DFI LanParty RDX200 CF-DR (initial pics/build)

[Slam]

Hi all,

 

First post here.

 

I am seriously considering making the jump to DFI. Have always been a Gigabyte user. They have always just "worked" right out of the box. And the nf3 939 boards are pretty good overclockers. Just not enough voltage adjustments etc., for my taste.

 

I just bought a 4400+ x2, and will be delivered tomorrow. I'm also going to be getting one of the x1800 series cards...though there is a side of me that says to wait for the r580's. More pipes at high clock speeds on the 90nm looks better.

 

The mobo is really important. I have read a lot of great things about DFI boards as far as overclocking is concerned...which I really enjoy doing. I have been eyeing the LP RDX200 CF-DR. Some here are suggesting to maybe wait for the next release. Always a tough call to tell yourself to keep waiting...since every thing will keep updating pretty frequently.

[ROcHE]

It has a chipset fan

 

I tough ATi chipset didn't need one?

[RGone]

What you have to do is your "freeken" homework. Forget the reviews UNLESS a review is the only place that posts a full set of board specs. Take the specs and put them ALL DOWN. Compare every manufacturer's specifications. Go to the sites for the added phy chipets and get the specs of that phy chipset. Put that data in the mix.

 

Now you got all the boards with new technology down and the specs in order and the various chipset and phy chipset information in front of you. Go down the list of boards and put a checkmark by every item for you that is a must have. Any board not having that checkmark for that item is OUT of the running in your mind. Right?

 

Then and only then read a review if you wish or must. Check forums for user responses after the boards reach the hands of 'qualified' users. Not JSP's and value buyers. That is not what you buy to put in rocket boards.

 

Now you have only to look at only the boards that have every checked feature you wanted. That cuts the number of choices way the h*ll down. And you save the entire internet of wasted bandwidth and BS.

 

Now though we get down to the real nut-cutting as they say in the cattle industry. Human nature is awed by new and glitzy hype. OH my god they have the dual diddle dildy ber fonkencater support on these boards. D*mn I got to have dual diddle dildy ber fonkencater support . Yeah, right. Dual diddle dildy ber fonkencater is only able to give 3% more performance when it matures. And this is first or second run of it. BS. Hype, hype and more hype and the human by nature cannot help but fall for the hype.

 

BUY a board that is said to be user friendly by the first qualified users to get one. Buy one that has 'real necessary' checkmarks for gee whizzes on it that will work and produce good results. Good enough results to make a less user friendly board be the better choice. And if you are really really lucky you will be the one on your block to have a fine board. Not the first on your block to buy yourself a headache. This goes for any brand of motherboard.

 

There are going to be boards that come to market with dual diddle dildy ber fonkencater support and hyped to have it all. They may not be from a company you like or would do business with. There are going to be some of the boards releasing over the next days, weeks or months that will not have dual diddle dildy ber fonkencater support and will still be the better choice but your human nature will not allow you to go that route.

 

Nearly every buyer in the computer market by his human nature allows the companies to woof you anytime they please. You don't function with logic based on serious reserve and attention to details. So you get what you get over and over again. And for gods sake make up your mind what in h*ll you will even plan to do 90% of the time with a configuration before you proceed very far in the whole elimination process. If you do not then you have taken a large knife and inserted it point first into the calf of your leg. It will make doing a lot things hard later with that cutting tool inserted in your calf muscle.

 

RGone...

[Zatarain]

Can this board be used with a Nvidia card, not for SLI or Corssfire modes, just as a single GPU card?

 

--Z

[ExtraPickles]

Can this board be used with a Nvidia card, not for SLI or Corssfire modes, just as a single GPU card?

 

--Z

Of course it can... at least read the review

 

-pickles

[Lifeguard1999]

The 4DSx1T memory performance is awesome. I wonder if it can be enabled via a BIOS update on the other DFI boards, or if some hardware was involved to get it to work.

[Zatarain]

Thanks Pickles.

 

--Z

[OldGuy]

Of course it can... at least read the review

 

-pickles

 

He must be thinking of the NF3 and the 6800's not working well together...Oh wait... Those are both nVidia

 

Ya'll really think they would release a board that would only support their own gfx cards???????? Come on now...

[soundx98]

I don't think anyone was disappointed by the board's clockability.

Everyone expected it to rock.

Same with USB and SATA performance.

No real surprizes in that area either.

 

But Oskar doing the seemingly impossible in running 4xDS DIMM@1T is just kewl. Downright zaney IMO.

 

Have to respect that huge range of Vdimm control. I'm sure it's a better way to do things than the 5V jumper method. Really not much to classy lady about other than USB and SATA2 performance is there?

[Slam]

Really not much to classy lady about other than USB and SATA2 performance is there?

 

Just the price.

[mrlobber]

Hmm, I really wonder, what's that excitement on that 4x512Mb 1T stuff there? Tony himself admitted, he was only able to pull of the feat with TCCD ram, not BH-5/UTT. Also, the overclockability obvious wouldn't be that far (Anandtech: up to 406 fsb :nod: ), so I'd take some 250 2T stuff over 200 1T any day. The same with the cas 1.5 option which also is only TCCD related stuff.

 

Just my thoughts

[Angry_Games]

But Oskar doing the seemingly impossible in running 4xDS DIMM@1T is just kewl. Downright zaney IMO.

 

in reality though...this is sort of a useless feature for this board since most that buy it (and every that it is marketed to) will want to overclock it...and once you go above about 202 (DDR405) you lose this ability...and you are back at 2T

 

then you have poor USB performance (which I honestly don't care about...the USB works for me on my board and I only use a jumpdrive, gamepad, digital camera, and they all worked very well for me)....is USB performance that important to you? It really isn't to me...but we are all different.

 

 

the biggest drawback is lack of NCQ and SATA II...i am rebuilding my main rig with 4GB of memory, an X2 4400+, and 3 hdd's in RAID-0 for video editing and gaming etc. I thought for a minute about going with the RDX200 board I have...but decided against it because I have 3 Hitachi 80GB SATA II drives that are stellar, exceptional performers, and I want that to translate well on my rebuild...and so I stuck to my NF4 SLI-DR, which is still my overclocking champ, as well as my hdd performance champ.

 

 

As I had statetd earlier, the RDX200 CF-DR is a great board in teh sense that it boots right out of the box with EVERYTHING left at AUTO, and with now 11 different kits of memory in it...and they all work very well in the board.

 

as for overclocking....it probably is just me, but I cannot get this board to overclock for nothing, no matter what i put into it, no matter what settings I try.

 

I used the same hardware (3200+ Venice, Centon/GEIL tccd and GEIL/OCZ BH-5) that I have entered numerous times in the OC Database...and I cannot get this board to overclock...my highest was with Centon TCCD, and I achieved a measely 223HTT (223x10).

 

Now..I am not the best overclocker on the planet...and I know this is a new board...but I have spent since Friday morning fooling with this thing, and I have sat at the board with my finger on the reset button over and over and over and over and over and over again trying one setting at a time and nothing seems to work...so maybe I am retarded, maybe the board needs a bios update, or maybe it just is a dog for me (and you might have different results like Wes @ Anandtech did).

 

But for me....its a great board for stock speeds as it is very compatible and seems to boot with every memory I have.

 

But if I was going to choose it for overclocking...I would stick with the NF4 Lanparty, or wait for the Lanparty NF4 Expert, or the one I am REALLY looking forward to, our Lanparty RDX200 CF-BT (props to Tony/BigToe for his input on this board). I don't know if the Expert NF4 or the CF-BT ATI board is going to be good, better, worse, etc....but in the meantime, I am sticking to my NF4 Lanparty SLI-DR, and recommending it for overclocking.

 

I am recommending the RDX200 CF-DR to those who want a flashy board with decent features and ease of use in setting up.

 

keep in mind this is first generation, first run...so because I have had an easy time with it, does not mean you will, or that i found any of the issues that you guys will find...I've spent most of my time trying to overclock it, not playing any games or listening to music or any of the 'everyday' things that you all will use it for.

 

And as I stated earlier...my suggestion for you is to wait until we have had more time to play with the board....don't just run out and spend your money because it is new and a single review said that it is a decent board.

 

Being smart with your money is the most important thing you can do. If you have extra cash and want to check it out, by all means, buy one as they are good boards. If you don't have a lot of cash...then be patient and let the early-adopters come back and tell you what they think of the board.