Sapphire shows off new ATI Express 200 based motherboard

[biggiy05]

The new ATI chipset boards are almost here
http://www.xtremesystems.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=216&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=26377

They should be out within four weeks and will be under $500 for all three custom DangerDen waterblocks which include of course the cpu and northbridge and now the mosfets too.

[Zero Wing]

dang, that looks pretty sweet

[gdorf]

I saw that the other day. Honestly, the features it brings to the table are suitable only for a very rich enthusiast. Watercooled mosfets? puleeeze! I think passive coolers are more than suitable even for the most hardcore overclockers.

I'm still trying to figure out what the three bios sockets are for. Bios, Bios savior, and rom for the onboard NIC?

btw: here is the original post with higher res. pictures:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=55734


features


CPU Power Delivery:
-4 phase CPU power supply with the ability to deliver 170+ Amps
-provision for passive, water block or active air cooled mosfets (heatsink form factor is the same as the northbridge)
-voltage range to 2.7V but artificially clamped to 2.0V
-voltage increments as fine as 20 mV

Memory Power Delivery:
-upto 30 Amps delivery potential
-voltage range to 4.0V
-voltage increments as fine as 20 mV
-adjustable VTT (memory termination voltage) to +/- 10% of memory VDD

NB Power Delivery:
-NB core has it's own power rail with 4 discrete steps

HT Power Delivery:
- HT I/O has it's own power rail with 4 discrete steps

PCI-E 1.2V Power Delivery:
- PCI-E 1.2V I/O has it's own power rail with 4 discrete steps

PCI-E 1.8V Power Delivery:
- PCI-E 1.8V I/O has it's own power rail with 2 discrete steps

Board Features:

Onboard Devices:
-twin Silicon Image SI3132 SATA II w/ NCQ chips connected via PCI-E, each chip providing 2 SATA ports. (8 SATA ports total; 4 are SATAI and 4 are SATAII w/NCQ)
-Marvel Gigabit LAN connected via PCI-E
-one general purpose single lane PCI-E slot (provisioned for 1 more single lane general purpose slot if one SI3132 is not populated as a build option)
-Azalia audio support via SB450 using Realtek codec
-POST code LED display
-Firewire support with ViaVT6306
-VGA and DVI outputs via Radeon Xpress 200G (enabling upto 4 monitor outputs using an ATI add in card and ATI Surroundview)
-onboard power and reset switches
-onboard VID code LED display

Overclocking Options:
-HTT frequency upto 500 MHz
-All relevant memory timings and adjustments including support for new Rev E CPUs
-HT link ratios X1, X2, X3, X4,X5
-Independent PCI-E overclocking for the graphics bus

Thermal Monitoring:
-thermal monitoring of CPU power delivery circuitry, CPU, NB and ambient

[biggiy05]

I saw that the other day. Honestly, the features it brings to the table are suitable only for a very rich enthusiast. Watercooled mosfets? puleeeze! I think passive coolers are more than suitable even for the most hardcore overclockers.

It is going to be under $500 with all three custom DangerDen blocks. Go tell the guys over at xtreme that the wc mosfets block won't do you anymore good other than add a little heat to your loop and they will pull every single reason they can find to prove that it will help.

[gdorf]

Oh boy! Under $500? sign me up!

In reality, I'd rather spend $200-$300 less on a comparible motherboard with no mosfet cooling and only two waterblocks.

And of course they'll say that at xtreme. They are fanboys excited at the idea of having the biggest, badest, computer penis around. Practical? no. I didn't say this motherboard was pointless or slow, all I said is the price/performance ratio is going to be extremely high.

Look at mosfets today. They RARELY have passive heatsinks. While that board runs some high voltages, I find it hard to believe that watercooling the mosfets is really necessary, or even benificial.

[theplustwo]

You know "under $500" translates to roughly $498, which is still quite a bit to blow on a motherboard.

Does it even support the new multi-core processors that are coming out? Because if not, it's going to be out-moded rather quickly.

[biggiy05]

And of course they'll say that at xtreme. They are fanboys excited at the idea of having the biggest, badest, computer penis around.

Actually they are all about the speed. They like to push the limits of oc'ing a system.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=44785