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DFI LANParty UT RDX200: ATI’s Crossfire AMD for the Bleeding Edge

 by Wesley Fink on October 18, 2005 11:03 AM EST
48 Comments | Add A Comment
48 Comments
Basic Features: DFI LANParty UT RDX200

 DFI LANParty UT RDX200
CPU Interface Socket 939 Athlon 64
Chipset ATI RD480 Northbridge - ATI SB450 Southbridge
Bus Speeds 200 to 500MHz in 1MHz Increments
Memory Speeds DDR200, 240, 266, 280, 300, 333, 360, 400 (433, 466, 500 with Rev. E AMD)
PCIe Speeds Fixed
PCI/AGP Fixed at 33/66
Core Voltage Auto, 0.8V to 1.55V in 0.025V increments
PLUS 0.0V to 0.56V in 0.02V increments
(Maximum vCore 2.11V)
CPU Clock Multiplier 4x-25x in 0.5X increments
DRAM Voltage Auto, 2.5V to 4.03V in .02V to .05V increments
HyperTransport Frequency 1000MHz (1GHz)
HyperTransport Multiplier Auto, 1X to 5X
HyperTransport (LDT) Voltage 1.2V , 1/3V , 1.4V, 1.5V
Xpress 200 (NB) Voltage 1.2V, 1/3V, 1.4V, 1.5V
NB Analog 1.2 Voltage 1.2V, 1/3V, 1.4V, 1.5V
SB PCIe 1.8 Voltage 1.8V, 1.9V
Memory Slots Four 184-pin DDR DIMM Slots
Dual-Channel Configuration
Regular Unbuffered Memory to 4GB Total
SUPPORTS 4 DS DIMMS AT 1T
Expansion Slots 2 PCIe x16
1 PCIe x1
3 PCI Slots
Onboard SATA/RAID 4 SATA Drives by SB450 (RAID 0, 1, JBOD)
PLUS 4 SATA Drives by Sil 3114
Onboard IDE/IDE RAID Two Standard ATA133/100/66 (4 drives)
Onboard USB 2.0/IEEE-1394 8 USB 2.0 ports supported by SB450
2 1394 Firewire by VIA VT6307
Onboard LAN 2 Gigabit Ethernet
PCIe Ethernet by Marvel 88E8053
PCI Ethernet by Marvel 88E8001
Onboard Audio Azalia HD Audio by Karajan Module
with Realtek ALC882 Codec
BIOS Revision Award (7/28/2005)

The DFI nForce4 Ultra and SLI boards quickly developed a reputation for offering the enthusiast every imaginable BIOS option. The DFI RDX200 goes even further.

Memory voltage extends to 4.03V without the need to resort to jumpers to add voltage from the 5v line. Memory controls are even more extensive than those that DFI provides on the nForce4. When we reviewed the ATI Crossfire Reference Board, we commented that ATI has worked with some leading enthusiasts in refining the Crossfire AMD. DFI has built on the depth and breath of the huge array of options available on that board.

A good example of this is the options available for memory speeds at stock speeds. Not only can you choose 200, 266, 333 and 400, but you can choose and fine tune with in-between speeds like 240, 280, and 300. Beyond the standard 400, you can choose 433, 466, and 500. This allows those who would never think of overclocking their CPU the ability to run their memory at DDR500 for example. For those who do overclock, this increases the ability to fine-tune the CPU and memory for the absolute best performance.

Oskar Wu, the Engineer behind DFI's legendary nForce4 series, is also the designer of this DFI RDX200. With so much already available in ATI's Reference design, Oskar concentrated on adding the "impossible" option of running 4DS DIMMs at 1T Command Rate and a working CAS 1.5 option in BIOS.


DFI LANParty UT RDX200: Board Layout Overclocking: DFI LANParty UT RDX200
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  • ozzimark - Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - link

    it's very very very dependant on the cpu. notice that they used the FX-57 for those tests, which is a cpu that typically has some of the best memory controllers around.
    Wesley, how do 4xDS sticks perform with the 4000+?

  • Wesley Fink - Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - link

    THe 4DSx1T worked fine on the 4000+. The key to this feature is the DRAM Drive Strength option in the BIOS. With older A64 drive strength needs to be set at 14 to 15. You can get things to work with a bit less DRAM Drive Strength with the newer controllers like those on the FX57.

    We mainly used the FX57 in the iT tests becuase it's fast, and the high stock test numbers made it easier to see the impact of the iT Command Rate on the various memory configurations.

  • ozzimark - Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - link

    awesome, thanks Wesley. that's definitly a good thing to know

  • mongoosesRawesome - Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - link

    depends on how high your memory will clock, and at what timings.

  • LoneWolf15 - Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - link

    quote:
    Unless you have a 20” or larger LCD, or mainly play a title where the 7800GTX performs well at 1280x1024, the 7800GTX may be a wasted expense that will bring you little additional performance for what the 7800GTX costs.


    I'm trying to make sure I understand this quote, Wesley...at the end, were you trying to say that you get little additional performance with the 7800GTX when compared to the 7800GT?

  • dornick - Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - link

    He means you're wasting your money to buy a 7800gtx and play games at those settings when there are plenty of cheaper cards out there that do the job just as well.

  • j@cko - Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - link

    can i use nVidia SLI on ATi mobo?

  • Wesley Fink - Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - link

    Not yet. I have seen nVidia SLI running on the ATI Crossfire board but it required hacked video drivers. You will not see this option, or the reverse, until nVidia and ATI sanction this in their drivers.
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