In-depth analysis of Asus ROG Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi D4

Ľubomír Samák

1 year ago

Asus ROG Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi D4 in detail

After the Z790 motherboards for the Intel LGA 1700 platform, models with cheaper B760 and H770 chipsets are also coming out. In this test, we’ll take a detailed look at the Asus ROG Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi D4 motherboard, which takes full advantage of what the new chipset (B760) brings. You’ll also get a general idea of how the Core i9-13900K processor performs with DDR4 memory compared to the faster DDR5 modules.

Right from the beginning of 2023, there are not only new, lower-power Intel Raptor Lake processors with TDP of 65 W and lower (at least the Core i5-13400F and Core i3-13100F will also appear later in our benchmarks), but also motherboards that are designed primarily for them. These are equipped with Intel B760 and H770 chipsets. Motherboards with the latter chipset (H770) will probably be marginal in retail as they have been for the past years (and will find more use in OEM PCs), but the B760 is heading to the mainstream again as a cheaper alternative to the Z790 motherboards.

The main difference of the new Intel B760 chipset compared to the B660 is the support of specific PCI Express lanes. Their total number is the same (14), but in a different distribution. While the B660 chipset has more PCIe 3.0 lanes (8) than PCIe 4.0 (6), the opposite is true for B760. This chipset has up to 10 PCIe 4.0 lanes to only 4 PCIe 3.0 lanes. We’ll discuss how Asus has divided them between the interfaces on the ROG Strix B760-A board in the following text.


Parameters		Asus ROG Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi D4

Socket		Intel LGA 1700
Chipset		Intel B760
Format		ATX (305 × 244 mm)
CPU power delivery		13-phase
Supported memory (and max. frequency)		DDR4 (5333 MHz)
Slots PCIe ×16 (+ PCIe ×1)		2× (+ 2×)
Centre of socket to first PCIe ×16 slot		96 mm
Centre of socket to first DIMM slot		56 mm
Storage connectors		4× SATA III, 2× M.2 PCIe 4.0 (42–80 mm) + 1× PCIe 4.0 ×4 (42–110 mm)
PWM connectors for fans or AIO pump		7×
Internal USB ports		1× 3.2 gen. 2 type C, 2× 3.2 gen. 1 type A, 5× 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		BIOS flashback
External USB ports		1× 3.2 gen. 2×2 type C, 1× 3.2 gen. 2 type A, 3× 3.2 gen. 1 type A, 4× 2.0 type A
Video outputs		1× HDMI 2.1, 1× DisplayPort 1.4
Network		1× RJ-45 (2,5 GbE) – Intel I225-V, WiFi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax), Bluetooth 5.3
Audio		Realtek ALC4080 (7.1)
Other external connectors		–
Suggested retail price		248 EUR

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Asus ROG Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi D4

This motherboard follows up the ROG Strix B660-A Gaming WiFi D4 with it being a bit more expensive, which is understandable given the more expensive chipset. Of the Asus boards with the B760 chipset, this is the second most expensive model (only “this” board is more expensive – ROG Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi – with DDR5 memory support). First we wanted to test for you the second cheapest Asus B760 motherboard (Prime B760M-A D4), but it didn’t work out in the end, even though we had it physically in our testlab. For a detailed reason “why”, see the end of this chapter. Now, we won’t stray from the topic, from the analysis of the ROG Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi D4.

The Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi D4 motherboard is in ATX format (305 × 244 mm). Of the PCI Express slots, it physically has two long ones (“16-lane”, although the second one is only connected by four PCIe lanes) and two short slots for connecting simpler cards (e.g. network, sound or SATA controller cards, etc.). However, apart from the first PCIe 5.0×16 slot (connected to the CPU), all the others are “only” in the third generation. Asus has allocated the PCIe 4.0 lanes mainly for M.2 slots for SSDs and one lane each for connecting a 2.5 Gb network adapter (Intel I225-V) and WiFi (6E).

So all three M.2 slots (including the two that are derived from the B760 chip) are fast (PCIe 4.0), with full connectivity (four lanes), and at the same time none have shared lanes with the SATA III ports, as each of them uses its own PCIe 3.0×1 lane. The aforementioned connection of all PCI Express slots brought out of the chipset by PCIe 3.0 lanes won’t limit most users, but it’s good to keep in mind in case you’d like to install another SSD in the second slot via a PCIe card (the faster PCIe 4.0-enabled models won’t achieve maximum performance). However, such expansions are likely to be very rare, and cards other than those with fast NVMe SSDs will no longer limit this slot in any way.

CPU (and iGPU) power delivery: It’s 13-phase (12+1) with the maximum specified current capacity per phase being 50 A. In other words, the VRM is robust enough to run even the most powerful processors that can be used in this board. For higher loads with Core i9-class processors, you won’t mess anything up if you connect both power connectors (all 12-pins, i.e. both 8-pin and 4-pin) from the power supply. This way, the electric current will flow through a larger cross-section and the temperature of both the connectors and the wires themselves will be lower than if you only connect the 8-pin.

The Vcore regulators are BGNO 152N from Alpha & Omega Semiconductor; their control circuit (PWM driver) is ASP2100R.

To conveniently release the first slot latch, the board has a “Q-release” button. This is near the right edge of the motherboard’s PCB to facilitate demounting typically of a graphics card. The latter can also be easily removed from underneath the large dual-tower CPU cooler.

The SSD cooler of the first M.2 slot is a bit simpler than on the ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi board (for example, it no longer has a heatpipe), but its thermalpad holds together better and doesn’t tear anymore. And it is still a decent chunk of aluminium (54g) with a large radiation area. Its surface could have been more articulated, but the TDP is there with room to spare for even the most powerful SSDs.

The rear panel with external connectors is quite rich, it contains up to nine USB ports, two of which are Type-C (one in 20-gigabit standard 3.2 gen. 2×2, the other is slower, with 5 Gb – 3.2 gen. 1). Of the USB Type-A connectors, four are very slow (2.0 standard), but for the needs of peripherals that you have to connect somewhere, their bandwidth is sufficient in most cases (unless, for example, the keyboard has a faster USB hub built in).

Regarding video outputs, there are both DisplayPort (1.4) and HDMI (2.1). Remarkably, HDMI is not connected directly from the processor, but by the ASM1442 chip converting from DisplayPort. For Raptor Lake and Alder Lake processors, Intel advertises “HDMI 2.1” support normally, but bandwidth does not exceed HDMI 2.0 specifications, which might not apply here, and HDMI 2.1 on this board could possibly achieve higher bandwidth, limited only by DP 1.4 capabilities.

Also worth mentioning is the presence of the Realtek ALC4080 audio codec. It wasn’t that long ago that we pointed out the use of only the ALC897 chip in the significantly more expensive Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX. Of course, everyone saves on something else and considers it more important to strengthen and invest money in other aspects. In any case, the ROG Strix B760-A Gaming’s sound has a wide frequency range, is clear and can be loud because of the 120dB amplifier.

The ARGB LED elements are relatively non-violent, merely symbolic – on the cover between the VRM cooler and the external connectors, the ROG graphic logo is illuminated.

Interesting fact about another Asus B760 board: Originally from the B760 boards we wanted to test the B760M Prime first, as these particularly cheap models will be in the highest demand and the measurement results are thus always more “valuable”. In the end, the tests did not take place due to the fact that at least with BIOS v0405, as it was in pre-production (no other BIOS was available at the time of testing) it did not POST with memory in dual-channel connection. The two modules worked, but only in the first and second slots (i.e. single channel). We tried memory with different chips, the result was the same. Yet the B760 Strix works properly, even with memory in all four DIMM slots. And we can assure you that, at least in its original state, the B760M Prime has these difficulties regardless of the processor used, the memory modules (we have swapped several of them with different settings, either in terms of the memory chips used or the single/dual rank configuration) and it is not even a case of socket bending. The board does warp a bit, as is common in this class, but we made the pin contact with the processor reliable thanks to the metal backplate (Alphacool Core) of the liquid cooler.

What it looks like in the BIOS

The layout and amount of EZ Mode features have not changed between generations, it is the same. For example, compared to the B660 Plus WiFi D4 board, only the colour scheme is different. Here, it’s red and black with which this motherboard claims its place in the ROG family.

Right from the welcome screen, there is a good overview of the connected components and their settings – everything is on one slide, clearly divided into logical segments. In the upper left quadrant there is information about the BIOS version, the installed processor (and its temperature), the connected storage or memory, and there is also a quick button to enable XMP. The information (speeds, which connector is occupied and which is free) is then below, with the option to switch to the Q-Fan Control interface for more detailed tweaking, which we’ll get to later.

On the opposite side, on the top navigation, you might be interested in the “ReSize BAR” button. By default, this technology is turned on , which was not yet the case with the B660 generation of boards from Asus (there it was necessary to turn ReBAR on) and if you don’t care about it, you have to turn it off manually. There are relatively few situations where this is appropriate, but still, ReBAR can do more harm than good in some cases. Typically in non-gaming applications for which it is not optimized.

The advanced settings are traditionally accessed by the F7 button for Asus, where on the Ai Tweaker tab, one of the first options is “Asus Performance Enhancement”. Enabling it will increase the power limits and can also be set with a temperature limit. So the achieved clock speed of the CPU cores is also dependent on the cooling intensity, or the CPU temperature.

Tlmiť záťaž, nápor procesora na chladič, ale i dosku, je možné až s ohľadom na to, či aplikácia používa alebo nepoužíva inštrukcie AVX2. However, we do not change these settings for testing purposes and respect the manufacturer’s intention. The same applies to the LLC settings. The preset power supply options also tend to vary with respect to the specific processor, where the manufacturer calculates when, with which processor (at what load) the operation will be optimal from their point of view.

What we already set fixed for all boards the same is the power limit in the “Internal CPU Power Management”. For most tests, it’s the settings without power limits for both short and long term load, and then for selected tests we reduce PL to 125W (TDP) and PL2 to 253W with Tau timeout to 56 seconds.

Asus BIOSes also allow for very detailed memory diagnostics, including analysis of potential errors via the built-in MemTest86, which does not need to be booted from a USB memory stick (or optical media) as is common.

The board can read temperatures from five locations. In addition to the processor, for example also from the VRM thermistor or, after connecting the temperature connector, via a dedicated two-pin connector, from any place you decide.

And now we have to repent. In earlier tests of Asus boards, we pointed out that they don’t allow you to change the temperature source to the fan connectors, which will determine the PWM intensity (or linear voltage for DC regulation). It’s not true, it’s just better hidden. In contrast to how it was on Asus boards just a few years ago (on the main Q-Fan card page), now you have to go all the way down to the “Chassis Fan(s) Control” tab level, where it’s already possible to assign a specific temperature source to a specific connector, based on which the fans will be regulated. With this, I apologize to our readers, as well as to Asus, for the mystification caused by our mistake.

Možno by stálo za zváženie tieto teplotné aj do rozhrania Q-Fan Control, ktoré umožňuje prácu s vývojovými krivkami. This is rather empty compared to competing boards. However, there is still a switch between control types (PWM/DC) and to each connector you can quickly change the profile from the preset modes (Silent, Standard, Turbo, Full Speed) or manual mode where you can set the development curve to your liking.

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. The processor we use is always the powerful Intel Core i9-13900K or on AMD platforms It’s the Ryzen 9 7950X. 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

href=”https://www.hwcooling.net/en/great-value-for-money-gigabyte-z690-gaming-x-ddr4/4/”>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 clock speed 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 a vacuum in 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

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

Poznámka.: 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

Power draw with power limits by Intel

Achieved CPU clock speed w/o power limits…

… and with Intel’s power limits

Disclaimer: The temperatures of the Core i9-12900K with the Core i9-13900K are incomparable. With the 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 Intel’s power limits

VRM temperature w/o power limits…

… and with Intel’s power limits

SSD temperature

Chipset temperature (south bridge)

Conclusion

This board is especially interesting for owners of processors from higher classes, such as the Core i7-13700(F) and Core i9-13900(F). For the cheaper Core i5 processors, many will already be choosing from the cheaper models in order to keep the overall build appropriately balanced. The Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi D4 is one of the most expensive boards with the B760 chipset, but at the same price as you’d pay for a Z790 board, it typically has a richer selection of both internal (including two 19-pin connectors for plugging in four USB 3.2 gen. 1 ports) and external connectors.

Sure, compared to the Z790 boards, there is no option to manually overclock the CPU by changing the multiplier, but you won’t use it with the 65W TDP Raptor Lake models anyway. The more robust power delivery that this board has will come in handy here though. Even the Core i7-13700 already has a fairly high PL2 (219W) for reaching the maximum CPU core clock speeds under high multi-threaded loads.

We measured the VRM temperature to be quite high, 102 °C at the hottest point on the voltage regulator housing, 86,5 °C on average. But that’s with the Core i9-13900K with no power limits under load which is beyond the common practice this board expects (when a lower-power processor is used). With the VRM cooler fitted, temperatures won’t climb to a hundred degrees Celsius even with that Ci9-13900K. Power efficiency is weaker.

In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, CPU power draw is 19 % higher than with the Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX at similar gaming performance. In Cinebench it’s already up to around 328 W for both, but again the slightly lower computing power speaks against the Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi D4. Especially because under high load with AVX instructions a lower CPU clock speed is achieved, on average by 160 MHz. With lower-power processors, the difference in clock speeds will be lower to nonexistent (the board does not need to set a negative offset with them at all) and there will be smaller to negligible differences in efficiency.The idle power draw is always quite low for Raptor Lake processors on this board, under 20 W.

M.2 slot speeds are above average, the same statement is true for USB ports. Ethernet connection results are already in the bottom half of the charts, but it’s still above 280 MB/s in both directions (download and upload). You don’t have to worry about the capabilities of SSD coolers, both are among the best we’ve tested so far.

The Asus ROG Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi D4 is a very solid motherboard with which you can save quite a bit in terms of overall build with cheaper DDR4 memory. Whether it makes sense or not (from the point of view of buying memory and shorter lifespan of the older standard), that’s up to you. The performance difference between the average DDR4 (3600) and DDR5 modules (6000, with those I have tested the Asus ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi and Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX boards) is, as you can see from the test results, usually insignificant even with Core i9 processors.

English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš


Asus ROG Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi D4
+ Decent 14-phase power delivery (VRM)...
+ ... can handle, without performance loss, even the Core i9-13900K without power limits
+ Three four-lane M.2 SSD slots...
+ ... and overall a rich selection of internal and external connectors
+ As much as nine USB connectors on the rear I/O panel
+ Very detailed fan management options
+ Fast ethernet connection in both directions
+ The perfect Q-release system to demount a card in the first PCIe ×16 slot
- Lower VRM efficiency
- Higher temperature of voltage regulators (Vcore)
- Only four SATA connectors
Suggested retail price: 248 EUR

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Some of the tested motherboards are also available in the Datacomp e-shop

Special thanks to Blackmagic Design (for licenses for DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI) and Topaz Labs (for licenses for DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI)

Continue: What it looks like in the BIOS