Seven 650i SLI Motherboards Compared

BIOS And Overclocking

GA-N650SLI-DS4 overclocking covers only the basic settings, yet with a wide enough range to meet the demands of most overclocking adventures. The CPU core voltage for example goes high enough at 2.375V max to fry even an old 180nm Pentium III, if only so old a processor work on Intel's latest mainstream socket. Likewise, DIMM voltage extends to 2.575V, which would be enough to overheat the vast majority of overclocking RAM were it not for the sensibilities of machine owners.

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BIOS Frequency and Voltage settings (for overclocking)
FSB Frequency100 - 650 MHz (1 MHz)
Clock Multiplier AdjustmentYes
DRAM Frequency400-1400 MHz Data Rate
PCIe Clock100-150 MHz (1 MHz)
CPU Vcore0.6875 - 1.600 - 2.375 Volts (0.00625/0.025 Volts)
CPU FSB VoltageDefault - +0.35 Volts (0.05 Volts)
Northbridge (SPP)Default - +0.35 Volts (0.05 Volts)
Southbridge (MCP)Default - +0.3 Volts (0.1 Volts)
DRAM VoltageDefault - +0.775 Volts (0.025 Volts)
CAS Latency Range
tCAS: 1-6; tRCD: 1-7; tRP: 1-7; tRAS: 1-31; Command Rate: 1T/2T

An E6700 known to reach 3460 MHz at 1.50V achieved the same on the GA-N650SLI-DS4, which seems somewhat of an achievement for moderately-priced motherboards and likely a credit to the stability of Gigabyte's six-phase voltage regulator. Dropping the CPU multiplier to 6x only allowed a bus clock increase to 396 MHz, however.

Accessories

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Accessories
Documentation & SoftwareIntel Processor Installation GuideMotherboard Installation GuideMotherboard ManualMotherboard Driver CD
Hardware1x 80-conductor Ultra ATA cable1x Floppy Drive Cable4x SATA Data Cable1x I/O Panel Shield1x SLI Bridge1x SLI Bridge Clamp

The GA-N650SLI-DS4 cable kit is only one cable shy of a full drive set. By placing the majority of outputs on the motherboards rear panel, Gigabyte eliminated the need for excessive breakout plates.

The GA-N650SLI-DS4 is available for web price of around $140.

Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.