EVGA X58 Classified - Trophy Board

by Rajinder Gill on 5/8/2009 3:30 AM EST
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  • Bolas - Tuesday, September 8, 2009 - link

    When do we get a version of the classified board that supports USB 3.0?
  • vanilla guerilla - Sunday, November 1, 2009 - link

    why? are all your usb 3.0 devices upset that their present interfaces are too slow?
  • MHz Tweaker - Thursday, June 25, 2009 - link

    First off, it is good to see so much back and forth about a product. While I may not agree with some views, I value everyone's right to express them.

    My last few boards were as follows:

    Asus P4P800 Deluxe
    Epox Epox 9NDA3+
    Asus A8N-SLI
    DFI LT X48-T2R (horrible board and company)
    eVGA Classified w/ NF200

    I am not a fanboy of any company. If a company makes a product that fits my needs then I buy it. If my needs are not met, I look elsewhere.

    I enjoy overclocking. I have large storage requirements. While not an avid gamer, I do play once in a while. I multitask with dozens of things going on at once. I am very impatient ;-)

    I wanted a board that would allow me to load it down with internal and external drives, printers, video cards and overclock at the same time. For me the Classified is that board. This is the first board I have owned that has given me capability and stability in the same package.

    I know there was a lot of hype leading up to the release of the Classified board. Based on eVGA's first x58 board and my experience with them as a company, I was one of the first to buy this board. I am not sure I agree with this review's title. To me a "Trophy Board" would be more about being costly and exclusive than function. While this board is costly AND expensive, it very much delivers the goods. Just my opinion. In the same breath, I also believe that there are boards out there that offer a better value for the money if you just want a solid board. As others have said, this board is not for everyone. It does shine when every port, slot and socket is filled and pushed to the bleeding edge.

    I run the 920 C0 @4GHz w/6gig Dominators. I have 10internal HD's, 4 external HD's,2 DVD and 1 blueray burner(s) . I have dual 4850's and a 4870x2 driving 3 28" LCD's. I have 3 printers connected.

    I think back over the last 10-15 years how much component prices have come down and how capability has soared. I can remember spending four times the price of this Classified board for 1.7gig SCSI hard drives. I can remember spending double the price of the i7 920 chip for a P166 chip back in the day. I can remember running Windows 3.11 for workgroups on that same P166 chip with an external Philips CDD-521 CD burner that cost $5000. I can remember saying a prayer every time I burned a $40 blank CD that the coaster goblins would not claim it.

    Compared to other boards, the Classified is more expensive yes. For me this extra money was well spent in that I now have a board that meets my above requirements. I also have a board that should something go wrong it I can make a phone call and another board will be sent to me overnight via the advanced RMA program. I think about all the times I have spent less(and MORE) money on things only to be plagued with technical problems or trying to deal with a horrible company (DFI). When I have dealt with eVGA, I have been given quick straightforward solutions. For this alone I would pay extra.

    It is good see eVGA release derivatives of the classified board at different price points.

    At the risk of being labeled "fanboy", I am happy with this board and eVGA as a company. The thing about setting the bar high is eventually another hungry company will rise to the challenge. Excellence is not a resting place, keep striving and do the best you can with what you have.
  • Sabresiberian - Wednesday, May 27, 2009 - link

    Wow. Just found out about the dual-processor Mac Pro. don't know much about it, but Apple has actualy produced a product interesting to me, which it hasn't done since the Lisa.

    So, any chance of a dual-CPU Classified?

    :D
  • Necrosaro420 - Friday, May 15, 2009 - link

    Im sure this will be like a typical evga motherboard. Itll be flawed for about 9 months until they finally come out with a bios to make it work correct.
  • CMDRSweeper - Sunday, May 17, 2009 - link

    Actually it won't...
    Why? Because this time it isn't one of the crappy Nvidia chipset's like the ones you think of.
    That wasn't EVGA's fault but Nvidia's blind Intel trust and overall stupidity and of course lack of knowledge in chipset design.

    This one has only an NF200 chip, an annoying rascal in itself but harmless if kept cool.
    The chipset however is from Intel, and we all know how rock solid those are.
  • FXi - Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - link

    1 Firewire 800? Need it, buy a card. Don't care for the price, don't buy this product, it's not for you.

    2 Complaints about price or reviewing high end products? Anand has reviewed many cheaper products from many vendors, Asus, MSI, etc. This is a review on a Ferrari! If you don't want it that's ok. I don't need one either. But appreciate that it's a unique and low volume product meant for a few specific kinds of customers. And then just appreciate that it can do 200mph, even if YOU will never do that speed :)

    3 People complain about the price, but there are plenty of EVGA products priced lower. ENTHUSIASTS have been crying for this kind of board, high, high, super high end with some very unique features. This board does serve that purpose very well. If it doesn't meet your feature set, you need a different board. And there are tons out there :)

    Only complain is that maybe a slightly more expensive $5 Intel network chip might have been nice as well as some more effective cooling. But they did a bang up job and gave a very good showing on the cooling, so not much of a negative really. EVGA did very well. Even the NF200 doesn't really harm much. NB temps would also have been helpful.

    Overall it's the Super Man of motherboards, and you took it to places it was meant to go. Congrats AT.
  • takumsawsherman - Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - link

    Dual Gigabit ethernet? Need it, buy a card.

    See how easily that fits? After all, most people who are overclocking this board will never use the bandwidth available in a gigabit ethernet solution over the fast ethernet.

    I agree that some people are single minded, and will give up a lot to be able to freeze a computer and overclock it. So I think the board should use fast ethernet only (one port), keep the firewire400-only solution it currently uses, and get rid of the SP/DIF port. Very few people need that. And a PS/2 keyboard? What high roller uses PS/2 anyway? Speaking of, it is almost equally hilarious that they acknowledge that PS/2 keyboards are sometimes necessary, since USB keyboards can be fussy with the whole "Press Delete to enter BIOS" bit, especially until they are "accepted" by Windows. But then they leave out the Mouse port, which means that until you log into Windows without issue (yum, tab keys) your mouse may be quite useless.

    I tell you, when they focus on overclocking, any compromises are acceptable. Just buy a card! Heck, use one of the PCIe x16 slots, since you aren't gonna put 4 video cards in this thing anyway.
  • TA152H - Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - link

    Actually, there's no reason to use a USB keyboard. PS/2 keyboards have less overhead, so are a better choice. Why have an overclocker that uses extra cycles on the keyboard because it's using the Universally Slow Bus? USB was invented by Intel to slow down your computer, so you'd need a Pentium processor. It's bad at everything it does, whether it be handling a mouse, or a keyboard, or a hard disk interface. There's always a better option, except when it doesn't matter. For a high performance motherboard, performance matters. Every little bit.

    I will not buy a motherboard that doesn't have PS/2 ports. USB based mice and keyboards do nothing they don't, and slow the system down. It's, admittedly, very, very slight on today's processors, but still, why pay any penalty for nothing gain?
  • Necrosaro420 - Friday, May 15, 2009 - link

    Sure, why not just leave the pci-e off and use agp or pci. Hell, put an isa video card slot on there while your at it.


    USB keyboard/mouse isnt going to slow your system down unless your running a p1 or original celeron.
  • TA152H - Saturday, May 16, 2009 - link

    You're really an idiot if you don't see any difference here.

    PCI-Express can, in rare, situations offer additional performance to AGP, or the AT-Bus (ISA is properly called the AT-Bus, IBM invented it, so they get to name it).

    USB gives no additional benefits for keyboards or mice, and in fact cost performance.

    There's no parallel here. If you admit they use clock cycles, then what system you use is irrelevant. They waste clock cycles for no reason. As I mentioned, it's very, very slight, but why pay for it at all? Especially with a board geared for performance, why waste clock cycles on USB? It makes no sense. If USB keyboards or Mice did something PS/2 port versions couldn't, I'd at least see some point. But, they don't, so there's no point. This is different from the moronic examples you gave, where there can be some advantages.
  • takumsawsherman - Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - link

    I completely agree. This unit forces you to use a USB mouse, which is ridiculous at $450. I was being sarcastic. Personally, I use all PS/2 input devices, because they just work. Every time. That can't even nearly be said about USB.
  • TA152H - Sunday, May 10, 2009 - link

    You make $450 sound like a real lot of money for people. I remember when the 386 was out, you'd pay over a grand for it, if you wanted the 82385 and 32K cache. That's when a grand was worth almost twice that now. $450 is nothing, I'd buy it just so I got a warm fuzzy feeling, if it were actually worth it.

    For that price, throw some SRAM on the motherboard, and get a few extra percentages of performance at any speed. Why sell a half-rate motherboard for $450, when you could slap a nice L4 cache on the motherboard, for not too much more, and then boast real performance improvements no matter how you run it? Seems silly to me.

    Besides, who would get a warm fuzzy from buying a motherboard from a EVGA? It's a stupid name, it sounds like a video card of the late 80s that ran VGA resolutions on an EGA, digital card. Supermicro, yes, or a killer Intel motherboard, or even IBM if they still made them. EVGA????? Well, I guess they have to start to build a reputation somewhere, and maybe this is a good move by them to get some press, and become known as a high end motherboard maker. So, I guess I understand it. Just add some SRAM and make it a real killer!
  • bob4432 - Saturday, May 9, 2009 - link

    weak. evga is for the Microphallus crowd.

    i wouldn't own one of their items and really wonder why anandtech is wasting the time on this that 99% of the readers wouldn't even give too looks at.
  • Screammit - Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - link

    I like to see a company raising the bar, even if it is ridiculously priced. Someone has the cash and the will to buy it, which hopefully will prompt other manufacturers to compete with similar devices, eventually driving prices down. It may be a microphallus product, but it has only positive effects on the market as a whole. What could be wrong with that?
  • Rajinder Gill - Sunday, May 10, 2009 - link

    As I stated on page 1 of the comments, this is a perf product and generally speaking these reviews fall under my duristiction for the audience these products are aimed at (nobody said they were the majority). We're in the process of introducing someone new to take over the more mainstream stuff. The perf review will continue as is, while the lower-mid market stuff gets a boost in article frequency by adding somebody else to the mix.

    later
    Raja
  • Rajinder Gill - Sunday, May 10, 2009 - link

    *jurisdiction*..lol
  • hemipowered - Saturday, May 9, 2009 - link

    For absolute OC'ing I haven't seen any better. But I bought mine for looks and its ability to OC, it is a shame Anandtech didn't report/show screenshots of what the board does when running with the Lights on it
  • razorsimon - Saturday, May 9, 2009 - link

    I'm really disapointed that you guys have given EVGA the free marketing on this board. Thier treatment of us in Europe over supply is so shamefull that I will always look to buy another brand from now on.

    The Classified is unique and the only EVGA product worth waiting for. I really hope another manufacturer comes up with something better and blows the Classified and EVGA where they belong.

    Just to clarify the situation - my supplier in the UK gets told every week by EVGA europe that they are due this week. This has been going on for 2 months and so far about 20 boards have come through... yet they are in stock with suppliers in USA.

    EVGA are not being honest and stringing us poor customers and thier retailers along.

    EVGA's credability in Europe has been destroyed.
  • Fluxcored Arcweld - Sunday, May 10, 2009 - link

    Made me laugh cause at the same time I'm unable to get the German watercooling I want for my i7 build here in the US. Low production products in a niche market segment trans Atlantic; we have to be realistic about availability methinks...

    Shout out to watercool.de !!
  • JackFoobar - Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - link

    Yea, and Hechler & Koch in Germany hasn't shipped any US parts in 4 months. While it's unrelated to computers, it's a similar issue. Overseas shipments have been slacking since the election.
  • C'DaleRider - Friday, May 8, 2009 - link

    I suppose you can fix a 40mm fan to the sink, but has anyone tried a solution like the Antec Spot Cooler aimed at the sink instead? I've found the Spot Cooler to be a very flexible solution to difficult cooling problems.
  • icingdeath88 - Friday, May 8, 2009 - link

    Neat, good find. I'd never seen anything like that before. bet it would be kinda loud and whiny though.
  • QChronoD - Friday, May 8, 2009 - link

    I enjoy reading about boards like these, especially when you guys get to break speed records and all that.

    But would it be too difficult to put together a small writeup every few months on the new boards that have come out. I want to upgrade my old A64X2 system to an i7 920, but the damn motherboards are so expensive. I can find prices on boards easily, but its hard to find reviews about many of them from places that I trust to know what they're doing.
  • takumsawsherman - Friday, May 8, 2009 - link

    Not only are the motherboards expensive, most don't seem worth it. I won't mention the fact that this $400 board doesn't even have Firewire 800. The $600 mac mini has this, and that includes a processor, graphics, and hard drive, and and enclosure. Oh wait, I just did.
  • Rajinder Gill - Friday, May 8, 2009 - link

    I'd have thought people who are still intent on Firewire do what you did - buy an Apple. I hardly think those that benchmark for fun are bothered about Firewire. In fact, I happen to know that most disable it in the BIOS. Others that care about any form of high speed interface are more concerned about the next step for USB. It's not the intended market of the board at all IMO.

  • JAG87 - Friday, May 8, 2009 - link

    QFT. What do you need firewire for? I always disable it together with onboard audio. If you need fast access to external storage you should be using eSata, plus USB 3.0 is coming and it will make firewire obsolete for good.

    Anyway my own opinion of the board having owned it since day 1, is that it's simply the best overclocking desktop board ever made. The only boards that have touched the same heights as the classified are some DFI boards. The difference with DFI is, you have to put up with ridiculous bioses that have settings which neither you are I have ever heard of before, and their support compared to EVGA.

    I have a shitty C0 chip and I can clock it at 200x21 without touching any voltages on the board just vcore. It all depends on the chip, but the board itself can do 200 bclk at stock VTT, which is 1.2V for this board rather than 1.1V. If you don't have crazy IMC demands like Rajinder, you can leave every voltage at stock and still achieve 200 bclk. That's just amazing IMO.
  • takumsawsherman - Saturday, May 9, 2009 - link

    Well, if you ever want to record music using your computer (Cubase, etc), good luck with USB-XLR interfaces. Unless you are using Firewire, be prepared to waste a lot of time recording over and over because USB falls off too quickly.

    Meanwhile, I'll take a Firewire 800 external drive interface over eSATA any day. They are far more durable when you are actually using the plug for it's intended purpose (plugging and unplugging and moving the drive, etc).

    Then, of course, you can daisy chain your devices. It'd be one thing if this was a $150 board. But for $400 you should be getting the best of everything. Nothing should be second rate so that they can save $5.
  • erple2 - Sunday, May 10, 2009 - link

    You're complaining that this board doesn't have some feature for an audience it wasn't intended for? Is it just me, or does that sound a little ... odd?

    I suppose you're also the type to complain that the necessary sound and video equipment to record a live concert doesn't fit into a Lotus Elise?

    Honestly, you need to realize who the intended audience for this product is. This board is intended, rather strictly, for the overclocking crowd, not for the general public that wants to use some FireWire peripherals.
  • JackFoobar - Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - link

    I seem to see this mentioned in every review on anandtech. What's the obsession with that interface? Nobody I know uses it unless they are apple people. I'd like the best of everything on the board too, but firewire isn't the best of anything. Why bother.
  • takumsawsherman - Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - link

    Which video cameras have a better interface than firewire? Which audio recording devices? Even removable hard drives benefit from the extremely sturdy Firewire 800 connector. eSATA shows it was designed as an afterthought. As to why bother, they obviously bothered with Firewire 400, but couldn't spend the extra $5 to give the board everything. The same reasoning seems to be why there is no PS/2 mouse port.

    Of course, you are coming from a perspective of someone who doesn't know people who dabble in audio or video unless they own a mac. But there are plenty of audio people who use a PC. Why should they get the short end of the stick if they buy a $450 motherboard when the lowliest Mac buyer does not?
  • Rajinder Gill - Sunday, May 10, 2009 - link

    The fact remains that most people game and overclock are not intrested in Firewire. If there were a demand for such things on boards like these it would already have been 'upgraded'. Fact is most people who are serious about music editing/development will prbably not be spending $400 on a overclocking or sub-zero cooling oriented motherboard - they'd excercise far better intelligence by looking at a dedicated solution.
  • takumsawsherman - Sunday, May 10, 2009 - link

    Well, this board has firewire. It just has the cheap version. Again, considering the difference in cost (minimal) and considering the huge price of this board, why cheap out when it comes to peripherals?

    In my opinion, this board is useless whether or not it as FW800. I just find it disturbing that some are willing to accept paying a premium and getting a product that doesn't even upgrade to the port that's been around for 5 years and is found on $600 computers aimed at Grandma. It's shameful and cheap.
  • Rajinder Gill - Sunday, May 10, 2009 - link

    The people that would buy this board care about sub-zero and i7 over 5GHz the way you do about Firewire..lol
  • Rajinder Gill - Friday, May 8, 2009 - link

    hi,

    We're in the process of intorducing someone new to that segment of reviews. The frequency of articles has been a bit lop-sided at times simply becasue we've been spread a little thin. The high-end perf stuff is my end of things so you've see stuff going up a little more frequenctly as a result (there's less of this stuff in general making it a little easier). Hopefully we should be up to speed on the more everyday stuff soon. I know Gary's working on another round-up, so please beare with us.

    regards
    Raja
  • Busboy2 - Friday, May 8, 2009 - link

    I think you should see how far you can push an i7 965 on liquid nitrogen.... I really want to see those results... I figure if someone is spending this much on a board they are going to get the best processor.
  • bupkus - Friday, May 8, 2009 - link

    Will newegg carry it? I want to enter an automated notification for when the price reaches $79. ;)
  • hemipowered - Friday, May 8, 2009 - link

    If you are talking about the classified, It is already there bought mine like a month ago.
  • Elenseel - Friday, May 8, 2009 - link

    You might have to wait a while for this one...
  • hemipowered - Friday, May 8, 2009 - link

    I bought a Silver Stone ST850 power supply, It worked very well with my X58 Classified

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