FIRST LOOK: SiS 755FX for Socket 939 Athlon 64
by Wesley Fink on December 16, 2004 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
Memory Stress Testing
Our memory stress test measures the ability of the Winfast to operate at its officially supported memory frequency (400MHz DDR), at the lowest memory timings that OCZ PC3200 Platinum Rev. 2 modules will support. All DIMMs used for stress testing were 512MB double-sided (or double-bank) memory. To make sure memory performed properly in Dual-Channel mode, memory was only tested using either one dual-channel (2 DIMMs) or 2 dual-channels (4 DIMMs).| Stable DDR400 Timings - One Dual-Channel (2/4 DIMMs populated) |
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| Clock Speed: | 200MHz |
| CAS Latency: | 2 |
| RAS to CAS Delay: | 2T |
| RAS Precharge: | 10* |
| Precharge Delay: | 2T |
| Command Rate: | 1T |
Using two DIMMs in Dual-Channel 128-bit mode, the memory performed in all benchmarks at the fastest 2-2-2-10 timings at default voltage, which was the only memory voltage available.
| Stable DDR400 Timings - 4 DIMMs (4/4 DIMMs populated) |
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| Clock Speed: | 166MHz |
| CAS Latency: | 2.0 |
| RAS to CAS Delay: | 2T |
| RAS Precharge: | 10* |
| Precharge Delay: | 2T |
| Command Rate: | 2T |
Tests with all four DIMM slots populated on the 755FX required a 2T Command Rate with 4 DIMMs in two dual channels. This is the pattern seen on other top-performing Socket 939 boards. However, without a 200 (DDR400) setting in BIOS, 4 DS DIMMs booted at DDR333. This is a common occurrence on other Athlon 64 motherboards, but most other boards allow a selection of DDR400 in BIOS to force DDR400 with 4 DS DIMMs. Foxconn needs to add a 200 setting to their Memory Speed settings. This may or may not allow 4 DS DIMMs to run at DDR400 speed, but it would allow us to determine whether the board could support 4 DS DIMMs at DDR400. For now, consider this board limited to DDR333 with 4 DS DIMMs.
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nserra - Thursday, December 16, 2004 - link
The sis chipsets are very good, with the right bios configuration and drivers will do well. At least my ME and XP installation is already 3 years old and didn’t have to reinstall them because of problems.The biggest Sis problem is that the mobo maker’s dont use good quality components on the (sis) boards, at the same level of the intel based ones. When every one says intel is the best, or that sis sucks, etc... Take that into account OK.
I noted the Soltek comes on top too many times, I wonder why is that, especially over the other ones, maybe they are socket 754 based?
#6 I had the same problem you have, and now it is solved. The startup time is really fast, not as fast as the ME, but good :)
jmke - Thursday, December 16, 2004 - link
Why is DOOM3 (opengl) in the DX9 gaming category? ;)Gnoad - Thursday, December 16, 2004 - link
Any word on if it would be capable if running above 233 if a program like clockgen was used?Calin - Thursday, December 16, 2004 - link
I have bought a ECS K7S5A with SIS 735 chipset. It is still working, and is going good (except a very long startup time in WinXP).I won't stay away from SiS chipsets, especially at that price point for a mainboard
FFS - Thursday, December 16, 2004 - link
Ooops...missed t in "Switzerland" Sorry...
FFS - Thursday, December 16, 2004 - link
Good article... hope to see more boards in retail...Competition is very good.
SiS 755 was very good... in reviews...
But we never could find any SiS mobo in the shops (at least in Swizerland)
But I just do not trust SiS after I had way too many problems with SiS 648 (also was very good in reviews at it's time)
But check this out:
nSISt on nVIDIA
I a not a fun of nVIDIA although nF3 Ultra looks very atractive to me (nF4 not, since I have already good 6800GT AGP board...)
Well, too bad that Intel do not make chipsets for AMD... :)))
Poser - Thursday, December 16, 2004 - link
In the article he wrote, "The board is also a 3-phase design, instead of the 2-phase that we often see on boards designed to a price point" which made me wonder -- what's the difference? Both in a technical sense, and in a performance sense. Does the number of phases a board uses have any influence on what's the best power supply to mate it with, or am I wandering off in the wrong direction entirely? Anyone have a good link where I could dig a bit deeper?esun - Thursday, December 16, 2004 - link
Wow, this board looks like an excellent value. Here's hoping that they'll fix those minor problems, and perhaps I'll pick one up myself.Saist - Thursday, December 16, 2004 - link
just wanted to comment that I picked up ECS's 755-A2 board some time back and it is now pretty much the value board that I pick when someone doesn't want to shell out $100+ for a mother board. I'm pretty much pleased to see that SiS is continuing this with the 755FX. Hopefully it will mean a Socket 939 A64 will be joining the 3 current 754 boards.