MSI X99A Tomahawk Motherboard Review

1. Introduction2. MSI X99A Tomahawk: Packaging and Bundle3. MSI X99A Tomahawk: Layout and Examination4. MSI X99A Tomahawk: UEFI5. MSI X99A Tomahawk: Software6. Testing Methodology7. Tests: CPU-related8. Tests: Memory-related9. Tests: GPU-related10. Tests: Motherboard-related11. Overclocking12. Conclusion13. View All Pages

Cinebench R15

Cinebench is an application which renders a photorealistic 3D scene to benchmark a computer's rendering performance, on one CPU core, all CPU cores or using the GPU. We run the test using the all core CPU mode.

Handbrake

Handbrake is a free and open-source video transcoding tool that can be used to convert video files between different codecs, formats and resolutions. We use Handbrake to convert a short 720p video into the Android preset built into the application.

SiSoft Sandra

SiSoft Sandra 2016 is a multi-function utility program that supports remote analysis, benchmarking and diagnostic features for PCs, servers, mobile devices and networks. We run the application's processor arithmetic test to gauge the CPU performance on each tested motherboard.

CPU performance between our two test X99 motherboards using the same XMP memory kit and i7 6800K is unsurprisingly similar. The higher auto cache ratio of the MSI motherboard (3.1GHz vs. 2.8GHz set by ASRock) doesn't have much impact in our CPU-centric tests but should come into play with memory.

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