Guru 3D Crossfire Users Guide

The layout looks very similar to the Asus striker xtreme to me. Only one PCI slot available when using 2 GPU's. No biggie that tho. The IDE port being right at the bottom could be a pain though, but i do like where the SATA ports are. Has anyone reported performance/overclocking results on these Abits yet?

 

i spotted a great deal on a 680i board mike if you want one ill PM you the link to the site , ive ordered one but it hasnt arrived yet

 

I need one pci-e 1x slot below the video cards so I can put my raid card in that... needs to have enough room behind it to clear the back of the (very small) card. (rocketraid 2300)

 

Mike,
No worries about getting back to me, the questions are probably irrevalent now anyway, lol! I still do want a link to your posted pictures (of your rig) if you would though? I realize I could just go through the thread but it's such a pain to find them.

I think the Abit is the newest 680i out at the moment so I don't think there is much out on it yet? I saw it advertised in the new Custom PC mag a couple days ago (great mag by the way, highly recommended)! It looks great with a somewhat different cooling solution than the reference boards (like what I have).

Revenant,
I ask you the same thing I ask Mike, any chance you'd post a linky to whereever you have your rig posted? I can't remember if I've seen it or not but I'd like to!

Quick Update: I've been looking for a new E6600 or E6700 because I really thought mine sucked for lack of a better term, but I ran Orthos all night and most of day (16.47hrs) at 3.4Ghz on 1.41v (small-FFT's) with no errors or warnings! It's really taken me along time to get the hang of this board (and still have long ways to go), lol!

It wasn't so much the CPU as I had thought it was the MCH voltage (northbridge). I had it at stock voltage (1.2v) and it goes all the way up to 1.750v on my board. Well I pushed the voltage up to 1.6v and since then I've had no problems at all!

I realize you guys arn't running the 680i but what kind of voltage are you all running for the following compoents?

CPU VCORE:
CPU FSB:
nForce SPP (Southbridge):
nForce MCH (Northbridge):
HT Southbridge<>Northbridge:

Last but not least I think most of you C2D users have both "Execute Disable Bit" and also "Virtualization Technology". Well it is pretty much common knowledge to disable the "VT" but what about the "Execute Disable Bit"? At the moment I have it enabled because I read that some people can't overclock at all without "EDB" enabled but others say disable it? So what are you guys running for this setting (if you have it)?

As always thank you very much guys for your help and time!

 

I need to take new pix of it with the raid card in and the tracers... love the lights on the tracers! the ones on the top of the memory which move around green/red then they have several blue leds at the base of each chip lighting the memory slots! I am not sure if the old tracers did that or not.. but it's cool!

anyways.. here's a pic from early December: http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e40/r3v3nant/P1000538.jpg

 

Come-on, you must have more pictures than just that, lol! No just kidding although I'd really like to see more shots now that I've got a glimpse of it! Looks awesome and very clean! Even though I'm not big into showy rigs with lots of lights I'm starting to come around (looks awesome when done right)! What type of fluid are you using, or what additive are you using?

Lane: I'm very seriously considering buying a used E6700 so I was wondering what stepping you have?

 

Please help me.
I have a x1900gt and was wondering what card i needed to enable crossfire.
Here are my specs:
MSI 975X Platinum PE Socket 775
MSI x1900gt
2 gb OCZ DDRII @ 667mhz
Audigy 2 zs
Hiper 580W Modular PSU BLACK

 

and a core 2 duo 6400

 

It's a LA0628...

..

 

Bryan,
I could be wrong but I thought the newer X1900GT's and X1950GT can run Cross-Fire with software (no dongle needed)? I wouldn't take that info as fact yet Bryan, not until one of the other guys replys.

Lane,
Thanks very much!

 

I was reading on the Sappire fourm and found out you can run a Sappire Radeon x1900xtx Crossfire ready with a Saphire Radeon x1950 Crossfire edition card.heres the link too http://www.sapphiretech.com/en/forums/showthread.php?t=7362

 

Yes i use a X1950CF +X1900XTX ... (2 are HIS, but this was just cause i like the HIS ...never got a prob with one of their GPU's)..

Result are really fine ... in games .. no prob .. in Bench like 3D Mark result are really good too..( 23339 in 3D05 / 13'xxx in 3D06 OC off course .)

 

but putting a x1950cf by the x1900gt would be a waste, don't you think?

 

certainly too much difference of performance.. the second will kill the add of the first.. (i can't remember how perfrom the GT)

another thing to verify it's the compability: in new GPU's like the X1950Pro there's no more dongle, but 2 connectors like with SLI... if you have a GPU's need a Dongle and the second not.. i m not sure it will work fine.. i say i m not sure cause i have read nothing about this...

anyway a X1900XTX and X1950 have not a lot of difference in term of performance.. and if you have a X1900 with good memories, good cooling when you bench, you will automatically have good result as you OC the memory of the X1900 really higher compared to the X1950 ( GDDR4 limited by actual OC software and one GDDR3).... now i think it's a good thing to use same core on both too (R580, R570 etc..)... But the best is finally got the same GPU's...

it' s more a good thing if you update from Cfire system..
You have 2 X1900XTX, you have not enough money buy 2 X1950XTX/CF, you sell one , take some money and buy the X1950CF.. and then it's fine..

Now i think the upgrability is terminate with DirectX10 ( R600) etc... I don't think it will be possible to use a DirectX 9.x GPu's and a DX10 in master..

(it's why i finally run actually with this "Hybrid" sys.. i don't wanna put some money for buy a second X1950 for buy a complete sys in 3 months and like the performance are really fine... no prob to wait.)


Edit: will have a OCZ 850W GXstream next week... bad choice or?... ( cheap price if i look other 750-850W PSU's. like the Enermax Galaxy.)

 

Lane,
I think your choice for a new PSU is a good one, my 700w supply has been great for me although I'm not running SLI, Cross-Fire, or Quad GPU's. It's got 4x 20A rails and it's also very small in size. Infact I'm pretty sure it's the same size as both the 600w and my 700w. I'll try to find some decent reviews on it and post a linky for you!

 

I'll be heading for an Enermax Gallaxy 1kw in the next week or so guys... want something that will last me for a while

 

Is your FSP starting to hit it's limit you think? Then again it looks like you just want something more futureproof? Plus with that second GTX in the works you will certainly need it! If I'm not mistaken Mike doesn't that PSU come with 4x PCI-e connectors? Plus it will fit just fine in the Stacker!

 

is that 1kw galaxy silent? I'll need more power for the 2 r600s. Are there any other nice 900-1000W PSUs?

 

Don,
Yeah there are a handful of other 900w-1100w supplies out there but the Galaxy is probably the best one available for the money. It is rock solid stable and very capable, almost every review I've read has praised it as being very solid! It's not totally silent but it isn't outragiously loud either.

On a separe note guys, a few of you are using the Asus P5W-Deluxe motherboards. Well those boards don't offer the ability to run both RAM and CPU at different speeds does it? For example, on my board you can set both the FSB and RAM speed separetly. Just curious because I'm starting to consider getting a different motherboard but not sure yet?

 

The P5W has dividers, but they aren't really all that good. And FYI your 680i board doesn't offer "proper" individual CPU/mem clocks like the RD600 boards, either, it works by using lots and lots of dividers.