Exclusive: ASUS P4G8X (Granite Bay) Review

[HokieESM]

DynaOne Actually, the nonlinear problem might not be as bad as you think. Most nonlinearly ELASTIC solutions (or even contact algorithms) are not so bad.... I did a lot of design for Michelin (multiple materials, rubber-like, nonlinearly elastic) during my masters.... its not as computationally intensive (you can still formulate things in an implicity algorithm and solve it with optimal efficiency). A couple days on my dual P3 (but with 4 GB of RAM) could grind out some serious results. Dynamic simulations are something else--currently I'm working on thermoviscoplastic solutions, including the evolution of shear banding (a plastic phenomena associated with high strain rates). Feel free to drop me a private message: I might could give you some good references or at least we could discuss the intricises of FE.

But on topic of Granite Bay..... I'm excited. I would personally love to see a DESKTOP (not server) GB board with a 64bit PCI slot (SCSI!) and six memory slots. PC2100 is readily available and cheap.... with six slots, you could strategically expand. I believe the REAL issue will be keeping cost down--GB is going to be an important board. (my 850E board is great... but buying 1.5 GB of PC1066 almost broke me).

 

[CrazySaint]

Originally posted by: DynaOne
Are there any good reasonably priced 1 gig 266 DDR memory sticks out there yet?

You can get a 1GB stick of PC2100 ECC Registered for $450 @ Googlegear, which isn't too bad. I haven't really checked anywhere else yet.

 

[pm]

Built-in GigE. Pretty neat.

I wonder what the price will work out to be on the street. If it's under $150, I'm have to find a way to buy one. 🙂

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: pm
Built-in GigE. Pretty neat.

I wonder what the price will work out to be on the street. If it's under $150, I'm have to find a way to buy one. 🙂

Not for me 😀 The price differential still isn't worth it considering I have an i845G right now at DDR333 speeds.

I'm not upgrading again until Springdale comes out (integrated Serial-ATA, not that add-on PCI bus stuff that's out now) along with price drops in H-T processors. I see no reason to waste money now for a few % points for no other reason than to say "Look at me, I've got dual-channel" 😀

 

[Rand]

I would have much preferred they had run the gaming tests at 640x480x16bpp so as to limit the impact of other components as much as possible.

 

[BDawg]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: pm
Built-in GigE. Pretty neat.

I wonder what the price will work out to be on the street. If it's under $150, I'm have to find a way to buy one. 🙂

Not for me 😀 The price differential still isn't worth it considering I have an i845G right now at DDR333 speeds.

I'm not upgrading again until Springdale comes out (integrated Serial-ATA, not that add-on PCI bus stuff that's out now) along with price drops in H-T processors. I see no reason to waste money now for a few % points for no other reason than to say "Look at me, I've got dual-channel" 😀

Exactly!

 

[Hulk]

I agree with many here that the granite bay advantage over 333Mhz speeds (G or PE chipset) is minimal. Perhaps when cpu speeds reach 4Ghz+ we'll need the added bandwidth.

 

[neoro]

Arch.
Dual support for DDR266 only!!
i have 2 sticks of DDR 333
wonder how long will it take until it supports Dual DDr333
should i get this board now and change it later when Support for Dual 333 comes out>..??

 

[CrazySaint]

Originally posted by: neoro
Arch.
Dual support for DDR266 only!!
i have 2 sticks of DDR 333
wonder how long will it take until it supports Dual DDr333
should i get this board now and change it later when Support for Dual 333 comes out>..??

If you're shopping for a new board, go ahead and get the GB, you can still run you DDR333 at DDR266, and there's always the option of overclocking.

 

[senior guy]

Originally posted by: CrazySaint

Originally posted by: neoro
Arch.
Dual support for DDR266 only!!
i have 2 sticks of DDR 333
wonder how long will it take until it supports Dual DDr333
should i get this board now and change it later when Support for Dual 333 comes out>..??

If you're shopping for a new board, go ahead and get the GB, you can still run you DDR333 at DDR266, and there's always the option of overclocking.

Or (better yet IMHO), consider SiS655. The Asus P4SDX will in the retail channels inside of two weeks. As an SiS655 board, it supports DCDDR333, Serial ATA and AGP 8X. Of coarse, it will also be less expensive than GB. 😛

 

[canadianpsycho]

Originally posted by: senior guy

Originally posted by: CrazySaint

Originally posted by: neoro
Arch.
Dual support for DDR266 only!!
i have 2 sticks of DDR 333
wonder how long will it take until it supports Dual DDr333
should i get this board now and change it later when Support for Dual 333 comes out>..??

If you're shopping for a new board, go ahead and get the GB, you can still run you DDR333 at DDR266, and there's always the option of overclocking.

Or (better yet IMHO), consider SiS655. The Asus P4SDX will in the retail channels inside of two weeks. As an SiS655 board, it supports DCDDR333, Serial ATA and AGP 8X. Of coarse, it will also be less expensive than GB. 😛

True, but does it supprt HT?

 

[senior guy]

Originally posted by: canadianpsycho.....True, but does it supprt HT?

Yes!

Here's a list of chipsets know to support Hyper-Threading:

Intel 850E
Intel 845E
Intel 845PE
Intel 845GE
Intel 845GV
Intel 7205 (GB)
SiS 655

 

[BlvdKing]

I agree with you. The performance numbers just aren't that impressive. The i845 PE with 333 DDR SDRAM was within a couple percent of the Granite Bay almost every time. Maybe Anand's review will show impressive real performance from GB?

Originally posted by: Hulk
I agree with many here that the granite bay advantage over 333Mhz speeds (G or PE chipset) is minimal. Perhaps when cpu speeds reach 4Ghz+ we'll need the added bandwidth.

 

[senior guy]

Originally posted by: BlvdKing
I agree with you. The performance numbers just aren't that impressive. The i845 PE with 333 DDR SDRAM was within a couple percent of the Granite Bay almost every time. Maybe Anand's review will show impressive real performance from GB?

Originally posted by: Hulk
I agree with many here that the granite bay advantage over 333Mhz speeds (G or PE chipset) is minimal. Perhaps when cpu speeds reach 4Ghz+ we'll need the added bandwidth.

I agree that we won't see meaningful performance gains from GB, especially running actual apps/games. Even if GB (w/oc'ing) can outperfom i850E (w/PC1066), it won't be by much, and i845PE w/DDR333 performs pretty darn close to i850E/PC1066 (in apps/games)! Sure, if you were about to buy a new board now, Intel 7205 or SiS655 makes a lot of sense. But IMHO, it doesn't make any sense upgrading from 845E/PE (or the like).

 

[Fant]

Another granite bay review: http://www.tbreak.com/reviews/article.php?id=166

Why does the dual channel pc2100 (ie 2.1gb/sec x 2 = 4.2gb/sec) only get 3.3gb/sec on sisandra? I guess duall channel ddr333 undoubtedly beats rdram by a good margin as the o/c test shows. This board seems faster than the asus?

 

[RanDum72]

Why does the dual channel pc2100 (ie 2.1gb/sec x 2 = 4.2gb/sec) only get 3.3gb/sec on sisandra

For the same reason whyPC1066 RDRAM is also not getting 4.2gb/sec. Its theoretical, which doesn't translate to actual bandwidth.
One feature the MSI board is sorely missing is the AGP/PCI lock.