First Look: Nvidia nForce 780i SLI - bit-tech.net Forums

Tim S · 17th Dec 2007, 14:22

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/200...rce_780i_sli/1

We know some of you have been waiting quite a while for an update to the massively popular nForce 680i SLI chipset - and now it's here: the Nvidia nForce 780i SLI. We pull 780i apart to let you know what that extra hundred gets you.

Pie_uk · 17th Dec 2007, 14:40

great review... again !

the gigabyte boards rock. i used to think the same about the colour scheme but since buying the DS2R, i have to say its a work of art

rupbert · 17th Dec 2007, 14:49

I'd hoped fanless motherboards were a thing of the past.

oasked · 17th Dec 2007, 14:50

Hmm uninspiring. I know that its its early days, but it looks like you should get an Intel board (P35) unless you REALLY need SLI.

naokaji · 17th Dec 2007, 14:55

my conclusion: avoid nvidia chipsets if you live somewhere you can buy a p35 board and dont fall for the marketing hype called sli....

Bindibadgi · 17th Dec 2007, 15:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pie_uk

great review... again !

the gigabyte boards rock. i used to think the same about the colour scheme but since buying the DS2R, i have to say its a work of art

I used to like them but now I've gone the other way, there's so much better on offer - it doesn't feel like you're buying an enthusiast product

ryanjleng · 17th Dec 2007, 15:18

fantastic read and will be looking forward for more.

yeah, we also had plenty of odd things happening with NV chipsets. latest one in the lab has some power control issues. may be an assembly QC thingy at plants in china. who know...

PhillyB · 17th Dec 2007, 15:23

Sorry I didn't read the entire article (I am at work, I will read later!) so if this was mentioned in the article I am sorry.

When are they going up for sale?

What about 790i mobos?

E.E.L. Ambiense · 17th Dec 2007, 15:30

After three SLI boards, I'm taking a pass this time around. Too much heat for not enough performance. I'm just going the single large GPU route in the future personally.

I do like the color-scheme for the XFX version though, aside from the memory slots and other bits on the PCB. If it were all lime-green on black PCB, it'd be a beaut.

Zurechial · 17th Dec 2007, 15:32

Considering many 680i users avoid nTune like the plague due to cases of it corrupting the BIOS and otherwise messing things up, one has to wonder if they got the basics right with the new nTune first, before slapping a new GUI on it and integrating ESA.

I think I'll give the 7x0i series a miss, my 680i will easily tide me over until Nehalem, that is if it doesn't fry itself again... and I'll be steering clear of the false economy that is Upgrade-path SLI.

Mankz · 17th Dec 2007, 15:50

Liking the new Black I/O port covers for motherboards.

Bindibadgi · 17th Dec 2007, 16:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhillyB

Sorry I didn't read the entire article (I am at work, I will read later!) so if this was mentioned in the article I am sorry.

When are they going up for sale?

What about 790i mobos?

I assumed they would be available today/tomorrow as Nvidia "doesn't do paper launches" which is why I had a go in the uTune/ESA page. There seem to be a few listed but they are only Asus boards - the P6N-T for £158 and and Striker II for £200ish.

790i - sometime next year, I've no details yet.

Mankz · 17th Dec 2007, 16:07

Where Rich?

[USRF]Obiwan · 17th Dec 2007, 16:15

basicly the same old ****...

Bindibadgi · 17th Dec 2007, 16:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mankz.

Where Rich?

Just a few random sites - nowhere big or where you'd usually buy yet. I just asked NV and a few mobo manuf. about shipping and no one seems to know, strangely :|

XFX - Scan will stock by end of the week! (check Thursday)

Edit: According to the Tech Report, the 780i uses 7W more power than 680i SLI: http://techreport.com/articles.x/13790/11

and MSI has info on its 700-series boards too: http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=143964

mark3450 · 17th Dec 2007, 16:38

How can they possibly call this an enthusiast board without DDR3 support?

Nvidia is just milking old technology and calling it enthusiast. Welcome to the world of no competition.

Awoken · 17th Dec 2007, 17:25

These look like a reasonable stop gap for those waiting for a totally new nVidia board with DDR3 and SLI combo. DDR3 is still very expensive compared to similarly performing DDR2 and these new boards allow for the new Intel CPUs.

For 99% of people SLI is a bit of a gimmick but I had SLI with two 7900GTs and it was excellent on a 20" widescreen monitor. Two SLI 8800GTs is a good step up from an 8800 Ultra and two SLI 8800GTXs will be a step up from that. SLI functions in most games now and can give people with a little money to burn a welcome boost in gfx performance (though I freely accept your point that the performance is x1.5 for double the cost, there is no single card alternative).

Bindibadgi · 17th Dec 2007, 17:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark3450

How can they possibly call this an enthusiast board without DDR3 support?

Nvidia is just milking old technology and calling it enthusiast. Welcome to the world of no competition.

Because nobody wants DDR3.

naokaji · 17th Dec 2007, 17:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bindibadgi

Because nobody wants DDR3.

if we could buy 4 GB DDR3 for sub 150£ i would certainly want it

Zurechial · 17th Dec 2007, 17:57

Just got an email from EVGA as follows:

EVGA is proud to announce the 680i Motherboard Upgrade Promotion.
EVGA is offering a special (1) one time upgrade promotional program to all of its (122-CK-NF68-XX)* registered customers.
This program is for a limited time and will run for 60 days.
(122-CK-NF68-XX)* customers will be able to upgrade to the 780i (132-CK-NF78-XX) motherboard for a one time fee of $89.99 USD or €79.99.

What do you get for the $89.99 (€79.99)?
• New EVGA 780i Motherboard (132-CK-NF78-XX)
• 3 Way SLI Bridge ($20 USD €14 Value)
• Free Ground Shipping** ($10 USD €7 Value)
• PCI-E 2.0 Slots
• 3 x16 PCI-E Slots
• ESA Certified Platform
• New Upgrade Warranty (–A1 Limited Lifetime / -T1 2 Year Limited Warranty)

All products must be registered (http://www.evga.com/myEVGA/)
You will need to send in your EVGA 680i Motherboard once you have been approved for this promotion.
Please visit our website at: http://www.evga.com/680iupgrade/ and then log in to see this upgrade offer.

Thank you, EVGA Marketing.

==============================

So they're essentially offering a new time-limited step-up to the 780i with new conditions for those of us who have the 680i.
If the offer ran longer than 60 days I'd hold out and wait to see if the retail 780i is as unstable and unreliable as the 680i, but as it stands I'd rather not risk trading up my 680i to a 780i when there's a risk that it'd just plain suck.

And as I mentioned earlier in this very thread, the 680i should tide me over 'til Nehalem.

17th Dec 2007, 14:22	#1
Tim S Pewlius Caesar bit-tech Staff Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ascot, Berks Posts: 18,021	First Look: Nvidia nForce 780i SLI http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/200...rce_780i_sli/1 We know some of you have been waiting quite a while for an update to the massively popular nForce 680i SLI chipset - and now it's here: the Nvidia nForce 780i SLI. We pull 780i apart to let you know what that extra hundred gets you. __________________ Tim on Twitter \| Tim's Blog \| Tim's Flickr The bit-tech Blog \| bit-tech on Twitter \| Join the bit-tech & Custom PC folding team (#35947)

17th Dec 2007, 14:40	#2
Pie_uk here... take a slice of my pie Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Oxford Posts: 2,238	great review... again ! the gigabyte boards rock. i used to think the same about the colour scheme but since buying the DS2R, i have to say its a work of art __________________ Im a MAC

17th Dec 2007, 14:50	#4
oasked Stuck in the Mud Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bromley, Kent Posts: 2,552	Hmm uninspiring. I know that its its early days, but it looks like you should get an Intel board (P35) unless you REALLY need SLI. __________________ Intel i7 920 @ Stock \| 6GB Corsair DDR3\| Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 WD640 AALS \| POV 8800GT \| Lian-Li PC65 \| Enermax 600W SLI \| Dell 2408WFP

17th Dec 2007, 15:23	#8
PhillyB Minimodder Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 26	Sorry I didn't read the entire article (I am at work, I will read later!) so if this was mentioned in the article I am sorry. When are they going up for sale? What about 790i mobos? __________________ P5W DH, C2D 6600@3.0 on h20, 2gb g-skill DDR2-800 @ 1000, 8800gtx, dual raptor 150's, 1Kw, silverstone TJ07, X-fi, aquaero, big bore water - blackice 2x120mm - apogee wb - mp655 - 1/2 tygon, liteon dvd-rw, 24" Acer lcd.

17th Dec 2007, 15:30	#9
E.E.L. Ambiense Acrylic Heretic Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Malabar, FL Posts: 2,727	After three SLI boards, I'm taking a pass this time around. Too much heat for not enough performance. I'm just going the single large GPU route in the future personally. I do like the color-scheme for the XFX version though, aside from the memory slots and other bits on the PCB. If it were all lime-green on black PCB, it'd be a beaut. __________________ Latest Builds: "Movie Sign!" • CheckMate - MotM May '09 ~~Nominee~~ Loser! • BluBawx I • Lumière Noire - MotM Apr. '08 ~~Nominee~~ Loser! • Razzle Dazzle • CMC Field Server • "Building Better Worlds" - MotM Feb. '08 ~~Nominee~~ Loser! • Biohazard • MicroSuperFly

17th Dec 2007, 14:49	#3
rupbert Hypermodder Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 799	I'd hoped fanless motherboards were a thing of the past.

17th Dec 2007, 15:18	#7
ryanjleng ... Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 323	fantastic read and will be looking forward for more. yeah, we also had plenty of odd things happening with NV chipsets. latest one in the lab has some power control issues. may be an assembly QC thingy at plants in china. who know...

17th Dec 2007, 15:32	#10
Zurechial Elitist Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 885	Considering many 680i users avoid nTune like the plague due to cases of it corrupting the BIOS and otherwise messing things up, one has to wonder if they got the basics right with the new nTune first, before slapping a new GUI on it and integrating ESA. I think I'll give the 7x0i series a miss, my 680i will easily tide me over until Nehalem, that is if it doesn't fry itself again... and I'll be steering clear of the false economy that is Upgrade-path SLI. __________________ www.valyr.net Core i7 920 @ 4GHz <-> 8800GTS 512 @ 785/1946/1990 <-> GA-EX58-UD5 <-> 3GB Dominator 1600 <-> Xonar D1

17th Dec 2007, 16:15	#14
[USRF]Obiwan Ultramodder Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Netherlands Posts: 1,220	basicly the same old **... __________________ Mascleta: "The most accurate simulation of thunder, humans can simulate..."** The answer is 42, so... whats the question again? If you know what 'Peek' and 'Poke' represents, then you are probably as old as me.

17th Dec 2007, 16:38	#16
mark3450 What's a Dremel? Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1	How can they possibly call this an enthusiast board without DDR3 support? Nvidia is just milking old technology and calling it enthusiast. Welcome to the world of no competition.

17th Dec 2007, 17:25	#17
Awoken Gazing at the stars Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Marston, Oxford Posts: 1,144	These look like a reasonable stop gap for those waiting for a totally new nVidia board with DDR3 and SLI combo. DDR3 is still very expensive compared to similarly performing DDR2 and these new boards allow for the new Intel CPUs. For 99% of people SLI is a bit of a gimmick but I had SLI with two 7900GTs and it was excellent on a 20" widescreen monitor. Two SLI 8800GTs is a good step up from an 8800 Ultra and two SLI 8800GTXs will be a step up from that. SLI functions in most games now and can give people with a little money to burn a welcome boost in gfx performance (though I freely accept your point that the performance is x1.5 for double the cost, there is no single card alternative). __________________ Saving for a new desktop and laptop (Ooooh! Is that Windows Mobile 7 and Android 2 around the corner?)

17th Dec 2007, 17:57	#20
Zurechial Elitist Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 885	Just got an email from EVGA as follows: EVGA is proud to announce the 680i Motherboard Upgrade Promotion. EVGA is offering a special (1) one time upgrade promotional program to all of its (122-CK-NF68-XX)* registered customers. This program is for a limited time and will run for 60 days. (122-CK-NF68-XX)* customers will be able to upgrade to the 780i (132-CK-NF78-XX) motherboard for a one time fee of $89.99 USD or €79.99. What do you get for the $89.99 (€79.99)? • New EVGA 780i Motherboard (132-CK-NF78-XX) • 3 Way SLI Bridge ($20 USD €14 Value) • Free Ground Shipping ($10 USD €7 Value) • PCI-E 2.0 Slots • 3 x16 PCI-E Slots • ESA Certified Platform • New Upgrade Warranty (–A1 Limited Lifetime / -T1 2 Year Limited Warranty) All products must be registered (http://www.evga.com/myEVGA/) You will need to send in your EVGA 680i Motherboard once you have been approved for this promotion. Please visit our website at: http://www.evga.com/680iupgrade/ and then log in to see this upgrade offer. Thank you, EVGA Marketing. ============================== So they're essentially offering a new time-limited step-up to the 780i with new conditions for those of us who have the 680i. If the offer ran longer than 60 days I'd hold out and wait to see if the retail 780i is as unstable and unreliable as the 680i, but as it stands I'd rather not risk trading up my 680i to a 780i when there's a risk that it'd just plain suck. And as I mentioned earlier in this very thread, the 680i should tide me over 'til Nehalem. __________________ www.valyr.net** Core i7 920 @ 4GHz <-> 8800GTS 512 @ 785/1946/1990 <-> GA-EX58-UD5 <-> 3GB Dominator 1600 <-> Xonar D1