nForce4 SLI Roundup: Painful and Rewarding
by Wesley Fink on February 28, 2005 7:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
Audio Performance
Audio Performance is an area that we will be developing as we expand the new motherboard suite. We plan to provide Quality benchmarks and subjective listening to the more basic performance tests. For this SLI roundup, we limited audio testing to the Rightmark 3D Sound CPU utilization test. This benchmark measures the overhead or CPU utilization required by a codec or hardware audio chip.
We have to congratulate MSI on their choice of Creative SoundBlaster Live! 24-bit for audio. Similarly, DFI deserves praise for their excellent design work on the Karajan module, which reduces overhead to such low levels compared to competing implementations of the same Realtek 850 codec.
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Heinrich - Monday, February 28, 2005 - link
Hi, this is a great article. I'm really disappointed that the issues with the new Winchesters and the MSI board were not uncovered. The new CPUs will not post past FSB of 219, which is far below the 250 many get with other boards. Someone with the depth of knowledge, experience, and understanding of all these little options in the BIOS could help us uncover the real problem. Here's the best thread devoted specifically to the problem on Rebel HQ:http://www.rhcf.com/sisubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/21...
ajmiles - Monday, February 28, 2005 - link
Hey,I enjoyed the round up of the SLI boards very much and thought it was very thorough.
I own an A8N SLI Deluxe board, and too have been thoroughly disappointed with it's overclocking performance.
On behalf of tens of users on the Anandtech - Motherboards forums, would it be beyond Anandtech's power to get a statement from Asus about the issue???
At a 2T Command Rate the board will overclock to 316, 1T however just 249. The sudden BSODing as you approach 250 smacks of something that could be fixed with a BIOS update.
Please Anandtech, A8N users are begging for this to be fixed, or at least be told it can't be.
Many thanks, and again, a great article.
Adam Miles
Viper4185 - Monday, February 28, 2005 - link
is it true that the MSI board doesnt have a PCI Express x1 slot so that when the new Creative PCI express sound cards come out it wont fit?Viper4185 - Monday, February 28, 2005 - link
Thanks for the review guys, just what I wanted! Although I am interested in the Ultra versions its still very similar...I was wondring if you could comment on the stability/stress testing of the DFI board as Hardocp seems to have had some issues...
http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NzE3LDc=
Also would have been good if you included the Abit Fatal1ty board to make the review 100% conclusive for me.
nzimmers - Monday, February 28, 2005 - link
dang, I wasn't first, oh well.one more thing....I no longer chase the FPS demon, and I am better for it (mentally and emotionally). To be honest I don't expect SLI to become a standard in MB design.....even for high end gamers. Isn't the price just too high?
nzimmers - Monday, February 28, 2005 - link
First post!I was actually really (plesantly) surprised that DFI did so well. I know that they have been improving lately but isn't it great to see another MB manufacturer improving for once?
arfan - Monday, February 28, 2005 - link
finally...., thx 4 your reviewjkv71 - Saturday, June 3, 2017 - link
My DFI video quit. I use an adapter to run hdmi on my tv. I replaced the video card and still nothing. I replaced the mother board. Still nothing. Any ideas?