ASRock Fatal1ty E3V5 Performance Gaming/OC Intel C232 Motherboard Review

[Guest]

Is there value in a budget gamer workstation? Are Intel's C232 chipset and Xeon part of the answer? We're putting ASRock's E3V5 Performance Gaming/OC motherboard on the test bench in an attempt to find out.

ASRock Fatal1ty E3V5 Performance Gaming/OC Intel C232 Motherboard Review : Read more

 

[Mark_304]

Not sure why they used Fatal1ty as branding, since its a workstation.. but does look good.

 

[genz]

If you don't understand why they used Fatal1ty as a branding you didn't read the article, Mark. It clearly states it's because it's for gaming with workstation processors and supports overclocking. EVGA made the SR-X a long time ago and many similar units have popped up since.

It's for the gamers that want to run a 64 core render farm off the same machine they develop and game on. Indie devs and power users that would actually be served if the top of the consumer CPU markets weren't comparatively stagnant to times gone by.

 

[firefoxx04]

If intel would stop restricting the instruction sets available on i7s we wouldnt have to mix and match workstation with gaming.

You dont need a gaming board to develop. Hell, you dont need a gaming board to play games. The idea that motherboards are tailored to "GAMING" because they have flashy colors and lights is just silly.

 

[BulkZerker]

Flashy colors, heatsinks on hot running components, better sound solutions, more connectivity, more expensive network solutions... Yea gaming boards sound like absolute shite yo.

 

[anbello262]

Flashy colors, heatsinks on hot running components, better sound solutions, more connectivity, more expensive network solutions... Yea gaming boards sound like absolute shite yo.

To be honest, the more expensive network solutions are almost no difference, if any. More connectivity is debatable, since that is actually part of Z170 itself (not gaming), there is usually very little "gaming boards" exclusively have to offer on that front. Depends a lot more on the mobo form factor (ATX vs mATX)
The Heatskinks are quite good for extreme overlclokers with extreme voltages, but that has no real value in gaming.
For gaming, we already know that CPU performance is secondary (it's more than enough with any 4.5GHz new i7, or even i5 most of the times). Even a locked i7-7700 would be enough probably. Getting your chip higher (5.0GHz 7770k?) depends mainly on the chip itself and then on the MOBO stability, but even then, it would require extreme voltages and constant stress testing to worry about overheating MOBO parts (always talking about Intel, not mentioning AMD).

The only part I will agree is the good sound solution. But it's all about economics, and in that fron it actually makes sense to charge extra for more expensive mobos. I'm just saying that they offer virtually no benefits for gamers specifically (apart from the sound).

 

[Mpablo87]

Flashy Colors)

Let's taste it

 

[Vorador2]

and a picture of Fatal1ty on the box

Now i must have this motherboard. /s

 

[daglesj]

Fatal1ty - About as relevant today as dancing Hamsters and Zip disks.

 

[genz]

If intel would stop restricting the instruction sets available on i7s we wouldnt have to mix and match workstation with gaming.

You dont need a gaming board to develop. Hell, you dont need a gaming board to play games. The idea that motherboards are tailored to "GAMING" because they have flashy colors and lights is just silly.

Overclocking support for Xeon processors says otherwise. Not many boards in existance support that, and these kind of boards are excellent investments because in 4 years when the server market is done with their 10-core chips, I'll pick em up and OC them till they tear up 9900ks.

 

[junkeymonkey]

I see like the rest with the 100 series and up IDE mode has been removed for the sata configurations how does that benefit a w/s being that chipset used ?? you would full compatibility it offers ???

I guess when all you IDE set up sata drives don't work you go buy new drives or loos all your data / wipe set to ahci reinstall everything ??

we were just discussing that here

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-3340683/asrock-h170-pro4-hyper-ahci-ide-hdd-problem.html

this hardware today it now you got to go support it cause it no longer supports you then add windows 10 on top of that