Think of HardOCP

Over Current Protection


... *disabled*, of course.


That is why i need a new MB. However, after the PCIe riser pulled out with the VC, i was less careful about aggressive setting as i knew it had to be RMA'd anyway. Now i know my limits when i put the FX-8150 under water and i know exactly what to look for.

i believe this is what a tech site does - within reason. i will be extra careful with the replacement MB. The first board was just a DoA (which is pretty shocking considering that AMD pre-tests it and it arrived in an undamaged package).

New AM3+ ASUS CrossHair V MB arrived yesterday and it set up without any issues - very unlike the two duds that i got previously. If the overclock is good, i should get my benches done today with CF and tomorrow with GTX 580 SLI. That should be enough for Part two - where i will repost all of the non-gamin tests that i did previously into a summary chart .. something woefully lacking in the original article. Part Two should be up Monday or Tuesday with a CF vs. SLI scaling article .. then Core i3 and dual cores will be tested ... and hardware from Tt ..
... i got my work cut out for me

Oooh .. big differences between the two MBs. On this one, i can get the same stability with 1.475V as i had with 1.525V at 4.4GHz on the old one
- and CPU temps have dropped from maxing out and hanging just below 70C to low-60sC (64C peaked, so far)


i have to think i got two DUDs in a row. There is hope for me to get another +200MHz (at least) i think with watercooling.
-- but first, GTX 580 SLI testing

Well, i finished my CrossFire testing with FX-8150 overclocked to 4.4GHz and there is now a definite pattern emerging.

i think - at THIS POINT - i should stop benching and write a very quick Part Two to the Bulldozer article.
-- there is no point in reinforcing what i am seeing with GTX 580 and GTX 580 SLI - that should be reserved for CF vs. SLI, Part 3 (and Part 4 would cover Dual Core with i3 and Phenom II X2 and maybe FX-4100)

So, if i stop benching now, we would have "AMD’s FX-8150 vs. Core i7 & Phenom II – Bulldozer Part 2, the Conclusion" by Monday

----It would have an expanded Games Summary Chart (that would also be a GRAPH, if i can do it well) that includes HD 6990 at 880/1375 with Stock clocks (3.6 w/turbo) and overclocked (4.4GHz) FX-8150.
----It would add summary charts for everything else that i tested in Part 1 and retest a couple of things (Chess/encoding) that i missed with i7

What do you think? Anything else would take until next weekend .. and by next weekend, i should have another review

Great, just can't wait to see your 3D Vision driver update review after you finish your exciting stuff with watercooling the furious wattage-slurping Bulldozer.

There are so many new games coming out right about now! It's crazy.. I just don't have the time to play them.. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i have NINE (9) evaluations scheduled for the next few weeks . . .
(check it out)

Actually, (1) Bulldozer Part two will be a fairly quick article - i will try to finish it today or tomorrow
Then i have a (2) Dr Power II mini-review going up also
THEN, it's (3) Part III of CF vs SLI (high end) scaling with CrossFire X3 and (maybe) X4 - and GTX 580 and GTX 580 SLI
*then* it's (4) Core i3 and the dual cores explored in gaming

Also (5) expect a Full Tower Case review (Tt Chaser MK I)
. . . AND during that time i expect a new WHQL Driver from AMD (6) and one from Nvidia (7)

PHEW .. and Mechanical gaming KB when i finally get back to playing some games

and ...


wait for it ...

Finally .. a (9) 3D Vision Driver analysis

CRAP ... i wondered about CF X3 scaling being poor and i realize that i just ran a bunch of benches with Turbo left off


Well, at least i will learn something as i run benches through the night ... i still should have Part two up tomorrow (or Tuesday; two weeks after NDA originally expired)

THEN GTX 580 testing!