EVGA X79 Dark Review
by Ian Cutress on October 23, 2013 10:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
- Intel
- EVGA
- X79
In light of the previous results, due to memory issues with the BIOS that follows Intel specifications on multiplier turbos, the EVGA X79 Dark gaming results are taken with BIOS 2.03. Unfortunately, as mentioned in the BIOS section, the per-core turbo options in the BIOS were non-functional, thus not allowing us to predict the results should the issue be fixed with working XMP.
It is also worth noting that by default the EVGA X79 Dark is only in PCIe 2.0 mode, and not PCIe 3.0 for Ivy Bridge-E processors.
Metro2033
Our first analysis is with the perennial reviewers’ favorite, Metro2033. It occurs in a lot of reviews for a couple of reasons – it has a very easy to use benchmark GUI that anyone can use, and it is often very GPU limited, at least in single GPU mode. Metro2033 is a strenuous DX11 benchmark that can challenge most systems that try to run it at any high-end settings. Developed by 4A Games and released in March 2010, we use the inbuilt DirectX 11 Frontline benchmark to test the hardware at 1440p with full graphical settings. Results are given as the average frame rate from a second batch of 4 runs, as Metro has a tendency to inflate the scores for the first batch by up to 5%.
| Metro 2033 | 1 GPU | 2 GPU | 3 GPU |
| AMD | |||
| NVIDIA |
Dirt 3
Dirt 3 is a rallying video game and the third in the Dirt series of the Colin McRae Rally series, developed and published by Codemasters. Dirt 3 also falls under the list of ‘games with a handy benchmark mode’. In previous testing, Dirt 3 has always seemed to love cores, memory, GPUs, PCIe lane bandwidth, everything. The small issue with Dirt 3 is that depending on the benchmark mode tested, the benchmark launcher is not indicative of game play per se, citing numbers higher than actually observed. Despite this, the benchmark mode also includes an element of uncertainty, by actually driving a race, rather than a predetermined sequence of events such as Metro 2033. This in essence should make the benchmark more variable, but we take repeated in order to smooth this out. Using the benchmark mode, Dirt 3 is run at 1440p with Ultra graphical settings. Results are reported as the average frame rate across four runs.
| Dirt 3 | 1 GPU | 2 GPU | 3 GPU |
| AMD | |||
| NVIDIA |
Civilization V
A game that has plagued my testing over the past twelve months is Civilization V. Being on the older 12.3 Catalyst drivers were somewhat of a nightmare, giving no scaling, and as a result I dropped it from my test suite after only a couple of reviews. With the later drivers used for this review, the situation has improved but only slightly, as you will see below. Civilization V seems to run into a scaling bottleneck very early on, and any additional GPU allocation only causes worse performance.
Our Civilization V testing uses Ryan’s GPU benchmark test all wrapped up in a neat batch file. We test at 1080p, and report the average frame rate of a 5 minute test.
| Civilization V | 1 GPU | 2 GPU | 3 GPU |
| AMD | |||
| NVIDIA |
Sleeping Dogs
While not necessarily a game on everybody’s lips, Sleeping Dogs is a strenuous game with a pretty hardcore benchmark that scales well with additional GPU power due to its SSAA implementation. The team over at Adrenaline.com.br is supreme for making an easy to use benchmark GUI, allowing a numpty like me to charge ahead with a set of four 1440p runs with maximum graphical settings.
| Sleeping Dogs | 1 GPU | 2 GPU | 3 GPU |
| AMD | |||
| NVIDIA |
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DanNeely - Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - link
How solidly anchored is the 24pin ATX socket, and how stiff is the board itself? I've always assumed the reason I've never seen a sideways version of one was that the thickness and stiffness of the cable meant that if used in cases with behind the board cabling or that had limited space in front of the board would result in excess torque being applied.kolemunky - Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - link
board is made of good quality material( stiff) and 24 pin is securely attached, but its location makes it very difficult for removal unless the board is removed from the case. Ive had this board since launch and can verify that the bios situation is as bad as the reviewer states. 2.07 does fix some of the overclocking bugs, but there are other issues that still persist. disabling marvell raid ports disables USB 3.0 ports. ? I have 4 ssds setup as a bootable raid-0 and have had it fail 3 times, once randomly, 2 others after updating the bios, 2.04, 2.07. considering this tech has been around 2 years , I don't see how they couldn't get this board rock solid day one. There are no features on the board that justify the price tag. Raid performance on marvell ports is abysmal. USB ports have serious issues. RIVE is a better buy and a better performer. I have already sold this board and am waiting for the RIVE black. I would advise anyone on picking up this board to look elsewhere. One look in the forums and you will understand why.DanNeely - Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - link
I'm not surprised about installing the cable being a pain; in smaller/older cases even the angled sata ports can be a problem.Flunk - Friday, October 25, 2013 - link
I can attest to that. I used to use a SilverStone SUGO SG-03 for a SLI setup. Any angled connectors on the board are evil and should be expunged. Its less of an issue on an EATX board because the required cases are enormous but still annoying.DanNeely - Friday, October 25, 2013 - link
The angled sata connectors are due to SLI/xFire on ATX/mATX boards; because there's not enough space near the southbridge to fit them in somewhere they're not at risk of being blocked by longer cards.CecileWamsley - Monday, October 28, 2013 - link
My Uncle Julian got metallic MINI Cooper Clubman just by some part time working online with a macbook air... visit their website... http://smal.ly/8wUo2ConcreteBrew - Tuesday, March 17, 2015 - link
I have built ten high end machines using EVGA boards and I have never seen more eye candy or enjoyed tweaking it where "no man has ever been before" in a motherboard; including ASUS's Rampage IV which lasted a little over a year before giving up the ghost. Although supposedly still under warranty, I spent weeks trying to get an RMA from ASUS and finally gave up. This particular board is in my opinion, perfection at its best. It is significantly thicker and sturdier than the Rampage and the ATX socket, along with the rest that are at 90 degrees including the USB 3.0 to make room for that fourth GPU, are as stiff as in their vertical position. In fact, you can see the thickness of the metal framing coming through the board if you peel back the thick rubber insulation. These are all innovations and not gimmicks that I have found to be a constant with EVGA products. Never mind the fact that their technical support is available 24/7 for customers that have registered their products. They have a toll-free number and normally, you are on the phone with a live individual within two or three minutes. Better yet, they speak excellent English and and do know what they are talking about. You can't find anything this good anywhere. And best of all, they resolve your problems rather than put you off. And when warranted, you will hang -up with an RMA that is already in process.garnetandblack - Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - link
This review is spot on. Great hardware, for the most part - troubling bios.EVGA's previous x79 boards were just as bad (if not worse) in this regard.
warezme - Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - link
Troubling to hear. I have always bought EVGA boards, usually the latest releases when I build a new system. Their boards are usually solid well built and their technical support and return policy are the best. You call and get to speak with real people.iamkyle - Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - link
eVGA's last solid board was the X58 classified. Everything has gone downhill since then and I can't understand why.