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Easy Energy Saver
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Easy Energy Saver interface.
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Gigabyte claims that their Easy Energy Saver dynamically adjusts CPU voltage
and frequency to maximize power savings. We did not notice any difference in
CPU clock speed behavior when Dynamic Frequency feature was activated. There
are three settings for Dynamic Voltage, but all they did was apply a CPU voltage
offset. The "1" setting undervolts the CPU by 0.025V, "2"
by 0.050V, and "3" by 0.075V.
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Detailed Power Consumption
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Test State
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Easy Energy Saver (3)
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Stock Settings
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System
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CPU + VRM
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Diff.
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System
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CPU + VRM
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Diff.
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Idle
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36W
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11W
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25W
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38W
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12W
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26W
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BD Disturbia
(H.264 33mbps)
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54W
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16W
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38W
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57W
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18W
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39W
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CPU Load
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98W
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67W
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31W
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110W
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79W
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31W
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CPU + GPU
Load
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114W
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68W
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46W
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128W
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80W
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48W
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CPU + VRM power measured from the AUX12V connector
(combined DC draw of VRMs and CPU).
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Using the "3" setting resulted in only minor savings when idle and
on low load tasks like watching video. On full load however, we saw a 12~14W
improvement in system power which is significant. Using the Easy Energy Saver
feature is a quick way to make the system more energy efficient, but one could
just as easily enter the BIOS and undervolt manually and to a larger degree.
Fan Control
To test the board's fan control, we connected the CPU fan to a manual fan speed
controller so we could slow it down to induce higher CPU temperatures and connected
three separate fans with varying maximum fan speeds to the onboard headers.
Fan speeds and temperatures were monitored using SpeedFan as the system was
stressed.
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Fan Control
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Criterion
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CPU_FAN
(2470 RPM)
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SYS_FAN1
(1600 RPM)
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SYS_FAN2 (1840 RPM)
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Min. Fan Speed
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400 RPM
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1100 RPM
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1580 RPM
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Trigger Temp.
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30°C
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N/A (constant)
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N/A (constant)
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Max. Fan Speed Temp.
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60°C
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N/A (constant)
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N/A (constant)
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Ambient temperature: 22°C
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The board's automatic fan control made the CPU_FAN start at 400 RPM until the
CPU temperature reached 30°C, increasing gradually until 60°C when it
topped out. We appreciated the slow, gentle curve, but we were dismayed by the
fact that neither of the other fans reacted to the temperature. For the duration
of testing, SYS_FAN1 ran at a constant speed of about 70%, while SYS_FAN2 spun
close to maximum.
SpeedFan Support
For Windows users, SpeedFan is our application of choice for fan control. It
can be configured to raise or lower multiple fan speeds to designated limits
when any specified temperature threshold is breached.
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SpeedFan correlations.
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SpeedFan can fully control both the CPU_FAN and SYS_FAN1 headers using 3-pin
and 4-pin fans. To enable fan control, set PWM modes 1/2 in the Advanced menu
to "Software Controlled." SpeedFan also presents temperature readings,
which we found correlated to the CPU, Southbridge, and VRM area.
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