Best nForce4 SLI board now?

[carage]

I plan to get a new nForce 4 SLI (AMD) board before 9/28, or else I'll probably hold out until Christmas.
What is the best nForce 4 SLI board currently available on the market? In terms of features and performance. Price isn't that much of a concern as long as it is below $200.
The ASUS and Gigabyte offerings both look decent. Although I am not quite sure whether I need a Dual Power System.
Any other suggestions?

Or perhaps I should hold out until SLI X16 shows up and sees what that does to the market?

Please advise.

 

[Fresh Daemon]

DFI LanParty NF4 SLI-DR. It's the Rolls-Royce of motherboards. Be aware that the DFI Ultra boards can easily be modded to SLI, you just need a pencil.

I doubt that SLI X16 will do much. Right now there's really no performance difference between PCIe x16 and x8. Maybe in the intermediate future, but by then there'll be new processors, new motherboards, new graphics cards...

 

[bigpow]

LOL

If DFI made RR, it would have plastic dashboard & steering wheel

I think DFI is more like the SVT division of Ford

 

[ChiPCGuy]

Well, I would gravitate towards the Jetway SLI or EPoX SLI boards myself, if I intended to personally use SLI, which I don't. I have built two SLI systems for customers/friends, and both are using the EPoX SLI board (the more expensive one, EPoX just released a reduced cost one lately). The next SLI system I build will probably use the Jetway board.

As for the so-called more reputable mobo makers, quite a few people have had trouble with both ABit (all variations) and ASUS SLI boards (even the Premium ASUS board). Neither of those manufacturers has hit a true home run in quite some time.

 

[carage]

I know price isn't really a good indicator of quality, but the price from my local PCClub does look interesting.
The Gigabyte and Asus offerings are in the same price range ($179), while the MSI and DFI offerings are both above $200.
Any reason why?
The MSI NEO-4 SLI Platinum looks nice, but I don't really need an onboard SB Live! when I already have a ZS Platinum (and a X-Fi Platinum on my shopping list).

 

[Fresh Daemon]

If DFI made RR, it would have plastic dashboard & steering wheel

No, it would have UV reflective interior highlights and probably neon lights on the underbody, one of those chain license plate surrounds, big loud muffler, and a whole load of other crap. That stupid punk kid on the box looks like he'd drive a riced-out Civic, with his baseball cap on backwards... "you don't know sh!t about sh!t and pull up your pants!"

But you have to admit that "in terms of features and performance", as the OP asked, there's no beating DFI right now. The Jetway and Epox boards are also good, but DFI has them beat out in tweakability, memory voltage, etc.

The Gigabyte and Asus offerings are in the same price range ($179), while the MSI and DFI offerings are both above $200.

DFI NF4 SLI-DR for $165 shipped: http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant...duct_Code=110630&AFFIL=pricewatch&NR=1
There's a refurb on Pricewatch for $115 and free shipping.

 

[ElTorrente]

Originally posted by: bigpow
LOL

If DFI made RR, it would have plastic dashboard & steering wheel

I think DFI is more like the SVT division of Ford

This is kinda true- with all the flashy UV stuff.. but in reality there is no mobo out there with as high of quality components on their boards as DFI.

All of the little transisters and components and stuff on the board is absolute quality- the best in the industry. I switched just this week to DFI from an ASUS sli-premium, and am amazed at how much nicer this thing is. I thought DFI was gimicky and not the same quality of ASUS before I actually started researching it- I was dead wrong. This thing is much higher quality than any ASUS board. Period.

I think that the DFI is like the SVT division of Rolls Royce. - if they had something like that. Don't let the "ricer" look fool you- DFI *IS* the highest quality mobo out there.

 

[carage]

Looks like it is down to a DFI UT SLI-DR vs MSI K8N NEO4 Platinum SLI now.
Thanks for all the input.

 

[imported_Kensai]

DFI SLI-DR.

 

[the cobbler]

Originally posted by: bigpow
LOL

If DFI made RR, it would have plastic dashboard & steering wheel

I think DFI is more like the SVT division of Ford

yo, Tyan is the RR of mobos

 

[carage]

Originally posted by: the cobbler

Originally posted by: bigpow
LOL

If DFI made RR, it would have plastic dashboard & steering wheel

I think DFI is more like the SVT division of Ford

yo, Tyan is the RR of mobos

But would you get a server board for games?

 

[ND40oz]

Originally posted by: carage

Originally posted by: the cobbler

Originally posted by: bigpow
LOL

If DFI made RR, it would have plastic dashboard & steering wheel

I think DFI is more like the SVT division of Ford

yo, Tyan is the RR of mobos

But would you get a server board for games?

If you had the money, why not? I'm sure a dual opteron 275 performs on par or better then an OC X2 3800+ if they both have SLId 7800GTXs. It you're buying a rolls royce, your not concerned about money, same goes for a gaming computer. You can either buy the more inexpensive stuff and try to get it where you need it or you can buy the best available. You either buy an SRT-4 and try to keep up with the big boys or you drop your dime on Enzo if you can afford it.

 

[eastvillager]

DFI if you're going to overclock. MSI if you just want it to work without futzing around finding the perfect match of components to please the DFI gremlins.

 

[carage]

In the end, I ordered a Gigabyte K8NXP-SLI instead, should arrive sometime next week.