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TEST RESULTS
Our test system features a Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition and a Xigmatek HDT
CPU cooler with its fan connected to a variable DC fan controller so the fan's
power draw does not come into play. The rest of the system consists of two sticks
of Corsair Dominator DDR3 memory running at 1333MHz (9-9-9-24) in dual channel,
an Asus Blu-ray drive, a 5400RPM notebook hard drive and an OEM Seasonic 400W
power supply. 128MB of system memory was assigned to the IGP in addition to
the included SidePort memory.
Power Consumption
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Test Results
|
|
Test State
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Asus
M4A78T-E
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DFI LP JR 790GX-M3H5
|
|
Idle
|
54W
|
54W
|
|
Rush Hour
(H.264)
|
~57W
|
~61W
|
|
Coral Reef
(WMV-HD)
|
~64W
|
~66W
|
|
Drag Race
(VC-1)
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~71W
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~74W
|
|
Disturbia
(Blu-ray H.264)
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~70W
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~64W
|
|
CPU Load
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117W
|
127W
|
|
CPU + GPU
Load
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135W
|
149W
|
Compared to the M4A78T-E,
an Asus ATX motherboard using the same chipset 790GX chipset, the 790GX-M3H5
uses the same amount of power when idle, and marginally more (2~4W) during video playback.
When the CPU and/or IGP were put on full load though, the DFI board used 10-14W
more power.
Cooling
Lower cost boards ship with simple heatsinks on the Northbridge and Southbridge
while those targeted at enthusiasts typically have large heatpipe coolers and
heatsinks on the voltage regulation modules near the CPU socket. A well-cooled
motherboard can deliver better power efficiency and stability.
|
Heatsink Temperatures
|
|
Measuring Point
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DFI LP JR 790GX-M3H5
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Asus
M4A78T-E
|
|
SB Heatsink
|
60°C
|
50°C
|
|
NB Heatsink
|
86°C
|
85°C
|
|
VRMs
|
80°C
|
63°C
|
|
Measured with a spot thermometer (hottest point) after
10 minutes of full CPU + GPU load. CPU fan reduced to 8V.
|
The 790GX-M3H5 ran hotter across the board than the Asus M4A78T-E. While the Northbridge heatsink
measured only 1°C higher than the M4A78T-E, the Southbridge cooler was 10°C
higher and the VRM heatsink ran 17°C hotter. The Northbridge and VRM heatsink
temperatures were close due to the heatpipe distributing the heat between them. Combined,
they ran hotter than on the Asus, due probably to the VRM heatsink's tightly spaced fins and the Northbridge
heatsink's small size. Typically as temperature increases, electrical
components become less efficient — this could account for the 790GX-M3H5's
higher power consumption. (Editor's Note: Other factors such as case airflow in the system can have significant effects on all of these temperatures.)
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