SLI hardware (cont’d)

On the graphics side, we used two NVIDIA reference GeForce 6800 GT boards and two eVGA e-GeForce 6600 GT cards for our testing. Enthusiasts will be glad to hear that both of the eVGA cards shipped with 1.6ns GDDR3 memory modules from Samsung, giving them lots of headroom for overclocking. eVGA also bundles their GeForce 6600 GT cards with a component video adapter for hooking the card(s) up to an HDTV set, making them good candidates for use in a speedy small form factor box for multimedia use.

The reference GeForce 6800 GT cards were similar to the reference 6800 GT board we received from NVIDIA a few months ago, only they were based on a newer A04 board revision. Externally the board revisions look identical, and continue to sport dual DVI connectors.

eVGA GeForce 6600 GT card and HDTV connector

OCZ 600W PSU

Power

For supplying power to the system we used OCZ’s Powerstream 600W. This PSU is capable of delivering up to 700W under peak load, and features adjustable power rails in case you’d like to tweak the amount of power being delivered to the 12V, 3.3V, and 5V rails. OCZ has integrated a nifty adapter for converting from 24-pin to 20-pin operation. If you have a newer 24-pin ATX motherboard such as the ASUS A8N-SLI, simply slide the extra four pins into place on the power connector. If you’re using an older, 20-pin motherboard, simply slide out the extra pins and you’re done.

Twisted power cords for improved cable management

Sheathed power cords

The Powerstream 600W also includes a 6-pin power adapter for PCI Express cards, as well as two specially sheathed Molex connectors which OCZ claims are designed to supply cleaner power to sensitive cards and disk drives. The other power connectors are neatly twisted to minimize cable clutter inside your case. OCZ even includes zip ties and Velcro strips for bundling things together.

NVIDIA initially recommended a 550-watt PSU during our first nForce4 briefing a few months ago, but we also ran some tests with a 500W unit and didn’t encounter any problems. Of course, at the same time it also doesn’t hurt to play it safe; that’s why we used the OCZ unit for the bulk of our testing.