ASUS Striker II NSE (NVIDIA nForce 790i SLI)
Author:
Date: 13.06.2008
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During the performance tests, we compared ASUS Striker II NSE versus ASUS P5E3 Premium (Intel X48) and Gigabyte X48-DQ6 (Intel X48).
In our test setup, we used the following hardware:
Let's first take a look at the results of synthetic benchmarks.
Now on to the gaming benchmarks.
Tests of application software.
Video encoding (DivX, Xvid) was measured in seconds, i.e. the less the better.
Data compression (WinRAR) was measured in Kb/sec, i.e. the more, the better.
Final Words
Let's start with conclusions regarding the chipset NVIDIA nForce 790i (Ultra) SLI. Since DDR3 memory is already quite affordable, we can safely recommend motherboards based on nForce 790i SLI. The thing is, technologically and architecturally this chipset is superior to nForce 780i SLI. In the nearest future, its attraction will be going up at the pace the prices for DDR3 are going down. As regards the choice between the regular nForce 790i SLI version and the Ultra version, we should keep only one fact in mind: "Is the extended support for high-speed DDR3 modules with frequencies at least 2000 MHz really needed?". If not, the choice is straightforward: nForce 790i SLI. However, motherboard manufacturers will be producing more powerful models on the Ultra version, and the matter of choosing the chipset will grow up to be a matter of choosing a motherboard.
Now, conclusions regarding the board ASUS Striker II NSE. To start with, it is the first and only ASUS motherboard based on NVIDIA's high-end chipset, and we found no issues in the technical side. However, the retail price is definitely far from making the buyer delighted, and the positive conclusion is possible only due to separate shortcomings of previous motherboards. It is also not clear where the serial number for 3Dmark 06 suite (a bundled item).
We separately touch upon the topic of overclocking. At that, ASUS Striker II NSE has shown superb results and become on par with best overclocker-friendly motherboards based on Intel chipsets. In particular, we were able to overcome FSB=550 MHz without using fluid-powered cooling systems. We are sure that use of such a system and more optimized BIOS versions will make further overclocking quite feasible.
Conclusion
Pros:
- excellent stability and performance;
- support for SLI, 3-way SLI (3 PCI Express x16; 2x16 v2.0 + 1x16 v1.0 slots);
- support for SerialATA II (8 links; 2x RAID);
- support for ParallelATA (1 link);
- two Gigabit LAN controllers and 8-channel High Definition Audio (on a separate board);
- support for USB2.0 (10 ports) and Firewire (2 ports);
- wide selection of ASUS' proprietary technologies (PC Probe II, OC Profile, CrashFree BIOS 2, MyLogo2, Q-Fan 3, etc.);
- additional set of features - AI Proactive (AI Overclocking, AI Net 2,);
- passive/active/fluid system for cooling the board;
- eight connectors for plugging in fans with support for Q-Fan 2.
Cons:
The board's specific features:
- superb overclocking capability (FSB > 550 MHz);
- additional LEDs and Power, Reset, Clear CMOS buttons;
- diagnostic LCD-Poster unit;
- the audio subsystem is implemented as a separate board.
- Discuss the material in the conference
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