The End Of The Round Up
We are a little conflicted about which board is the one we’d give an overall recommendation to. The AMD FM2 Virgo platform is engineered to be flexible and versatile to cover all PCs from entry-level to mid-range systems. The MSI FM2-A85XA-G65, GIGABYTE GA-F2A85X-UP4, and ASUS F2A85-V PRO are not the only offerings in the market, but clearly can hold their own and are the most accessible to most users due to good distribution and availability. Let’s summarize what makes each board special.
Final Thoughts – ASUS F2A85-V PRO
Price:Â MSRP $139.99 Warranty: 3 Years
Pros:
- Plenty of Software Features
- Plenty of Hardware Features
- 2 additional USB 3.0 ports
- Support for 3-way CrossfireX
- Comprehensive UEFI BIOS
- Support for Lucid Logix MVP
Cons:
- High Power Consumption when Fan Xpert 2 Active
- Physical Controls may not be as intuitive as the other boards
- Most expensive board in round up
ASUS simply does the best job of expanding on the concept that AMD created with the Virgo Platform which is to provide a high level of versatility. It seems to have software or hardware for any and everything you could need from your motherboard and then some. It can be anything from the core of a high-end gaming system running discrete graphics to a low power HTPC. There are also some features I could live without, but ASUS doesn’t force that on you either as it is easy enough not to install the software and enable them.
If you like to tinker and tweak, the ASUS is definitely for you. You literally run into things to play with on this board.
Final Thoughts – GIGABYTE GA-F2A85X-UP4
Price: MSRP $129.99 Warranty: 3 Years
Pros:
- Features Lucid Logix MVP
- Support for AMD AMP!
- Support for Intel XMP Profiles
- Support for 3-way CrossfireX
- Good Audio Quality
Cons:
- Lack of Unique Software Features
- Comparatively Low USB 3.0 sequential performance
I really can’t find any faults with the F2A85X-UP4 other than it lacking the number of features its competitors (the ASUS in particular) brought to the table. If I have to recommend a board without knowing what your budget or intended use would be though, this would probably be the one.
While there is not a lot in the way of software features, the ones included can be used by everyone, which includes things such as EasyTune 6 and ON/OFF Charge. It also helps to have a BIOS where everything is easy to find, even when you are not sure what the listed item is supposed to do.
It also has the best audio quality of the group so if you are someone that enjoys music, movies or who is thinking about building an HTPC, this would probably be the best choice. At the same time though, like the ASUS, it could easily be the basis for a gaming system thanks to its Lucid MVP and CrossFireX support. This might be a good start to a dedicated STEAM big picture system.
MSI FM2-A85XA-G65
Price: $109.99 Warranty: 3 Years
Pros:
- Low MSRP
- Winki 3
- Click BIOS 2 the same in UEFI and Windows OS
- Great I/O Performance
Cons:
- UEFI BIOS can be Confusing
- Winki 3 UI not intuitive
- Extremely Slow BIOS update using Automatic Download
The MSI FM2-A85XA-G65 just seems to be missing that certain something. It has the best I/O performance and more software features than the GIGABYTE, but didn’t really seem to offer anything special. I am glad to see the return of Winki, but it needs some refinement to bring out its true value. It just seems like MSI is working on something great, but hasn’t quite made it there just yet.
What the MSI board does have going for it is very solid performance and a great price. This would be our pick for someone looking to build a budget gaming system or even an office system that does more than just office work.
Overall Thoughts
In the end, these are all good motherboards if you are planning to build an AMD FM2 system today. All were a great complement to the AMD A10 5800K APU at our disposal.
But if you are not under a strict budget then go ahead and spend the money on the ASUS F2A85-V PRO, it is well worth it. In our opinion, it’s the best overall board. Yes it is the highest priced in the round up by a good $20 over the GIGABYTE and $30 over the MSI, but the ASUS PRO is the motherboard we enjoyed working with the most in this round up. User experience is everything and the ASUS definitely gave the best one for the enthusiast/tweaker out there.
If you simply wanted something solid with great audio, or you’re building for someone else, then the GIGABYTE GA-F2A85X-UP4 would be our next pick of the bunch with a moderate set of features. On a budget, there is no further to go than the MSI FM2-A85XA-G65.
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