MSI Big Bang-XPower II X79 Review – A World of Novelty Heatsinks
by Ian Cutress on February 25, 2012 3:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
- MSI
- X79
USB Speed
For this benchmark, we run CrystalDiskMark to determine the ideal sequential read and write speeds for the USB port using our 64GB Patriot SuperSpeed USB 3.0 drive. Then we transfer a set size of files from the SSD to the USB drive, and monitor the time taken to transfer. The files transferred are a 1.52 GB set of 2867 files across 320 folders – 95% of these files are small typical website files, and the rest (90% of the size) are the videos used in the Sorenson Squeeze test.
USB 2.0 performance is unfortunately nothing to shout about.
USB 3.0 performance however is the best BOT protocol performance we've seen (compared to ASRock's XFast and ASUS' USB Boost).
SATA Testing
We also use CrystalDiskMark for SATA port testing. The operating system is installed on the SSD, and the sequential test is run at the 5 x 1000 MB level. This test probes the efficiency of the data delivery system between the chipset and the drive, or in the case of additional SATA ports provided by a third party controller, the efficiency between the controller, the chipset and the drive.
SATA performance seems nothing special when talking about sequential performance.
DPC Latency
Deferred Procedure Call latency is a way in which Windows handles interrupt servicing. In order to wait for a processor to acknowledge the request, the system will queue all interrupt requests by priority. Critical interrupts will be handled as soon as possible, whereas lesser priority requests, such as audio, will be further down the line. So if the audio device requires data, it will have to wait until the request is processed before the buffer is filled. If the device drivers of higher priority components in a system are poorly implemented, this can cause delays in request scheduling and process time, resulting in an empty audio buffer – this leads to characteristic audible pauses, pops and clicks. Having a bigger buffer and correctly implemented system drivers obviously helps in this regard. The DPC latency checker measures how much time is processing DPCs from driver invocation – the lower the value will result in better audio transfer at smaller buffer sizes. Results are measured in microseconds and taken as the peak latency while cycling through a series of short HD videos - under 500 microseconds usually gets the green light, but the lower the better.
DPC performance is some of the best we've ever had, coming in at 88 microseconds.
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physical - Saturday, February 25, 2012 - link
I really don't like firearm themed heatsinks... I don't really like any sort of novelty heatsink. It makes my expensive components look cheap.CloudFire - Saturday, February 25, 2012 - link
Completely agree with you. It annoys me when companies put on gimmicky designs such as bullets/firearms as heatsinks. I've seen plenty of creative/awesome heatsink designs that uses unique angular designs and looks amazing, instead of this crappy feel of "firearms". It's a computer motherboard for crying out loud, not a damn rifle. One thing's for sure, I will never buy any product that has heatsinks looking like that.essemzed - Saturday, February 25, 2012 - link
+1!I would also add that being totally at ease with my penis and its performance, I do not feel compelled to find comfort in the purchase of this childish motherboard.
(apologies for my broken english!)
smz
Bownce - Tuesday, February 28, 2012 - link
Freud wrote, "A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity". Time to give the firearm bashing a rest and get back to tech.g00ey - Wednesday, March 14, 2012 - link
Sorry, but Freud never wrote that. The statement is a misconception and a paraphrase of Freud's work from "Guns, Murders, and the Constitution" (February 1990) by Don B. Kates, Jr.bigboxes - Saturday, February 25, 2012 - link
Anyways.... if you're through with your childish rant... who cares what it looks like? Look at the benchmarks, the feature set and the supplied software. If you don't have a window in your case why on Earth would you care what it looks like? Function over form is what I always say.CloudFire - Sunday, February 26, 2012 - link
Anyways, if you're through with your narrow point of view, what if someone has a window on their case and care what the mobo looks likes? I never knew that having an opinion that differs from yours, hail the almighty, makes that person childish. Get off your high horse.Sabresiberian - Sunday, February 26, 2012 - link
It's interesting that you claim bigboxes has a "narrow point of view", when you say you would never use a mainboard that uses firearm themed heatsinks.While I'm not thrilled with the heatsink looks in the pictures, if this board fit my needs the best, I'm not going to shoot myself in the foot by not using it because I think the heatsinks are ugly.
Appearance is largely a matter of personal taste in these things anyway. I rarely find fault in another person's desire for different esthetics than me, just in them finding fault in mine.
;)
CloudFire - Sunday, February 26, 2012 - link
I agree with you, everyone has their own personal opinion and it is about personal taste in esthetics. I merely voiced my own opinion but when someone else comes in and starts an ad hominem attack about how someone else opinion's is "childish" because it differs from theirs, then I would say that is a narrow point of view. Any person could have simply disagreed respectfully like how adults do and it would have been perfectly fine.Just like for you, if you used this board for it's features, I would have no problem and would not find any fault in your decision because it is your own opinion which I respect.
;)
Ben90 - Sunday, February 26, 2012 - link
The motherboard would look cool as hell if it wasn't for the Gatling gun and stupid heatsink. While I agree looks aren't everything, this mobo just screams "I'm a giant fag".