How we test
REVIEWS / HOW WE TEST
TESTPROCESSORS
Intel LGA1151 Intel Core i9-9900K
Intel LGA2066 Intel Core i9-7900X
AMD AM4 AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
AMD TR4 AMD Threadripper 2950XWe otherwise use the same core spec for each motherboard.
Our test gear comprises an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super
Founders Edition graphics card and a 2TB Samsung 970 Pro
SSD. We also use Corsair Vengeance RGB 3466MHz DDR4
RAM – a 16GB dual-channel kit for mainstream systems, and
a 32GB quad-channel kit for HEDT systems.
We u s e Custom PC’s own RealBench suite, and Far
Cry 5 installed on Windows 10 Home 64-bit to test basic
performance. We also test the board’s SATA and M.2 ports,
and record the noise level and dynamic range of the
integrated audio using RightMark Audio Analyzer. We also
try to overclock our test CPU to its maximum air-cooled level
on each motherboard, and record the performance results.MOTHERBOARDS
Wetestimagequalitywith an Xrite
iDisplay Pro colorimeter and
DisplayCal software to check for
colour accuracy, contrast and
gamma, while assessing more
subjective details such as pixel
density and viewing angles by eye. We also run games on
them to assess their responsiveness, and to see how well any
active sync tech works, and to gauge their performance at
high refresh rates.MONITORS
WemeasuretheCPUtemperature with CoreTemp, and
subtract the ambient air temperature to give a delta T result,
enabling us to test in a lab that isn’t temperature controlled.
We load the CPU with Prime95’s smallfft test and take the
reading after ten minutes.TEST KIT
Fractal Design Meshify C case, 3000MHz Corsair Vengeance
LPX memory, 256GB Crucial MX100 SSD, be quiet! System
Power 9 500W PSU, Windows 10 64-bit.INTEL LGA1151
Intel Core i5-9600K CPU overclocked to 4.6GHz with 1.2V
vcore, MSI Z370 PC Pro motherboard.INTEL LGA2066
Intel Core i9-7900X overclocked to 4.2GHz with 1.15V vcore,
MSI X299M Gaming Pro Carbon AC motherboard.AMD AM4
AMD Ryzen 7 1700 overclocked to 3.9GHz with 1.425V vcore,
Asus ROG Strix B350-F Gaming motherboard.AMD TR4
AMD Threadripper 2950X overclocked to 4.1GHz with 1.425V
vcore, AMD Threadripper 2990WX overclocked to 4GHz with
1.3375V vcore, ASRock X399M motherboard.CPU COOLERS
TESTMOTHERBOARDS
Intel LGA1151 MSI MEG Z90 ACE
Intel LGA2066 MSI MEG X299Creation
AMD AM4 Gigabyte X570 AorusMaster
AMD TR4 MSI MEG X399 CreationWe otherwise use the same core spec to test each CPU.
Our test gear comprises an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super
Founders Edition graphics card and a 2TB Samsung 970 Pro
SSD. We also use Corsair Vengeance RGB 3466MHz DDR4
memory – a 16GB dual-channel kit for mainstream desktop
systems, and a 32GB quad-channel kit for HEDT systems.
We u s e Custom PC’s own RealBench suite, Cinebench and
Far Cry 5, installed on Windows 10 Home 64-bit, and record
the power draw of the test PC. These tests cover a broad
range of performance characteristics, including image editing,
gaming, video encoding and 3D rendering. We run all tests at
stock speed and at the CPU’s highest overclocked frequency.PROCESSORS