Test System

Initial Setup

When we first set up the board, we did not encounter any issues, and stock testing was completed without any problems noticed at all. Our memory booted in at JEDEC timings, and when we swapped out sets, the board stopped the boot process to notify us that the memory had changed, prompting us to either enter the BIOS to change settings, or to load defaults. While this is normal when changing the CPU, it's not as normal when changing memory, so this is a nice touch we appreciate.

PWM Power Consumption

Since one of our first tasks was to truly verify system stability, while doing so, we measure CPU power consumption. We isolate the power coming through the 8-pin ATX connector using an in-line meter that provides voltage and current readings, as well as total wattage passed through it. 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.


For idle power consumption, the MSI Z68A-GD65 (G3) ended up right on top for Intel Z68 chipset products, with our meter reporting just 6W consumed. Under load, with the Z68A-GD65-G3 gave pretty good numbers too, beating the Biostar TZ68A+ by 5 W. Very impressive!