Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe: NVIDIA Dual x16 for the Athlon 64
by Wesley Fink on November 6, 2005 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
NVIDIA SLI-AA
NVIDIA introduced special SLI-AA Modes beginning with driver version 77.7x. By running Coolbits, selecting "Advanced Settings" under "View" in the "Performance & Quality Settings" area, and selecting "SLI-Antialiasing" under the "SLI Rendering Mode", you have new options to run games at 16xAA or 8xAA independent of application control. There are many potential advantages to SLI-AA mode. You can find more information on how this feature works and the potential benefits at NVIDIA Announces 16x AA For SLI.
Since some have reported dramatic increases of up to double the speed using SLI-AA with the Dual x16 board, we ran benchmarks in SLI-AA modes using the same Far Cry game using our Regulator benchmark. As in our other testing the CPU, memory and drivers were the same for both boards. We even moved the hard drive between the two test setups to make sure everything except the motherboard was exactly the same. Since we had some problems with stability of the release 81.85 drivers in SLI-AA mode, we used the more recent 81.87 drivers which are also available in the Beta section at nVidia's wesite.
As you clearly see from the test results we did not find ANY performance improvement in either SLI-AA mode on the Dual x16 board compared to the Dual x8. In fact, the DFI Dual x8 was slightly faster than the Asus Dual x16 in theses tests. The results, however, were well within error tolerance and are equivalent - no difference. Perhaps more memory or lower resolutions would yield different results, but in the past we have consisitently found higher resolutions to benefit most from SLI and antialiasing.
NVIDIA introduced special SLI-AA Modes beginning with driver version 77.7x. By running Coolbits, selecting "Advanced Settings" under "View" in the "Performance & Quality Settings" area, and selecting "SLI-Antialiasing" under the "SLI Rendering Mode", you have new options to run games at 16xAA or 8xAA independent of application control. There are many potential advantages to SLI-AA mode. You can find more information on how this feature works and the potential benefits at NVIDIA Announces 16x AA For SLI.
Since some have reported dramatic increases of up to double the speed using SLI-AA with the Dual x16 board, we ran benchmarks in SLI-AA modes using the same Far Cry game using our Regulator benchmark. As in our other testing the CPU, memory and drivers were the same for both boards. We even moved the hard drive between the two test setups to make sure everything except the motherboard was exactly the same. Since we had some problems with stability of the release 81.85 drivers in SLI-AA mode, we used the more recent 81.87 drivers which are also available in the Beta section at nVidia's wesite.
As you clearly see from the test results we did not find ANY performance improvement in either SLI-AA mode on the Dual x16 board compared to the Dual x8. In fact, the DFI Dual x8 was slightly faster than the Asus Dual x16 in theses tests. The results, however, were well within error tolerance and are equivalent - no difference. Perhaps more memory or lower resolutions would yield different results, but in the past we have consisitently found higher resolutions to benefit most from SLI and antialiasing.
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Wesley Fink - Friday, November 4, 2005 - link
I can't help on the Lian-Li question as I don't have a similar setup, but I am familiar with the upside-down mounting some top-end cases are providing. Our test setup runs the board flat, without the advantage of "heat-rising" and we had no issues. It's a good question for Asus engineering or the Forums.As for the slots, check my comments above. With 2 single slot 7800GTX we could still mount 3 PCI and an x4 PCIe - though 2 of the PCI will block video fan exhaust if they are too tall. With double-slot (and worst case) one PCI is usable and one x4 PCIe.
lopri - Friday, November 4, 2005 - link
Wesley,Could you please comment on the heatpipe's efficiency for this board? This is a real concern for people with Lian-Li V1000, or any case that houses the motherboard upside-down. I had a problem with A8N-SLI Premium board's heatpipe in my case, and I really, really want to know.
Thank you very much. This review is fantastic.
lop
dunce - Friday, November 4, 2005 - link
What about using this board in a reverse ATX case? Like that Antec P180 or Silverstone TJ06? This a new trend in ATX cases to improve video card and CPU cooling by flipping the ATX mother board upside down. From what I know about heatpipe cooling the water boils, heat rises with the gases and cools at the “radiator fins” . Right? On this Asus board in a “normal” ATX case this would work great but in a reverse ATX the radiator fins will be at the bottom of the heat pipe exchange and rendered ineffective. Correct?Paul
Live - Friday, November 4, 2005 - link
Antec P180 does not flip the Motherboard. It places the PSU in a separate chamber below the board. The orientation of the board is still standard tough.For cases that does put the motherboard upside down the effectiveness of the heat pipes are decreased.
Aquila76 - Friday, November 4, 2005 - link
That's what happened with the A8N-SLI Premium in 'BTX mount' cases like the Lian-Li, etc., I'm sure it happens on this board as well.deeltje - Friday, November 4, 2005 - link
In the new cases it won't work, well, it works but the chipsets get insainly HOT!I ordered the V1000 but changed to the PC6070B Plus very quick :)
BTW, any USA shops that has this board in stock and ship abroad???? Anyone???
trooper11 - Friday, November 4, 2005 - link
One thing that has been bugging me about this board is the pci-e/pci layout. I was suprised you guys didnt cover that when you talked about the layout of the board.I do want to use SLI on this, but I have to be able to use all 3 pci slots and the single pci-e x4 slot all at the same. now the video card i was going to start with is the EVGA 7800GTX KO with the sheathed cooler. now the way the layout looks to me, that would be impossible.
Did anyone check if the other slots are still useable when using SLI?
Wesley Fink - Friday, November 4, 2005 - link
Our test rig uses two MSI 7800GTX in SLI mode. They are single slot cards. I was able to install 3 PCI network cards and a PCIe network card in the x4 PCIe slot. They would all fit, but the cards closest to the 7800GTX cards do mostly block the fans on the video cards. With double-slot video cards one PCI and the x4 PCIe would be all that are usable for expansion.Asus will be introducing a single-slot dual-GPU 7800 card in the near future, but that might mean SLI in a single x16 slot which is bakc to dual x8. We do know the Gigabyte 3D1 dual-GPU cards work on the Asus, DFI, and Gigabyte SLI boards - all 3 have the BIOS hooks to drive a single-slot dual-GPU.
deeltje - Friday, November 4, 2005 - link
I've been waiting for this board for over 2 weeks now and it still isn't available anywhere in europe.So i would love to get this board shipped from USA to The Netherlands (where i live).
Does anyone know a good USA Computershop that has these boards in stock and accept Mastercard payments!?!?!?!?
I don't care about the shippingcosts, as long as they can ship FAST :)
Zebo - Friday, November 4, 2005 - link
with single card - your chart says DFI is 8x1 - and performance seems to bear that out. OTOH, in narrative below that chart, you say both are running 16x1 and DFI still takes a whoopin.