ECS X58B-A Black Edition Motherboard Review

Conclusion

Unfortunately since this is my first X58 review I haven’t got a lot of data to compare against so this looks more like a Core i7 versus Core 2 Quad shootout. That being said, Core i7 stomps Core 2 whenever multi-threading is involved. Core i7’s excessive amounts of bandwidth also give it the performance to beat Core 2 even when it’s running at a slower frequency.

The ECS X58B-A was incredibly stable through all the testing, something to be expected from a major OEM manufacturer where stability is critical. Overclocking stability was also impressive with a 185MHz base clock achieved when I was expecting no overclock. Add in the inclusion of ICH10R, SLI and CrossFire support, and 6 DIMM slots and you’ve got a well equipped motherboard ready for the average consumer.

The X58B-A is definitely not a board for the extreme overclocker. But if you aren’t looking into overclocking and just need 24/7 stability then this is definitely a viable option. Being an entry level motherboard, I find the pricing of the ECS X58B-A to be a few dollars too high and would prefer to see it around the $225 price range to compete with MSI’s X58 Platinum. Perhaps after the holidays the prices will drop to more appropriate levels.

Legit Bottom Line: ECS launches another quality budget board with performance features.