DFI NF4 Expert - My personal review

[Madellga]

Hi,

Saturday I went to the local shop and got a DFI NF4 Expert

The DFI NF4 Expert seems to be a great board, better layout IMO. BIOS options are a bit better also (HTT speed, voltage options). I just installed and fired up on first one, no boot issues.

I copied my settings from the DR and it is now running Memtest (SD 3700 @2.7, 1.375Vx 1.096, HTT 270, CPU 10x, Mem 5/6, 2Gb OCZ 2.5 3 7 3 @ 2.71V).

After some OK passes I will boot with Windows and check prime95. I will post some picture later in the mobo forum. I wanna see also if I can run my SD a bit faster.

I will update this post later today or tomorrow with some results and pictures.

PS: One thing regarding power connections: it doesn't require the bigger molex anymore (but still needs the smaller one). Also the aux. power connection is made for 8 pins, not 4 like before. You can run with 4 pins if you PSU doesn't have one (so it says in the manual). This sucks, as I got 6 months ago a new Enermax (535W Coolergiant) and it doesn't have it
Time to ebay it. I am getting an Enermax Liberty 600W.

 

[Madellga]

OMG - I don't believe it :Q

As starter I completed 3 passes with memtest using same speed/setup as I had with my SLI-DR: San Diego 3700 @2.7GHz, 1.375Vx1.1, HTT270, multi. 10x, mem 5/6

It has never completed a memtest above 2.7GHz without failing on test 5, no matter what I did. I never went wild with the voltage, I don't wanna fry my CPU.

But now, I just raised HTT to 2.8 and 2.9 without increasing Vcore and it is completing memtest with 0 errors !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :shocked:

I never expected the mobo to make this difference!!!!!!!!! This is beyond my expectations.

I will try 3.0GHz now. After that, I will go into Windows and run Prime95.

I have an Opteron 170 also, brand new. It never did more than 2.6GHz with some high vcore. After I test drive the mobo with the San Diego, I will try the Opty.

 

[Madellga]

3GHz is a no no.

2.9GHz gets into WinXP but causes BSOD.

2.8GHz seems to be viable. It is priming now. I will leave it during the night.

Until now, I got an extra 100MHz at lower Vcore than I had with the SLI DR board.
CPU-z had 1.51V before, now I have 1.488V.

This has also to do with the vcore modifier, the SLI DR had a setting like 110% 113%, the expert has something like 109% 112% - it's a minor difference.

 

[dingetje]

do you think the expert board will have the familiar problem with the seasonic psu's? (pulling more than 2a on 5volt line)

 

[Madellga]

I am not familiar with this problem. Can you link?

I normally stick to Enermax. Never had a problem with them. It's a bit more expensive but it is worth imo.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

i dont like the fact that dfi made a "lackluster" product only to make a revision to fix out the old problems. /rant