the reason i ask is because threadripper reviews all over the net were hammered with the poor gaming benchies en the reason for specifc settings. guess what, no gaming benchies on the HCC designs from Intel that have the same memory disadvantage.
"Curiously, for a motherboard which has "gaming" in the title and having three network ports, we were surprised not to see a Killer Network based NIC which finds its way on to several other gaming motherboards. Network traffic shaping is still possible through software, although Rivet Networks would likely claim they offer an optimized solution if their chip had been used. Perhaps a combination of an Intel GbE, Rivet Networks Killer E2500 GbE, and an Aquantia 10GbE which would have encompassed more of its tarket market."
Wutness? Why on Earth would you want to see Killer on a gaming board? ASUS has shown through their own testing that Killer NIC's are trash:
That aforementioned paragraph seriously makes me question the legitimacy of reviews on this site now. It is common knowledge that Killer is absolute and utter trash.
Oh you beat me to the point here. This is one of very rare times when I'd agree that there appears to be a certain amount of institutional bias at Anandtech in favor of Killer NICs. If you do a search for the string "Rivet Networks" in AT's search box you can find this article from September 2016:
It looks like that was sort of ground zero for that opinion and it's stuck since. In the comments of that article (disclosure - I was a participant with cynical views of Killer NICs even back then for reasons I make clear in those comments) there was discussion about reviewing and analyzing the E2500. Anandtech has never presented such a review or supplied readers with any data supporting the idea that Killer NICs are somehow superior or worthy of being sought out by consumers. Despite lacking reliable test data, there's still unexplained support in the form of hint-dropped lines like the one you've quoted that imply a certain subset of readers should be seeking out Killer NIC-equipped products or that its somehow unusual that a premium motherboard omits them.
I find the whole thing does hurt Anandtech's credibility. If there's data that supports a Killer NIC being a better option, gather it and publish it. Don't assert and insinuate without any substantially supportive information to a group of people (gamers in this case) without being able to back up those claims. Killer NICs can be acquired for testing. Maybe Rivet's people would supply a product for testing. If Rivet doesn't or does and Anandtech doesn't test it, then what else do we have to go on? Consumers in the target audience are already broadly suspicious of the benefits Rivet claims Killer NICs offer to the point where it seems almost delusional to boost them in a motherboard review.
I took the comment differently than you. I took it as being surprised that they didn't include a Killer NIC, not that the reviewer was disappointed in any way. It seems to be the standard practice of MB makers to give their "gaming" boards a more "awesomeness" by including the "much superior because of such a cool name" Killer NIC. Just a little bit surprised that AsRock didn't do it on this one.
Killer NICs are all software based too (except the very first proof of concept one with the ridiculous heatsink). Their software and drivers are trash compared to well established vendors like Intel. I actively avoid any motherboards integrating their hardware and I'm very surprised to see Anandtech in favor of them.
"Curiously, for a motherboard which has "gaming" in the title and having three network ports, we were surprised not to see a Killer Network based NIC which finds its way on to several other gaming motherboards."
I don't think that Killer NICs are a selling point these days. Rivet has a well-deserved, awful reputation for hocking what amounts to ethernet snake oil. Numerous times, I've seen people state that they will not purchase a particular product because a Killer NIC is present. ASRock probably made a good decision by omitting rather than including one.
You hit the rivet on the head there, most gamers don't want Killer Nics because of the poor software support and total lack of any advantage in performance. They'd rather have an Intel NIC that is rock solid.
Yeah. I have an ASRock X99X mobo and when I tried to use the Killer NIC my cpu usage was sitting at close to 60% on idle because the stupid software kept doing something. Luckily ASRock included a Intel NIC, moved to that and never looked back. I will never buy a mobo that has Killer NICs, period. So I'm glad ASRock is getting rid of that junk. Even more interesting is ASRock including Intel NICs on AMD's platform.
According to intel shills ECC is so unimportant, that intel feels the need to charge a 50% premium for an identical product that doesn't have ECC disabled.
But let's be honest, games need 10+ core products as much as they need ECC - not at all.
HEDT for gaming is simply idiocy. It is a waste. Intel's HEDT lineup however seems to be designed with one purpose in mind - milking idiots out of their money. So it all makes sense in a sad, sad way.
Do not be fooled by the high price, this is not a product for professionals, this is an expensive toy for losers with poor self esteem who need it to cultivate an illusion that it somehow makes up for their lack of redeeming qualities, even if all it does in reality is further prove their idiocy. Product value is not all that bad around 6-8 cores, albeit IO is abysmal, and of course, the lack of ECC support. But everything on top of that outta come with a certificate for idiocy, and for the 16 and 18 core versions, it should come in a massive, big frame too.
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
22 Comments
Back to Article
ddriver - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
Does it support intel's latest and greatest dual core i3 HEDT cpu? If not - no buy.duploxxx - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
why test on a stupid 7900X cpu?duploxxx - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
bring the 16-18 core and show how the dual memory controller is handling the games, after all this is a gaming board ....ddriver - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
Yeah, and don't forget the games that scale up to 16-18 cores.JeffFlanagan - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
For some reason, people feel the need to stream their games on the Internet, so that only leaves 15-17 cores for the game to use.It seems like an i5 is still a much better value for a gaming machine since most games use very few cores.
duploxxx - Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - link
the reason i ask is because threadripper reviews all over the net were hammered with the poor gaming benchies en the reason for specifc settings. guess what, no gaming benchies on the HCC designs from Intel that have the same memory disadvantage.OhWhateverOnceMore - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
"i9" ...ok..."Professional" ... uh uh...
"Gaming" ... /r/hmmm
TEAMSWITCHER - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
Is there an Intel co-marketing kick-back for having a "Gaming" branding? You see it everywhere...oRAirwolf - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
"Curiously, for a motherboard which has "gaming" in the title and having three network ports, we were surprised not to see a Killer Network based NIC which finds its way on to several other gaming motherboards. Network traffic shaping is still possible through software, although Rivet Networks would likely claim they offer an optimized solution if their chip had been used. Perhaps a combination of an Intel GbE, Rivet Networks Killer E2500 GbE, and an Aquantia 10GbE which would have encompassed more of its tarket market."Wutness? Why on Earth would you want to see Killer on a gaming board? ASUS has shown through their own testing that Killer NIC's are trash:
https://rog.asus.com/articles/product-news/tried-a...
That aforementioned paragraph seriously makes me question the legitimacy of reviews on this site now. It is common knowledge that Killer is absolute and utter trash.
BrokenCrayons - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
Oh you beat me to the point here. This is one of very rare times when I'd agree that there appears to be a certain amount of institutional bias at Anandtech in favor of Killer NICs. If you do a search for the string "Rivet Networks" in AT's search box you can find this article from September 2016:https://www.anandtech.com/show/10679/rivet-network...
It looks like that was sort of ground zero for that opinion and it's stuck since. In the comments of that article (disclosure - I was a participant with cynical views of Killer NICs even back then for reasons I make clear in those comments) there was discussion about reviewing and analyzing the E2500. Anandtech has never presented such a review or supplied readers with any data supporting the idea that Killer NICs are somehow superior or worthy of being sought out by consumers. Despite lacking reliable test data, there's still unexplained support in the form of hint-dropped lines like the one you've quoted that imply a certain subset of readers should be seeking out Killer NIC-equipped products or that its somehow unusual that a premium motherboard omits them.
I find the whole thing does hurt Anandtech's credibility. If there's data that supports a Killer NIC being a better option, gather it and publish it. Don't assert and insinuate without any substantially supportive information to a group of people (gamers in this case) without being able to back up those claims. Killer NICs can be acquired for testing. Maybe Rivet's people would supply a product for testing. If Rivet doesn't or does and Anandtech doesn't test it, then what else do we have to go on? Consumers in the target audience are already broadly suspicious of the benefits Rivet claims Killer NICs offer to the point where it seems almost delusional to boost them in a motherboard review.
jardows2 - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
I took the comment differently than you. I took it as being surprised that they didn't include a Killer NIC, not that the reviewer was disappointed in any way. It seems to be the standard practice of MB makers to give their "gaming" boards a more "awesomeness" by including the "much superior because of such a cool name" Killer NIC. Just a little bit surprised that AsRock didn't do it on this one.notR1CH - Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - link
Killer NICs are all software based too (except the very first proof of concept one with the ridiculous heatsink). Their software and drivers are trash compared to well established vendors like Intel. I actively avoid any motherboards integrating their hardware and I'm very surprised to see Anandtech in favor of them.BrokenCrayons - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
"Curiously, for a motherboard which has "gaming" in the title and having three network ports, we were surprised not to see a Killer Network based NIC which finds its way on to several other gaming motherboards."I don't think that Killer NICs are a selling point these days. Rivet has a well-deserved, awful reputation for hocking what amounts to ethernet snake oil. Numerous times, I've seen people state that they will not purchase a particular product because a Killer NIC is present. ASRock probably made a good decision by omitting rather than including one.
Flunk - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
You hit the rivet on the head there, most gamers don't want Killer Nics because of the poor software support and total lack of any advantage in performance. They'd rather have an Intel NIC that is rock solid.apoctwist - Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - link
Yeah. I have an ASRock X99X mobo and when I tried to use the Killer NIC my cpu usage was sitting at close to 60% on idle because the stupid software kept doing something. Luckily ASRock included a Intel NIC, moved to that and never looked back. I will never buy a mobo that has Killer NICs, period. So I'm glad ASRock is getting rid of that junk. Even more interesting is ASRock including Intel NICs on AMD's platform.samer1970 - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
X299 +i9 is as stupid choice . people who choose 10+ cores want ECC support. and the new Turbo is more than enough for speed.people who want to overclock those cpu will go for the cheapest coming 6 cores i7 8700K ..
I dont know why intel is shooting itself in the foot .. intel enable ECC for i9 .. this needs no brain at all to figure out. unless your iq is zero
ddriver - Tuesday, September 26, 2017 - link
Intel was thinking about milking idiots.According to intel shills ECC is so unimportant, that intel feels the need to charge a 50% premium for an identical product that doesn't have ECC disabled.
But let's be honest, games need 10+ core products as much as they need ECC - not at all.
HEDT for gaming is simply idiocy. It is a waste. Intel's HEDT lineup however seems to be designed with one purpose in mind - milking idiots out of their money. So it all makes sense in a sad, sad way.
Do not be fooled by the high price, this is not a product for professionals, this is an expensive toy for losers with poor self esteem who need it to cultivate an illusion that it somehow makes up for their lack of redeeming qualities, even if all it does in reality is further prove their idiocy. Product value is not all that bad around 6-8 cores, albeit IO is abysmal, and of course, the lack of ECC support. But everything on top of that outta come with a certificate for idiocy, and for the 16 and 18 core versions, it should come in a massive, big frame too.
apoctwist - Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - link
No need for a certificate or frame. You can spot one of these idiots a mile away. They'll be covered in LEDs.samer1970 - Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - link
LOL ...True , Sadly all case manufacturers are going RGB led design to the point that I must get an older case each time I make a PC.
Tempered Glass and LED ... people forgot how important it is to shield their PC and the RGB is just for kids.
I miss already good designed PC cases ...
peevee - Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - link
"Professional Gaming"Up next: your mom's basement becomes "Professional Office".
Gothmoth - Friday, September 29, 2017 - link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osSMJRyxG0kif you want to know why websites and bloggers who rely on advertising review so much intel stuff but mostly ignore AMD.