The Gigabyte GA-X48T-DQ6 - Redefining the High End?

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• Ozlaw - Monday, June 23, 2008 - link

  I recently switched the inner workings of my computer from a Sriker Extreme, X8000 CPU and an 8800 GTX, to the Gigabyte GA-EX38T-DQ6, with an Asus HD 3870 X2 1gb (and I was about to add another in crossfireX, until I found out AMD was rolling out the 4000's series X2 early, actually possibly in Q3 of this year). If I had known, which is the story of my life and computers, that a newer chipset was coming out so soon, I would have waited for the 48T. The funny thing is that ever since I studied coomputer progaramming in college in the 70's, and began building my own computers when costs became parctical to do so, I suscribe to all the industry news but always miss something big.
  
  Oh well I can say that the 38T, since it was designed aroung quad core, including the extremes, instead of relying on BIOS updates to recoginize and work with critical hardware, such as the 680i in my old Striker Extreme was doing (I had the QX6850 in int for a time)in and of itself made an ennourmous difference in my computer's speed and functionality.
  
  THanks for a good article and now I am going to have to decide whether to buy a new motherboard when I buy the new graphics cards as I admit to being on of those weak early consumers of tech products, althhough I am getting better when it comes to Intel's cpu's now that they have become a CPU of the month club.

• papatsonis - Wednesday, April 16, 2008 - link

  "(G)MCH Overvoltage Control
  
  Default voltage is 1.45V, and the available voltage scale provides an overvoltage of 0.025-0.775V. There an actual undervoltage of 0.2V from the BIOS set overvoltage. For example, as the stock voltage is set to 1.45V a BIOS setting of +0.50V would imply a voltage of 1.95V. However setting +0.50V gives an actual voltage of 1.75V, suggesting an undervoltage of 0.2V. "
  
  The default voltage of X38/X48 is 1.25v (and in the article explaining tRD values , states that also) , the gigabyte in fact OVERvoltages MCH , when set to normal , to 1.45volt , but when adjusting values, it sets correct values (multimetered) e.g. +0.125 ->~ 1.38v

• Galvin - Monday, April 28, 2008 - link

  I dont have a volt meter. But I did verify thats what happening.
  
  I have the x48 ddr2 version. Normally the NB heatsink is too hot to keep my fingers on it. So if you run less voltage the heatsink should be cooler to the touch. Which is what happened. I set the overvolt for the MCH to 0.025 then rebooted. Waited a few min and I was able to hold my fingers to the heatsink without burning. I did this 2 more times to be sure.
  
  Surprised no one has found this before. That explains why the NB heatsink was crazy hot.
  
  Thanks
  

• neat1 - Sunday, January 6, 2008 - link

  http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/intel_skulltra...">http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/intel_skulltra...

• neat1 - Sunday, January 6, 2008 - link

  Does this board supp sli or is there still only crossfire support on the x48 chipset? (which would be kind of odd)
  Looking fwd 2 see the ASUS X48 tested
  Regard/neat1

• Rajinder Gill - Sunday, January 6, 2008 - link

  Hi,
  
  Right now Nvidia has no plans whatsoever to allow SLI on the desktop Intel chipssets. Skulltrail may be the only exception to this. Of course, that's assuming Skulltrail ever gets released.
  
  regards
  Raja
  

• Rob94hawk - Sunday, January 6, 2008 - link

  Benchmarks with skulltrail or just hype?

• Rajinder Gill - Sunday, January 6, 2008 - link

  Hi Rob,
  
  Personally I have not seen anything of Skulltrail myself, Intel are notably tight-lipped about publishing anything. Of course we'd all love to have a play...lol
  
  regards
  Raja
  

• kilkennycat - Friday, January 4, 2008 - link

  Is Gigabyte paying Anandtech for front-cover "pseudo-advertising"? I though Anandtech exclusively reviewed quality products. Seems as if the pre-fitering within Anandtech of products for review needs to be strengthened.
  
  This review is so full of wishful thinking about future BIOS updates (whhich may never materialize) that I want to scream. Surely there are computer-related products in a far more mature state begging for serious technical reviews?

• Rajinder Gill - Friday, January 4, 2008 - link

  At least the preview/review let's people know what to expect at present. I guess I am wishful, because I hate to see good products go to waste via an inadequate BIOS. Immediate maturity with top-end performance boards (the reviews I concentrate on) is hard to find, almost impossible in fact. Occasionally we find a gem, when we do, we write about it. Not every board that comes down the channel is going to make the masses happy, especially in this segment. It's one of the toughest segments of all, the budget minded will never be happy with it. But then these products are not aimed at the budget segment at all. In the PC world there's no such thing as linear performance scaling per dollar. This board needed a 2 stage review, because fo the length of time the cascade cooled results can take. Where this may not be the typical approach, the performance boards are used by a percentage of this crowd. The rest is the more stable down to earth stuff which we endeavour to cover with the BIOS guides. It just so happens this all fell in with the Christmas season, when most companies go into shutdown.
  
  We review these boards in a way that the people who have the dollar or inclination to spend this kind of money will use them, no more, no less.
  
  regards
  Raja