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nForce2 pushed to the Max: NF7 rev 1.2 vs Epox 8r(g/d)a+

Motherboards/AMD S462 by richbastard @ 2003-03-14

Stock speeds are no option when you buy an Abit NF7-S rev 1.2 or Epox 8r(g/d)a+. Which one can obtain the highest FSB? How do they compare at extreme high speeds? Which one of these three do you have to buy to be king of the hill?

Abit NF7-S: bios & voltages

Abit NF7-S rev 1.2

bios:

	Abit NF7 rev 1.2
max vcore	2.3
max vdimm	2.9v
max vagp	1.8v
max vdd	1.7v
FSB settings	100-250mhz(*)
AGP settings	66-99mhz

(*)with latest official bios rev 16. Not all steps are 1mhz, some above 200mhz are 2mhz.

Not all rev 1.2 board have the latest A3 revision northbridge chip. If you want to have a good shot at high FSB, search for one with the A3 marking on it. The sample tested has a rev A3 nb:
Madshrimps (c)

voltages:
Thanks to the 12V connector, this board has a superb 5V rail. With my cheap 550W Q-Tek PSU, it stays 5.05v all the time. Thanks to the stable 5V rail, the vcore barely fluctuates. After some stress testing, the motherboard monitor log didn't show a larger change than 0.02v.

Vdimm may be limited to 2.9v, it overvolts nicely to 2.98v satisfying most overclockers.

Vcore is stable, but undervolts slightly (0.02~0.03v). This should be no problem since it's adjustable to an unhealthy 2.3v.

cooling:
The active northbridge cooler seems to be able to keep the chip from overheating at 1.7v. I'd think it can handle a bit more, but if you're thinking about voltmodding your mobo to 1.9v or above, i'd suggest better cooling.

The southbridge isn't cooled at all. If you experience clicks or anomalities in sound or LAN at high FSB, slap a small heatsink on it. Unfortunatly no mounting holes are foreseen, you'll need to glue it on.

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