ASRock FM2A88X Extreme6+ Motherboard Review

1. Introduction2. FM2A88X Extreme6+: Packaging and Bundle3. FM2A88X Extreme6+: Layout and Features4. FM2A88X Extreme6+: BIOS and Overclocking5. Testing Methodology6. Synthetic: PCMark 87. Synthetic: PCMark 78. Synthetic: 3DMark9. Synthetic: 3DMark 1110. Synthetic: SiSoft Sandra 201311. Synthetic: Cinebench R11.512. Synthetic: Super Pi13. Real World: WinRAR14. Real World: MKV Playback15. Real World: Media Encoding16. Gaming: Battlefield 317. Gaming: Call of Duty Black Ops 218. Gaming: DiRT Showdown19. Technical: Power Consumption20. Closing Thoughts21. View All Pages

There is no doubt that the ASRock FM2A88X Extreme6+ is an extremely impressive motherboard.  It has all the features that we could possibly ask for and is built to the high standards that we have come to expect from ASRock.

We admire ASRock's choice of an all-black colour scheme as it will complement most component choices aesthetically.  The motherboard itself is very well featured and offers all the connectivity we could possibly ask for, including extensive USB3.0 and SATA-600 support, alongside two HDMI display outputs.

We were very impressed with the overclocking performance of the FM2A88X Extreme6+.  Using the automatic overclocking features, we were able to achieve 4.7 GHz with the motherboard which is very impressive indeed.  Even when manually adjusting the settings we weren't able to achieve a higher stable clock speed due to the thermal limitations of our Noctua NH-U14S CPU cooler. This automated overclocking feature is ideal for those users who don't have the technical expertise or confidence to tweak the BIOS manually.

At a price of £92 from Overclockers UK, the ASRock FM2A88X Extreme6+ is very similarly priced to the Gigabyte G1 Sniper A88X.  These motherboards offer very similar features, although the ASRock model offers better overclocking options for novice users and features a more neutral black colour scheme.  There isn't much to choose between the motherboards, though, and either would make an excellent choice.

Pros:

• Great overclocking performance.
• Easy overclocking feature works well.
• Neutral colour scheme.
• Good value for money.

Cons:

• Needs high-end cooling to make most of overclocking performance.

KitGuru says: A great alternative to the Gigabyte G1 Sniper A88X that delivers on every level.

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