AMD AND SLI RISE AGAIN : ARTICLE
Article
AMD is laying the substructure for the Socket AM3+, Bulldozer-based Zambezi processors with the 990FX chipset, functionally matching to 890FX. The large headlines is which motherboard vendors have been chartering SLI again, as good as we wish to review opening to Intel.
Generally, height reviews attend with brand brand brand new processors. But in the box of AMD's 990FX chipset, there's both great as good as bad news.
The great headlines is which AMD still has the illusory harmony story. So, 990FX supports today's Socket AM3 processors as good as the arriving AM3+ CPUs formed upon the Bulldozer microarchitecture.
The bad headlines is which those Bulldozer-based chips have been still not ready. Processors formed upon the B0 stepping have been in the hands of motherboard manufacturers. But they're all revelation me which opening is nowhere nearby what they were expecting, as good as it'll take an additional stepping to repair them.
Technically, we could buy the 990FX-based motherboard currently as good as dump in an existent Phenom II. But if you're unequivocally lusting after the six-core Zambezi-based chip, it'd be improved to simply wait for the integrate of months. Unless there was an additional reason to upgrade…
990FX: Same As 890FX, But Guaranteed Compatibility
The 990FX chipset employs the same silicon as 890FX. Didn’t know today’s launch was happening? Didn’t know 990FX would be so identical to 890FX? If we were following me upon Twitter, we would have! 
According to AMD, it's incrementing the height name to explain harmony with Bulldozer-based processors. When we see the house which centers upon 990FX, the association wants we to know which the arriving AM3+ CPUs have been drop-in-compatible (again, 990FX-based play will additionally take existent AM3 chips).
You need the 942-pin Socket AM3+ (AM3b) interface, though, in sequence to await Zambezi's energy as good as magnitude government features.
Conversely, AM3+ processors additionally dump in to Socket AM3 motherboards, since the BIOS update. Depending upon the association which made your AM3-enabled board, there might or might not be the firmware ascent accessible immediately. So, understandably, AMD doesn't wish to leave the subject of harmony up in the air.
Even with the brand brand brand new firmware, though, we won't get those aforementioned facilities upon an AM3 platform. Also, 890FX as good as 990FX both await HyperTransport 3.0 with send rates of up to 5.2 GT/s. According to MSI, 990FX adds HyperTransport 3.1 await with signaling up to 6.4 GT/s (apparently something we'll see from the eight-core Zambezis).
I'm not the air blower of rebadging, yet in this case, it's the required evil. Sure beats murdering the processor interface any time we deliver the brand brand brand new design (*cough* Intel). Most enthusiasts will substantially wish to ascent any way to compare Zambezi as good as AM3+. But it's good to know which AMD has the eye upon the back as good as brazen harmony of the processors as good as platforms.
SLI: A Pleasant Surprise
More impending than any AM3+ discussion, during slightest today, is the further of SLI await upon 990FX boards. Frankly, there's zero interlude the motherboard guys from chartering SLI upon 890FX as well, yet nobody I've talked to has skeleton to do that. Instead, it looks similar to SLI will be used as the differentiator to get gamers stoked about upgrading their processor as good as motherboard when the FX-series (Zambezi) chips launch.
As with Z68 Express, two-way SLI as good as CrossFire configurations have been simply supported. AMD's 990FX hits with 42 PCI Express lanes, giving any container upon the dual-card config the own 16-lane couple (compared to Intel's dual x8 links). Don’t get as well worked up about this “advantage.” Eight lanes is still sufficient for Intel’s tools to contest aggressively. Don’t hold me? Check out Thomas Soderstrom’s three-part array upon multi-card scaling.
Because 990FX boasts so most second-gen PCI Express connectivity, it doesn't need NF200 to await treble setups, though. Both of the 990FX play which landed in the lab house two- as good as treble configurations (x16/x8/x8), along with quad-GPU arrangements regulating cards similar to GeForce GTX 590 as good as Radeon HD 6990.
Without AM3+ processors to test, today's 990FX launch usually has the single unequivocally engaging angle: SLI-based opening regulating the Phenom II X4 980 contra Intel's Core i5-2400, both configurations armed with the span of GeForce GTX 570 graphics cards. The some-more aged couldn't get any some-more even. Our P8Z68-V Pro sells for the same $210 Asus skeleton to ask for the Sabertooth 990FX, as good as the Core i5-2400 sells for $5 some-more than AMD's Phenom II X4 980. With all alternative components equal, this is the loyal head-to-head.
Blinkiz 02 Aug, 2011--
Source: http://www.digdod.com/amd-and-sli-rise-again-1035610.html
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