New System Time - Feedback on Choices & Alternatives please!

[TeaLeaf]

I have, but they do not do a 680i chipset yet.

TL

[Gandalf]

Ahh I see, you're aiming for the latest in quantum computing :narnar:

[suicidal_monkey]

I heard rumour of a 690 chipset. bigger number, must be better

[Gandalf]

TL, if you've not already read it then do so but in this months PC Pro there is a new system review for the 680i chipset. (It's only just turned up on my sub so may not be in the shops yet) Page 66 I believe.

A few specs, Quad core cpu (can't remember the speed, don't have the mag here)
two, yes two 8800GTX cards
A stupid amount of ram (2gb I think)
300GB HDD, (2x150GB striped)
A few other bits and bobs. The whole thing is watercooled and overclocked.

The reviewer couldn't believe the speed of the machine.

At a high res of 2500 x 1500 or something with 16AA and 16AF and the detail settings on max in ES:Oblivion it was still running at 100FPS!

Oh, don't look at the price. Just under 4k I believe :blink:

[Gone_Away]

TL that is one monster card.. Is it the water-cooled version??

[Gone_Away]

Hey TL.
 
Just saw this: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-035-BG
 
I know they're not your favourite retailer but not a bad price (me thinks)

[TeaLeaf]

Thansk Ninja, I have had no problems with Overclockers personally (I know some others have), so I'll talk to Norm about it sometimes a deal is cheaper than it can be obtained trade, so we'll need to check as the margin on the cutting edge stuff can literally be a couple of pounds only. :sad:

TL.

[lionheart]

More possible 680i probs...
http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTI0NCwxLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA

[TeaLeaf]

Nice fine Lionheart, now to see if the BIOS updates fix it of if we'll see a Rev. 2 board issued.  Just as well almost everything I wanted in my new system was out of stock :sad:

TL.

[Gone_Away]

Hey TL. Let me know how you like that case (when indeed your rig is put together). I took a look at it and I must say I like the looks and idea of the 3 "silent" 120mm fans.
 
So if at the lan.. remember that imitation is the biggest form of flattery.

[lionheart]

Maybe finally some good news for the 680i ?
http://www.hardocp.com/

[lionheart]

And more
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/chipsets/display/20061217121610.html

[TeaLeaf]

INdeed, I've been following the HOCP forums and posts about the BIOS issued yesterday (Sunday).  The fact that it is on Sunday shows how worried they are..........now all we need is stock of the the mobos!  Although I think I'll sit and watch for a bit first.

TL.

[Gorion]

the BFG ones aint released yet, theylle be out late next week hopefully

[TeaLeaf]

They added an short Q&A with Drew Henry (nVidia) @ HOCP.  Seems like the 680i is recovering from its illness and that the non-reference design boards (including the ASUS) are not affected.  This is unsurprising as they are not in stock anywhere for anyone to buy and then be affected :norty:

TL.

Drew Henry Interview

Drew Henry, General Manager of MCP Business at NVIDIA, took time to answer some pointed questions that will hopefully give you the solid answers you need in reference to the nForce 680i problems.

Q: Concerning the 680i issues, what EXACTLY is the problem? BIOS, driver, MCP/chipset, or other hardware? Or combination thereof?

    A: The problem that some users were experiencing related to signal timings on the motherboard. The new BIOS (P32) corrects this.

Q: Is the fix a workaround that compromises other technology on the motherboard?

    A: Absolutely not. We should have caught this in our internal QA process. Unfortunately, we didn't, and we have adjusted internal processes to make sure that this does not happen again. As the manufacturer of these products, we need to be absolutely certain that the quality of the product that is brought to market is top-notch and that the experience that consumers will be receiving is nothing but positive.

Q: Are there “bad” 680i MCPs/chipsets out there?

    A: No. This is not a MCP issue. It's really a board issue, and in this case, only with the motherboards that were designed and manufactured by NVIDIA. In fact, boards built by other manufacturers that use the same MCPs, including the ASUS Striker Extreme, ASUS P5N32-E SLI, and the ASUS P5N-E SLI motherboards, are not affected. When you hear of customer issues, your first thought is "how widespread is this," but it was pretty clear early on that it related only to the boards that we designed and manufactured. Talk about embarrassing!

Q: Why would the issue impact one board and not another on the same exact hardware/software install?

    A: There are statistical variations in electrical characteristics between boards, which in some cases, can mask the underlying issue. The BIOS adjusts timing in a way that avoids this condition.

Q: Is this P23 BIOS going to cure all 680i users' SATA problems?

    A: We believe so. We are releasing a BETA BIOS version so that customers can use it. We are completing our testing and will release a final version soon.

Q: So what do you have to say customers that have had to endure this frustrating set of events?

    A: We are sorry they had to go through it. We've spent all of this time, money and engineering resources to make the best possible platform for Intel CPUs, and then just as our customers and partners are experiencing awesome success with the new NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI motherboard, this happens. The bottom line is that our QA process missed this condition. Once we identified the problem it became our top priority to solve it. The information provided by the forum members proved to be very valuable. They were really instrumental in helping us identify this issue and provide a solution.