EVGA X58 x3 Classified Motherboard
Introduction
Published: 14th August 2009 | Source: EVGA | Price: £316.24 |
Introduction
EVGA, for those who do not already know, were founded in 1999 and are based in Brea, California. In that relatively short time EVGA have materialised as one of the top producers of PC components and are now very popular with enthusiasts worldwide. EVGA rocketed to fame with the skt 775 680i based motherboard which despite some of it's short comings was a triumph for NVidia and the manufacturer of choice for that chipset was, you guessed it - EVGA.
Because EVGA are a top tier partner of NVidia anyone looking for anything from the 'Green team' tend to lean toward EVGA because of the fantastic support they offer the consumer, not least the award winning Step-up program which allows buyers of their hardware to upgrade within 60 days for a nominal fee. Great news for those who don't like to splash the cash only to find out something bigger and better has just been released. It also serves as a safety net for those looking to buy now but are afraid of what might be on the horizon thereby avoiding the waiting game.
X58 motherboards have been around for a while now and in that time we have sampled various offerings from all the major manufacturers. Until today we have not had the pleasure of reviewing a motherboard from EVGA so what better way to start than to put EVGA's finest example through it's paces. Ladies and gentlemen may I present you with the EVGA X58 x3 Classified motherboard.
Here's what EVGA had to say:
The ULTIMATE in X58 motherboards is here! The EVGA X58 Classified raises the bar for enthusiast grade motherboards everywhere.
With never before seen features such as 3-way SLI + PhysX + 1x PCIe device on a single board, 2 8pin +12V connectors capable of delivering 600 watts of power, 10 phase Digital PWM with a switching frequency of up to 1333KHz, three times the amount of normal gold content in the CPU socket and much, much more.
The EVGA X58 Classified motherboard is engineered for those who demand more than just the best!
With never before seen features such as 3-way SLI + PhysX + 1x PCIe device on a single board, 2 8pin +12V connectors capable of delivering 600 watts of power, 10 phase Digital PWM with a switching frequency of up to 1333KHz, three times the amount of normal gold content in the CPU socket and much, much more.
The EVGA X58 Classified motherboard is engineered for those who demand more than just the best!
Specification
Before we take a look at the classified in detail, let's take a moment to assess the specification:
| Product | EVGA X58 SLI Classified |
| CPU | Supports Intel Core i7 Processors Skt LGA1366 |
| Chipset | ICH: Intel X58 MCH: Intel ICH10R |
| Memory | 6 x 240-pin DIMM sockets Triple Channel DDR3 Maximum of 24GB of DDR3 1600MHz+ |
| Expansion Slots | 4 x PCIe x16/x8, 1 x PCIe x1, 1 x PCI 1 x 32-bit PCI, support for PCI 2.1 |
| Audio | Realtec ALC899 8 Channel HD Audio Optical and coaxial outputs |
| LAN | Dual Realtek Gigabit Lan Controller 10/100/1000 |
| Storage | 1 x UltraDMA133 9 x Serial ATA 300MB/sec (3 x Jmicron, 6 Intel) with support for RAID 0, RAID1, RAID 0+1, RAID5, JBOD |
| I/O | 1 x PS2 Keyboard 12 x USB2.0 ports (8 external + 4 internal headers) Audio connector (Line-in, Line-out, MIC) FireWire 1394A (1 external, 1 header) |
| Dimensions | EATX Form Factor Length: 12in/304.8mm Width: 10.375in/263.5mm |
| Features | USB 2.0 Support A standard plug and play interface providing easy-to-use connectivity for USB devices. PCI Express® 2.0 / 1.1 Support Allows 500MB a lane or up to 8 GB/s at 16x speeds - allows for full support for new PCI-E 2.0 graphics cards. Serial ATA II Also known as SATA2, features a 3.0 Gbit/s transfer speed, faster than Standard Serial ATA. Solid Capacitors Offers a longer lifespan, better stability when at high frequencies, can operate at higher temperatures, and no longer runs the risk of exploding. Passive Heatsink Consist of a metal heatsink. On-Boad Clear CMOS Button An onboard clear CMOS button which allows you to easily clear your BIOS without moving a jumper. On-Board Power Button with Integrated Power Light An onboard power button for easily powering on or off your system. Also shows a power indication light. On-Board Reset Button with Integrated HDD Activity Light An onboard reset button for easily rebooting your system as well as gives current status of your HDD via an activity light. On-Board Diagnostics LED Readout Helpful for when diagnosing a problem is needed. 2-Way SLI® Support Feel free to turn up the eye candy and experience the performance of 2 Graphics Cards running together. 3-Way SLI® Support Experience the amazing performance that only 3 Graphics Cards can deliver, a visual experience that will take you to the next level. |
As you can see from the specification above, the EVGA Classified certainly appears to be a feature packed motherboard. More often than not we see that ultra high end motherboards sacrifice their features in favour of higher performance but this does not seem to be the case with the EVGA classified.
Let's take a look at the packaging and presentation of the mainboard...
Most Recent Comments
Being honest, I read the spec page and quickly turned to the benchmark section.
For me, the X58 mobos from all manufacturers u can just about slip a piece of paper in between all the benchmarkers if taken as an overall picture. Some peak in somethings, whilst dropping in other areas - but even these highs and lows aren't worth batting an eyelid at imo.
So yeah, good mobo. Very pricey. Layout would be a preference to what u want to do.
Thing for me here is that fundamental tech for peripherals is around the corner, in more than one fashion, and even with some mobos seeming faking the access speeds with bolted on controllers, £300 for what could be "older tech" (in the peripheral pov) is not a sound idea.
For me, the X58 mobos from all manufacturers u can just about slip a piece of paper in between all the benchmarkers if taken as an overall picture. Some peak in somethings, whilst dropping in other areas - but even these highs and lows aren't worth batting an eyelid at imo.
So yeah, good mobo. Very pricey. Layout would be a preference to what u want to do.
Thing for me here is that fundamental tech for peripherals is around the corner, in more than one fashion, and even with some mobos seeming faking the access speeds with bolted on controllers, £300 for what could be "older tech" (in the peripheral pov) is not a sound idea.
I agree Rasta, there isn't alot to compare between the performance of the X58 motherboards. Unless of course you read the whole review to get a balanced opinion as the major differences between them are aesthetics, design, BIOS and overclocking which you say you skipped:(.
I do agree however that because of the new SATA III standard just around the corner it's going to be hard to sell this 'older' tech.
I do agree however that because of the new SATA III standard just around the corner it's going to be hard to sell this 'older' tech.
Loving mine 759:worship: runs great.
Unless of course you read the whole review to get a balanced opinion as the major differences between them are aesthetics, design, BIOS and overclocking which you say you skipped:(.
Sorry m8, it's not a reflection of the review(s), it's just like similar to SSD reviews for me - there are key things I quickly look at first (probably to see if anything stands out). With SSD it's £/G/Speed inherently, with mobos, especially now, it's £/stats/Newtech implementation.
With mobos now, we could be on the verge of a double set of standards that will be with us for a long time. Pretty much a b1tch back in the day if u got a mobo with USB1.1 when USB2.0 was just coming out. Similarly with SATA3. If u spend zillions on SSDs with a SATA2 controller, u could be upset.
I like this board.Elegant.However i heard that EVGA will have to do better with their BIOS in the future. It`s not old tech like someone said, i think after a price drop this board could be a best buy from OCC`ers. Maybe not all of them are asking for new tech like SATA III which i doubt it will be really something much better in speed than SATAII
So u'd be happy to spend £300 on the mobo and pci/e cards to have the SATA3 & USB3 that ur m8 gets on a cheaper mobo ?
(assuming cheaper, as £300 for a mobo is outrageous in itself)
(assuming cheaper, as £300 for a mobo is outrageous in itself)
I'm with Rasta, a £300 board released now is almost idiocy. With SATA III and USB III on the way, why would anyone in their right make such a large investment in something so handi-capped?
It's not a reflection on the (as usual), excellent review, but it is something to think about.
It's not a reflection on the (as usual), excellent review, but it is something to think about.
Agree with that too, but i can`t wait to see how USB 3.0 and SATAIII will perform.
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Full review HERE