SLI comparison between 790i Ultra and Rampage Extreme

[Ghostleader]

Since there´s a SLI hack that make it possible to run SLI on a non Nvidia chipset board (such as P35, P45, X38 and X48 for an example) I thought it might be interesting to see if there´s any different between a native SLI board and a SLI hacked board.

The choice fell on the 790i Ultra and the Rampage Extreme.


Test setup



Motherboard: XFX 790i Ultra / Asus Rampage Extreme
Chipset Driver: 15.51 / 9.1.1.1020
CPU: E8600
Memory: 2x2 OCZ Platinum LV PC3-12800 1600C7
Videocards: XFX 9800GTX Black Edition
Video Driver: 191.07
Hard Disk: WD Caviar Black 500Gb
Monitor: Samsung Syncmaster 2243BW @ 1680x1050
OS: Windows 7 RC 64-bit



The speed for the CPU and memory was set as followed

790i Ultra 400 x 10 4,0GHz / 1600 777 21 1T tRC 30
Rampage Extreme 400 x 10 4,0GHz / 1600 777 21 1N tRD 5 Strong (strap 200)


Let the test start

790i Ultra
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/3DMark06SLI.jpg

Rampage Extreme
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/3DMark06SLI-1.jpg

790i Ultra
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/FarCry2UltraHigh0xAA3.jpg

Rampage Extreme
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/FarCry2UltraHigh0xAA3-1.jpg

790i Ultra
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/FarCry2UltraHigh8xAA3.jpg

Rampage Extreme
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/FarCry2UltraHigh8xAA3-1.jpg

790i Ultra
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/StalkerClearSkyDefaultMSAAx0.jpg

Rampage Extreme
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/StalkerClearSkyDefaultMSAAx0-1.jpg

790i Ultra
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/StalkerClearSkyUltraMSAAx4.jpg

Rampage Extreme
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/StalkerClearSkyUltraMSAAx4-1.jpg

790i Ultra
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/CrysisGPUbenchVHigh0xAA.jpg

Rampage Extreme
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/CrysisGPUbenchVHigh0xAA-1.jpg

790i Ultra
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/CrysisHarborHigh0xAA6loop-1.jpg

Rampage Extreme
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/CrysisHarborHigh0xAA6loop.jpg

790i Ultra
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/CrysisHarborVHigh0xAA6loop.jpg

Rampage Extreme
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/CrysisHarborVHigh0xAA6loop-1.jpg

790i Ultra
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/CrysisWarheadGamer6loop.jpg

Rampage Extreme
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/CrysisWarheadGamer6loop-1.jpg

790i Ultra
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/CrysisWarheadEnthusiast6loop.jpg

Rampage Extreme
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/CrysisWarheadEnthusiast6loop-1.jpg

790i Ultra
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/RE5DX10FixedMaxQ.jpg

Rampage Extreme
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/RE5DX10FixedMaxQ-1.jpg

790i Ultra
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/CoJ_DX10DetShadlowMSAAx0.jpg

Rampage Extreme
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/CoJ_DX10DetShadlowMSAAx0-1.jpg

790i Ultra
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/CoJ_DX10DetShadHighMSAAx4.jpg

Rampage Extreme
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/Ghostleader_01/VGA/CoJ_DX10DetShadHighMSAAx4-1.jpg

Okey, that was it guys, not much of a different, I call it a draw, what´s your opinion.


Anyone interested in how to activating NVIDIA SLI on their board, here´s how to do it, Activating NVIDIA SLI on all motherboards, detailed HOW-TO (http://xdevs.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.30)

[donmarkoni]

Great work! :up: Will be very appreciated by many!
:clap: for your effort :clap:

[saaya]

looks like minfps is actually worse on the 790, at least in farcr2?
havent looked at all the results... you dont happen to have a spreadsheet with the results by any chance? :D

very nice tests, thx for sharing :toast:

[zsamz_]

nice job man
3dmark 790i won
i see rampage pullin a bit ahead in real world
@ higher fsb margin would be alot more:yepp:

[Expat GriZ]

Great!! Well done & thoughtful thread!! Thanks GhostLeader. If I may impose...now run it at 4.5 - 4.7......please!??

[chad]

Wow it is real!! Im saving all the utilities to a flash drive just in case Nvidia sends out the goons. Awesome work:yepp:

[von_scott]

I would like to know, what chages to bios did you do to hit 4.0 o your e 8600?

[zalbard]

Very interesting observations, thanks for posting! :up:
I am surprised that REX isn't always better, and I was pretty sure it would be! :eek:

[azcrazy]

wow great work ,

[Leeghoofd]

Very interesting observations, thanks for posting! :up:
I am surprised that REX isn't always better, and I was pretty sure it would be! :eek:

Great stuff Ghostleader...

Why would the REX be better as he needed to keep all timings and co in equality with the 790i. FSB clocks are too low to make any difference.

Where the REX shines for benchers is the way it can push the FSB way over 600FSB... Try that on 790i :D, For me it's even is a more reliable setup for 24/7 than any Nvidia chipset till now will ever be... at 550FSB daily , no biggie here

Would be nice to see a comparison at 500FSB too... good job old man :) I bet the REX starts to pull ahead there