NVIDIA nForce 680 LT is the latest addition to the series of SLI-capable motherboards on the market. The LT version is an attempt to introduce a cheaper and more direct competitor to Intel’s circuits, but the question is if stripping down your own high-end circuit is the right way to go. A bunch of reviews of this circuit and motherboards using it have arrived and it seems that NVIDIA hasn’t just removed a PCIe x16 slot, an Ethernet GB port and two USB ports, but also reduced the EPP to only support up to 800MHz. For some unexplainable reason it has also equipped the board with not only one but two fans to cool the chipsets.
The reduced overclocking potential is something that was mentioned in early reports and it seems to have been slightly exaggerated back then. We haven’t seen anyone pushing the board really hard, but the results we’ve seen have been rather close to those of what 680i can do with air cooling and no modifications; 480MHz FSB seems to the roof for 680i LT, while 680 can reach 490. The EPP reduction is not something most people will notice, mainly enthusiasts but then again this a mainstream attempt.
bit-tech and HardOCP are the only ones we’ve bumped into that compare the new circuit to Intel’s 975X chipset. Considering the small actual price difference between 680i and 680i LT, the latter costs around $200, which is pretty much the same as for a 975X board, NVIDIA now has a board that can compete directly with Intel’s high performance boards. On the other hand, Intel 975X is popular much thanks to its high performance performance, clock for clock, which 680i LT can’t compete with and then it’s up to the buyer to decide whether he or she can stand the two fans.
We’ve gathered the reviews we’ve bumped into so far.
:: bit-tech :: HardOCP :: LegitReviews :: Presence-PC :: TechReport ::
