NVIDIA nForce 700i Series: new chipsets for the Intel platform
NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI MCP Chipset
The NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI MCP is developed with the goal to create powerful enough systems on its base and which offer an attractive price. By analogy with the "high" in the series - nForce 780i, the nForce 750i SLI version offers support for all modern Intel Socket 775 processors with the FSB up to 1333 MHz, including Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo, and Pentium, as well as the anticipated 45-nm Penryn chipsets with Yorkfield and Wolfdale cores. The NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI MCP also supports DDR2 with with clock speeds up to 800 MHz.
The key distinction of the NVIDIA nForce 750i chipset from the "higher" version is in the reduced number of PCI Express buses - 26 versus 62 in nForce 780i, with support for the PCI Express 2.0 preserved. Therefore, the NVIDIA SLI technology is supported by systems based on the NVIDIA nForce 750i chipset in only a configuration made up of two cards, in the 2-way mode (2 ? PCI Express x8) – unlike the most accessible 3 ? PCI Express x16 in the nForce 780i version, and the buses can be configured as 1? PCI Express x16, 1? PCI Express x8, and 2? PCI Express x1. To build a balanced system based on NVIDIA nForce 750i, NVIDIA recommends using one or two GeForce 8800 GT graphic cards.
Among the remaining key distinctions of the NVIDIA nForce 750i chipset from nForce 780i, we should point to support for up to 4 SATA and 4 PATA drives (the higher chipset - 6/2, respectively) and eight USB 2.0 versus ten ports in nForce 780i. Along with that, NVIDIA nForce 750i offers the only integrated Gigabit Ethernet interface (two in nForce 780i) and therefore, it lacks support for the NVIDIA DualNet technology.
NVIDIA ESA Specifications
Finally, we got round to another key point of today's announcement, namely, to the performance optimization for computers based on the new chipsets by means of certification within the ESA - Enthusiast System Architecture program.
ESA is a new open standard that provides certification of power supply units, cooling systems and PC housings, for the purpose of attaining NVIDIA's declared performance specifications for systems built on new components.
Platforms based on the NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI chipset have become the first solutions which have acquired the ESA certification. In particular, it's just due to the ESA certifications there NVIDIA Control Panel has acquired settings for both the monitoring of PSU specifications, chassis, and water-powered cooling systems in real time.
 The ESA standard implies using the widely popular USB 2.0 as the interface of specifications, with the settings of devices that support the ESA protocol be defined by the new USB HID class.
In particular, the power supply units powered by the ESA technology will provide a more precise tuning of the output supply voltages, a better control over the status of the power supply system, in particular, the inner temperature of the PSU. Water-powered cooling systems with support for ESA allow for tuning the pump's operating speed based on the temperature readings for the CPU, GPU, MCP and other system components, as well as control the parameters of the cooling fluid flow. PC chassis with support for ESA allow for tuning the readings of additional indicators based on LEDs and LCDs to display the current status of the system, as well as controlling the readings of thermal sensors and monitoring the cooling systems.
Simply put, in all the ESA-certified devices there is a special integrated micro controller which keeps track of the most varied specifications of the device and exchanges this data with the systems through the USB interface. Setting the thresholds for each parameter, as well as the results of diagnostics can be viewed in real time with NVIDIA Control Panel and NVIDIA 3D System Monitor.
 Currently, the ESA certification for cross-compatibility of the system components and their compliance with the ESA standard implying acquisition of an ESA logo is performed by the Allion test lab that is headquartered in Taiwan. The equipment manufacturer who developed the ESA device submits it to Allion, and then an opinion letter is granted for issuing an ESA logo.
Currently, the ESA certification is supported by several eminent companies in the industry.
Final words
For the convenience of our readers, we integrated the specifications of NVIDIA nForce 700i Series chipsets for the Intel platform into a consolidated table which will further complement the database of our Encyclopedia.
| Chipset |
NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI |
NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI |
| Positioning |
PC for enthusiasts |
Performance PC |
| CPU Socket |
Intel Socket 775 |
| Supported processors |
Penryn (Yorkfield & Wolfdale), Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo, Pentium |
| FSB |
1333 MHz |
| Support for NVIDIA SLI technology |
3-way (3x16) |
2-way (2x8) |
| Support for ESA |
Yes |
No |
| Support for NVIDIA Control Panel |
Yes |
| NVIDIA System Monitor |
Yes |
| Supported memory |
DDR2 |
| Memory frequency |
1200 MHz (EPP 1.0) |
800 MHz |
| No. of PCI Express buses |
62 |
26 |
| Wiring of PCI Express buses |
12 |
6 |
| PCI Express bus configuration |
3 ? PCI Express x16 (including 2 PCI Express Gen 2, 1 PCI Express Gen 1) or 4 ? PCI Express x8; 1 ? PCI Express x16, 1 ? PCI Express x8, 6 ? PCI Express x1 |
1? PCI Express x16, 1? PCI Express x8, 2? PCI Express x1 |
| Support for PCI Express Gen 2 |
Yes |
| Support for SATA/PATA |
6/2 |
4/4 |
| SATA performance |
3 Gbit/s |
| RAID configurations |
0,1,0+1,5 |
| Support for NVIDIA MediaShield Storage |
Yes |
| No. of integrated Gigabit Ethernet interfaces |
2 |
1 |
| Support for NVIDIA FirstPacket |
Yes |
| Support for the NVIDIA DualNet technology |
Yes |
No |
| USB ports |
10 |
8 |
| Number of PCI slots |
5 |
| Audio technology |
HDA (Azalia) |
Needless to say, the history of new NVIDIA nForce 700i Series chipsets is not finished at that – rather, it just starts since only after the "live" experience with new motherboards based on NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI and NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI we can make a verdict on their capability and performance. According to our data, a system based on NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI will arrive at our lab in the nearest few days.
As regards the sales of systems based on new nForce 700i Series chipsets, according to NVIDIA, the deliveries will start before the New Year eve:
Solutions based on the NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI chipset:
- ASUS P5N-T Deluxe - December 2007
- EVGA nForce 780i SLI - December 2007
- XFX nForce 780i SLI - December 2007
- Gigabyte GA-780ISLI-DS5 - January 2008
- MSI P7N Diamond - January 2008
Solutions based on the NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI chipset:
- ASUS P5N-D - January 2008
- Gigabyte GA-750ISLI-DS4 - January 2008
- MSI P5N Platinum - January 2008
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