build advice

[us11csalyer]

You failed to realize the point. I said better and it is VS the mobo he picked out. Do you realize better digital power phase designs provide longer life for the motherboard? Just because you google digital power phase and nothing about mobos pop up doesn't mean misspelling or marketing term. How is saying the power phase is controlled digitally vs analog a market ploy? I think you're a noob trying to sound smart. Please point out a 1155 mobo that uses analog to me. So your comment, "all uper-range mobos", is mute.

 

Your take on PSU choice..... Well I hope no one lets you dictate what parts they buy for their PC.

[FMod]

You failed to realize the point. I said better and it is VS the mobo he picked out.

It's not, or not necessarily. You said "Asus" - not a specific one. If he takes any Asus other than one of the top models, he'll get standard 4+2 phase PWM, which is less advanced than what is found on Asrock Extreme.

 

If he does take one of the top Asus models, they use the same type of VRM as Asrock, and they are developed to final design and built by the same company (Pegatron). I'm not sure if they use the exact same parts in their VRM, but they very well might.

 

 

Do you realize better digital power phase designs provide longer life for the motherboard?

Save for a faulty design, in a modern "overclocking-grade" motherboard, VRM is likely to be the last component to go. Most failures today are firmware-related. And since both use solid capacitors, there is nothing in the VRM to degrade.

 

So, put short, all high phase count (more than 6) digital PWM designs provide the same life for the motherboard, as far as the VRM is concerned.

 

 

Please point out a 1155 mobo that uses analog to me. So your comment, "all uper-range mobos", is mute.

Most everything that doesn't say "digital PWM" and doesn't have 6 or more phases. For instance, almost everything on H61 chipset.

 

Some excellent 1366 mobos (from Asus to EVGA) use analog PWM, so it's not automatically worse than digital.

Edited February 1, 2012 by FMod

[us11csalyer]

Actually the ASUS Z68 boards are better than ASROCK boards in same category.The ASUS P8Z68-V LX is better than his mobo except it is 16x,4x and his is 8x,8x. IMO this doesn't matter at all based on the fact it is 2.0 and I don't see any GPU being limited by 16x,4x anytime soon. Lets not forget to compare his mobo's OCing ability to the ASUS I listed.

 

H61 is not upper-range IMO. 1366 is already being phased out.

 

And yes higher phase count VRMs do extend life of motherboard. When you run anything better than quad core or higher on a 1155 a higher phase count has been shown to lower mobo temps. Not only that but for those who run 2+ GPUs, sound card, high performance coolers/fans off of mobo will see lower mobo temp.

[FMod]

Actually the ASUS Z68 boards are better than ASROCK boards in same category.The ASUS P8Z68-V LX is better than his mobo except it is 16x,4x and his is 8x,8x.

P8Z68-V LX has 4+2 phase power. Asrock Extreme3 has 8+4 phase power - so by a criterion you value yourself, Asrock wins out.

 

Lets not forget to compare his mobo's OCing ability to the ASUS I listed.

For a casual user, it's identical.

For an advanced user, Asrock can have higher bus frequencies (~105 MHz vs 102 MHz for Asus), while Asus can usually take about 1 bin (100 MHz) higher on K-series CPU, at stock bus frequency. So Asus is a bit ahead if using K-series, but we're talking 4900 MHz vs 4800 MHz, more than a casual user needs.

 

And even that applies to full P8Z68-V and its Pro/Deluxe versions with high phase count PWM Asus calls Digi+, but not to P8Z68-V LX, which has a standard 4+2 phase VRM.

 

 

H61 is not upper-range IMO.

Well, you said "any 1155 board". All H61 mobos (I think all, at least), most H67, which is really overall most LGA1155 mobos, use analog PWM. I'm not 100% sure, but Asus P8Z68-V LX also appears to have an analog VRM, seeing how Asus advertises digital on all models above it.

 

When you run anything better than quad core or higher on a 1155 a higher phase count has been shown to lower mobo temps.

There are no CPU with more than 4 cores for LGA1155 and won't ever be.

 

Not only that but for those who run 2+ GPUs, sound card, high performance coolers/fans off of mobo will see lower mobo temp.

The CPU VRM mounted on the mobo only powers the CPU. The rest runs off the main PSU, and these lines don't come anywhere near the CPU VRM. So PWM phase count and VRM design has nothing to do with these peripherals whatsoever.

[us11csalyer]

P8Z68-V LX has 4+2 phase power. Asrock Extreme3 has 8+4 phase power - so by a criterion you value yourself, Asrock wins out.

Between these two board the ASUS still wins. Tomshardware has the comparison on this

 

For a casual user, it's identical.

For an advanced user, Asrock can have higher bus frequencies (~105 MHz vs 102 MHz for Asus), while Asus can usually take about 1 bin (100 MHz) higher on K-series CPU, at stock bus frequency. So Asus is a bit ahead if using K-series, but we're talking 4900 MHz vs 4800 MHz, more than a casual user needs.

 

And even that applies to full P8Z68-V and its Pro/Deluxe versions with high phase count PWM Asus calls Digi+, but not to P8Z68-V LX, which has a standard 4+2 phase VRM.

 

Again ASUS still has the better OC ability

 

Well, you said "any 1155 board". All H61 mobos (I think all, at least), most H67, which is really overall most LGA1155 mobos, use analog PWM. I'm not 100% sure, but Asus P8Z68-V LX also appears to have an analog VRM, seeing how Asus advertises digital on all models above it.

 

You are taking this out of context. I replied to you saying all high end boards.

 

There are no CPU with more than 4 cores for LGA1155 and won't ever be.

 

Again out of context. This was in response to why better VRM lowers mobo temps and longer life

 

The CPU VRM mounted on the mobo only powers the CPU. The rest runs off the main PSU, and these lines don't come anywhere near the CPU VRM. So PWM phase count and VRM design has nothing to do with these peripherals whatsoever.

 

From an engineering stand point the better the VRM the less the VRM has to work. VRMs being pushed generate heat which is a waste product from inefficiency. So at a certain point the power draw to heat becomes more non-linear. Also GPUs have VRMs.

[hoofhearted4]

Again out of context. This was in response to why better VRM lowers mobo temps and longer life

 

lol actually, what he said, was in direct context to what you said. you said CPUs with 4+ cores on an 1155 board...he said there wasnt any and there wont be

 

 

quite honestly you just sound like an Asus fanboy.

 

 

if the reason the board is better is because of something soooo minute, then its safe to say that both boards are fine and he is getting a good board either way...plus the ASRock board has PCIe 3.0! big plus.....oh and it looks cooler then any Asus board ive seen ;)

[us11csalyer]

I'll be ASUS for a long time. ESP for their GPUs.

[hoofhearted4]

I'll be ASUS for a long time. ESP for their GPUs.

 

there is nothing wrong with being a fanboy. but you gotta be open to and respect other ppls opinions on items.

 

i have an asus laptop. its served me well....but when i build my PC, ill be getting a ASRock Extreme 4 mobo with an EVGA GPU....however my monitor will be Asus and possibly my CD drive :P

[us11csalyer]

After seeing my friend's ASROCK bios and the limited settings vs an ASUS mobo in similar price I will never touch ASROCK. After owning a MSI and Gigabyte mobo I have much respect for the ASUS mobo. Boot times just seem better and smoother. Not to mention ASUS's software package fits my taste. I buy HIS GPUs for my bitcoin setup though lol.

[Dan3345]

New ASRock mobo's just like asus mobo's come with the same AEFI BIOS. Same functionality, same design. Nothing wrong with buying from ASRock.