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FINAL THOUGHTS
The 785G chipset is an evolutionary step, bringing a few feature
improvements over 780G. It provides a capable and affordable alternative
to 790GX for users looking to setup a true AM3 system, DDR3 memory and all.
790 boards offer faster 3D performance (in the order of 20% if you consider
3DMark a good indicator), more bandwidth for CrossFire configurations (8x/8x
vs. 16x/4x) and RAID-5 capability from the SB750 Southbridge chip. If none of
these advantages appeal to you, a 785G board might be superior as HD
4200 includes an updated version of UVD, and it is more affordable.
The MSI 785GM-E65's main draw is its impressive energy efficiency. At idle
it used 12W (about 20%) less than the Asus board, and was thrifty during video
playback as well. The heatsinks on the board components run fairly cool, a result
of its high efficiency. The BIOS has plenty of voltage/frequency options and
allowed us to undervolt much more than the M4A785TD-V. The only aspect of the
785GM-E65 we disliked was the fan control system. Once the target temperature
is reached, the fan ramps up incredibly fast and the system fan can only be
set to three different but static speeds. It is not yet supported by SpeedFan.
The Asus M4A785TD-V EVO offers more expansion slots
and the option of using CrossFire. Our sample's power consumption is decidedly
poor at low levels, though it matches the 785GM-E65's efficiency at
full load. Like the MSI board, its components are well-cooled and shouldn't
be problem if paired with a high performance 125W+ processor, for which it seems
more suited. The BIOS is enthusiast-oriented but has an CPU undervolting limit
of -0.3V. Fan control was better than on the 785GM-E65. The settings in the
BIOS allow you to adjust its aggressiveness to suite your tolerance, and both
fans can be controlled using SpeedFan which is a huge bonus. On the other hand,
the CPU fan's minimum speed is too high, and if you use BIOS control, the auxiliary
fan does not react to changes in temperature.
Both of these boards offer a slew of features including HDMI, DVI, S/PDIF,
eSATA and FireWire, RAID 0/1/10, a 100% solid-state capacitor design, and a
very capable onboard graphics chip. The M4A785TD-V and 785GM-E65 retail for
about $30 less than their 790GX counterparts. The new chipset won't blow anyone's
socks off, but it does give price-conscious users a reason to choose the newer
AM3/DDR3 platform rather than settling on an AM2+/DDR2 solution simply because
of the price. It is also a compelling alternative to an Intel based platform.
The only Intel motherboard we can find that matches the features of these two
boards is the Gigabyte GA-EG45M-UD2H which retails for $130. The bottom line on Intel vs. AMD for affordable HTPC: The MSI 785GM-E65
is $40 cheaper and has faster onboard graphics.
|
Asus M4A785TD-V EVO
|
PROS
* Feature-rich
* Liberal BIOS options
* Excellent HD video playback
* Fairly good 3D performance
* Well cooled
|
CONS
* High idle and low load power consumption
* Doesn't undervolt well |
|
MSI 785GM-E65
|
PROS
* Feature-rich
* Liberal BIOS options
* Excellent HD video playback
* Fairly good 3D performance
* Well cooled
* Excellent idle and low load power consumption
* Undervolts well |
CONS
* Poor fan control
|
Our thanks to Asus
and Micro-Star International
for the motherboard samples.
* * *
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* * *
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