MB OC Report :: EVGA nForce 790i SLI FTW Digital PWM

[3oh6]

good to know your having issues with 32M at high clocks too. with all this i7 nonsense i figured it was time to step up the game and get this FTWD ready for action. did a little "re-work" to the single stage...if it can't cool the CPU to where i want, i bet it can at least handle a 790i

[3oh6]

This next setup is for those that just don't play by the rules, and aparently some think I have been cheating with this board so far...well this next step in SPP cooling definitely won't help my cause.

click for full size...

The photos are in a somehwat backwards order because I didn't take any during the setup so they are of the tear down. The first photo shows the insulation enclosing the phase change evaporator and as you can see from the perfectly centered circle impression in the insulation, the evap had perfect contact on the SPP...or so I think. The rest of the photos simply show the setup at various stages. Overall, the insulation was quite adequate and the system ran like a champ. Unfortunately, the results weren't quite what I was hoping for but even still, the board responded surprisingly well.

and results of this first dip into a phase changed SPP...

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The results...
click for full size...

I only had a couple liters of LN2 so the session was strictly focused on 01 and AM3. I had to dial back clocks on the GPUs just a touch because the ambient wasn't as cool as before but I am still a little idssapointed with the 01 score. I was hoping for 125K at 6GHz but it just wasn't meant to happen. The AM3 score is just ridiculous though and I would have loved to run higher but as it turns out, my CPU ran out of juice. FSB clocked a good bit higher yet so if I can get this E8600 whipped into shape, the final AM3 score I put up with this board and these cards might be something pretty exciting. Gotta love 600FSB with P1/P2 enabled at these memory clocks

the icing on the cake was when i realized the CPU was holding me back and with the last drops of LN2 in the pot...

[dinos22]

[LardArse]

Thats awesome fsb for 790i ...very sweet

[3BABY]

Very Very nice!!!

[3oh6]

thanks guys...i still have one more session i need to get prepped for, thanks to Peter i should be able to get some higher CPU clocks. hopefully i can get 6.15GHz benchable

[dinos22]

thanks guys...i still have one more session i need to get prepped for, thanks to Peter i should be able to get some higher CPU clocks. hopefully i can get 6.15GHz benchable

with a mod of some sort
do tell

[3oh6]

with a mod of some sort
do tell

vCORE mod...i haven't done it yet but once i find a couple minutes to lay it out, i will add it to the volt mod section of the thread with some photos. a lot simpler than i thought it might be with the digital PWM.

[3oh6]

vCORE mod and vCORE read points are done, just getting prepped for the big session with GTX 260s. thanks again to Peter for the information for the mod

vCORE volt mod
Most people won't need a vCORE mod since this board provides up to 2.0v and actually puts out 2.0v. The problem for me is I have a dog E8600 and it seems to run worse on this board at full boar under LN2 than the RE so I need even more vCORE. In addition to this, a vCORE mod will allow me to boot with high vCORE then tune it down when on air. High FSB requires high vCORE to boot. With the 790i Ultra one could do this with software using the NVIDIA control panel but with the 790i FTWD, this option doesn't work.

This is also a bit of a different mod as it requires two solder points on the motherboard to be combined then fed to the VR. Thanks go to Peter (Shamino) for providing the vCORE mod information. Here she be ladies...

click for full size...

It isn't too tough of a mod but you are going to have to solder to some 0402 package resistors so a soft touch will be needed. These two solder points then get combined and connected to the VR like you normally would. The first photo shows the solder points on the board, the second photo depicts the whole area, and the last photo is a close up of my VR/jumper/read point fan header. I have been asked in the past how I set my mods up so I figured I would label the detailed photo to show exactly how it works. By removing the jumper, I am breaking the loop to ground and it is the equivalent to removing the mod.

A 10K Ω VR is perfect for this guy as at 10K Ω it bumps voltage maybe 0.04~0.05v. A 5K Ω VR might be a bit nicer for very fine control and I will likely jump over to that for benching. Your starting voltage will simply be higher.

[Bullshooter]

I have two 790i FTW digital.
max FSB was 550 with an E8500.
This CPU make on an Rampage Extrem 650 FSB.
I dont become a good RAM Performance with DDR3 1600 7-7-7-21 1T with DDR3 2000 CSX Diablo 2x2GB i have max 9000 at Everest Read.
Can someone help me?

[3oh6]

sounds like P1/P2 is set to AUTO and being disabled. set them to ENABLED and you should see bandwidth numbers come back to life. after a certain FSB, AUTO disables them. P1/P2 are to the chipset performance that tRD is to Intel chipsets performance...and bandwidth is heavily determined by chipset performance.

of course, this also stresses the SPP more than with them disabled so you might need to increase vSPP and with vSPP increases the temperature increases too. this may result in instability despite higher voltages. i have found the SPP on the 790i to be very temperature sensitive. 10C off SPP temp going from the stock cooler to water really opened this board up. HTH

[Whokidmo]

I would like to buy this board, I was waiting for your conclusion, I'd like to buy it when the 9550s is released and watercool it... please let me know if you like this or the rampage extreme more... i know it's comparing apples to orange but still, your favorite... thanks again for all your hard work...

[3oh6]

sorry for the late reply, no notices that the thread was posted to and i must have missed it. anyway, better late than never i guess.

if it was between the RE and this guy, i would probably have to lean toward the RE. it is easier to overclock, or i should say, less chance of frustration.

for me, the 790i FTWD is a dream to work with. but i have have been knee deep in 790i since it dropped and know the chipset well and how to overcome its shortcomings. the RE on the other hand can be driven by a monkey on a tricycle up to 600FSB with ease. the 790i FTWD won't get you as high a FSB, that is a certainty. what issues you may run into with the RE is clocking memory. good kits go like snot, but there are lots of kits that absolutely hate it. the 790i chipset has not turned down a date from any kit of memory i have thrown at it. 2x1GB, 2x2GB, high rated, crappy generic...the 790i has eaten them all up and done so gladly. in a sentance, it clocks memory like a freak...period.

either FSB or memory clocking shouldn't be the end all-say all in a motherboard decision for a daily driver though. neither really enhance performance that much and some could argue, at all. what it really comes down to in this pre-i7 generation is this. ATI or NVIDIA? 790i runs NVIDIA cards in SLI, the RE runs ATI cards in CrossFire. it really is that simple IMO. GPU is the king of performance in any capable motherboard and both the 790i FTWD and the RE are definitely both capable rigs. each have some faults, and each has their own strength. now, this conclusion was based on gaming performance...i am not sure what your goals are. if you say surfing the internet and e-mail...then you get smacked

[stummerwinter]

Can someone please upload or post a link from the 09/15/2008-BIOS?

[Planet]

Stummer,

Email me for SZ13.bin which was the original shipping bios. The other is SZ15 which can be downloaded from www.evga.com/support/drivers

jcrimmins(a)evga.com

[MarcusFoX]

Nice review man ill be using this when I get mine up and running

[stummerwinter]

For me there is no way to boot with P1/P2 enabled...

Used BIOS SZ13, is the SZ15 better?

Tested arround FSB and increased vSPP to 1,52 V, on my old XFX it wasn't a problem (same RAM)...

With AUTO under cascade and cold air is was able to do 3D01@585x10:

122.933

I think I need better cooling an die NB/SB an the mod, so higher CPU-clocks should be possible...

That was cold outside:



Edit: with vSPP @ 1,57 V (in BIOS) I can do 500x9 AM3...

P1+P2: AUTO



P1+P2: enabled



P1+P2: AUTO



P1+P2: enabled

[stummerwinter]

Did today 620 MHz FSB 1M (Validation):



Without mods, CPU under cascade, chipset under Mach...

Pics from setup: http://awardfabrik.de/forum/showpost...2&postcount=88

[boblemagnifique]

impressive run

[3oh6]

yeah, this man has been absolutely killing it with this board. i am hoping to dust mine off if i can find a CPU and test it with my new NB pot. i can't be shown up in my own thread

keep clocking that FSB SW