EVGA NForce 680i SLI Motherboard [Archive]

Pedro Rocha

11-07-2006, 09:42 PM

Now that the NDA is gone here is the first impression of the EVGA NForce 680i SLI Motherboard

A big thanks to EVGA Europe and to AquaPC :toast:

The board is a Nvidia 680i reference card - made by NVidia to EVGA, a preferred lunch partner

In this first part, I will show you a few pics, Bios screens and first results

I'm still using a HD that I have used with a board with Intel chipset that not allow to fully use NTune..

Setup:
- EVGA NForce 680i SLI Motherboard
- E6700 ES B1
- Tuniq Tower 120
- TeamGroup 5300
- Seasonic 600w

Board just out of the box
http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/EVgA6800i_boarcaixa.jpg

Mounted with Tuniq Tower
http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/EVgA6800i_board_tuniq.jpg

Some bios screens - a few suprises ;)

General Menu
http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/Bios_1.jpg

Now a very nice feature - the board have 2 separeted PLL's : one for CPU FSB, other for memory speed - so they can be controled and raised independently :)

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/Bios_FSB.jpg

Memory timmings :
http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/Bios_Mem.jpg

And now some voltages :

VCore up to 1.8V - very cascade friendly :D
http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/Bios_VCore.jpg

VMem up 2.5V
http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/Bios_VMem.jpg

VCPU FSB
http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/Bios_VFSB.jpg

The board allows also to contro many more voltages.

Finally temperature monitoring (hope can read very low temps)
http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/Bios_Temps.jpg

And now the first results - still with limitation of non clean Window with no nTune to raise FSB

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/EVGA6800i_E6700_4000.jpg

4Ghz ar cooled, so easy - 1st try ::D

More FSB, and memory speed in "Unliked" mode - in this case at 1100Mhz 4-4-4-12

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/EVGA6800i_E6700_3700_411FSB.jpg

More memory bandwith with much less CPU speed :) ( latest version of CPU-Z still not read memory speed and timmings)

The 3 slots PCI de 16X are really asking me that I mount the 2 EVGA's 8800GTX in SLI :D

More results with the next few days - SLI and real cold comming :D

To be continued ..

This is Pedro Rocha over and out :)

Pedro Rocha

11-07-2006, 09:44 PM

OK, a few updates ..

First to nice features do Bios

This EVGA motheboard allow the enable/disable of all cores - even for Quad Cores owners :

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/Bios_Cpu_Config.jpg

The System Clocks section of the Bios is also very feature rich - in Auto boost the PCIes to 125MHz ..

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/Bios_SysClocks.jpg

Before mount on phase change I decide to test the mobo with 2 EVGA 8800GTX - ALL AIR COOLED - here is a photo :

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/BoardCom28800GTX.jpg

As you can see I unsing all the PCIe plugs of my TAGN 900W - quad rail

Now some 3D benching with booth cards stock cooler and moderate overclocked

2001
http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/75768_E6700_4000AR_8800GTXSLIstock.jpg

More than 1.000fps on Nature with stock cards and CPU air cooled - nice :D

2005
http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/24150_3Dmark2005_E6700Ar_8800GTXSLI.jpg

And finally 2006
http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/16822_3Dmark2006_E6700Ar_8800GTXSLI.jpg

====================================

I decide to mount the EVGA NForce 680i SLI Motherboard and 2 the 8800GTX in my Vapochill LS :)

As you can see not may space problems on the space around the socket -a clear advantage over the P5W DH where the mounting of the Vapochill clamshell is much more dificult considering the components around the socket

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/MontagemEspacoVapo.jpg

Bord turn om, the contact seems good and it read negative temps - here they are (with default voltage, of course) ;)

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/BiosNaVapo.jpg

Photo of the board mounted in the Vapo with a Lian Li PC60 midle tower.

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/MontadaNaVapoSLI.jpg

Superpi with 1.75v VCore , muti 11X and memory "unliked" at 1100Mhz 4-4-4-12 ;)

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/EVGA_X6800_4500VapoLS.jpg

And for some 3D benching, with the graphics card on air with modearae OC ..with no tweaks at all, inculding load

3D Mark 2006
http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/18200_3Dmark06_EVGA4400_8800SLIstock.jpg

An amazing gain over the X1950's in Crossfire with same cpu seed - more 5.000 Marks :eek:

3D Mark 2005
http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/27069_3DMark05_EVGAVapo8800GTXSlstock.jpg

A gain of around 3.000 Marks over X1950's in Crossfire with same cpu seed

And 3D Mark 2001
http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/82623_EVGA_4480_8800GTXstock.jpg

2001 are not yet fully tweaked by any means.. just a quick run

That is for now.

Now is time to find the right tweaking for this setup before put it on the cascades

This is Pedro Rocha over and out :toast:

wtkprol

11-07-2006, 09:47 PM

YES!! Been waiting for this review for a while. Now crank up that FSB. :)

ShoNuff

11-07-2006, 09:52 PM

That is what I hoped for. While I have never purchased an evga board before this one sure looks nice.

Looking forward to more information. :banana:

metro.cl

11-07-2006, 09:55 PM

is that vcore right? 1.7+? that is a lot for sp1m at 4GHz

Dumo

11-07-2006, 09:58 PM

Nice board there Pedro:toast:

X16 on both black PCI-E slots?

eva2000

11-07-2006, 10:06 PM

sweet love the independent cpu/mem control :)

from what you can see, are the NB/SB mounting holes standard widths ? suited to 3rd party coolers ?

guess2098

11-07-2006, 10:36 PM

nice review,

watch your MCP temp, i have another 120 fan on it XD

Nanometer

11-07-2006, 11:03 PM

Impressive for eVga. Looks good and performs pretty well. I can't wait for more results :)

ANP !!!

11-07-2006, 11:06 PM

Nice work :woot:

Whts the Max FSB u were able to get on it :D ??

slykid

11-07-2006, 11:21 PM

Nice work :woot:

Whts the Max FSB u were able to get on it :D ??
i'm soooo tempted to order it now!!

phelan1777

11-07-2006, 11:22 PM

I am debating on finalizing my order..........273$ for just the board with S&H.

buckshot

11-07-2006, 11:29 PM

Argh I must resist but dam that board looks sweet.

Charles Wirth

11-07-2006, 11:31 PM

Top and bottom PCIE slots for SLI, the middle is the 8x

Senater_Cache

11-07-2006, 11:37 PM

phelan1777

11-07-2006, 11:45 PM

ahh phooey, I ordered it. Now on to finding decent RAM and decided either 6600 or a 6400

damnnit

11-07-2006, 11:45 PM

Dont think just buy... like me

Ibinco

11-07-2006, 11:49 PM

Nice stuff Pedro! U the man... u read my mind.. i woke up this morning in serach of a review for the 680i! You answered my prayers! :banana: Keep up the good work and let us know where ur FSB adventures take you.

slykid

11-07-2006, 11:50 PM

in cart.....thinking about it..
im hating that guaranteed 15% restocking fee at mWave. thats $40+ to get a "better" board.

problem is that I have a feeling these will be 279+ minimum by tommorrow afternoon.
this is def the early-bird special if you will.
i'm thinking it's gonna go up by morning too but i wanna be how high it's gonna clock first.and we gotta think about stability too here

Senater_Cache

11-07-2006, 11:57 PM

well it is already doing above 400 so that is all I need for my 3.6

I dont like the non-solid caps and the wierd I/O panel placement (by IDE)

The Nemesis

11-08-2006, 12:05 AM

Fugger bought his from frys in Vegas and said he can do 530FSB. Now you have to figure thats right out the box, no mods & no optimal settings since no one knows enough about the board to set it up perfect right now:)

Spacemaster

11-08-2006, 12:17 AM

Can we see more memory bandwith results and more information of FSB ,everest iz crap use sandra please.

MaSell

11-08-2006, 12:44 AM

Max fsb please :D

Charles Wirth

11-08-2006, 01:00 AM

Step over up to at least 500+ FSB, you might hit a few dead spots along the way.

fsb, spp and mcp to 1.5v

FEEXX

11-08-2006, 01:42 AM

well i need a mobo, what to do, go for that one today, or wait for teh asus version?

what do you think?

Shall i dare to try something new coming from evga (foxconn)?

slykid

11-08-2006, 01:45 AM

well i need a mobo, what to do, go for that one today, or wait for teh asus version?

what do you think?

Shall i dare to try something new coming from evga (foxconn)?

i'm with you on that but do we know when that asus when is gonna be out?

quicksilverXP

11-08-2006, 01:45 AM

Man... hey Fugger... still talk to Mark? Moved back up to the bay area... in planning stages for law school.

Spacemaster

11-08-2006, 01:50 AM

I will wait for DFI,if asus dont go over 2.6V for ram,and 1.8V for CPU:D

Charles Wirth

11-08-2006, 02:03 AM

Yep yep, good to hear you are onto a good career.

gundamit

11-08-2006, 04:50 AM

Nice. Looks like the Tuniq clears the northbridge, although it looks like a tight fit. Hmmm ... wonder if Fry's will combo this board with a 6700 on Friday? :slobber:

mykeos

11-08-2006, 04:53 AM

damn,the area arround the socket is still not clear enough for
phase mounting.hope rd600 is arround the corner....

^don.k's^

11-08-2006, 06:08 AM

Waiting for more results on FSB and comparison between 975x clock per clock, i hope better runs because 13s should be @3,9ghz not 4ghz, if 680i performs as well as 975x clock per clock, i'll say goodbye to my p5w dh. :)

Regards! :toast:

mykeos

11-08-2006, 06:34 AM

Vett95wLT4

11-08-2006, 06:35 AM

is the board available online? and where?

MACMAC

11-08-2006, 06:45 AM

is the board available online? and where?

Here. (http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=AA52400&RSKU=AA52400)

The Nemesis

11-08-2006, 06:48 AM

Tiger Direct has it too but for $279 (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=2573809&sku=E145-2008). I'm sure all the west coast venders will have it listed when their busniess day starts.

menlatin

11-08-2006, 06:58 AM

AAHH!!! I want it!... But i have to wait til the 15th... overtime, overtime, overtime.

Sanko

11-08-2006, 07:18 AM

AAHH!!! I want it!... But i have to wait til the 15th... overtime, overtime, overtime.

aHH.... overtime is good! i'm jobless and my pocket is just empty. but guess i'll just squeeze myself getting a Biostar TF680i SLi cause it definately will be cheaper than this evga.

Nosfer@tu

11-08-2006, 07:40 AM

Subcribed.

blossa

11-08-2006, 07:49 AM

Thanks for the review! Can you try if Kentsfield works with this board?

Yoxxy

11-08-2006, 07:51 AM

Looks like Fugger has Kentsfield in it already. So should be pretty sure that it works ok.

oOMichaelOo

11-08-2006, 08:04 AM

can u tell me if it's a trusted mobo? :mad: (Trusted Computing)

nice review.

cowie

11-08-2006, 08:42 AM

looks very good i'm getting one today,but wanna see a few brands first.I deff. will need some help on the o/c.

Turtle 1

11-08-2006, 08:45 AM

Very good results so far. I have a Question on the middle 8x slot . Can use any type of pci-e card or is it for video cards only ? Anyone

erwinz

11-08-2006, 09:38 AM

nice.. :D will wait for more of your reviews.. :D go go go..

Punisher!

11-08-2006, 09:59 AM

Subscribed and waiting for more OC screens! :D

^don.k's^

11-08-2006, 10:25 AM

hehe,I already said goodbye to p5w dh,cause that was the crapiest board i've ever had.p5b is much better and oc friendly,and hey,even cheaper.The real question here is whether nvidia is gonna beat ati and it's rd600.

If you need over 500fsb, then p5w dh isnt your board, if you want the best performance, you dont have another choice. ;) I don need more fsb than my p5w can provide me, yet.

Waiting for more results:p:

Regards! :toast:

mykeos

11-08-2006, 10:37 AM

I have a x6800,and a high clocking ram (540mhz when oced),yet the divider on that board gives me headache and furthermore,the p5b deluxe is much more stable with my proc
at low fsb (400) than p5w was (at 1.85v moded vmch)

bigjohns97

11-08-2006, 10:43 AM

I would like to know the diffrences between 2t and 1t as far as performance goes. It seems to me like the 1t provides a signifigant amount of bandwidth looking at those everest numbers.

Nosfer@tu

11-08-2006, 10:48 AM

I hope he has some Sub Zero cooling on the basdart of a motherboard :p

Oliver

11-08-2006, 10:54 AM

I hope he has some Sub Zero cooling on the basdart of a motherboard :p
Year , i think that a Sub Zero setup on this board could be really bad :eek: :)

And some mods :p:

GAR

11-08-2006, 11:01 AM

just bought one, waiting for my tuniq tower to come in tommorow so i can install it.........cant wait

mykeos

11-08-2006, 11:27 AM

did you order it or US stores have them already in stock?cause here in europe all stores have them "on the way"

JoeBar

11-08-2006, 11:49 AM

So far so good. Now crank up the fsb! :)

The independent fsb/mem is a very nice feature.

Pedro Rocha

11-08-2006, 01:24 PM

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/SLI_ready2rock.jpg

SLI Ready to Rock and few benchs in a few hours :D

phelan1777

11-08-2006, 01:36 PM

WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I ordered from MWAVE last night and got this e-mail today!:

Thank you for placing an order with mwave.com! We regret to inform you that we have just been notified that the following item is no longer available, and has just been discontinued from our web site:

AA52400 - - Discontinued on 11/8---EVGA 122-CK-NF68 nVIDIA nFORCE 680I SLI CHIPSET ATX FORM FACTOR 2xPCI-E(X16)/2xPCI-E(X1)/2xPCI/4xDDR2 W/SATA2 RAID,DUAL LAN(Gb),1394,USB 2.0 & AUDIO (CPU TYPE:INTEL - SOCKET 775) (=NO CPU= NO MEMORY

Unfortunately, we are not anticipating any further shipments to arrive. Please accept our sincerest apologies. At this time, please feel free to choose another item to replace it, or we can remove it from your order entirely. Please advise at your earliest convenience, and we will process accordingly. If you would like to select another item, we will upgrade your shipping method at no extra cost to the next fastest method, to help compensate for the inconvenience. If you already have the fastest possible method, then we will issue a credit for one method below your selected choice.

Thank you for your patience, and again we do apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,

Order Processing

ShoNuff

11-08-2006, 01:54 PM

WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I ordered from MWAVE last night and got this e-mail today!:

Try NewEgg. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813188009) Better hurry if you are serious.

OldGuy

11-08-2006, 01:55 PM

I was just about to tell folks to jump on the Mwave...wave :D Me thinks they priced it a bit low. If you live near a Fry's they are going for 299.00...owy owy ouch....didn't stop me though ;)

I'll be setting up with an E6400 and shootin' for FSB as soon as I get a feel for her...

Trice

11-08-2006, 01:57 PM

The only thing about eVGA is how fst do they update BIOS'? What about options? Do they REALLY have all the BIOS options we need or want? coming from a DFI board that BIOS looks pretty thin, especially on the memory section.

Must resist!

nealh

11-08-2006, 02:16 PM

when or if DFI will have a version of this mobo?

Trice

11-08-2006, 02:21 PM

Good question, I think I am spoiled by DFIs options in the BIOS as well as their many updates and tweaks :(

Bozza Bench

11-08-2006, 02:26 PM

eVGA...hmmmm I`m not so sure ..... but this one is what I`m looking for http://www.abit.com.tw/page/en/motherboard/motherboard_detail.php?pMODEL_NAME=IN9+32X-MAX&fMTYPE=LGA775&DEFTITLE=Y

Fr3ak

11-08-2006, 02:35 PM

Looks good Pedro. Now show us some big numbers :D

TheMaster

11-08-2006, 02:45 PM

OMG...what a Rig :eek: ( and a big...shirt abouve me :shock2: )
What PSU you use?

Burn

11-08-2006, 03:16 PM

ShoNuff

11-08-2006, 03:22 PM

eVGA...hmmmm I`m not so sure ..... but this one is what I`m looking for http://www.abit.com.tw/page/en/motherboard/motherboard_detail.php?pMODEL_NAME=IN9+32X-MAX&fMTYPE=LGA775&DEFTITLE=Y

That abit board looks like a monster. This may be their comeback board.

FYI...ZZF had the Asus 680i board listed for $399. :eek:

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=247121
(just put the crack pipe down and walk away from the computer)

Burn

11-08-2006, 03:23 PM

That abit board looks like a monster. This may be their comeback board.

FYI...ZZF had the Asus 680i board listed for $399. :eek:

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=247121
(just put the crack pipe down and walk away from the computer)
:) Isn't it crazy how expensive motherboards are getting?!!?

I bought my Ultra-D for like $120, now people want $400 for their next-gen boards!!

OldGuy

11-08-2006, 03:28 PM

It seems weird that eVGA released such a nice motherboard when they've never really been known for 'boards, just GPUs :)

It's nice to have a fresh face in the motherboard market, let's hope this trend continues.

That's the way I'm looking at it...they have a good reputation with their gfx cards so let's hope this "high end" mobo makes a decent splash...

icon57

11-08-2006, 03:37 PM

That's the way I'm looking at it...they have a good reputation with their gfx cards so let's hope this "high end" mobo makes a decent splash...

exactly what i am hoping for, since i just ordered it...
as soon a s the dfi mobo is released, i will have 3 skt 775 boards...lol

Quentin

11-08-2006, 03:37 PM

399$ :mad:
Motherboard more expensive than the cpu :slapass:

Burn

11-08-2006, 03:43 PM

399$ :mad:
Motherboard more expensive than the cpu :slapass:
Tell me about it- An E6600 is ~$320, it's rediculous how expensive they are getting.

Senater_Cache

11-08-2006, 03:53 PM

eVGA only sells the board. It is designed by Nvidia as is the one from XFX, BFG, ECS and Biostar.
eVGA is merely producing it the same way they produce their cards (they dont do GPUs just cards).

All I gotta say is eVGA = Lifetime warranty and they endorse aftermarket coolers and OCing (to an extent). nuff said.

damnnit

11-08-2006, 03:55 PM

Yes Asus is going crazy with their pricing. The Abit looks awesome btw, looks like tons of room for phase change. I just ordered this evga board + 2 8800gtx cards so lets see how itll go.

Trice

11-08-2006, 04:09 PM

I thought the eVGA board was only 1 year warranty with an additional 1 year if you register it online?

I thought I saw that on ZZF.

Senater_Cache

11-08-2006, 04:45 PM

I thought the eVGA board was only 1 year warranty with an additional 1 year if you register it online?

I thought I saw that on ZZF.

In keeping with our valued ideology, we are pleased to offer the new EVGA Lifetime Warranty.

For our retail Graphics Card and Mainboard products purchased on or after June 22, 2005, EVGA will provide a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser of each retail product that the product will not suffer, in material or workmanship, from any defect that adversely affects the performance of the product. This lifetime warranty is valid for the life of the retail product, so long as the original purchaser owns the product, based upon the following conditions:

* Lifetime Warranty is for all retail Graphics Card and Mainboard products ending in the part numbers AR, AX, BR*, BX*, DR, DX, FR, FX, SG, SL, or S2.
* [Replacement products are shipped out as –BR or –BX and will carry the same lifetime warranty that your original purchase had based on your registration.]
* There is no physical damage to the PCB, GPU/chipset, or components.

We will repair or replace the defective parts free of charge (no refunds). All you pay is the shipping charge to return the product to EVGA.
chars

OldGuy

11-08-2006, 05:00 PM

exactly what i am hoping for, since i just ordered it...
as soon a s the dfi mobo is released, i will have 3 skt 775 boards...lol

Me and you have a serious problem Icon...Infinity 975X/G, Asus P5B, Evga 680i and an Asus P5W DH that I'm waiting for (which I won which is cool regardless of the boards performance ;))

A serious serious problem :D

Trice

11-08-2006, 05:12 PM

chars

That sounds nice, ZZF should update their site as to not confuse people.

Turtle 1

11-08-2006, 06:10 PM

Man all these NV boards look so impressive. I hear a few people waiting on the RD600. Man I don't know. With the results I have seen today. XS enthusist will go SLi 8800gtx and these nv boards. I am still realing from the results KingpIn turned in . Its only going to get better from here on out. Can you imagine the next update of the 8800gtx and wolfdale/yorkfield @ 6ghz .

We haven't even seen the R600 yet but if its anything like what we have all witnessed today . This is unbelieveable.

nealh

11-08-2006, 06:14 PM

Is DFI making a nNvidia 680i based mobo?

is there any vdroop

Kunaak

11-08-2006, 06:19 PM

Is DFI making a nNvidia 680i based mobo?

Yes, they definatly are.
I've asked a few dozen times about the latest info, and and I can say this... its not that far away, and they are definatly doing one.

TheMaster

11-08-2006, 06:26 PM

What PSU you use?
lol, ok now i see, Seasonic 600W. Hmm... tell me i'm wrong, but i don't think this PSU can handle a SLI with two 8800GTX. I got that PSU by my own, i thougt you will need much more than 48A on 12V Rail. Better to use the Seas. M12 700W that delivers 56A for 12V.

icon57

11-08-2006, 06:56 PM

cant talk about it, or ask on dfi-street, but Travis will have one soon...
@oldman...yes, a serious prob...congrats on that win (mobo)

nealh

11-08-2006, 07:03 PM

Yes, they definatly are.
I've asked a few dozen times about the latest info, and and I can say this... its not that far away, and they are definatly doing one.
thanks..wonder if I should wait...

any thoughts on vdroop on this mobo(680i..EVGA, DFI etc)

Pedro Rocha

11-08-2006, 07:53 PM

Post # 2 with a few updates ..

MACMAC

11-08-2006, 08:04 PM

Post # 2 with a few updates ..

Cool, thanks!

But shows us some 500Mhz+ FSB :D :stick:

Punisher!

11-09-2006, 03:49 AM

Cool, thanks!

But shows us some 500Mhz+ FSB :D :stick:
I quote :D.

wtkprol

11-09-2006, 04:29 AM

Come on Pedro, lets see some max FSB. ;)

TheMaster

11-09-2006, 05:23 AM

Post # 2 with a few updates ..
Oh yes, the Tagan 800W is well suitable PSU for that monstar PC. :slobber:
Do you try the Seasonic 600W PSU with that Setup?

Pt1t

11-09-2006, 05:49 AM

Cool, thanks!

But shows us some 500Mhz+ FSB :D :stick:

I m reaching ~490mhz fsb on this board.

Punisher!

11-09-2006, 06:03 AM

I m reaching ~490mhz fsb on this board.
Stable? Could you bring us any screenshots?

Pt1t

11-09-2006, 06:28 AM

Stable? Could you bring us any screenshots?

I did not test stability , but it Boot ... 490*6 , But my biostar tforce 965p dlx did 540 with the same E6600. I m going to do some more test after work.

Punisher!

11-09-2006, 07:14 AM

I did not test stability , but it Boot ... 490*6 , But my biostar tforce 965p dlx did 540 with the same E6600. I m going to do some more test after work.
Thanks and also post them please :D.

Grinch

11-09-2006, 09:17 PM

just ordered that baby today...can't wait to get my hands on it..oh btw ..where do you go to get the latest bios? I tried their site and no go....:woot:

kiwi

11-10-2006, 02:19 AM

MB lifetime warranty, that's something new :toast:

Nosfer@tu

11-10-2006, 07:30 AM

I need 9 for multi and max fsb before I know anything :(

And I never found out how it performes against 975 or 965 chipset.
That is VERY importent IMO :)

Pt1t

11-10-2006, 09:34 AM

6600 L631A
Tuniq Tower 120
2*1go gskill 6400 HZ

DDR2 @ 1150 4-4-4- Unlinked for both screen.

I have some bandwidth problem ... , or a kind of strap 1333 .

Boot @ 411 fsb
http://users.skynet.be/pt1t/evga/evga_1M&everest_read_411X9.PNG
Boot @ 445 fsb
http://users.skynet.be/pt1t/evga/evga_1M&everest_read_444X9.PNG

does someone have a working software to overclock it in windows ? :woot:

Vapor

11-10-2006, 09:41 AM

I wouldn't trust Everest for B/W results at all.....

Anyway, board's not looking too bad. Some 32M results would shed light on the clock-fer-clock performance though, and maybe some clues to any straps that may be present.

Pt1t

11-10-2006, 09:48 AM

jimwah

11-10-2006, 10:41 AM

Scan & Novatech have them in stock for the UK - £200 tho' :eek:

metro.cl

11-10-2006, 10:51 AM

once again is it me or over 1.7v for cpu is a lot on air? does the mobo have any problems?

OldGuy

11-10-2006, 11:03 AM

does someone have a working software to overclock it in windows ? :woot:

nTune that comes on the supplied CD...

Raiden Zero

11-10-2006, 11:16 AM

Everest B/W works fine with conroe :)

so why do i get 12k mb/s with singlechannel ddr800?^^

raiden

Pt1t

11-10-2006, 11:26 AM

nTune that comes on the supplied CD...

yes , but when apply , ntune needs to reboot ...

Pt1t

11-10-2006, 11:28 AM

so why do i get 12k mb/s with singlechannel ddr800?^^

raiden

I never wrote singlechannel and ddr 800 :stick:

it s dual channel and ddr2 @ 1150mhz 4-4-4

Phil The Greek

11-10-2006, 11:31 AM

When I press apply,I always get this message:mad:

Pt1t

11-10-2006, 11:44 AM

When I press apply,I always get this message:mad:

me , i cant go in this menu ...

Phil The Greek

11-10-2006, 12:03 PM

me , i cant go in this menu ...
I have been having hard time since yesterday I bougth this board.On default everything was fine.When it came to overclocking......oh man.In the begining I could not install ntune.I downloaded every last version(chipset drivers/ntune)and then instaled succesfully but it is not working(the problem above).I also can't run my memory @800-1T(memtest counts thousands of errors)when the same modules where running fine @1000 4-4-4-8 on 975x chipset.With 2T it seams to be ok but some short 32M spi runs I made,shows much slower times than 975x.

berk

11-10-2006, 12:14 PM

I was impressed by the Vr-Zone clocking of this mobo..real world end users are looking a nightmare..have you tried the 'P20' BIOS PTG?

Pt1t

11-10-2006, 12:22 PM

I was impressed by the Vr-Zone clocking of this mobo..real world end users are looking a nightmare..have you tried the 'P20' BIOS PTG?

yes

JoeBar

11-10-2006, 12:44 PM

once again is it me or over 1.7v for cpu is a lot on air? does the mobo have any problems?
1.6v is a lot on air... :p:

OldGuy

11-10-2006, 12:47 PM

yes

Where did you acquire this bios might I ask? It is not yet available on eVga...

@thebeast...why the "real world nightmare" comment? So far the board is behaving nicely for me. I suspect after having the board for a few days and taking your time with it that most will agree it's not a bad board at all...Trying to slam home the highest OC you can get right out of the box is going to be met with lots of disappointment on any new board.

Phil The Greek

11-10-2006, 12:51 PM

Where did you acquire this bios might I ask? It is not yet available on eVga...

@thebeast...why the "real world nightmare" comment? So far the board is behaving nicely for me. I suspect after having the board for a few days and taking your time with it that most will agree it's not a bad board at all...Trying to slam home the highest OC you can get right out of the box is going to be met with lots of disappointment on any new board.
Is your ram running fine on 1T?

Charles Wirth

11-10-2006, 12:51 PM

OldGuy

11-10-2006, 01:01 PM

The board has a small learning curve and require fiddling to get it to optimal speed. One could spend a few days playing with memory timing and ratios alone.

They have done a great job for out of the box "auto" performance as well.

Agreed...setup was a snap with this board. Figuring out "what" you want to do with the memory is going to be the most time consuming aspect. there is plenty to play with...

@ PTG...seemed fine right up to about 800mhz...can't say for sure on anything at this point though till I have it for a few more days. 6~8 hours is no where near enough time get a handle on this or any other board...

Phil The Greek

11-10-2006, 01:07 PM

Sorry to tell FUGGER but I feel disapointed.Can't boot under440fsb and I can't adjust it from Windows.Also without 1T can't reach 975x performance.

Nosfer@tu

11-10-2006, 01:13 PM

Sorry to tell FUGGER but I feel disapointed.Can't boot under440fsb and I can't adjust it from Windows.Also without 1T can't reach 975x performance.

I dont even want to change motherboard if nobody can show that it performes the same clock for clock.

If not then it is just a STUPID hunt for Higher fsb without any performance gain.

Thus you pay more in power bill because you run 4.5 Ghz instead of 4. Ghz on a 975 but performance is the same???? :slapass: :slapass: :slapass:

charlie

11-10-2006, 01:21 PM

does it natively support QUAD SLI??? (7950x2)

And would 7950 x 2 be competitive to 8800gtx x 2??

Charles Wirth

11-10-2006, 01:24 PM

Charles Wirth

11-10-2006, 01:25 PM

Not sure yet Charlie, hopefully someone will test soon.

Phil The Greek

11-10-2006, 01:58 PM

Higher FSB allows users with low end Conroe processors to reach a decent speed.

There are FSB holes above 400FSB, you need to jump out to 500FSB, try like 2020, 2040, 2060, 2080 bus speeds.

Dont over-volt, stick to around 1.5v on FSB, MCP, SPP
Just tryed enything between 1780 to 2100.NO GO for me.And why my mouse pointer jumps around desktop when in high cpu clocks(sure under 3500Mhz).
Only good thing with this board is that can run my memory @3-3-3 but always on 2T witch still sucks in performance.I am missing my AW9D-MAX that could do 470+fsb:(

Geek77

11-10-2006, 02:14 PM

Come on Pedro, lets see some max FSB. ;)

We accidentally set a 6300 CPU to 3300Mhz - 550 FSB x6 - while waiting for Pedro to pick up the mobo. Orthos stable.

Please forgive my stupidity, didnt take any pictures or screenshots.

This motherboard is the real deal. I'll have some registered results soon. :yepp:

Phil The Greek

11-10-2006, 03:07 PM

berk

11-10-2006, 03:30 PM

...There are FSB holes above 400FSB, you need to jump out to 500FSB, try like 2020, 2040, 2060, 2080 bus speeds....

Is your ram running fine on 1T?

....Sorry to tell FUGGER but I feel disapointed.Can't boot under 440fsb and I can't adjust it from Windows.Also without 1T can't reach 975x performance.....

All these quirks dont make me feel that confident about purchasing this board.
The 'learning curve' sounds more appropriate than 'nightmare' i must admit,but ive come from sending back 3 x ASUS' (2 P5B deluxes and a P5WDH)
and i dont want to mess around so much for an overclocked, stable platform again.
>shrug< i do want this board..i'll just hang back and see how the idiosynchroses pan out.Good luck. :)

rick_fx

11-10-2006, 03:53 PM

Does clockgen work with this mobo? :)

metro.cl

11-10-2006, 04:10 PM

Just tryed enything between 1780 to 2100.NO GO for me.And why my mouse pointer jumps around desktop when in high cpu clocks(sure under 3500Mhz).
Only good thing with this board is that can run my memory @3-3-3 but always on 2T witch still sucks in performance.I am missing my AW9D-MAX that could do 470+fsb:(

on intel you always run 2t

Charles Wirth

11-10-2006, 06:28 PM

I am running 800/1T if i go up to 1Ghz+ it will need to drop to 2T for stability.

-n7-

11-10-2006, 10:21 PM

Sounds like a nice horror story thus far :woot:

I like the idea of unlinked RAM though, so when there's a few more mobos to choose from & the prices drop from their heavens, i might consider one of these 680i babies.

wtkprol

11-10-2006, 10:57 PM

does it natively support QUAD SLI??? (7950x2)

And would 7950 x 2 be competitive to 8800gtx x 2??
I should have some results up next week if one of my people dont fail me. :)

maxxxxel

11-10-2006, 11:55 PM

yes , but when apply , ntune needs to reboot ...

Is it designed to do that, i thought the it would do the changes on the fly :confused:

I was going to get one of these boards, but now i will wait. its seems people who have ordered the board are finding OC'ing more difficult than those who got samples of the board, it could be a bios update issue.

gundamit

11-11-2006, 12:18 AM

One could spend a few days playing with memory timing and ratios alone.And that's why I finally pulled the trigger on one from ClubIT. Nice to see Perdro's screenie with the memory options. I'm a little wary of the FSB holes you mentioned and I'll probably get another 680i when a winner emerges from the OC friendly mobo makers, but in the meantime this will be fun to tweak and prep a bit on. :D Next weekend I should have the mobo unless CLUBIT is serious about the 5-7 days shipping even though we're both in the Golden State California..

Phil The Greek

11-11-2006, 12:53 AM

on intel you always run 2t
Are you sure about that?Its the first time I hear that:confused:

Phil The Greek

11-11-2006, 01:01 AM

We accidentally set a 6300 CPU to 3300Mhz - 550 FSB x6 - while waiting for Pedro to pick up the mobo. Orthos stable.

Please forgive my stupidity, didnt take any pictures or screenshots.

This motherboard is the real deal. I'll have some registered results soon. :yepp:
I also tryed enything between 2100 to 2280.Always got a reset.Only works between 1700 to 1760.Maybe its my cpu(E6600),but I will not change it because the mobo doesn't like it:nono:

nealh

11-11-2006, 04:29 AM

so what is the max fsb@1T

So whats the dea lwith the backplate and cap.?

GAR

11-11-2006, 08:56 AM

so what is the max fsb@1T

So whats the dea lwith the backplate and cap.?

I have the backplate on, system is running fine, forgot to check if its touching tho :confused:

Pedro Rocha

11-11-2006, 09:45 AM

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/MontadaNaVapoSLI.jpg

Mounted on the VapoLS - update with some 3D benching in post # 2

bingo13

11-11-2006, 10:45 AM

so what is the max fsb@1T

Depends on your memory, running some "beta" OCZ at 910 1T at this time.

bingo13

11-11-2006, 10:49 AM

And would 7950 x 2 be competitive to 8800gtx x 2??

It is until they fix the drivers. ;)

BulldogPO

11-11-2006, 11:12 AM

Should I wait till Abit IN9 X32-MAX or buy this as upgrade to my Asus P5W DH?

Senater_Cache

11-11-2006, 01:05 PM

well the chipset hasnt exactly fully lived up to its hype with the current bios's.
Abit claims this and that, but yuo should wait for a review of the abit.
Abit is scheduled for @1 2007 (january actually) so you will be waiting.

Phil The Greek

11-11-2006, 01:08 PM

Till now from what I have been reading,the max fsb has to do with the cpu u are using and it might be alot deferent in same model of cpus.Thats really strange.

Charles Wirth

11-11-2006, 02:40 PM

Pedro, try this.

Unload the video driver and then reload it, doint touch anything just bench. I think you are taking a pretty good size hit on nature.

Pedro Rocha

11-11-2006, 03:12 PM

Pedro, try this.

Unload the video driver and then reload it, doint touch anything just bench. I think you are taking a pretty good size hit on nature.

Thanks Charles, I will try that ..

But I already notice that Nature must be the first test to run - if you run anything after windows boot the nature score is heavy penalizade. So that reload drivers tweak makes sense, must allow Nature not to be the first thing to run after boot up.

BTW : Re-run 2001 with just the very basic LOD tweaking and here is the result :

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/82623_EVGA_4480_8800GTXstock.jpg

Also as you can see, if ATITool 025b16 pre7 is used you already see the correct memory speed and not half speed as in previous versions ..

IvanAndreevich

11-11-2006, 03:20 PM

Put that CPU on cascade and let's see 100K :D

This is the dream board for 775 now. I hope the 650i boards will be more affordable but almost as overclockable :)

afireinside

11-11-2006, 06:05 PM

I am running 800/1T if i go up to 1Ghz+ it will need to drop to 2T for stability.

That's interesting. On AM2/NF590 I and many others walled around ddr800 or so. Blamed the memory controller. Seems to be an Nvidia chipset limitation.

Charles Wirth

11-11-2006, 06:13 PM

You dont have to reload the driver each time, just wanted you to start at a known reference point of best nature before tweaking.

Good to see you picked it up quite a bit and looking forward to cascaded cpu.

charlie

11-12-2006, 12:27 AM

so how is 3D/sPi performance clock for clock vs. 975x?

BulldogPO

11-12-2006, 01:53 AM

so how is 3D/sPi performance clock for clock vs. 975x?
This is my concern also..

Pedro Rocha

11-12-2006, 06:58 AM

In Superpi the performance may be a little inferior, but I am not a big fan of superpi.

In 3D, specially with Nvidia graphics cards, the performance is superior given the full PCIe 16x and the Link Boost architecture.

But these board just came out, of course the developement stage of the 680i and the 975x can not be compared

However the unliked memory feature have a lot of potencial for superpi fanatics, since allow using exactly the sweat spot for CPU and memory speed.

elpistono

11-12-2006, 09:58 AM

OldGuy

11-12-2006, 10:22 AM

@ Fugger and Pedro...The two of you are using (or have used) 6800 Extremes. Do you notice when first booting after making bios changes that the indicated bus speed is off when using a multiplier other than factory...i.e on an E6600 if I set FSB to 1850 as an example (462mhz effective) at factory multi of X9 it boots and shows in the post screen 462 X 9 (4158mhz net). If I change the multi to X8 the post screen shows 518 X 8...change to X7 and the post screen shows 593 X 7 and change to X6 the post screen shows 692 X 6. The bios is trying to maintain the overall system frequency od 4158mhz by adjusting the bus which in turn creates some crazy FSB numbers...

I think this is why we are seeing the "dead spots" which fugger has mentioned (and I too have seen plenty) as the system simply cannot boot at whatever frequency it is generating. There is a huge range that simply will not post without going to safe defaults so you can't see what the bus speed is that it's trying to use during boot. 1850mhz happens to be one that shows the crazy speeds during post but will not boot to windows on my system...

Just curious if the unlocked multiplier on the 6800 generates the same results.

metro.cl

11-12-2006, 02:39 PM

Are you sure about that?Its the first time I hear that:confused:

on intel 965 or 975 chipset im sure.

@ fugger can you do a comparison between 800 1t and 2t?

sierra_bound

11-12-2006, 06:09 PM

I'm not sure why some people are dissing this board. The bios takes some getting used to. But it's a very solid board, once you start figuring things out.

And 1T does make a difference.

2T

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/4329/8m350x112tui0.jpg

1T

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/4421/8m350x111tfi4.jpg

Stability testing at 1T

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6673/orthos37521tke7.jpg

Times are not great because memory speed was only 350MHz. Running 1T gets a little squirrelly at 400MHz. But at lower speeds, everything is fine.

erwinz

11-12-2006, 06:18 PM

hey sierra_bound would you happen to have an E6400 :D could you please show us the maximum OC? :) pretty please.. ;)

sierra_bound

11-12-2006, 06:24 PM

Sorry, don't have a E6400. My X6800 does 4GHz easily on air.

FSB seems to top out around 450. A new bios would probably help a lot.

The thing that people need to keep in mind is that the first bios on any new board is usually not very good. I remember the initial bios for the P5B Dlx was so-so. If people had made a judgement about that board based on that initial bios, they would have missed out on a lot of fun.

erwinz

11-12-2006, 06:42 PM

ShoNuff

11-12-2006, 07:08 PM

I'm not sure why some people are dissing this board. The bios takes some getting used to. But it's a very solid board, once you start figuring things out.

I agree! The key is figuring things out. The good news is that the learning curve isn't that steep. With a new bios things can only get better.

I'm glad to see that you have this board and are having success with it. Please keep posting the screen shots as I believe it indirectly helps us all simply by showing what this board is capable of. :up:

edit: Sierra what memory are you using with the 680i?

sierra_bound

11-12-2006, 07:13 PM

I agree! The key is figuring things out. The good news is that the learning curve isn't that steep. With a new bios things can only get better.

I'm glad to see that you have this board and are having success with it. Please keep posting the screen shots as I believe it indirectly helps us all simply by showing what this board is capable of. :up:

edit: Sierra what memory are you using with the 680i?
I'm using Team Xtreem TXDD2048M1800HC5DC.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=117453

Gautam

11-12-2006, 07:40 PM

How do Pi times compare to i975x? It seems like 1M is virtually even, how about longer calcs?

sierra_bound

11-12-2006, 07:45 PM

975X boards are faster in Pi. Kyosen did some tests with 680i/965/975X.

8M @ 444-445X9

680i - 2mins 47secs

P5B Dlx - 2mins 41secs

P5W DH - 2mins 32secs

bachus_anonym

11-12-2006, 08:06 PM

Thanks for the first "real" insight on 1T vs 2T, sierra :up: It seems like everybody else that has this board, is just too preoccupied with SLI, pushing new memory tunning features of this chipset aside at this moment. On a side note, why am I not too surprised, that 1T doesn't hold too far beyond DDR2-800. At least it could be a good advantage of board to come ahead in reviews (compared to other 775 mobos), when tested at stock :D

Can you shed some light, on how much is asynchronous (or rather FSB-independent) memory overclocking really worth on this board? Have you tried to push memory to the max on this mobo yet? Would it really be a better clocker (frequency and latency-wise) than P5B DLX? I know it's an early BIOS, but some conclusions can be already drawn, right? :)
Thanks :toast:

sierra_bound

11-12-2006, 08:22 PM

At this point, the P5B Dlx is better for memory overclocking, probably because of a more mature bios. I was able to do DDR2-1170 with this board. I'm still trying to figure out the asyncronous memory overclocking. The board wouldn't boot with some of the settings I tried.

If overclocking fails on boot-up, it will just tell you to go to bios, or proceed with default settings. I have not had to clear the CMOS yet. Sometimes it will hang during boot-up. Powering off and on the PSU fixes that.

No cold boot issues with this board, which is good.:)

As Pedro mentioned, this board is probably better for 3D than Pi. But I like the option of running 1T.

metro.cl

11-12-2006, 09:50 PM

I'm not sure why some people are dissing this board. The bios takes some getting used to. But it's a very solid board, once you start figuring things out.

And 1T does make a difference.

2T

1T

Stability testing at 1T

Times are not great because memory speed was only 350MHz. Running 1T gets a little squirrelly at 400MHz. But at lower speeds, everything is fine.

thanks for the info, but why cpu-z shows 570sli?

sierra_bound

11-12-2006, 10:40 PM

Pt1t

11-13-2006, 04:06 AM

bachus_anonym

11-13-2006, 08:11 AM

OK, I think I figured a few things out. Was able to do DDR2-1312, running memory independent of FSB.

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/6836/ddr21312hq1.jpg

Since CPU-Z won't show memory timings and speed on this board, I had to use the Nvidia monitoring utility. Also had to use yucky timings.
When you get a chance, sierra, can you do some more detailed testing on that? E.g. compare results (perhaps higher Pi calculation) at lower mem speed up to the highest you can achieve, so we could see if gains are always there? Or also, compare that DDR2-1312 to running ratio, e.g. 437x8 at 2:3, which would be close to your max above? Therefore we would be able to see how it stacks up? What timings are those - x-6-6-5.0 ? What about x-4-4-4.0? Better or the same as on P5B DLX?

Thanks for your time, sierra :up:

sierra_bound

11-13-2006, 11:19 AM

the Nv monitor gives false information ...
DDR2-1312 is what I set in the bios. So are you saying the bios also gives false information? I don't use nTune to overclock. I set everything in the bios and also make mental notes of those settings. Occasionally Nv Monitor will give false readings for a second. But the settings you see above are what I entered in bios.

When you get a chance, sierra, can you do some more detailed testing on that? E.g. compare results (perhaps higher Pi calculation) at lower mem speed up to the highest you can achieve, so we could see if gains are always there? Or also, compare that DDR2-1312 to running ratio, e.g. 437x8 at 2:3, which would be close to your max above? Therefore we would be able to see how it stacks up? What timings are those - x-6-6-5.0 ? What about x-4-4-4.0? Better or the same as on P5B DLX?

Thanks for your time, sierra :up:
I was running 5-5-5-8. I can do DDR2-1190 @ 4-4-4-8 and DDR2-1200 @ 5-4-4-8. I will do more testing in the coming week.

Pt1t

11-13-2006, 11:46 AM

DDR2-1312 is what I set in the bios. So are you saying the bios also gives false information?

I was running 5-5-5-8. I can do DDR2-1190 @ 4-4-4-8 and DDR2-1200 @ 5-4-4-8. I will do more testing in the coming week.

no i think bios gives true informations, but nothing under windows.

sierra_bound

11-13-2006, 11:54 AM

DDR2-1321 corrupted my OS last night. I'm running Orthos now at DDR2-1201 (5-4-4-8). So far, no problems.

With 2.8v, I think I could do DDR2-1400.

JoeBar

11-13-2006, 11:59 AM

Thanks sierra for your time and testing! :clap:

It seems that this board is quite nice. Even if the 500+ fsb's aren't easy as of yet (maybe other 680i boards or newer bios will solve this) its performance is on par with 965/975 bords. My only concern about evga's offering is regular bios updates.

Only if all these 680i boards didn't follow the NV reference layout. Makes SLI+wc'ing+pci sound= :nono:

sierra_bound

11-13-2006, 01:05 PM

Here is DDR2-1201 @ 5-4-4. Orthos stable. In the coming days, I will test to see how high I can clock my Team Xtreem with Orthos stability.

Large FFT's, 1024MB. DDR2-1201 is what I set in bios. As you can see, Nv Monitor is showing weird numbers. I just set a CPU overclocking record - 1,334,352MHz. :slobber: :D

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/8388/orthosddr21201544zd5.jpg

EVGA 680i
X6800 (retail)
Team Xtreem TXDD2048M1800HC5DC
Tuniq Tower 120

erwinz

11-13-2006, 03:12 PM

Here is DDR2-1201 @ 5-4-4. Orthos stable. In the coming days, I will test to see how high I can clock my Team Xtreem with Orthos stability.

Large FFT's, 1024MB. DDR2-1201 is what I set in bios. As you can see, Nv Monitor is showing weird numbers. I just set an CPU overclocking record - 1,334,352MHz. :slobber: :D

EVGA 680i
X6800 (retail)
Team Xtreem TXDD2048M1800HC5DC
Tuniq Tower 120

hehehe congratz on the WR.. :D

tnxs for sharing mate.. ;)

rob725

11-13-2006, 05:34 PM

Sierra, I'm pretty sure that's an fsb record too. NV monitor is equally useless for clocks on my evga as well.

sierra_bound

11-13-2006, 05:44 PM

Yes, a record-setting board.:D ;) The DDR2-1312, however, is real.

I think I'll be able to run Orthos higher than DDR2-1201. Even though timings weren't great (5-4-4), it's still a good start. Running Orthos at DDR-1200 is much harder than doing 32M at that speed.

I will post an updated screenshot when I get more results, hopefully with correct speeds in Nv Monitor.

sierra_bound

11-14-2006, 12:05 AM

Some updated Orthos results.

DDR2-1214 @ 5-4-4

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/4354/orthosddr21214544wb4.jpg

DDR2-1271 @ 5-5-5

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/7233/orthosddr21271555yc5.jpg

I would run Orthos longer. But because I'm testing a lot of different settings, it would take a year to do 8-hours for each test.

GAR

11-14-2006, 12:27 AM

just reached ddr 1200 @ 5-4-4-12 with 2.425volts.......looks good so far.

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/1802/untitledib6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

qdemn7

11-14-2006, 03:48 AM

So no one has tried putting a waterblock on the NB? :confused:

Xptweaker

11-14-2006, 06:20 AM

Does 4GB of Ram ( 4 x 1GB ) influence the OC ?

icon57

11-14-2006, 07:10 AM

Does 4GB of Ram ( 4 x 1GB ) influence the OC ?
it usually does, yes....makes it harder to clock as high with only 2 x 1gb

lionel57000

11-14-2006, 07:54 AM

does evga release new bios ?

icon57

11-14-2006, 09:40 AM

supposed to be released this week was what i remember reading on here.

Sanko

11-14-2006, 09:44 AM

been reading a while and just ordered one. just want to get some confirmation is it any cpu heatsink with blackplate mounting cannot be used in this evga?

ineedaname

11-14-2006, 11:59 AM

I wonder how this mobo will compare to the new asus 680i solutions.

sierra_bound

11-14-2006, 12:28 PM

been reading a while and just ordered one. just want to get some confirmation is it any cpu heatsink with blackplate mounting cannot be used in this evga?
I use a backplate with a Tuniq Tower 120. As long as the backplate has some sort of pad and the legs are elevated a little, you should have no problems.

Babsy

11-14-2006, 01:03 PM

I wonder how this mobo will compare to the new asus 680i solutions.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=123146

amazingly overclocks well

Babsy

11-14-2006, 01:06 PM

it usually does, yes....makes it harder to clock as high with only 2 x 1gb
so would it help to add the additional 2x1gb afterwards to have a total of 4gbs?

zakelwe

11-14-2006, 02:21 PM

1) I have a 449FSB limit that other people also have ( ignoring holes which is another issue)
2) 3d performance is poor compared to 975 unless 1T with linked ratio that is also in sync and then it is better by a small amount.
3) ntune does not work for me at all.

Regards

Andy

Sanko

11-14-2006, 04:04 PM

I use a backplate with a Tuniq Tower 120. As long as the backplate has some sort of pad and the legs are elevated a little, you should have no problems.

thanks for your reply. i noticed that the review did by anandtech used Tuniq too. too bad i hardly find it here. currently all i can figure out is scythe ninja rev 2 where it doesn't need backplate mounting.

JacobF

11-14-2006, 05:08 PM

So no one has tried putting a waterblock on the NB? :confused:

I am running a DD Maze4

And for you guys asking about the P20 BIOS. It is in final testing and should be released this week. :banana:

http://i14.tinypic.com/446yrl0.jpg

rick_fx

11-14-2006, 06:41 PM

That's good news, I'm getting my evga 680i tomorrow :)

Does it allow higher 1T speeds?

I am running a DD Maze4

And for you guys asking about the P20 BIOS. It is in final testing and should be released this week. :banana:

http://i14.tinypic.com/446yrl0.jpg

Dumo

11-14-2006, 06:43 PM

2 days, still playing with air:) ....I will keep tryin..

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/8025/screenshot026ti7.jpg

Slower than 975X with same settings..

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/5279/screenshot027gg5.jpg

JacobF

11-14-2006, 06:48 PM

Yes it does allow 1T timings, although, memory 800MHz and higher may have a difficult time being stable at 1T.

Pedro Rocha

11-14-2006, 07:20 PM

Try to find the best tweak for this EVGA 680i and the 8800GTX - here a few runs with:

- CPU @ 4.5Ghz cooled by Vapo LS
- SINGLE EVGA 8800GTX stock cooler @ 635-1000

2001

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/73275_8800GTXSingle.jpg

2005

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/21306_3Dmark2005_8800GTXsingle.jpg

Think is not to bad for single graphic card with stock cooler ;)

OldGuy

11-14-2006, 08:18 PM

Yes it does allow 1T timings, although, memory 800MHz and higher may have a difficult time being stable at 1T.

He meant does it allow higher 1T speeds than what we seem to be seeing. The wall for 1T right now seems to be around 800mhz...

What I want to know is if it adresses all of the FSB holes/dead spots we are seeing.

sierra_bound

11-14-2006, 08:50 PM

OldGuy

11-14-2006, 09:51 PM

If you raise and lower the FSB and memory frequencies in increments of 5 (1505, 1510, 1515), you should have no problems. At least I haven't since I started doing that. For memory overclocking I would recommend running "Unlinked".

Yes, but you are using a 6800...people that seem to be having fewer dead spots are those running the extremes. I've used the 5mhz jumps to no avail on a 6400 and a 6600. Between the two the dead spots are in the same area. On the 6400 I was able to start an orthos session at 468mhz which failed and there after was never able to return to it so it was an unusable/unrepeatable area. I just got lucky being able to boot there in the first place.

zakelwe

11-14-2006, 10:23 PM

The problem with unlinked is that it slows the system down compared to 975. To give better than 975 performance ( at least slightly ) you have to run linked and SYNC which gives the half memory speed as per 975.

I have the 449 FSB wall as well, however my Crucial Balliastix will run 1T up to 449 no problem.

Regards

Andy

aiya

11-14-2006, 10:27 PM

I am running a DD Maze4

And for you guys asking about the P20 BIOS. It is in final testing and should be released this week. :banana:
what are you using to cool the SB?

sierra_bound

11-15-2006, 12:12 AM

The problem with unlinked is that it slows the system down compared to 975.
Difference between linked and unlinked is marginal.

Linked
8M = 3m 11.797s

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/434/8m400x9linkedip2.th.jpg (http://img83.imageshack.us/my.php?image=8m400x9linkedip2.jpg)

Unlinked
8M = 3m 12.610s

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/5379/8m400x9unlinkedje6.th.jpg (http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image=8m400x9unlinkedje6.jpg)

I'm using XP SP2, so times aren't that great. But if you want very high memory speed, you almost have to use unlinked mode on this board.

zakelwe

11-15-2006, 12:37 AM

Difference between linked and unlinked is marginal.

Linked
8M = 3m 11.797s

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/434/8m400x9linkedip2.th.jpg (http://img83.imageshack.us/my.php?image=8m400x9linkedip2.jpg)

Unlinked
8M = 3m 12.610s

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/5379/8m400x9unlinkedje6.th.jpg (http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image=8m400x9unlinkedje6.jpg)

I'm using XP SP2, so times aren't that great. But if you want very high memory speed, you almost have to use unlinked mode on this board.

Maybe for Spi but for 3dmark2001 you get a big hit.

Unlinked 12x300 800 Ram = 47700
Linked sync 12x300 800 RAM = 48200

500 points takes another 100Mhz FSB to get back to level so unlinked you have to run 400x9 800 to get 48100 or so.

I lost over 10fps in lobby low and similar amount in lobby high.

Regards

Andy

sierra_bound

11-15-2006, 12:44 AM

zakelwe

11-15-2006, 01:47 AM

That's interesting. I don't run 3DMark anymore. I mainly test with Pi and occasionally run Orthos, just to satisfy the stability freaks.;)

I just tried 400X9 linked & unlinked with memory at 533. They were virtually even again in 8M.

I tried booting in linked mode with memory at DDR2-1200. Got the infamous long beep. I switched to unlinked mode and booted at DDR2-1280 with no problems.

I'm testing with Corsair 6400C3 at the moment.

I think your 400x9 testing is similar is because you are not in SYNC so that in effect you are running a 3:2 FSB:RAM divider which impacts performance. If you ran at 400x9 linked and in Sync although your memory would only be running at 400 the superpi time would not be too badly affected. Can you test that and see what you get ?

Regards

Andy

maxxxxel

11-15-2006, 02:02 AM

http://i14.tinypic.com/446yrl0.jpg

How are you cooling the southbridge?

rjw

11-15-2006, 07:05 AM

with a pair of 8800gtx's on the evga mb, does it matter where you put the sli connector?

the cards have 2 connector places, one near the monitor cable and the other beside it and closer to the back of the card.

I'v seen pictures of people using either and both?

I am designing water blocks (full card) and I may need the space above the rear connector.

Anyone?

btw mcw30's fit on north and southbridges, but one screw for the sb will have to be either cut down (i'e. can't use spring and thumbknob), or in my case, I will mount the head of the screw up and relieve the case behind the mb for the spring and nut assembly (still have to cut screw a bit)

CoNMaN

11-15-2006, 08:57 AM

tRRD
tRC
tWr
tWTR
tREF
setings for 500+ ram speed???

sierra_bound

11-15-2006, 10:14 AM

I think your 400x9 testing is similar is because you are not in SYNC so that in effect you are running a 3:2 FSB:RAM divider which impacts performance. If you ran at 400x9 linked and in Sync although your memory would only be running at 400 the superpi time would not be too badly affected. Can you test that and see what you get ?

Regards

Andy
Actually I was running linked and in sync mode.

I will post more results later. I ran 400X9 at various memory speeds and timings.

sierra_bound

11-15-2006, 11:12 AM

So here is a summary of my results so far, running 400X9. I won't bore you with numerous screenshots.:) Using Corsair 6400C3 and untweaked XP SP2.

SuperPi 8M

linked, sync mode, DDR2-800, 3-3-3-9
3m 11.797s

unlinked, DDR2-800, 3-3-3-9
3m 12.610s

linked, DDR2-1066, 4-4-4-9
3m 7.657s

unlinked, DDR2-1066, 4-4-4-9
3m 6.906s

unlinked, DDR2-1163, 4-4-4-9
3m 4.766s

unlinked, DDR2-1200, 4-4-4-9
3m 3.531s

unlinked, DDR-1280, 5-5-5-9
3m 5.734s

CoNMaN

11-15-2006, 11:16 AM

sierra_bound: What tRRD, tRC, tWr, tWTR, tREF and Vmem settings for:
unlinked, DDR2-1200, 4-4-4-9
3m 3.531s

sierra_bound

11-15-2006, 11:19 AM

tRRD = Auto (4)
tRC = Auto (31)
tWR = Auto (6)
tWTR = Auto (11)
tREF = 7.8uS

All those settings are on Auto except tREF.

JacobF

11-15-2006, 11:24 AM

fhpchris

11-15-2006, 11:44 AM

sierra_bound

11-15-2006, 11:49 AM

There is no question that 975X is faster in Pi. But your board will not hit the kind of memory speeds that a 680i will. Also, I highly doubt your board/RAM combo will do DDR2-1200 at 4-4-4. But you can always prove me wrong.

I don't run 3DMark anymore. But I think a few people have found that 680i gets better scores than 975X in SLi mode.

Also, your Fat Bodies don't count.:) They are 2X512 modules. I was using 2X1024. You need to compare apples to apples.

zakelwe

11-15-2006, 11:59 AM

Actually I was running linked and in sync mode.

I will post more results later. I ran 400X9 at various memory speeds and timings.

The result you gave, 400x9 at 533 Ram is not a sync mode so that is why I was confused.

Your results above do seem to indicate that for SuperPi it does not matter much however when you put 3d into the equation then it does. I'd be interested to know how pifast behaves with linked or unlinked as that has always been more connected to 3d than Superpi.

Regards

Andy

TASOS

11-15-2006, 12:01 PM

been reading a while and just ordered one. just want to get some confirmation is it any cpu heatsink with blackplate mounting cannot be used in this evga?

Zalman 9700 needs a little modification on the backplate.

sierra_bound

11-15-2006, 12:26 PM

The result you gave, 400x9 at 533 Ram is not a sync mode so that is why I was confused.

Your results above do seem to indicate that for SuperPi it does not matter much however when you put 3d into the equation then it does. I'd be interested to know how pifast behaves with linked or unlinked as that has always been more connected to 3d than Superpi.

Regards

Andy
I never said 400X9 at 533 was in sync mode, did I?:) Personally I don't see much difference in Pi between linked and unlinked.

This is not a great board for running Pi. But it's a fun mobo to play with.

zakelwe

11-15-2006, 12:44 PM

I never said 400X9 at 533 was in sync mode, did I?:) Personally I don't see much difference in Pi between linked and unlinked.

No you did not but if you are comparing linked to unlinked without sync mode ( which you were doing at that point) then you are comparing the same thing and it is no wonder that your results are similar.

Regards

Andy

sierra_bound

11-15-2006, 12:47 PM

I don't think you can run unlinked with sync mode. Or can you? Once I switch to unlinked mode, the memory ratio setting becomes greyed out.

fhpchris

11-15-2006, 01:08 PM

I don't think you can run unlinked with sync mode. Or can you? Once I switch to unlinked mode, the memory ratio setting becomes greyed out.

One dimm of my new fatbodies from newegg is DOA, and it borked my windows installation....

:(

1066 and 1200 didnt really work...

Sanko

11-15-2006, 01:13 PM

Zalman 9700 needs a little modification on the backplate.

thank you very much, guess 9700 will be in my shopping list near future, once i get my mobo. btw, still looking for alternative cause zero experience with zalman cpu cooler. only thermalright.

zakelwe

11-15-2006, 01:19 PM

I don't think you can run unlinked with sync mode. Or can you? Once I switch to unlinked mode, the memory ratio setting becomes greyed out.

No but you can run linked with ratio's ie linked but non sync 2:3 will give same result as an unlinked result.

Your statement of

"I just tried 400X9 linked & unlinked with memory at 533.They were virtually even again in 8M."

suggests a linked non sync mode of 2:3 in actuality and not a comparison of true linked sync to unlinked.

Obviously there is more here than meets the eye, which is to be expected with new hardware, and I think your later results are pretty spot on when it comes to Superpi, but that should not be a given across the board, especailly when it comes to 3d benching. Everyone should suck it and see.

Regards

Andy

noobzed

11-15-2006, 02:09 PM

So I can put the SLi Bridge in the first slots or the second slots ? :D :woot: but sometimes the better solution to find stability and performance is to try the both, no ? :cool:

I have a Seasonic M12 700W, can it power my too babies 8800GTX ? :confused:

I'll have a KF soon, is there issues beetween this CPU and the eVGa 680i SLi ?

Is the performance gap beetween KF@333x13 and KF@266x16 ? :confused:

My main word is : STABILTY :D

What is the procedure to get new eVGA bios release and flash it ?

Dont tel me eVGA website because there non section for nForce680i SLi for Bioses...

OldGuy

11-15-2006, 03:11 PM

eVga is where you will find it, right where you looked...when it is released...

noobzed

11-15-2006, 03:17 PM

So, don't matter and just wait ?

I hope the original bios is rock stable, i just want 266 or 333 fsb cause my KF is delocked so don't problem with OC by coeff :D

Vett95wLT4

11-15-2006, 03:39 PM

My 680I out the box gave me a higher OC than any of my 3 975X board sw/o any mods (P5wdh, p5w64ws, or my Bad AXE Note: i have an X6800) with effortless tweaking and a 13 mutly it easily gave a a 4.5+ Ghz on a mach. Basicly out of the box slapped in the processor and mach and it posted a 11.3xx in 1m. And this is in Media Center with zero tweaks Fastest i got in 1M was a 11.485 in my 975 previous boards
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/7396/11344tx6.th.jpg (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=11344tx6.jpg)

sierra_bound

11-15-2006, 03:46 PM

No but you can run linked with ratio's ie linked but non sync 2:3 will give same result as an unlinked result.

Your statement of

"I just tried 400X9 linked & unlinked with memory at 533.They were virtually even again in 8M."

suggests a linked non sync mode of 2:3 in actuality and not a comparison of true linked sync to unlinked.

Obviously there is more here than meets the eye, which is to be expected with new hardware, and I think your later results are pretty spot on when it comes to Superpi, but that should not be a given across the board, especailly when it comes to 3d benching. Everyone should suck it and see.

Regards

Andy
Okay, I see your point. But again, there is virtually no difference in Pi between linked and unlinked, even when linked is running in sync mode. I will do more tests. But people who say unlinked mode is slower (at least in Pi) are wrong.

LexDiamonds

11-15-2006, 05:35 PM

Is anyone else encountering a hard (synced) fsb wall at 449 on this board? I am using Corsair 6400C4s.

JacobF

11-15-2006, 11:41 PM

Hey guys,

Quick update on the BIOS status...

It will be available tomorrow :)

-Jacob

Nanometer

11-15-2006, 11:42 PM

Very nice :) Looking forward to see how it performs.

Haven't seen you in a long time around PCC, you should drop by! The forums are kind of dead, it's like 2-6 new threads daily.

TASOS

11-16-2006, 12:00 AM

Is anyone else encountering a hard (synced) fsb wall at 449 on this board? I am using Corsair 6400C4s.

I wrote this on "680i overclocking" topic.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1835454&postcount=72

EVGA 680i with bios P19.

nTune (manually adj. for the mobo dont work)...the rest of nTune is OK.

8x multi up to 444.5 FSB is OK.

445 up to 465 No boot.

466.6 FSB everything OK.
I will try for more if my cpu can handle it.

@Phil
MEM @800 (UNLINKED) works fine 4-3-2-4 1T.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=52979&d=1163664004

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=52980&d=1163664004

P.S.
Further testing using 7x multi...the board booted @480 Mhz FSB.

sierra_bound

11-16-2006, 01:49 AM

Orthos @ 465 FSB

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/1407/orthos465mm4.jpg

acumo

11-16-2006, 08:37 AM

Where can the new BIOS (and future BIOS updates) be found at? Tried searching eVGA's site and Googling. :(

rick_fx

11-16-2006, 09:23 AM

Where can the new BIOS (and future BIOS updates) be found at? Tried searching eVGA's site and Googling. :(

It will be available tomorrow :)

xgman

11-16-2006, 10:52 AM

What we need is some updated utilities like cpuz & clockgen etc.

JacobF

11-16-2006, 11:08 AM

New BIOS is out now guys :) Get it while its hot

http://www.evga.com/support/drivers/default.asp

xgman

11-16-2006, 11:12 AM

WHQL Certified BIOS
Improvements to overclocking
Enhancements for Quad-Core CPUs
Adds ability to enable splash screen

icon57

11-16-2006, 11:48 AM

good find...lets see if it helps at all....credit to evga for coming out with a new bios only 8 days after the board hit retail...

Phil The Greek

11-16-2006, 01:02 PM

So far testing P20,didn't change my max fsb,that maxes out at 440fsb.

TASOS

11-16-2006, 01:38 PM

Dont expect miracles.

Minnor improvements.

I have the same 485 max FSB with my E6400.

I cant do 825 MEM 1T anymore .. my max now is 810.

noobzed

11-16-2006, 02:06 PM

Is there an issue / incompatibilty with the eVGA mobo and the Kentsfield ?

In whicih SLi slot we are suposed to plug the SLi Bridge ? ( the one near the DVI or the other ? )

acumo

11-16-2006, 02:36 PM

Thanks jAkUp.

Is sound still corrupted when SLi is used?

Dumo

11-16-2006, 03:16 PM

Heres testing 8800GTX SLI @ 636/1006....PCI-E @130

http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm05=2334544

http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/6126/screenshot059xq1.jpg

JacobF

11-16-2006, 03:29 PM

Thanks jAkUp.

Is sound still corrupted when SLi is used?

Yes, the BIOS does not address that particular issue, but I can assure you that resolving it is a top priority for Nvidia/EVGA

acumo

11-16-2006, 03:45 PM

Yes, the BIOS does not address that particular issue, but I can assure you that resolving it is a top priority for Nvidia/EVGA
What kind of solution would we look at to solve the issue? I mean, is it a software flaw or a hardware flaw? Wish I knew more about this. Thanks for the prompt responses jAkUp!

This is the first time I've gone with eVGA and it seems customer support is awesome thus far.

Despotes

11-16-2006, 03:48 PM

Yeah, this is my 1st eVGA mobo to(next week)--Hope this is fixed soon.

Pedro Rocha

11-16-2006, 03:55 PM

Heres testing 8800GTX SLI @ 636/1006....PCI-E @130

http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm05=2334544

Good score Dumo:)

Here is a few sugestions :

- Raise the 2 PCIE's to 145Mhz - 8800GTX support it

- Run X6800 with multi 11x and memory unliked mode the higger your sticks allow (better results in 3dmark)

- Raise the Vcore to 1.8v (will drop 1.75v) - with that voltage on CPU my retail B2 X6800 in the VapoLS can run 2005 a 4.5Ghz

With the 2 EVGA's 8800GTX full stock can get this in 2005

http://pedrorocha.planetaclix.pt/27069_3DMark05_EVGAVapo8800GTXSlstock.jpg

Compare URL » http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm05=2323245

;)

Dumo

11-16-2006, 04:02 PM

Thanks Pedro:toast: I will try:)

JacobF

11-16-2006, 05:19 PM

What kind of solution would we look at to solve the issue? I mean, is it a software flaw or a hardware flaw? Wish I knew more about this. Thanks for the prompt responses jAkUp!

This is the first time I've gone with eVGA and it seems customer support is awesome thus far.

Honestly it is looking like a BIOS or Driver update.

CoNMaN

11-16-2006, 07:51 PM

My 3d results:

http://www.conman.se/680i/sli01liten.JPG (http://www.conman.se/680i/sli01.JPG)
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=9090531

http://www.conman.se/680i/sli03liten.JPG (http://www.conman.se/680i/sli03.JPG)
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k3=5055543

http://www.conman.se/680i/sli05liten.JPG (http://www.conman.se/680i/sli05.JPG)
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm05=2333810

http://www.conman.se/680i/sli06liten.JPG (http://www.conman.se/680i/sli06.JPG)
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=638674

GAR

11-16-2006, 08:49 PM

dude if that chip is stable at 4.5ghz ill buy it off u......and im serious....

pentium777

11-16-2006, 08:59 PM

dude if that chip is stable at 4.5ghz ill buy it off u......and im serious....

I'm serious too if it will be >4ghz on air cooling (Scythe Infinity)

rick_fx

11-16-2006, 09:07 PM