NF200 or not? (Triple-SLI on X58)

[NeedForSpeed]

Hi everybody, I'm about to move my Triple-SLI of 280GTXs from Core 2 to Core i7. As many of you already know, X58 chipset provides enough electric channels only for two PCI-Ex 2.0 16x slots, so on motherboards with three 16x slots when all of them are populated two of them revert to 8x; to get around this limit manufacturers could use the Nvidia NF200 bridge and be able to provide 3 full 16x slots.
I've read in many posts this assertion: "8x will provide enough bandwidth for any VGA on the market atm"; but http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/1472/1/intel_p45_vs_x48_crossfire_performance/index.html seem to show that the above is not quite right with a whopping 33-50% advantage on the 16x slots in some situations.
Otherwise http://www.guru3d.com/article/core-i7-multigpu-sli-crossfire-game-performance-review/1 shows quite good numbers for Triple-SLI even on a 16/8/8 mobo.
So, is it worth waiting for the first (if ever) NF200 boards? Provided that the NF200 produces lot of heat and a Tri-SLI rig gets quite hot by its own and adds also some latency on the bus itself, if the 280GTXs wouldn't be bandwidth limited on the 8x slots i'd go without the NF200 very happily (and save a few bucks too).

 

[RamGuy]

That tweaktown article has been proved to be rubbish!
There was something wrong with their Gigabyte BIOS or something which screwed things up, I don't remember what it was, if it was the PCI-Express slots being PCI-Express1.1 only or something else, but that test is just rubbish.

All other tests proves the fact that no graphic card by date is using the whole 8x PCI-Express2.0 bandwidth, so no worries there!

The nF200 chip might actually make more harm than good by adding additional latency into the picture, and this added latency has actually been proven to decrease performance, not much but noticeable.

So there is no point on waiting for the nF200 card (Asus P6T6 Revolution?), other than the fact that the workstation P6T6 WS Revolution board might turn out to be very good board like the Asus Evolution!

I would simply go for whatever X58 board you feel for, go for the one you like the best in your own price range and don't think of the nF200 chip at all..

 

[NeedForSpeed]

That tweaktown article has been proved to be rubbish!
There was something wrong with their Gigabyte BIOS or something which screwed things up, I don't remember what it was, if it was the PCI-Express slots being PCI-Express1.1 only or something else, but that test is just rubbish.

All other tests proves the fact that no graphic card by date is using the whole 8x PCI-Express2.0 bandwidth, so no worries there!

The nF200 chip might actually make more harm than good by adding additional latency into the picture, and this added latency has actually been proven to decrease performance, not much but noticeable.

So there is no point on waiting for the nF200 card (Asus P6T6 Revolution?), other than the fact that the workstation P6T6 WS Revolution board might turn out to be very good board like the Asus Evolution!

I would simply go for whatever X58 board you feel for, go for the one you like the best in your own price range and don't think of the nF200 chip at all..

So you think that the second round of X58 boards with NF200 that will come up in December, as Asus delcared that they will soon make "R.O.G." series mobos with NF200 and eVGA stated they will too, is just "marketing stuff"?
The P6T6 WS Revolution has NF200 but also SIX PCI-e 16x slots and this could enforce your assertion that 8x is enough for today's hardware provided that with only one NF200 switch they can't have all those slots working at full speed in case they're all populated (and I read that the Revolution may not be available on retail market).
I'm quite confused, think I'll wait and see before spending all those $, btw my QX9650 is more than enough for today's games, it's just my "addiction" to have the latest & greatest hardware in my gaming rig.

 

[E.R]

So you think that the second round of X58 boards with NF200 that will come up in December, as Asus delcared that they will soon make "R.O.G." series mobos with NF200 and eVGA stated they will too, is just "marketing stuff"?
The P6T6 WS Revolution has NF200 but also SIX PCI-e 16x slots and this could enforce your assertion that 8x is enough for today's hardware provided that with only one NF200 switch they can't have all those slots working at full speed in case they're all populated (and I read that the Revolution may not be available on retail market).
I'm quite confused, think I'll wait and see before spending all those $, btw my QX9650 is more than enough for today's games, it's just my "addiction" to have the latest & greatest hardware in my gaming rig.

What i know is that EVGA X58FTW that has the NF200 chip will have vdroop control and other stuff so it is not all marketing just about 99.9% marketing, but that thing even if it not is the exact same one but does the same thing basicly is called LoadLineCalibration on the P6T Deluxe and Rampage II that is up for ordering today.