EVGA X79 Dark Review
by Ian Cutress on October 23, 2013 10:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
- Intel
- EVGA
- X79
EVGA X79 Dark Conclusion
For those that have jumped to the conclusion, I will say this: I am a stickler for out-of-the-box results. Despite target audiences of gamers or enthusiasts, (I feel) the majority of users are most likely to run a motherboard out of the box without any changes, or system integrators will sell motherboards at their stock settings. As a result, the impetus is to have stock settings done correctly, and then optimized. Having stock settings work out of the box should be a simple task – it is in Intel’s own documents supplied to the manufacturer. If you have trouble implementing the small stuff, then what impression is that for the bigger picture?
So the EVGA X79 Dark, in this ‘snapshot in time’ review using currently available (and supplied) BIOSes, has some serious out-of-the-box issues. It all comes down to a small number of factors:
- BIOS 2.03 and 2.04 do not implement turbo mode correctly, however XMP and Overclocking are OK.
- BIOS 2.05 implements turbo mode correctly, but XMP and Overclocking are broken.
If you overclock, then strap on BIOS 2.04 and away you go. BIOS 2.04 will run at the overclock speeds, and although per-core ratios are still not working through the BIOS, our overclock testing gave a solid 4.6 GHz across all cores, despite some high (94ºC) temperatures.
Performance is doubly hard to gauge with multipliers all over the place, as well as competing motherboards in the same price segment use MultiCore Turbo, meaning a 400 MHz boost across the range regardless of loading. The result of this lower CPU speed did have a positive effect on our power consumption readings, at the expense of reduced performance.
I mentioned at the beginning of the review that the EVGA X79 Dark has been reviewed with positive comments elsewhere on the web, and those that discovered the stock turbo issue were more than happy to overlook the issue when examining overclocked performance. The hardware on the board itself allows for three tri-slot GPUs with ease, as well as 4-way. There are four additional SATA ports to bring the total to ten, two Intel NICs, and the black/red color scheme can be matched to a system build with great effect. The bundle in the box puts all the components sealed individually, which could be viewed as a marque of quality or an expression in overindulgence depending on your point of view.
The main competition for the EVGA X79 Dark, at $400, is the ASUS Rampage IV Extreme at $430, to which we gave our 2nd highest award back in 2012. While viewed in isolation, BIOS notwithstanding, the EVGA comes out as a reasonable product, but the ASUS RIVE provides an all-guns blazing approach to BIOS, software, the extras in the box, the hardware on board, and the overclocking utilities in the extreme enthusiast segment. While the EVGA X79 Dark would have to come in at a lower price to tempt my palate (along with a corrected BIOS) in an overclocked scenario, it does not make sense for users running a CPU at stock right now.
Addendum: Since writing this review, on posting (10/23) the latest BIOS is 2.07. Here's the link to the thread on EVGA forums.
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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.