Test Setup

 Performance Test Configuration
Processor(s): AMD Athlon 64 4000+ (2.4GHz) Socket 939
RAM: 2 x 512MB OCZ PC3200* Platinum Rev. 2
*The current equivalent OCZ memory is OCZ PC4800
Hard Drive(s): Seagate 120GB 7200 RPM SATA (8MB Buffer)
Video AGP & IDE Bus Master Drivers: ULi Chipset Driver
ATI 5.11 Platform Drivers
NVIDIA 6.82 Platform
Video Cards: MSI NVIDIA 7800GTX
Video Drivers: NVIDIA nForce 81.95 Release
ATI Catalyst 5.11
Operating System(s): Windows XP Professional SP2
Direct X 9.0c
Motherboards: ULi M1697 Single-Chip Reference Board
Asus A8N-VM CSM (NVIDIA 6150/430)
Asus A8R-MVP (ATI RD480/ULi1575)
Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe
DFI LANParty UT RDX200 (ATI RD480)
ATI Crossfire AMD Reference Board
SiS 756 Reference Board
ASRock 939Dual-SATA2 (ULi M1695/1567)
Sapphire A9RX480 (ATI)
Jetway 939GT4-SLI-G (nForce4)
ULi AP9567A (M1695/M1567)
DFI LANParty nF4 SLI-DR (nForce4)
DFI LANParty UT nF4 Ultra-D (nForce4)
MSI K8N Neo4/SLI Platinum (nForce4)

Tests used OCZ PC3200 Platinum Rev. 2, which uses Samsung TCCD chips. Most memory manufacturers now provide several speed bins of Samsung TCCD chips, so the equivalent current OCZ memory would be OCZ PC4800. All memory ran at 2-2-2-7 timing in all benchmarks.

We tested with the NVIDIA 7800GTX to provide the most up-to-date performance results in all gaming benchmarks. Resolution in all benchmarks is 1280x1024x32 unless otherwise noted. 3DMark and Aquamark3 benchmarks use “Standard Score” setup, which is 1024x768 video resolution. Also included for Reference is performance of the ATI X1800XT in all games on the ATI chipset Asus A8R-MVP.

Results for the ULi M1697 Reference Board running the NVIDIA 7800GTX are in red color. Test results for other motherboards running the 7800GTX are in blue. Reference results with the ATI X1800XT are color-coded orange.

Overclocking & Memory Stress Testing: ULi M1697 General Performance
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  • Diasper - Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - link

    Also, a suggestion to improve that section is to include RightMark Audio Analyzer benches. You don't even need to include all the pictures/benches of the results but at least include a summary of it eg scores out of 5 in the various tests and then comments afterwards.

    Areas to expand and improve in!
  • semiconductorslave - Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - link

    Just hope it is Abit this time that comes out with a MB based on this chipset and not Asrock. Nothing like a lousy implementation of a chipset to steal its thunder. The Asrock 939 Dual SATA2 was a dog. I don't know how Anandtech got a good one, but my board would never run 1T command rate, limited Vcore and memory voltage, lousy Bios couldn't post with any lower multipliers, etc. Now im getting continuous drive errors on a perfectly good WD raptor, I didn't dare try the raid. The only plus is that I was able to run my AGP card, then upgrade to my 7800GT. Now that I have, it has no purpose. I'm so happy that my DFI SLI-DR is in the mail!
  • Cygni - Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - link

    Everybody gets a crappy board from time to time. My Epox S754 SLI board died after only 2 weeks of use. SATA died first, then ethernet, then all the PCI slots, the finally the video cut out. :(

    The Abit board is seriously exciting, though. Judging by the 1695 Ref board, which was far more of a final production board than this Ref board... and judging by the fac that the 1695 is essentially the same chipset in a North/South bridge arrangement, i would say that the 1697 has even more room to grow in several areas. This combined with Abit throwing all the goodies at it... could make a seriously interesting and exciting board. 1697 even supports full AGP 8x from what i hear.

    Imagine an ABIT board with all the goodies, featuring 2 PCI-Ex 16x slots with an AGP8x slot inbetween, 1 PCI-Ex 4x, and 2 PCI... would be an amazing board.
  • Avalon - Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - link

    ULi just keeps getting better and better. I'll be looking forward to the production boards coming out soon based on this chipset.
  • kazumoda - Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - link

    that might never happen now that nvidia is buying uli
  • Ozz1113 - Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - link

    nice audio for sure, gotta fix that board layout. I'll keep my eyes peeled.
  • notposting - Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - link

    They have pics of the 4 boards at OCWorkbench:

    http://www.ocworkbench.com/2005/uli/m1697launch/g1...">http://www.ocworkbench.com/2005/uli/m1697launch/g1...
  • Brian23 - Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - link

    Nice review. I'm curious though. Why do all the new motherboards have all these PCIe slots when there is nothing available to stick in them. Please write an article soon that rounds up all the cards out there that you can stick in a PCIe slot. (Of course leaving out video cards.)
  • semiconductorslave - Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - link

    Peoply need to learn to think for themselves and find the answers they can first:
    But since I do not know your age, and was somewhat board I did the work for you. I went to newegg and typed PCIexpress in search box and then sorted by catagories and instantly came up with

    5 add on cards
    2 NIC cards
    9 HDD Controllers / RAID Cards
    1 Video Devices & TV Tuners
    & of course 345 Video Cards

    Searching Google I found some sound cards too, and the upcoming Ageia physics processor card has been rumored to be coming out on PCI express also.
    The real benifit will be anything that is speed limited by the PCI bus.
    Cheers, semiconductorslave
  • mindless1 - Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - link

    Sure, we could all individually do redundant research with most people seeing a large % of cards but not all. It was a very good idea and it's rather narrow a focus to check newegg, with the point being that we're not wanting to just "see some" but rather, be able to evaluate and compare ALL of them to make best choice of what's avilable, not just what's at newegg.

    So you need to learn to think for someone other than yourself and realize that you may be failing to grasp the big picture if you feel a really simple task is a blanket answer. In other words, WE know how to search a website but YOU don't have the ability to see how the information's presentation is relevant.

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