Choppin32 Tech

Aaah this is the examination which has been the prolonged time entrance for sure. Uber high-end P55 MSI motherboards, initial there was the MSI P55 GD80. A tip notch, P55 motherboardfrom MSI. Then MSI upped the ante the little, as good as stretched as good as remade their P55 GD80 pattern towards the Big Bang series. The initial product expelled in the Big Bang array was the ‘Trinergy’. The motherboard is an modernized P55 motherboard formed off which GD80 — nonetheless right away with some-more facilities as good as an NF200 overpass thinly slice to move along the small some-more many indispensable PCIe bandwidth for multi-GPU solutions.

But MSI had nonetheless an the single some-more motherboard lined up in the Big Bang array ready as good as watchful for you. It’s called the ‘Fuzion’ as good as comes with which many discussed Lucid Hydra 200 chip.

Now the large understanding about the Big Bang mainboard is which the house has which Lucid Hydra 200 thinly slice which allows it to await mixed video cards of opposite brands as good as models during once. This in speculation would concede we to get the the single some-more opening from your aged video label as good as your brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new label even if the single is NVIDIA as good as the alternative is ATI. The Hydra 200 is the real-time distributed estimate engine which acts as an smart graphics bucket balancer.

• MSI Big Bang Fuzion = with the Lucid Hydra thinly slice (allows blending graphics cards) this motherboard has been behind to Q1 2010.
• MSI Big Bang Trinergy = with NVIDIA NF200 thinly slice (adds the single some-more PCIe lanes to the motherboard) as good as to illustrate is 3-way SLI ready.

So let me put it simply: The initial Big Bang branded mainboard, Trinergy is written with high-end technologies together with nVidia nForce 200 SLI technology, Quantum Wave audio estimate with the ultimate THX TruStudio Personal Computer as good as Creative EAX ADVANCED HD 5.0. The second one, the Fuzion, is ideally the same motherboard which uses an Intel P55 height house as good as the Lucid HYDRA thinly slice which adds await for opposite brands as good as models of GPUs in the same system.

The indeed endless underline set and the fact that the Hydra thinly slice does need we to puncture low in your wallet, equates to we can pattern a sales cost of the large €329 / 389 USD, nonetheless postulated this is the single sharp motherboard to dope around with alright.

Let’s conduct upon over to the subsequent page where we’ll begin up this review.

Alright lads, confront the MSI Big Bang Fuzion

You’ve been equates to to clarity by right away which this motherboard is formed off the high-end P55-GD80 indication (ready for LGA 1156 Core i3/i5/i7 processors). The Big Bang Fuzion motherboard comes with the dim as good as immorality black PCB pattern with the cooling element which facilities SuperPipe record (passive). Much identical to the small sister the house boasts Dr MOS as good as APS (Active Phase Switching).

We again mark the accessible OC Genie overclocking duty and, as staid upon the prior page, the Lucid Hydra 200 thinly slice has right away been embedded upon condition which not usually sixteen the single some-more PCIe lanes nonetheless adds the capacity to brew as good as compare opposite graphics cards.

The MSI Big Bang Fuzion comes versed with 4 mental recall slots rated during even DDR3-2133 (overclocked) as good as 3 PCI-Express x16 slots which to illustrate yield 3-way SLI as good as CrossFireX support. You’ll scarcely get mislaid counting nonetheless you’ll get 10 SATA II ports as good as afterwards an the single some-more two eSATA ports. Obviously the house comes with twin Gigabit Ethernet as good as the alternative GD80 facilities identical to V-Check points, Power, Reset, Green Power as good as Clear CMOS buttons, as good as the FireWire connector.

To element the house even serve the Big Bang Fuzion comes bundled with the PCIe x1 Quantum Wave audio label which supports THX TruStudio PC as good as Creative EAX Advanced HD 5.0. Also we will mark an OC Dashboard (external) carry out pod device which enables users to do the small quick, on-the-fly overclocking with the hold of the integrate of buttons.

The motherboard comes with the 14-phase appetite circuit with customary solid-state capacitors. This house has the lot of overclock accessible features, such as on-board controls for clock-speeds, clear-CMOS, OC-Genie, the DIP switch to carry out voltages, as good as voltage-sensing points which have measuring voltages convenient.

Make no mistake, the pattern as good as doing of this Fuzion competence demeanour identical to the P55 GD80, nonetheless the house pattern is different. Let’s speak about the P55 chipset lenient the Big Bang Fuzion for the notation though.

The P55 PCH – Platform Controller Hub

To assimilate the product we’ll be reviewing today, let’s initial plead the heart of the Big Bang Fuzion, the P55 PCH controller HUB. The P55 motherboard chipset is usually the single chip, no some-more North as good as Southbridge. Interesting to clarity is which the P55 chipset connects to the processor without delay by DMI (Direct Media Interface), as good as that’s opposite from X58 where it connects without delay to the QPI link.

• X58 = QPI train LGA1366, 2 QPI links, 3xDDR3, as good as power.
• P55 = DMI bus, LGA1160/1156, 1 DMI link, 2xDDR3, PCI-E connections, as good as power.

The P55 thinly slice has the lot of integrity embedded in it: we see an all-time initial — integrated PCIe controller for x16 or dual eight-speed PCIe cards, when it comes to submit / outlay capabilities we have been articulate about await for fourteen USB 2.0 ports with integrated USB 2.0 Rate relating hubs, 6 SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports as good as integrated Gigabit LAN Ethernet.

The sixteen PCIe lanes generally have been upon the bashful side for multi-GPU configurations. As such MSI adds the NF200 thinly slice here to benefit some-more PCIe lanes as good as to illustrate bandwidth.

The chipset additionally supports Integrated Clocking Buffer Through Mode, provides Thermal Sensor Data around SMBUS for dissimilar Fan Control Solutions as good as Intel Matrix Storage Technology 9.0. The new Intel Matrix Storage has the brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new user interface for handling all storage associated tasks, await for RAID 0,1,5 as good as 10, quick redeem technology.

DDR3 correct 1333 MHz is upheld loyal out of the box, nonetheless regulating the mental recall during 1600, 1866 or even 2000+ MHz should be no emanate either. Speaking of memory, with the attainment of Core i7 870, 860, the brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new Clarkdale Core i5 as good as Core i3 processors Intel finished the preference to go behind to the dual-channel mental recall interface. Don’t get as good disturbed here; the controller is so many faster than the aged singular FSB scored equally mental recall controllers. You’ll have 64-bit far-reaching mental recall controllers which have been continuous without delay with the processor’s silicon. As the outcome this pattern brings the bandwidth duty of as many as 90%, the good burst from the FSB formed 50-60% duty for certain as good as as you’ll clarity in the benchmarks, MSI unsentimental the small pretence here, as mental recall bandwidth is usually awesome.

The OC Genie

Now we betrothed to speak we by which OC Genie symbol / functionality for the minute. Who would have have make use of of of the OC genie? Well, the small of we guys do not have the skills or time to overclock your PC. If this relates to you, afterwards this competence be the many appropriate thing given the invention of sliced bread unequivocally (okay that’s an overstatement).

So we feel which typically many programmed overclock functions interconnected with motherboards have been software formed as good as work the small so-so. Often the overclocks have been as good small to unequivocally notice. And that’s usually not the box with OC Genie, the one-touch involuntary overclocking solution.

Here’s the idea: when we appetite down your PC, we can we pull the symbol upon tip of (it lights up in blue) which activates OC Genie (a small chip upon the motherboard). This thinly slice will automatically establish as good as exercise an optimal overclock setting. It’ll take merely fifteen seconds or something as good as the finish outcome is quite the spiffy overclock.

Take the demeanour during the screenshots below, we have the 2.9 GHz Core i7 870 commissioned here. We press the OC Genie symbol which afterwards lights up blue, we appetite upon the PC, wait for identical to fifteen seconds as good as voilla, the element starts to POST.

You’ll notice the Personal Computer all of a remarkable is clocked during 4 GHz (!), as good as here’s the shocker — it’s unequivocally the quick overclock. Another good thing is which the OC will be saved automatically, to illustrate the subsequent time we appetite up your Personal Computer the overclock is still unsentimental (until we recover the OC Button). To go behind to default / initial conditions, usually press the OC Genie symbol once some-more (release) as good as restart the PC.

This is the fool-proof resolution charity utterly the good overclock. Check out the highlight exam with Prime95 event below.

One thing though, overclocking equates to increasing voltages, multipliers as good as so on… as the screenshot upon tip of already shows, we need to have decent airflow in the chassis, nonetheless of march the CPU cooler needs to be the critical one, we used the brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new Noctua NH-D14 heatpipe formed cooler.

Manual overclocking
Of march we can bypass the OC Genie and do the primer BIOS overclock. So let’s try which out. We glow off the many aloft bottom time to which multiplier of 22.

As such we were equates to to overclock the Core i7 870 processor to 4.1 GHz. Here’s what we did:

• Disable Turbo mode
• Set limit processor multiplier
• Increase processor voltage the small bit to 1.42v
• Lower QPI comparative measure (as tighten as probable to 4800)
• Lower mental recall multiplier to limit quick mental recall frequency
• Increase CPU bottom frequency

At 4000 MHz upon the air cooler we simply booted in to windows. We staid during 22×187.5 @ 1.42 Volts. The finish outcome was the quick 4125 MHz.

Overclocking itself, it is the flattering easy thing to grasp with this processor. Mind we which overclocking will pull the lot of appetite from your system.

Power Consumption as good as temperatures

The brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new Lynnfield formed processors have gotten the bit of the redesign as good as as such they have been unequivocally appetite accessible processors, good –  as prolonged as we do not overclock them.

A processor identical to the Core i7 870 upon normal has some-more opening than the core i7 920 nonetheless consumes usually 95 Watt, as good as which is with all cores stressed. Next to that, crafty appetite government allows the inner voltages as good as processors multiplier to drop, core independent.

The brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new Core i7 870 processor has the TDP of 95W, entrance from 130 for the Bloomfield Core i7 array that’s utterly an alleviation as good as it shows this during the measurements:

As we can see, these have been unequivocally important numbers — in actuality underneath bucket the MSI house was the many appetite efficient. Mind we which this was finished with the P55 motherboard, an SSD, visual drive, 8GB mental recall as good as Radeon HD 5870 graphics card. For the many appropriate appetite expenditure we suggest we to have BIOS facilities identical to EIST as good as C1E enabled as good as inside of Windows set your opening mode to offset (allows the processor to time down when idling).

Temperatures have been unequivocally good as well. With an normal air cooler we can pattern temps identical to these:

This upon tip of e.g. was finished with the Thermalright MUX 120 air formed cooler. Of march formula will change with opposite motherboards as good as cooling solutions. But as the baseline the temperatures unequivocally have been promising, generally with overclocking in mind.

100% CPU bucket is 4 cores 100% stressed with Prime 95, voltages have been left during default, processor Turbo mode is enabled. Overclocked temps of march will differ, nonetheless we’ll uncover we which in the split-second.

Overclocking as good as appetite consumption

Okay appetite expenditure contra overclocking — check this out:

What the lot of we do not comprehend is which overclocking the processor can devour heaps of power. We put this to the exam by monitoring appetite expenditure with the processor in the default environment as good as afterwards compared to an overclocked 4 GHz configuration. The formula have been astonishing, when we highlight the 4 (8 threaded) CPU cores 100% during default (Turbo on) we peak at usually 153 Watts for the default clocked Core i7 870. But once we overclock to 4 GHz… the appetite pull all of a remarkable is 272 Watts (!) once we highlight all CPU cores 100%, so an the single some-more 1200 MHz of appetite is costing us an the single some-more 119 Watts (!) as good as we have been not even regulating the GPU for gaming usually yet.

Stuff to consider about prior to we begin to overclock as the tone immature turns unequivocally red.

Performace in Game.

Crysis WARHEAD

As in final year’s game, pattern to confront unenlightened jungle environments, empty ice fields, Korean soldiers as good as copiousness of drifting aliens. There’s no denying which this is some-more of the same, usually here it’s the some-more firmly woven knowledge with the small reduction leisure to explore.

With the top-end Personal Computer (although Warhead has presumably benefited from an softened diversion engine you’ll still need the sincerely brawny system), rest assured, developer Crytek has extended some-more than usually the graphics engine.

• Level Ambush
• Codepath DX10
• Anti aliasing 2xMSAA
• Ingame Quality mode Gamer

The Verdict

One can simply have the inapplicable designation which this examination is usually about the Hydra thinly slice used upon the Big Bang Fuzion motherboard. In the grand intrigue of things the Hydra thinly slice is merely the small the single some-more lovin’ to dope around around with as good as as such it should be seen which way. We unequivocally identical to what Lucid is perplexing to accomplish, nonetheless we additionally have to admit which we ran in to utterly the lot of problems, harmony issues as good as undiluted limitations. Where it functions it can work well, nonetheless in the end, in this time as good as age, the multiple of dual identical Radeons in Crossfire or dual NVIDIA GeForce cards in SLI will elementary have many some-more clarity as we by distant will not have to understanding with the form await as good as harmony issues.

Now bear in mind, it additionally took both ATI as good as NVIDIA the year or dual to stabilise their drivers for SLI as good as Crossfire. Multi-GPU await is complex, unequivocally formidable as good as which is usually what will be vivid Lucid.

Some unsentimental issues as good as things which lift questions:

• What if we have the Radeon label as good as the GeForce label as good as wish to name an NVIDIA AA mode… good we can’t.
• What if we wish to suffer PhysX in X-mode? – good we can’t, as the notation the NVIDIA motorist sees an ATI card, it will invalidate it.
• Got the GeForce as good as Radeon label in X-mode? You can’t entrance the initial graphics label carry out row e.g. in the box we could not bucket up the NVIDIA carry out panel.
• What about DirectX eleven games? Well right away there’s no support.
• Is there CPU beyond due to Hydra? — Yes.
• You wish to run the ultimate Forceware motorist nonetheless have have make use of of of Hydra? You can’t as the Hydra motorist needs to await it.

So we see, there’s some-more to the complete multi-GPU setup than usually merely removing await for it to describe with dual GPUs.

All which in reserve Lucid has an value though, if (and usually if) they get their drivers right as good as expelled unequivocally often, afterwards multi-GPU combinations which have been businessman eccentric will turn the being as good as which positively is unequivocally unique. But subsequent month when this motherboard becomes available, greatfully do not pattern the finalized as good as glossy done multi-GPU monster. In the stream state it’s the good the single some-more gimmick to dope around around with for the unequivocally singular volume of diversion titles, as good as zero some-more than that. We positively extol what it is, nonetheless additionally feel the large step needs to be taken in sequence for Hydra 200 to be commercially viable. Two things can happen, possibly the year from right away the product is the decent sufficient success for an excruciatingly small market… or the year from right away everyone will have lost all about Lucid as good as the Hydra 200 chip completely.

Right, sufficient upon Hydra, let’s refocus! So Hydra is identical to usually 10% of this motherboard — the core of courtesy is the Big Bang Fuzion motherboard, which is of march the hardware enthusiast’s soppy dream. When we dont consider about about Hydra for the minute, the house is of march usually the same (except the NF200 chip) as the Big Bang Trinergy. And which house is amazing.

Again we see the underline set which is zero short from astonishing. Overclockers will adore this board, as there is an one some-more of facilities as good as options to dope around with identical to the V-Check points as good as voltage switches as good as of march the accessible OC Dashboard as good as OC Genie. To leave your PC during ‘default’ would be the genuine shame. The BIOS offers the far-reaching accumulation in tweaking as good as overclocking. If we need to do so during an modernized turn with specialized cooling, no worries, the thresholds upon voltages, dividers as good as multipliers have been unequivocally extensive. The BIOS is the loyal geek-fest for overclockers. The OC Dashboard competence be unequivocally accessible if we have been overclocking with contend LN2 as good as need to enlarge the bottom time magnitude quick as good as upon the fly. Though the bit of the gimmick it’s the accessible device alright. Of march we could overclock from inside of Windows with delivered OC program as well.

On which subject of overclocking, the brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new OC Genie functions usually unequivocally lovely. You appetite down the PC. Then pull the OC Genie button. And appetite upon the PC. Now have certain we have correct cooling obviously, nonetheless inside of the second or fifteen your Personal Computer will begin to post a really distant fetched overclocked. Our 2.93 GHz clocked Core i7 870 processor was then overclocked to 4 GHz whilst the mental recall was tweaked to the rated 1676 MHz CAS — unequivocally tighten to the optimal XMP profile. So yeah, that’s startling to see. we unequivocally identical to the OC Genie function. So if we need the small the single some-more power, have have make use of of of it. If we identical to to safety appetite as good as do each day things upon your PC, leave the Personal Computer during default (as if which would be delayed with the element identical to this).

The baseline opening of this P55 motherboard is during slightest as good as any alternative P55 motherboard accessible upon the market, tip notch, as good as mostly is ranked between the fastest fool around we have tested to date.

Features then: usually consider about the twelve SATA ports (2 eSATA) alone man… we adore that, we mark dual-Gigabit Ethernet ports, DDR3 1066/1333/1600/1800/2000/2133 (OC) capability, Coaxial as good as Optical S/PDIFs, 1 IDE pier as good as the 8 USB 2.0 ports located during the back.

One thing though, good dual actually… many identical to the Trinergy the the single thing which would have finished the house undiluted would have been formation of USB 3.0 as good as the SATA3 controller. The Hydra thinly slice adds the single some-more PCie lanes, as good as as such creates some-more bandwidth for inclination which essentially need it. Yes — SATA3 SSD’s have been shutting in genuine quick as good as we pattern the initial announcements at CES 2010 already.

Ehm, what else… good the passively cooled pattern is lovely, the undiluted peculiarity of components used, the small Quantum Wave appendage audio house bringing along EAX 5.0 as good as THX TruStudio Personal Computer — it usually doesn’t stop eh? We identical to it.

The MSI Big Bang Fuzion motherboard is considerable in each figure as good as form. It has the good design, the well-developed agreement of all components, comes with peculiarity components. Also usually consider about the far-reaching accumulation of options, the overclockability, the OC Dashboard, the the single some-more audio options as good as sure… of march the Hydra 200 thinly slice permitting we to dope around around with multi-GPU configurations.

Bottom line: The Big Bang Fuzion is impending perfection, an startling product series. Now greatfully do not buy it usually for the Hydra 200 capability, right right away it’s the good gimmick during best. No, greatfully demeanour during it as an the single some-more underline to dope around around with upon the easily written high-performance motherboard which comes with heaps as good as heaps of features. All this integrity comes during the cost though, pattern to cough up €329 / 389 USD for this motherboard which patently is incredibly high for the P55 motherboard. But it’s niche, it’s voluptuous as good as the small of we do not thoughts during all spending which kind of money upon the product identical to this. We pledge we though, you’ll have the explosion with with it.