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NVIDIA nForce 680i Solutions

Dan_D said:
Yeah it does seem to happen randomly. Which is why I have disabled the SLI memory setting. What ram were you using on your board?
Click to expand...

It was 2 sticks (1 gig each) of OCZ FlexXLC (PC2-9200).

I'm currently waiting for the P24 BIOS as I've got only basic settings on the board and no USB at all. If that doesn't work I'm hopefully going to try a Striker (and probably get another load of problems!:D)
 
pollaxe said:
It was 2 sticks (1 gig each) of OCZ FlexXLC (PC2-9200).

I'm currently waiting for the P24 BIOS as I've got only basic settings on the board and no USB at all. If that doesn't work I'm hopefully going to try a Striker (and probably get another load of problems!:D)
Click to expand...

I've had far less problems with my Striker, and the problems reported by several eVGA owners don't seem to extend to the Striker. Some problems such as sound issues do seem to continue, but not everyone has those issues.
 
I'm getting the impression that the nF 6 mobo issues are really hit-or-miss, in that some people have problems, and some don't.

Is this accurate?
 
DoomRulz said:
I'm getting the impression that the nF 6 mobo issues are really hit-or-miss, in that some people have problems, and some don't.

Is this accurate?
Click to expand...

Pretty much. You can minimize your headaches with proper component selection. The actualamount of issues seem to be experienced somewhat randomly.
 
Hello,

I want everyone to know that I registered to post in these forms just to reply to this "Asus Lovers" thread. Before I start, I will admit to being in the "Asus Lovers" club myself. Perhaps that is why I'm feeling betrayed by my lover (Asus) from their lack of action, lack of support, and lack of BIOS updates, regarding the now fairly common sound "Snap Crackle Pop" aka "SCP" problem with many high-end sound cards, such as the Soundblaster X-Fi, is on their 680 chipset motherboards.

Nvidia has resolved this "SCP" issue in their reference board BIOS update P21. (Note the now infamous NVRAID bug was patched in reference board BIOS update P23). If you read the BIOS release notes posted at www.evga.com or www.bfgtech.com you will plainly see this is a widespread problem with the Nvidia 680 chipset. Sadly... My Lover, Asus, has yet to resolve or even address either of these very serious bugs!

If you're thinking I'm alone in this, or just don't know what I'm talking about, realize that I'm a reseller with piles and piles of hardware to test with, replace, swap out, etc. And I'm stating as a fact this specific situation exists as a problem with all Nvidia 680 chipset motherboards, including but not limited to Asus P5N32-E and Striker Extreme.

Here are some links for you broken into 3 parts (threads, manufacturers, fixes):


Part 1/3: Threads

1.) Here is a review web site with the same SCP sound issues:

http://virtual-hideout.net/reviews/ASUS_Striker_Extreme/index7.shtml

You're looking for the text: *Update* ASUS Striker Extreme NVIDIA 680i SLI Motherboard Review 12-28-2006... Quote, “"Now, I recently updated to the new official 505 BIOS listed on ASUS` website. That did not fix either the sound or memory issues for me. I then contacted ASUS and was sent an unofficial 701 BIOS after I explained my issues. The 701 BIOS also did nothing to fix either of these issues. So the wait continues....*sigh*."”

2.) Here is a thread that pretty much says it all:

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=209420

3.) Here is a thread by different customers on ASUS, identical problem, with P5N32-E:

http://vip.asus.com/forum/view.aspx...id=1&model=P5N32-E+SLI&page=1&SLanguage=en-us

4.) Here is a thead by different customers on ASUS, identical problem, with Striker Extreme:

http://vip.asus.com/forum/view.aspx...&model=Striker+Extreme&page=1&SLanguage=en-us


Part 2/3: Manufacturers

Backup Documentation;

1.) Here is the direct EVGA link for the new bios to fix the X-Fi:

http://www.evga.com/support/drivers/default.asp?switch=2

2.) Here is the direct BFG Technologies link for the new bios to fix the X-Fi (note bios version P21):

http://www.bfgtech.com/nForce680i_motherboard.html

3.) Here is the link for Asus... oh wait, they continue to deny this is a problem, sorry no update for you!


Part 3/3: Fixes

There is great concern that Asus motherboards based on the 680 chipset are affected by the NVRAID bios bug like these other manufacturers:

1.) Here is the EVGA public announcement entitled "NVIDIA hotfix NV121906" regarding the bug with SATA disk drives on the 680 chipset:

http://www.evga.com/support/680i/

2.) Here is the same thing from BFG Technologies:

http://www.bfgtech.com/680i_bios_update_page.htm

3.) Here is the link for Asus... oh wait, they continue to deny this is a problem, sorry no update for you!


.........And finally...........

Would you like to reproduce this yourself? Do you have a line into Asus Engineering to forward all this to them to kick them for a BIOS patch? Or, are you simply hoping to avoid this nightmare? If so, please take a look!!

HARDWARE:

- Dual 1gb DDR2 memory
- Dual SATA hard disks in RAID0 mode
- Core 2 Extreme 2.93ghz CPU
- Dual 8800gtx video (two in SLI mode)
- Bridge Cap installed on both 8800gtx’s
- Both 8800gtx cards installed in the 16x PCIE slots
- Asus P5N32-E board rev 1.00g
- Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer in game mode, analog output, surround-sound enabled

DRIVERS/OS/BIOS:

- Windows XP sp2 plus Win Update
- Nvidia video drivers 97.44
- Nvidia board drivers 9.53
- P5N32-E BIOS rev 602 (also have this problem in older revs)
- Creative drivers 2.09.0007

GAMES I’VE REPRODUCED IT WITH PERSONALLY:

- Far Cry (random all of the time)
- NeverWinter Nights 2 (loading new maps)
- Serious Sam II (random all of the time).

GAMES I’VE READ IT’S ALSO A PROBLEM WITH:

- Battlefield 2142
- Everquest II

Are you unable to reproduce this problem? Here's how:

Did you verify that Nvidia’s SLI mode on the dual 8800gtx’s in your test system was enabled? Just to reiterate that this problem is very specific to the following: (1) using both of the x16 PCIe slots, (2) using two 8800gtx cards (although others have posted they have the same problem with just ONE of the 8800gtx cards, and some people futher say they have it using 7950 cards instead), (3) turning on Nvidia SLI mode with bridge cap installed, (4) using Creative X-FI surround-sound accelerator audio card (although others have posted they have this problem using ANY hardware accelerator sound cards). Also ensure you have two or more hard disks in RAID mode.

Note that this audio crackling problem disappears with the above configured systems if you: (1) disable SLI using the Nvidia 3D control panel, or (2) move one of the two video cards to the 8x PCIe slot (although 8800gtx cards really hate this). However, nobody will ever agree this is acceptable, because it greatly reduces performance, and is not the advertised capabilities of these 680 chipset motherboards; nor is it why you just spend a few grand on your computer!


My question to Asus: Why are you ignoring us, my love? Where is my BIOS update? Is our relationship over? Please tell me it isn't so, my love! I want to stay with you forever! :)
 
Dan_D said:
....I'd like to point out that I have never had a lockup with an Intel chipset based P5W DH in over two months that I used it. This Striker board is the most touchy about settings I've ever worked with. (Excluding my eVGA 680i's)...
Click to expand...

This has been my experiences as well. Rock-solid Intel based chipset motherboards (i.e. 965) have never given me the problems that all of the past Nvidia, VIA, or other chipset based motherboards have given me.

The worst problems were way back when the Nvidia Nforce4 motherboards first game out- it seemed like hardly anything worked right if you put in extra cards (or used features other than what was built into the motherboard). Even the Nvidia 590 was better than the 680 as far as stability goes. What happened, Nvidia? Oh that's right... CHRISTMAS SALES! Had to rush it out and patch it later, eh? Thanks for all the fun, at least it keeps me employed! LOL!
 
blogthis said:
This has been my experiences as well. Rock-solid Intel based chipset motherboards (i.e. 965) have never given me the problems that all of the past Nvidia, VIA, or other chipset based motherboards have given me.

The worst problems were way back when the Nvidia Nforce4 motherboards first game out- it seemed like hardly anything worked right if you put in extra cards (or used features other than what was built into the motherboard). Even the Nvidia 590 was better than the 680 as far as stability goes. What happened, Nvidia? Oh that's right... CHRISTMAS SALES! Had to rush it out and patch it later, eh? Thanks for all the fun, at least it keeps me employed! LOL!
Click to expand...

I've never had any of the dreaded nForce 4 problems. I've worked on a number of Intel and AMD based nForce 4 motherboards without any issues. Not SATA issues, no firewall issues, no stability problems, no sound issues or anything else.

Using boards based on the 680i chipset I experienced the following issues:

eVGA 680i #1: Rice crispies sound, (SLI on and off), SATA issues (RAID-1 alone), Creative X-Fi issues, (worked with SLI off, but not on) and finally minor stability problems.

eVGA 680i #2: Rice crispies sound, (SLI on and off), Creative X-Fi issues, (didn't work with SLI on or off) and finally, horrible stability issues.

Striker Extreme: Rice crispies sound, (SLI on and off, finally just while SLI is enabled (thanks to BIOS 0505) .), Creative X-Fi issues. (Doesn't work with SLI on or off, but Audigy SE works perfectly.)

I'd also like to point out that no BIOS versions have fixed any of these problems, and NVIDIA should have thier engineers get a good flogging for putting resistors on the back of the motherboard where the CPUs heatsink mounting hardware for just about every aftermarket cooler must go.
 
Is there any one 680i board that's giving people the least amount of problems? I realize I'm the one who suggested the problems are hit-and-miss in my earlier post, but in the midst of all this:

ECS 680i vs. ASUS 680i (Striker and/or P5N32-E) vs. eVGA 680i vs. BFG 680i

Surely there's at least one that is giving people few problems.
 
EVGA is the best right now i think. I bought it and no problem at all since the new update.
 
...even if you are just comparing stability. I would wager that to date, many more eVGA boards have been sold than any of the others; if I'm not mistaken, the ECS and BFG boards are relatively new, and the ASUS board, because of the price probably hasn't sold as many (I may be wrong)....with more eVGA customers out there with boards, they're going to be the loudest voices if something is wrong. I do know that things have quieted down a good bit ine the eVGA forums since the P23 BIOS release...still some issues, but not nearly the sheer volume of posts about problems. In addition, of the boards you mentioned, the eVGA, ECS and BFG boards are all reference boards - essentially identical boards - while ASUS manufactured a board to their own design and specs; who knows if the design will end up being better or worse in the long run. Dan's probably the best to shed some light on that since he's owned both (and had miserable problems with the eVGA boards - it'd be interesting to hear his opinion if he could use one for a while that didn't exhibit the issues his had).
 
coachjohn said:
...even if you are just comparing stability. I would wager that to date, many more eVGA boards have been sold than any of the others; if I'm not mistaken, the ECS and BFG boards are relatively new, and the ASUS board, because of the price probably hasn't sold as many (I may be wrong)....with more eVGA customers out there with boards, they're going to be the loudest voices if something is wrong. I do know that things have quieted down a good bit ine the eVGA forums since the P23 BIOS release...still some issues, but not nearly the sheer volume of posts about problems. In addition, of the boards you mentioned, the eVGA, ECS and BFG boards are all reference boards - essentially identical boards - while ASUS manufactured a board to their own design and specs; who knows if the design will end up being better or worse in the long run. Dan's probably the best to shed some light on that since he's owned both (and had miserable problems with the eVGA boards - it'd be interesting to hear his opinion if he could use one for a while that didn't exhibit the issues his had).
Click to expand...

If all things were equal, I'd actually have to say I like the eVGA board a little more. One extra PCIe slot, prettier, seems to run cooler, overclocks better, superior BIOS layout. The one design element of the eVGA 680i board that is nearly a deal breaker is the resistors mounted to the bottom of the CPU area. Those prevent the installation of many aftermarket heat sink and fan units without modification. That is a design element that I consider unacceptable. That is a SERIOUS design oversight. That being said the two eVGA 680i boards I owned were piles of crap. I just finally gave up on getting one to work. The Striker has been nearly flawless. I say nearly because it has one issue. The sound. No way, no how have I ever had a 680i motherboard have working audio when SLI is enabled using 8800GTX's. All three boards I've used experienced the dreaded Creative X-Fi problems.

I haven't experienced the storage problems on the ASUS boards, and it seems to me (from what I've read on the net, which does coincide with my experiences) that the ASUS board has fewer reported SATA issues. The one thing that really works in eVGA's favor is that they have actually admitted to, and addressed the sound issues. ASUS does not acknowledge the problem at all, and so far doesn't seem to be making any attempt to resolve it.

I read a post recently that states that not using RAID seems to make these issues go away. I need to reformat my box anyway, so I've contemplated trying this. I've also contemplated using my LSI MegaRAID U320-2 instead of the onboard SATA controller for my boot drive. The problem is that if the onboard sound doesn't work, I can't afford to lose that one PCI slot because my Audigy SE is the only sound card I've found that works on my 680i board with SLI enabled.

I'd switch back to my ASUS P5W DH in a heartbeat if I could make SLI work on it with my 8800GTXs. The BS with the 680i chipset is just intolerable. I've been fighting with the 680i for nearly 2 months and frankly I am drained. The sound issue is the last issue I have to overcome.
 
I really feel so let down by Nvidia and the disgusting manner they treat customers.

I do not have an 680i motherboard right now but I use an ASUS P5W64 Pro and I have to say that I am really satisfied with it since it is currently running my E6600@3.6GHZ on air.
My RAM is at 800MHz 2.3V 3-3-3-9-3 (Ti ALPHA OCZ).

I also have 2x EVGA 8800GTXs and ofc one is sitting in its box since I can not use it with my ASUS board.

So I was hoping ot get an 680i board but with all this mess I am really terrified and waiting for all the crap be fixed but I can wait no longer since my new 30" HP LCD is coming in 2 weeks and that was the reason I bought a 2nd GTX.

I also invest a lot of money on a 2loop water cooling set up (not installed yet) that is also waiting to be used on the new 680i board that I will get when its fixed.

So I am waiting for the ABIT to get some reviews and then I will decide. Btw Dan do you have any info on the ABIT 680i? A lot of shops have an ETA for the 12th (tomorrow) are you getting any for review?
 
JargonGR said:
I really feel so let down by Nvidia and the disgusting manner they treat customers.

I do not have an 680i motherboard right now but I use an ASUS P5W64 Pro and I have to say that I am really satisfied with it since it is currently running my E6600@3.6GHZ on air.
My RAM is at 800MHz 2.3V 3-3-3-9-3 (Ti ALPHA OCZ).

I also have 2x EVGA 8800GTXs and ofc one is sitting in its box since I can not use it with my ASUS board.

So I was hoping ot get an 680i board but with all this mess I am really terrified and waiting for all the crap be fixed but I can wait no longer since my new 30" HP LCD is coming in 2 weeks and that was the reason I bought a 2nd GTX.

I also invest a lot of money on a 2loop water cooling set up (not installed yet) that is also waiting to be used on the new 680i board that I will get when its fixed.

So I am waiting for the ABIT to get some reviews and then I will decide. Btw Dan do you have any info on the ABIT 680i? A lot of shops have an ETA for the 12th (tomorrow) are you getting any for review?
Click to expand...

I have no control over what I review and I don't even know if Kyle has one yet. (I'd imagine so). Only Kyle can answer that question. I generally don't know what I am getting until I pick it up. I'd really like to have a go at an abit 680i board. Just for something different from the eVGA and Striker 680i boards I've used so far.

I understand what you are saying on the 8800GTX SLI. I have a Dell 3007WFP and I didn't feel that a single 8800GTX was a good way to go. There are a few games that I've seen a nice performance improvement by going to dual 8800GTXs. NFSMW and so on. You can slide by with max details at 2560x1600 on almost if not every game out now on a single 8800GTX, but with two you can have more eye candy and add AA and AF. Hell I'm running 8x AA on BF2142 right now. Looks fantastic and is smooth as melted butter.
 
Well tomorrow we will see if the ETA (bumped forward 4 days already from the 8th to 12th) holds any truth if so I am sure there will be feedback on some forums.

Other than that the other issue that scares me is the sound issue but right now I am using and Audigy 2ZS Platinum EX (whatever with the box out) and decided till VISTA tests before I buy an XI-Fi.

Nevertheless what I would hate the most is to abandon my 975 Asus board only to run into problems. And after spending a lot of money (hardware and cooling) and a lot of time, I really want to start enjoying my system rather than playing Sherlock Holmes on the forums trying to dig up info on all the possible solutions for the problematic 680i.
Not to mention how I would feel if I buy one and then a new trouble free revision 2.0 chipset comes out 1-2 months after I buy mine.

And if I had not bought the 2nd 8800GTX I would feel better but having it in its box untouched is certainly making me feel bad.

oh well 2 more weeks I will wait and then I will join your party hoping I get one of the newer boards (just hope) that are more stable.
 
Dan_D said:
The BS with the 680i chipset is just intolerable. I've been fighting with the 680i for nearly 2 months and frankly I am drained. The sound issue is the last issue I have to overcome.
Click to expand...

...and given the number of posts you have in this forum, that's saying something!

I agree with you in many regards particularly the resistors on the back of the board (I wish THAT question had been asked in the interview with Drew Henry on the 18th; like you said, it's a critical design flaw for the audience the board was intended for), and the "touchiness" of the boards. Being new to this particular genre (cutting edge, high end) of hardware, it's been a real learning curve for me to date...when you buy "middle of the road" you tend to get processors, motherboards, etc. that are more established, a generation or so older - not as fast, not as much bling, not as many features, but generally stable as hell - manufactures have had time to put out more mature BIOS and to work out the kinks on second and third revisions of the same product (gee..kinda like most versions of Windows....you learn to wait for SP1 before installing...:D ).

Here's a twist for you....you said you'd "switch back to my ASUS P5W DH in a heartbeat if I could make SLI work on it with my 8800GTXs"...is that purely the frustration or, if it was possible, would you throw in the towel with this chipset for now? Given your comments...if one came down the pipe...would you give the eVGA board another try?
 
coachjohn said:
...and given the number of posts you have in this forum, that's saying something!

I agree with you in many regards particularly the resistors on the back of the board (I wish THAT question had been asked in the interview with Drew Henry on the 18th; like you said, it's a critical design flaw for the audience the board was intended for), and the "touchiness" of the boards. Being new to this particular genre (cutting edge, high end) of hardware, it's been a real learning curve for me to date...when you buy "middle of the road" you tend to get processors, motherboards, etc. that are more established, a generation or so older - not as fast, not as much bling, not as many features, but generally stable as hell - manufactures have had time to put out more mature BIOS and to work out the kinks on second and third revisions of the same product (gee..kinda like most versions of Windows....you learn to wait for SP1 before installing...:D ).

Here's a twist for you....you said you'd "switch back to my ASUS P5W DH in a heartbeat if I could make SLI work on it with my 8800GTXs"...is that purely the frustration or, if it was possible, would you throw in the towel with this chipset for now? Given your comments...if one came down the pipe...would you give the eVGA board another try?
Click to expand...

The frustration is the reason I'd switch back the P5W DH. Intel chipset based boards just rarely if ever give me trouble.

I would try another eVGA 680i if one became available, but I won't be buying one myself. I'm satisfied with my Striker, and the Striker would be just as good as my P5W DH in my eyes IF ASUS would acknowledge and work to resolve the sound issues and get them under control. The fact that the onboard sound doesn't work correctly doesn't bother me. Frankly, many motherboards if not most of them including the review boards I've worked with don't work correctly 100% of the time. Almost all of them are USELESS for recording and the sound quality, while being subjective is below par of even basic Sound Blaster cards.

For fuck's sake ASUS get the Creative X-Fi issues solved. The only reason I haven't thrown in the towel on the 680i is because of SLI support. The only reason I haven't given up on the Striker is because my Audigy SE works perfectly with it. The sound quality sucks, but at least I can play my games and the performance that this machine was supposed to have 2 months ago is FINALLY here. I am enjoying the crap out of it too. I've got a Creative X-Fi collecting dust because of the 680i problems with it and it blows.Another point I'd like to make on the sound issue. The latest audio drivers for the Striker Extreme and P5N32-E SLI work a lot better. You still get the rice crispies on some sounds, but the majority of the issues have been cleaned up.

Also I read a post on this forum concerning the sound issues. Apparently, if you don't use RAID, and or you move your second 8800GTX to the middle PCI-Express x16 (x8 electrical) then the problems clear up. I haven't verified any of this, but I've been thinking about trying some of these things.
 
Dan_D said:
The frustration is the reason I'd switch back the P5W DH. Intel chipset based boards just rarely if ever give me trouble.
Click to expand...

I agree. I've never had one single SCP, picky memory, or related "flaky" problem with any (Asus or others) Intel-based chipset motherboard. Ever.

Dan_D said:
I would try another eVGA 680i if one became available, but I won't be buying one myself. I'm satisfied with my Striker, and the Striker would be just as good as my P5W DH in my eyes IF ASUS would acknowledge and work to resolve the sound issues and get them under control.
Click to expand...

Amen. Same here but with the P5N32-E.

Dan_D said:
The only reason I haven't thrown in the towel on the 680i is because of SLI support. The only reason I haven't given up on the Striker is because my Audigy SE works perfectly with it.
Click to expand...

Ditto and Ditto again... with the P5N32-E.

Dan_D said:
The sound quality sucks, but at least I can play my games and the performance that this machine was supposed to have 2 months ago is FINALLY here. I am enjoying the crap out of it too. I've got a Creative X-Fi collecting dust because of the 680i problems with it and it blows.
Click to expand...

Dan.. If it makes you feel better, it's the same situation here. I wonder what % of their X-FI sales are from people who buy one and can't use it.

Dan_D said:
Also I read a post on this forum concerning the sound issues. Apparently, if you don't use RAID, and or you move your second 8800GTX to the middle PCI-Express x16 (x8 electrical) then the problems clear up. I haven't verified any of this, but I've been thinking about trying some of these things.
Click to expand...

I've read those same 2 things, but... I've also read that the 8800gtx requires a x16 slot at x16 speed or it wont allow SLI mode. There is a big argument about the 8800gtx working in an x8 slot in SLI. Some say yes, some say no. I currently don't have the time to confirm this right now, but it's on my to do list. Regarding the NVRAID that isn't an option for us, as there is no physical card slot available for a replacement raid card.

Dan, for what it's worth, I'm grateful for your post regarding the Audigy SE. This is not what I really call a "solution" more like a temporary bandaide...

But we got our problem systems (Asus P5N32-E) working perfectly in SLI without any Snap Crackle Pop, by removing the Soundblaster X-FI and installing a Soundblaster Audigy SE for now, just like you. We tried this "SE" card because of your post and others who said the exact same card worked for them too!

The Audigy SE card is of course a very low end card, and isn't exactly what everyone is hoping for, but it fulfills the immediate need (Soundblaster has the best game support for surround sound, EAX, Direct3D, etc), and slightly relieves my stressful situation.

Being how I did not change anything whatsoever, not even a single little tiny thing at all, other than swap the sound card and its driver from a $100.00 X-FI to a $30.00 Audigy SE, it's obvious to me there is something with the architecture of the X-FI that makes it a "picky" card compared to others. I think if it wasn't for the fact that it's the #1 selling sound card, motherboard makers would never patch their bios for it.

ALSO! I had planned to ditch Asus and switch to EVGA or BFG Tech, but all of the talk about resistors and other components on the back of the Nvidia reference motherboards prohibiting waterblocks and other 3rd party cooling solutions (plus the fact that for the life of me I cannot find any mosfet waterblocks for the voltage regulators for sale for it???!!!!), I got very depressed and worried it would be just another waste of money.

In other words, this problem is not "resolved" more like "parked" until I can find some "better" or more compatible hardware that likes each other... <sigh>

If someone knows of a "for sure" the DangerDen northbridge and southbridge waterblock that works for SLI, and WHERE TO BUY some mosfet waterblocks (for the voltage regulators), please do say! Thanks!
 
blogthis said:
I agree. I've never had one single SCP, picky memory, or related "flaky" problem with any (Asus or others) Intel-based chipset motherboard. Ever.



Amen. Same here but with the P5N32-E.



Ditto and Ditto again... with the P5N32-E.



Dan.. If it makes you feel better, it's the same situation here. I wonder what % of their X-FI sales are from people who buy one and can't use it.
Click to expand...

It doesn't really make me feel any better. This problem just needs to be solved. Let's face it, the only people that would be interested in a Striker Extreme or it's P5N32-E SLI counterpart are gamers. Period. No one is going to buy a motherboard like that for office work and web surfing alone. I think it would be ok if motherboard manufacturers didn't even bother to put audio onboard motherboards like this because a large percentage of them probably have Audigy and X-Fi cards and don't use the onboard audio. The only reason I would use the onboard audio in this case is to save a slot.

blogthis said:
I've read those same 2 things, but... I've also read that the 8800gtx requires a x16 slot at x16 speed or it wont allow SLI mode. There is a big argument about the 8800gtx working in an x8 slot in SLI. Some say yes, some say no. I currently don't have the time to confirm this right now, but it's on my to do list. Regarding the NVRAID that isn't an option for us, as there is no physical card slot available for a replacement raid card.
Click to expand...

I've heard this too. Since the 8800GTX can do so much more than just graphics work, it stands to reason it COULD use more than PCIe x8 bandwidth. Even so, I wonder how much of a hit you would really take.

blogthis said:
Dan, for what it's worth, I'm grateful for your post regarding the Audigy SE. This is not what I really call a "solution" more like a temporary bandaide...
Click to expand...

Agreed.

blogthis said:
But we got our problem systems (Asus P5N32-E) working perfectly in SLI without any Snap Crackle Pop, by removing the Soundblaster X-FI and installing a Soundblaster Audigy SE for now, just like you. We tried this "SE" card because of your post and others who said the exact same card worked for them too!
Click to expand...

The Audigy SE card is of course a very low end card, and isn't exactly what everyone is hoping for, but it fulfills the immediate need (Soundblaster has the best game support for surround sound, EAX, Direct3D, etc), and slightly relieves my stressful situation.

blogthis said:
Being how I did not change anything whatsoever, not even a single little tiny thing at all, other than swap the sound card and its driver from a $100.00 X-FI to a $30.00 Audigy SE, it's obvious to me there is something with the architecture of the X-FI that makes it a "picky" card compared to others. I think if it wasn't for the fact that it's the #1 selling sound card, motherboard makers would never patch their bios for it.
Click to expand...

It's appaling that a $30 card that is essentially a new version of a 3 or 4 year old card works and this high dollar card doesn't. For ONCE it looks like it isn't Creative Labs fault. The card worked fine on my Tyan K8WE (S2895) and ASUS P5W DH. It did not work on my eVGA 680i or the ASUS Striker Extreme. I've since returned that card to the P5W DH which is in my spare machine and it works fine.

blogthis said:
ALSO! I had planned to ditch Asus and switch to EVGA or BFG Tech, but all of the talk about resistors and other components on the back of the Nvidia reference motherboards prohibiting waterblocks and other 3rd party cooling solutions (plus the fact that for the life of me I cannot find any mosfet waterblocks for the voltage regulators for sale for it???!!!!), I got very depressed and worried it would be just another waste of money.

In other words, this problem is not "resolved" more like "parked" until I can find some "better" or more compatible hardware that likes each other... <sigh>

If someone knows of a "for sure" the DangerDen northbridge and southbridge waterblock that works for SLI, and WHERE TO BUY some mosfet waterblocks (for the voltage regulators), please do say! Thanks!
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If you have an eVGA 680i or a P5N32-E SLI/Striker Extreme there is NO reason at this point to switch to another 680i board. Yes you might get better overclocks out of another board, but it doesn't justify the price tag in my opinion and the feature set differences aren't compelling either. If you are buying a new board today, then the P5N32-E SLI and the eVGA 680i are your best bets. The Striker is too expensive and isn't worth it.
 
firewars said:
Sorry to hear that. I have lost all my faith in the 680i chipset as no board out there that uses it seems to be flawless. I ordered by P5B Deluxe today and can't wait for it to arrive and replace this piece of crap eVGA board.
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No non-Intel chipset I've ever heard of or used has been flawless. Even then, there are occasional documented issues with Intel chipsets. The difference is that Intel addresses and solves their problems in a timely fashion.

Intel is the only chipset maker whos product is nearly perfect from day one.

I generally don't use anything but Intel chipsets in my own personal machines and this has been the case since the original Pentium days. There are two exceptions to that statement. I've used one nForce 4 SLI chipset and one nForce Professional 2200/2050 chipset based board in my own PC. The NF4 series chipsets worked fine and I had very few problems with either setup. (A8N-SLI Deluxe, Tyan K8WE (S2895) The 680i is the first and only chipset out of all the chipsets that have been used in my own machines I've ever had a problem with that appear to be true chipset level problems. (eVGA 680i, Striker Extreme)
 
morphine said:
I have the Audigy 2 ZS in my rig right now, and yes the snap-crackle-pop is there, but better than it was with the onboard sound.
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That's the way my onboard sound is now. It's almost tolerable, but the rice crispies effect is still there. It annoys me too much to tolerate anymore.
 
Dan_D said:
No non-Intel chipset I've ever heard of or used has been flawless. Even then, there are occasional documented issues with Intel chipsets.
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Ironically, I don't even expect them (NVIDIA) to, but damn is the 680i still flawed.

On a sidenote, my P5B Deluxe is up and running, reaching a higher FSB than the EVGA (470 MHz to be precise). No problems, whatsoever. Too bad I can't use SLI, I might switch back to the 680i once everything is solved (since it's an amazing chipset after all).
 
Dan_D said:
That's the way my onboard sound is now. It's almost tolerable, but the rice crispies effect is still there. It annoys me too much to tolerate anymore.
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i was going nuts a few nights ago due to this.
installed xfi and used onboard for mic , but at reboots would lose all sound and had to switch audio modes in order to get it back (game mode, entertainment).
so i decided id use the xfi analog for audio and flexjack for mic. uninstalled onboard and the audio poping started.
after a few installs/uninstalls, im at audio and mic from xfi , onboard still installed but turned off in bio's. no more popping. now this worked for me after playing with it over 2 nights so i cant say this will fix the popping problem , but mine is gone.
 
spawn447 said:
i was going nuts a few nights ago due to this.
installed xfi and used onboard for mic , but at reboots would lose all sound and had to switch audio modes in order to get it back (game mode, entertainment).
so i decided id use the xfi analog for audio and flexjack for mic. uninstalled onboard and the audio poping started.
after a few installs/uninstalls, im at audio and mic from xfi , onboard still installed but turned off in bio's. no more popping. now this worked for me after playing with it over 2 nights so i cant say this will fix the popping problem , but mine is gone.
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Doesn't work for me.

I'm going to try re-installing my OS this weekend. I need to anyway and hopefully with fresh new drivers all around, (except the chipset drivers) I can make this work.
 
Ok. Sorry but I'm kind of new to hearing these problems and I am currently researching components to finally build myself an really nice gaming rig.

I was initially looking for an SLI motherboard even though at first I would only have one video card because I planned to go SLI after another couple of months or so. I had high hopes for 680i but the more I read the more I wonder if I should, for the immediate future, simply go with some other motherboard that's not SLI capable.

At the moment my choices for a new rig are...

e6600
2GB Corsair XMS
eVGA 8800GTS
X-Fi Gamer

For motherboards I was looking at the eVGA 680i, P5N32-E SLI and Abit's 680i solution (I forget the name of it). Since Abit's solution hasn't really come out yet and I can't find any reviews I can't say anything about that but the other two seem to be having problems that I just don't want to deal with nor do I really have the time to deal with them. With what time I do have that is free I'd rather be playing my games instead of fiddling with my setup trying to fix something.

If anyone has any suggestions for me or can still recommend one of these boards I'd appreciate the input. I don't plan to actually purchase this system for another couple of weeks at least though so I do have some time wait and see what Abit's solution is like.
 
Paithar said:
Ok. Sorry but I'm kind of new to hearing these problems and I am currently researching components to finally build myself an really nice gaming rig.

I was initially looking for an SLI motherboard even though at first I would only have one video card because I planned to go SLI after another couple of months or so. I had high hopes for 680i but the more I read the more I wonder if I should, for the immediate future, simply go with some other motherboard that's not SLI capable.

At the moment my choices for a new rig are...

e6600
2GB Corsair XMS
eVGA 8800GTS
X-Fi Gamer

For motherboards I was looking at the eVGA 680i, P5N32-E SLI and Abit's 680i solution (I forget the name of it). Since Abit's solution hasn't really come out yet and I can't find any reviews I can't say anything about that but the other two seem to be having problems that I just don't want to deal with nor do I really have the time to deal with them. With what time I do have that is free I'd rather be playing my games instead of fiddling with my setup trying to fix something.

If anyone has any suggestions for me or can still recommend one of these boards I'd appreciate the input. I don't plan to actually purchase this system for another couple of weeks at least though so I do have some time wait and see what Abit's solution is like.
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The 680i boards are really ok right now, except the sound issues still remain on the ASUS boards. Supposedly BIOS P23 addresses this issue with the eVGA 680i board, but the surface mounted resistors on the back of the CPU area turn me off to the board. You have to modify so many popular after market cooling solutions just to make them work.

As far as Intel chipset based motherboards go, I'd suggest the following:

ASUS P5W DH
ASUS P5W64-WS Professional
ASUS P5B Deluxe WiFi/AP
ASUS P5B Deluxe
ASUS P5B-E
ASUS P5B

Intel D975XBX
Intel D975XBX2
Intel DP965LT

Gigabyte GA-965P-DQ6 v2.0
Gigabyte GA-965P-DQ6 v1.0
Gigabyte GA-965P-DS4
Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3

I can recommend 680i boards, but you do have to consider some caveats when dealing with them.

Recommended:

ASUS Striker Extreme (Only if money is NO object.) -Possible X-Fi compatibility problems. -ASUS 680i boards usually don't overclock quite as well as their eVGA counterparts, but if you are running an E6600 or higher, this shouldn't actually be an issue.
ASUS P5N32-E SLI (Just like the Striker, without the fluff) -Possible X-Fi compatibility problems. ASUS 680i boards usually don't overclock quite as well as their eVGA counterparts, but if you are running an E6600 or higher, this shouldn't actually be an issue.
eVGA 680i (NVIDIA Reference design) -Surface mount resistors can cause HSF mounting issues. -Possible X-Fi compatibility problems.
BFG 680i (NVIDIA Reference design) -Surface mount resistors can cause HSF mounting issues. -Possible X-Fi compatibility problems.

That's about it. If not going for SLI, I'd go for the P5W64-WS Professional or the P5W DH combined with an E6600. For E6400 and lower, I'd go with the ASUS P5B series.

The Gigabyte boards are a great choice as well and are worth a look.
 
Thanks for the input Dan D, I appreciate it. I'll have to check out some of those boards and see what people say about them. Like I said, I won't be buying for another couple of weeks yet so I have some time.

Although I won't be going SLI right now I'd really like to in the near future so I'd still like to keep that option open. I'd really rather not buy a non SLI mobo right now and then when I want to go SLI have to get a new mobo as well as another video card.

However, overclocking isn't that big of a deal for me. I've never really tried overclocking but I have to admit that lately, with all that I've been hearing about the overclocking ability of the Conroe processors, I just might give overclocking a try. If I do, for my first attempt I wouldn't try for anything extreme however. So in that respect, what mobos do you think would be good for a noobie overclocker? Are there mobos that make overclocking that much easier? Just wondering.
 
...the Artic Cooling Freezer Pro works fine on the eVGA 680i board without modifications. Easy to install; I was using a E6600 processor, and after going into the BIOS and setting processor fan speed to Manual at 80%, I was getting idle temps of 30C and temps under load in the low to mid 40s. These units are fairly inexpensive as well..I should not that that was at stock. Hope this helps in your decision.
 
Well, most boards are about the same in difficulty as far as overclocking goes. At least all the ones I've mentioned. Each one has it's own quirks that you'd have to discover on your own. Generally I think the P965 Express based boards are the easiest, followed by the i975x and finally the 680i. The 680i's are daunting only due to the massive amount of options they have in the BIOS.

They also seem to vary quite a bit from board to board where as the Intel's all are very similar.
 
There is any one here owns EVGA 680i motherboard having cold boot issues. It just started, last week and it is consistant. Every time i start computer after overnight off, i freezes in the middle of the boot or windows start. Mostly it works at the 4th try. :mad:
 
I have another question.

I have read a few times that some people have had problems with the type of memory they bought for use with their core 2 duo motherboard. In my planned build I thought about going with 2gb of Corsair XMS memory just because in the past I've always had good luck with Corsair.

Does anyone know if I'll have any problems with that selection for any of the mobos that Dan D posted a little earlier?
 
Paithar said:
I have another question.

I have read a few times that some people have had problems with the type of memory they bought for use with their core 2 duo motherboard. In my planned build I thought about going with 2gb of Corsair XMS memory just because in the past I've always had good luck with Corsair.

Does anyone know if I'll have any problems with that selection for any of the mobos that Dan D posted a little earlier?
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Considering I've worked with some of these models I can tell you what modules I know work with specific boards I've tested.

abit AB9-Pro (Not recommended)

Corsair XMS2 PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz (2x512MB)
Corsair XMS2 PC2-8000UL DDR2 1000MHz (2x1024MB)
Corsair Dominator PC2-9136 DDR2 1200MHz (2x1024MB)

ASUS P5W DH (Recommended)

Corsair XMS2 PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz (2x512MB)
Corsair XMS2 PC2-8000UL DDR2 1000MHz (2x1024MB)
Corsair XMS2 PC2-8500 DDR2 (2x1024MB)
Corsair Dominator PC2-8888 DDR2 1142MHz (2x1024MB)
OCZ PC-2 7200 EPP SLI DDR2 900 MHz (2x1024MB)

ASUS P5B Deluxe WiFi/AP (Recommended)

Corsair XMS2 PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz (2x512MB)
Corsair XMS2 PC2-8000UL DDR2 1000MHz (2x1024MB)

Biostar T-Force P965 Deluxe (Recommended)

Corsair XMS2 PC2-8000UL DDR2 1000MHz (2x1024MB) (Not recommended for use with the Biostar T-Force P965 Deluxe.)
OCZ PC-2 7200 EPP SLI DDR2 900 MHz (2x1024MB)

Gigabyte GA-965P-DQ6 v2.0 (Recommended)

Corsair XMS2 PC2-8500 DDR2 (2x1024MB)
Corsair Dominator PC2-8888 DDR2 1142MHz (2x1024MB)
Corsair Dominator PC2-9136 DDR2 1200MHz (2x1024MB)

eVGA 680i (Recommended with reservations)

Corsair XMS2 PC2-8000UL DDR2 1000MHz (2x1024MB)
Corsair Dominator PC2-8888 DDR2 1142MHz (2x1024MB)
OCZ PC-2 7200 EPP SLI DDR2 900 MHz (2x1024MB)

ASUS Striker Extreme (Recommended)

Corsair Dominator PC2-8888 DDR2 1142MHz (2x1024MB)
OCZ PC-2 7200 EPP SLI DDR2 900 MHz (2x1024MB)
Corsair Dominator PC2-9136 DDR2 1200MHz (2x1024MB)


ASUS P5N32-E SLI (Recommended)

Corsair XMS2 PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz (2x512MB)
OCZ PC-2 7200 EPP SLI DDR2 900 MHz (2x1024MB)

Hope this helps somewhat.
 
Wow, thanks Dan D. That helps a lot. Now I can make a better informed decision for my planned purchase. I really appreciate all the help.
 
Paithar said:
Wow, thanks Dan D. That helps a lot. Now I can make a better informed decision for my planned purchase. I really appreciate all the help.
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I'll second that. I'm building a Conroe system in a few months, and I wasn't sure which mobo was the one to go for...thanks Dan, you're the man! ;)
 
Dan_D said:
Yes. That is the same memory I am using in my personal machine currently.
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How's it working for you, as far as overclocking, performance, heat, etc... go? I'm looking at either the OCZ sticks, or the 8888 Corsair Dominator sticks you posted about earlier.
 
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