MSI X99A Tomahawk Motherboard Review

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

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: +0.02, -0.04
Noise level, dB (A):  -89.4
Dynamic range, dB (A): 89.2
THD, %:  0.0074
THD + Noise, dB (A):  -78.2
IMD + Noise, %:  0.013
Stereo crosstalk, dB: -85.4
IMD at 10 kHz, %: 0.011
General performance Very Good

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

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 running quad channel memory with the three X99 boards using the same CPU and Memory combination.

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 despite having several black stats on the card.

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.