The internet is dripping with the 680i mobo

nForce 680i

Supposed to be really exciting - 'apparantly' an image of it was leaked onto the internet.

This is just adding to my frenzy of buying a new system.

Exciting new stuff:
nForce 680i mobo;
Intel E6600 Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz CPU;
GeForce 8800 GTX.

This is a super sexy combination.

I just need the mobo to be commercially available and then buy all 3.

When will my suffering end? I was so close last night to ordering my new system when I heard about the 680i mobo was incoming.

A lot of info on it here:

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2869

EDIT:
You have to proceed to each page via the usual clicking the next link.

I mean just look at this:

nForce 680i mobo and GeForce 8800 GTX combined preview:

http://www.nvnews.net/previews/geforce_8800_gtx/index.shtml

THIS WILL BE MINE!!!

Ooh, they just released the nVIDIA nForce® 680i SLI Striker Extreme motherboard.

Oooh:

http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=397&model=1439&modelmenu=1

It has loads and loads of cool features:
'Connect in the dark' - Ice-blue (of course)
'Onboard LED' - LED lights which designed at motherboard close to the indication words
'LCD Poster'

This board is sex on a circuitboard.

Just click the link and take a look:
http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=397&model=1439&modelmenu=1

This will go very nicely with my 8800 GTX and Intel E6600 Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz CPU.

Oooh.

victim... ;)

Oh my god!!!

Just think how much faster and more powerful Blitz3D will be with this system. I mean shadow systems, water systems and physics, etc wouldn't even break Blitz3D into a sweat with this much grunt helping the little fella.

Great! I'd like to volunteer to beta test your game, Puki. Let me know when you've bought me my test rig, and I'll come around and collect it.

It's going to cost me about £1,600.

I just transferred the money into my current account in readiness to order soon. Just need to establish delivery time-scales.

I am in for a one hell of a self-touching Christmas.

I can't wait to have a go.

Oooh.

£1,512.23 inc VAT

Case: CoolerMaster Praetorian 732 RC-732 Aluminum Tower 420W Case (Black Color)
CPU: (Sckt775)Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E6600 CPU @ 2.4GHz 1066FSB 2x2MB L2 Cache EM64T
Motherboard: (Quad-Core Supports) Asus Striker Extreme nForce 680i SLI Chipset LGA775 FSB1066 DDR2 Mainboard
Memory: (Req.DDR2 MainBoard)2GB (2x1GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair XMS2 Xtreme Memory w/ Heat Spreader)
Video Card: NEW!!! NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX 768MB 16X PCI Express Video Card
Video Card 2: NONE
Monitor & LCD: NONE
Hard Drive: Single Hard Drive (320GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
Data Hard Drive: NONE
Optical Drive: LiteOn SHM-165H6S 16X Double Layer DVD+-RW Super Allwrite + Lightscribe Technology (Black Color)
Optical Drive 2: NONE
Sound: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO

I am buying a retail Creative Labs X-FI XtremeMusic 24-BIT PCI sound card myself to stick in there.

I might push the HD up to 400GB.

Oh my god!!

I just spotted this:



I wonder if they do the green in ice-blue instead? If could get it with ice-blue instead of green in the logo then I'd snap this baby up.

Oooh.

Stuff the HD, I'd push the power supply up to about 900W.

Oh, the PSU is the stock one in the case - I have a separate 600W one for it.

My only concern is the 8800 GTX only has twin DVI connectors - I've currently only got monitors with normal VGA connectors.

I'm hoping the DVI to VGA connector plug thing works - if not, I'll have to buy a new monitor too.

I just found a picture some dude took of it whilst it was in his PC - I won't insert the picture here as it is quite big - but here is the link:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?s=dc8bf6feafb50078c17b36ddac8f84b7&t=122469

What you are looking for is the ice-blue LED's - these things are all over the motherboard - in the pic you just see the ones at the edges.

The LED's are strategically located over connectors and other points where you would want to either see something or read something (text on the motherboard)

I am now going to have to change my decision to a case with a window side panel so I can gaze into it next to me on my desk. With any luck, there may be some flashing LED's - Oooh.

Its the Puki-Blog....

Depends on the type of DVI plug, there's three different styles or so, not all of which also carry the signal over analog pins that can be converted straight to a VGA plug.

That said, DVI really does look noticably better than VGA, especially when using higher resolutions. (Unlike with VGA, neighboring pixels won't interfere with eachother, leading to a more crisp image)

Mmm, I'll have to search around and find the best 'DVI plug' (as you call it).

I'm really in two minds here

I'd hate to buy the system and find that I cannot play it with any monitor I have - regardless of what DVI connector/plugs I buy. That means I would need a new monitor which I'd have to wait for - that would be agony.

I could buy a new monitor now and then know I am safe.

Anyone know if I am pretty much guaranteed that any one of the 3 types of 'DVI plug' would definetely work? If so, I might just buy all 3 types and be safe.

Ah, I assume it is if you have a DVI-I Plug connector on the graphics card? Well, I spotted that some 8800 GTX cards ship with DVI to VGA adapters included.

I think I will be okay. I hope. I mean, what would be the point of shipping cards with purely DVI outputs if you couldn't possibly use a (newish) monitor which doesn't have DVI input?

I admit there may be some incoming sniffage (if the system arrives and I cannot get it working with any of my monitors).

You guys creep me out with your nerdy pc fanaticism... get laid.

What are you doing on a nerdy pc forum? :)

.

I've been terribly naughty - I was browsing the Alienware site again - twice today.

Still, I no longer want an Alienware - their systems are just not as configurable as CyberPower's - plus CyberPower have much more to choose from and are cheaper.

3 woofs for CyberPower.

I've joined (as "puki") the Tom's Hardware forums at:

http://forumz.tomshardware.com/

These forums are very exciting - I'm already dishing out help and starting to dominate.

See you there.

Hey! programming is cool if you aren't obsessed with computers to the point your prose comes across as orgasmic :)

Well, if some people have computers in their bedrooms then, technically, they sleep with their computers.

I've got 2 in my bedroom and 2 in my lounge.

Woof, woof.

No, honestly, I read that while taking a drink and there's now a film of orange squash all over my keyboard, my sides hurt! the pain...

Dabz

In fact, it doesn't just have strategic LED's on the motherboard itself - it has illuminated symbols on the back plate:



That's pretty cool - often I have faffed about in the dark trying to plug something in.

Soon this motherboard will be sitting next to me.

I've not yet found a picture on the internet showing it lit up in the dark.