News Epox brings Socket 754 and SLI together

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2005/09/26/epox_ep-8npa_sli/

 

So we're going back to old technology?

Even so, I think its a fair idea for people not wanting to get rid of their processors. Saves you a fair bit I guess.

 

that's the idea - it is SLI for those who've not got a Socket 939 CPU and are considering the plump to PCI-Express/SLI

 

eh?!

pointless if you ask me.

 

I agree, webby.

I would want this...why? If you have a 754 processor, you'll already CPU limit any title that having SLI for would be a benefit...one PCIe 6800 and you're fine...Basically, if you're going to spend the money on all this stuff for SLI, why not upgrade your processor to something a bit bigger that offers dual channel ram?

This is a lot like the "2 6600gt's in the same card" idea...

 

If you've got a Socket 754 Athlon 64 you have literally no upgrade path because there are no 'official' PCI-Express chipsets supporting Socket 754. Epox have somehow managed to create an upgrade path for those Socket 754 owners so that they don't have to plump for a new CPU when upgrading.

 

****ing brilliant. I've got a 754 socket and, in my opinion, the fastest AGP card I can get. Now I can get a PCI-X GFX card with the option of going SLI and keep my CPU and RAM! Yuss!

There's a huge market for this I'd imagine, I'm surprised there hasn't been one released before. They're on to a winner with this board as far as I'm concerned.

 

See, this is the exact type of person that this motherboard is aimed at...

 

bigz, "upgrade path" is the right word.

Basically you don't quite have the money to go the full blast to upgrade from an AGP S754 to PCI-e S939, so you take the mobo and graphics upgrade, then sometime in the future go for the mobo and processor upgrade.

This would spread out the costs a bit, but in the long run will it actually save money? You would need a mobo compatible with both S754 to S939, which I don't see happening.

 

It make sense to those who don't want to take out a second mortgage to fund their computing addiction.

 

I think it's more like the 6200 SLI- I mean "6600 LE SLI". It's for people who want the SLI name to impress their friends, but don't have the money for the real thing.

I just really hope that AOpen or someone comes out with a Pentium-M SLI (or Crossfire, I don't care) board. That would smash 3DMark records.

 

I'd like to see a converter for S754 to S939, that fits in a S939 board, personally. Surely that would be more logical? I highly doubt it would work though.

 

ACtually, the vanilla NF4 supports 754 and 939 to my understanding. It's just that manufacturers know it's a waste to invest time in making a 754 version considering it's lifespan.

 

I'm pretty sure that you're right. Foxconn made a Socket 754 motherboard that used nForce4 a while ago, IIRC.

Edit: The Foxconn NF4K8AB; that's the one.

 

ive got an 8npaj, the non sli version

has pci-e (hence why i got it) so i could use my x800xl, tbh, i like it, but im upgrading it to s939 soon, as its processor limited....

tbh, the cost of upgrading to s939 is so low it makes little/bugger all difference now... plus the raw power is alot better over 754....

 

To me, this appears to be yet another niche motherboard. In reality, knowing how both SLi is largely pointless to get right off if you're getting anything less than the seriously high-end video cards, (I'd put the floor at perhaps the 7800GT right now, POSSIBLY making an exception for the 6800ultra in some situations) and also how the latest video cards have a tendency to be "bottlenecked" with anything less than a high-end Athlon64, (ANY Pentium 4, curiously enough, seems to not cut it in the most extreme cases, though hopefuly this is a fluke in benchmarks that doesn't translate in this case) you'd likely need to have an Athlon64 3700+, the max the socket will fit, right off the bat, and at that rate, and with you planning on going SLi, it really fails to make sense to get that motherboard, which will likely cost at least some $75US, as well as a pair of high-end nVidia cards, without giving your CPU some serious overhaul.

That said, there ARE some people who can benefit from this; those, for instance, who had a pair of 6800GTs from the previous generation, and looking to swap in a pair of 7800GTX 512s, while not letting their old cards go to waste, but know of a socket 754 machine that could use them. Also, people using a single PCI-e video card with their socket 754 machine, and looking to partake in SLi might be relieved to see that replacing their Athlon64 with what would likely be at least a 4000+ or X2-3800+ won't be necessary. It might even be viable for those with AGP, particularly in cases where you're looking to leap up from what is quickly becoming an outdated card like the GeForce 6600 to something truly powerful.