"Grouper" first look

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cadaveca

I don't care about costs, or anything; the ommisions are enough for me to say it looks like I'm not buying one. :slapass:

---

all i see are the lack of onboard graphics and the lack of the LED's....

whats the big deal about that?

and i have no idea as to why sapphire would send these out for review, no way they are stockpiling them, as if they were defective they wouldnt be making more until the defect is fixed, so it seems to me that sapphire gave reviewers a cherrypicked board and hoped that they would have the main ones fixed in time for release.... stupid move if thats true because i think they turned more people off of this product then they gained... if it was available at review i couldnt even imagine how well it would have sold...

now if it doesnt release before the DFI Crossfire board i really cant see a single person buying one for the rumored price... basically what im saying is, if this is more then say $120, i dont see a single person going for it if there are alternatives like a crossfire DFI out.

today a lot of reviewgroups got the grouper board. so we can look forward to a couple of reviews.

but unfortunately there exist also a few problems like the new BIOS "DE8 0819" which is very buggy, it works only with 2T timings and sapphire integrated a kind of flashingprotection so its not possible to flash an older bios version.

when can we expect a new bios and is there a trick to disable the bios protection

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eloxxd

today a lot of reviewgroups got the grouper board. so we can look forward to a couple of reviews.

but unfortunately there exist also a few problems like the new BIOS "DE8 0819" which is very buggy, it works only with 2T timings and sapphire integrated a kind of flashingprotection so its not possible to flash an older bios version.

when can we expect a new bios and is there a trick to disable the bios protection

---

there has always been that lock. its just called using forceflash... its on awdflash and winflash ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Revv23

all i see are the lack of onboard graphics and the lack of the LED's....

whats the big deal about that?

---

big deal is that no onboard means different chipset, and not the same board AT ALL. no onbaord means RX480, not RS480, as posted earlier. I had interest in the RS480 only.

check the bios shot from the first board, posted by bigtoe:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...chmentid=31690
i see RS480 there.... so, different chipset explain the differnce between the orignal board in this thread, and it's clocks, and the ones reviewer's have. It's no more than the MSI RX480 board with a new southbridge, PWM design, and PCB...but the most vital compontent...the chipset...is not the same. Might as well put an nforce3 chip in an nforce4 board...it's jsut the same.


Buying this product based on anything bigtoe has posted, or even comparisions, are null and void, if you ask me. Sapphire have made a big nono. :slapass:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dippyskoodlez

there has always been that lock. its just called using forceflash... its on awdflash and winflash ;)

---

thanks ... i hope sapphire will fix that bios bugs as soon as possible. I think we can expect a new bios on Friday

Exists a hardwaremonitoring tool yet ? - to check the cpu temperature in windows

try systool.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cadaveca

try systool.

---

doesnt work

http://img271.imageshack.us/img271/6665/45dk.jpg

330 htt is fine

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cadaveca

big deal is that no onboard means different chipset, and not the same board AT ALL. no onbaord means RX480, not RS480, as posted earlier. I had interest in the RS480 only.

check the bios shot from the first board, posted by bigtoe:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...chmentid=31690
i see RS480 there.... so, different chipset explain the differnce between the orignal board in this thread, and it's clocks, and the ones reviewer's have. It's no more than the MSI RX480 board with a new southbridge, PWM design, and PCB...but the most vital compontent...the chipset...is not the same. Might as well put an nforce3 chip in an nforce4 board...it's jsut the same.


Buying this product based on anything bigtoe has posted, or even comparisions, are null and void, if you ask me. Sapphire have made a big nono. :slapass:

---

uhh the reviewed boards were on RX480... they changed chipsets to lower price. it the same chipset without onboard graphics...

Yes, but as a system builder, not everyone needs an additional videocard, and onboard graphics makes mass-builds much easier and affordable. Onboard video means less components and drivers to install, and generally lower power requirements, and therefore, noise and heat. This board, with onboard video, would make many a HTPC builder happy too. But hey, that side of the market doesn't matter, and no they don't need performance whatsoever :rolleyes: You forget that the people that make those sort of decisions are generally enthusiasts themselves...


:stick:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eloxxd

doesnt work

---

build 531 is supposed to work, according to the changelog. LoL...but maybe that's for the real grouper boards. :D
:clap:

:toast:

I would add some benchmarking here but my board is back at ATI having some minor alterations made. Development continues on both the single slot and dual crossfire slot reference boards as does bios development although Sapphire may be doing their own builds now.

My reference board has the onboard video, as far as I know the sapphire should have the post code reader but not the onboard video. kinda confusing I know.

I have the crossfire boards here although i don't have crossfire video cards :(, essentially the crossfire and single slot boards overclock exactly the same as they are based off the same basic pcb design except for the chipset and dual vidoe card area.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bigtoe

Development continues on both the single slot and dual crossfire slot reference boards as does bios development although Sapphire may be doing their own builds now.

---

I don't know if that's good news or bad news, but at least it's news. :toast:

@bigtoe which version of the xFire board do you have ? - Halibut or http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatal...hire_AMDCF.jpg (I dont know the codename)

when the board with RD480 works as fine as the grouper one - Halibut (the board for enthusiasts :rolleyes: ) is dead :eek:

Whats better to release this sooner, then release a revamped/working version months later (like The DFI 4)or wait a few weeks more for the real deal.

I know which one I would sooner have, a computer I can switch off and on :slapass:

AAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
iiiiiiiiiissssssss ssssssssssooooooooooo sssssslllllllllllooooooooowwwwwwww

The Booth I am workin in @ Comex 2005 has a DFI Crossfire sample board on static display.......looks good :D

looks like DFI has something out:

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=246445

but for $359.00 , they can keep it! :slap:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Joe Camel

looks like DFI has something out:

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=246445

but for $359.00 , they can keep it! :slap:

---

:shock2:

However, since even DFI's website doesn't mention a single word on it, I'd say it is an interesting method how Zipzoomfly defines preorders or the item came up on their site by a database accident or something like that.

here is the board i have.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...id=36522&stc=1

Its the ATI reference board, its just like the grouper in that it has the same overclocking features but it does crossfire.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...id=36523&stc=1

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Joe Camel

looks like DFI has something out:

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=246445

but for $359.00 , they can keep it! :slap:

---

Its in stock.. someone get one :slobber: If they don't have it, they gonna be in trouble.. their site says in stock :slapass:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bigtoe

here is the board i have.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...id=36522&stc=1

Its the ATI reference board, its just like the grouper in that it has the same overclocking features but it does crossfire.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...id=36523&stc=1

---

Hey Tony, I notice that has active cooling on the northbridge....Is that something you've rigged or is it stock?

I ask because I thought Grouper was passively cooled?

Thanks for the continued input by the way :toast:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by madpete

Hey Tony, I notice that has active cooling on the northbridge....Is that something you've rigged or is it stock?

I ask because I thought Grouper was passively cooled?

Thanks for the continued input by the way :toast:

---

It came like that as i expressed concerns the chipset was a little toasty on another board i tested.Some of the chipsets run real cool, some warm it all depends on yield i suppose, they all run fast though ;)

Also it looks like someone has picked up the base design for this board, tweaked it a little and is going to produce it ;), i can't say who at this time but it is exciting :)

Ok cool, thanks.

You got me wondering who that is now.... :p:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dippyskoodlez

Its in stock.. someone get one :slobber: If they don't have it, they gonna be in trouble.. their site says in stock :slapass:

---

IMO:

after all the "fun" ive had with my Ultra-D...

DFI could sell 24k gold for $1 / Oz and i wouldnt buy from them!

(well, since i know they would go bankrupt doing the above, i guess i would help them do that)

so Tony, an OCZ mobo? :banana:

nice sunny day here so i took a couple of pics outside for you.Only on my snappy 5mp camera though.

front and back.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...id=36524&stc=1
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...id=36525&stc=1

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Joe Camel

IMO:

after all the "fun" ive had with my Ultra-D...

DFI could sell 24k gold for $1 / Oz and i wouldnt buy from them!

(well, since i know they would go bankrupt doing the above, i guess i would help them do that)

so Tony, an OCZ mobo? :banana:

---

I can't tell you just yet, as soon as i can I will ;)