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Early in 2008, AMD launched its high-end 790FX + SB600 chipset in ATX form factor which comes with CrossFire X16+X16 architecture. However, due to the high price (around 160-200USD), the high-end 790FX chipset is not very popular in the market. In March, AMD introduces the latest low-end entry level 780G + SB700 South Bridge which is catered for the Micro-ATX solution. Built-in Radeon HD 3200 GPU and DVI+HDMI output support, it is suitable for users, who need smaller chassis also need the performance, and specifications are good choices. Price is more acceptable around 75-100USD. But AMD only introduced two high-end and low-end products; AMD launched the 790GX + SB750 South Bridge in September. That is providing full-range product solution; the 790GX chipset supports CrossFire technology, built-in high performance HD3300, and combined into Micro-ATX and ATX form factor. It is a better flexible combination. The price is also different due to the different form factors. The ATX version is about 120-160USD while the Micro-ATX solution is 100-130USD. This time we get high-end MSI DKA 790GX Platinum motherboard for testing. The ATX version is priced at about 160USD. Product Packaging Positioned at high-end version, the quality of the package is good. Accessories included There are user’s manual, XP/VISTA driver installation CD, two CF bridges and USB extension port. MSI DKA790GX Platinum motherboard Motherboard Layout 2 x PCI-E X16 (In CrossfireX mode, two slots run at x8 mode) 2 X PCI-E X1 2 X PCI 1 X Floppy Realtek 8111C Gigabit LAN controller, Realtek ALC888 HD Audio Codec, 8-channels 5 X SATAII (South Bridge SB750) 1 X IDE Power/Reset/Clear CMOS button usually use in high-end product. 4-DIMM DDR2, supports 533/667/800MHz, and Phenom can up to 1066MHz 24-pin power Processor utilizes the 4+1 phase power supply, full support 140W Phenom processor. Support MSI’s exclusive DrMOS energy-saving technology. I/O Interface 6 X USB 2.0 1 X eSATA(SB750) 1 X 1394 1 X S/PDIF optical output Mouse port change to 2 USB ports Built-in VGA HD3300, total have D-Sub/DVI/HDMI three output interface. The cooling device is very special.

The 3DMARK05 test result. CORSAIR HX1000W Modular Power Supply testing conclusions Pros: 1.Packing and case with high quality design, makes this PSU looks great. 2.Pass the “80PLUS” efficiency certification, modular cables with flat cable design. 3.Great numbers of connectors, even support 3 Way VGA or multi RAID platform as well. 4.The power supply present is stable on 3.3V/5V/12V test, differentiate gap is under1% 5.The power supply comes with low temp. when work, 14cm fan is quiet even in heavy loading mode. 6.CORSAIR test all these series with 50 degree temperature, also comes with 5 years warranty. Cons: 1.Although the website have HX1000W detail spec, but still wish the manual can have more spec. and test detail. 2.CORSAIR is famous but not that easy to buy in ASIA retail market, if they can have more channel and better price strategy, customers will have more better choice. Performance ratio:?????????? Design/Components ratio: ?????????? Outlooks/Shapes ratio: ?????????? Cost/Performance ratio: ?????????? The cost/performance ratio compares with other retail 900~1200W products, personally I think we have to use same segment products to get more fair comparison. Of course the high watts PSU C/P ratio is not that good compare with 400~700W segment products. The CORSAIR HX1000W is about 270USD on NEWEGG in US, it’s already a great value high level PSU. HX1000W is the top level PSU product of CORSAIR, comes with great spec. and rich connectors design. Besides 1000W output supply, modular design and 80PLUS certified, also comes with many Japan caps, high stability voltage supply and high quality outlooks. HX1000W comes with high price and segment, but it’s really worth it to get higher level design and packing. Former CORSAIR PSU was OEM from other power supply factories, such as Seasonic designed the HX620W. This HX1000W seems made from CWT, CWT also have similar products. But compare CROSAIR retail PSU and OEM factory products, CORSAIR did better job on cable design, more solid caps, heatsink size and warranty supports. I think it’s because CORSAIR have higher standard and request on PSU OEM design. The former CORSAIR PSU product lines only have HX620W/TX750W for high level; it’s not enough for high level segment products. But when HX1000W comes out, I think this issue was no longer existed. HX series is the best level segment of CORSAIR, totally have 520/620/1000W in this segment CORSAIR in not long in PSU market field, but they did very aggressive to launch many series PSU products to fulfill different markets and customers. That makes consumers to have 1 more high quality choice to consider when they want to purchase a new PSU product. windwithme coming test preview GIGABYTE X58 EXTREME DFI LANParty JR 790GX

CPU voltage time shift monitoring almost comes with 1 flat line. The voltage only change 1 time between 1.33~1.35V. 3.3V Almost between 3.04~3.07V, the differentiate is about 0.9% 5V Almost between 4.87~4.89V, the differentiate is about 0.4% 12V 11.845V, the differentiate is small with a flat line. The voltage test above are motherboard hardware detect present numbers, most of the motherboard detect hardware/software detect will have some differentiate gap with 3.3V/5V/12V voltage supply. So the voltage present is not reflecting the real voltage numbers, have to use instrument to test to get correct numbers. OCCT can only test voltage change range with heavy loading test. Use this high performance platform to test power supply loading change status. Use Power Angel to test the watts. Into OS test – 266W Run OCCT with full loading Dual Core – 351W Used Q9550 OC 3.7G + 9800GTX, Quad Core full loading only require 309W. So even use high level VGA and Quad Core, OCCT software still hard to push the power loading over 420W So we can see that OCCT software is hard to push high watts PSU up to it’s max output loading. 3DMARK2005-496W 3DMARK2005 is one of the heavy loading program, so use it to test 4870X2 to test the loading. OCCT + 3DMARK2006-531W Because of only use 4870X2 single card platform to test, so the top loading test is only 500~530W, if you are a heavy gamer with 4870X2 CF or 9800GX2 SLI or other 3 VGA platform, it’s not hard to reach 800~1000W when heavy loading, that’s also the reason we need 1000~1200W PSU.

Open the case to take a look with inside design Use GP fan, part number is D14BH-12 14cm. The fan can control the speed with power heat and loading. We can see the design are full of high quality components, also use many big size heatsink to spread the heat, most of them are solid Caps. Testing platform setup CPU: INTEL Core 2 Duo E8400 E0 MB: DFI LANParty LT X48-T3RS DRAM: CORSAIR Dominator TWIN3X2048-1800C7DIN VGA: MSI R4870X2-T2D2G-OC HD: Seagate 7200.10 320GB POWER: Corsair HX1000W Modular Power Supply Cooler: Thermaltake BigTyp VP/JETART Nano Diamond/Lubic OS Setup CPU 500X8.5=>4250Mhz DARM DDR3 2000 CL8 7-6-20 1T Dual Core full loading when OCCT test.

CORSAIR cross over to PSU business field more than two years The major product lines are HX and VX series. Their PSU product segments define from top to end are HX, TX and VX series. The highest level are HX series, comes with high quality/efficiency design, low noise and 5 years warranty to match gamer and heavy users’ demand. It’s not enough that the top segment HX series only have 520/620W version in 2007 For power user and gamer, like 3-Way SLI gaming system, 620W power is really not enough. This situation was changed after HX1000W launched in 2008, CORSAIR HX series PSU already up to 1000W and higher level. Let’s introduce the CORSAIR HX1000W Modular power supply We take a look on packing and box first, comes with high level segment design and very heavy. There are 80 PLUS and NVIDIA SLI support logo on box. The inside accessories Modular cables packing, cable sleeve wire, power cord and 8 languages manual. Modular cables 1 X ATX 20/24 PIN 1 X ATX 4/8 PIN 2 X PCI-E 6PIN 2 X PCI-E 6+2PIN 2 X PCI-E 8PIN 12 X SATA 12 X 4PIN 2 X Floppy Besides normal power connector and cables, even built with 6 PCI-E VGA power connectors that make the power support 3 Way SLI or Multi CrossFire graphics platform. PSU size is 150mm (W) x 86mm (H) x 200mm (L), the depth is longer than normal size PSU. HX1000W keep the tradition of HX series, use fogged black shield case, that makes the PSU become higher quality looks. Back side use beehive holes design to exhaust the heat. Active PFC design, so there is no 110/220V switch beside the power switch. HX1000W main cooling system is 14cm fan, comes with thermal control, fan speed and noise is very low when loading is light. The noise is acceptable when heavy loading. HX1000W fan comes with high quality CORSAIR mark board. Modular cable holes and 20/24PIN.4/8PIN.PCI-E 6+2PIN cables. HX1000W detail spec. +12V1, +12V2 total support 80A, support all kinds of high level VGA cards with multi SLI/CrossFire platform.

About software installation Surveillance software Of course, you can modify the surveillance software for fantastic SW skin. DFI JR P45-T2RS is ABS ready OC beginners can download ABS file from DFI web for easy system boost After reboot the PC and press F1, the bus speed will auto upgrade from 266 to 333MHz, 333 to 400MHz. Some difference between DK P45 and JR P45 in OC setting. I tried some OC setting and saved as *.abs file, you can download the file via the link below (Description: Dual-core @ 500MHz/ Default voltage; Dual-core @ 600MHz; Quad-core @ 500MHz; 2GB + 2GB DDRII @ 1133MHz) windwithme-JR P45-T2RS ABS When you upgrade the BIOS, please note that ABS file might be failed because of difference between new and old BIOS version. DFI LANParty JR P45 T2RS Conclusion Strength 1.microATX form factor and vivacious packing design. 2.All Japan solid cap.; Dual PCIE 8X slot for Crossfire. 3.Various BIOS options with wide range voltage setting; fixed the “voltage drop” problem. 4.On-board Power/ Reset buttons for DIY users. 5.Great DRAM OC potential. 6.Specific NB cooler with “Replaceable” design. Weakness 1. No Debug LED 2. Need more exposure in channel. Performance ?????????? Materials ?????????? Appearance ?????????? Cost/ Performance ?????????? To compare with the ATX P45 + ICH10R (USD $150~$170), the price of DFI LANParty JR P45-T2RS is acceptable (USD $160). Most manufacture produced microATX MB with entry-level chipsets, cheap, small and fair performance. However, DFI breaks the rule,DFI adopt mid-high chipset into microATX and does bring great performance to the market. Some friends of mine want to build small and powerful system, but it’s very hard to find the MB. Now, DFI offers the solution.

Stable in HyperPI 4M (Dual processors mode) with 601.4MHz NB 1.45V VTT 1.32V There are few MBs that could be OC up to 600MHz. DFI JR P45 does a great job that reaches 600MHz with in microATX form factor. Q8200 M1 Stable in HyperPI 32M (Dual processors mode) with 500MHz NB 1.43V VTT 1.4V Passed Super PI 32M and 2M @ 512.6MHz NB 1.43V VTT 1.4V I also got unexpected outstanding result by OC quad-core CPU. Although it cannot pass 500Mhz 4 X 32M, it’s good enough. About DRAM 1GBX2 CORSAIR TWIN2X2048-8500C5D DDR2 1200 CL5 5-5-15 2.27V 2GBX2 CORSAIR TWIN2X2048-9136C5D DDR2 1134 CL5 5-5-15 1.9V Stable in 3 X SP2004 Blend mode Memory Benchmark DFI broke the bias about performance in microATX MB. The DRAM frequency rose up to 1200MHz by installing 1GB + 1GB; it also performs stable in 1134MHz with installing 2GB + 2GB. About graphics GIGABYTE HD4870 512MB DDR5 CrossFire 4870 750/ 1800MHz 3DMARK2006 Crysis Benchmark 1920X1200 3DMARK VANTAGE microATX but has Crossfire function is so amazing, it’s good for upgrade system in the future. If you want a small PC with powerful performance, DFI JR P45-T2RS is the best choice.

Boot screen There are two BIOS interface in JR P45, “Easy mode” and “Advanced mode”. You can get into advanved mode by press “F9” in “Genie BIOS setting” page. Genie BIOS Setting page For dual-core (C0/E0) overclocking, please set CPU Clock0 Skew as 100ps. Shutdown after AC loss: fix the “shut down after OC” problem in P45 platform. DRAM Timing Generally, you can set 0/0/2 or 3/3/1 to get better performance; if you install Corsair Dominator, you can try 4/4/1. Voltage page CPU VID Special Add +12.5mV~787.5mV DRAM Voltage 1.789~3.280V SB Core/CPU PLL Voltage 1.55~2.15V NB COre Voltage 1.1825~1.9700V CPU VTT Voltage 1.10~1.60V Vcore Droop Control: help to fix the “voltage drop” problem. CPU/North Bridge GTL REF: there are some difference between different CPU (such as C0/ E0/ C1/ R0) I often input 0.63/0.67/0.61 or 0.61/0.61/0.61 FSB Verf: New option in BIOS page. Make user to OC FSB more. (For E0 dual-core, please select 28 or 29) PC Health Status The platform CPU: INTEL Core 2 Duo E8400/Quad Q8200 MB: DFI LANPARTY JR P45-T2RS DRAM: CORSAIR Dominator TWIN2X4096-9136C5D/TWIN2X2048-8500C5D VGA: GIGABYTE HD4870 512MB DDR5 CrossFire HD: Seagate 7200.10 320GB POWER: Corsair HX1000W Modular Power Supply Cooler: Thermaltake BigTyp VP/JETART Nano Diamond CPU Core 2 Duo E8400 (E0 version) Stable in SP2004 with 500MHz NB 1.24V VTT 1.07V Stable in HyperPI 32M (Dual processors mode) with 590MHz NB 1.45V VTT 1.32V

According to Intel roadmap, “P35 + ICH9R” is replaced by “P45 + ICH10R” from 2008 in mainstream segment. In hi-end market, the only one choice in LGA775 is “X48”, and X58 will be the next performance king. Almost all P45 MB in the market are designed with “ATX” form factor, it’s hard to find an “O.C.” MB in microATX world. I hope G45 will change the situation; however, according to my experience, the OC potential may not good enough. What we are talking about in this article is DFI LANParty JR series, which embedded with “P45+ICH10R” and “Crossfire Reday!” About package DFI brings completely different design into JR package, more vivacious than before. DFI put a label on the box that describes “Intel OC power off issue fixed!” About Accessories ABS OC manual, DFI smart connectors and other necessary accessories. DFI LANParty JR P45 T2RS microATX is very attractive to users who want to build small but powerful system. Bottom-left of MB 2X PCI-E X8(CorssFireX X8+X8) 1X PCI-E X1 1X PCI 1X FLOPPY LAN chip: Marvell 88E8053 Gigabit LAN Audio chip: Realtek ALC885 (HD audio/ 7.1 channels) + Tantalum capacitors. Bottom-right of MB 6 X SATAII(ICH10R) ICH10R supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1 and RAID 5 On-board Power/ Reset button and debug LED for DIY users. Upper-right of MB 4 DDRII DIMM (667/ 800/ 1066MHz, max to 1200MHz in OC mode) 1X IDE(JMicron JMB368) Upper-left of MB 4 phase digital PWM with 12 MOSFET; it’s enough to compatible with both dual-core and quad-core (45nm/ 65nm) processors I/O 6X USB 2.0 1X Gigabit LAN Optical S/PDIF-out/RCA S/PDIF-out The jump in red is “EZ Jumper” for clearing CMOS. The new replaceable north bridge cooler could be removed easily, user can install other cooler kit into DFI JR P45-T2RS.

Screen-shot: Installing the software New software for getting instant system information. Users can download ABS file from DFI website, it’s good to “freshman” in overclocking world. I tuned the BIOS setting for few days, if you have the same devices with me, you can download my setting from the link below: windwithme-DK X48-T2RSB PLUS ABS ABS is a great software for overclocking. With four BIOS setting in CMOS, users can try different setting as they wish. You can load setting from others or can make your own file! For example, If you OC to 600MHz, you can save 600MHz, 580MHz, 560MHz, 540MHz in CMOS. When other users load your setting, ABS will load the file from the lowest setting for safety. DFI LANParty DK X48-T2RSB PLUS Conclusion Good 1.The most affordable X48 product in the market. 2.6-phase digital PWM; All solid cap.; PCIE 16X+16X 3.Various BIOS options with wide range of voltage support; “Vcore Drop Control” included. 4.8 SATA II; Debug LED; Power/ Reset button; EZ Jumper for clearing CMOS 5.Great memory module compatibility and OC potential; especially performs great in 2GB + 2GB mode. 6.North bridge cooler could be removed alone; users can install different kind of cooler in standard socket. Bad 1.Vcore drop a little bit more. 2.Need more exposure in channel. Performance ?????????? Components ?????????? Layout design ?????????? Cost/ performance ratio ?????????? This version is better then previous; pay USD $20 more but get 6-phase and 2 extra SATA II. Great memory module compatibility and OC potential; especially performs great in 2GB + 2GB mode. In Bus speed, DK X48-T2RSB Plus performs above the standard that reached 550MHz. With 16X + 16X PCIE, you can have better 3D ecperience. DFI LANParty DK X48-T2RSB PLUS is priced at USD $240; if you want a motherboard which is good in designing/ material/ overclocking and Crossfire, DFI LANParty DK X48-T2RSB PLUS would be your good choice:)

After rose up the voltage in few stages, it’s stable in 557MHz SP2004. According to the limitation of X48, DFI did a good job in Vcore control; it’s easy to OC up to 560Mhz with standard voltage. About DRAM 1GBX2 DDR2 1066 DDR2 1181 CL5 5-5-15 2.19V 2 X SUPER PI 32M Pass DDR2 1200 CL5 5-5-15 2.3V EVEREST Memory Bandwidth 2GBX2 DDR2 1066 CORSAIR Dominator TWIN2X4096-8500C5D DDR2 1186 CL5 5-5-15 2.27V 2 X SUPER PI 32M Pass DDR2 1200 CL5 5-5-15 2.27V EVEREST Memory Bandwidth Many people know that they can only OC memory module up to 1200MHz with “Micron D9 IC”; however, by DFI outstanding R&D ability, other modules with “non-Micron IC” can also reach 1200MHz in DFI DK X48-T2RSB Plus. GAINWARD HD4850 + MSI 4850 CrossFire HD 4850 Default 625/993Mhz 3DMARK2006 3DMARK VANTAGE Crysis Benchmark The most important advantage of X48 is supported 16X+16X mode in dual graphics mode; you can get better 3D performance than P45 which supports 8X+8X only.

Screen-shot(Turn on) Press F1 in this page, ABS file will be loaded. Screen-shot (BIOS) “CMOS Reloaded” function, you can store up to 4 setting in CMOS. Main menu: frequency/ voltage For dual core CPU, set 100 or 200ps at item “CPU Clock Skew0” Detail options in DDR2 page You can OC higher with correct setting. For CORSAIR Dominator series, 5/8/7/7 is recommended. Voltage page CPU VID Control 0.90000V~1.60000V CPU VID Special Add 101~115% DRAM Voltage 1.800V~3.375V SB Core/CPU PLL Voltage 1.510V~2.380V NB COre Voltage 1.265V~2.040V CPU VTT Voltage 1.100V~1.603V Vcore Drop Control: Help to avoid the “Vcore drop” situation. PC Health Status My Platform CPU: INTEL Core 2 Duo E8400 MB: DFI LANParty DK X48-T2RSB PLUS DRAM: CORSAIR Dominator TWIN2X2048-8500C5D/TWIN2X4096-8500C5D VGA: GAINWARD HD4850 + MSI 4850 CrossFire HD: Seagate 7200.10 320G POWER: CorsCorsair HX1000W Modular Power Supply Cooler: Thermaltake BigTyp VP/JETART Nano Diamond/Lubic E8400 E0 Dual-core 500Mhz SP2004 (Stable) ,NB 1.29V/VTT 1.15V 550Mhz SP2004(Stable),NB 1.4V/VTT 1.39V

According to the products launched in 2008, DFI produced P45 series as mainstream product, that are priced at USD $150~180; for X48 chipsets, DFI produced both UT/LT/DK series to cover the price range from USD $ 200~310. The superstar today is “DK X48-T2RSB Plus”, reversion from DK X48-T2RS. There are some differences in the new version with USD $20 higher than before. First of all, the style of color box is “Wing” in DK series with Laser mylar coating. Accessories It embedded with Auto Boost System (ABS) technology, and there is an ABS user manual inside the box. Take a look at DFI LANParty DK X48-T2RSB Plus. Bottom-left of motherboard. Support PCIE Gen. 2; Active Crossfire with 16X + 16X 1 X PCI-E X4 3 X PCI Realtek ALC885 audio chip and Tantalum capacitors; supports HD 7.1 surrounding audio output. Bottom-right of motherboard. 1 X Floppy 6 X SATAII(ICH9R),RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1 and RAID 5 2 X SATAII(JMicron JMB363),RAID 0 and RAID 1 Built-in Power/ Reset button and “Debug LED” for overclocker. Top-right of motherboard. 1X IDE 4X DIMM DDR2 667/800/1066 24 pin power input. Top-left of motherboard. DFI adopted 6-phase digital and 18 MOSFET for PWM in DK X48-T2RSB PLUS, both dual-core and quad-core CPU can perform well in this motherboard. 6 X USB 2.0 1 X 1394 1 X S/PDIF-out port 1 X RCA S/PDIF-out port 1 X Gigabit LAN The red-jump is “EZ Jumper” for clearing CMOS Replaceable North Bridge Cooler makes the advanced O.C. easier! North bridge cooler could be removed alone; users can install different kind of cooler in standard socket.

DRAM DD2 1066 CL5 5-5-15 2.0V SP2004 Blend AMD Athlon64 X2 5400+ Black Edition 438X7=>3066Mhz BIOSTAR TA790GX A2+ Performance ?????????? Components ?????????? Layout design ?????????? Cost/ performance ratio ?????????? BIOSTAR TA790GX A2+ about 100 usd BIOSTAR TA790GX3 A2+,on board 128MB DDR3 about 130 usd BIOSTAR TA790GX XE,on board 128MB DDR3 about 100 usd Thanks:)

3DMARK2006 Need For Speed Carbon 1280x1024 HD3300 650/1066 HD3300 933/1066 Crysis Benchmark HD3300 650/1066 HD3300 933/1066 GAINWARD HD4850 + MSI 4850 CrossFire 625/993Mhz 3DMARK2003 3DMARK2005 3DMARK2006 Need For Speed Carbon 1600X1200 HD4850 CrossFire 625/993 Crysis Benchmark HD4850 CrossFire 625/993

CPU: AMD Athlon64 X2 5400+/Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition MB: BIOSTAR TA790GX A2+ DRAM: CORSAIR Dominator TWIN2X2048-8888C4DF VGA: GAINWARD HD4850 + MSI 4850 CrossFire HD: Seagate 7200.10 320GB POWER: POWER:Corsair HX620W Modular Power Supply Cooler: Thermaltake BigTyp VP/JETART Nano Diamond/Lubic TSeries OVERCLOCK 3 Hardware Monitor BIOS Update GPU HD3300 VGA 650/1066 3DMARK2003 3DMARK2005 3DMARK2006 Chipest 1.4V,HD3300 OC 933/1066 3DMARK2003 3DMARK2005

BIOS CPU CPU Over Voltage +0.012~0.787V Memory Over Voltage 1.9~2.6V Chipest Over Voltage 1.2~1.5V HT Over Voltage 1.2~1.5V DRAM GPU 32~512MB Advanced Clock Calibration for Phenom OC

BIOSTAR TA790GX A2+ 2 X PCI-E X16(CorssFiieX X8+X8) 2 X PCI-E X1 2 X PCI Realtek RTL8111C,Realtek ALC888 6 X SATAII(SB750) 1 X Floppy Power/Reset 4 X DIMM DDRII,533/667/800,Phenom up to 1066 1 X IDE 24PIN IO D-SUB/DVI/HDMI DDR2 64MB IC

DDR2 OC 1162 CL5 5-5-15 2.4V EVEREST Memory bandwidth 790GX bandwidth is not as good as 790FX, it’s a pity. However, the OC clock is pretty good. AMD Athlon64 X2 5400+ Black Edition 422Mhz SP2004 dual core stable. Dual core clock is same level as 790FX. If your CPU quality is good, 790GX can run at 400~460Mhz. For quad core Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition, it also can reach 240~250Mhz. Concludes GIGABYTE MA790GP DS4H Good 1.Latest AMD 790GX+SB750 with full solid capacitors and heat pipe thermal module 2.Supports CrossFireX and ATI Hybrid CrossFireX 3.Rich BIOS items and wide voltage menus 4.4+1 PWM can support AM2+ 140W quad core CPU. During the test, Phenom 9950 can OC to 3.2G~3.3G and pass many applications. 5.HD3300 is the best performance built-in GPU. The 3D performance is much better than AMD 780G and the other brands UMA chipset. 6.Dual core frequency is pretty high and HD3300 has D-SUB/DVI/HDMI 3 outputs. Weakness 1.DDR2 voltage can only reach 2.4V. It will be better if it can reach 2.6V 2.790GX DDR2 bandwidth is not as good as previous AMD chipset 3.As built-in HD3300, the chipset temperature is higher Performance ?????????? Components ?????????? Outlook ?????????? C/P ?????????? In early 2008, AMD launched hi-end 790FX chipset which support X16+X16 CrossFire. It collocate with X2 high frequency and DDR2 great OC ability. The price is aroun130~230USD. After then, AMD announced entry Mirco-ATX 780GX built-in HD3200 GPU and not bad OC level. The price is 80~100USD. For the mid-end market, it’s empty for several months. 790GX is the perfect product to fill in the segment. 790GX owns hi-end CorssFire, only X8+X8, faster built-in GPU HD330 than 780G, and good CPU/RAM OC ability. Also it has ATX and Mirco-ATX versions, it merges hi-end and entry characteristic. The price is around 100~160USD. GIGABYTE MA790GP DS4H is hi-end product in 790GX. No matter package, components or BIOS OC, it has great performance. MA790GP DS4H price is around 160USD now. If it can be lower than 150USD, it will be more attractive. If 790FX is over budget, and you would like to have 780G built-in GPU performance, also need further upgrade capability for CrossFire. GIGABYTE MA790GP DS4H is your good C/P choice.

3DMARK2006 Default OC NorthBridge Volt Control is helpful for OC HD3300. Basically, as it’s over 1050Mhz, sometimes it suffers the picture failed symptom. The best clock is 1063MHz which can run all the test without problems. If you don’t care the picture failed issue, the you can run 3DMark test at 1080Mhz Need For Speed Pro Street Default: Resolution 1280x1024 ANTI ALIASING:2X Default OC Crysis Benchmark OC Built-in DDR3 128MB is really improving the performance. NorthBridge Volt rises to 1.6V, the core clock can over 1000Mhz very easily. HD3300 3D performance is very outstanding. You can find more articles in the internet. ATI 790GX 3D performance is much better than Intel G45. GAINWARD HD4850 + MSI 4850 CrossFire HD 4850 Default 625/993Mhz 3DMARK2005 3DMARK2006 Need For Speed Pro Street Setup: Resolution 1920X1200 ANTI ALIASING:4X Crysis Benchmark 790GX is positioned in mid-end but it also supports CrossFire as hi-end 790FX. However, 790GX only supports X8+X8 bandwidth.

Configuration CPU: AMD Athlon64 X2 5400+/Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition MB: GIGABYTE MA790GP DS4H DRAM: CORSAIR Dominator TWIN2X2048-8888C4DF VGA: GAINWARD HD4850 + MSI 4850 CrossFire HD: Seagate 7200.10 320GB POWER: POWER:Corsair HX1000W Modular Power Supply Cooler: Thermaltake BigTyp VP/JETART Nano Diamond/Lubic GIGABYTE exclusive software EASYTUNE 5 PRO iCOOL @BIOS AMD OverDriver Utility AMD exclusive OS software has detail system info and user can adjust the voltage and clock through this software. Built-in GPU HD3300, shared 256MB GPU Default 700Mhz DDR3 1333/system memory DDR2 1066 GPU OC 1063Mhz DDR3 1333/system memory DDR2 1066 3DMARK2005 Default OC

BIOS Boot screen Setup main manual Voltage menu SonthBridge Volt Control +0.1V~+0.3V SidePort Mem Volt Control +0.1V~+0.3V NorthBridge Volt Control -0.200V~+0.200V(gap at 0.025V) DDR2 Voltage Control +0.05~+0.55V CPU NB VID Control -0.600~+0.600V(gap at 0.025V) CPU Voltage Control -0.600~+0.600V Press Ctrl+F1 will show the OC item: Advanced Clock Calibration. 790GX provides new items to enhance Phenom OC limitation. DDR2 parameters Advanced BIOS Te built-in GPU HD3300 related items are here. SidePort: use built-in Memory, this MB has DDR3 128MB UMA: shared with system main memory UMA mode can select different capacity SidePort DDR3 128MB can choose the speed. PC Health Status

Currently, the most hot topic in AMD platform is the new mid-end chipset 790GX+SB750. 790GX built-in HD3300 GPU which is more performance than HD3200 in 780G. I believe this chipset combines with AMD dual/triple/quad core CPU can bring the higher C/P value. Unlike 790FX has the advantage of CorssFire X16+X16, 790GX is positioned in mid-end. It only supports X8+X8 CrossFire. However, the new SB750 and GUP HD3300, 790GX is still a great choice for end users. This time I get is GIGABYTE MA790GP DS4H. After 790GX launched, 3 tier one manufacturers all announced their 790GX products. The price is around 160USD. As the price gap is small, the components, spec. and OC ability are the key factors. Package Accessory GIGABYTE MA790GP DS4H Left-Lower Corner 2 X PCI-E X16(CorssFiieX works as X8+X8) 3 X PCI-E X1 2 X PCI 1 X Floppy LAN Chip Realtek 8111C, Audio Realtek ALC889A, 7.1cahnnels support HD Audio Right-Lower Corner 6 X SATAII(SB750) 1 X LPT Dual BIOS Right-Upper Corner 4 X DIMM DDRII, support 533/667/800, and 1066 Phenom 1 X IDE 24PIN power in Left-Upper Corner 4+1 phase PWM for CPU which supports 140W Phenom CPU IO Interface 4 X USB 2.0 1 X 1394 1 X S/PDIF fiber output HD3300 has 3 output interfaces : D-SUB/DVI/HDMI MA790GP DS4H heatpipe thermal module

Age Of Empires 1600X1200 Default 750/1000Mhz OC 778/1125Mhz The performance of R4670 in Age Of Empires is more excellent than the previous 3800 series. Need For Speed Pro Street 1600X1200 Default 750/1000Mhz OC 778/1125Mhz Crysis Benchmark Default 750/1000Mhz OC 778/1125Mhz As long as do not open the maximum effect, the above four games can be run in 1600 x 1200 resolution. ATI has already made a great improvement in the performance for the entry-level graphics card. The current core can only be transferred to the highest 778MHz. The core of 4670 is too new to support the overclocking options of other related software. I believed that 4670 can have a better overclocking performance while supporting the software in the future. Temperature Default 750/1000Mhz The room temperature is about 27 degrees. Default 750/1000MHz. Standby Mode After running 3DMark2005, the maximum moment temperature is 51 degrees. The radiator comes with the copper material and greater cooling area. The fan operates without any noise. Coupled with the low-temperature 4670 GPU, the overall temperature has met the user’s satisfaction. Power Consumption E8400 3997Mhz/DFI X48/MSI 4670 The overall power consumption in standby mode is 114W. Running 3DMark2005 The maximum power consumption is 187W. The majority of state is 165~175W. The power consumption of 4670 is not high during standby mode or full-speed operation. The low power consumption and low temperature of 4670 are good for saving energy. At present we can see the price of each 4670 is about 90 to 95 US dollars, which is higher than ATI’s official retail price of 79 US dollars. Maybe because of the recently launched product, it is likely to have similar prices with the 3650/3850. ATI should raised the price slightly while unveils 4670. I do hope 4670 can be quickly reduced to the original price as soon as possible. By the way, 3850 comes with the high C/P value is also the best choice. ATI has more rival low-end product line than the other venders. The 3D performance of ATI 4670 is excellent, especially in the temperature and electricity consumption. There is some news these days that the price of NVIDIA 95/96 had cut down while ATI was launching its 4670 product. We can see that the price of the ATI product line is attracting more attention in the market. A few months ago, the introduction of 4850/4870 had forced NVIDIA GTX360/280 to cut down its price less than a month after its launching. Each level of ATI 4800 series products had caused NVIDIA to adjust their price repeatedly. I do not want to see NVIDIA having all the advantages in the market like in the past two years. The prices of graphics card are controlled by one supplier only. Most consumers would like to see the competition and comparison among the manufacturers. I hope NVIDIA can launch more competitive products in the future and ATI will continue to maintain the strength in its future products.

CPU: INTEL Core 2 Duo E8400 MB: DFI LANPARTY DK X48-T2RSB PLUS DRAM: CORSAIR TWIN2X2048-6400C4 VGA: MSI R4760 2D512/D3 HD: Seagate 7200.10 320GB POWER: Corsair HX620W Modular Power Supply Cooler: Thermaltake BigTyp VP/JETART Nano Diamond/Lubic CPU: 555X7.5=>3997Mhz DRAM: 1066 CL5 5-5-18 2T GPU MSI 4670 Default 750/1000Mhz OC 778/1125Mhz 3DMARK2003 Default 750/1000Mhz OC 778/1125Mhz 3DMARK2005 Default 750/1000Mhz OC 778/1125Mhz 3DMARK2006 Default 750/1000Mhz OC 778/1125Mhz The 3DMark performance of only 90 US dollars graphics card is not excellent than the higher price 3850 series. Strictly speaking, the price of 3850 series is lower compared to the last generation product. The 3DMark performance of the new 4670 series is fairly good. Running Games COMPANY OF HEROES Resolution 1600 X1200 Details Rating: Custom settings for the highest quality Default 750/1000Mhz OC 778/1125Mhz ATI graphics card was tested to run Company of Heroes, while testing, there were hundreds of pages on the screen. But the largest number of pages is about 60 in the result pages. I do not know what to change in the settings. Therefore, we use the minimum screen update rate be the effective reference value.