n00b Questions (P67/1155 Boards)

[stahlhart]

The chipset/component connected by heatpipe and behind the first PCIe 1X slot -- what function is this peforming, and why do I see it on some P67 boards (e.g. Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD7), but not others (GA-P67A-UD4)?

Can I assume that, for the boards that do have it, the first 1X slot is not usable unless the card in the slot doesn't extend further back than the rear of the slot -- or, if I'm looking at the photo of the Asus P8P67 Deluxe correctly, does the heat sink on at least some of these boards have a lower profile, and will allow a 1X card to extend over it? I thought that I read somewhere that in the case of the UD7, it's too tall and won't allow a card longer than (I think) 4" here.

If board specifications mention CrossfireX but do not specifically mention SLI, should I assume that the latter is not supported?

(I have not built for several years, and am somewhat behind the rest of you -- trying to catch up :|)

 

[Castiel]

UD7 has a NF200 under that heatsink you describe. Other boards do not.

 

[stahlhart]

I think that answers everything I needed to know -- thanks much!

 

[stahlhart]

Actually, no it doesn't...

In looking at the UD4 / UD5 / UD7, only the UD5 and UD7 have the NF200, yet all three offer SLI support per the specifications. It looks as though for all three, the first slot is X16, unless you add a second GPU in the X8, in which both become X8.

Is NF200 only relevant if you're doing SLI with more than two GPUs? Because it would appear to me that the UD4 would only support CrossfireX otherwise.

 

[Dark Shroud]

There is actually an interesting discusion going on over at [H]forums about the NF200 right now. In most cases it's not actually needed.

It isn't needed if you're only doing two cards in XFire/SLI. Just make sure the mobo will do x8/x8 and not x16/x4.

 

[stahlhart]

I'll take a look over there; thanks much...

It looks as though all of the Gigabyte offerings are 8X / 8X, which is the good news. I just wanted to leave the option open for a sound card, should I not end up being satisfied with the onboard audio on whichever mobo I end up with, and that 1X slot at the top seems to be the best place to put one if I go that route.

Thanks again.

 

[Castiel]

Actually, no it doesn't...

In looking at the UD4 / UD5 / UD7, only the UD5 and UD7 have the NF200, yet all three offer SLI support per the specifications. It looks as though for all three, the first slot is X16, unless you add a second GPU in the X8, in which both become X8.

UD5 doesn't have the NF200

 

[stahlhart]

Whoa, swing and a miss. :\ Thanks for the correction.

I think I'm going to go with the UD4.

 

[Castiel]

Whoa, swing and a miss. :\ Thanks for the correction.

I think I'm going to go with the UD4.

I just watched the video on the Maximus IV and it looks incredible.

 

[Zap]

Whoa, WTF?!!?

 

[Castiel]

Whoa, WTF?!!?

Yup. I don't even see the point in buying the UD5 at all now. Total waste of money.

 

[stahlhart]

Those last two posts were exactly my thoughts... it looks like perhaps Gigabyte did it for marketing/appearance reasons -- here's the big guy, and the little brother, and they both have that similar-looking heat sink setup so they sort of match up visually. The photos at review sites had them sitting side by side that way.

But then they cripple that 1X slot in the process, and apparently for absolutely no reason other than bling. The UD4 has a similar board layout to the UD5, and doesn't have the heatpipe running though all of the sinks, so it doesn't look like it's at all necessary.

It's actually a little misleading, because I just initially took a casual glance at the photos the first time though, and assumed there was a chip under there -- and Gigabyte's specification pages are vague about it. But it all makes sense eventually if you look past the board photo and the presence of three X16 slots and go through the PCIe specs and reason it out (which I guess I should have done in the first place :whiste.

This was a good learning experience -- thanks for posting that photo...

 

[stahlhart]

I just watched the video on the Maximus IV and it looks incredible.

Okay, one more to look at...

 

[phillyman36]

Okay, one more to look at...

Which one?

 

[stahlhart]

Which one?

The Maximus IV Extreme (is there more than one version?) -- and, as a result of going there to look at it, the Sabertooth.

I was hoping to keep the mobo roughly within a $200 budget -- haven't seen actual U.S. street prices for anything P67 yet, though.

 

[phillyman36]

The Maximus IV Extreme (is there more than one version?) -- and, as a result of going there to look at it, the Sabertooth.

I was hoping to keep the mobo roughly within a $200 budget -- haven't seen actual U.S. street prices for anything P67 yet, though.

There are a couple on youtube(when i search Maximus IV Extreme). Im trying to figure which one you are talking about.

 

[stahlhart]

There are a couple on youtube(when i search Maximus IV Extreme). Im trying to figure which one you are talking about.

I've only looked at Castiel's link so far (it's another thread on the first page here)...

 

[phillyman36]

I've only looked at Castiel's link so far (it's another thread on the first page here)...

Ahh ok thanks