Gigabyte GA-EX58 Extreme - Living Review

Clunk · #1 02-01-2009, 01:01

Gigabyte GA-EX58-EXTREME Core i7 Motherboard On Test.

We have Gigabyte's GA-EX58-EXTREME Core i7 motherboard to put through its paces today. Gigabyte have kindly sent us a pre production sample (Rev 1.0), which we are told is identical to the mass production units apart from the colours of the various slots and sockets.

As the board isn't a full retail kit, there are no accessories or extras to look at, it's just a bare board, extreme cooling system and an SLI/Crossfire bridge.

Over the last few months we have seen a variety of propaganda from the big board manufacturers with each of them listing the other's shortcomings. Competition appears to have driven up the various board specs, but at the same time, prices have rocketed, with some retailers selling certain boards for up to £340 and Core i7 CPUs starting at around £270 - Factor in a triple channel kit and you are looking at not much change from a grand, so is the upgrade worth the money? How do Core i7 and X58 perform? Read on to find out...

Index

1. Intro & Index
2. Official Specs & Info
3. A Closer Look At The Gigabyte GA-EX58 EXTREME
4. The Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2 fitted
5. Gigabyte GA-X58-EXTREME - Other Features
6. BIOS - MB Intelligent Tweaker (M.I.T.)
7. BIOS - MB Intelligent Tweaker (M.I.T.) - Part 2
8. Voltage Measuring Points
9. Test Set Up & First Tests
10. Initial Thoughts & Observations
11. BIOS Template
12. More Tests On The Way...

Clunk · #2 02-01-2009, 01:04

Official Specs And Info.

Intel's Next Generation Core™ i7

"The recent launch of Intel® Core™ i7 (code name Nehalem) processors and the Intel® X58 Express chipset brings a brand new evolution to computing architecture and delivers an amazing performance break through from past processor generations. This has been made possible by the new micro-architecture, with integrated memory controller inside the processor die and three channel DDR3, promising higher memory bandwidth and lower latency. Quick Path Interconnect, known as QPI, replaces the Front-Side Bus and eliminates the communication bottleneck between the processor and chipset. This new inter-processor and processor-chipset interconnect will allow for seamless integration and connection of processor with the chipset."

GIGABYTE GA-EX58-EXTREME

"The GA-EX58-EXTREME was designed from the ground up to unleash the awesome power of the new Intel® Core™ i7 processors. With a significant communication bandwidth increase of 1600MHz between the processor and chipset, 50% memory bandwidth enhancement and featuring extensive overclocking capabilities, the GIGABYTE EXTREME overclocking motherboard delivers the highest level of performance computing you've been waiting for."

"Just when you thought 2 PCI-E x16 was good enough, GIGABTYE delivers 3. The GIGABYTE GA-EX58-EXTREME motherboard features 3 PCIe x16 Gen2.0 slots with support for both 3 way ATI CrossFireX™ and 3 way NVIDIA SLI™, enabling powerful graphics configurations for extreme multi-GPU gaming."

"Breaking overclock records is what the GIGABYTE EXTREME motherboard is all about, with friendly overclocking features such as Precision OV (Hardware Overvoltage Control IC), Debug LED and onboard clear CMOS switches. Additionally, the GIGABYTE GA-EX58-EXTREME motherboard features comprehensive BIOS options for reaching higher limits with more detailed settings, including CPU frequency stepping, Over Voltage increments, memory multipliers and advanced memory timing controls, making it easier than ever to tweak the highest levels of extreme overclocking performance from your system."

"The GIGABYTE GA-EX58-EXTREME motherboard now features the revolutionary new GIGABYTE Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2, a fusion thermal solution that combines GIGABYTE's proprietary screen cooling technology, external heat sink and liquid cooling with chipset water block to deliver maximum thermal performance. Add in the highest quality sound performance with the Dolby Home Theater technology suite, and the GIGABYTE GA-EX58-EXTREME motherboard makes for one ultimate extreme system. Whether overclocking or gaming, you can be sure your system was built for the extremes."

"In addition, doubling the amount of copper lowers the PCB impedance by 50%. Impedance is a measure of how much the circuit impedes the flow of current. The less the flow of current is impeded, the less amount of energy is wasted. For GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 motherboards, this means total PCB electrical waste is reduced by 50%, which also means less heat is generated. 2 ounces of copper also provides improved signal quality, providing better system stability and allowing greater margins for overclocking."

Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2.

"Hybrid Silent pipe 2 is a fusion thermal solution that combines liquid cooling, screen cooling and external heat sink to deliver unequalled heat conductivity. Hybrid SILENT-PIPE 2 is able to provide 30% cooler
thermal performance (Under Liquid cooling environment).

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

Other Features:

Next, a closer look at the Gigabyte GA-EX58 EXTREME...

Clunk · #3 02-01-2009, 01:07

A Closer Look At The Gigabyte GA-EX58 EXTREME.

The first thing that struck me about the EX58 is the sheer weight of it - It is without any shadow of a doubt, the heaviest motherboard I've ever encountered, and that was before it had the Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2 bolted to it!

The weight is largely down to Gigabyte's new Ultra Durable 3 technology - UD3 is Gigabyte's collective name for their motherboard innovations which feature Ferrite Core Chokes, Power efficient mosfets, high quality Japanese aluminium capacitors and an eight layer PCB which incorporates 2 ounces of pure copper in the form of four layers - this copper helps to disperse heat and apparently adds to the overall performance and reliability.

Let's take a look round the EX58 and see what we have.

At this point, I should mention the rather garish slots and sockets - typical of the Gigabyte species, but they do appear to have listened to their customer's gripes and the retail version has been toned down somewhat, so please keep that in mind when viewing these images.

In the first shot, I've removed the main heatpipe assembly so the board is clearly visible.

To the left we have the PCI-E and PCI slots - there are Three 16x physical PCI-E Gen 2 slots and two of those run at 16x while the third runs at 8x. All the PCI-E slots have double spacing, this will mean that

There's a 1x PCI-E slot and a 4x PCI-E slot as well as two PCI slots and a floppy connector.

To the right of the slots is the CPU socket area and I/O panel. The CPU socket area looks quite busy with lots of capacitors surrounding it, this will make it more difficult to insulate for sub zero cooling.

The clutter is largely due to the rather beefy 12 Phase analog PWMs and their accompanying capacitors.

Click image for full size.

Next, The Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2 fitted...

Clunk · #4 02-01-2009, 01:09

The Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2 fitted.

The GA-EX58 EXTREME features Gigabyte's proprietary cooling system the Hybrid Silent-Pipe 2. The original Hybrid Silent-Pipe was a lavish copper beastie whereas the new version is constructed from aluminium with nickel plated heatpipes and water block (more on those further down).

Click image for full size.

As you can see, the Hybrid 2 occupies a PCI/PCI-E slot on the back of your case - it doesn't interfere with any of the boards slots though.

One thing I noticed when fitting the Hybrid 2 was that the pre fitted water block needed to be removed before it would fit, or at the very least it needed to be turned 90 degrees so that everything would slot into place.

Click image for full size.

This side view shows that the Hybrid 2 stops just short of the memory slots so no problems there.

Click image for full size.

The sides are finished with blue anodised aluminium panels sporting the Extreme logo and the left hand side of the Hybrid 2 is treated to a shiny finish - looks great actually.

Click image for full size.

This is where the Hybrid 2 connects to the existing heatpipe assembly - Just four screws hold it in place.

Side view.

Looking round the other side, we have a full cover blue anodised aluminium panel and a smaller one on the left covering the ends of the heat pipes. One of the PWM heatsinks is treated to the same kind of blue cover.

Here we have the rear of the board and you can see the fins that allow the hot air to be vented through the back of the Hybrid 2 and out of your case.

While we are here, let's take a quick look at what we have on the I/O panel.

Ps2 keyboard
ps2 mouse
Audio Coaxial Digital Out
Audio Optical Digital Out
Firewire
Clear CMOS Button
8x USB 2
Dual Gigabit LAN (2 GBit Via Teaming)
5.1 Analog Outs

Click image for full size.

In this shot, we can see the flat area where the stock waterblock was, the surface is nice and flat, although it's not a quite a polished finish. You could easily add your own block or alternative air cooling if you felt the need.

Click image for full size.

Here we have the stock water block I removed earlier. It appears to be constructed from nickel plated copper (with a nice black tint) and has 3/8" barbs - I won't be using this in my tests as I don't have any 3/8" gear.

The base of the block is the same tinted nickel plated finish as above - Quite shiny and flat - Overall, the block looks to be nicely made, I just feel it's a shame they didn't allow for the fixing of different sized barbs.

Clunk · #5 02-01-2009, 01:12

Gigabyte GA-EX58-EXTREME - Other Features.

There's not an awful lot to see at the back of the board apart from this socket 1366 CPU backplate - This looks to be made from aluminium and appears to have a few obvious uses, it holds the CPU socket in place, it protects the resistors directly under the socket and I would think that it will also act as a heatsink for the underside of the CPU. It seems to be a standard issue item for X58 boards, I just feel it's a shame they didn't make a full backplate that includes the mounting holes for the cooler as well.

Here we have a close up of the X58 chipset, also known as the IOH (In/Out Hub) controller - No IHS, so be careful when fitting those after market coolers!
Also, keep in mind that the memory controller no longer lives here and is now situated directly on the CPU and that frees up the IOH to more efficiently process other tasks (see chart below).

As you can see from the chart, what used to be the North Bridge is now the IOH (In/Out hub) and that has two primary functions, the first is to connect the PCI-E bus to the processor and there are 36 lanes available (each at 500MB/sec) in a variety of configurations - the most common is going to be 16x/16/4x and that will allow for SLI/Crossfire and maybe a Physics card, although it should be noted that other, on-board features such as the hardware RAID and LAN teaming will eat into this bandwidth.

The second of the primary functions of the IOH is to connect the South Bridge (ICH10R) to the CPU at speeds of up to 2GB/sec.

There are twelve possible USB 2 connections which feature dual EHCI which should mean that the twelve USB 2 connections should be split between the two EHCI controllers giving around 480 MB/sec to each set of six.

There are six PCI-E x1 lanes available as well as dual gigabit LAN.

We also have Intel's tried and tested High Definition Audio, 6 SATA 2 ports, Intel Matrix Storage Technology (RAID) and Intel's Turbo Memory feature with user pinning.

The main link between the IOH and the processor is now called the QPI which is Intel's Quick Path Interconnect Architechture and that will transfer data at a massive 25.6GB/sec.

Another groundbreaking feature of QPI is that each processor now has it's own dedicated scalable memory instead of competing for it via the FSB and memory controller. Should the processor need to access the memory of one of the other processors, it can access it directly via the QPI bus resulting in much less bottlenecking and faster number crunching.

A whopping 10 SATA II slots - Six of the slots plug into the ICH10R and the remaining four plug into a pair of Jmicron controllers which will allow Hardware RAID modes 0 & 1. This is an interesting approach by Gigabyte, although I would have liked to have seen at least RAID 5 thrown into the mix to make it a bit more useful.

The EX58-Extreme features six memory slots which means you can run triple channel memory using three or six DIMMs. You can also run standard double channel if you like, or even single channel if you're feeling really old school

There's also the opportunity to run DIMMs that have different timings, although how well this will work in practice is another matter.

Directly below the memory slots in the pic below, you can see the on board power switch and then just below that is a much smaller reset switch.

The placement of these switches looks odd at first, but most people that will be using these will be doing so without a case so accessibility isn't a problem really.

Along the lower part of this photo, there are a number of LEDs, these are to indicate the amount of phases being used and we will have a closer look at these later in the review.

Next, the BIOS...

Clunk · #6 02-01-2009, 01:14

Gigabyte GA-EX58-EXTREME BIOS - MB Intelligent Tweaker (M.I.T.).

The familiar Gigabyte MB Intelligent Tweaker BIOS is present and the main screen is actually three screens high with all the commonly used settings on display.

Main Screen - Top.

Main Screen - Middle.

Main Screen - Bottom.

As with most BIOSes, there are small sub menus to enter the desired numeric values.

CPU Clock Ratio.

Advanced CPU Features.

Here we have all the CPU specific settings for power saving, multi, virtualisation and Turbo.

Moving further down we have:

QPI Link Speed.

Uncore & QPI Features.

QPI Link Speed.

Uncore Frequency.

Isochronous Support.

Base Clock (BCLK) Control.

Base Clock BCLK Frequency (MHz).

Advanced Clock Control.

PCI Express Frequency (MHz).

C.I.A.2

CPU Clock Drive.

PCI Express Clock Drive.

Clunk · #7 02-01-2009, 01:15

Gigabyte GA-EX58-EXTREME BIOS - MB Intelligent Tweaker (M.I.T.) - Part 2.

CPU Clock Skew.

IOH Clock Skew.

Performance Enhance.

System Memory Multiplier (SPD).

DRAM Timing Selectable (SPD).

With the above setting set to manual, the following memory settings become available from the main M.I.T screen.

Advanced DRAM Features.

Channel A Timing Settings.

Another impressive feature is that you can set the memory timings for each channel individually - this is perfect if you want to use some mis-matched sets of DDR3 for triple channel.

Channel A Turnaround Settings.

Channel B Timing Settings.

Channel B Turnaround Settings.

Channel C Timing Settings.

Channel C Turnaround Settings.

CPU Vcore.

QPI/VTT Voltage.

IOH Core.

DRAM Voltage.

Advanced Voltage Control.

Save CMOS Settings As.

There are eight banks to save your settings in - a nice touch.

Next, the voltage measuring points...

Clunk · #8 02-01-2009, 01:17

Gigabyte GA-EX58-EXTREME Voltage Measuring Points.

Here are the most common voltage measuring points for the more advanced user.

Please do not go poking around with a DMM unless you know what you are doing, you can easily damage or kill your board if you do it wrong and I take no responsibility for any damage as a result of using these images.

VDIMM.

Vcore.

DRAM Termination Voltage.

ICH Core Voltage.

ICH I/O Voltage.

CPU PLL Voltage.

PCI-E Voltage.

QPI PLL Voltage.

QPI VTT Voltage.

Channel A Address VREF.
Channel B Address VREF.
Channel C Address VREF.

Channel A Data VREF.
Channel B Data VREF.
Channel C Data VREF.

Thanks to Gigabyte for the info.

Next, test set up and testing...

Clunk · #9 02-01-2009, 01:19

Test Set Up & First Tests.

The test bed is as follows:

Gigabyte GA-EX58-EXTREME
Intel Core i7 920 Retail - Water Cooled/Thermochill PA120.2/DDC 18v/Petras Top/Modded D-Tek Fuzion block.
Corsair Dominator 3x2GB 8-8-8-20 1600MHz Kit
Gainward 8800GT
Raptor 74GB
Lian-Li Silent Force 850W/Corsair HX620W

What we are looking for today is how well we can overclock the CPU and memory.

I'll start with some fairly simple overclocks and then later we can get to the more meaty stuff.

As always, I will provide settings, screenies and information as we go.

Gigabyte supply their latest version of Easy Tune and it gives three presets of 2.8GHz, 30GHz and 3.2GHz and it works really well, so for absolute beginners, you should check that out and get a feel for things first - We aren't going to use Easy Tune, we are going to start where easy tune's presets stop.

I'm also going to leave all the power saving settings on for now as I want to check out how much power it draws from the wall at idle and under load. One problem I found when leaving the power settings on is that it needs some load so you can do the screen grab, or the overclock looks much lower, so I ran prime in the background while I took the grab. Similarly, CPU-Z will only validate the lower power figure and not the actual overclock unless you turn all the power saving features off. Hopefully they can fix that soon.

First up, 3360MHz.

3360MHz - 21x160 - 1.32v -1280MHz RAM - 8-8-8-20 1T

3570MHz - 21x170 - 1.328v - 1360MHz RAM - 9-9-9-24 1T

While testing the CPU, I decided to loosen the memory timings, I will tighten them again once I've found the CPU's max.

3780MHz - 21x180 - 1.33v - 1440MHz RAM - 9-9-9-24 1T

Note: CPU-Z is reporting 1.31v, but it was actually 1.33v set in the BIOS - Maybe an update is needed.

Nuclearus Multi Core Benchmark V2.0.0.

3989MHz - 21x190 - 1.35v - 1520MHz RAM - 9-9-9-24 1T

CPU-Z read the Vcore wrong again - I have a feeling this could be down to the power saving functions.

Nuclearus Multi Core Benchmark V2.0.0.

More on the way...

Clunk · #10 02-01-2009, 01:21

Initial Thoughts & Observations.

Having used the board for a while, I've started to get to grips with it's traits and quirks.

Overclock recovery isn't working properly at the moment and I'm using the F4e BIOS, which is dated 27/11/08 - If I set a divider that the board doesn't like, the board goes into a continuous stop start cycle and requires a CMOS clear to fix it, so any overclocking needs to be a little bit gentle at the moment to avoid the CMOS clear of death

Another slightly irksome "feature" is the length of time it takes between hitting the on switch and the board actually firing up. It seems to scroll through a load of numbers on the LED poster for at least 30 seconds, sometimes more before there is any activity on the screen.

There is a problem with the pink memory slots (Blue on the retail board) being populated for triple channel - the board will simply not post with any memory in those three slots, however if the other slots are used as well, all is fine - strange.

Update: Apparently this is normal behaviour for this board, but I'll leave this info in as it will probably catch many people out!

The M.I.T. layout needs a little bit of a rethink. Currently, there is a main page of settings and then several sub pages and sub-sub pages. Many of the pages have the same settings as on the front page, so I would prefer either a single, long page with more items on and smaller sub pages, or maybe sectioning off all the voltages into one page and all the timings into another rather than have several cluttered pages.

Easy Tune 6 would not start on my Vista x64 install. I contacted Gigabyte and they sent me a newer version which fixed the problem, but don't upgrade the old version, completely uninstall it, reboot and then install the new one, reboot again and make sure you don't have anything blocking the ET6 from starting with the O/S - Windows firewall was blocking it on mine.

Other than the above problems, the board is really nice to work with and the BIOS has an absolute boat load of voltage settings from the key voltages to the more obscure ones and I was pleased to see that there are some really fine incremental settings for many of the voltages - enough to please most people.