Test System

Initial Setup

Getting the ASUS Z97-A up and running was surprisingly easy. With value-oriented products, you just expect to run into an issue or another, whether due to slot layout or a BIOS problem, but I didn't run into anything that seemed amiss with the Z97-A. All cable connectors and switches are intelligently placed, so a basic configuration of parts isn't going to interfere with anything.


Even the front USB 3.0 plug has been placed well, and the clearance between DIMM slots and the uppermost PCIe slot is spot on. Even large coolers will easily fit, the small VRM heatsinks a good ways away from my large CoolerMaster TPC812.


Stock operation and overclocking worked well, thanks to ASUS' well-developed BIOS. It has been several months since the Intel Z79 launch, so most BIOS issues common to new platforms have been dealt with. The usual screenshot with some overclocking results is shown above.

Power Consumption

We measure CPU power consumption since one of our first tasks is to truly verify system stability. I isolate the power coming through the 8-pin ATX connector with an in-line meter that provides voltage and current readings, and total wattage passed through. While this may not prove to isolate the CPU power draw in all instances, it does serve as a good indicator of board efficiency and effective VRM design. Total system power consumption is no longer reported as this figure can change depending on what VGA is installed. The sole board-only power measurements possible without physically modifying a motherboard are those taken via the 8-pin CPU connector, making it the only figure of value worth reporting. I use wPrime with eight threads selected in its options since it provides a consistently high workload throughout the full length of the test and runs long enough for the VRM and CPU to produce a fair bit of heat. Most average workloads will draw far less than that, although distributed computing applications are quite similar. This is not supposed to test stability since I use several other applications to do so, but merely to provide repeatable power draw numbers anyone can replicate. The meter used is an off-the-shelf Zalman unit that has been on the market for some time. It provides results similar to a FLUKE 337 clamp meter in my test environment.


The ASUS Z97-A's power delivery design performed really well, with stock performance generating very good numbers because of a relaxed Turbo profile. It also performed decently while overclocked, matching the voltages my CPU test with the Z87 platform required. It really seems as though the board is optimized for efficiency at stock, but once you change a few settings, there is substantially more performance to be had as required.