x16 slot, and for joint operation of video cards in AMD CrossFireX mode, you can use the second PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot, which provides a maximum speed of x4. In addition, one PCI Express 2.0 x1 slot and one PCI slot can be used for expansion cards. Additional storage controllers are not used, eight SATA 6 Gb / s ports are implemented using the capabilities of the AMD A88X chipset, but all connectors are oriented vertically, there are no "lying" ones.

Just like in the ASUS motherboard, the rear panel area is not fully used, the set of output connectors is close, but not the same:

four USB 2.0 ports and only four can be brought out using two internal connectors on the board;
universal PS / 2 connector for connecting a keyboard or mouse;
video outputs D-Sub, DVI-D and HDMI;
two USB 3.0 ports (blue connectors) appeared due to the capabilities of the AMD A88X chipset, and two additional USB 3.0 ports can be brought out using one internal connector;
LAN connector (the network adapter is built on the Realtek RTL8111F gigabit controller);
optical S / PDIF and three analog audio connectors, the operation of which is provided by the eight-channel Realtek ALC887 codec.

What I have always liked about Gigabyte motherboards is the flawlessly executed schematic drawings in manuals. Compare with the diagram of any other model from any other manufacturer. It will be drawn less neatly, a table with explanations must be attached to it, you must use an enlarged image to see all the elements. Diagrams of Gigabyte motherboards do not require this, everything is visible, even the nomenclature of controllers, everything is clear, you can admire the diagrams, this is a real work of technological art.

The circuit allows detecting COM and LPT connectors, although the place for the latter is not standard, and three four-pin connectors for connecting fans. For most other platforms, I would write down the disadvantages of the inconvenient location of the connectors for the processor and the first system fans. Access to them is limited by the processor cooling system on the one hand and a discrete video card on the other. However, motherboards with Socket FM2 + processors will mainly use the integrated graphics core, without an external video card, so this disadvantage is not too significant.

Comparative characteristics of boards

All the main technical characteristics of the boards have been compiled into a table for easy comparison.

Each board has its own individual characteristics. The ASUSTeK board is slightly smaller in width and boasts an additional heatsink on the heating elements of the processor converter, but it is powered by a four-pin ATX12V connector. Three internal connectors allow for six additional USB 2.0 ports, versus four for the Gigabyte board. Of the additional features, one should note the button "MemOK!" and the "GPU Boost" switch. The Gigabyte board stands out for the presence of two BIOS chips and an optical S / PDIF output on the rear panel. In general, the technical characteristics of the boards are almost the same, which is not at all surprising, because models with a similar price and capabilities were specially selected.

BIOS of the Asus A88XM-Plus board

More than a year ago we studied Socket FM2 motherboards and since then the BIOS of ASUSTeK's motherboards has changed noticeably. The unification extends not only to the design of the packaging and the boards themselves, but also to the BIOS capabilities. For Socket FM2 + models, it is now almost exactly the same as for LGA1150 motherboards, except for some individual peculiarities of various platforms. As before, by default, when entering the BIOS, we are greeted by the simplified EZ Mode, but it is no longer useless, since it allows us not only to find out the basic characteristics of the system, but also to carry out its initial configuration. The "F5" key loads a standard set of parameters, in addition to the ability to set the correct time and date, as well as select the fan operating mode, you can apply overclocking profiles for memory modules and view information about the connected drives. If you have several drives, you can set the order of polling boot devices by simply dragging and dropping their emblems with the mouse. The "F7" key is used to switch from "EZ Mode" to "Advanced Mode", or you can use the "F3" key, which allows you to quickly move to one of the most frequently used sections of the BIOS.

Each time you enter the BIOS, you can switch from "EZ Mode" to "Advanced Mode", you can use the F3 key, which, by the way, works in all other sections of the BIOS, but it will be much more convenient if you make the "Advanced Mode" starting in the settings. In this case, the familiar section "Main" will appear first before our eyes. It provides basic information about the system, allows you to set the current date and time, it is possible to change the BIOS interface language, including Russian. In the "Security" subsection, you can set user and administrator access passwords.

However, the "Main" section is no longer the first in the list; a new section "My Favorites" appears in front of it. It is designed to collect all the parameters you use most often in one place. Initially, the section is empty and contains only reference information on how to add or remove options using the mouse or keyboard.

I must say that there are a number of prohibitions for selecting parameters, and they apply not only to entire sections or subsections, the manual for the board still informs about the impossibility to add individual parameters that contain submenus, but the check showed that this annoying restriction has already been removed. In addition, the list of options displayed by pressing the "F3" key was initially spared from such prohibitions, which can also be edited by deleting unnecessary items and adding the necessary items. The maximum flexibility can be obtained from the combination of the capabilities of the "My Favorites" section and the menu with the most common links, however, the "My Favorites" section was, as it were, on the sidelines, it cannot be selected as a starting point, as, indeed, any other section, so this the shortage still remains.

The bulk of the overclocking options is concentrated in the "Ai Tweaker" section. The number of parameters is very large, and initially you see a far from complete list, since all of them are set automatically by the board, but as soon as you proceed to manual configuration, many options previously hidden as unnecessary appear. You can change the “Ai Overclock Tuner” parameter to “D.O.C.P.” to automatically change the parameters of the memory subsystem, or to “Manual” to control all options yourself. The EPU Power Saving Mode parameter retained the ability to select a power saving mode between light, medium and maximum. To limit power consumption at the expense of processor performance, you can use the "Target TDP" option, setting the required value in the range from 45 to 65 watts. The "GPU Boost" parameter will allow you to select the preset overclocking modes of the integrated graphics core "Turbo Mode" or "Extreme Mode", or manually set the desired frequency. The OC Tuner option is designed to automatically overclock the system.

To control the current values ​​of voltages, you do not need to go to the monitoring section, they are indicated right there, next to each of the parameters that allow you to change these voltages, which is very convenient. Voltages can be set both above and below nominal. It is impossible not to notice the large number of options related to power and energy consumption, which appeared thanks to the digital power system "DIGI +". Directly in the BIOS, you can control proprietary energy-saving technologies that allow you to change the number of active phases of the processor power supply, depending on the level of its load. The technologies to counter voltage drop under load on the processor and the integrated part of the north bridge can not only be turned on or off, but also the degree of resistance can be dosed.

Some of the parameters are traditionally placed in subsections so as not to overly clutter up the main one. In particular, the memory timings are changed on a separate page, their number is very large, but it is quite convenient to use the capabilities of this subsection. Using the scroll bar, it's easy to see all the timings set by the board for two memory channels. You can change only a few of them, for example, only the main ones, leaving the default values ​​for the rest.

This completes the capabilities of the "Ai Tweaker" section, meanwhile, we have not yet found a whole group of very important options that control the operation of processor technologies. This is a characteristic drawback not only of ASUSTeK boards, but also of most boards from other manufacturers. The root of the problem lies in the AMI BIOS, which is at the heart of the UEFI BIOS of modern motherboards, and in its irrational basic layout.

The capabilities of the subsections of the "Advanced" section are generally well known to us and understandable from their names. They allow you to configure the operation of a set of logic and additional controllers, various interfaces.

In the CPU Configuration subsection, we learn the basics about the processor and finally get access to the management of critical processor technologies related to energy efficiency, performance, virtualization and security.

The "Monitor" section reports the current values ​​of temperatures, voltages and fan speed. For all fans, you can select the preset speed control modes from the standard set: "Standard", "Silent" or "Turbo", leave the full speed of rotation, or select the appropriate parameters in manual mode. Unfortunately, only two system connectors can regulate the rotation speed of three-pin fans; this ability has not yet returned to the processor one.

Next is the "Boot" section, where we select the parameters that will be applied at system startup. Here, by the way, and you need to change the starting mode "EZ Mode" to "Advanced Mode". At the same time, during setup, you can disable the "Fast Boot" parameter so as not to encounter problems when entering the BIOS due to the fact that the board starts up very quickly and you simply do not have time to press a key in time.

The next section "Tool" contains a couple of extremely important and regularly used subsections, as well as one that is almost useless.

The built-in utility for updating the firmware "Asus EZ Flash 2" is one of the most convenient and functional programs of this kind. One of the advantages is support for reading from partitions formatted in NTFS. So far only motherboards from ASUSTeK and Intel have this feature. Unfortunately, the ability to keep the current firmware version before upgrading has been eliminated altogether. The Asus Overclocking Profile subsection allows you to save and quickly load eight complete BIOS settings profiles. Each profile can be given a short name to remind you of its content. Profiles can be exchanged by storing them on external media. The downside is that the error has not yet been fixed, due to which the disabling of the start image display is not remembered in the profiles.

In addition, in the "Tools" section there is a subsection "Asus SPD Information", where you can get acquainted with the information hardwired into the SPD of memory modules, including the XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) profiles. However, the place for this subsection was chosen unsuccessfully, because memory latencies change in a completely different subsection, it is very far from here and it is inconvenient to use the information provided.

In the center of the right part of the screen, above the constantly reminiscent list of "hot keys", two buttons are visible - "Quick Note" and "Last Modified".

The first one allows you to write down and keep yourself some important reminder, and the second displays a list of the last changes made, it is saved even when the system is rebooted or turned off. You can always look at and remember what changes in the BIOS settings were made the last time, and now you do not even need to enter the BIOS for this, since the "Save to USB" button allows you to save the list of changes to an external medium.

Extremely convenient was the "Last Modified" pop-up window "BIOS Setting Change", which automatically shows a list of changes every time the settings are saved. Looking at the list, you can easily check the correctness of the specified values, before applying the changes, make sure that there are no erroneous or forgotten options. In addition, using this window, it is easy to find out the difference between the current settings and the values ​​recorded in the BIOS profiles. After loading the profile, you will instantly see all its main differences from the set parameters in the appeared “BIOS Setting Change” window.

Summing up, we can say that the capabilities of the Asus EFI BIOS were very good before, and therefore there was no need for deep processing, only a certain correction was required to eliminate the shortcomings. It was carried out and in the new BIOS modification you can find many changes for the better. Some are not very significant, such as the increase in functionality to that almost completely useless "EZ Mode". Others are more important, including the new "My Favorites" section, the ability to leave notes and edit the list of the most frequently used BIOS sections, which can be displayed at any time by pressing the "F3" key. The "Last Modified" list is useful, and the "BIOS Setting Change" pop-up with a list of the current changes that will be applied is extremely useful.

At the same time, the error has not yet been fixed, according to which the disabling of the start image display is not remembered in the profiles. The parameters that play a very important role in the operation of the system, which control processor technologies, have not yet been included in the "Ai Tweaker" section, it is too long and inconvenient to get to them. The widespread use of the "My Favorites" section is hindered by certain restrictions on adding parameters and the impossibility of selecting it as a starting one, as, indeed, of any other section. It's a pity that motherboards for Socket FM2 + processors have not yet returned the ability to adjust the rotation speed of three-pin processor fans.

BIOS of the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H board

The first entry into the BIOS of the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H board may cause a slight feeling of disappointment, since there is no new Dashboard mode, which provides an unprecedented rich possibilities for customizing the appearance. The traditional, classic Gigabyte UEFI DualBIOS is used, even the 3D mode, which Socket FM2 boards had, has been removed, apparently because few people used it.

Unlike many other manufacturers, where most of the options necessary for fine-tuning performance and for overclocking are collected in one very large section, in the BIOS of Gigabyte boards they are divided into many pages by category. Parameters related to the processor, to the memory subsystem, to voltage changes are grouped into separate subsections, and each subsection, in turn, is additionally divided into separate pages. There is a plus in this approach - all the parameters are immediately before your eyes, they usually fit on one screen, there is no need to find the ones you need in a long list. There are also disadvantages - the constant jumping from one section to another and from page to page is tiring, you can easily accidentally skip a whole group of settings.

For example, in the subsection "Advanced Frequency Settings" we manage frequencies and multipliers, and a number of informational parameters will allow us to keep abreast of the results of the changes made.

However, for a more detailed setting of the processor's operation, the multiplication factors of its cores, various technologies and energy-saving modes, you need to go to a separate page "Advanced CPU Core Settings".

Changing the memory parameters is implemented in a similar way, where the frequency changes on one screen, and the delays on the other. Timings can be set to the same or individual for each of the two channels.

The section with stresses was dispensed with without dividing into separate pages; for a few options, this is not necessary. Another disadvantage is that the voltage can only be increased, lowering is impossible, although the use of low-voltage DDR3 memory is still acceptable, since the interval starts from 1.2 V. As with the Asus board, you can independently choose the degree of resistance to voltage drop under load on the processor and an integrated part of the north bridge.

Subsection "PC Health Status" reports data on current voltages, temperatures, and fan speed. Unfortunately, only two system connectors are capable of reducing the fan speed with a three-pin connection, and the processor connector has lost this useful ability.

Section "System Information" is a close analogue of the previous section "Standard CMOS Features", here we learn basic information about the system, we can change the date, time and language of the BIOS interface. In the "BIOS Features" section, we set the order of polling boot devices, disable the display of images at startup, manage other parameters, for example, you can enable the fast start function, a special boot mode for Windows 8, assign access passwords. The Peripherals section allows you to control the operation of peripherals and additional controllers on the board. The Power Management section contains the usual set of options related to board startup, power saving, and power.

In the "Save & Exit" section, you can save the changes made, exit without saving, or load the default settings. There are also two parameters for working with BIOS settings profiles. As before, the boards allow you to save or load eight different profiles of settings, each can be given a name reminiscent of its contents, it is possible to save profiles on external media and load from them. A unique feature of the company's boards is the ability to automatically save the current set of settings upon successful completion of the starting procedure, even the number of successful starts is remembered. Thus, later you can return to using a workable profile, although it was not specially saved by the user.

Finally, one cannot but remind of the existence of the built-in utility for updating firmware “Q-Flash”, which is called when you press the “F8” key in the BIOS or the “End” key when starting the board. Unlike the built-in utilities on boards from ASRock and ASUSTeK, it allows you to pre-save the current firmware version.

We have repeatedly reviewed the BIOS capabilities of motherboards from Gigabyte and it seemed that unknown pages simply did not exist for us, but pleasant surprises were still possible. It turned out by chance that in the classic mode there is also a list of frequently used pages, it can be displayed by pressing the undocumented key "F11". Unlike a similar list in Dashboard mode, it cannot be edited.

There is nothing critical in the absence of a configurable Dashboard mode in the BIOS of the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H. It's a bit of a pity, but the classic BIOS look of Gigabyte motherboards contains the same set of parameters as the new mode, and personally I have always continued to use the old one. It also allows you to successfully configure the necessary options and overclock the system. But there is no possibility of automatic overclocking of the processor and there are no predefined profiles to increase the memory frequency, as in LGA1150 motherboards from Gigabyte. It is impossible to reduce the voltages and the number of voltage control parameters is much more modest than that of the ASUSTeK board. Even the characteristic for Gigabyte boards lacks the ability to adjust the rotational speed of a three-pin processor fan. So the slight feeling of disappointment that appeared at the beginning of acquaintance with the BIOS of the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H board remains and does not disappear.

Test system configuration

All experiments were carried out on a test system that includes the following set of components:

Motherboards:

Asus A88XM-Plus rev. 1.02 (Socket FM2 +, AMD A88X, BIOS version 1302);
Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H rev. 3.0 (Socket FM2 +, AMD A88X, BIOS version F6c);

Processor - AMD A10-7850K (3.7-4.0 GHz, 4 cores (2 modules), Kaveri, 28 nm, 95 W, Socket FM2 +);
Memory - 4 x 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM G.SKILL TridentX F3-2133C9Q-32GTX, (2133 MHz, 9-11-11-31-2N, supply voltage 1.6 V);
Video card - integrated AMD Radeon R7 Graphics (GCN 1.1, Specter, 28 nm, 720 MHz, 8 clusters, 512 shaders);
Disk subsystem -Crucial m4 SSD (CT256M4SSD2, 256 GB, SATA 6 Gb / s);
Cooling system - Noctua NH-D14;
Thermal paste - ARCTIC MX-2;
Power supply - Enhance EPS-1280GA, 800W;
Case - an open test bench based on the Antec Skeleton case.

The operating system was Microsoft Windows 8.1 Enterprise 64 bit (Microsoft Windows, Version 6.3, Build 9600), a set of AMD Catalyst 14.4 drivers.

In the process of preparing for the tests of the new platform by installing updates, the operating system Microsoft Windows 8.1 Enterprise 64-bit was refreshed, although this did not change its version number or build number. It was immediately decided to abandon the use of an external video card, because a powerful by the standards of the integrated graphics core is the main advantage of the new Kaveri processors. Certain doubts about the correctness were left only by the choice of the cooling system. It is unlikely that many will buy a cooler that is more expensive than a motherboard, but the Noctua NH-D14 is far from new, but still very effective. We also did not purchase it on purpose, it remained from the previous tests, the same situation can occur with users of the new platform when updating the old one. So it was decided to use this particular cooler, we didn’t want to additionally limit the already not too high potential of the new processors with some more suitable, but less efficient cooling system.

Nuances of operation and overclocking of the Asus A88XM-Plus board

The assembly of the test system based on the Asus A88XM-Plus motherboard did not cause any difficulties, the first launch was successful, and the firmware was easily updated to the latest version at the time of checking using the utility “Asus EZ Flash 2” built into the BIOS. In general, no significant difficulties were found when working with the board, but, as always, there were more than enough minor drawbacks.

At startup, ASUSTeK motherboards show a boot image, which prompts you to enter the BIOS by pressing the "Del" or "F2" keys. However, these are standard features that do not require reminders, and the rest of the keys, individual for different manufacturers, are stubbornly hidden. For example, Asus boards use the F8 key to bring up a menu that allows you to select a startup device for an extraordinary boot. There is information about this in the manual, but the hint would be most appropriate and very useful when starting the board, but for some reason it is traditionally forgotten.

The display of the boot image can be permanently disabled using the appropriate setting in the BIOS or temporarily, only for the current start using the Tab key, but we will not wait for the prompts to appear, but we will see another characteristic drawback. As the startup procedure progresses, the board will display a lot of useful information about the model name, BIOS version, processor name, memory size and frequency, number and type of USB devices, as well as a list of connected drives. However, instead of the actual operating frequency of the AMD A10-7850K processor, the board reports only the nominal one, which is 3700 MHz. In fact, its frequency will increase up to 4 GHz during normal operation, since under load it will be increased by the "Turbo Core" technology.

Modern motherboards start very quickly, but this advantage of ASUSTeK motherboards has turned into another drawback. Only at the first start, such a start speed is used that the user still has the opportunity to enter the BIOS, but subsequent reboots occur so quickly that it is already very difficult to do this and it will not work out on the first try. On some models, you can use the "DirectKey" button, but it is not very convenient, because instead of rebooting and then immediately entering the BIOS, it first turns off the system, after which it must be turned on again, and only then "automatically" will you find yourself in the BIOS. Besides, there is simply no such button on the Asus A88XM-Plus board. Instead of a button, you can use the Asus Boot Setting utility, there are no such comments on its functionality, but the program must be installed first, in addition, it is suitable only for users of Microsoft Windows operating systems. So at the setup stage, the easiest way is to do without buttons and utilities altogether, just disable the “Fast Boot” parameter in the “Boot” section, which works by default, to save yourself from unnecessary difficulties when entering the BIOS.

When operating in the nominal mode, the Asus A88XM-Plus did not cause any problems, but difficulties appeared at the very first attempts to overclock and increase the frequencies. To begin with, a very unpleasant surprise was the unstable operation of the system when using the overclocking profiles of memory modules "X.M.P." In accordance with the data recorded in the profiles, the memory frequency increased and the timings changed, but in this mode the system worked unreliable and could not stand the test of the test programs. It was not difficult to eliminate this drawback, it was enough to slightly increase the operating voltage of the north bridge, but the fact itself is unpleasant, until now I have not encountered such problems. By the way, in the BIOS pictures one could notice that by default the memory on the board for some reason works at a voltage increased to 1.6 V, instead of the nominal 1.5 V for DDR3 modules. Interestingly, this was done on purpose? Is the board really unstable with memory and you need to increase the voltage even in the normal mode, or is it an accidental error in the nominal settings?

Instability when the memory or processor frequency is increased causes “blue screens of death” or system freezes, but it turned out to be difficult to quickly correct incorrect operating parameters. After almost every unscheduled reboot, the board refused to start because it could not detect the boot drive. After a few minutes of inactivity, the Crucial m4 SSD usually returned to work, but sometimes the delay could last several hours. Experimenting under these conditions is simply impossible, but fortunately, the Crucial website found a firmware update for the drive to version 070H, which eliminated the shutdown. Actually, this update appeared more than a year ago, but I did not know about it, since there were no troubles or shutdowns during the operation of the drive.

The problem has been resolved, but you can recall that I have previously encountered a Crucial m4 SSD disconnecting. Do you know when? During last year's tests of the AMD Socket FM2. Of course, this is most likely a drawback of the drive, because with the update of its firmware, the shutdowns stopped. However, it seems very odd that the SSD worked flawlessly for over a year with a wide variety of boards for LGA2011 and LGA1155 processors, but it went offline during testing of Socket FM2 boards. None of the recommended methods were able to bring it back to life, so we had to temporarily replace the drive, but it worked again as soon as we returned to the reviews of motherboards for Intel processors. Again, more than a year of trouble-free work with a variety of motherboards, on different chipsets, for different platforms, but the SSD immediately began to turn off as soon as we started testing AMD Socket FM2 + boards. Coincidence? It is possible, but it does not look random and the constant disconnection of the drive when working with motherboards based on AMD chipsets seems very suspicious.

After fixing the memory and storage problems, the overclocking experiments were straightforward and were quickly completed. The "OC Tuner" option in the BIOS makes it possible to automatically overclock the system, while the processor frequency is increased to 4.1 GHz, and the graphics core to 900 MHz. It is difficult to rejoice at such results, because they are not maximum, and the memory frequency does not increase at all, although it is this that gives a noticeable increase in speed, and practically without increasing the system's power consumption. When manually overclocked without raising the voltage, my AMD A10-7850K processor was capable of running at 4.2 GHz and boosting at 4.4 GHz. The "GPU Boost" option allows you to automatically overclock only the integrated graphics. When choosing the preset overclocking mode "Turbo Mode", the frequency will be increased to 900 MHz when the voltage on the north bridge is increased by 0.1 V, and "Extreme Mode" to 960 MHz with the addition of 0.15 V. I also managed to raise the frequency of the integrated graphics cores up to 960 MHz, limiting ourselves to adding 0.1 V, this turned out to be enough for stable memory operation at a frequency of 2133 MHz.

The animated image captures the achieved results, but there are two points to pay attention to. First of all, the frequency of operation of the north bridge raises questions. In the nominal mode, it drops to 1400 MHz in the absence of load and increases to 1800 MHz when it appears. When overclocked, everything should have remained the same, but usually I only saw a frequency of 1400 MHz, both under load and at rest. A short-term increase to 1800 MHz was observed only during the transition period, when the load only appeared or already disappeared. The frequency of the north bridge has little effect on performance, but the overall system speed is a combination of many individual factors, so developers should pay attention to correctly changing the frequency of the north bridge during overclocking.

The second drawback concerns the operating frequency of the integrated graphics core. In the nominal value, it rises to 720 MHz under load and drops to 350 MHz at rest, but during overclocking this energy-saving technology stops working and the frequency remains constantly increased to 960 MHz, and at the same time the voltage supplied to the graphics core. Later we will see how negatively this drawback affects the power consumption of the system, but for now I will tell you about the peculiarities of the work and overclocking of the Gigabyte motherboard.

Nuances of operation and overclocking of the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H board

The assembly of the test system based on the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H motherboard passed without the slightest difficulty, which is not surprising at all. It is necessary to install the processor, fix its cooling system, add memory modules and connect power to the board. Everything is quick and simple, but the system could not start. The motherboard was tested with an early version of the BIOS, which does not yet support Socket FM2 + processors; an update requires some kind of Socket FM2 processor. This problem is also very familiar to users of AMD platforms. New sets of logic usually appear several months earlier, as a result, after the release of new processors, motherboards are incompatible with them, an old one is required to update the firmware. Especially for such cases, ASUSTeK has developed the "USB BIOS Flashback" technology. It allows you to update the firmware without assembling the system, even without a processor and memory, it is enough to supply power to the board. It should only be noted that the Asus A88XM-Plus motherboard does not support this technology, it’s probably just lucky that this model came to the tests with a relatively new BIOS version that supported Socket FM2 + processors.

For professional computer assemblers and reviewers, getting the right processor for a firmware update for a short time is not a big deal, only time is wasted, but I wonder how ordinary buyers cope with this problem? Do they agree with the store, return the payment or contact the manufacturer's technical support? It should be borne in mind that you will not be able to use the "Q-Flash" utility to update the BIOS built-in utility, you will see a message that the utility is outdated. To update, you must create a bootable USB flash drive yourself and unpack the contents of the downloaded archive with the new BIOS version onto it. After that, at the start of the board, you must press the "F12" key, select the desired flash drive from the proposed list of drives, and everything else will be done automatically. The firmware will be updated not only in the main, but also in the backup BIOS chip, after which the board will be ready to work with the new processors.

At startup, the board shows a familiar boot image, on which, unlike boards from ASUSTeK, they did not forget to recall the full list of active "hot" keys. You can enter the BIOS by pressing the "Del" key; the "F9" key will show a window with system information, the same as when you press this button in the BIOS; "F12" will display the start menu for an extraordinary selection of the boot source; using the “End” key, you can launch the built-in utility for updating the firmware “Q-Flash”.

It is no coincidence that the "Tab" key is missing from the list, which usually removes the start picture. Image output can be disabled in BIOS, but it is useless to do this, since Gigabyte boards do not display any information about the startup procedure. This is a drawback, but not too significant, because modern models of motherboards start up very quickly, you have little time to see. You can additionally speed up the start phase using the "Fast Boot" option in the BIOS.

The latest official firmware version F5 at the time of checking the board turned out to be much more similar to the beta version than the test firmware F6c. When using it, the frequency of the north bridge did not decrease, and the diagnostic utilities could not even determine which board set the memory delays. After updating the firmware to the beta version of F6c, these problems disappeared, new parameters available for adjustment appeared in the BIOS, so we carried out most of the experiments with it and its pictures are given in the chapter about the BIOS capabilities of the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H board.

Unlike the ASUSTeK board, there are no parameters in the BIOS for automatic overclocking of the processor, its graphics core, or memory. There are no other features, like the "GPU Boost" switch, so you will have to carry out all the actions yourself. I was glad that in order to use the profiles of the work "X.M.P." for memory modules, you just need to select the desired profile, no additional voltage increase was required, as it should be. But changing the frequency of the graphics core is very inconvenient, although, unlike the Asus A88XM-Plus board, even with overclocking, the power saving continued to work, and the frequency of the graphics core decreased in the absence of load. The system for changing the graphics frequency has remained exactly the same as it was for Gigabyte Socket FM2 motherboards a year and a half ago, nothing has changed. The BIOS has a “Processor Graphics Clock” parameter that can be set to any value in the range from 300 to 2000 MHz in 1 MHz steps. Everything seems to be fine, but the final value of the frequency will most likely differ from the specified one, and sometimes quite significantly, since it is set discretely, with a variable step. It is very difficult to choose the correct numbers at random, so when overclocking graphics on a Gigabyte board, I used a hint from the BIOS of the Asus board, where changing the frequency of the graphics core is simple and convenient. You don't need to guess anything, the board offers only workable options.

However, these are all flowers, the real problems began when trying to overclock the processor, since it was found that under load its frequency drops to the nominal 3700 MHz or even lower to 3500 MHz, and not only during overclocking, but also when operating in the nominal mode. This drawback has also been known for a long time. AMD processors do not differ in high performance, in order to mask the lag behind a competitor, the manufacturer sets excessively high nominal frequencies for them, at which the processor is not able to work under significant loads. Even AMD processors operating normally are overclocked from the start.

When the system is unable to maintain the specified frequency of the processor, its overclocking is meaningless. It makes no difference which frequency you set, you cannot check the stability, because under load the frequency will be reset. Previously, when overclocking Socket FM2 processors, it was necessary to disable the "Core Performance Boost" technology. In this case, their frequency did not increase above the nominal one, but did not drop below the nominal one either, but this option did not work with the Socket FM2 + processor. The frequency did not rise to 4 GHz turbo mode, but quietly dropped to 3.5 GHz instead of keeping the nominal 3.7 GHz.

To notice the drop, the easiest way is to monitor not the processor multiplier, but the voltage applied to it, since there is a certain relationship between them. At rest, when energy-saving technologies lower the processor frequency to 1700 MHz, the voltage is less than 1 V, and under load, when the Core Performance Boost technology increases the frequency above the nominal 3700 MHz, the voltage rises above 1.3 V. If under load the voltage drops below 1.3 V, then be sure that the frequency also dropped to the nominal or even less. After a while, the diagnostic utility will register this decrease, the voltage change allows you to control the frequency drop more quickly.

After a series of experiments, having spent some more time, we managed to find out that a drop in frequency under load can still be prevented by turning off the APM (Application Power Management) parameter in the BIOS. It seems that everything, now the problem is solved, now you can safely start overclocking. We succeeded in getting started, but it did not give any results. I checked the stability using the Prime95 utility, and its calculations are cyclical. The first stage ends in about 15 minutes, after which the next one begins - this was exactly the length of time that the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H motherboard could work when overclocking the processor. Most often after 15-20 minutes, very rarely after half an hour, but the test invariably ended with an error or even led to a spontaneous reboot, after which the board was usually unable to start on its own.

Dozens, maybe hundreds of fifteen-minute tests lasted for several days. Many different settings changes, different combinations of parameters, frequencies and voltages - all to no avail. The board was tested only at the nominal processor frequency of 3700 MHz, it was impossible to raise it up to 3800. For testing, I even returned to BIOS F5 version, but it is almost inoperable, when using it, it was impossible to avoid a drop in frequency at all, and after returning to F6c, I had to remove the battery to return the board to normal functionality. For several agonizingly long days, it was hard to believe that the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H motherboard is not able to overclock the processor, but it was not so difficult to make sure of this. It was necessary to replace the board with another model, also made by Gigabyte, its review should appear on our website later. Another board easily coped with the first careful attempt to overclock the processor to 4.2 GHz, after which it was possible to confirm its ability to overclock this sample to 4.4 GHz. It is very sad that our sample of the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H motherboard cannot overclock processors normally while maintaining the set frequency. As a result, performance tests had to be carried out without disabling the APM parameter, that is, under load, the frequency increased to 4.4 GHz dropped to the nominal 3.7 GHz or even lower, but this was the only way to pass the test in test programs.

Performance comparison

We traditionally compare motherboards in terms of speed in two modes - when the system is operating under nominal conditions, and also during overclocking. The first option is interesting from the point of view, which allows you to find out how well the motherboards work with the default parameters. It is known that a significant part of users are not engaged in fine-tuning the system, they only set in the BIOS standard values ​​of the parameters, which are not optimal, but do not change anything else. So we first measure the speed of systems in programs for various purposes and in computer games, almost without interfering with the default settings set by the boards. The results in the charts are sorted by performance level.

In the Cinebench 15 photorealistic 3D rendering speed test, we run the CPU tests five times and average the results.

The Fritz Chess Benchmark utility has been used in tests for a very long time and has proven itself to be excellent. It produces well-repeatable results, performance scales well depending on the number of computational threads used.

The x264 FHD Benchmark v1.0.1 (64bit) test allows you to evaluate the system performance in terms of video encoding speed in comparison with the results available in the database. Unlike the original program with the encoder version r2106, the executable libraries have been updated to version r2334. The average results of five passes are shown in the diagram.

We measure performance in Adobe Photoshop CC using our own test, which is a creatively reworked Retouch Artists Photoshop Speed ​​Test that includes typical processing of four 24-megapixel images captured by a digital camera.

The popular archiver WinRAR 5.10 Beta 3 has its own built-in performance test, which we used for the first time, and averaged the results obtained.

Computer game Metro: Last Light is very beautiful, but it depends heavily on the performance of the video card. When using the graphics core integrated into the processor, we had to set the minimum quality settings “Low Quality” and reduce the resolution to 1366x768. The diagram shows the results of passing the built-in test five times.

F1 2013 races are much less demanding on the computer's graphics subsystem. At 1920x1080, we set all settings close to the maximum, choosing the "High Quality" mode, although all additional image enhancement features had to be turned off. The built-in test is run five times and the results are averaged.

The new version of Thief did not receive high marks, but the graphics are very high quality, there is a built-in performance test, and in addition, you can use AMD Mantle technology. In addition to lowering the resolution, we had to set the lowest quality settings “Very Low Quality”, but the speed still leaves much to be desired.

In all tests, the Asus A88XM-Plus motherboard outperforms its rival, sometimes slightly, but sometimes very noticeably. Apparently, the lag of the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H motherboard is caused not so much by the fact that it drops the frequency more under load, but by the fact that it reluctantly increases it. In order for the processor on a Gigabyte board to increase the frequency of the processor from 3.7 to 4.0 GHz more often according to the "Core Performance Boost" technology, the "Turbo Performance Boost Ratio" parameter should be enabled, but it is disabled with the nominal settings.

Now let's see what results the systems will demonstrate when increasing the frequencies of the processor, graphics core and memory. On the Asus A88XM-Plus, the processor was overclocked to 4.4 GHz, the graphics core worked at 960 MHz, and the memory frequency was raised to 2133 MHz at 9-11-11-31-2N timings according to the "X.M.P." profile. It is only necessary to clarify that the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H model is able to provide only a similar increase in graphics and memory frequencies, but it is not capable of overclocking the processor. We set the exact same processor frequency of 4.4 GHz as on the ASUSTeK board, but under load it dropped to the nominal 3.7 GHz or even lower.

The result is predictable - the board from ASUSTeK is naturally always ahead of its competitor, which is noticeably slower due to the frequency drop under load in all tests, except for one. In the WinRAR 5.10 Beta 3 test, the speed of the systems is almost the same, but the Gigabyte board is even slightly faster. It seems that the built-in test in this archiving program is inadequate if it tries to deny the obvious. In the future, you will have to abandon its use and find a replacement.

Energy consumption measurements

Energy consumption of systems during operation in nominal mode and during overclocking is measured using the Extech Power Analyzer 380803. The device is switched on in front of the computer's power supply, that is, it measures the consumption of the entire system "from the outlet", excluding the monitor, but including losses in the power supply itself. When measuring consumption at rest, the system is idle, we are waiting for the complete cessation of post-start activity and the absence of calls to the drive. The results in the charts are sorted as consumption increases.

The first comparison diagram shows that the power consumption of the motherboards in the absence of a load is almost the same, but the model from Gigabyte is slightly more economical. Further, the gap between the boards even grows, but from an advantage it turns into a disadvantage of the Gigabyte board. If only the processor is loaded with work or if a complex load is provided, as in games, when the integrated graphics are used simultaneously with the processor cores, the Gigabyte board does not raise the processor frequency so much using the Core Performance Boost technology, but the frequency drop was observed repeatedly. In the previous chapter of the article, when comparing motherboards with nominal settings, the model of ASUSTeK is always ahead, the economy of the Gigabyte motherboard is provided due to the performance, which is not too much for the Socket FM2 + platform.

Now is the time to check the power consumption of systems when overclocking and increasing the frequencies of the processor, integrated graphics core and memory. The diagram clearly illustrates how negatively the Asus motherboard is affected by its inability to reduce the frequency and voltage supplied to the graphics core during overclocking and no load. The consumption of the Gigabyte motherboard has increased insignificantly compared to the nominal settings, and the ASUSTeK motherboards are very noticeable. If earlier the difference between systems at rest was almost invisible, now it has increased significantly.

In processor tests and under complex load, the Gigabyte board is still more economical, but now it is no longer possible to determine exactly what is the reason for its advantage. Only partly by the initial efficiency, the board of ASUSTeK is wasting a few extra watts in vain due to failure during overclocking of energy-saving technologies related to the graphics core. The remaining and, probably, the main difference is explained by the fact that under load the Gigabyte board drops the processor frequency to the nominal or even lower, and at the same time the voltage decreases. As a result, it is noticeably slower than the Asus motherboard, so in this case the lower power consumption is a drawback of the Gigabyte motherboard, not an advantage.

The power consumption figures for Socket FM2 + systems during overclocking are especially depressing. Thief is a recent game, so it was not previously used in tests, but for comparison, you can look at the power consumption of LGA1150 systems under load in the form of the Fritz Chess Benchmark utility in previous reviews. Despite the presence of an external video card, it turns out that the power consumption of the platforms is quite comparable, but the performance of the Intel Core i5-4670K processor overclocked to 4.5 GHz is almost twice as high.

Afterword

This is not the first time when choosing two seemingly identical motherboards, with a similar set of technical characteristics, with a similar price, they turn out to be incomparable. The Asus A88XM-Plus mainboard operates normally in the nominal mode, easily overclocks the processors, so it looks better than its rival. At the same time, the model is far from ideal; many different flaws can be reproached for it. We are talking even about disadvantages that are not typical for ASUSTeK boards, such as inaccurate information about the processor frequency on the start screen, an uncomfortable BIOS structure, or disabling the boot image that is not remembered in the settings profiles, on which, by the way, there is still no complete list of active ones " hot keys. I didn’t like the unstable operation of the board when choosing the "X.M.P." However, on the whole, apart from some troubles, working with the board did not cause significant problems. Its set of features is sufficient, the BIOS looks modern and has a large number of parameters for customization, the impression of the Asus A88XM-Plus board remains purely positive, in contrast to its rival.

Despite the similar technical characteristics, the set of BIOS capabilities of the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H board is much more modest - there are no possibilities for automatic overclocking of the processor or memory, you cannot reduce the voltage. In addition, the BIOS did not acquire the most relevant modern possibilities for customizing the appearance, the system for changing the frequency of the graphics core remained very inconvenient, and even one of the features characteristic of the company's boards was lost - the ability to adjust the rotational speed of three-pin processor fans. However, all minor shortcomings pale before the main one - the board is not capable of overclocking processors. The verdict would be fatal for any other model, but let's remember that we are talking about Socket FM2 +, and therefore not everything is lost. In general, I think that there is no need to overclock Socket FM2 + processors and their graphics cores. During tests of motherboards, processors are overclocked only in order to provide maximum load, to reveal differences that are not visible during operation in nominal mode. No overclocking of processor cores can achieve the level of performance that competing Intel processors provide, and overclocking of an integrated graphics core cannot replace an external graphics card, even a mid-range one. The increase in performance is noticeable, but overclocking does not fundamentally change the processors, but it greatly increases the already considerable power consumption. Overclocking Socket FM2 + processors is economically and environmentally unprofitable, but an increase in the memory frequency has a very noticeable effect on speed, but at the same time has almost no effect on power consumption. Meanwhile, there were no complaints about memory overclocking on the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H board, it copes with this task calmly. Thus, this model can be fully used, if you do not impose unbearable requirements for it, if you limit yourself to increasing the memory frequency.

The Socket FM2 + platform as a whole has remained the same - it is a niche offer for those who want to play, but do not have the finances to purchase a discrete video card. When you want to be able to try out all modern games, you cannot do without an external video card, if you are not interested in games, then a platform with an Intel processor will be faster and more economical. The Socket FM2 + platform allows you to save money when buying, refuse to purchase a discrete video card, although you will have to pay for a minute's frugality constantly, limiting yourself in speed and quality, in the pleasure of games. Nevertheless, the graphics built into Socket FM2 + processors still allow you to play, just make no mistake, soberly assess your needs, because appetite comes with eating. It is very likely that the speed level, which is high by the standards of integrated graphics, but incomparable with an external card and insufficient for many games, will soon cease to suit you. Do not reassure yourself that, if necessary, you can later purchase and install a discrete video card for Socket FM2 +. It is better to immediately find an opportunity to purchase an Intel platform with a graphics card, you will get more bang for your buck.

The Socket FM2 + platform did not leave a good impression also because nothing new was discovered, we have seen almost everything before. I outlined my attitude towards AMD APUs in the review “ FM2 platform - Gigabyte GA-F2A85X-UP4 board and AMD A10-5800K processor", A year and a half has passed, but since then there has been no reason to change my mind. It seems to be new sets of logic, but their characteristics do not differ from the previous ones. New motherboards, but they are also incompatible with new processors prior to the firmware update. Old problems with a drive failure, with a reset of the processor frequency even when operating in nominal mode, low system speed, but high power consumption. Kaveri processors are undeniably new, but the increased power of the graphics core, combined with the decreased frequency of the processor cores, adds up to about the same level of performance as before. Only in some applications are new processors faster than old ones, often even slower and still very far from competitors, and their price has even increased. So there is no point in arguing whether the processors turned out to be revolutionary, as AMD itself believes, or evolutionary, as independent reviewers believe. When nothing changes except the names, then this is not a revolution or even evolution - it is stagnation.

In our lab, we have already reviewed motherboards based on the AMD A88X system logic set, but these were advanced solutions from manufacturers. It is clear that, for example, ASRock Fatal1ty F2A88X + Killer and Biostar Hi-Fi A88W 3D will evoke different emotions and they are incomparable, but within the product lines of manufacturers they are precisely the most advanced ones. But with reviews of lower-end motherboards it is a little more difficult: their price is not high and each individually is not in good demand, here the volumes are made up of the number of models.

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Low demand for each of the models separately leads to the fact that vendors sometimes do not even bring samples and do not provide them for writing reviews. In addition, Russian representative offices of foreign manufacturers are often within certain quotas and “select” these quotas by ordering flagship solutions. Most often, it turns out that there are only literally two or three samples of budget class models available, which are almost always on tests at some domestic assembler of ready-made computers. Moreover, the samples very often refer to those models that are unlikely to arouse any interest for an ordinary user who is interested in self-assembly of his computer.

The same low demand explains the fact that various Internet publications are practically not interested in dealing with them: not only are there no samples from vendors, low demand for certain models also leads to low interest from readers, which in turn leads to a small number transitions to views of specific models. But such a fee can often be "obtained" by purchasing it at retail, then the author spends time testing, in the end, he needs to pay a fee for the written article, and the final "exhaust" in the form of increased interest of readers and attendance of the review is not even close justifies the investment.

It turns out to be a vicious circle with a circular disadvantage of reviews, from which breakthroughs sometimes occur: in those cases when the Russian representative office of a company receives an "order from above" for more active promotion and it is accompanied by a stack of samples for tests. This is where the work begins ...

Among the reviews I receive, I have repeatedly met requests to try to "fit" several motherboards from different manufacturers in one review at once on the same set of system logic and approximately the same cost.

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Several models in one material is also an opportunity to compare them directly and immediately. At the same time, such a comprehensive review will also lead to an increase in the flow of "arrivals" from search engines, as a result, the situation with a small number of interested parties becomes less acute. And thanks to cooperation with the company "Regard" the problem of "extraction" of samples becomes less urgent.

A bit of lyrics

After some thought and analysis of price lists, I selected three motherboards based on AMD A88X, related to the budget segment: ASUS A88XM-A, Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-HD3 and MSI A88XM-E35.

Yes, the models are not the newest (ASUS and Gigabyte - August 2013; MSI - November 2013), but they can be expected to cure "childhood diseases" both at the microcode level and at the level of the element base.

The price for these motherboards as a whole is in the range of 2100-2200 rubles. In particular, in the price list of the Regard company (at the time they were issued to me), the first cost 2,150 rubles, the second - 2,140 rubles, and the third - a little over a hundred rubles cheaper - 2020 rubles. For Yandex.Market, the price spread was even smaller.

System logic set AMD A88X codenamed "Bolton-D4".

Although it is listed as new, there are almost no differences from, say, A85X ("Hudson-D4"): the same eight SATA, the same number of USB (two 1.1, ten 2.0, four 3.0), the same four PCI-E 2.0 for additional expansion slots, or connecting controllers. Even the process technology is the same: 65 nm. But AMD says there are still differences: it indicates the emergence of support for PCI-E 3.0.

However, the logic is actually strange: the processor, not the chipset, is responsible for PCI-E support in platforms for Socket FM2 / FM2 +. And the PCI-E lanes, supported by AMD A88X itself, remained in the second version. It is quite obvious that in fact we are facing the same A85X with minor improvements that ordinary users will never notice (for example, USB 3.0 xHCI has grown from version 0.96 to 1.0). Small optimizations and improvements to the crystal, change of the "nameplate" and now - we have a new product in front of us.

Specifications

To begin with, I will give a table of technical characteristics, where differences in specifications will be highlighted in bold (photographs in the table are clickable, when clicked, a full-size photograph will open).