790i Ultra SLI Motherboards Compared

Features
By
published

Conclusion

Nvidia has finally done its job thoroughly in the chipset market: its nForce 790i Ultra SLI is almost perfectly matched in both performance and overclocking to Intel’s X48 Express. The 790i Ultra SLI has a far greater number of features, however, chief among these three x16 graphics slots, two of which sport PCI Express 2.0 bandwidth.

You might have thought we’d say that the chief feature was SLI support, but that’s a driver restriction, not a chipset feature. If not for Nvidia’s persistence in withholding SLI support from other chipsets, the company might not have stayed in this particular market long enough to develop the extraordinary 790i Ultra SLI.

Some readers might be annoyed by Nvidia’s persistence, as the firm had formerly used SLI as a sledgehammer to force mediocre motherboards into the market. But the long-term benefit of improved features is undeniable, and the 790i Ultra SLI has become Nvidia’s first LGA775 product that we’d consider buying even if we didn’t plan to use SLI.

Which 790i Ultra SLI motherboard would we choose? One product stood out consistently by being the best overall performer, with the highest stable CPU clock speed, superior high-speed memory support, and the lowest VRM temperature. That product is the Asus Striker II Extreme.

Asus deserves an award for its effort. And so, for its leadership among 790i Ultra SLI motherboards in every important category, the Striker II Extreme receives our highest honor, the “Best of Tom’s Hardware” award.

Another motherboard stood out not for class-leading performance, but instead for its lower price. At $350, the XFX 790i Ultra SLI is a full $100 cheaper than the Asus Striker II Extreme. The XFX might not win any awards today, but nearly-matching the top model in features, performance and CPU overclocking with a product that costs around 25% less certainly deserves an honorable mention. The XFX 790i Ultra SLI could be the perfect motherboard for anyone who wants the Striker II Extreme but would rather put the price difference into other components.

Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
59 Comments Comment from the forums
  • trainreks
    FINNALY !!!! A Review on the 790i
    Reply
  • doxicity
    Mystery Motherboard = GA-N780Ultra-DQ6?
    Reply
  • Crashman
    This was ALL OF THE AVAILABLE 790i Ultra SLI MOTHERBOARDS: Other graphics brands with NVIDIA reference boards INCLUDING EVGA are selling the same unit as XFX, even with the same BIOS (except for the boot logo). XFX was the only one who cared to send one.
    Reply
  • giovanni86
    Thats what i was going to say!!! Thank god. Well i guess i made the right choice. XFX 790i, exactly what i am going to buy in the coming month. Just need to save for it XD.
    Reply
  • jaragon13
    Who would pay four hundred dollars,when you can just buy a P45 for 100-150 dollars which has roughly the same real world experience as an X48 or 790I?
    Nah,I'd rather buy better and more reliable parts-such as power supply,processor,GRAPHICS CARD,and maybe go buy a rifle :P
    Reply
  • kitsilencer
    $400 for a motherboard? What the hell is wrong with the X48 Express that people would rather consider buying a 790i? And it can't be because of SLI. Makes more sense to buy the X48 and Crossfire.
    Reply
  • Crashman
    jaragon13Who would pay four hundred dollars,when you can just buy a P45 for 100-150 dollars which has roughly the same real world experience as an X48 or 790I?Nah,I'd rather buy better and more reliable parts-such as power supply,processor,GRAPHICS CARD,and maybe go buy a rifle
    If you want SLI you're going to need an SLI motherboard. The article specifically stated that the reference design motherboard was almost as good in many ways as the winning board, but far cheaper.

    The site only has two awards, one is for top value and the other is for "best of the best". It's hard to award a $350 motherboard for top value, but it's not so difficult awarding the "best of the best" even if the price is outrageous
    Reply
  • Crashman
    kitsilencer$400 for a motherboard? What the hell is wrong with the X48 Express that people would rather consider buying a 790i? And it can't be because of SLI. Makes more sense to buy the X48 and Crossfire.
    It does! Well, sorta. If you want the absolute fastest rig on the planet, you're going to need at least two, possibly three, GTX280's. But if you can wait a few days or maybe a couple weeks, you might be surprised at how well a Crossfire set of HD4870X2's can perform using an X48 motherboard.
    Reply
  • jaragon13
    My point is that,even though you could theoritically have 3/4 GPU's all at once,you won't get nearly as much performance as you'd want.A simple 750I or P45 chipset will do nearly the same job.
    Reply
  • zer00000
    It is a foxconn board i bet.I just read a review elsewhere with same stuff except it had an x48 chipset."All manner of goodies are bundled with the Black Ops: a 120MM fan, a plastic dry ice cooling pot for the Northbridge, and a Plexiglas "benching table" for open-air use."
    Reply