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nForce4 SLI Motherboard Roundup March 08, 2005 |
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Summary: 6,650 words. 75 images. 24 pages. Athlon 64 FX and Opteron 252 CPUs tested. In our nForce4 SLI motherboard roundup, Chris tests NVIDIA's last 3 driver releases and SLI motherboards from ASUS, DFI, Gigabyte, and MSI, as well as Tyan's ultra high-end K8WE nForce Professional 2200/2050 motherboard. See who comes out on top, as well as the staggering memory bandwidth figures the Tyan board dishes out with dual Opteron CPUs in this article!
 Introduction | Page:: ( 1 / 24 ) |
Even NVIDIA was unsure how events would transpire, at least at first. Questions arose as to whether the integral SLI connector would come with motherboards or graphics cards. Power requirements also came into question, especially in light of the non-standard methods used by many manufacturers to rate output levels. Even now, with SLI hardware--motherboards, graphics cards, and power supplies--widely available, questions continue surfacing. Despite a standardized certification process, you still run into the odd incompatibility and performance anomaly.
But for the most part, NVIDIA is to be applauded for rolling out a brand new technology, developing the corresponding core logic and graphics infrastructure, and laying the foundation for interoperability between completely separate components. Idiosyncrasies, inconvenient as they may be, are almost to be expected. And that’s why we’ve spent the past few weeks testing the current crop of SLI motherboards, graphics cards, and the only power supply currently on NVIDIA’s SLI-certified list, so that you won’t have to stumble through the few pitfalls of SLI.
In arranging this roundup we wanted to assemble every available SLI motherboard for testing. No doubt there will be additions in the days to come, and indeed, Albatron and EPoX are expected to release their own offerings soon. However, today’s marketplace is populated by ASUS’ A8N-SLI Deluxe, DFI’s nF4 SLI-DR, Gigabyte’s K8NXP-SLI, MSI’s K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI, and Tyan’s K8WE.
If the Tyan board is a bit of a surprise to you, rest assured that we were equally shocked to hear that Tyan was ready with a dual-processor, dual-graphics solution based on the nForce Professional chipset. And, given the impending release of dual-core processors later this year, we thought it’d be interesting to see how multi-threaded applications reacted to the more advanced platform. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised once again when you see how well it encodes video.
The other four boards are widely available and reasonably priced. All of them share an nForce4 SLI chipset in common, but vary from there.
| ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe | Page:: ( 2 / 24 ) |
| ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe | |
| Motherboard Specs | |
| Supports AMD Socket 939 Athlon 64FX/Athlon 64 | NVIDIA nForce4 SLI |
| PCI Express Architecture | SATA 3Gb/s |
| Dual RAID | Dual Gigabit LAN & AI NET2 |
| NV Firewall | AI NOS™ |
| AI Audio (8-channel Audio) | |
| Taken from ASUS's website. | |
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ASUS was the first manufacturer on the scene with an SLI motherboard. Its A8N-SLI Deluxe immediately turned heads for its clean layout, robust feature set, and, at the time, lofty price tag. High-end GeForce 6-series cards weren’t even available yet in PCI Express trim, ironically.
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The passing of time saw prices on the A8N-SLI fall, though, and you can now pick the board up for under $175 online, making it one of the least expensive options for adopting SLI. It’s also one of the most stable; thanks to the latest BIOS from ASUS, we had little problem running GeForce 6800 Ultra, GeForce 6800 GT, and GeForce 6600 GT cards through today’s hottest games. In fact, because the A8N-SLI’s x16 PCI Express slots are spaced three slots away from each other, it’s the only one capable of accommodating two of Leadtek’s WinFast PX6800 GT TDH cards, which are actually larger than standard 6800 Ultras. Just don’t lose that SLI connector--ASUS’ is the only one that isn’t interchangeable across other motherboards.
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Two x1 PCI Express slots sit between the graphics connectors. If you use single-slot video cards, they’re both accessible. Go with Ultras, however, and you’ll lose one of the x1 links and one of the three standard PCI slots, too. Even with a GeForce 6800 Ultra installed you’ll still be able to change the onboard SLI mode selector, which snaps into place, specifying single-card operation or SLI.
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There aren’t any major layout issues of which to speak; ASUS is known for elegant implementations, after all. The NVIDIA chipset is situated such that it doesn’t sit directly underneath a graphics card, unlike other boards. There’s plenty of space between memory slots to better facilitate cooling. Incidentally, Corsair’s Xpert modules fit just fine between the slots. You’ll find plenty of room for mounting larger-than-reference heatsinks and power connectors that might otherwise interfere with processor cooling are far enough out of the way to not be an issue.
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SIDEBAR: "I love Mickey Mouse more than any woman I've ever known."
- Walt Disney
| More ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe | Page:: ( 3 / 24 ) |
Onboard features run inline with NVIDIA’s nForce4 chipset. Four SATA 2 ports are exposed natively, as are 10 USB 2.0 ports (four on the back panel, four through rear I/O brackets, and two through front-panel connectors). ActiveArmor and NV Firewall both come standard, as does NVIDIA’s integrated Gigabit Ethernet controller. Unique additions include a Silicon Image SATA controller that exposes four more ports, albeit at 1.5 Gbps, a Texas Instruments IEEE 1394a controller, another PCI-based Gigabit chip, and the familiar ALC850 codec for mainstream eight-channel audio. ASUS’ EZ Plug feature, which is claimed to be the only way to operate stably in SLI mode, is another ASUS original A8N-SLI-specific feature.
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From a feature perspective, the A8N-SLI is a commendable value. Its bundle includes enough SATA cabling to utilize all eight onboard ports, plus the power connectors to adapt older supplies, a back-panel bracket for external SATA connectivity, four back-panel USB 2.0 ports, one back-panel Firewire port, standard IDE cables, a serial port, an I/O shield, a retention bracket, an InterVideo software package, and related ASUS documentation. If that sounds like a lot of extra hardware, it is. ASUS’ package comes with more cables and connectors than any other motherboard.
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Another strong point for the A8N-SLI is its BIOS, which ASUS equips with plenty of customizable features. The JumperFree Configuration menu facilitates different types of overclocking, such as manual, AI Overclock, and AI NOS. Using AI Overclock, the BIOS raises CPU bus frequency by a given percentage and maintains it constantly. AI NOS, on the other hand, offers dynamic overclocking so that the extra speed kicks in when intensive processing situations are detected through power consumption. In either case, setting too aggressive of an option will result in system instability.
Manual overclocking, as expected, exposes all of the voltage and frequency settings. CPU bus speeds are available between 200 and 400MHz, while PCI Express bus frequencies are available between 100 and 145MHz. You can also choose between memory voltages between 2.6 and 3V, processor voltages between .8 and 1.65V, and CPU multipliers between 4x and 20x in .5x steps.
SIDEBAR: Easter is a convergence of three traditions: Pagan, Hebrew, and Christian.
| DFI nF4 SLI-DR | Page:: ( 4 / 24 ) |
| DFI LANPARTY nF4 SLI-DR | |
| Motherboard Specs | |
| SLi graphics card bridge | Karajan Audio(Theater like7.1 /8ch supported) |
| Dual Gigabit LAN | nF4 chipset supported Serial ATA(3Gb/s) |
| 100% Japanese Capacitors | UV sensitive slots |
| UV kits(Round Cables & Cable sleeving bundled) | New FrontX panel |
| PC Transpo | EZ-on / EZ-touch onboard switch button |
| RAID(with nVIDIA nVRAID) | nVIDIA nTune(embedded overclocking solution) |
| nVIDIA ActiveArmor | CMOS reloaded® |
| All New Genie BIOS | |
| Taken from DFI's website. | |
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It takes a lot of guts to show up to a party uninvited, yet that’s essentially what DFI did when it announced a lower-priced, uncertified SLI motherboard, the nF4 SLI-DR. Of course, a lot has changed since the enthusiast-oriented second tier manufacturer showcased the board in its suite at CES earlier this year. More significantly, DFI earned an NVIDIA certification--a stamp of approval that says the nF4 SLI-DR will work with any SLI-capable graphics card you throw at it.
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Because DFI wasn’t privy to NVIDIA’s SLI recipe early on in the design process, its nF4 SLI-DR uses a non-standard mechanism for switching between single- and dual-card modes. That is, instead of employing a reversible card, you have to move six sets of jumpers in order to make the switch. Fortunately, DFI includes a BIOS chip-removal tool that does an effective job of grabbing those jumper blocks.
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Like most other SLI boards, the x16 PCI Express slots on the nF4 SLI-DR are two slots apart--just enough to accommodate two GeForce 6800 Ultra boards, but not enough to work with a pair of Leadtek’s super-sized 6800 GTs. There’s one x1 slot between the two graphics connectors, one x4 slot above the top graphics slot, and two standard PCI slots below. If you’re wondering how the connectivity adds up when the nForce4 only offers 20 lanes of PCIe, consider that each graphics slot consumes eight in an SLI configuration. If you’re using a x4 device, it must exist alone. Otherwise, you can plug a x1 device in each of the extra slots (the x4 slot accepts x1 peripherals).
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As with ASUS’ board, DFI does a lot of things right with its layout. The memory slots are at the top of the board with enough space to accept any module sporting heat spreaders or a set of Corsair Xpert modules. There’s plenty of room around the processor interface and all power connectors are located at the back of the board to avoid blocking airflow to vital components. The active cooler sitting atop NVIDIA’s nForce4 SLI chipset is directly under the first PCI Express x16 slot, which might be problematic for cooling, but everything else is otherwise easily accessible.
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SIDEBAR: There are more Irish in New York City than in Dublin, Ireland; more Italians in New York City than in Rome, Italy; and more Jews in New York City than in Tel Aviv, Israel.
| More DFI nF4 SLI-DR | Page:: ( 5 / 24 ) |
Naturally, the nF4 SLI-DR derives most of its features from its host chipset, such as four SATA 2 ports, integrated Gigabit Ethernet, ActiveArmor, and NV Firewall. However, DFI also added a second SATA controller--the same Silicon Image chip used by ASUS--for four more 1.5 Gbps ports and up to RAID 5 support. There’s a second Gigabit chip, too, in addition to a VIA IEEE 1394a controller. The board ships by default without an audio codec, but a bundled Karajan module plugs directly onto a header, enabling eight-channel sound for those who need it.
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Other touches include four vacant fan headers, one-touch power and reset switches onboard, UV-reactive slots, connectors, and retention mechanisms, passive cooling on the power circuitry, six USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel, and an auxiliary power input for added stability in an SLI configuration. And then there’s the rest of DFI’s package, which includes round cables, a strappy sling for lugging around an ATX chassis, UV-reactive cable sleeving, and a 5.25” front bay with several different ports and plugs. At roughly $220 online, though, DFI doesn’t quite have the value advantage it once suggested.
Fortunately, DFI includes a BIOS that affirms the board’s enthusiast appeal. Manual bus settings are available between 200 and 456MHz. PCI Express frequencies can be manually configured anywhere between 100 and 145MHz. There are also plenty of HyperTransport ratios, in addition to processor multipliers between 4x and 25x in .5x increments. Not only does the board facilitate voltage settings between .825 and 1.55V, but it also specifies a startup voltage and a VID Special setting that multiplies your standard voltages setting by as little as 104 percent to as much as 136 percent.
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Another great attribute is plentiful DRAM divisors, including 3/5, 2/3, 7/10, 3/4, 5/6, 9/10, and 1/1. The nF4 SLI-DR also supports chipset and HyperTransport voltage adjustments, which ASUS’ board does not allow. Finally, a special bank of jumpers unlocks ultra-aggressive memory voltages up to 4.0v. Higher voltage settings make it possible to extract greater memory performance through tighter timings, but they also often necessitate active cooling as well.
SIDEBAR: Before he pursued his acting career, Jack Nicholson worked as an office boy in MGM's cartoon department.
| Gigabyte K8NXP-SLI | Page:: ( 6 / 24 ) |
| Gigabyte K8NXP-SLI | |
| Motherboard Specs | |
| AMD AthlonTM64 FX / AthlonTM64 Processor | NVIDIA SLI Multi-GPU support |
| Superior Dual channel DDR400 Architecture | Dual Power System |
| Dual Gigabit LAN/ Wireless Technology | RAID/ SATA II/ SATA |
| NVIDIA ActiveArmor powered Firewall/ Norton Internet Security (NIS) | A solid pack of unique software features |
| Industry\'s first IEEE1394b motherboard | GIGABYTE Patent DualBIOSTM |
| 8-Channel Audio | |
| Taken from Gigabyte's website | |
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Another manufacturer known for expansive feature sets, Gigabyte went all out with its K8NXP-SLI and incorporated a lot of functionality we’ve seen on previous flagship boards. The DPS (Dual Power System), for example, makes it possible for the board to boast six-phase power circuitry. And while DPS is intended to augment stability, we actually found the K8NXP-SLI to be rock solid even without the feature installed. Gigabyte also follows convention by adding a second Gigabit Ethernet controller--Marvell’s Yukon 88E8053 PCI Express chip in this case. Where the company really sets itself apart is by adding a third controller, a wireless 802.11g card, in its packaging.
Even from a board-level perspective, Gigabyte clearly spent some extra time ensuring that the K8NXP-SLI outshines competing feature sets. In addition to the dual Gigabit controllers, Gigabyte integrates a standard eight-channel audio codec with digital S/PDIF input and output located on the board’s I/O panel. Texas Instruments’ Firewire chipset contributes a trio of IEEE 1394b ports at up to 800 Mbps (in addition to $16 worth of silicon), while a secondary Silicon Image SATA 150 Mbps controller expounds upon NVIDIA’s native SATA 2 support with four additional ports and RAID 5 capabilities. The old faithful Dual BIOS feature is ever-present once again delivering protection against botched updates.
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Given the board’s single PCI Express Gigabit controller, Gigabyte had three more links with which to work when designing the board. One of them, obviously, is for a graphics adapter or two depending on your configuration, and the other two are exposed through single-lane peripheral connectors. Two standard PCI slots round out the K8NXP-SLI’s balanced connectivity package.
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With so many onboard devices, we would have been surprised if Gigabyte hadn’t had layout issues. And while, for the most part, everything is neat and tidy, the nForce4 SLI chipset is placed directly under the first PCI Express x16 slot--not the best seat in the house when it comes to pulling cool air. For some strange reason, Gigabyte also packed the board’s four memory slots right on top of each other, leaving absolutely no room for modules with heat spreaders. Corsair’s Xpert series definitely doesn’t fit, either. In fact, even a set of Pro modules bows out at an uncomfortable angle when mounted side-by-side.
SIDEBAR: A robin has nearly 3,000 feathers.
| More Gigabyte K8NXP-SLI | Page:: ( 7 / 24 ) |
Gigabyte is somewhat coy about exposing advanced BIOS options, oddly enough. If you’re an enthusiast and want access to the meaty settings, remember to hit Ctrl+F1 at the main screen.
With everything out in the open, Gigabyte actually offers a comprehensive list of settings that may be tweaked in order to procure additional performance. For example, there are numerous memory timing settings, though there isn’t an option to enable 1T command rates. You’ll also have access to vendor-specific optimizations through the MIB 2 feature. Like ASUS, Gigabyte has a specific option that accelerates graphics performance; accessing the Motherboard Intelligent Tweaker menu with advanced options enabled will allow you to specify the degree of graphics overclocking to pursue, or to disable it entirely.
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Gigabyte enabled front side bus settings between 200 and 400MHz. PCI Express frequencies may be selected anywhere between 100 and 150MHz, while core multipliers are available between 4x and 20x. Unfortunately, the latest BIOS version doesn’t support half-steps, which makes it a little tougher to fine-tune processor frequencies. CPU voltages range from .8 to 1.75V in .025V increments, core power voltage (chipset, perhaps?) may be tweaked up to .3V, HyperTransport bus voltages are also malleable up to .3V extra, and DDR voltages are limited to a paltry .2V increase.
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Perhaps the K8NXP-SLI’s most redeeming characteristic is price. At $175, it readily competes with the A8N-SLI Deluxe and K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI, outdoing both boards when it comes to bundled accessories. At the end of the day, it’s almost a personal judgment call between Gigabyte’s sheer volume of extra stuff or MSI’s targeted enthusiast appeal with an onboard Live! 24-bit and advanced disk controller.
SIDEBAR: We drive on the parkway, yet park on the driveway.
| MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI | Page:: ( 8 / 24 ) |
| MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI | |
| Motherboard Specs | |
| 11.96 in.(L) x 9.61 in.(W); ATX | 4 DIMMs w/ DDR 400 upto 4 GB |
| 2 PCI-E 16X; 3 PCI; 10 USB | Creative sound Bluster Live 24-bit H/W audio 7.1 CH Surround Sound |
| Dual Gb LAN; IEEE 1394 RAID(0, 1, 0+1); SATA2; ATA133 | Live Update; Fuzzy Logic; PC Alert; MSI CoreCell; MSI CoreCenter; DOT , DigiCell; nVidia Firewall |
| Taken from the MSI website | |
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Despite its commanding position as a tier-one manufacturer, MSI took a surprisingly long time to finish its own SLI motherboard. In fact, though our sample was claimed to be of production quality, it arrived in a white box and with a fairly limited bundle. As it turns out, the retail board’s bundle is actually somewhat sparse, consisting of some round cables, a SATA cable, a pair of back-panel bracket USB 2.0 ports, a custom I/O shield, and some drivers.
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But it’s the rest of MSI’s package that warrants attention (and explains the delay in availability). Whereas most manufacturers seem to have focused on enabling the nForce4 SLI’s rich set of features, MSI went a step further by getting some use out of the available PCI Express lanes. For starters, the K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI boasts the first PCIe hard drive controller from Silicon Image. It’s limited to two ports, but supports SATA 2 devices at 3 Gbps, just like NVIDIA’s native controller. A second lane of PCIe connectivity is populated by Marvell’s 88E8053 Gigabit Ethernet controller, leaving just one of the chipset’s three links available.
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Naturally, it’d be a graphics card (or two) that would round out the board’s smorgasbord of PCIe functionality. The two x16 slots are spaced far enough apart for two reference 6800 Ultras to fit without issue, but of course, that Leadtek 6800 GT board won’t run in an SLI configuration. MSI’s reversible card mechanism sits between the two x16 slots and actually looks to be the least thought-out component on the board. A simple rotating plastic piece is all that secures the card and would perhaps be better replaced by locking tabs, as found on ASUS’ board.
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Otherwise, MSI does a commendable job with layout, placing power connectors out of the way, leaving a decent amount of space around the processor interface, and adding three PCI slots in addition to the myriad onboard components. There’s even a Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit audio controller, which enables eight-channel output, optical output, and coaxial audio output. So much for lackluster audio codecs, right? A Texas Instruments IEEE 1394a rounds out MSI’s integrated add-ons.
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SIDEBAR: Hitler's master plan was to invade America after conquering Britain and all of Europe. He had started construction on four super battleships for this task that were never finished. And he built prototype 'America Bombers' with increased range to reach US cities.
| More MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI | Page:: ( 9 / 24 ) |
Most of the K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI’s other features are native to the nForce4 SLI chipset. Four SATA 2 ports are included, for a total of six on the board. ActiveArmor and NV Firewall both weigh prominently in its list of features, as well. Four memory slots support up to 4 GB of DDR400 memory, just as with competing motherboards. Of the chipset’s ten USB 2.0 ports, four are exposed on the back panel and a D Bracket 2 accessory contributes two more. You’ll find headers for the others, should your case come with front-panel ports.
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If MSI had priced the K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI to reflect its impressive feature set, perhaps the meager accessory bundle would be more bothersome. However, available at $175 online, the board is actually a tremendous value, especially since it saves you having to buy a quality add-in sound card.
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The board’s BIOS is full of functionality to poke and prod your memory and processor. MSI is the other manufacturer to support dynamic overclocking for users who’d prefer not to tweak through trial and error. Manual settings are plentiful, though, so dedicated enthusiasts don’t have to feel left out when it comes to tuning individual components.
Processor bus frequencies are available between 190 and 400MHz, while PCI Express frequencies are manually adjustable between 100 and 145MHz. A host of different HyperTransport ratios are available, as are processor ratios (between 4x and 25x). You’ll find CPU voltages between .825 and 1.55V, with an option to increase the voltage by 3.3, 5, or 8.3 percent. Both the memory and chipset voltages are adjustable as well, between 2.5 and 2.85V on the memory and 1.5 to 1.85V on the chipset.
SIDEBAR: The sound a camel makes is called "nuzzing".
| Tyan K8WE | Page:: ( 10 / 24 ) |
| Tyan K8WE | |
| Motherboard Specs | |
| Supports up to two AMD Opteron™ 200 processors | AMD-8131™ HyperTransport™ PCI-X Tunnel |
| 128-bit dual channel (interleaved) memory bus (8 sockets) | Two x16 PCI Express FULL SPEED slots |
| Total of six 4-pin fan headers with PWM and tachometer monitoring | Integrated ATA-133 |
| Integrated FireWire (IEEE 1394a) | Enhanced AC'97 2.3 compliant audio link |
| Integrated SATA II Controller | Phoenix BIOS on 8Mbit LPC Flash ROM |
| SSI EEB v3.5 footprint (12"x13"; 304.8x330.2mm) | Two IEEE 802.3 Nvidia MAC 1000/100/10 Ethernet |
| Taken from the Tyan website | |
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There’s SLI, and then there’s SL-friggin-I. If you were under the impression that an nForce4 SLI platform was crème of the crop (and rightly so), you’d only be partially correct. The nForce Professional chipset family is, in fact, NVIDIA’s top-end SLI-capable product. Consisting of two MCPs, the 2200 and the 2050, NVIDIA appeals to both server and workstation markets simultaneously. Both products offers 20 lanes of PCI Express connectivity, Serial ATA 3 Gbps support, native Gigabit Ethernet, and TCP hardware offload, but only the 2200 offers 32-bit PCI and USB. Moreover, the 2200’s lanes are configurable, while the 2050’s are fixed to x16, x1, x1, and x1.
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Rather than tap the nForce Professional 2200 for its flagship workstation board, dividing PCIe connectivity into two x8 slots for SLI support, Tyan went all-out, combining the nForce Professional 2200, the nForce Professional 2050, AMD’s 8131 PCI-X tunnel, and an LSI 53C1030 U320 SCSI controller all onto a single graphics workstation powerhouse. The board accepts two Opteron 200-series processors, up to 16GB of registered DDR400 memory, and all the trappings of an nForce4 SLI offering, too.
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The real trick is prodigious use of HyperTransport. The primary processor interfaces, first and foremost, with the secondary processor over one of the HyperTransport links at up to 1GHz. A second link communicates with AMD’s PCI-X tunnel at up to 600MHz, while the third link does business with NVIDIA’s nForce Professional 2200 MCP at up to 800MHz, according to Tyan’s documentation. The secondary processor is responsible for the nForce Professional 2050 chipset, which it also communicates with at 800MHz.
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In turn, the K8WE doesn’t need a special SLI connector to configure the board’s x16 slots. Each runs at full-speed all of the time, regardless of how many graphics cards are being used, resulting in unbridled SLI performance. That’s one motherboard with a total of 40 lanes of PCIe, 32 of which are exposed.
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Running two graphics cards in SLI mode is hard enough on a power supply. Add a second processor to the equation and you can understand why the K8WE won’t even boot with a standard ATX unit. You’ll instead need an EPS12V power supply, preferably with an SSI 3.51 six-pin connector for workstation boards. We used Zippy’s PSM-6550P 550W for testing, which delivers up to 40A combined on the +12V1 and +12V2 rails.
SIDEBAR:
| More Tyan K8WE | Page:: ( 11 / 24 ) |
With significantly more circuitry than any of the nForce4 SLI boards in our roundup, it’s little wonder that the K8WE is an Extended ATX design, larger than most standard cases will accommodate. The two 940-pin Opteron processor sockets sit next to each other with four memory slots above each. The board accepts up to 16GB of memory, and you’ll want to populate at least two slots per processor in order to maximize total platform bandwidth. Load up on low-latency, registered DDR400 memory and you can expect some phenomenal throughput numbers.
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SPECviewperf 8.0.1
As mentioned, the two nForce Professional chips jointly enable two x16 PCI Express slots. NVIDIA’s nForce Professional 2200 supports 32-bit PCI as well, and one standard PCI slot is included between the graphics connectors while a Texas Instruments IEEE 1394 controller sits on the same bus. Meanwhile, AMD’s PCI-X tunnel contributes one 64-bit, 133MHz PCI-X slot and two 100MHz slots. The onboard LSI Logic SCSI controller communicates through that second PCI-X bus, enabling two channels of Ultra320 for high-end disk arrays.
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Less demanding applications might be better suited with SATA drives, which aren’t designed for 24/7 operation, but still deliver respectable performance. In that case, the K8WE offers the four ports native to NVIDIA’s nForce Professional 2200 chipset. RAID 0, 1, and 0+1 arrays are supported, as are 3 Gbps drives. A single PATA channel is available for optical devices, too. Because both NVIDIA MCPs feature Gigabit Ethernet, Tyan is able to deliver dual, integrated Gigabit Ethernet controllers with external Marvell transceivers. Both ports offer ActiveArmor and NV Firewall support, in addition to the performance enhancements touted by NVIDIA.
Anticipating low demand for multi-channel audio on a workstation powerhouse, the K8WE comes with Analog Device’s AD1981 six-channel codec. It’s nothing fancy, but you can always drop an add-in card should you need digital output or additional analog channels.
A lot of Tyan’s design decisions reflect the K8WE’s intended audience. Graphics workstations prioritize stability, so overclocking generally isn’t a selling point. Even still, the board’s BIOS does include some degree of customization, including selectable HyperTransport frequencies and memory timing configuration. The latest version properly identified our Opteron 252s, along with the timing differences between our four installed memory modules.
Included with the K8WE are four SATA cables, two SATA power adapters, an IDE cable, a floppy cable, a SCSI cable, Tyan’s custom I/O shield, driver disks, and a user’s manual. A sparse bundle by most accounts, but understandably so. The real caveat to acquiring this board is its nearly $600 price tag. Yeah, ouch.
SIDEBAR: The Volvo Turbo 850's (years 1994-1997) is nicknamed the 'flying brick'.
| New Drivers | Page:: ( 12 / 24 ) |
NVIDIA’s initial SLI-compatible driver set was released back in November of last year. In addition to incorporating support for SLI, that package also recognized the GeForce 6600, 6600 GT, and 6200-series cards. It also featured DirectX 9.0c support, on top of a host of other miscellaneous HDTV and timing-oriented enhancements.
That driver, 66.93, is still the most current package on NVIDIA’s official website. However, NVIDIA also makes beta drivers available through nzone.com, its enthusiast portal. In November ’04, December ’04, and January ’05, updates were made to the ForceWare driver, adding support for PureVideo technology on 6-series graphics processors, updating SLI support, and making additional enhancements to HDTV output.
The latest driver version, released March 2nd, adds support for GeForce 6200 TurboCache cards and properly works with Windows Remote Desktop. It also adds 60 SLI profiles, all of which are published on the same nzone.com site, along with a special CoolBits utility for creating custom profiles.
Interested in potential performance gains associated with the augmented SLI support, we ran the new driver through a couple of quick benchmarks to determine what, if any, improvements had been made. Surprisingly enough, Doom and Half-Life 2 both picked up measurable gains, as did 3DMark05.
But we, along with several users in NVIDIA’s own nZone user forum, noticed markedly higher temperatures, even at idle with the new drivers. NVIDIA representative Brian Burke confirms that the temperatures are actually being misreported due to a bug in the driver and will be fixed in a forthcoming revision.
For more information on applications optimized for use with SLI, click here. A link at the top of that same page will take you to the custom profile page as well, in case your favorite game isn’t yet supported and you’d like to create a custom profile using the new CoolBits utility.
SIDEBAR: The number of possible ways of playing just the first four moves on each side in a chess game is 318,979,564,000.
| Overclocking Experiences | Page:: ( 13 / 24 ) |
In separate conversations with representatives at both Corsair and OCZ, we’ve heard that the best way to procure optimal performance from an Athlon 64 system is to increase the processor bus speed to its highest level with 2-2-2 timings and 1T command rates. Going beyond that and sacrificing memory timing results in diminished performance up until a certain point, where raw bandwidth compensates and performance increases.
Testing with an Athlon 64 FX-55 allows for plenty of movement in dropping multiplier settings and we already know the chip is good up to about 2.8GHz or so. Thus, it was presumed that overclocking would be a walk in the park, especially with the enlisted help of OCZ’s Gold Edition VX modules, which are designed to take a beating in the sense of ultra-high voltages.
Getting each board stable was a slight challenge, though, especially while attempting low-latencies with limited DDR voltage control. The ASUS board worked well using a general five percent increase though ASUS’ AI Overclock applet, with manual timings set to 2-2-2. The board just didn’t want to stabilize at anything higher than that, though, no matter how low we dropped the multiplier. Settling at 2.73GHz , performance did improve substantially as our Media Encoding test went from 6:38 to 6:19 and memory bandwidth jumped to nearly 6.4 GBps. Gains in Doom 3 were a little more modest, with a 1024x768 frame rate of 108.1 versus 105.3 at stock settings.
DFI’s board was a little more flexible. We managed to get that one running with a 270MHz bus speed, but with instability issues that cropped up during the media encoding benchmark. We eventually settled on a similar setting as the ASUS board, but with even better performance numbers. WME 9 finished 11 seconds faster at 6:08, Doom 3 jumped to 111.2 frames, and our memory numbers hovered at 6.3 GBps of throughput.
Gigabyte’s K8NXP-SLI was slightly more reluctant, topping out at 2.71GHz and a meager 208MHz bus. Memory bandwidth did improve substantially at that speed, breaking the 5 GBps mark, and WME9 numbers weren’t too shabby at 6:14. Even still, it’s possible that a more flexible DDR voltage control would have allowed more flexibility in improving overclocking results.
Tyan’s K8WE clearly isn’t designed for tweaking, so we didn’t even try. The best we could hope for there was stability at the new 1GHz HyperTransport setting (remember, we’re dealing with Opteron here) and the most aggressive timings possible considering mismatched sets of DDR400 memory modules. Running 1GB at CAS 2 and the other at CAS 2.5 didn’t prove to be a problem, fortunately.
SIDEBAR: In the city of Reykjavik, Iceland, one can see the stars eighteen hours a day during the heart of the winter. During the summer, sunlight is visible 24 hours a day.
| System Setup | Page:: ( 14 / 24 ) |
System Setup
AMD Athlon 64 FX-53 (939)
AMD Opteron 252 (S940) x2
ASUS A8N-SLI nForce4 SLI motherboard
DFI nF4 SLI-DR nForce4 SLI motherboard
Gigabyte K8NXP-SLI nForce4 SLI motherboard
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI nForce4 SLI motherboard
Tyan K8WE nForce Professional 2200/2050 motherboard
1GB OCZ PC4000 Gold Edition VX 2-2-2-8
1GB Corsair PC3200 Registered DDR400 2-3-2-8
1GB Unknown PC3200 Registered DDR400 2.5-3-3-12
ASUS Extreme N6800 Ultra (x2)
ForceWare 66.93
34GB Western Digital Raptor (10,000RPM, 8MB cache)
Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2
DirectX 9.0c
Desktop resolution 1024x768, 32-bit color, 85Hz refresh
All power saving options were turned off, as were the Automatic Update and System Restore services. Graphics options under the ‘Performance’ tab were all disabled for maximum performance.
Benchmarks
id Software Doom 3 Demo Demo001
Crytek Far Cry v.1.3 Custom Demo
Valve Software Half-Life 2 Custom Demo
1C: Maddox Games IL2: Forgotten Battles TheBlackDeath Demo
Windows Media Encoder 9
Futuremark 3DMark05
SPECviewperf 8.0.1
SiSoft Sandra 2005 SP1
SIDEBAR: "Yahoo" stands for "Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle."
| Doom 3 | Page:: ( 15 / 24 ) |
id Software Doom 3
Notes
At 1024x768, where you’d expect to see the most variation due to processor and platform, the DFI nF4 SLI-DR takes a first-place finish. ASUS’ board follows close behind, and Gigabyte places third. Once you jump to 1600x1200, a more realistic setting for an SLI board running high-end graphics cards, Gigabyte establishes a small lead with its K8NXP-SLI. The other four boards all place within one frame of each other.
SIDEBAR: Since the Lego Group began manufacturing blocks in 1949, more than 189 billion pieces in 2,000 different shapes have been produced. This is enough for about 30 Lego pieces for every living person on Earth.
| Half-Life 2 | Page:: ( 16 / 24 ) |
Valve Software Half-Life 2
Notes
Once again, DFI takes the lead at 1024x768, establishing the alacrity of its nF4 SLI-DR motherboard. ASUS and Gigabyte score similarly with their respective products. Jumping to 1600x1200 again shows the DFI board leading our pack, this time followed by Tyan’s dual-Opteron workstation board.
SIDEBAR: The star-nosed mole, with 22 pink tentacles on its snout, is said to have the most delicate sense of touch in the animal world.
| Far Cry | Page:: ( 17 / 24 ) |
Crytek Far Cry
Notes
This time DFI’s lead is surprisingly exaggerated, though we were able to re-run the benchmark to verify its score. Naturally, at 1600x1200 the results are far less conclusive and it’d seem that any of the SLI boards would do just fine. In that scenario, your choice of graphics card will be far more important.
SIDEBAR: The largest city on the Mississippi River is Memphis, Tennessee.
| IL:2 | Page:: ( 18 / 24 ) |
1C: Maddox Games IL:2
Notes
IL:2 is far less telling, since at both 1024x768 and 1600x1200 all five boards are fairly even. The game is notorious for demonstrating more variability with difference processors tested, so perhaps we’re being limited by the Athlon 64 FX-55 in each scenario here.
SIDEBAR: Jerry Seinfeld turned down a new season of his sitcom on NBC which would have paid him $5 million per episode. Instead, he went back to stand-up comedy.
| Windows Media Encoder 9 | Page:: ( 19 / 24 ) |
Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 9
Notes
Of the nForce4 SLI boards, DFI’s solution once again comes out on top, followed by Gigabyte’s K8NXP-SLI. However, neither of those two can hold a candle to Tyan and its K8WE, which sweeps through the same encoding file three minutes faster. When Intel and AMD flaunt the potential benefits of dual-core technology, this is what they’re talking about. And if you’re looking for that class of performance today, Tyan’s K8WE is still the only dual-processor SLI motherboard on the market.
SIDEBAR: A day on the planet Mercury is twice as long as its year. Mercury rotates very slowly but revolves around the Sun in slightly less than 88 days.
| 3DMark05 | Page:: ( 20 / 24 ) |
Futuremark 3DMark05
Notes
An argument we’ve heard from both prolific processor manufacturers is that as dual-core technology picks up speed, game developers will begin writing their software with multiple threads in mind. Today, most are contained within a single thread, and that’s why you don’t see more of a performance increase when we test Far Cry or Half-Life 2.
3DMark05 runs counter to that, though, incorporating a multi-threaded element in its processor tests. Consequentially, it’s little surprise to see the dual-Opteron setup post significant gains compared to the single-processor configurations. The next best option is DFI’s nF4 SLI-DR, followed by MSI’s offering.
SIDEBAR: During a tornado in Ponca City, Oklahoma, a man and his wife were carried aloft in the house by a tornado. The walls and roof were blown away, but the floor remained intact and eventually glided downward, setting the couple safely back on the ground.
| SPECviewperf 8.0.1 | Page:: ( 21 / 24 ) |
SPECviewperf 8.0.1
SIDEBAR: Forensic scientists can determine a person's sex, age, and race by examining a single strand of hair.
| Sandra 2005 | Page:: ( 22 / 24 ) |
SiSoft Sandra 2005 SP1
Notes
All of the boards perform similarly in Sandra’s processing tests, save the Tyan board, which demonstrates nearly double performance in each metric to correspond with the second processor.
Perhaps more interesting is the memory bandwidth test that heavily favors the Tyan board as well. So long as you’re using two processors, each has access to its own bank of memory, which then aggregates for a total of 12.8 theoretical gigabytes per second. Since our second bank of modules are CAS 2.5, performance isn’t as high as it could potentially be, but the numbers still speak for themselves.
On the nForce4 SLI front, the ASUS, DFI, and MSI boards all demonstrate excellent bandwidth characteristics, while the Gigabyte K8NXP-SLI lags behind somewhat due to a lacking 1T command option in the BIOS, it’d seem.
SIDEBAR: During the previous world wars, soldiers suffered 'Shell Shock' and 'Battle Fatigue', which were actually the same as the now-documented Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.
| Recommending Components | Page:: ( 23 / 24 ) |
Recommending Components
Components certified to work in an SLI configuration are labeled as such, but just because a motherboard and graphics card both bear that SLI logo doesn’t mean that they’re guaranteed to cooperate. Take the aforementioned example of Leadtek’s WinFast PX6800 GT TDH, for example. Those cards bear NVIDIA’s blessing, but good luck using them in any motherboard other than an ASUS A8N-SLI, which is wide enough to accommodate the extra-large heatsinks.
Then there’s the case of XFX’s otherwise reference 6800 GT cards, which work on all motherboards except the ASUS A8N-SLI. For some reason, every time the driver is installed, the whole system locks up without fail. Then there’s Chaintech’s 6600 GT cards, which, for whatever reason, report insufficient power in the middle of various benchmarks and kick you back to the desktop. We’re still working with Chaintech to get to the bottom of that issue.
But the most pivotal component in an SLI set up is a robust power supply. Ironically, NVIDIA has only just begun certifying power supplies for use with SLI and we used the only certified unit for our tests here, PC Power and Cooling’s Turbo-Cool 510 SLI. Other products will undoubtedly work without issue, however, be aware that not all power supplies are created equal, even when you see the same output ratings. One product rated for 500W at 50 degrees C is much different from another rated for 500W at 25C. Moreover, PCI Express graphics cards and high-end processors alike suck down a lot of current on the +12V rail. The PC Power and Cooling unit does up to 34A on that rail. Our Zippy workstation power supply boasts two +12V rails with a combined output of 40A. You get the picture--buy a 500W budget power supply with a 17A +12V rail and you might spend more time troubleshooting than gaming.
Memory is another sensitive topic, especially if you plan to devote a lot of energy overclocking. We previously mentioned that your best performance will come after hitting the highest possible bus setting with memory modules at 2-2-2 timings and 1T command rates. One of the best ways to improve overclocking headroom is to apply additional voltage to a component, improving its signal as frequencies begin muddying it. Of course, the problem there is increased heat output, creating somewhat of a vicious cycle. Boards such as the DFI nF4 SLI-DR, capable of supplying 4V to a component designed to withstand 2.5V or so, can greatly benefit from beefier modules. That’s why we have been using OCZ’s Gold Edition VX to test these SLI motherboards. Rated at up to 3.5V, we did manage to get the DFI nF4 SLI up and running at a 270MHz bus.
SIDEBAR: A bee drone only lives 8 weeks, while a queen bee lives about six months.
| Final Verdict | Page:: ( 24 / 24 ) |
DFI nF4 SLI-DR & OCZ VX-4000 Gold
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI
FiringSquad says:
Call it poetic justice that DFI, the second-tier manufacturer initially unsanctioned to build SLI motherboards has come from behind with one of the most compelling boards on the market. Sure those jumper blocks are a little unconventional and yeah, the whole package is pricier than most other SLI offerings. But let’s face it--you aren’t looking at SLI to save some money. You want the best that money can buy, and this is it.
In short, the DFI board, along with a gig of OCZ’s Gold Edition VX memory, is a potent combination for enthusiasts looking to push their systems a little further. Even at stock frequencies, though, the nF4 SLI-DR is the top performer in most of our tests. Add the comprehensive bundle that comes with DFI’s board and that $200+ price tag is at least a little more palatable.
MSI’s K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI comes in a close second. It isn’t the performance juggernaut, but given price and features, you’d have a hard time going wrong with such prodigious use of PCI Express, onboard 24-bit audio, and a $175 price tag. The board’s bundle is somewhat sparse and its BIOS is somewhat limited for overclocking. However, MSI deserves special recognition for taking its time with the K8N Neo4, designing a product with innovative features and integrated peripherals that enthusiasts will actually want to enable, rather than the cheap add-ons that competing manufacturers tend to include.
Tyan’s K8WE is another very attractive product, despite that it’s in an entirely different class of hardware. It does exact some specific requirements, mainly in the way of demanding a workstation-level power supply and dual 940-pin Opteron processors. You can use a single processor, however, you’ll lose one of PCI Express slots and four memory slots. And then there’s the registered memory requirement.
But at the end of the day, that K8WE is nearly unrivaled when it comes to tearing through multithreaded software. Dual Opteron processors, dual SLI graphics cards, dual Gigabit Ethernet, NVIDIA’s nForce Professional 2200 and its 2050 chipsets all on the same board. If ever you were looking to evoke envy amongst your more technically oriented friends, this would be the board to do it. The benchmark results simply speak for themselves.
ASUS’ A8N-SLI Deluxe and Gigabyte’s K8NXP-SLI are both solid boards as well. Neither stands out in the performance department, though it’s worth noting that ASUS does bolster performance somewhat through a BIOS-controlled graphics overclocking option, which we disabled to normalize our tests. The ASUS product is laid out particularly well and with a mind for thermal management, while Gigabyte packs as many features onto its board as possible. In the end, they both do a fine job at a comparable price; both manufacturers sufficiently differentiate to attract different audiences.
There’s a reason knowledgeable auto aficionados often avoid the first model year of any given car. No matter how much effort a manufacturer puts into its product, there are unavoidable kinks that work themselves out over time and SLI is very similar in many regards. Given a proper understanding of the technology and its complementary components, however, we feel NVIDIA did a sufficient job such that you needn’t worry about the solidity of an SLI platform. The long-term effects of selling a kidney to get that dual 6800 Ultra system are another story entirely, of course.
SIDEBAR: Pigs are exceedingly loud creatures. A University of Illinois study measured average pig squeals that ranged from 100 to 115 decibels. The supersonic Concorde jet, by comparison, was originally banned from New York when its engines exceeded 112 decibels at takeoff.