680i for $145 AR

[Edge1]

Saw this today: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188019

Now I'm asking: What's the catch? Anybody have experience with these boards? I remember a lot of early problems w/680i. My experience w/MSI 650i has been stellar, but 680i at the same (even better) price point as my 650i Platinum gives me pause. Another build planned this summer and rethinking my strategy now.

Any thoughts/input appreciated!

 

[3Degree]

Edge,

Not an AR but a TR.....

NewEgg's model comparison doesn't list it out but there are a couple of threads in the evga forum that spells out the diff between the models more:

http://www.evga.com/community/messageboard/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=33908

http://www.evga.com/community/messageboard/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=33601

 

[Edge1]

Hey fellow P6N owner! Holy confusing naming conventions, huh?! Those EVGAs are hard to follow. Funniest of all, my "AR" was actually meant as "After Rebate". The board looks good, appears to come with 2 Ethernet ports and all the necessary cables as well as a NB fan. I have to go back and check about the whole 1333 quad-core support thing. I like seeing 680i's in this pricing stratosphere though. Thanks for the links!

 

[PCTC2]

the TR has only a 2 year warranty, not the life-time that the A revisions have. The XR (AR/TR) Revisions have trouble OCing quad-cores past 330-340 FSB but do support the 1333MHz FSB. The X1 (A1 and T1) revisions have been revised to support fulling overclocking quad-cores. The A1 revision is really the only way to go if you want it to last.

 

[Edge1]

Ah, I see. Well it sort of is too good to be true then, huh? Thanks for that summary PCTC2:thumbsup:.

 

[PCTC2]

no prob. if you find an AR Revision, you can RMA it for an A1 revision.

 

[blanketyblank]

I wonder if you can trade in a TR for an T1. Supposedly the boards are identical except for accessories and warranty so I don't see why not as long as it's still under warranty.

 

[lopri]

From my experiences (more than a couple), EVGA is by far the best company as far as customer service / warranty is concerned. I'd take 2-year warranty from EVGA over 5-year warranty from ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, etc. any day. I can't spell out all my experiences in this thread but anyone who has experiences with them, along with other companies, knows what I'm talking about.

This is definitely a warm deal if you're looking to buy a 680i SLI board. No reason to pay $250 for the exactly same board with miscellaneous difference (model #, accessories, etc.) Most messes that plagued at the launch of 680i have been resolved now, and this board is rock solid. I know this because I've owned this board since the day it came out. Performance is excellent and the layout is the best, IMO. (except the front panel I/O jumpers)

It's also one of the best boards for quad-core overclocking. Just take a peep at my sig I'm glad that I didn't give up on this board too quickly. (many did)

Up to 500FSB with C2D, and up to 450FSB with the latest BIOS is quite easy. You can run 1T even with non-Micron sticks, and with Micron sticks I was able to run 1T with all 4 DIMM slots filled.

I suspect the price drops (or rebates) are pre-emptive action against the very-soon-to-arrive P35 boards.

 

[WT]

Coming from an existing eVGA board owner (hey Edge, don't go all eVGA on me now!!) they have had issues with some boards not peacefully co-existing with certain RAM sticks, with the NF41 boards having many issues running at 1T. I researched through plenty of forum posts before settling on a certain pair of G.Skill sticks that were tested and functional at 1T on that board.
The 680 boards also had some teething issues, but again eVGA should have these cleared up by now .. but they aren't always the fastest to getting around to updates.

 

[Edge1]

Originally posted by: WT
(hey Edge, don't go all eVGA on me now!!)

:laugh: No worries, WT. Good feedback on this board from multiple sources. Basically I want to build a budget setup for my kids, but this board got me to thinking that I could pass on my P6N. But nah, I don't think I'll do that. Probably build them a P6N SLI-FI and call it a day.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Glad to see another person running the msi p6n sli plat. I considered other mb's however the msi offering stood out to me. The only thing I wish is that the 650i's supported more than 4 sata ports like the 680i's. No bother I'm adding a siig pci-e sata2 card to give myself 2 more ports. Besides the new case I'm moving to only has 6 hd bays so it will be a full house. My oldest son is looking hard at the p6n diamond but it's pricey right now but the heat pipes are more manageable than the asus striker which limits your hsf options.