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Hardware
- Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 (3.00GHz) LGA775
- x2 1024MB Corsair XMS PC3-10600 CAS7 Module(s)
- x2 1024MB Corsair XMS PC2-6400 CAS4 Module(s)
- Seagate 500GB 7200-RPM (Serial ATA300)
- Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT (512MB)
- Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT (512MB) SLI
- ASUS Striker II Extreme (Nvidia nForce 790i Ultra SLI)
- ASUS P5N-T Deluxe (Nvidia nForce 780i SLI)
Software
- Microsoft Vista Ultimate (64-bit)
- Nvidia nForce 9.46
- Nvidia GeForce Forceware 174.16 WHQL
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While EVEREST only shows a small 2% performance margin favouring the nForce 790i Ultra SLI chipset, SiSoftware showed a 7% increase in memory bandwidth. Neither board was fitted with the fastest possible DDR2 or DDR3 memory, as we are trying to compare the chipsets, not high-speed unrealistic memory.
As you can see, the processor performance of both chipsets is very similar, as you would expect given both boards used the same Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 processor at the same frequency.
The CINEBENCH Multi-CPU and OpenGL rendering tests give nothing away, showing nearly no difference in performance between the two chipsets.
Interestingly PCmark05 gave the nForce 790i Ultra SLI chipset a 6.5% higher score in the graphics test; keep in mind that this test was run using SLI GeForce 9600 GT graphics cards. The CPU, Memory, and Hard Drive tests all brought back similar results for each chipset.
