Asus TUF B760M-BTF WiFi D4: All connectors out of sight

Ľubomír Samák

2 months ago

Asus TUF B760M-BTF WiFi D4 in detail

Why put connectors from the front of the motherboard when they can be from the back? This is what Asus and other manufacturers are thinking with boards with, say, an inverted connector layout. The TUF B760M-BTF WiFi (D4) model has all connectors moved from front to back. This, with the current trend of glass side panels, mainly contributes to a nicer look. But we’ll also be interested in other, measurable things as part of our analysis.

The BTF designation is used by Asus for motherboards where the connectors are located at the back of the PCB instead of the traditional placement on the front. We recently had a report on the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero BTF motherboard, now we’re going to take a closer look at the TUF B760M-BTF WiFi D4. At its core, this is an affordable motherboard with support for LGA 1700 platform processors (from Alder Lake to Raptor Lake Refresh) and DDR4 memory. Compared to most, it is different mainly in that the cables from the PSU or other components (case, fans, etc.) connect to it from the opposite side.

The advantage of such a solution is supposed to be mainly in the fact that cables will not be visible through a glass side panel of a case and such a computer (with an Asus BTF motherboard) will be a nicer sight. The obvious disadvantage of this concept is in the narrower to very narrow compatibility with computer cases. Installation in conventional cases is impossible, if only because the BTF board requires either a significantly larger offset of the PCB from the standoffs or, and this seems more sensible, holes in the tray plate to prevent collisions of the case with the connectors or, consequently, the cabling.

Among the supported cases, for example, is the Asus A21 and more are expected to be added. Gigabyte and MSI also use a scheme with connectors from the back of their motherboards. This makes it an attractive topic for third-party case manufacturers as well. We have information that by the end of the year Cooler Master, Corsair or Phanteks will also launch their new models with support for such non-traditional motherboards. However, we cannot confirm this with 100% certainty. These companies have not been able to confirm anything at the moment and we don’t have any more details on this matter. Anyway, it doesn’t change the fact that support for cases is weaker at the moment, but there is that promise of improvement in the future. We’ll see how it eventually pans out…


Parameters		Asus TUF B760M BTF WiFi D4
		MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk DDR4
Socket		Intel LGA 1700
Chipset		Intel B760
Format		ATX (244 × 244 mm)
CPU power delivery		14-phase
Supported memory (and max. frequency)		DDR4 (5333 MHz)
Slots PCIe ×16 (+ PCIe ×1)		2× (+ 1×)
Centre of socket to first PCIe ×16 slot		80 mm
Centre of socket to first DIMM slot		56 mm
Storage connectors		4× SATA III, 2× PCIe 4.0 ×4 (42–80 mm), 1× M.2 PCIe 4.0 ×4 (80 mm)
PWM connectors for fans or AIO pump		5×
Internal USB ports		1× 3.2 gen. 2 type C, 2× 3.2 gen. 1 type A, 4× 2.0 type A
Other internal connectors		1× TPM, 3× ARGB LED (5 V), 1× RGB LED (12 V) 1× jumper Clear CMOS
POST display		no (but has debug LED)
Buttons		Flash BIOS, Clear CMOS
External USB ports		1× 3.2 gen. 2×2 type C, 2× 3.2 gen. 2 (1× type C + 1× type A), 3× (1× type C + 2× type A), 4× 2.0 type A
Video outputs		1× HDMI 2.1, 1× DisplayPort 1.4
Network		1× RJ-45 (2,5 GbE) – Realtek RTL8125, WiFi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax), Bluetooth 5.2
Audio		Realtek ALC897 (7.1)
Other external connectors		–
Suggested retail price		187 EUR

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Asus TUF B760M-BTF WiFi D4

Categorically, one can write about a lower-middle-class motherboard. In terms of price and features. The Intel B760 chipset is used here and the variant with “D4” in the name is characterized by support for the DDR4 memory standard. These are still attractive in cheaper builds because you can get a better price/performance ratio with them, although these older memories (DDR4) are already in moral obsolescence. Alternatively, Asus also offers a variant of this board for DDR5 memory – the TUF B760M-BTF WiFi. But the price is already higher. Not only for the motherboard itself, but then also for the memory. As always it’s about priorities.

The format of the PCB corresponds to the Micro ATX dimensions, using a larger width (244 mm). This provides up to four DIMM slots for installing memory modules, which is not commonplace on smaller than ATX motherboards. The TUF B760M-BTF WiFi D4 is smaller mainly in height (at 244mm), which is why it is offered in combination with shorter cases, which include the aforementioned Asus A21. So despite being a prettier motherboard, it still has three PCI Express slots, two of which are physically in the ×16 format, but the bottom one only works in PCIe 4.0 ×16 mode. The top one, however, is full-size and with support for the fastest PCIe 5.0 interface.

The third PCIe slot is ×1, suitable for installing simple expansion cards. There is only room for single-slot cards in the bottom two PCIe slots, and the distance between the CPU socket and the first PCIe ×16 slot is also relatively smaller. From the center of the CPU socket to the center of the PCIe slot socket, it’s “only” 80 mm. Thus, in certain situations, wider tower coolers can collide with their (for example, protruding) clips, with graphics cards. Beware of this. Although it was possible to get the three PCIe slots even on the mATX format, it was at the cost of such compromises, which you may not care about even if you use the most powerful CPU coolers, if you already have a liquid cooler selected.

On the front of the motherboard, you won’t find a single connector to run a cable to. There are, however, two of the three M.2 slots with PCIe 4.0×16 SSD support. The third slot (M.2 for SSD) is already at the back. In case you fit an SSD into it, the last PCIe slot on the front is automatically disabled. This is because it shares the same PCI Express lanes.

The connectors are aligned as close to the edge of the PCB as possible. This way you don’t have to connect one from the middle, as is sometimes the case with fan connectors. The only connector that is more deeply recessed towards the center of the motherboard is the M.2 slot. However, it doesn’t need a cable connection to function as it is connected by wires inside the PCB of the motherboard.

The connectors for CPU power are also on the back. The benefit of this position is also that the VRM heatsinks can be a bit larger. Their design on the TUF B760M-BTF WiFi D4 encroaches into a space that they would not be able to if the connectors were on the front due to a potential clash.

The use of space for the VRM heatsinks, which would otherwise contain the power connectors, can be seen well in frontal view. Aluminum fins on the top cover half of the total 12 pins of the two power connectors.

The TUF B760M-BTF WiFi D4 has a 14-phase (12+1+1) power delivery, where the majority (Vcore) of the integrated circuits with MOSFETs is made up of SiC639 (Vishay) chips. The PWM controller is then a ASP2100R (OnSemi).

Next to the DIMM slots, there is only the power delivery and the tin-plated feet of the 24-pin ATX connector. The latter is physically already on the other side of the motherboard.

The rear panel with external I/O connectors is notable, for example, due to the trio of USB-C ports. Such a setup is quite unusual in this price range, although it should be noted that there is only one 20-gigabit one. In total, there are up to ten USB ports on the rear panel, which is quite a lot, but only a few of them are really fast when you consider that four are of the 2.0 standard and three are “only” 5-gigabit (3.2 gen. 1 standard).

The audio output is simpler, there are three 3.5mm jacks for connection and the codec is Realtek ALC897.

Please note: The article continues in the following chapters.

What it looks like in the BIOS

The graphical interface of the Asus TUF motherboard BIOS keeps the proven layout. Virtually nothing has changed across the generations, staying with relative simplicity (but including, for example, a button to de/activate ReBaR, which isn’t always present in EZ Mode) with quick options to activate memory profile/XMP, Intel RST or a waypoint to the Q-Fan environment for fan management.

The advanced mode is traditionally accessed via the F7 key, where, for example, on the Advanced tab in the CPU configuration section it is possible to adjust the number of active P or E cores (and here it is still true that you have to leave at least one P core on) or disable Hyper-Threading or just look at the technological details of your processor, what it supports and what it does not support in its settings.

An overview of the multiplier settings for boost clock speeds of the CPU cores is available in the Ai Tweaker tab, where you can also disable the AVX2 instructions if necessary. This will in some cases reduce power consumption (and the associated higher cooling requirements), but will also reduce computational performance.

The Ai Tweaker tab, or its Internal CPU Power Management subsection, will be of interest to you for adjusting power limits.

If you find the default setting unsuitable, you can change it by entering a value whose number will represent the power limit. For example, you can do this by keeping the power higher for shorter loads (say at PL2) and lower for longer loads. Or for both short and long term load you set the same value, for example 125 W, at which most more powerful processors will be more power efficient in high load than with factory settings. These are, for example with the Core i9-13900K, “4095 W” (i.e. no limitations, PL2) for long term load and 253 W for short term load of 96 sec.

At lower loads, the power limits may not be felt at all, as during gaming, for example, you may not hit the upper boundary of the power limits, even at lower power settings. In a heavy multi-threaded workload, however, the stricter power limits will already have an impact on computing performance. Moreover, with newer BIOSes, we are seeing a trend where there appears to be no balanced power redistribution on the Intel platform, with less power left for the P cores than would be appropriate for optimal results. This can also be seen in the lower clock speeds of the CPU cores.

The memory controller clock speed is on “auto”. In practice, this can mean different settings that depend on the speed of the memory used. With our test modules with XMP 3600 MHz, or 3600 MT, the settings correspond to Gear 1, i.e. full bandwidth.

In addition to monitoring voltages or fan speeds, the TUF B760M-BTF WiFi D4 also has several temperature sensors. However, their incorporation into the Q-Fan is a bit wonky compared to other brands’ boards. Or in other words, the drag and drop interface lacks the ability to change the temperature source. It can be done, but in a different environment – Monitor\Q-Fan Configuration\Chassis Fan(s)\Configuration.

The Q-Fan Control interface, where you can adjust the shape of the curves by changing the position of points on the graph, is poorer. However, you can still customize the PWM (or DC, you choose…) curve on each of the five connectors. Either completely (in manual mode) or in the form of preset profiles (Standard, Silent, Turbo, Full Speed).

Gaming tests…

The vast majority of tests is based on the methodology for processors and graphics cards. The choice of games is narrower with motherboards, but for this purpose there is no need for more of them. We always use the powerful Core i9-13900K processor, which will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of any motherboard well. In the past we have tested with two processors, including a cheaper, more low-power model, but we don’t do that anymore. The hypothesis that more expensive motherboards might “advantage” cheaper processors in performance has not been confirmed, so it’s rather pointless.

We’ve selected five titles from games we’re testing in two resolutions. There are significantly fewer games than in the CPU or graphics card tests, but these are just enough for the motherboard tests. Few people consider performance in a particular game when choosing a motherboard. But an indicative overview of which motherboard shapes gaming performance in what way (compared to another motherboard) is necessary. To avoid significant discrepancies over time, we’ve reached for relatively older titles that no longer receive significant updates.

These are Borderlands 3, F1 2020, Metro Exodus, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Total War Saga: Troy. With newer games, there might be some performance changes over time (updates) and especially in high resolutions with high details. This is one of the test setups (2160p and Ultra, or the highest visual detail but without ray-tracing graphics) that focuses on comparing performance, for which the bottleneck is the graphics card. In other words, it will be clear from these tests which motherboard can affect the performance of which graphics card to what extent for any reasons. In contrast, a setup with Full HD resolution and with graphical details reduced to “High” will also reflect the CPU’s contribution to the final gaming performance.

We use OCAT to record fps, or the times of individual frames, which are then used to calculate fps, and FLAT to analyze the CSV. The developer and author of articles (and videos) for the GPUreport.cz website is behind both.
For the highest accuracy, all runs are repeated three times and average values of average and minimum fps are displayed in the graphs. These multiple repetitions also apply to non-game tests.

… Computing tests, SSD tests, USB ports and network tests

We test application performance in a very similar way to the processor tests. Almost all tests are included, from the easier ones (such as those in a web environment) to those that push the CPU or graphics card to the limit. These are typically tests such as 3D rendering, video encoding (x264, x265, SVT-AV1) or other performance-intensive computing tasks. As with processors or graphics cards, we have a wide range of applications – users editing video (Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve Studio), graphic effects creators (Adobe Premiere Pro), graphic designers or photographers (Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, Affinity Photo, AI applications Topaz Labs, …) will find their own in the results, and there are also tests of (de)encryption, (de)compression, numerical calculations, simulations and, of course, tests of memory.

SSD performance tests are also important for motherboards. Therefore we test the maximum sequential read and write speeds on an empty Samsung 980 Pro SSD (1 TB) in the well distributed CrystalDiskMark, in all slots. We approach the USB port tests in the same way. We use a WD Black P50 external SSD to test them. It supports fast USB 3.2 gen. 2×2, so it won’t be a bottleneck for even the fastest USB controllers. We report only one result for each USB standard. This is calculated from the average of all available ports.

We won’t deprive you of network bandwidth tests either. We move large files in both directions within a local network between the motherboard network adapters and the Sonnet Solo10G 10-gigabit PCIe card. This from the aforementioned Samsung 980 Pro SSD to the Patriot Hellfire (480 GB), which is still fast enough to not slow down even the 10 Gb adapter.

The results of all performance tests are averaged over three repeated measurements for best accuracy.

CPU settings…

We primarily test processors without power limits, the way most motherboards have it in factory settings. For tests that have an overlap with power, temperature and CPU clock speed measurements, we also observe the behavior of boards with a power limit according to Intel’s recommendations, where we set PL1 to the TDP level (125 W) while respecting the Tau timeout (56 s). The upper limit of the power supply (PL2/PTT) is set in the BIOS according to the official values. For Core i9-13900K it is 253 W, for Core i9-12900K it is 241 W. Aggressive overclocking technologies such as PBO2 (AMD) or MCE (Asus) and similar are not covered in standard motherboard tests.

… and application updates

Tests should also take into account that over time, individual updates may skew performance comparisons. Some applications we use in portable versions that do not update or can be kept on a stable version, but for some this is not the case. Typically games get updated over time, which is natural, and keeping them on old versions out of reality would also be questionable.

In short, just count on the fact that the accuracy of the results you are comparing with each other decreases a bit as time goes on. To make this analysis easier, we’ve listed when each board was tested. You can find this out in the dialog box, where you can find information about the date of testing. This dialog is displayed in the interactive graphs, next to any result bar. Just hover over it.

Methodology: How we measure power draw

<In contrast to the Z690/B660 tests, we’ll simplify it a bit and measure only the CPU power draw on the EPS cables. This means that (also for the sake of best possible clarity) we omit the 24-pin measurements. We have already analysed it thoroughly and the power draw on it doesn’t change much across boards. Of the ten boards tested with an Alder Lake processor (Core i9-12900K), the power draw at 12 volts of the 24-pin connector ranges from 37.3–40.4 W (gaming load, graphics card power supply via PCI Express ×16 slot), at 5V (memory, ARGB LEDs and some external controllers) then between 13.9–22.3 W and finally at the weakest, 3.3-volt branch, the power draw of our test setup tends to be 2.2–3.6 W.

On top of the CPU power draw, which also takes into account the efficiency of the power delivery, this adds up to some 53–66 W under gaming/graphics load and only 15–25 W outside of it, with the graphics card idle. We already know all this from older tests, and it will be no different on the new boards, and as the number of measurements increases, reducing measurements that worsen orientation is beneficial. But from the text above, you know how much to add for the total power draw of the motherboard components to the CPU’s majority power draw.

The situation will be a bit different on AMD platforms, for those we will deal with what is the power draw on which branch of the 24-pin, but already in a separate article that will better highlight this topic. In a large comprehensive motherboard test, these measurements disappear, they do not attract enough attention.

We measure the power draw of the CPU (and its VRM) on the power supply cables, with calibrated Prova 15 current clamps and a calibrated Keysight U1231A multimeter. The clamps measure the electric current, the multimeter measures the electric voltage. In the union of these two electrical quantities, we finally obtain the exact power draw. We measure this in different loads on the CPU. The maximum multithreaded load is represented by Cinebench R23.

Lower, gaming load by Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p@high), single-threaded load by audio encoding (reference encoder 1.3.2, FLAC with bitrate 200 kbps) and idle power draw is measured on the Windows 10 desktop when only basic operating system processes and launchers of some test applications are running in the background.

Methodology: Temperature and frequency measurements

By far the most critical part in terms of temperatures on the motherboard is the power delivery (VRM) for the CPU. This is where we return to the Fluke Ti125 thermal imager, which produces temperature maps that can be used to locate the average temperature, as well as the hottest point. We record both these values (average and maximum temperature on the Vcore) in graphs, and we will later evaluate the efficiency of the VRM heatsinks based on the maximum one. However, we lack a suitable thermometer for that yet. Of course, the thermovision is implemented without a heatsink, and a thermocouple needs to be installed on the hottest MOSFET to detect the reduction of temperature with a heatsink. This will be added soon.

Thermal imaging always relates to operating with the more powerful of the pair of test processors. With it, the differences and possible limitations or impending risks (for example, even from thermal throttling) become more apparent. In order to have a good view of the VRM, we use an Alphacool Eisbaer 360 liquid cooler with the fans fixed at full power (12 V) instead of a tower cooler (from the CPU tests). The temperature tests also include CPU temperatures for completeness, and we also test the efficiency of the supplied SSD heatsinks as part of the motherboard tests. These are already included with virtually all better motherboards, and so the question naturally arises whether to use them or replace them with other, more finned ones. We will test these heatsinks on a Samsung 980 Pro SSD during ten minutes of intense load in CrystalDiskMark. Finally, the temperature of the chipset’s southbridge and the cooling efficiency in this direction is noteworthy as well.

All tests are conducted in a wind tunnel, so full system cooling is provided. This consists of three Noctua NF-S12A PWMs@5V (~550 rpm) . Two of which are intake, one is exhaust. But the three fast AIO fans also function as exhaust fans, so there is negative pressure inside the case.

The temperature at the entrance to the tunnel is properly controlled and ranges between 21-21.3 °C. Maintaining a constant temperature at all times during testing is important not only for the accuracy of the temperature measurements, but also because a higher or lower ambient temperature also affects the eventual behaviour of the processors’ boost. And we also properly monitor and compare the clock speeds, whether under all-core load or even single-threaded tasks. We use the HWiNFO application to record the clock speeds and temperatures of the cores (sampling is set to two seconds).

Maintaining a constant temperature at the intake is necessary not only for a proper comparison of processor temperatures, but especially for objective performance comparisons. The clock speed development, and specially the single core boost, is precisely based on the temperature. Typically in summer, at higher temperatures than is normal in living quarters in winter, processors can be slower.

Temperatures are always read as maximum (both from the VRM thermovision and average, but still from the local maximum values at the end of Cinebench R23). For Intel processors, for each test we read the maximum temperature of the cores, usually all of them. These maxima are then averaged and the result represents the final value in the graph. From the single-threaded workload outputs, we extract only the recorded values from the active cores (there are usually two of these, and they alternate between each other during the test). For AMD processors it is a bit different. They don’t have temperature sensors for each core. In order to make the procedure methodically as similar as possible to the one we apply on Intel processors, we define the average temperature of all cores by the highest value reported by the CPU Tdie (average) sensor. However, for single-core workloads we already use the CPU sensor (Tctl/Tdie), which usually reports a slightly higher value that better corresponds to hotspots of one or two cores. However, these values as well as the values from all internal sensors should be taken with a grain of salt, the accuracy of sensors across CPUs varies.

Clock speed evaluation is more accurate, each core has its own sensor even on AMD processors. However, unlike the temperatures, we write the average values of the clock speeds during the tests in the graphs. We monitor the temperatures and clock speed of the CPU cores in the same tests in which we also measure power draw. Thus, sequentially from the lowest desktop idle load in Windows 10, through audio encoding (single-threaded load), gaming load in Shadow of the Tomb Raider to Cinebench R23.

Test setup

Note: To be able to compare results with older Z790 motherboard models, the tests are not run with an Intel Raptor Lake Refresh processor, but with the Intel Core i9-13900K (Raptor Lake).

Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 360 liquid cooler w/ the metal backplate

Patriot Blackout memory (4×8 GB, 3600 MHz/CL18). We test motherboards with DDR5 memory support with G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo memory (2×16 GB, 6000 MHz/CL30) and Z690/B660 motherboards with DDR5 memory support were tested with Kingston Fury Beast (2×16 GB, 5200 MHz/CL40)

MSI RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio graphics card

Patriot Viper VP4100 (1 TB) and Patriot Viper VPN100 (2 TB) SSDs

Note.: Graphics drivers used at the time of testing: Nvidia GeForce 466.77 and OS Windows 10 build 19045.

3DMark

We use 3DMark Professional for our tests and from the tests, Night Raid (DirectX 12), Fire Strike (DirectX 11) and Time Spy (DirectX 12). In the graphs you will find the CPU sub-scores, the combined scores, as well as the graphics scores. From this you can see to what extent a given CPU is limiting the graphics card.

Borderlands 3

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: None; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Ultra; API DirectX 12; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

F1 2020

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: off, Skidmarks Blending: off; test scene: built-in benchmark (Australia, Clear/Dry, Cycle).

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Ultra High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: TAA, Skidmarks Blending: off; test scene: built-in benchmark (Australia, Clear/Dry, Cycle).

Metro Exodus

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Extreme; API DirectX 12; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: off; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Highest; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: TAA; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Total War Saga: Troy

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 11; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Ultra; API DirectX 11; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

PCMark

Geekbench

Speedometer (2.0) and Octane (2.0)

Test environment: To ensure that results are not affected by web browser updates over time, we use a portable version of Google Chrome (91.0.472.101), a 64-bit build. Hardware GPU acceleration is enabled as well, as it is by default for every user.

Note: The values in the graphs represent the average of the scores obtained in the subtasks, which are grouped according to their nature into seven categories (Core language features, Memory and GC, Strings and arrays, Virtual machine and GC, Loading and Parsing, Bit and Math operations, and Compiler and GC latency).

Cinebench R20

Cinebench R23

Blender@Cycles

Test environment: We use well distributed projects BMW (510 tiles) and Classroom (2040 tiles) and the renderer Cycles. Render settings are set to None, with which all the work falls on the CPU.

LuxRender (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Adobe Premiere Pro (PugetBench)

Test environment: PugetBench tests set. We keep the version of the application (Adobe Premiere Pro) at 15.2.

DaVinci Resolve Studio (PugetBench)

Test environment: set of PugetBench tests, test type: standard. App version of DaVinci Resolve Studio is 17.2.1 (build 12).

Graphics effects: Adobe After Effects

Test environment: set of PugetBench tests. App version of Adobe After Effects is 18.2.1.

HandBrake

Test environment: For video conversion we’re using a 4K video LG Demo Snowboard with a 43,9 Mb/s bitrate. AVC (x264) and HEVC (x265) profiles are set for high quality and encoder profiles are “slow”. HandBrake version is 1.3.3 (2020061300).

x264 and x265 benchmarks

Naposledy sme sa zaoberali základnou doskou, ktorá, ktorá je aj vďaka nižšej cene vhodná najmä na použitie s lacnejšími procesormi. Teraz tu máme o zhruba 50 eur drahšiu Gigabyte B660 Aorus Master DDR4. Príplatok tu má jasné opodstatnenie a odzkadľuje sa na lepších vlastnostiach. Napájacia kaskáda je výrazne efektívnejšia, chladiče sú účinnejšie a výbava je celkovo bohatšia, vrátane svetielok.

Audio encoding

Test environment: Audio encoding is done using command line encoders, we measure the time it takes for the conversion to finish. The same 42-minute long 16-bit WAV file (stereo) with 44.1 kHz is always used (Love Over Gold by Dire Straits album rip in a single audio file).

Encoder settings are selected to achieve maximum or near maximum compression. The bitrate is relatively high, with the exception of lossless FLAC of about 200 kb/s.

Note: These tests measure single-thread performance.

FLAC: reference encoder 1.3.2, 64-bit build. Launch options: flac.exe -s -8 -m -e -p -f

MP3: encoder lame3.100.1, 64-bit build (Intel 19 Compiler) from RareWares. Launch options: lame.exe -S -V 0 -q 0

AAC: uses Apple QuickTime libraries, invoked through the application from the command line, QAAC 2.72, 64-bit build, Intel 19 Compiler (does not require installation of the whole Apple package). Launch options: qaac64.exe -V 100 -s -q 2

Opus: reference encoder 1.3.1, Launch options: opusenc.exe –comp 10 –quiet –vbr –bitrate 192

Adobe Photoshop (PugetBench)

Test environment: set of PugetBench tests. App version of Adobe Photoshop is 22.4.2.

Affinity Photo (benchmark)

Test environment: built-in benchmark.

Topaz Labs AI apps

Topaz DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI. These single-purpose applications are used for restoration of low-quality photos. Whether it is high noise (caused by higher ISO), raster level (typically after cropping) or when something needs extra focus. The AI performance is always used.

Test settings for Topaz Labs applications. DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI, left to right. Each application has one of the three windows

Test environment: As part of batch editing, 42 photos with a lower resolution of 1920 × 1280 px are processed, with the settings from the images above. DeNoise AI is in version 3.1.2, Gigapixel in 5.5.2 and Sharpen AI in 3.1.2.

The processor is used for acceleration (and high RAM allocation), but you can also switch to the GPU

WinRAR 6.01

7-Zip 19.00

TrueCrypt 7.1a

Aida64 (AES, SHA3)

Aida64, FPU tests

FSI (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Kirchhoff migration (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Python36 (SPECworkstation 3.1)

SRMP (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Octave (SPECworkstation 3.1)

FFTW (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Convolution (SPECworkstation 3.1)

CalculiX (SPECworkstation 3.1)

RodiniaLifeSci (SPECworkstation 3.1)

WPCcfd (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Poisson (SPECworkstation 3.1)

LAMMPS (SPECworkstation 3.1)

NAMD (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Memory tests…

… and cache (L1, L2, L3)

M.2 (SSD) slots speed

USB ports speed

Ethernet speed

In the second test setup we use a Sonnet Solo10G network card to measure the LAN adapter transfer speeds

Analysis of power draw without power limits

Analysis of power draw with power limits

Achieved CPU clock speed w/o power limits…

… and with power limits

CPU temperature w/o power limits…

Disclaimer: The temperatures of the Core i9-12900K with the Core i9-13900K are incomparable. With the Intel Raptor Lake processor (Core i9-13900K) we use a metal backplate, while with Alder Lake (Core i9-12900K) the Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 360 cooler has a plastic backplate. The latter has lower pressure and the heat transfer intensity is worse, as our tests show.

… and with power limits

VRM temperature w/o power limits…

… and with power limits

SSD temperature

Chipset temperature (south bridge)

Conclusion

In the case of the TUF B760M-BTF WiFi D4, you are dealing with a solid mATX motherboard with the added value of atypical connector placement on the back. In terms of compatibility with cases, this can be taken as a disadvantage, after all, you can’t install such a board everywhere. But if you can find a supported case that suits you, the TUF B760M-BTF WiFi D4 is attractive for builds that are also looking for the most attractive price/performance ratio. In this case, there are none of the markups that are common with non-traditional components. And you won’t overpay on a compatible case, where the Asus A21, for example, also features good affordability.

For those users who are bothered by the sight of cables on conventional motherboards, this is a good choice for the cheaper PC build segment. The TUF B760M-BTF WiFi D4 can handle CPUs at over 300W, but you’ll achieve more efficient operation with lower power models.

The VRM is robust enough even for the Core i9-14900K(F) without power limits. Even with a processor this powerful, critical spots will be below 100°C (and thus far from VRM throttling), even in a case with average airflow. Our heat maps do show a hundred degrees Celsius, but that’s a situation without the passive coolers and with them there, it won’t be as dramatic.

In our extensive compute and gaming tests, we didn’t see any anomalies or anything that the Asus BTF board couldn’t handle. Among the results, though, you’ll come across one where the B760M-BTF WiFi D4 ends up on the tail of the charts, but that’s with minimal speed losses, which can also be determined by the relatively slower memory, for example. It should be noted again that the tested variant of this motherboard supports DDR4 type memory. These are significantly cheaper compared to DDR5 memory, and if a lower speed is sometimes achieved, the differences in it definitely do not correspond to the differences in the amount of money that is saved with this motherboard (with DDR4 memory instead of the more expensive DDR5).

The M.2 slots aren’t out of the average in terms of speed either, where even the one on the back of the PCB performs as expected. The same goes for USB ports or ethernet connectivity – over 280 MB/s in both directions. Slightly below average are only the SSD coolers, which are quite small. For the VRM coolers, however, Asus has already used more material, which is also quite nicely sectioned longitudinally and transversely and thus has increased the total radiation area and thus the cooling efficiency.

Internal connectivity is quite extensive, three PCI Express slots and three M.2 slots for SSDs are definitely above standard on an mATX board in this price class. The rest is already mediocre, be it the four SATA slots or the single 19-pin for two USB ports on the front panel of the case.

We can recommend the TUF B760M-BTF WiFi D4, as a motherboard for a cheaper gaming setup to help make the computer look as visually pleasing as possible as well, with a clear conscience. And taking into account its uniqueness, we award it the “Smart buy!“. Lastly, and once more – you will not fit this motherboard into any case and compatibility is required to respond to the unconventional placement of the connectors at the back, or on the opposite side of the PCB to the normal.

English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš


Asus TUF B760M BTF WiFi D4
+ Rare connector layout, on the back of PCB...
+ … with the potential for a clean look with no visible cables
+ Decent 14-phase power delivery (VRM)...
+ ... it won't be surprised even by a Core i9-14900K with no power limits
+ Attractive price/feature ratio
+ Three PCI Express slots even on a smaller footprint
+ Two fast M.2 slots for SSDs...
+ … and as many as three external USB-C ports (including one 3.2 gen. 2×2)
+ Fast Ethernet connectivity
- Weak support of cases
- Relatively lower efficiency with more powerful CPUs
- Only four SATA connectors
Suggested retail price: 187 EUR

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Niektoré z testovaných dosiek sú dostupné aj v e-shope Datacomp

Special thanks also go to Blackmagic Design (for a DaVinci Resolve Studio license) and Topaz Labs (for DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI licenses)

Continue: What it looks like in the BIOS