"Grouper" first look

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Originally Posted by Mr. Tinker

I'll bet it's Intel. They make GREAT boards.

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:ROTF:

G

I've been told Sapphire will address the capacitor issue. Production boards will use the caps as per the reference design.

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Originally Posted by bigtoe

The Anandtech board is an ATI reference board, its identicle to mine here. After putting weeks of work into helping design the board, then promoting it i can tell you im a little down hearted. Its been a year since i first spoke to ATI and development started on the first overclockable bullhead boards to where we are at now, and to think it all may die due to a poor component choice just guts me.

Im going to point sapphire at this thead and hope they take notice, the issue is they won't even talk with me so i fully expect them to ignore any plea i make for them to put this right.

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Originally Posted by Grayskull

I've been told Sapphire will address the capacitor issue. Production boards will use the caps as per the reference design.

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Awesome news for all, thanks for the update.

that's excellent news, I feel a line of excellent MB's coming in oct.

wait, how the heck are they going to redo their entire inventory when its so close to release date. Do I smell another delay? Or maybe a rushed job? Don't matter, I am not as excited anymore. I'll let the pioneers snap up all the first batch of boards.

It might just be Asus. Haven't really heard anything about them releasing an ATI board. They've been really quiet about it. Asus quality and added overclockability will kick major butt.

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Originally Posted by situman

It might just be Asus. Haven't really heard anything about them releasing an ATI board. They've been really quiet about it. Asus quality and added overclockability will kick major butt.

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I agree Asus always seem to make great quality/stable boards, but never much voltage/OC options. :slapass:

:woot: now bring on the X300 IGP so I can OC it to 525/1000 :D

Edit: ...and Thank-you Grayskull / Big Toe :) Good job!!

well i'm feelling a little warm and fuzzy again.

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Originally Posted by jiff

I agree Asus always seem to make great quality/stable boards, but never much voltage/OC options. :slapass:

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that's why they are always stable. any board can run stock. :p:

odd...didn't think 2.77ghz is considered stock.

not by a long shot...

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Originally Posted by situman

It might just be Asus. Haven't really heard anything about them releasing an ATI board. They've been really quiet about it. Asus quality and added overclockability will kick major butt.

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asus' typically high price and typically low fsb will not rest well with me..

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Originally Posted by Grayskull

I've been told Sapphire will address the capacitor issue. Production boards will use the caps as per the reference design.

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good news. :)
:toast:

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Originally Posted by situman

odd...didn't think 2.77ghz is considered stock.

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your misunderstanding me, when I say stock, I mean stock. ANY board can run stable at stock factory settings. Asus doesn't have alot of voltage options, which means alot of enthusists may not buy it, which means you may not hear as much hype about it whether it's good or bad. Thus they have a rep for stable boards. Personally, I don't think asus's quality is any better than gigabyte or any other teir 1 board maker. My comment had nothing to do with overclocks.

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Originally Posted by situman

wait, how the heck are they going to redo their entire inventory when its so close to release date. Do I smell another delay? Or maybe a rushed job? Don't matter, I am not as excited anymore. I'll let the pioneers snap up all the first batch of boards.

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Exactly my thoughts.

Okay, i know Grayskull told us it would not happen. But that is a long time ago. It may actually be ATI. BBA mobo would be neat ;)
I dont think Asus would go with a reference PCB. ive never seen Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, DFI or Abit do that. I think it is from someone unexpected..

Maybe BFG or Chaintech. I know that Chaintech was trying to bust heavily into the enthusaist market, same with ECS...hmmm doubt it'd be one of them though.

Chaintech just retired.

and ECS is famous for taking short cuts with quality parts on their boards just to drop the price...

:( all these companies need to hurry up, i don't care about the videocards right now, i need a new motherboards bad. Got all the stuff here, ready..ihs is off the cpu, heatsink is lapped, wires and fans are sleeved...come on ATI and partners, hurry up :stick:

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Originally Posted by nn_step

and ECS is famous for taking short cuts with quality parts on their boards just to drop the price...

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Using the name ECS and quality or enthusiast or overclock in the same sentence is an oxymoron :fact:

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Originally Posted by alpha0ne

Using the name ECS and quality or enthusiast or overclock in the same sentence is an oxymoron :fact:

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to teh nth degree man, to the nth degree

1PM GMT here, 6 hrs till you all find out ;)

I should have a pre production board in 3 weeks and will post pics, specs, clocking etc as long as the board is bug free.

Another teaser is they are trying to make the PCB sky blue in color although whether they can is not confirmed yet.

stay tuned :)

man-o-man, between the new pics of the R520 card and this, you KNOW things are "close" to being released...there is going to be a real FRENZY when they do :)
i just pray that all this new ATi hardware is going to give Nv a real run for its money when it comes to benchmarks...im tired of getting :bananal: by the Nv crowd ;)