ASRock X58 SuperComputer - ASRock X58 SuperComputer

We tested the X58 SuperComputer with a Core i7 965 processor along with 3GB of Qimonda DDR3-1066 memory, a Radeon HD 4870 X2 graphics card and an Intel 80GB X25-M SSD running Windows Vista Ultimate.

Our first task, as usual, was to update the BIOS. It was clear to see on the POST screen that we had version P1.30 installed and that version P1.40 was available but the updating process was unclear. Once the download was complete and the folder was unzipped we had four files that looked like they were intended for a boot-from-floppy DOS update. In fact the AMIBIOS updating utility ran within Windows quite happily and the process was entirely painless. It's not as sophisticated as the methods employed by Asus, Gigabyte and MSI but it got the job done without fuss.

The BIOS update improved performance significantly at standard clock speeds but it is also intended to assist overclocking. In the BIOS there are the usual options for setting the CPU multiplier (provided you are lucky enough to have an Extreme Edition CPU) and you can also adjust the base clock, PCIe bus, memory and QPI speeds. In addition you can use the EZ-OC function in the BIOS where you pick a desired clock speed and let the system sort out the settings depending on the CPU that you have installed. We were sent a YouTube link by ASRock to demonstrate the feature but when we visited the site we got the message that the ‘content has been removed by user'.

The options for 3.2GHz Core i7 965 went from 3.6GHz to 4.0GHz in 100MHz steps so we gave them a whirl. At 3.6GHz the settings changed from 24x133MHz to 20x180MHz with the RAM running at 1080MHz. The next step was 3.7GHz=20x185MHz and a RAM speed of 1110MHz and then we tried 3.8GHz which used speeds of 20x190MHz and a RAM speed of 1140MHz. Although the system ran Windows at this speed it restarted during benchmark tests.

At 3.9GHz the ASRock refused to POST and froze solid, forcing us to clear the BIOS using the CMOS jumper which was rather inconvenient.

Using the same manual settings that we used on the Gigabyte EX58-UD4P we were able to run the ASRock at 3.77GHz which is disappointing when our CPU will usually hit 3.9GHz without any fuss. We have seen claims on the web that the ASRock will overclock a Core i7 965 Extreme to 4.262GHz (21 x203MHz) if you are prepared to run a core voltage of 1.528V but we feel that is a huge amount of voltage to shove into a processor that costs more than £800.

Verdict

The ASRock SuperComputer certainly sounds impressive and could potentially make for a great mini-super-computer. However, without the £5000 worth of graphics cards needed to achieve this, this motherboard is otherwise mediocre, especially in the overclocking stakes. Add in the fact it's uncomfortably expensive and you have a board that should only be considered if you are trying to make it live up to its name.