Overclocking

We managed to overclock the XFX board with an Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 processor straight up to 475MHz FSB without issue, using the memory in sync mode, the SPP at 1.5V and CPU FSB at 1.4V. We feared that this was the limit of our CPU so we swapped it out for a certain 1333MHz FSB Intel processor and managed to get the board to boot at 494MHz FSB but it wasn't stable until we dropped it back down to 489MHz. At this, it would sit for hours running dual instances of Prime95 without issue.

Quad-core overclocking was also reasonably good, giving 368MHz FSB from a Core 2 Extreme QX6800 on a 6x multiplier at 1.45V. There is no specific GTLRef voltage in the BIOS however, which specifically helps in quad-core overclocking. But it's worth remembering that you aren't going to see the same front side bus overclocks on a quad-core processor as you will using a dual-core chip.

The XFX provides a fantastic platform for overclocking, but still it ultimately offers very little differentiation from the Inno3D board we tested earlier in the year.

Stability

In addition to the promising overclocking results, the XFX board is also extremely stable and completed an entire day of the bit-tech stress test. For those that don't know what the bit-tech stress test is, it consists of two lots of Prime95 torture test (one per core), I/O Meter and FarCry looping for 24 hours. We realise that this is probably more than anyone would ever throw at their system simultaneously for any length of time, but if it can survive this it can survive almost anything.

Power Consumption

There's no distinct reason why the Inno3D should use slightly more wattage but it certainly does, even when we tested them side by side making sure they had identical BIOS settings - it's merely a case of variation in the components used and is nothing to really worry about. After all, power consumption is almost as much of a lottery as overclocking - you're never going to get two boards that are exactly the same. Overall the XFX board is on a par with the rest of the nForce 600i range, which is unfortunately a higher power consumption than most other motherboards we've tested to date.

In comparison, the all-singing-all-dancing Republic of Gamer, Asus Commando, which is based on the P965 chipset uses some 30W less under load and in the same way the P35 boards we've previously tested with a similar result.

Warranty

When it comes to an RMA, XFX only deals with returns from retailers not consumers so a consumer has to return a product to the point of sale, rather than directly to XFX.

You get a two year warranty with the board, which mirrors that of Inno3D but they are both distinctly average (when it comes to length of warranty) in contrast to EVGA's ten year warranty. For the fractional price difference between them, obviously you get virtually the same deal on both the XFX and Inno3D boards but it's hard to recommend them if you're looking for a long-term warranty.

I guess it depends how much you value the length of your warranty, because enthusiasts tend to upgrade more than most. Thus, the two-year warranty that XFX offers should be more than enough in some circles.

Conclusions

The extremely small performance difference between the Inno3D and XFX boards can likely be attributed to the LinkBoost feature on the Inno3D. By simply overclocking the PCI-Express and HyperTransport link on the XFX yourself you can achieve the same results, not that it'll really be that noticeable.

I still maintain the northbridge fan is wholly necessary and noisy, even though others have disagreed with me about the noise at least. The board itself has some great features and nice touches like additional power component cooling around the CPU, while still maintaining a clear area. As simple as they are we also really like the onboard switches and double digit LED readout for POST debugging. The rear I/O is pretty good with a good complement of six USB 2.0 ports and it also includes S/PDIF unlike many other boards.

The XFX is currently the cheapest nForce 680i SLI board you can buy, although the Inno3D nForce 680i SLI board isn't far behind. Meanwhile, EVGA's board is almost £20 more than XFX's board. £20 for eight more years warranty just isn't worth it in our opinion, it's nice but not necessary considering the performance is virtually identical across the nForce 6-range.

The other (and only) major difference is the package and finding what you want in the box is for the first time a critical differentiating factor in your purchase. However if you consider the fact that prices change all the time, your best bet is to compare just before you buy.

Final Thoughts

So there's no physical difference between XFX's board and any other motherboard partner using Nvidia's board design, but XFX's bundle is certainly stronger with a complete complement of cables that all comes in a pretty nice box. It seems funny to talk so much about the box contents instead of the actual board, so if you're not concerned with what you get in addition to the actual product you're buying, your best best is to just plump for the cheapest you can find.

As far as the XFX nForce 680i SLI goes, it doesn't have the best warranty period, but it's still a great board and yet again we have great overclocking, super solid stability, great performance and a very user friendly BIOS. If you do find it for the right price compared to the competition, you won't be disappointed.

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What do these scores mean?