Test Settings And Boards
We still had two P55+NF200 motherboards on hand from a previous review: EVGA’s P55 Classified 200 and MSI’s Big Bang–Trinergy.
| Test System Configuration | |
|---|---|
| LGA 1156 CPU | Intel Core i7-860 (2.93 GHz, 8MB Cache) O/C to 4 GHz (20 x 200 MHz), 1.388V/1.367V |
| P55 Motherboard | EVGA P55 SLI E655, P55 Express PCH BIOS A39 (10/23/2009) |
| P55+NF200 Motherboards | EVGA P55 Classified 200, BIOS A51 (12/29/2009) MSI Big Bang-Trinergy, BIOS V1.1 (11/24/2009) |
| LGA 1366 CPU | Intel Core i7-920 (2.66 GHz, 8MB Cache) O/C to 4 GHz (20 x 200 MHz), 1.434V |
| X58 Motherboard | EVGA X58 SLI E758, X58 Express IOH ICH10R, BIOS SZ2Z (11/30/2009) |
| CPU Cooler | Thermalright MUX-120 w/2,500 RPM Fan |
| RAM | Kingston KHX2133C9D3T1K2/4GX (4GB) DDR3-2133 at DDR3-1600 CAS 8-8-8-24 |
| Graphics | 3 x Diamond Radeon HD 5870 1GB 850 MHz GPU, GDDR5-4800 |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital Velociraptor WD3000HLFS, 300GB 10,000 RPM, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16MB cache |
| Sound | Integrated HD Audio |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
| Power | Corsair CMPSU-850HX 850W Modular ATX12V v2.2, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Gold |
| Software | |
| OS | Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64 |
| Graphics | ATI Catalyst 9.11 |
| Chipset | Intel INF 9.1.1.1015 |
Today’s benchmarks were intended only to test the theory that an NF200 bridge might be a solution for using triple-GPU CrossFireX with Intel’s latest LGA 1156-based processors. Thus, only a single P55+NF200 motherboard should have been required. The problem is that there’s more than one way to connect the nForce 200 bridge.
MSI’s Trinergy motherboard represents the “standard” method for multiplying PCIe pathways through the NF200 bridge. All 16 of the processor’s PCIe 2.0 lanes are connected to the bridge, which is then able to control up to two cards in x16 mode or four cards in x8 mode. MSI provides its first slot with 16 of the NF200’s 32 lanes, while the second slot has eight fixed and eight switchable pathways. MSI’s third slot borrows eight pathways from the second slot via automatic mode switching whenever a card is installed, switching the board from x16/x16/x0 to x16/x8/x8.
Asus’ P7P55 WS Supercomputer uses the same 16-lane connection on the NF200 as MSI, but provides four slots by using two sets of pathway switches. The P7P55 WS Supercomputer’s first and second slots are able to share pathways in the same manner as MSI’s second and third slots, enabling x16/x0/x16/x0, x16/x0/x8/x8, or x8/x8/x8/x8 modes depending on whether or not the second and/or fourth slots are occupied. We only needed to test either the Asus or the MSI motherboard to determine the effectiveness of running all 16 of the processor’s PCIe 2.0 lanes through the NF200 bridge, and MSI’s motherboard was the handiest.
EVGA’s P55 Classified 200 links only eight of the LGA 1156 interface’s 16 lanes to the NF200, allowing exclusive use of the other eight lanes by the motherboard’s uppermost PCIe x16 slot. This configuration expands the maximum number of supported graphics cards by one, but forces the fours cards supported by the NF200 bridge to share the bandwidth of only eight of the processor’s lanes.
| Benchmark Configuration | |
|---|---|
| 3D Games | |
| Crysis | Patch 1.2.1, DirectX 10, 64-bit executable, benchmark tool Test Set 1: Very High Details, No AA Test Set 2: Very High Details, 4x AA |
| Far Cry 2 | Patch 1.03, DirectX 10, in-game benchmark Test Set 1: Ultra High Quality, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra High Quality, 4x AA |
| Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X | Patch 1.02, DirectX 10.1, in-game benchmark Test Set 1: Highest Settings, No AA Test Set 2: Highest Settings, 4x AA |
| S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky | Clear Sky Benchmark version Test Set 1: Ultra Preset, DX10 EFDL, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra Preset, DX10 EFDL, 4x MSAA |
| World in Conflict | Patch 1009, DirectX 10, timedemo Test 1: Very High Details, No AA / No AF Test 2: Very High Details 4x AA / 16x AF |
| Synthetic | |
| 3DMark Vantage | Version: 1.0.1, GPU and CPU scores |
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looks like we need new Crysis... getting over 100fps in games these days seems way too easy...
What effect does increasing the PCI-E clock from 100mhz to 200mhz on the P55 platform have? Would doubling the clock rate make up for the half bandwidth 1.1 interface over a 2.o interface?
What effect does increasing the PCI-E clock from 100mhz to 200mhz on the P55 platform have? Would doubling the clock rate make up for the half bandwidth 1.1 interface over a 2.o interface?
More likely it'd throw the graphics cards completely and not boot. you'll struggle beyond 120MHz, and even then the gains would be minimal.
Although an interesting read, I'm really not sure why motherboard manufacturers are investing so much time in "fixing" the P55's lack of PCI-E lanes.
Right now, the only thing that requires all these lanes is multiple GPU setups, and if you're a gamer who demands that level of GPU power then you obviously have the cash to burn and go top-end with X58 anyway.
It just seems to me that mobo companies are trying to fix a problem for a market that doesn't exist.
Work in progress, release then try fix is the new way for all devices and games alike. Good read was more interested in the small gains by adding a 3rd card, hopefully if, when they get 16,16,16 or 32/32/32 oh ye what a dream, will be better results, but for now it shows how limited the boards are at present.
Then again we have always been paying usualy double for those very small gains in the past.