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NVIDIA nForce 700i Series: new chipsets for the Intel platformAuthor: Vladimir RomanchenkoDate: 26/12/2007
 We are introducing our readers to the functional capabilities of the new NVIDIA's recently announced family of nForce 700i chipsets for the Intel platform. You will see that the recent announcement of the new NVIDIA 3-Way SLI technology for the AMD platform was merely a "spice" before this announcement.
 The NVIDIA nForce 700i family for the Intel platform currently includes two new MCP (Media and Communication processors) chips - nForce 780i SLI and nForce 750i SLI which are common in the certification for new 45-nm Intel processors with Yorkfield and Wolfdale cores; support for the PCI Express 2.0; full-featured support for DirectX 10 games in combination with GeForce video cards, including various NVIDIA SLI configurations. At the same time, new NVIDIA nForce 700i chipsets are essentially different from one another in the set of functional capabilities. These differences are well seen from the positioning of the chipsets: while nForce 780i SLI is aimed at building most powerful gaming systems that use the 3-Way SLI technology, the nForce 750i SLI is being positioned as a powerful solution with support for two video cards in the SLI mode, and a balanced price.
NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI MCP ChipsetThe NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI chipset is the first platform solution to operate components certified within the ESA project (read on for details).
 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI supports 62 PCI Express buses, 32 of which being PCI Express 2.0, offers doubled performance as compared to the currently popular PCI Express 1.0 standard. In practice, this means attaining a peak performance in the PCIe 2.0 x16 configuration as high as 8 GB/s. NVIDIA nForce 780i allows configuring these 32 buses as 2?16, or 4?8, or 1?16, or 2?8. The remaining 30 PCI Express 1.0 buses can be configured as 1?16, 1?8, and 6?1.
 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI offers support for the 3-Way SLI mode, that is, operation of three video cards in the SLI mode using the special jumper - 3-Way SLI Connector.
 In future, it is expected that the 3-Way SLI Connector mode, apart from the NVIDIA 3-Way SLI Connector board, may be implemented with three independent SLI connectors. Motherboards based on the nForce 780i and ready systems with support for the 3-way SLI will be equipped with such transient boards.
 The current implementation of 3-way NVIDIA SLI mode is possible with the following video cards:
According to NVIDIA, three NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX or GeForce 8800 Ultra in the 3-way NVIDIA SLI mode and HD screen resolution 2560x1600 provide a performance that is 2.8 times higher than the capabilities of systems with single video cards. Certainly, the NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI also supports the 2-way SLI mode as well as single-card operation. At that, we must clarify the following important point:
Currently, the 3-way SLI mode is supported by systems powered by Windows Vista only, with installed NVIDIA ForceWare Windows Vista driver; this mode is not yet provided for Windows XP. Among the reasons that finally brought the 3-way SLI technology to life, NVIDIA primarily mentions the possibility of its implementation with maximum available settings in modern games. For instance, none of the currently announced systems based on one or even two video cards is able to provide a comfortable gameplay in Crysis with the settings tuned to "high", while a system with the 3-way SLI with support for DirectX 10 is able providing a comfortable mode in Crysis with resolutions up to 1920 x 1200. Moreover, old games like Quake 4 can now be started with resolutions up to 2500 x 1600 and 8xAA, with the performance being as high as 150 fps. On the whole, the 3-way SLI mode is meant to provide sufficient performance with the XHD resolution and 60 fps in the 8xAA or 16xAA modes.
 While comparing the new 3-way SLI technology versus the Quad SLI based on 2-processor video cards GeForce 7900 GX2 or 7950 GX2 that was announced in mid-2006, NVIDIA points out that despite the high enough performance of the Quad SLI platform, there is a number of limitations for many high-end 3D games. In particular, the implementation of Quad SLI is much more demanding to the design of the PC housing, and the overall performance of such system will anyway be restricted by the capabilities of DirectX 9 which is not able to load all the four graphic processors efficiently. In this regard, the 3-way SLI technology appears to be more "user-friendly" because it allows for an additional upgrade whenever necessary and provides equally efficient operation for both DirectX 9 and DirectX 10, along with the compatibility to a wider list of games. The 3-way SLI mode is enabled with the NVIDIA Control Panel utility in which you should set the SLI mode in the 3D Settings tab.
 The activity of NVIDIA Control Panel can be monitored in the 3D Settings menu through setting the Show SLI Visual Indicators option, whereas the SLI x3 text is displayed on full-screen 3D applications (in what follows - SLI Visual Indicator in 3DMark2006).
 Systems built on the NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI chipset support the JEDEC-standardized DDR2 memory, including that with EPP (Enhanced Performance Profiles), with clock speeds up to 1200 MHz, and the NV BIOS utility allows tuning the clock speeds and supply voltage within a wide range.
 The nForce 780i chipset is made up of the three integrated circuits: nForce 780i SPP (NF780i-SLI), nForce 570 MCP (NF570I), and nForce 200 (NF200-SLI). The NVIDIA nForce 200 chip is a PCI Express-switch with one input and four output ports. The output ports in NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI MCP, in its turn, allow configuring two ?16 PCIe 2.0 or four x8 PCI Express 2.0 ports. Therefore, the interface between NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI SPP and NVIDIA nForce 200 provides the maximum bandwidth up to 4.5 GT/s per bus – more than enough to provide a full performance of graphic cards with the PCI Express 2.0 bus.
 On the whole, the NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI MCP chipset offers a micro architecture that is similar to the interior of NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI MCP. The chipset is manufactured at the production capabilities of TSMC following the 90-nm process technology and supports all the modern Intel Socket 775 processors with the FSB up to 1333 MHz (and higher), including Intel Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo, Pentium, as well as the anticipated 45-nm chips of the Penryn family – the quad-core Yorkfield and dual-core Wolfdale. Along with that, NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI chipsets offer two integrated Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. Now, regarding the technologies and standards supported by the NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI.
 NV BIOS - allows adjustment and monitoring of the latency timings, frequencies and supply voltages for most of the critical components of the motherboard. In accord with the requirements imposed by the latest Intel processors to motherboards, NV BIOS allows adjusting the CPU multiplier in 0.5 increments.
 NV BIOS also offers the System Monitor utility which allows keeping track of the current power consumption readings, temperature modes of the CPU, the cooling system, and other key components of the system in real time.
 Along with that, the NVIDIA Control Panel allows, using the NV BIOS, to provide a substantial "overclocking" of the system, and some motherboards can be overclocked over the bus to 1880 MHz. NVIDIA Quicksync Technology - a technology that allows accelerating data exchange between the CPU and the memory, while the FSB and the memory interface are running in the Sync Mode.
 FirstPacket Technology - allows the applications sensitive to latency timings, like VoIP as well as games, to distribute the limited resources just among those applications which first need that, while the other applications for which the latency is not so critical are switched to the so-called "slow line" mode. DualNet Technology - allows arbitrarily configuring two Gigabit Ethernet ports integrated into the chipset - not only individually but also for attaining the maximum total performance. Teaming - a technology that allows using both integrated LAN interfaces for joint operation as a single network connection. That is, we get some sort of 2 Gigabit Ethernet. MediaShield Technology - a technology that allows for additional protection and gain in the data exchange while creating a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks). The MediaShield technology offers a special interface for configuring RAID arrays and control of their operation. Solutions based on NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI allow combining up to six SATA-2 hard disks into a single array; there are modes for switching six disks to the RAID 0 mode for maximum performance; three drives to the RAID 5 mode, and three remaining – to the RAID 0 array, and one more - to another RAID 5. RoHS Compliance - all the integrated circuits in the NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI chipset are certified for the "green" RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive) standard and do not contain hazardous substances like lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybromide diphenyls, etc.
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.
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 is supported by several eminent companies in the industry.
Final wordsFor 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.
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:
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For now, we can't yet present the test results for platforms built on the new chipsets since the samples have not yet arrived at our lab. However, we would recommend that you look into the "theoretical" details of NVIDIA nForce 700i chipsets. It's really worth it, because this time it's not a mere upgrade of the existing technologies, and, along with the details of NVIDIA 3-Way SLI implementation for the Intel platform, you'll be able to know much interesting about other innovations as well – for instance, the new Enthusiast System Architecture (ESA) technology and other absolutely new features for fine-tuning which allow attaining the maximum system performance. 
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. 
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.