Test: Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DQ6

Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DQ6

Introduktion

Bundkortet vi i dag skal se på, er faktisk ganske velkendt i entusiast-kredse. Kortet blev nemlig berømt verden over, da billeder af 4 Radeon grafikkort i CrossFire, også kendt som CrossFireX,  gik sin gang på nettet - monteret på netop dette bundkort. 

Billede fra OverClockWorkbench.com

Men hvad har Gigabyte i det hele taget at byde på? I et segment, hvor spillere som ASUS synes dominerende, kan det nemlig være svært, at vise sit værd. Men trods den hårde konkurrence, har GigaByte flere gange fået nørders tænder til at løbe i vand. Med GA-P965-DS3, tog firmaet os eksempelvis en tur til overclocking-himlen, med et overclocking-potentiale i særklasse. Ligeledes har GA-P35-DS3R og GA-X38-DQ6 været en tur forbi redaktionen på HWT, og de har alle efterladt et godt indtryk, af Gigabyte som et godt og solidt High-end mærke.

Fælles for de testede Gigabyte bundkort er dog, at disse har været Intel-baserede. Spørgsmålet til en million kroner er så, hvorvidt taiwanerne kan håndtere AMD lige så godt...

Specifikationer

Som der står længere nede på siden, er GA-MA790FX-DQ6 slet ikke fattig på features. For at gøre tingene mere gennemskuelige, og for at si eventuel salgsgas fra, vil jeg dog lige opsummere kortets features.
Der er naturligvis fuld understøttelse af AMD's nye AM2+ processorer, herunder Athlon64 X2 og den nye Phenom quadcore processor - for at tage det vigtigste først. DDR2 understøttes naturligvis også ved fuld gadaffi, og så er der som sagt understøttelse for Crossfire med 4 GPU'er, som enten kan være 4*HD3850 eller 2*HD3870X2, hvilket AMD/ATi betegner som CrossFireX. Integreret S-ATA og Dual-Lan må næsten siges, at være et must på bundkort i denne klasse, og kortet her er ingen undtagelse. Ligeledes er der 8-kanals "High Definition"-lyd, som også er på sin plads.
En anden ting high-end producenter er begyndt at promovere bundkort på, er Solid-State Capacitors, som er ikke-væske-holdige kondensatorer, der holder langt bedre end de gamle; og også her viser Gigabyte gode takter.
Sidst, men ikke mindst, har kortet fået implementeret en fancy, men efterhånden ret ordinær, heatpipebaseret køleløsning. Alt i alt skiller kortet sig altså ikke væsentligt udfra mængden - men på den anden side, står det heller ikke tilbage for nogen. Der er bare det der skal være. Punktum.

GA-MA790FX-DQ6 (rev. 1.0)        AMD 790FX Chipset Supports AMD AM2+ Phenom™/ AM2 Athlon™ 64 series processors Dual Channel DDR2 1066* memory support for remarkable system performance Quad PCI-E 2.0 x16 graphics interfaces with ATI CrossFireX™ support for extreme gaming performance Integrated SATA 3Gb/s with RAID function and IEEE 1394a connection Integrated dual LAN with Teaming function to provide twice bandwidth of transmission speed High quality 8-ch ALC889A High Definition audio with DTS Connect support, featuring 106dB Signal to Noise Ratio and Full Rate Lossless Audio with Blu-ray/ HD DVD playback support. Ultra Durable 2 motherboard features High Quality CPU Power design with Ferrite core chokes, Low RDS (on) MOSFET and Solid Capacitors. Durable Capacitors that take advantage of Japanese manufactured SMD (Surface Mount Device) Solid Capacitors for enhanced system durability. Re-engineered Thermal Design featuring All Copper Silent-Pipe and Crazy Cool External SATA2 design makes you enjoying "easy to use, easy to go, and easy to play" * Whether 1066 MHz memory speed is supported depends on the CPU being used, please refer "Memory Support List" for memory support information.

Overview     Introduction The GA-MA790FX-DQ6 is GIGABYTE's next generation, high performance platform based on the new AMD 790FX Chipset and support for the new AMD Phenom™ quad-core processors, with the latest AM2+ platform support, integrated DDR2 1066 memory controller, HyperTransport™ 3.0 technology links and 128-bit Floating Point Units. The GIGABYTE GA-MA790FX-DQ6 also features support for PCI Express 2.0 as well as ATI CrossFireX™ with dual x16, or four x8 connectivity for the ultimate gaming experience. In addition to setting new records for blistering performance, the GA-MA790FX-DQ6 is part of the GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 2 series of motherboards, featuring top quality electronic components which provide optimized power savings, ultra cooling and extended system durability.     Ultra Durable 2 -Designed with Top Quality Highly Efficient Components Ultra Cooling - Low RDS(on) MOSFET Design Low RDS(on) MOSFETs specially designed to produce lower switching resistance for faster electric current charging and discharging. Low Power Loss - Ferrite Core Choke Design Ferrite core chokes comprised of a compound of iron oxide and other metal elements whose properties hold energy much longer than common iron core at high frequency. Longer Life - All-Solid Capacitor Design Solid capacitors contain a solid organic polymer, while electrolytic capacitors use a common liquid electrolyte, hence, the terms solid capacitor versus electrolytic capacitors.   AMD OverDrive Support The AMD OverDrive™ utility provides high-end users the ability to maximize the capability, flexibility, and adjustability of the platforms utilizing AMD processors, sockets, and chipsets.Please click here to download.   AMD Live Ready AMD Live Ready Requirement compliant.   Windows Vista Premium Logo Certified Windows Vista Premium promises to deliver a streamlined computing experience designed to fundamentally change how users view, find and organize their digital information. With GIGABYTE AM2+/ AM2 solutions enabling support for Vista Premium, GIGABYTE offers a fresh and unique desktop experience that will be more informative, intuitive and completely new...more   AMD Phenom™ processors The leading-edge performance and unparallel technology of AMD AM2+ Phenom™ processors have built its strength on the well-known AMD64 framework which consisted next generation of HyperTransport 3.0 Technology, and integrated DDR2 1066 memory controller, and 128-bit Floating Point Units. The AMD Phenom™ processors are an ideal choice for multi-media enthusiasts and intensive multi-tasking environments to offer significant performance boosts and provides an overall more energy efficient platform.   AMD 790FX Chipset The AMD 790FX Chipset is the system logic of the latest AM2+ (HyperTransport 3.0) platform from AMD that enables its next generation Phenom™ processors with the leading CrossFireX™ solution. The AMD 790FX Chipset, with optimized next generation of PCI-E 2.0 graphics capabilities, providing outstanding quality and performance for every PC users. Confidently manage and back-up precious digital files, surf the Internet faster, and play the latest games with technology designed today and ready for tomorrow.   Dual Channel DDR2 1066* MHz Experience the advanced technology of DDR2 1066* memory, featuring faster speeds and higher data bandwidth, which delivers superior performance for the most demanding applications. * Whether 1066 MHz memory speed is supported depends on the CPU being used, please refer “Memory Support List” for memory support information.   PCI-E 2.0 Graphics Interface PCI-E 2.0 doubles the bus standard's bandwidth from 2.5 Gbit/s to 5 Gbit/s, meaning a x32 connector can transfer data at up to 16 GB/s in each direction. PCI-E 2.0 also features improvements to the point-to-point data transfer protocol and its software architecture.   ATI CrossFireX™ support With support for latest ATI CrossFireX™ technology, GIGABYTE pushes the envelope once again by delivering highly optimized performance and flexibility demanded by power users and extreme gaming enthusiasts. Designed to provide unmatched multi-GPU support with Quad PCI-E connectivity, the GA-MA790FX-DQ6 allows users to take advantage of the ultra smooth 3D rendering, blazing-fast frame rates and enhanced visual quality possible with a dual graphics card solution.   SATA 3Gb/s storage interface The SATA specification doubles bus bandwidth from 1.5Gb/s to 3Gb/s. Native Command Queuing is a new specification that enables out-of-order execution of commands for efficient retrieval of data. Hot Plug support allows users to insert and remove hard disk drives without shutting off power to the system.   IEEE1394 motherboard This motherboard comes with IEEE1394 FireWire interface from Texas Instruments (TI). With the transfer speed up to 400Mb/s, the new generation IEEE1394 interface further enhances PC connectivity with consumer electronics audio/video (A/V) appliances, and storage peripherals.     ALC889A with DTS Connect Enables a Superior Audio Experience Excellent Audio Performance High-performance DAC (Digital-Analog Converter) with 106 dB Signal-to-Noise ratio playback quality, designed especially for Windows Vista Premium PCs. Blu-ray/HD DVD Full Rate Audio Support The ALC889A enables high quality Full Rate Lossless Audio for content protected media and support for both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats for an exhilarating home theater entertainment experience. 7.1+2 Channel High Definition Output The ALC889A provides support for 7.1 sound playback, plus 2 channels of independent stereo output (multiple streaming) through the front panel stereo outputs.   Dual Gigabit LAN with Teaming The dual Gigabit LAN with Teaming function allows the 2 single network connections to act as one for twice the bandwidth, further to improve overall throughput with lower CPU utilization and also provide new generation connectivity for the broadband era. It is able to prevent network downtime by transferring the workload from a failed port to a working port.   Quad-Core Optimized GIGABYTE has implemented optimized Quad-Core system bus routing on latest AMD AM2+ platform and a Quad-Double phase power design to ensure the highest levels of performance and stability from multi-core processors, including the next generation AMD Phenom™ processors, providing the highest levels of performance for multi-tasking applications.   Quad BIOS Quad BIOS is a feature unique to GIGABYTE that includes DualBIOS™ and Xpress BIOS Rescue Technology. This combination delivers a safety assurance mechanism that sports a total of 4 copies of BIOS distributed between the Flash ROM, hard-disk and driver CD. This feature helps to reduce the affects of virus attacks or firmware damage and provides multi-layer BIOS protection that assures greater PC platform stability.How does Quad BIOS work?   Quad Cooling This revolutionary cooling design combines Crazy Cool and Silent-Pipe technology that includes heat sinks covering MOSFET modules, the north bridge and the south bridge. Additionally, the Crazy Cool enhances heat dissipation of the rear side of CPU and north bridge of the motherboard. Quad Cooling allows users to enjoy longer component lifetime through lower temperatures and absolute silence combined with the ultimate thermal performance on chipsets, CPU power components and the PCB.   Quad CrossFireX Supports ATI CrossFireX™ Technology, true dual PCI-E 2.0 x16 or four PCI-E 2.0 x8 connectivity for up to 2 or 4 latest ATI CrossFireX™ VGA cards, providing flawlessly smooth 3D video rendering and screaming frame rates.   Quad Double Phase An exclusive feature found only on GIGABYTE motherboards, this unique design incorporates Virtual 8+2 Power Phases to deliver steadier power and immediate current to the CPU and memory during heavy system workloads or overclocking. Additionally, the Quad-Double Phase power design helps decrease the working temperatures, enhancing system stability and increasing component lifespan.   Quad e-SATA2 Four sets of external SATA ports based on the Serial ATA 3Gb/s storage specification allow effortless sharing and transfer of entertainment content and digital media on external devices. Designed for external SATA devices, Quad eSATA 2 delivers enhanced scalability and double the bus bandwidth for high-speed data retrieval and saving On-The-Go.   Silent-Pipe The revolutionary Silent-Pipe Technology compliant GIGABYTE motherboards featuring 0dB soundless heat-pipe thermal cooling solution, convergence with GIGABYTE Crazy Cool Technology, enhances heat dissipation efficiency from the critical Chipsets and CPU power components...more   Speed The Speed compliant motherboards of GIGABYTE S-series provide intelligent over-clocking and over-voltage software settings through both hardware and software design...more   Smart The Smart featured motherboards of GIGABYTE S-series provide GIGABYTE proprietary innovative software such as Download Center, @BIOS, Q-Flash, Xpress Install, Boot menu, and Smart Fan. BIOS and driver management now becomes much easier and user friendly through GIGABYTE Smart features!...more   Safe Safe is the key feature of GIGABYTE S-series motherboards with the following elements: Excellent hardware design reinforced BIOS protection through GIGABYTE Virtual Dual BIOS Technology and GIGABYTE BIOS Setting Recovery Technology. Unique system software such as Xpress Recovery 2, PC Health Monitor, HDD S.M.A.R.T., and C.O.M. further strengthen the stability and reliability of your PC!...more