Asus A7N8X-DX (Deluxe Version)

[wkulecz]

"640K memory should be enough for anybody" Wasn't that said by a famous person?

Your point is valid, if it only had two DIMM slots I wouldn't be calling it half-assed. I don't like the possibility of "upgrades" that would reduce performance. I guess y'all don't remember all the VX chipset posts "I add more RAM and now my system is slower" posts.

--wally.

[Marshmallowman]

yeah vx's only cache the first 64meg of memory

[KRSESQ]

"" "640K memory should be enough for anybody" Wasn't that said by a famous person?""

I think it was Bill Gates.

Kevin

[hippie91]

hehe unless you like to render hair in maya at home (min req is 2G)

[Luminescent]

Very popular mistake with nForce DualDDR. Second bank is automatically activated by 2 AND 3 memory modules. Only single module disable TwinBank. You have 3 DIMM slots!

[hippie91]

...

from what i've read and the benchmarks i've seen you can have single rate with 1, 2, or 3 slots, but dual with only 2

[Luminescent]

Special note from A7N8X manual:
"To enhance system performance, utilize dual-channel feature when installing additional DIMMs. You may install the DIMMs in the following sequence: Sockets 1 and 3 or Sockets 2 and 3 or Sockets 1, 2 and 3."

[wkulecz]

I believe the benchmarks, not the translation from Chinese you see in the manual!

--wally.

[Luminescent]

Official nVidia document (nForce_TwinBank_Memory_Architecture_Tech_Brief.pd f)

"The TwinBank architecture is designed to provide a high degree of flexibility, scalability and upgradeability.
Its technical benefits include:
• Both 64-bit and 128-bit operations. In 64-bit mode, the DIMM can be located on either MC1 or
MC2. In 128-bit mode, both MC1 (DIMM0) and MC2 (DIMM1/DIMM2) are utilized.
• Both controllers are functionally identical with all control and timing parameters independently
programmable. This allows asymmetric DIMMs with different memory organization, size, and
speed to be used on MC1 and MC2 and still provide the full performance benefits of the 128-bit
memory system.
• Support for both 3.3V standard SDRAM or 2.5V DDR SDRAM memory technologies.
• Support for 133/100MHz DDR (266/200MHz) SDRAM or 133/100MHz standard SDRAM clock
frequencies.
• Support for 1-3 unbuffered, non-ECC DIMMs.
• Support for 64, 128, 256, or 512Mbit x8 or x16 memory configurations.
• Support for 64MB to 1.5GB of system memory.
• Support for odd total memory size; eg. 64MB + 128MB = 192MB, while still taking advantage of the 128-bit TwinBank architecture."

Tomorrow should comming my third Corsair DDR3500 256MB module (backorder). I will compare benchmarks.

[hippie91]

hmmmmmm

if that's true i may just have to get another stick down the line
(i'd try to get teh 512 stick to have an even gig and balance out the 2 slots with the larger stick)

[Luminescent]

I got memory yesterday... deffective. Post only in single configuration, can't post with additional modules. Motherboard is OK, post with my 2 Corsair DDR3500 and single DDR2700 256MB. After backorder, next delay - RMA.

[Maaij]

I hope to get mine soon

[bambam]

I see the Asus board has only 2 x UltraDMA 133/100/66/33.

Doesn't this make it difficult/impossible to hook up 4 IDE devices like 2 harddrives, a DVD and a CD burner? My old MB had 4 IDE connectors. Isn't this moving backwards? And yeah, I'm kind of naive about this stuff so forgive if this is dumb question.

[Luminescent]

Like usual 2 IDA ports each for 2 IDA devices, max. four devices (in delux version is additional Serial ATA with two connectors).

[Luminescent]

Finally my third memory stick arrived (RMA). Good news, No differences in SiSoft Sandra 2002 between two and three sticks (less then 1%). For example: Int aEMMX/aSSE Bandwidth 2936/2927 @ 190 MHz, 3089/3078 @ 200 MHz.