MSI Z87-GD65 GAMING (LGA 1150)

[cadaveca]

Where's the OCF .

I had several packages get stuck in customs or not arrive this time around. That actually screwed up my schedule pretty good as I had intended to have a different publishing order than what I am working on now. But, oh well. Such is life.

A very good review, thanks and well done. I love how passionate you are about the new "Dragon series" from MSI, but it's understandable since they are offer some truly great value indeed.

I love dragons. What can I say?

 

[pjl321]

I do. But I can tell you, I see no difference so far. What I do see, is a difference in voltages needed for my 4.6 GHz clock. This serves the same function as "max OC". A CPU will ALWAYS require the same current to push a specific clock(until damaged). So then, it's matter of how efficient boards supply power...which power consumption testing and load voltages cover.



So, while "max OC" may show one board does better than others, the same data can be gleaned form what I already present, although you might need to think about it a bit.


I have these boards already, with more coming, so my testing is not from limited attempts.:

http://img.techpowerup.org/130531/DSCF9101.jpg



Also, do keep in mind that in my books, gaming boards are reviewed against gaming boards, OC against OC, mITX vs mITX.... In the coming weeks, I think this may prove to show why I do things the way that I do, but rest assured that I do test every single angle although all results may not be reported in reviews. If a board seems to overclock far better than another, I'll definitely report that. IN the end, I should be picking one "best" board form each user category.

After reading and digesting many Haswell reviews it seems 4.6GHz is actually a really high overclock. What's with Haswell poor overclocking? I appreciate its heat density but it looks very much by design than accident. Intel has always hated overclocking and now they have the perfect control.

Do you have any idea if it uses TIM or solder?

 

[EarthDog]

Excellent review... though you stole my 'featured image'. As soon as my Mpower publishes, slight issue we discussed in PM, that was my 'featured' image was your first one, LOL!

 

[cadaveca]

'featured image'

Huh?

After reading and digesting many Haswell reviews it seems 4.6GHz is actually a really high overclock. What's with Haswell poor overclocking? I appreciate its heat density but it looks very much by design than accident. Intel has always hated overclocking and now they have the perfect control.

Do you have any idea if it uses TIM or solder?

Yep, 4.6 GHz seems high, but both my retail chips hit that clock and then some, no problem. When clocking up CPU multi, "RING" voltage is important. I suspect some users having issue clocking may not be adjusting that voltage, or that the board fails to scale it adequately for their CPU, or there is something else amiss. With early BIOSes, it can be hard to judge what's going on, but I haven't had a few issues I see other reviewers running into. Maybe I just got lucky in the silicon lottery...

CPUs use TIM, but thermal transfer on my samples seems fine. Personally, I'd ignore any reviews using "ES" CPUs.

 

[EarthDog]

Ha! Sorry, our forum has a 'featured image' on its front page for articles... I used the same one (the branding by the PCIe area), LOL!

 

[cadaveca]

Ha! Sorry, our forum has a 'featured image' on its front page for articles... I used the same one (the branding by the PCIe area), LOL!

Check any of my reviews for the past several years, they all have that image. It's like the "Vanity" shot, which is the opposite angle from the little thumb at the top of the review. Been in every review for years.


So your site 'stole" that from ME!!!

 

[rzepa10]

Great review. This mobo is on my first place today because of you.
Can't wait to see your others reviews so I could choose correctly.

Any chance for approximate date of sabertooth z87 or gigabyte x-oc review ?

 

[cadaveca]

Great review. This mobo is on my first place today because of you.
Can't wait to see your others reviews so I could choose correctly.

Any chance for approximate date of sabertooth z87 or gigabyte x-oc review ?

Soon.

GRYPHON Z87 next, then Z87X-OC.

 

[Delta6326]

Sweet can't wait for the gryphon I really want a m-atx build. Your reviews rock.

 

[pjl321]

Huh?








Yep, 4.6 GHz seems high, but both my retail chips hit that clock and then some, no problem. When clocking up CPU multi, "RING" voltage is important. I suspect some users having issue clocking may not be adjusting that voltage, or that the board fails to scale it adequately for their CPU, or there is something else amiss. With early BIOSes, it can be hard to judge what's going on, but I haven't had a few issues I see other reviewers running into. Maybe I just got lucky in the silicon lottery...

CPUs use TIM, but thermal transfer on my samples seems fine. Personally, I'd ignore any reviews using "ES" CPUs.

I don't know about everyone else but for me the move to 22nm has been a massive disappointment for me. I thought we would be seeing pretty much guaranteed +5GHz overclocks at relatively low temperatures, not forgetting the hype over 3D transistors. I put Ivy Bridge down to teething problems and genuinely thought Intel would have sorted the heat density issues or four Haswell. It's not even like they have been increasing the core count either, we have had quad-cores since 2006!

Anyway, Dave/anyone has Intel confirmed Broadwell compatibility with z87? A year or so ago articles said it was confirmed that z87 would be compatible with Haswell and Broadwell, then it was announced that Haswell was going to be the last ever LGA socket, then we seem to have gone back on that too.any ideas?

 

[cadaveca]

any ideas?

Yes, new CPU should go in same socket, some time in 2014. Will that actually happen? Time will tell.

 

[Hilux SSRG]

Great review cadeveca, looking for to future Z87 review from you.

Will you or another poster from techpowerup be reviewing one of the Gigabyte Z87 UltraDurable 5H/4H/3H as well at some point?

 

[cadaveca]

Great review cadeveca, looking for to future Z87 review from you.

Will you or another poster from techpowerup be reviewing one of the Gigabyte Z87 UltraDurable 5H/4H/3H as well at some point?

Yes, I will. It was one of many that got caught in customs, had to wait for Customs to release the board back to Gigabyte, and then it will get shipping back to me, probably after Computex.

 

[dupcengier26]

hmm official MSI says on 64 GB DDR3 support on this motherboard ....

 

[Ravenas]

What is the max CPU voltage setting in the BIOS cadaveca?

 

[Delta6326]

What is the max CPU voltage setting in the BIOS cadaveca?

Doesn't really matter, once you get 1.2v+ the temps skyrocket and 1.3v+ need's delid with great cooling.
Even in the bios Cad was Idleing at 57c with 1.28v

 

[Ravenas]

Doesn't really matter, once you get 1.2v the temps skyrocket and 1.3v need's delid with great cooling.
Even in the bios Cad was Idleing at 57c with 1.28v

Did you answer my question? No.

 

[Delta6326]

Did you answer my question? No.

I think I maybe reading the manual wrong(just went through 116 pages) but it mentions 1.67


EDIT it should be
CPU voltage tweaking (maximum) 2.1 V
Memory voltage tweaking (maximum) 2.445 V
North bridge / PCH voltage tweaking (maximum) 1.68 V
VCCSA voltage tweaking (maximum) 0.99 V
QPI / IMC / I/O voltage tweaking (maximum) 2.13 V

 

[cadaveca]

Doesn't really matter, once you get 1.2v+ the temps skyrocket and 1.3v+ need's delid with great cooling.
Even in the bios Cad was Idleing at 57c with 1.28v

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/Z87-GD65_GAMING/images/MSI_SnapShot_18.jpg

BIOS isn't "IDLE". considering 1.3 V is nearly a 30% boost in voltage...temps are fine.

Did you answer my question? No.

That question is answered in the review.

IN the table at the top of the BIOS page:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/Z87-GD65_GAMING/8.html

hmm official MSI says on 64 GB DDR3 support on this motherboard ....

4770K supports 32 GB only...:

http://ark.intel.com/products/75123/Intel-Core-i7-4770K-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-3_90-GHz

But I'll change it if that is what they say.

 

[Delta6326]

BIOS isn't "IDLE". considering 1.3 V is nearly a 30% boost in voltage...temps are fine.

Hm, everyone I've heard is getting horrible temps. But you are right i didn't put 2&2 togeather with the V and temp. I figured in bios the CPU would be idle. Could you post some more info on how your CPU temps are doing plus your cooler?

I must not be thinking straight tonight its getting late here.

 

[15th Warlock]

Dave, I couldn't find a way to change to multiplier inside the BIOS (haven't read the manual yet ) but what do you think about using MSI's Command Center to play with multipliers and voltages?

Also, I wanted to ask you, my CPU's default voltage on its first boot in the BIOS was 1.000V, and the ring voltage was 1.024V, you mentioned this tells you a lot about OCing potential, what do you think about this CPU in particular?

Thank you for your help!

 

[DOM]

Hm, everyone I've heard is getting horrible temps. But you are right i didn't put 2&2 togeather with the V and temp. I figured in bios the CPU would be idle. Could you post some more info on how your CPU temps are doing plus your cooler?

I must not be thinking straight tonight its getting late here.

Why don't you look at the review smh


http://www.techpowerup.com/mobile/reviews/MSI/Z87-GD65_GAMING/7.html

 

[cadaveca]

Hm, everyone I've heard is getting horrible temps. But you are right i didn't put 2&2 togeather with the V and temp. I figured in bios the CPU would be idle. Could you post some more info on how your CPU temps are doing plus your cooler?

I must not be thinking straight tonight its getting late here.

I get just under 85C in P95 with the Coolermaster TPC812 @ 4.6 GHz, and 1.285V. Idle is ~30c in OS.

Dave, I couldn't find a way to change to multiplier inside the BIOS (haven't read the manual yet ) but what do you think about using MSI's Command Center to play with multipliers and voltages?

Also, I wanted to ask you, my CPU's default voltage on its first boot in the BIOS was 1.000V, and the ring voltage was 1.024V, you mentioned this tells you a lot about OCing potential, what do you think about this CPU in particular?

Thank you for your help!

That sounds pretty good, actually. Maybe you can get 4.6 GHz with just 1.2V. Set ring voltage to 1.15V and ring multi to 39, as I mentioned, then CPU voltage to 1.2 V, and see what you get.

I don't like software for clocking, at all, since there are many times what you get with software is not actually bootable, although perfectly stable. I'll ask Crazyeyesreaper to look more into MSI Control Center, since the board is on it's way to him now.


CPU Multi(6th "white" option down the list):

Or, at the bottom of the OC page, is CPU Features, and Turbo multis can be set there. You can roughly copy my settings in those screenshots, but I would not use the high vCPU, vRING and vDIMM I have there, as that was before I tweaked them down.

 

[Delta6326]

Why don't you look at the review smh


http://www.techpowerup.com/mobile/reviews/MSI/Z87-GD65_GAMING/7.html

I read the whole review. But Im starting to get all mixed up. Over read over 10 haswell reviews 13+ MB reviews plus all the haswell OC and delidding threads at ocn . I've got about 7 threads going also. I think I need to step back and go to sleep goodnight all.

Thanks for the info Cad!

 

[DOM]

Review on of the same mb or different ones ?

Im just going to get mine tomorrow mpower max

But it seems haswell is the same like sb ivy they all don't oc the same and seems some reviews say its hotter then ivy which sucks

But reading to many isn't helping you it seems go to sleep let your mind rest