nForce 790i SLI/Ultra chipset mobos - Reviews/OC/Guides

[slim142]

That depends m8.
For example getting my E8400 @ 550MHz stable required touching the NorthBridge GTL manually.
Auto wouldn't cut it.

Oh Benchz, you are on LN2! Thats Xtreme Benching!

But, (for everybody) if changing them solves your life, then good, but I never had to mess with them. Just giving my two cents.

[BenchZowner]

Not on LN2 man.
Air.

[slim142]

Not on LN2 man.
Air.

Wait... werent you on LN2? :S

[aussie-revhead]

For example getting my E8400 @ 550MHz stable required

He means those clocks were on air , LN would be higher than 550.

I seriously dont recommend messing with the GTL refs. Im almost 100% sure everybody can get your system estable without touching GTLRefs.

Is all in the vcore, NB and VTT

OK then mate if I have tried increasing vcore, vdimm and every voltage available to last notch before the red then do I need to alter gtlvrefs ? I have tried a few of those too and didnt help but there are quite a few options for trial and error testing there . Mind you Im only talking about 3.3ghz on a q6600.

[ceevee]

Hey has everyone experienced that the new BIOS releases have solved the problems with corruption?

Think I am going to ditch the Foxconn Blackops for a 790i.

[Coupa]

OK then mate if I have tried increasing vcore, vdimm and every voltage available to last notch before the red then do I need to alter gtlvrefs ? I have tried a few of those too and didnt help but there are quite a few options for trial and error testing there . Mind you Im only talking about 3.3ghz on a q6600.

Anandtechs review of the Striker II Extreme has a nice list of voltages that you shouldnt pass if you want to run 24/7. Following those would be better then almost red.

But you may be in the same boat as me and alot of others...wait for the BIOS that works

Edit:

Hey has everyone experienced that the new BIOS releases have solved the problems with corruption?

Think I am going to ditch the Foxconn Blackops for a 790i.

Not 100% solved yet, probably best to wait another month or two. Im really hoping things are all ironed out by then.

[nuclearjock]

Not 100% solved yet, probably best to wait another month or two. Im really hoping things are all ironed out by then.

Or, get youself a decent backup program like Acronis TruImage and make an image of your os.

Then if it borks out, you can simply restore your image and you're good to go. It's saved my butt > 12 times.

[slim142]

He means those clocks were on air , LN would be higher than 550.

OK then mate if I have tried increasing vcore, vdimm and every voltage available to last notch before the red then do I need to alter gtlvrefs ? I have tried a few of those too and didnt help but there are quite a few options for trial and error testing there . Mind you Im only talking about 3.3ghz on a q6600.

Dont know what to say. I have a 45nm quad and I thought I was going to have a real hard time, but it ended up differently.

Hey has everyone experienced that the new BIOS releases have solved the problems with corruption?

Think I am going to ditch the Foxconn Blackops for a 790i.

Thats a really nice board. Seems to have a lot of potential.

Or, get youself a decent backup program like Acronis TruImage and make an image of your os.

Then if it borks out, you can simply restore your image and you're good to go. It's saved my butt > 12 times.

I think Im gonna get one of those, once NVIDIA releases this new BIOS on tuesday (hopefully) Im gonna start from 0 again and make an image before anything...

[aussie-revhead]

Thanks slim , I will let you know when my qx arrives.

Are these known to vdroop ? Mine does badly , 1.35 set in bios shows 1.28 in bios systems monitor and drops to 1.248 in windows under load . I dropped it two notches to 1.3375 and the windows readings are the same , it primed ok but wont restart now .

Mind you thats at 3Ghz because thats all I can get out of it . My MF did 3200 at 1.25v bios 1.21 under load .

Im growing to hate this mobo.

[slim142]

Thanks slim , I will let you know when my qx arrives.

Are these known to vdroop ? Mine does badly , 1.35 set in bios shows 1.28 in bios systems monitor and drops to 1.248 in windows under load . I dropped it two notches to 1.3375 and the windows readings are the same , it primed ok but wont restart now .

Mind you thats at 3Ghz because thats all I can get out of it . My MF did 3200 at 1.25v bios 1.21 under load .

Im growing to hate this mobo.

My striker has overvolt lol! gives 1.39v when I put 1.32500 in BIOS w/ LLC enabled, but vdroop is almost not noticeable.

1.31750 gives 1.39 in idle and in load sometimes go down to 1.38v
1.32500 (after 1.31750) gives 1.39 in idle and load too

[Daark]

I've been reading this thread over the past couple of weeks with a vested interest, its certainly opened my eyes to some of the finer points of the 790i boards.
Had the EVGA 790 board and its was awful, had the blackops X48 which was doa and now I have the Striker II Extreme (so far so good on this one)

Been working on a nice steady overclock but not sure if i've hit a wall in terms of FSB speed on a quad-core. The system is rock solid under 3DMark and gaming, it just wont prime.

Ideas welcome, cpu-z screenies attached, and FYI NB Voltage at 1.45 RAM @1.9V

[Daark]

Having a play with GTL_REF's here and its like a game of cat and mouse. I adjust the databus on core3 which seems to crap out all the time and that runs through, then core2 starts crapping out. So i adjust that and core3 starts again..../sigh, becoming a bit of a mission this

A weird thing is that the Anandtech article states GTL_REF Ratio 0 is for Core 0/1 data bus voltages and GTL_REF Ratio1 is for Core 2/3. If this is the case why cant the values be set the same on these 2 options?

[M@G!C]

Having a play with GTL_REF's here and its like a game of cat and mouse. I adjust the databus on core3 which seems to crap out all the time and that runs through, then core2 starts crapping out. So i adjust that and core3 starts again..../sigh, becoming a bit of a mission this

A weird thing is that the Anandtech article states GTL_REF Ratio 0 is for Core 0/1 data bus voltages and GTL_REF Ratio1 is for Core 2/3. If this is the case why cant the values be set the same on these 2 options?

Here is a very good question Daark!!!
I´ve found my self making the same question several times...
It makes no sense to me the values beeing diferent...

[Daark]

Got it Prime95'ing quite nicely now. Adjusted my CPU Voltage as it was under volting (that a word!!). 1.375 in bios was showing less than 1.35 so bumped it upto 1.41 to show 1.375.
GTL_REF0 is at -102mV as is GTL_REF3 (i have a feeling this is core 0/1 and 2/3 Data channels)

Now to work on temps as I'm spiking to just a tad over 70 Degrees without my AC on and intense prime test for max heat etc.

[BenchZowner]

If you're having corruption and/or video freezing issues with the Asus Striker II Extreme, visit the "Asus Striker II Extreme Corruption and/or Freezes Troubleshooting Thread"

[DR3]

Well folks so far I have gotten 2 Striker II Extremes and 2 EVGA 790i Ultra mobos
and only had one actually work for any length of time.
Was able to overclock it a little:


Now the question is what mobo do I get next?
The ASUS did seem like a better quality board than the EVGA,
but both Striker II's I got where DOA right out of the box.

Any suggestions???

[Xello]

Well folks so far I have gotten 2 Striker II Extremes and 2 EVGA 790i Ultra mobos
and only had one actually work for any length of time.
Was able to overclock it a little:


Now the question is what mobo do I get next?
The ASUS did seem like a better quality board than the EVGA,
but both Striker II's I got where DOA right out of the box.

Any suggestions???

Do you mean just 790i U boards? I believe XFX are the only other people doing one.

[Daark]

Well..had the EVGA and imo it's a complete POS.

Had the Foxconn Blackops X48 but that was doa, but in hindsight X48 not the way to go with the next gen nvidia offerings.

Stick with the Striker II, luckily mine wasn't doa and i've been more than happy with what it's doing for such an early revision of a BIOS.

Things can only get better with this board i think

[gcardinal]

got my Asus Striker II Extream 2 weeks ago, but never had time to test it.

did a quick clock with O.K. results. FSB goes nicely beyond 500, but CPU can't break 4.1ghz even its on H2O and idle 30-32C. But overall quite happy with the board. RAM OCZ 1800mhz 8-8-8-24. runs 1720mhz 8-7-7-24

[BenchZowner]

Little hard to believe that your E8500 can't get past 4.1GHz

[DR3]

Well after looking at the options.
I am going back to the Striker II Extreme.

Should have in a few days?
Maybe I will get a good one.

[gcardinal]

Little hard to believe that your E8500 can't get past 4.1GHz

maybe its me and not the cpu. tested many kinds of setups and even high fsb's are rock solid @ 7-8x, as soon as I go 9.5x - "nothing" works...

[M@G!C]

To all of us that have a X-FI card and are having lookups in games and crappy sound, maybe worth give this a try:

http://downloads.guru3d.com/Creative...load-1944.html

Let´s hope that these fix some issues.

[E.R]

To all of us that have a X-FI card and are having lookups in games and crappy sound, maybe worth give this a try:

http://downloads.guru3d.com/Creative...load-1944.html

Let´s hope that these fix some issues.

Have tried these and they are in no way better, at least in GRID.
Holding off X-fi Titanium buy until 280GTX before any further testing as that might be the cheapest way around this creative issue.

[aussie-revhead]

Well..had the EVGA and imo it's a complete POS.

Daark - can you tell me why ? What made it a pos ? I have given up on my 790i rig - voltages are weird and its unstable even at 3.2GHz. At this stage Im still waiting for my qx but tracking hasnt been updated yet so its in transit somewhere .

Im not sure , but after the simplicity and good success I had with P35 I might give a P45 deluxe a go , unless thats been ruined too .