Soltek QBIC EQ3801: nForce3 250Gb goes SFF
by Evan Lieb on July 4, 2004 10:35 AM EST- Posted in
- Systems
Soltek EQ3801: B9A-FGR Motherboard
| Motherboard Specifications | |
| CPU Interface | Socket 754 Athlon 64 |
| Chipset | NVIDIA nForce3-250Gb |
| CPU Ratios | 4X to default (and higher) in 1X increments |
| Bus Speeds | 200MHz to 250MHz (in 1MHz increments) |
| PCI/AGP Speeds | Auto, 66MHz to 100MHz (in 1MHz increments) |
| HyperTransport | 1x-5x (200MHz to 1GHz) |
| Core Voltage | up to 1.55V in 0.0250V increments |
| DRAM Voltage | 2.5V to 2.8V in 0.1V increments |
| AGP Voltage | 1.5V to 1.8V in 0.1V increments |
| Chipset Voltage | 1.6V to 1.9V in 0.1V increments |
| Memory Slots | Two 184-pin DDR DIMM Slots |
| Expansion Slots | 1 AGP 8X Slot 1 PCI Slot |
| Onboard SATA/RAID | NVIDIA 4-Drive SATA by nF3-250Gb (SFF dimensions cut HDD quantity in half). SATA can be combined in RAID 0, 1, JBOD. |
| Onboard IDE | Two Standard NVIDIA ATA133/100/66 |
| Onboard USB 2.0/IEEE-1394 | 6 USB 2.0 ports (2 front, 4 rear) Two FireWire ports (one front, one rear) |
| Onboard LAN | 10/100/1000 GbE (native nForce3 250Gb) |
| Onboard Audio | C-Media CM8768 6-Channel AC'97 with SPDIF |
C-Media's CMI 8768 chip is a 6-channel PCI-based solution that will serve the needs of users who need good quality sound for basic music and Windows needs.
Obviously, the most significant feature that the EQ3801 carries is the chipset itself, the nForce3 250Gb. The nForce3 250Gb's most intriguing features are its native Firewall, GbE, AGP/PCI lock, and 4-drive Serial ATA/IDE functionality. The GbE and Serial ATA/IDE are no longer strapped to the bandwidth-limited PCI bus (approximately 133MB/s), as these two features have access to the HT (HyperTransport) bus, which (on the nForce3 250Gb chipset) allows significantly more data to be processed. Theoretically, this increases performance, and in practice, actually does increase performance, mostly for GbE home networking users. In fact, NVIDIA's implementation of GbE on a separate bus is similar to what Intel did with GbE on their CSA bus last summer.
Probably the most intriguing feature made available to enthusiasts by the nForce3 250Gb is its AGP/PCI lock. This feature is most attractive to FSB/HT overclockers who desire their AGP and PCI devices to run in spec. As AnandTech's very own Wesley Fink independently confirmed in his recent Socket 754 roundup, all nForce3 250Gb motherboards come with the same functional AGP/PCI lock. Thankfully, the Soltek EQ3801's motherboard (the B9A-FGR) also has a working AGP/PCI lock.
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CrabbyGuy - Friday, July 16, 2004 - link
I'm looking for more information on the integrated sound capability of the 3801. The review states, "C-Media's CMI 8768 chip is a 6-channel PCI-based solution that will serve the needs of users who need good quality sound for basic music and Windows needs." Based on Soltek's ads and the Cmedia web site, this should say "8-channel."The chipset maker's site implies that the CMI 8768 supports Dolby IIx, but does not come out and say that. Anyone know?
Finally, is there any way to get a signal from a source outside the 3801 through the sound circuit, preferably via a digital input, i.e., S/PDIF or coxial?
JTDC - Wednesday, July 7, 2004 - link
According to the Soltek site, there are only 2 3.5" and 2 5.25" bays. I was just trying to find out if Evan used the 3.5" floppy bay or the second 5.25" bay. Just curious as to how it worked. Thanks.Inferno - Wednesday, July 7, 2004 - link
The Soltek has two HDD Bays! :)JTDC - Wednesday, July 7, 2004 - link
How were the two hard drives installed for testing? Was one placed in the floppy bay? Thanks!jcromano - Tuesday, July 6, 2004 - link
Thanks, Inferno.Inferno - Monday, July 5, 2004 - link
Qbix EQ3801 comes with a Backpack, the MB, cables, and powersupply. The Supply is 250watt. I have heard of people running a Nvidia 6800GT and I am running a X800.jcromano - Monday, July 5, 2004 - link
Ugh. Twice in a row my message has been clipped off right after the first carriage return, so this one's coming all in one paragraph. I'm still hoping for an answer to my earlier question about what comes included with the QBIC. I'm especially interested in learning about the power supply, if one does indeed come with the QBIC. Don't the new Nvidia cards want lots of watts and special connectors? Does the QBIC's power supply have what the Nvidia cards want? Thanks again. Sorry for the run-together format, and sorry for asking what are probably pretty basic, newbie questions. Jimjcromano - Monday, July 5, 2004 - link
I'll get the hang of this some day, I hope. Sorry for the blank messages.jcromano - Monday, July 5, 2004 - link
Hi,SoltekGermany - Monday, July 5, 2004 - link
I have found small typo on review. The soundchip has 8 channels, not 6 channels.