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Biostar TA990FXE AMD 990FX Motherboard Review
Biostar TA990FXE AMD 990FX Motherboard Review - PCSTATS
The AMD 990FX chipset has been out for a while now, yet Biostar's TA990FXE motherboard still gets you in the game with plenty of PCI Express lanes for Crossfire/SLI, and more SATA III connectivity than rival Intel's Z77 platform.
 75% Rating:   
Filed under: Motherboards Published:  Author: 
External Mfg. Website: Biostar May 31 2012   Max Page  
Home > Reviews > Motherboards > Biostar TA990FXE

System Power Draw and Conclusions

Total System Power Draw

Energy efficient computers are a good thing, so it helps to know how power efficient, or power hungry different parts of a computer are when stressed with different tasks. Since it is very difficult to isolate a videocard or CPU and measure power draw separately, PCSTATS measures total system power draw with the aid of an Extech 380803 AC Power Analyzer and Active-PFC compliant Seasonic SS-760KM power supply. The meter is placed between the 120V AC outlet and the PC power supply. Total system power draw is recorded and compared to the PC's idle state.

Total System Power Draw
Biostar TA990FXE

Graphics Solution

Idle CPU Loaded Graphics Loaded


AMD FX-8150 and
nVidia Geforce GTX470

101W 254W 258W
(At desktop) (via Prime95) (via 3Dmark 06)

The Biostar TA990FXE system draws 101W while idle at the desktop. Under 100% CPU load conditions with Prime95, total system power draw jumps to 254W. 3DMark06 pushes power draw to a peak of 258W with a Geforce GTX470 videocard.

Biostar's Budget Approach

AMD has had a hard time of it lately; its Bulldozer CPU launched to under whelming applause and Intel keeps releasing CPUs that out pace equivalent AMD offerings by leaps and bounds. For it's part, AMD continues to survive because its processors offer a lot of value for what they cost. Value is a valuable thing in this belt-tightening economy.

Gamers know they can get away with a slightly less powerful multicore processor and spend the money saved on a quicker graphics card, because THAT's where video game performance really rests. Processors, to put it plainly, are no longer a bottle necking component in computers. Modern CPUs, even mainstream level chips, are generally fast enough for 95% of the software and applications the average PC user relies on.

It's within this turbulent environment that AMD released it's 990FX chipset and FX-series Bulldozer processor. Despite the luke warm reception Bulldozer garnered, the AMD 990FX is a very well equipped motherboard chipset with a lot to offer mainstream and performance users alike.

So what can we say about the Biostar TA990FXE+Bulldozer combo that the benchmarks haven't already spelled out so painfully for AMD fans? The Intel Core i5 Sandy Bridge + P67/Z68 platform beats the flagship AMD offering in the majority of tests...but not all!

Biostar have put together a really nice AM3+ mobo in the TA990FXE that will easily run multi-videocard Crossfire and SLI set ups with an 8-core FX-8150 bulldozer CPU in the drivers seat.

What the Biostar TA990FXE motherboard does have in abundance is a good set of overclocking features. Items like the Port 80 card and physical power/reset switches make the no-frills TA990FXE motherboard easy enough to overclock. Biostar doesn't throw in quite as many extras as other AMD 990FX-based motherboards do, but for most the dual PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots and four USB 3.0 ports should be enough. Five SATA 6Gb/s ports is a decent quantity, and they can be configured in RAID 0, 1 5 and 10 modes too.

If you're looking for an affordable AMD 990FX-based motherboard, Biostar has a good offering here.

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< Previous Page © 2023 PCSTATS.com Motherboards Reviews...»

 

Contents of Article: Biostar TA990FXE
 Pg 1.  Biostar TA990FXE AMD 990FX Motherboard Review
 Pg 2.  360-Degree Motherboard Gallery Continued
 Pg 3.  AMD 990FX Core Logic
 Pg 4.  Overclocking and BIOS Features
 Pg 5.  Test System Hardware & Specs
 Pg 6.  Sysmark 2007 - Workstation Motherboard Benchmarks
 Pg 7.  SiSoft Sandra - CPU Motherboard Benchmarks
 Pg 8.  Sandra: Memory - Motherboard Benchmarks
 Pg 9.  PCMark Vantage - System Motherboard Benchmarks
 Pg 10.  3DMark 11 - Gaming Motherboard Benchmarks
 Pg 11.  3DMark Vantage - Gaming Motherboard Benchmarks
 Pg 12.  3DMark06 - Gaming Motherboard Benchmarks
 Pg 13.  — System Power Draw and Conclusions

 
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