ASRock Core HT HTPC (Sandybridge) Review

The ASRock Core HT Bios is one of the newer UEFI driven configurations, which immediately earns it bonus points. While there are options to tweak and tune, it would be important to remain at reference speeds and voltages as this system is built into such a confined space.

The bios allows for plenty of adjustment with many settings on hand … it is well laid out and easy to follow. Many users will never need to touch it as by default it is configured to boot from a CD initially, aiding the initial install process. We noticed that the bios memory options went up to 2133mhz, although finding SO-DIMMS to handle this speed would be difficult.

You will need your own operating system disc to get the system up and running. We used Windows 7 64 bit Enterprise Edition.

This particular system is built around the Intel Core i5 2520M processor which is clocked at 2.5ghz and features 3MB of Level 3 cache – it can turbo up to 3.2ghz. The memory is set to timings of 9-9-9-24 1T at 1333mhz.

The main disc that ASRock supply contains various drivers, software and tools. They can all be installed automatically by the ‘install all' button. Unfortunately there is no button just to install all the drivers, and you will end up with Adobe Reader and a trial version of Norton's Internet Security. The full procedure takes about 15 minutes to complete and the system will restart automatically multiple times.

This screenshot was taken when all the ASrock drivers and bundled software were installed. Norton software would have to be immediately deinstalled on our system, but opinions on this will vary.

ASRock include software which adds functionality to the operating system and supported software. They also bundle tools to allow for fast charging of USB powered devices, such as the iPhone or iPad.

We don't really value the Windows Experience Index tool built into Windows 7, but we like to include it initially as a topic of interest. The mechanical hard drive and memory performance limit the overall score to 5.9.

Software:
3DMark Vantage
PCMark 7
Cinebench 11.5 64 bit
FRAPS Professional
Unigine Heaven Benchmark
CrystalDiskMark
HD Tach
Cyberlink PowerDVD Ultra 11
Cyberlink MediaEspresso
Resident Evil 5
Total War Shogun 2
Dead Space 2
Dirt 3
Left4Dead2

Technical Monitoring and Test Equipment:
Lacie 730 Monitor (Image Quality testing)
Thermal Diodes
Raytek Laser Temp Gun 3i LSRC/MT4 Mini Temp
Extech digital sound level meter & SkyTronic DSL 2 Digital Sound Level Meter
Kill A Watt Meter
Nikon D300S SLR with R1C1 Kit (4 flashes)
Panasonic Lumix TZ10

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