What do I think?...I think these are some pretty sweet arse boards. DFI has always been in the middle ground for me. I don't think it's a brand that really wants to compete but a brand that wants to offer something to it's customers. They always make good performers, not great but good.
I think the 680i is a really good move for them because it shows that they aren't giving up, however the p965 board seems to be coming out a little late in the game. At the same time though I always think about the main stream people, like our moms and non-geek friends. For them they won't be buying the newest hottest stuff, and the 7600GT or 1650xt are still just great. So in the end I think DFI is really on the ball with what people want.
there's a non-solid cap version of the 965 coming a few weeks later.
Everything about the 965-S says to me that it was designed to be a LANparty but for whatever reason it slipped so long that they thought that they couldn't charge the premium price for it & get any volume.
I wish they had a 3 PCI 16X board on the intel chipset, i dont like nvidia chipsets, though DFI is great, they wrote me a modded bios for my raid card, though it didnt work and they are still trying to make it work.
the nVidia northbridges run very hot (iirc the reference 680i mobos incl. a 40mm fan in the bundle, abit include brackets for one in theirs) & most serious overclockers end up going active or water cooled
no more exotic heatpiped solutions? i understand they can be hell ( striker extreeme) to install hsf... but dont they look the least stylish? also.. arnt small fans meant to be heaps loud or whinny
I also like the 680i board. Looks great on paper. Cant wait to see benchies. Im stuck on s pro875b with a P4, not enough money top upgrade. My DFI board has never given me a problem or a hiccup, unlike the soyo I had previously
