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  • EVGA Z170 Classified K Motherboard Review
  • EVGA Z170 Classified K Motherboard Review

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    Benchmarks - Synthetic

    SiSoft Sandra

    Sandra is a software collection of synthetic benchmarks that will give us a basic idea as to what a system is capable of. It should be noted that SiSoft numbers change depending on what hardware is being tested.  These were recorded using Sandra Professional Version 20.18.2014.2

    RightMark Audio Analyzer

    One of the most difficult things about doing reviews is finding some kind of common ground to establish a benchmark on so that when we say something is good our readers know it is based on something they can try themselves.  In the case of audio reproduction there are too many factors to consider such as hearing quality, sound equipment (speakers) and room dimensions so we are turning to the RightMark Audio Analyzer to give us a set of audio specs.  We will then use those numbers to determine what kind of audio quality you can expect.

    This test was performed using a loopback cable which is basically a jack that connects the analog line-out plug back into the analog line-in.  That way we can remove almost all of the variables and concentrate on what is actually being reproduced and recorded.

    Specs
    Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: +0.22, -0.05
    Noise level, dB (A):  -101.1
    Dynamic range, dB (A): 101.2
    THD, %:  0.0082
    THD + Noise, dB (A):  -79.1
    IMD + Noise, %:  0.0097
    Stereo crosstalk, dB:-98.0
    IMD at 10 kHz, %: 0.0071
    General performance Very Good

    Color coding indicates good to bad, Bright green = Excellent - Bright Red = Poor - Black = Good

    Synthetic Conclusion

    Synthetic performance never really tells the entire story, but is a good indication of what the system would probably be capable of doing under the right conditions.  For this set of benchmarks all of the boards are Z170 Skylake running identical CPUs and Memory with almost identical performance across the board. 

    The Rightmark audio benchmark is a great tool for exposing audio specs for the various chips and software used and read much like if you were buying an amplifier or sound system for your house.  While there are some Excellent rated numbers the overall sound quality is still "Very Good" for an onboard audio solution and in some ways better than the Creative Core solution on the normal Z170 Classified.

    Measuring audio performance comes down drivers and how they are configured for the test.  For the best results the input and output frequencies are matched with audio enhancements disabled, assuming the driver supports doing that.