Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/13264/the-biostar-x470gtn-motherboard-review-am4-itx-revisited
The Biostar X470GTN Motherboard Review: AM4 ITX Revisited
by Gavin Bonshor on October 24, 2018 10:00 AM ESTLast year Biostar released the first mini-ITX AM4 motherboard and it did its utmost to impress us without too much fluff or unnecessary features - it was a simple yet sophisticated runner. With the release of the second generation of Ryzen processors, Biostar has released a refreshed mini-ITX for the X470 platform, called the X470GTN which looks again to target the budget-conscious users looking for Ryzen in a smaller form factor.
The Biostar X470GTN Overview
The Biostar X470GTN is a gaming-centric mini-ITX motherboard with a purported focus on providing users with a cheaper route into a potentially powerful eight-core small form factor powered system. Just like the previous first generation X370GTN board which I reviewed last year, Biostar has given the X470GTN a visual makeover of sorts, but the core characteristics between both boards remain very much the same.
The most notable difference between both the new Biostar X470GTN and the old is a metallic slot protection coating on the full-length PCIe 3.0 x16 slot. One main returning feature is an RGB LED-infused MOSFET heatsink which is there to provide cooling to the CPU section of the power delivery while offering an element of visual customization to users. As far as the visual differences between the two small form factor AM4 boards on paper go, that’s about it, so don’t feel weird if a case of déjà vu hits you back from our previous Biostar X370GTN motherboard review.
The Biostar X470GTN is a mini-ITX sized small form factor AM4 motherboard aimed at gamers on a budget. Like a variety of lower cost AM4 motherboards, the Biostar has a pairing of budget-friendly Realtek controllers to handle the onboard audio (ALC892) and networking capabilities (RTL8118AS). The Realtek ALC892 opens up compatibility for HD audio with up to eight channels, with the Realtek RTL8118AS offering users a single 'gaming' Gigabit LAN port on the rear of the board. The 8118AS is actually the smallest gigabit network controller available. While the Biostar X470GTN is suitable for use with all of AMD's current Ryzen desktop first and second generation processor line up, support is also granted for AMD's Ryzen 2000 series APUs. To that end, it also has a DVI-D and an HDMI 1.4 output.
While the low-cost nature of this specific mini-ITX motherboard has been mentioned numerous times, users can purchase the X470GTN for around $130 depending on the retailer. While this is not technically the cheapest AM4 socketed mini-ITX motherboard on the market, as the X470GTN commands a $20 premium over the previous X370GTN model, other boards such as the Strix X470-I and the X470 Gaming-ITX/ac costing considerably more. The increase in price over the previous X370GTN model is rather hard to pinpoint on the surface, but Biostar doesn't omit any of the key features this time around such as the RGB LED bar in the MOSFET heat sink, as well as still including two RGB 5050 headers to expand that desirable and customizable RGB through the use of RGB LED strips. A likely contributing factor to the cost is the slot protection on the solitary full-length PCIe 3.0 x16 slot which is designed to provide physical protection to the slot from the installation of heavy and bulky graphics cards, but it still doesn't equate to a premium of $30. This is a recurring theme throughout the review.
Storage options include four straight angled SATA ports and a single PCIe 3.0 x4/SATA capable M.2 slot which is located on the rear of the motherboards PCB. Cooling wise the Biostar X470GTN is limited by its size and ultimately its price point as only two 4-pin headers are present for cooling, one specifically for a CPU fan and the other acting as a system fan header. The board's memory support comes through a pairing of slots with the ability to support DDR4-3200+, with a maximum supported capacity of up to 32 GB cumulative across both channels.
The X470GTN carries a 4+3 phase power delivery which is governed by the Intersil ISL95712 PWM controller. The power delivery has a total of seven Nikos PK612DZ dual N-channel MOSFETs with a total of three drivers and seven chokes finishing off what is a competitive configuration for the price point.
The rear panel on the Biostar X470GTN hasn’t changed at all over the previous iteration and doesn’t just share the same connection selection, but also features the same layout; it’s actually identical in every way. Featured is a pairing of USB 3.1 Gen2 connections including a Type-A and Type-C port, with an additional four USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A ports on the rear panel with the option available to expand to another two addition USB 3.1 Type-A ports due to a single internal header. In addition to this is a single USB 2.0 header. The five 3.5 mm gold plated audio jacks and single S/PDIF Optical output take their commands from the Realtek ALC892 audio codec and the single LAN port is powered by a Realtek RTL8118AS Gigabit networking controller. A single PS/2 combo port for legacy keyboards and mice are present and a pairing of video outputs consisting of a DVI-D and HDMI 1.4 completes the rear panel.
Performance wise Biostar has things on point with a strong showing in some of our system and compute benchmarking suites. Not only did the X470GTN report the fastest non UEFI POST time of any AM4 motherboard so far, but it also managed to top our DPC latency test which marked an impressive improvement from the value given from the previous X370GTN model. Other notable and favorable results came in our 3DPM and POV-Ray benchmarks. Overclocking performance was also very good as the boards grasp of voltage control was what should be expected from a top-tier offering with voltages set within the BIOS (voltage offset) and in Ryzen Master equaling what was monitored at maximum load using the CPU-Z monitoring utility.
As Biostar is being somewhat aggressive with their pricing structure, and although on paper the X370GTN certainly pips the X470GTN in terms of value when it comes to performance, the added RGB implementation into the power delivery heatsink is likely to attract some users looking for something they can customize to make their system stand out from the rest. The board does feature USB 3.1 Gen2 connectivity at a competitive price point and as it currently stands, the Biostar X470GTN is the cheapest X470 mini-ITX board on the market, and its main competition is the X370GTN.
Visual Inspection
The Biostar X470GTN is a mini-ITX sized motherboard aimed at gamers looking to build a small form factor system or at least one with a smaller footprint in comparison to ATX. While we covered on the previous page the obvious similarities in design and aesthetics compared with the X370GTN we previously reviewed, the overall consensus is that both boards are indistinguishable other than the full length PCIe 3.0 x16 slot which gets a coating of Iron slot protection and the embedded chipset change from X370 to X470. Everything else from the RGB infused power delivery heatsink down to the rear panel input and output selection, and even layout is identical.
Memory support on the X470 comes via two slots laid out side by side, which allows for DDR4-3200 to be installed. A total capacity of up to 32 GB is supported with the AM4 socket allowing for dual-channel memory configurations to be used. Biostar does provide a basic list of compatible DDR4 memory which resembles a basic QVL support list, but they do state themselves that it’s not a full listing of supported memory sticks and should be used as a guide for testing. Biostar also does not state whether or not that this board supports ECC memory or not. Due to the sizing limitations associated with the mini-ITX form factor, Biostar has included a full-length PCIe 3.0 slot which operates at x16 with a Ryzen desktop processor and x8 when a Ryzen APU is installed. The full-length PCIe 3.0 slot has a coating of what Biostar call their 'iron slot' protection which is designed to protect the slot from physical damage associated from heavier graphics cards and during installation.
The power delivery on the Biostar X470GTN is rather decent for a board in its current price range and pedigree. The power delivery runs in a 4+3 configuration with an Intersil ISL95712 controlling things, while a total of seven Nikos PK612DZ dual N-channel MOSFETs and seven individual chokes are also present. Also featured is a total of three Intersil ISL6625A drivers with two provided for the CPU and a single driver is present for the memory/SoC section of the power delivery.
AM4 Motherboard Power Delivery Comparison | |||||
Motherboard | Controller | H-Side | L-Side | Chokes | Doubler |
ASRock B450 Gaming ITX/ac | ISL95712 (6+2) | 10 | 10 | 8 | - |
ASRock B450 Gaming K4 | ISL95712 (3+3) | 12 | 9 | 9 | - |
ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate | IR35201 (6+2) |
16 | 16 | 16 | 8 |
Biostar X370GTN | ISL95712 (4+3) |
7 | 7 | 7 | - |
Biostar X470GTN | ISL95712 (4+3) |
7 | 7 | 7 | - |
GIGABYTE X470 Gaming 7 Wi-Fi |
IR35201 (5+2) |
12 | 12 | 12 | 5 |
MSI X370 XPower Gaming Titanium | IR35201 (6+2) |
10 | 16 | 10 | 5 |
Biostar advertises an onboard LN2 switch in its marketing materials but the location of this on the PCB is unfortunately uncharted. Another feature not present is an external clock-generator but despite this, the BIOS does actually offer BCLK adjustment from 100 MHz to 107.3 MHz so even though the lack of an external clockgen might be a buying decision, the ability to change base clock is an option. Biostar may have mistakenly copied the marketing from the bigger X470GT8 which does physically include this switch designed for sub-zero overclockers. More extreme users looking at the Biostar X470GTN certainly won't be impressed by the 4+3 power delivery on offer and this has to be expected from what is a lower end X470 $130 mini-ITX motherboard.
The power deliveries on both the Biostar X470GTN and the previous X370GTN mini-ITX motherboards are identical, even down to the slim and lightweight RGB laden MOSFET heatsink. The 4+3 configuration of this calibre is more than ample for a board of this pedigree, although users that don't make the use of a chassis with good airflow could potentially struggle when overclocking, especially at stock settings, but the small MOSFET heatsink covering the CPU area of the power delivery seems ample and causes no major areas of concern.
Biostar has included a total of four SATA ports which all feature straight-angled connectors. These are located in pairings, with one set to the bottom right-hand side of the two memory slots and the other two sitting to the right-hand side just above the full-length PCIe 3.0 x16 slot. The SATA ports support RAID 0, 1 and 10 arrays. Biostar has included a single M.2 but due to spacing limitations with the mini-ITX form factor, the slot is located on the rear of the PCB. The slot supports M.2 form factor drives up to and including M.2 2280, but Biostar doesn’t state, nor do they list this on the product page. Another factor for users to consider when using an M.2 slot on the rear is airflow. Some NVMe capable M.2 drives can run rather hot under load and the extra heat can quite easily cause throttling issues, so good airflow is paramount to strong and stable performance.
The onboard audio consists of a decent quality Realtek ALC892 eight-channel HD audio codec which is supplemented by a pairing of blue colored audio capacitors. There is a physical divide in the audio section of the PCB from the rest of the board which attempts enhance the quality of the onboard audio through less analog/digital inductance.
On the rear panel of the X470GTN motherboard is a basic and fairly standard set of outputs and inputs. USB support comes through two USB 3.1 Gen2 ports which consist of a Type-A and Type-C connector, with an additional four USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A ports included. There are no native USB 2.0 ports on the rear, but users to expand the current USB real estate by a further two USB 3.1 Gen1 and two USB 2.0 ports due to internal headers. Users looking to utilize the Ryzen 2000 series APUs with this board can do so due to a pair of video outputs consisting of an HDMI 1.4 and DVI-D port. The five 3.5 mm gold plated audio jacks and single S/PDIF optical output is powered by the Realtek ALC892 HD audio codec whereas the LAN port is powered by the Realtek RTL8118AS Gigabit networking controller. Finishing off the rear panel of the X470GTN is a PS/2 combo keyboard and mouse port.
What's in The Box
The Biostar X470GTN includes all of the basic accessories and essentials required to get started with the installation of a new system with a rear I/O shield, a glossy user manual, a driver installation disk and four straight angled SATA cables. This is the expected bundle of a $130 motherboard and represents an entry-level offering to the X470 chipset.
- User manual
- Driver installation disk
- 4 x SATA cables (all straight-angled)
- Rear IO shield
BIOS
The Biostar X470GTN Racing BIOS gets a visual overhaul over the previous X370GTN model, although both versions of Biostars GTN BIOS have very similar traits in that they are both relatively basic. The new UEFI BIOS on the X470GTN is certainly more defined in that the panels and menus flow better and look more visually appealing. The most notable improvement is the menu bar with proper descriptions as to what each menu is titled as the X370GTN relied on icons as opposed to text-based titles.
Entering the initial splash screen after pressing F2 automatically brings users to the main menu, which is a basic list of information regarding things such as the BIOS’s compliancy, the model name, the BIOS firmware version currently installed and the build date of the current BIOS version. Below this is information about the installed memory capacity, but no information on individual populated slots, nor whether the memory is operating in single or dual channel is noted. On the left-hand side of the screen is a panel going from top to bottom listing information relating to processor speed, memory speed, current system temperature in real-time from the onboard temperature sensor and the current date and time.
The advanced menu allows users to change some of the more complex settings such as security settings within Trusted Computing and enable, or disable ErP and configure power-related settings. The SATA configuration setting allows for the onboard SATA controller to be enabled or disabled, as well a basic hardware monitor which consists of a basic list of readouts ranging from CPU temperature, the system monitoring sensor temperature, as well as CPU fan speed and current voltages. The more comprehensive set of customizable DDR4 memory options can also be found here such as enabling ECC support (set to automatic by default) which Biostar doesn’t actually state if ECC is actually supported within their manual or limited QVL supported listing.
In the chipset menu, users can enable or disable the various controllers on the board.
The O.N.E area contains options required to overclock processors, but just like with the BIOS found on the X370GTN motherboard, there were a few areas that could be improved upon. The CPU settings allow for multipliers such as x34 for 3.4 GHz and x42 for 4.2 GHz as would be expected, but the CPU core voltage works from voltage offsets as opposed to set values. This would be acceptable to work from, but there are no indications of what the base voltages actually are so inexperienced users could quite easily be left scratching their heads in dismay. This method is very primitive and not attractive to even the most experienced users as it requires extra guesswork involved when the process could and should be relatively straightforward. This makes it doubly worse for anyone trying liquid nitrogen overclocking.
The BIOS didn’t let us take any screenshots with any of the dropdown menus selected which was slightly disappointing, but selecting the Memory Clock Mode opens up the ability to set the installed RAMs X.M.P memory profile, or select from a range of memory frequency dividers which ranges from DDR4-1333 all the way to DDR4-4200 which is far beyond the maximum supported speeds on the box.
While not as clean and crisp as some other vendors BIOS implementations, the overclocking settings do seem to work well when set within acceptable variables and users looking to make more comprehensive memory customizations can even set a variety of sub-timings in the DRAM Timing Configuration menu.
Another annoyance within the BIOS was the inability to take screenshots of the Vivid LED screen and the Fan customization panel; the Vivid LED screen can be accessed by pressing F6 within the BIOS. The Vivid LED options and panel on the X470GTN is a very noticeable improvement over the one included with the X370GTN as the new screen includes a selectable color wheel which replaces the older style and archaic numerical based RGB options. Users can select between three different lighting modes as well as having the ability to turn them off completely. Users can also customize the colors of the two RGB 5050 headers the board features which is a nice feature to have, but there are no options within the BIOS to sync across the three available areas which is a rather unfortunate area to neglect in today's RGB crazed market.
The fan customization screen can be accessed by pressing F5 and allows users to select between four different settings which include quiet, aggressive, manual and full on. With the manual control mode selected, users can set their own custom curve profile with five different points of customization available. The board has a total of two headers including one for the CPU and another for a system fan, which is very basic and there is nowhere in the BIOS to select between DC or PWM mode, giving the indication that what you see is what you get, unfortunately.
While the BIOS on the newer X470GTN motherboard in comparison to the previous X370GTN model is a clear improvement, some areas which did require some work haven’t been addressed, whereas other areas such as the LED section have been improved. The BIOS does look newer on this model in contrast to the X370GTN, but unfortunately, it’s still a little antiquated and efforts to improve the usability hasn’t been done to levels expected. The Vivid LED options are certainly notable and I applaud Biostar for including usable settings for novice users, but the overclocking options are still very outmoded in comparison to the other big four vendors and while a clear aim of Biostar has been to create a BIOS similar in style to the other manufacturers, more focus should have been paid towards developing a better overclocking system with set variables.
Software
The software package supplied with the X470GTN is far from extensive, but just like the company has done with the BIOS, Biostar has looked to improve upon what it already has. The more prominent of the utilities is the Biostar Racing GT Software which has had a major visual overhaul. Also included is the Biostar BIOS Screen Updater, the Biostar BIOS Update software and a generic Realtek HD audio manager utility.
The Biostar Racing GT software offers users a variety of different functions and features in one basic but visually pleasing place. The different menus include System Information are self explanatory, such as information relating to currently installed hardware such as the processor, memory and lists current CPU core speed, memory speed, memory timings and even the installed firmware version. The Smart Ear menu allows users to increase or decrease volume, just like the volume control within the Windows Task Bar which seems pointless, but it’s basically this but with a fancy looking GUI. GT Touch is a little different and allows users to select between three different system states, Normal which is essentially a balanced mode, Eco which is designed to be more power conscientious and the sport mode which Biostar states to provide the highest level of system performance.
Just as within the Vivid LED DJ section in the BIOS, the Racing GT software also allows RGB customization within the operating system. The BIOS screen sort of mirrors the software with the options to select between the three different lighting modes across three different zones, with the ability to turn off the LEDs completely at the touch of a button. Just as with the BIOS, there is no option to sync the effects and colors across all three available areas of customization which again, is disappointing to see given the maturity of RGB over the last couple of years.
The OC/OV section stands for Overclocking and Overvolting with options here available for overclocking within Windows. Software from the other big vendors offer much more customization than Biostar as the only option available for change in the OC section is the CPU ratio limit which goes up and down in 100 MHz increments. The OV section allows for the adjustment of a variety of voltages including CPU Core Voltage, DDR Memory Voltage and even CPU SoC Voltage which is paramount for overclocking the Ryzen based APUs.
Board Features
As might be expected with a mini-ITX form factored motherboard, the size limitations clearly hinder the number of controllers and circuitry which can be implemented. That hasn’t stopped Biostar doing the best they can though with limited spacing. The X470GTN targets the lower end of an already crowded budget-focused AM4 motherboard market, and the inclusion of mid-range controllers such as the Realtek ALC892 HD audio codec and Realtek networking helps balancing competitiveness with cost effectivenes.
The Biostar X470GTN looks very suitable on paper for a small form factor based gaming system either usingthe multi-core power of the Ryzen desktop processors with a single graphics card, as well as being equally apt for use with one of the great value amalgamated Ryzen and Vega APUs such as the Ryzen 5 2400G ($169) or Ryzen 3 2200G ($99) due to the inclusion of a HDMI 1.4 and DVI-D output.
Biostar X470GTN Mini-ITX Motherboard | |||
Warranty Period | 3 Years | ||
Product Page | Link | ||
Price | $130 | ||
Size | Mini-ITX | ||
CPU Interface | AM4 | ||
Chipset | AMD X470 | ||
Memory Slots (DDR4) | Two DDR4 Supporting 32 GB Dual Channel Up to DDR4-3200+ |
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Video Outputs | 1 x HDMI 1.4 1 x DVI-D |
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Network Connectivity | Realtek RTL8118AS Gigabit | ||
Onboard Audio | Realtek ALC892 | ||
PCIe Slots for Graphics (from CPU) | 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 | ||
PCIe Slots for Other (from PCH) | N/A | ||
Onboard SATA | Four, RAID 0/1/10 | ||
Onboard M.2 | 1 x PCIe 3.0 x4/SATA | ||
USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) | 1 x Type-A Rear Panel 1 x Type-C Rear Panel |
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USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) | 4 x Type-A Rear Panel 1 x Header (two ports) |
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USB 2.0 | 1 x Header (two ports) | ||
Power Connectors | 1 x 24-pin ATX 1 x 4pin CPU |
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Fan Headers | 1 x CPU (4-pin) 1 x System (4-pin) |
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IO Panel | 1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C 1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A 4 x USB 3.0 Type-A 1 x Network RJ45 (Realtek) 1 x HDMI 1.4 1 x DVI-D 1 x Combo PS/2 5 x 3.5mm Audio Jacks (Realtek) 1 x S/PDIF Output (Realtek) |
The addition of two USB 3.1 Gen2 ports due to a single Type-A and Type-C port further enhances Biostar intent to offer users with a decent quality but more importantly, a highly affordable route onto the X470 chipset. The question could be asked why Biostar went with the X470 chipset over the B450 chipset as there are no specific X470 features that this board would benefit from over B450 due to the mini-ITX form factor, but from a marketing point of view, X470 comes across as a higher end chipset and from this aspect, it would make a lot of sense. As already mentioned numerous times in this review, the X470GTN and the X370GTN are totally identical in terms of specifications and componentry used.
Test Bed
As per our testing policy, we take a high-end CPU suitable for the motherboard that was released during the socket’s initial launch, and equip the system with a suitable amount of memory running at the processor maximum supported frequency. This is also typically run at JEDEC subtimings where possible. It is noted that some users are not keen on this policy, stating that sometimes the maximum supported frequency is quite low, or faster memory is available at a similar price, or that the JEDEC speeds can be prohibitive for performance. While these comments make sense, ultimately very few users apply memory profiles (either XMP or other) as they require interaction with the BIOS, and most users will fall back on JEDEC supported speeds - this includes home users as well as industry who might want to shave off a cent or two from the cost or stay within the margins set by the manufacturer. Where possible, we will extend out testing to include faster memory modules either at the same time as the review or a later date.
Test Setup | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 1700, 65W, $300, 8 Cores, 16 Threads, 3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo) |
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Motherboard | Biostar X470GTN (Bios X47AK807) | ||
Cooling | Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB 360 | ||
Power Supply | Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1200W Gold PSU | ||
Memory | 2x16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-2400 | ||
Video Card | ASUS GTX 980 STRIX (1178/1279 Boost) | ||
Hard Drive | Crucial MX300 1TB | ||
Case | Open Test Bed | ||
Operating System | Windows 10 Pro |
Readers of our motherboard review section will have noted the trend in modern motherboards to implement a form of MultiCore Enhancement / Acceleration / Turbo (read our report here) on their motherboards. This does several things, including better benchmark results at stock settings (not entirely needed if overclocking is an end-user goal) at the expense of heat and temperature. It also gives, in essence, an automatic overclock which may be against what the user wants. Our testing methodology is ‘out-of-the-box’, with the latest public BIOS installed and XMP enabled, and thus subject to the whims of this feature. It is ultimately up to the motherboard manufacturer to take this risk – and manufacturers taking risks in the setup is something they do on every product (think C-state settings, USB priority, DPC Latency / monitoring priority, overriding memory sub-timings at JEDEC). Processor speed change is part of that risk, and ultimately if no overclocking is planned, some motherboards will affect how fast that shiny new processor goes and can be an important factor in the system build.
System Performance
Not all motherboards are created equal. On the face of it, they should all perform the same and differ only in the functionality they provide - however, this is not the case. The obvious pointers are power consumption, but also the ability for the manufacturer to optimize USB speed, audio quality (based on audio codec), POST time and latency. This can come down to manufacturing process and prowess, so these are tested.
Power Consumption
Power consumption was tested on the system while in a single ASUS GTX 980 GPU configuration with a wall meter connected to the Thermaltake 1200W power supply. This power supply has ~75% efficiency > 50W, and 90%+ efficiency at 250W, suitable for both idle and multi-GPU loading. This method of power reading allows us to compare the power management of the UEFI and the board to supply components with power under load, and includes typical PSU losses due to efficiency. These are the real world values that consumers may expect from a typical system (minus the monitor) using this motherboard.
While this method for power measurement may not be ideal, and you feel these numbers are not representative due to the high wattage power supply being used (we use the same PSU to remain consistent over a series of reviews, and the fact that some boards on our test bed get tested with three or four high powered GPUs), the important point to take away is the relationship between the numbers. These boards are all under the same conditions, and thus the differences between them should be easy to spot.
The power consumption on the X470GTN was middle of the road, despite being smaller than the majority of the boards on test. The result under load roughly matches that of the X370GTN and matches the result give by the same sized ASRock B450 Gaming ITX/ac motherboard.
Non-UEFI POST Time
Different motherboards have different POST sequences before an operating system is initialized. A lot of this is dependent on the board itself, and POST boot time is determined by the controllers on board (and the sequence of how those extras are organized). As part of our testing, we look at the POST Boot Time using a stopwatch. This is the time from pressing the ON button on the computer to when Windows starts loading. (We discount Windows loading as it is highly variable given Windows specific features.)
The Biostar X470GTN currently holds the fastest non UEFI POST time within our testing by the skin of its teeth and provides a good showing both at default, and with controllers turned off within the BIOS. This marks a notable improvement over the times procured from our testing of Biostars own X370GTN.
Rightmark Audio Analyzer 6.2.5
Rightmark:AA indicates how well the sound system is built and isolated from electrical interference (either internally or externally). For this test we connect the Line Out to the Line In using a short six inch 3.5mm to 3.5mm high-quality jack, turn the OS speaker volume to 100%, and run the Rightmark default test suite at 192 kHz, 24-bit. The OS is tuned to 192 kHz/24-bit input and output, and the Line-In volume is adjusted until we have the best RMAA value in the mini-pretest. We look specifically at the Dynamic Range of the audio codec used on the rear panel of the board.
Our testing in RMAA fits with what we've experienced already with boards featuring a Realtek ALC892 HD audio codec. The testing indicates that it's notably better than the ALC887 in the dynamic range benchmark, but falls short of the performance outputted by the boards equipped with the more expensive and premium ALC1220 codec.
DPC Latency
Deferred Procedure Call latency is a way in which Windows handles interrupt servicing. In order to wait for a processor to acknowledge the request, the system will queue all interrupt requests by priority. Critical interrupts will be handled as soon as possible, whereas lesser priority requests such as audio will be further down the line. If the audio device requires data, it will have to wait until the request is processed before the buffer is filled.
If the device drivers of higher priority components in a system are poorly implemented, this can cause delays in request scheduling and process time. This can lead to an empty audio buffer and characteristic audible pauses, pops and clicks. The DPC latency checker measures how much time is taken processing DPCs from driver invocation. The lower the value will result in better audio transfer at smaller buffer sizes. Results are measured in microseconds.
None of the boards on test have been optimized for DPC latency, but the Biostar X470GTN managed to again post the best result seen in some of our system benchmarking suites with a result that totally decimates the previous iteration of this same board, the X370GTN. To make sure there wasn't an anomaly, the test was run three times with two of three achieving a maximum latency of 87.8 microseconds.
CPU Performance, Short Form
For our motherboard reviews, we use our short form testing method. These tests usually focus on if a motherboard is using MultiCore Turbo (the feature used to have maximum turbo on at all times, giving a frequency advantage), or if there are slight gains to be had from tweaking the firmware. We put the memory settings at the CPU manufacturers suggested frequency, making it very easy to see which motherboards have MCT enabled by default.
Video Conversion – Handbrake v1.0.2: link
Handbrake is a media conversion tool that was initially designed to help DVD ISOs and Video CDs into more common video formats. For HandBrake, we take two videos and convert them to x264 format in an MP4 container: a 2h20 640x266 DVD rip and a 10min double UHD 3840x4320 animation short. We also take the third video and transcode it to HEVC. Results are given in terms of the frames per second processed, and HandBrake uses as many threads as possible.
Compression – WinRAR 5.4: link
Our WinRAR test from 2013 is updated to the latest version of WinRAR at the start of 2017. We compress a set of 2867 files across 320 folders totaling 1.52 GB in size – 95% of these files are small typical website files, and the rest (90% of the size) are small 30 second 720p videos.
Point Calculations – 3D Movement Algorithm Test v2.1: link
3DPM is a self-penned benchmark, taking basic 3D movement algorithms used in Brownian Motion simulations and testing them for speed. High floating point performance, MHz and IPC wins in the single thread version, whereas the multithread version has to handle the threads and loves more cores. For a brief explanation of the platform agnostic coding behind this benchmark, see my forum post here. We are using the latest version of 3DPM, which has a significant number of tweaks over the original version to avoid issues with cache management and speeding up some of the algorithms.
Rendering – POV-Ray 3.7.1b4: link
The Persistence of Vision Ray Tracer, or POV-Ray, is a freeware package for as the name suggests, ray tracing. It is a pure renderer, rather than modeling software, but the latest beta version contains a handy benchmark for stressing all processing threads on a platform. We have been using this test in motherboard reviews to test memory stability at various CPU speeds to good effect – if it passes the test, the IMC in the CPU is stable for a given CPU speed. As a CPU test, it runs for approximately 2-3 minutes on high end platforms.
Synthetic – 7-Zip 9.2: link
As an open source compression tool, 7-Zip is a popular tool for making sets of files easier to handle and transfer. The software offers up its own benchmark, to which we report the result.
Gaming Performance
Ashes of the Singularity
Seen as the holy child of DirectX12, Ashes of the Singularity (AoTS, or just Ashes) has been the first title to actively go explore as many of DirectX12s features as it possibly can. Stardock, the developer behind the Nitrous engine which powers the game, has ensured that the real-time strategy title takes advantage of multiple cores and multiple graphics cards, in as many configurations as possible.
Rise Of The Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a third-person action-adventure game that features similar gameplay found in 2013's Tomb Raider. Players control Lara Croft through various environments, battling enemies, and completing puzzle platforming sections, while using improvised weapons and gadgets in order to progress through the story.
One of the unique aspects of this benchmark is that it’s actually the average of 3 sub-benchmarks that fly through different environments, which keeps the benchmark from being too weighted towards a GPU’s performance characteristics under any one scene.
Thief
Thief has been a long-standing title in PC gamers hearts since the introduction of the very first iteration which was released back in 1998 (Thief: The Dark Project). Thief as it is simply known rebooted the long-standing series and renowned publisher Square Enix took over the task from where Eidos Interactive left off back in 2004. The game itself utilises the fluid Unreal Engine 3 engine and is known for optimised and improved destructible environments, large crowd simulation and soft body dynamics.
Total War: WARHAMMER
Not only is the Total War franchise one of the most popular real-time tactical strategy titles of all time, but Sega delve into multiple worlds such as the Roman Empire, Napoleonic era and even Attila the Hun, but more recently they nosedived into the world of Games Workshop via the WARHAMMER series. Developers Creative Assembly have used their latest RTS battle title with the much talked about DirectX 12 API so that this title can benefit from all the associated features that comes with it. The game itself is very CPU intensive and is capable of pushing any top end system to their limits.
Ryzen Overclocking
Experience With the Biostar X470GTN
One of the major benefits with Ryzen’s AM4 socket is that the majority of the chipsets support overclocking out of the box thanks to AMD's arsenal of fully unlocked Ryzen processors; the exception to this is the more basic and barebone A320 chipset which hasn’t currently had the refresh that the B350 and X370 chipset have. Our Ryzen 7 1700 eight-core processor has been capable of achieving a stable overclock of up to 4.0 GHz on virtually every AM4 board thus far and the main variation between the different models is the amount of voltage required to get it stable at the maximum clock speeds. Boards such as the ASRock B450 Gaming ITX/ac has managed 4.0 GHz at 1.40 V, while the MSI B350M Gaming Pro failed to prove fruitful at the same voltage, even with more voltage applied via Vdroop.
Focusing on the X470GTN, the BIOS has been improved upon visually since we last took a look at the Biostar X370GTN. In terms of overclocking, the improvements stop at the GUI as the X470GTN experiences the same issues of old in that adjusting the voltages have to be done using offsets instead of applying set values. This poses problems for a couple of reasons, especially for novice users that aren’t proficient in the art of achieving efficient overclocks. The biggest downside to using offset voltages is that there isn’t a list of base values to work from meaning it’s increasingly difficult to work out what offset value is suitable for each overclock. It’s a very primitive way of doing things and really lets Biostar down here in their mission to drive away market share from other brands, especially for enthusiasts who like to overclock their processors and memory to unlock ‘free’ performance so to speak.
Even though the Biostar X470GTN has no physical external clock generator, it is still possible to adjust the base clock on this board which offers adjustments from 100.0 MHz up to 107.3 MHz; this is done incrementally through a drop-down menu as opposed to custom set values. Overclocking via the base clock not only ups the ante so to speak on the processor, but it also overclocks other key subsystems such as the memory clock speed, the PCIe bus and even the SATA interface meaning there is more to go wrong. While the CPU and memory may be able to handle the extra speed from overclocking the base clock, the other interfaces can cause instability in the other subsystems and I really only recommend it in certain circumstances such as overclocking a processor with a locked multiplier; upping the ratio is king and allays a lot of other potential issues when compared to base clock tweaking.
Due to Biostars O.N.E layout and implementation, the following overclocking was done via the Ryzen Master Overclocking utility which is an intuitive overclocking tool provided and developed by AMD which allows users to tweak and adjust settings in an easy to navigate GUI and within the operating system. While the AMD Ryzen Master doesn't contain as many options as most BIOSes, it's more than adequate to push a Ryzen based processor to its limits in systems using ambient cooling without issue or fuss.
Methodology
Our standard overclocking methodology is as follows. We select the automatic overclock options and test for stability with POV-Ray and OCCT to simulate high-end workloads. These stability tests aim to catch any immediate causes for memory or CPU errors.
For manual overclocks, based on the information gathered from previous testing, starts off at a nominal voltage and CPU multiplier, and the multiplier is increased until the stability tests are failed. The CPU voltage is increased gradually until the stability tests are passed, and the process repeated until the motherboard reduces the multiplier automatically (due to safety protocol) or the CPU temperature reaches a stupidly high level (100ºC+). Our test bed is not in a case, which should push overclocks higher with fresher (cooler) air.
Overclocking Results
For a mini-ITX motherboard that costs $130, the Biostar X470GTN showed promise with a maximum stable overclock of 4.0 GHz at 1.40 V. This has been the limit so far with our Ryzen 7 1700 sample and even though 4.1 GHz proved close in stability with a slightly above safe value of 1.475 V, the extra voltage proved futile. One of the notable aspects while overclocking the X470GTN was its tight default Vdroop control under load and it demonstrated some of the most consistent load voltages in comparison to the set voltages within Ryzen Master we have seen so far. For example when 1.200 V was applied within Ryzen Master at 3.70 GHz, it equated to maximum load voltage of 1.199 V, which is as close to 1.200 V as it could be without actually mirroring the set voltage.
The PovRay performance did seem a little inconsistent between 3200 MHz and 3500 MHz but after a multiplier of x36 was applied, the X470GTN hit a sense of cohesion all the way up to 4.0 GHz. With a more modern UEFI BIOS and less archaic voltage adjustment options, the Biostar X470GTN could have been the hidden gem, but it’s really hard to ignore the obvious pitfalls in the BIOS. The quality of the MOSFET heatsink is hardly substantial enough for large overclocks in an inadequately unventilated system, but there are no issues with proper airflow and with overclocks up to 3.9/4.0 GHz with voltages below 1.4 V.
Biostar X470GTN Conclusion
The Biostar X470GTN is a gaming orientated mini-ITX motherboard which makes up one half of their X470 options; the other X470 motherboard in their line-up is the X470GT8. The X470GTN represents one of the cheapest available X470 options at $130, depending on current deals and the retailer of choice. The X470GTN is the direct successor to the X370GTN which we was incidentally our first AM4 motherboard review. So many users could be asking what separates the two models and what justifies the $20 jump in price. The short answer is that there are three main differences: the 'iron slot' protection on the full-length PCIe 3.0 x16, the newer X470 chipset, and better RGB control. The rest from the specifications, the rear panel input and output layout, even down to the memory supported which remains at DDR4-3200, with a maximum capacity of 32 GB.
One other difference comes through the supplied software and newly skinned UEFI BIOS. The bulk of the usefulness of the software comes through the Biostar Racing GT utility which combines essential elements such as the Vivid Led DJ which offers users with customization options, albeit it with some limitations. The OC/OV section also offers limited overclocking options and is insufficient for sub-zero overclockers. Biostar is advertising an onboard LN2 switch designed to alleviate cold boot bugs from CPUs but unfortunately isn't the case as the switch is nowhere to be found. Users looking to the Biostar X470GTN with the intention of utilizing this switch will be somewhat disappointed, but the allure of a $130 motherboard with such 'extreme' features is a bit of a pipe-dream.
The Racing GT BIOS has had a visual overhaul and Biostar has this time included much better RGB customization options within. Aside from this, the pitfalls in the BIOS and overclocking options implemented over the X370GTN hasn’t been improved upon and the use of voltage offsets as opposed to allowing users to set defined voltage values for the CPU and memory to be a primitive method of doing things, especially in this day and age.
From a performance point of view, the Biostar X470GTN did a stellar job within our testing suite in a number of key areas such as non UEFI POST time with the current fastest booting times so far in all the AM4 boards we have tested. Another strong showing came in our deferred procedure call latency test as the X470GTN again gave us another top score in our graphs with a DPC latency of 87.8; a vastly superior result to that given by the succeeded X370GTN model. The performance within our Handbrake video conversion benchmark proved very good and the results given from other benchmarks such as 3DPM and POV-Ray further bolster that the X470GTN is actually a good value offering as far as performance is concerned.
The power consumption in both idle and long idle states was somewhat better than expected, showing that some improvements have been made, most likely a consequence of a less power-hungry Promontory X470 chipset. The overclocking performance was also a particular highlight with our Ryzen 7 1700’s ambient limitation of 4.0 GHz being something that was easily achievable. It has to be noted that despite the overclocking options in the BIOS being not so great, the X470GTN showed some of the most consistent and tightest voltage control when set voltage compared to load voltage was observed.
The power delivery consists of an average, but expected 4+3 phase design which consists of an Intersil ISL95712 PWM controller, three Intersil ISL6625A drivers and seven individual chokes assigned to each of the seven Nikos PK612DZ dual N-channel MOSFETs. The included heatsink doesn’t have much weight and mass to it, but it’s more than ample for a board of its size and thoroughbred with modest voltages and overclocks applied; within systems with ample airflow of course. Other cooling options on the board are fairly standard for a mini-ITX motherboard with two 4-pin fan headers available with one set up as a CPU fan header and the other dedicated to a system fan.
The Biostar X470 is a good option for users looking to harness the power of the desktop Ryzen processors to create a pocket rocket gaming system or even a good value small form factor gaming rig. The differences between the X370GTN and this newer X470GTN are minor at best and represents Biostars attempt to get users to notice them in the midst of a market dominated by four main vendors. Taking what’s essentially an X370 model and placing a newer chipset isn’t going to fool those with a keen eye, but for what its worth Biostar has done a good job with the things they have actually changed over the previous iteration, even though they haven’t gone as far as they should in with regards to the overclocking settings. Users looking to build a great value small factor system should certainly consider this board, but Biostar do have some areas in which they could improve upon, starting with the firmware. The increased price means we're not as excited as we were with the X370GTN when it launched, which tempers our conclusion a little.