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  • leexgx - Thursday, November 4, 2004 - link

    the 939 AMD cpu will only be my upgrade path (unless i wait and some thing els comes out)

    my NF7-S v2.0 mobo has 2x faster mem speed then an s754 so in my view it be an Downgrade if i whent to it

    my upgrade (dream at the mo :)
    MSI K8N Neo2 (waiting for the nForce4 ultra to comes out) or something like it (but nf4 chip)
    3500+ 939 (mite even wait for the 4000+ or the FX55 to come down in price)
    2x 512 ddr 400 OCZ low latency stuff (or other stuff that mite run better then OCZ)
  • MiLaMber - Sunday, October 31, 2004 - link

    Hmm
    Why on earth bring out this board for s754 NOW??
    Do they honestly think ppl would have waited this long for s754? They SHOULD have made it s939.

    I see this as lost revenue for DFI.

    Fantastic board yes, but for those who are looking to currently upgrade, will there be many who opt for this baord over a s939?

    I wish they had brought it out as a s939, as I would forget about buying an MSI K8N Neo2 in an instant.
    Its all well and good having the best board, but you need to have some savvy to, and think about when the introduction of your board will result in the greatest revenue!
    And thats just plain common sense.
  • tchuyev - Monday, October 25, 2004 - link

    So... using 3 SATA disks in a RAID0 array (using SATA ports 2 & 3 + 1 or 2, along with 2 * 512 OCZ PC-4200), I can't overclock the motherboard any higher than 240 FSB, right ?

    Using both the nForce & Marvell SATA controlers with the same 3 SATA disks on a RAID0 array : is it more likely to cause a performance drop - comparing to 2 disks on ports 3 & 4 - more than anything else ?

    In my case, wouldn't it be thus better to go for a Silicon Image 3114r instead, like on the Asus K8N-E Deluxe ?

    Thanx a bunch ;)

  • GGiovanni - Saturday, October 9, 2004 - link

    Is there any detail regarding the memory DDR616 bandwidth since this mb uses on single channel setup? I'm interested on bandwidth when oc , not only low CAS o other tweaks.
  • Happy Buddha - Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - link

    Opps! Looks like I have double personality and they bot want to know what RAM have you bought.
    =:p
  • Happy Buddha - Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - link

    #47 - What RAM stick are you using?!? I have never seen a review on the Net that was able to pull these timing @245mhz Fsb..
  • Happy Buddha - Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - link

    #47 - What RAM Stick are you using? I have never seen any review out there that have been able to push these timing at 245Mhz FSB...
  • eva2000 - Monday, September 20, 2004 - link

    awesome review.. just got my DFI Lanparty UT NF3-250Gb 3 days ago and posted results at http://i4memory.com/showthread.php?t=142 with my AMD64 3400+ @ 11x 245HTT = 2695mhz and ram at 245mhz 2-2-2-6 1T !

  • JustAnAverageGuy - Sunday, September 12, 2004 - link

    "With our stock 3200+ and ATI Radeon 9800 Pro, the DFI is one of the better 2nd generation 754 boards. Standard performance tests demonstrate the DFI LANParty UT is very competitive with other recent Athlon 64 boards in Direct X 9 games, which is all we would expect. UT2004 and Far Cry include results from Socket 939 and Intel 775 for comparison. Since both the 939 and 775 results were with faster CPUs running an nVidia 6800 Ultra AGP 8X/PCIe, it is remarkable that the scores are as close as they are."

    I nearly missed that paragraph. Perhaps you should make it stand out a little better?
  • Cygni - Thursday, September 9, 2004 - link

    If it does come in around that price point, DFI will move ALOT of these things...
  • rjm55 - Thursday, September 9, 2004 - link

    Saw the DFI at www.gameve.com for $130. ZZF had them for a bit at a similar price. It looks like it will be affordable.
  • deathwalker - Thursday, September 9, 2004 - link

    Sweet Mobo...sounds inviting for my planned system upgrade from my Abit NF7-S with my O/C 2500 mobility proc...only concern...will I have to mortgage my home to be able to afford this board...afterall..these goodies do come with a price tag.
  • rjm55 - Thursday, September 9, 2004 - link

    Which is the better overclocker - the 2.0 1024k 3400+ or the 2.2 512k 3400+? Has anyone tested both?
  • Wesley Fink - Thursday, September 9, 2004 - link

    #40 - Both versions of the 3200+ are now mentioned at the bottom of page 9 - 2.0GHz with 1024k cache and 2.2GHz with 512k cache. Our test 3200+ was a 2.0GHz 1024k version.
  • Jedi2155 - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    did anyone else noticed the error about the 3200+ @ the bottom of page 9 :-).
  • rjm55 - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    I'm releived to know 1GB dimms work fine. It didn't make sense that other 754 had no problems with 1GB dimms and this one did. I'm glad DFI cleared up the confusion.
  • Wesley Fink - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    I just spoke with Oskar Wu, the board's designer. Oskar says they have 1GB dimms from Samsung that work fine on the LANParty UT, and that the Samsung 1GB dimms use 512MB chips in their construction. He said the only reason for the caution on 512MB chips (not dimms) was because they have not verified operation with dimms made with 1GB chips. All of the 1GB dimms I have here for testing use 512MB chips in their construction.

    Oskar also stated that 2 dimms work best in dimm slots 1 and 2, and not 1 and 3. He said try 1 and 2 and you will get better performance with 2 dimms.
  • Bozo Galora - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    I just went there to check it out - #33 was wrong.
    It supports 512 MegaBIT DEVICES - DRAMS, not sticks.
  • cnq - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    Yeah, I saw that too. I didn't know that any 754 motherboards forbade using a 1GB DIMM. Who knows, maybe it's a misprint on DFI's part...we can always hope.
  • laxxy - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    where does it say it supports only 512M?
    here:
    http://www.dfi.com.tw/Product/xx_product_spec_deta...
    it states that it
    > Supports up to 3GB memory when using DDR333
    > Supports up to 2GB memory when using DDR400
    ???
  • Bozo Galora - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    #33 - yeah whats up with that
    best perf with one stick, but only 512

    and BTW:ZZF had them $135, went out the door fast
  • ukDave - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    Also, i've just been checking DFI's site and it says it only supports 512MB DIMMs, bit of a bummer cos i was thinking of getting a single 1GB stick, sux0r.
  • ukDave - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    Great article Wesley. Lucky for you guys in the states DFI's RMA process is actually good, here in Europe (UK) we have to deal with DFI NL (Netherlands), and they tbh are crap. So bad in-fact some retailers are debating whether to carry future boards from DFI. I certainly hope they do though, as this board sure looks like a belter, and it WILL be replacing my Asus K8V-SE Deluxe which has no PCI lock (although its still a great board).
  • cnq - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    For everyone looking for "754 overclocking for dummies" guide: it's already been written. Check out

    http://www.dugu9tweaks.net/guides/a64oc/index.html
  • 8NP4iN - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    /me wants oveclocking for dummies guide 2 :]
  • sprockkets - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    No UV reactive green like the other boards? :(
  • JBT - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    Wow looks like a sweet board maybe I can pick up one of these instead of my weak OCing 8KDA3J
  • Wesley Fink - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    #23-#26 -
    You are correct. Since the board was sent without the usual manual, I assumed the SATA ports between the AGP slot and CPU socket were SATA 1 and 2. I now have the manual file, and in fact those ports are identified as SATA 3 and 4.

    The 250GB SATA drive was connected to SATA 3 for the overclocking tests.
  • alex1971 - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    S-ATA 3+4 are OK for HTT > 240 Mhz

    S-ATA 1+2 finished at HTT > 240 Mhz because of the external PHY !!!!
  • alex1971 - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

  • alex1971 - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

  • alex1971 - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    I think its tested with Raid 3+4 that are the two native Ports directly at NF250GB.
    The Ports 1+2 are native also, but have to use an external PHY.
    This Ports 1+2 are finished when HTT > 240 MHZ !!
    Try it.....

    Remeber: Main S-ATA Problems only at PORT 1+2 because of the PHY .....
  • Jeff7181 - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    Glad I didn't buy a MSI K8N Neo Platinum yet... I'll wait for this board before I go A64. =)
  • SLIM - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    Great article man, but I almost blew by the part where you mentioned that the Far Cry and UT results were with a 9800pro vs 6800ultras. You might consider putting asterisk on those graphs and bold or highlight the huge difference in graphics cards.
    It might help those who prefer to only look at the pretty pictures.

    SLIM

    PS: I second the Iwill board review request.
  • SUOrangeman - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    Review request: http://www.iwillusa.com/products/ProductDetail.asp...

    Although this is not a 754-pin mobo, the experience should be great nonetheless!

    -SUO
  • at80eighty - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    i second..umm...third...punko's Anantech's "Overclocking for Dummies" idea...

    i'd LOVE to dig into my rig...but it kinda scares me if i f*ckup : )




  • Myrandex - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    I think the yellow looks cool, but a UV reactive plastic would have been cool along with it. This does seem a bit more of a 'budget' type board when compared to other LanParty series boards. I sure do like it a lot, and I have considered moving from my old MSI K8T Neo board to this one (so I am kinda happy about it being S754). I do wonder about the two SATA cables near the AGP socket, as they are extremely out of the way, and it brings more cable clutter to the center of the board.
  • Wesley Fink - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    #16 - The test bed had a MaXLine III 250GB SATA hard drive with 16MB of buffer. We first tested with the SATA on Channel 1 between the AGP slot and the CPU -- the plan was to see where SATA failed and then switch to IDE to find the top OC. When we reached DDR600 then DDR616 while running this SATA drive we saw no point in the IDE switch. This board is really stable in OC - even with SATA.
  • rjm55 - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    You say on page 6 that you ran the overclocking tests with a SATA hard drive. Can you please confirm that you did DDR616 running a SATA hard drive, because I've read that SATA drives can hold back overclocking.
  • Avalon - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    *drool*
  • ciwell - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    "Overclocking for Dummies"

    I like the sound of that! :D
  • punko - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    Impressive Article !

    Can't wait for the first edition of Anantech's "Overclocking for Dummies"
    as the whole concept of FSB and memory tweaking both interests and scares me.

    Now if only I could justify to the wife retiring my current rig . . .
  • gimper48 - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    So when is the next overclockers guide? Can we expect to see this board in it?
  • Wesley Fink - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    #1 - The Asus K8N-E will be included in a roundup of new 754 boards in the next week.

    #2,#4 - Corrections made

    #7 - The final correct name of the series is LANParty UT, as you point out. The name has been corrected in the article. DFI considered many last minute changes - from full LANParty to bargain board. Final decisions were quite recent.

    #9 - We received this production board by Express shipment direct from Taiwan on September 1, after several delays. We are told by DFI that this is the production board. DFI, like other manufacturers, will likely make further improvements during the production run.
  • mikedustin - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    I've been waiting for this board for a long time, only one problem I have with it, why did they pick yellow? I was wanting UV green. :(

    Oh well, I hope it will match my green case anyway.

    DFI is on the right track as a mobo maker, this board is just another big win for them.
  • tomati - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    I have read in other forum that DFI have postpose the 2 september to the 9 because of last change in the design board , so can I expect the same result as yours ?

    (you told about the pre version , right?)
  • tomati - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

  • geoff2k - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    Any reason that the review calls the board the "Lanparty UL NF3 250GB" and DFI's own site calls it the "Lanparty UT NF3 250GB"?

  • Ecmaster76 - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    Talking about weak SATA connectors...

    I just built a Shuttle XPC for a friend and it had custom SATA connectors on the board and (slightly) custom cables that make things a lot better. The board connector is a lot like a USB socket, it has an outer support ring with the original SATA data pins in the center (its backward compatible). The cable has added bits on it that make it snap into the board connector. No more accidentally pulle cable. I wish the SATA mechanical specs would be revised to such a system or something similar. The electrical aspects of SATA are awesome but they didn't put much though into the connectors.
  • kmmatney - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    "We were also able to complete stress testing at 300x8 with 2.5-3-4-10 memory timings. At that speed of 2.4Ghz at DDR600, we achieved the following results:
    Quake 3 - 474.0
    Return to Castle Wolfenstein-Enemy Territory-Radar - 104.3 "

    So...with overclocking the you saw the following increases?

    Quake 3: 411 up to 474
    Wolf-ET: 70 up to 104.3

    Wow....


  • AnnoyedGrunt - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    Your UT and Farcry charts only show the DFI results, but the text says that the charts show results from 775 and 939 tests for comparison.

    -D'oh!
  • CrystalBay - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    Sweet Baby Jane, drool......
  • whitelight - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    pg.6, first chart

    316 x 8 -1:1 Memory, 1 DIMM. should be 308 if you reached DDR616.

    also, 4th paragraph down, same pg.
    DDR616 is the higher memory speed... should be highest memory speed.
  • stickybytes - Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - link

    hmm.. where the heck is the asus k8n-e board?

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