Hey all,

I was wondering why there aren't any topics on this board?
There were tons of topics on the Gigabyte GA-MA78G-DS3H and everyone loved it. Now with it succesor i would have expected more posts/review/comments about it.

Something wrong with this board?

I love my MA78GM-S2H. Slightly different, but hopefully you'll feel warmer and fuzzier now :)

I have a Biostar 790GX ATX MB that I'm still evaluating. So far it works fine.I also have the Gigabyte 780G from ~5 months ago.

The 790GX IGP is basically a faster clocked 780G whose MB makers always add sideport memory. NO other video features.

The SB750 that comes with the 790GX has a couple of extra features compared to it's predecessor, the SB700. The most talked about is ACC, which primarily interests overclockers.

So, it's a faster 780G, with CPU overclocking features, that is currently available only in ATX form factors.

I'm not surprised that there hasn't been much interest in the current 790GX offerings in a HTPC forum.

Note that I bought it as a replacement for the AMD nV I'm typing on, which contains a RAID 5 array. The major factor for my purchase was that I wanted to try out the NEW RAID 5 support by AMD/Promise Technology.

Oh yeah, I forgot: some people have expressed interest in the ATX form factor's greater amount of PCIe and/or PCI slots for "TV" tuners.

I've got one and there was a topic on it here that may of been erased if it's not still here. I love the board so far, but many are probably looking for a mATX solution which will probably be the DFI LanParty Jr 790GX-M2RS do out any day now.

I've got one and there was a topic on it here that may of been erased if it's not still here. I love the board so far, but many are probably looking for a mATX solution which will probably be the DFI LanParty Jr 790GX-M2RS do out any day now.

Anandtech still has a 790GX round-up schedueled. It's supposed to include a DFI MB, though I don't know what flavor.

I HOPE it will appear this week.

PS: The AMD provided RAIDXpert web console seems to be feature rich when I compare it to the nV MediaShield console in my couple of year old nV MB.

For those still interested in a 790GX ATX MB, the egg is still running their combo specials till the 20th.

You can combine the 790GX w/ a Phenom X3 to bring out all the post-processing capabilities the "HD3300" has. Unlike the early 780G MB, the 790GX are supposed to support the higher current demands of the Phenoms.

The Biostar is a an ATX MB, as most of the 790GX motherboards are currently, including this thread's Gigabyte.

Bisostar (the ones available) lack SPDIF and I need that. Foxconn and the Gigabtye have actually been popular with the Overclocking crowd.

If you plan on doing some mild gaming with the onboard IGP and really never plan on buying a discrete video card (though I would HIGHLY recommend Hybrid Crossfire via HD3450 or upcoming HD4450). WoW is popular enough that I would HIGHLY recommend Hyrbrid Crossfire -

http://www.amdzone.com/index.php/reviews/56/10149-amd-790gx?start=2

Overclock the card and the IGP and you should get 60+fps@720p or just over 50+fps@1080p.

If your intentions are to play "pretty games" (GRID, Bio Shock, COD4, Supreme Commander, Crysis), I recommend the 790GX as well because its cheaper than 790FX and has the better Southbridge. Also ACC support for simple Overclocking and please, don't say you don't need Horsepower. For Video, nope a weak Dual Core can handle that. But for high end gaming, use both slots (get single slot cooling cards!) and you should be able to use both your PCI slots for tuner cards.

Depending on your resolution, you can get (2) HD4670's, (2) HD4850 or skip the BS and get a HD4850x2. But with a mATX as I have personally found out, a dual slot card will block one of your PCI slots.

That's why my next board is full ATX since I have a Mini Tower.

Bisostar (the ones available) lack SPDIF and I need that.
The Biostar does have an SPDIF out connector. You just need to find/build the cable/bracket assembly with an external RCA connector. Building it yourself should cost under $10.

The Biostar does have an SPDIF out connector. You just need to find/build the cable/bracket assembly with an external RCA connector. Building it yourself should cost under $10.

BUILDING a cable is straightforward if all you need is coax SPDIF out. If you're a computer and A/V hobbyist chances are that you already have the needed components. The components are a connector that you can mate with the motherboard's SPDIF header and a coax cable with at least one male (plug) end. You should be able to find instructions in this forum or on the web.

Please note that I am not a promoter of Biostar: this is the first Biostar product I've bought. It's just that they ARE running a sales promotion and the $25 discount is a good excuse to sample the Phenom's technology, namely the next gen HT bus.

PS: apparently AMD will be introducing a DUAL core Phenom soon.

Here's the new AMD roadmap for Q4.
http://www.chw.net/foro/roadmap-de-procesadores-amd-para-el-2008-a-t183507.html

Also, new Radeon 4670 next week?
http://www.amdzone.com/index.php/news/video-cards/52-video-cards/10338-radeon-4670-and-4650-next-week

Here's the new AMD roadmap for Q4.
http://www.chw.net/foro/roadmap-de-procesadores-amd-para-el-2008-a-t183507.html

Also, new Radeon 4670 next week?
http://www.amdzone.com/index.php/news/video-cards/52-video-cards/10338-radeon-4670-and-4650-next-week

Thanks for providing that link.

I didn't see anything for the rest of '08 that would interest me from the HTPC standpoint. The existing bottom-of-the-line triple core Phenom should have enough poop to decompress anything I'd throw at it, so faster speed grades aren't necessary. Lower power than 95 W would be a plus, but I didn't see that in the slide.

The parts that are lower power are also considerably slower and none have HT3...

Just get a normal CPU and underclock it for less power.

Anandtech still has a 790GX round-up schedueled. It's supposed to include a DFI MB, though I don't know what flavor.

I HOPE it will appear this week.

PS: The AMD provided RAIDXpert web console seems to be feature rich when I compare it to the nV MediaShield console in my couple of year old nV MB.


About finished with it, just got the revised MSI and ASRock boards in to complete the roundup. G45 will come first next week and then the 790GX/780G SP, should have a prelude on low-end CPUs ($50 variety) and how well they work in a HTPC over the weekend in the G45/790GX/GF8300, or on Tuesday.

The DFI has been pulled, instead they are focusing heavily on the LanParty Jr. P45 uATX board. Also, AMD has a new version of AOD 2.1.3 coming that should improve compatibility with the current boards greatly. At this time, I really like the Biostar and Gigabyte 790GX boards, Foxconn is a BIOS release away from being really good.

DFI board has been pulled?? Two sites are reporting in stock as of today.

....Also, AMD has a new version of AOD 2.1.3 coming that should improve compatibility with the current boards greatly. At this time, I really like the Biostar and Gigabyte 790GX boards, Foxconn is a BIOS release away from being really good.

Does this mean that with an updated BIOS you think that the Foxconn could be better performer than the Gigabyte board .. or just about the same? Both boards are similar looking - color aside .. they both appear to have a better cooling solution than ASUS with the heat tubes, although ASUS has heat sinks, just not he tubes. I'm not sure what a difference that really is .. or just is it aesthetics and doesn't affect overall performance. Foxconn has 1394 Gigabyte has the S/PDIF

I have built many ASUS machines but looking at their website it seems like some users are having issues with the M3A78-T BIOS. I suppose all of these 790GX boards have some growing pains in their BIOS though as they are pretty new.

...
I have built many ASUS machines but looking at their website it seems like some users are having issues with the M3A78-T BIOS. I suppose all of these 790GX boards have some growing pains in their BIOS though as they are pretty new.

That's a good description. However, I haven't felt a need to update the BIOS in my Biostar since I got it a couple of weeks ago. Note that I'm planning on overclocking anything.

In addition, I was able to run the AOD utility only a few times: it stopped starting after I inslalled AMD's RADIXpert utility. I had uninstall and re-install both before RAIDXPert satrted functioning again. AOD still doesm't.

Haven't reported this issue to AMD.

About finished with it, just got the revised MSI and ASRock boards in to complete the roundup. G45 will come first next week and then the 790GX/780G SP, should have a prelude on low-end CPUs ($50 variety) and how well they work in a HTPC over the weekend in the G45/790GX/GF8300, or on Tuesday.

The DFI has been pulled, instead they are focusing heavily on the LanParty Jr. P45 uATX board. Also, AMD has a new version of AOD 2.1.3 coming that should improve compatibility with the current boards greatly. At this time, I really like the Biostar and Gigabyte 790GX boards, Foxconn is a BIOS release away from being really good.

Love to read it!

WRT AOD, maybe the new version will fix the incompatibility with RAIDXpert, at least on my Biostar/Vista system.

I also discovered what one of my problems with my Vista install might have been: bad PATA HDD. I discovered this when I went to clone the Vista install to a larger PATA HDD. Discwizrd kept on reporting that it couldn't read sectors from the larger PATA HDD. The larger PATA HDD was the drive I had originally attempted to install Vista on.

I had to revert to a tried and true nV6150 MB: I didn't have a spare SATA CD for Discwizard: the 790GX didn't have enough PATA ports and Discwizard refused to boot from a USB CD drive on the 790GX.

There is something to be said for mature technology...

Does this mean that with an updated BIOS you think that the Foxconn could be better performer than the Gigabyte board .. or just about the same? Both boards are similar looking - color aside .. they both appear to have a better cooling solution than ASUS with the heat tubes, although ASUS has heat sinks, just not he tubes. I'm not sure what a difference that really is .. or just is it aesthetics and doesn't affect overall performance. Foxconn has 1394 Gigabyte has the S/PDIF

I have built many ASUS machines but looking at their website it seems like some users are having issues with the M3A78-T BIOS. I suppose all of these 790GX boards have some growing pains in their BIOS though as they are pretty new.

Actually, after the last set of BIOS updates, all the boards are about even now. ASUS has the 0306 BIOS that cures most of the board's ills. I like the Gigabyte and Foxconn boards personally. However, the ASRock and MSI are doing well so far. A purchasing decision at this point will come down to features, support, and layout attributes for the user.

The wildcard is that DFI is proceeding forward with their uATX 790GX board and a retail kit arrives tomorrow (actually for sale now). The ES sample was just fantastic actually, at least in terms of a 790GX based board.

I just finished testing the new version of AOD (2.1.4) and several bugs have been addressed. Still working with the board suppliers to ensure full compatibility with the application.

Actually, after the last set of BIOS updates, all the boards are about even now. ASUS has the 0306 BIOS that cures most of the board's ills. I like the Gigabyte and Foxconn boards personally. However, the ASRock and MSI are doing well so far. A purchasing decision at this point will come down to features, support, and layout attributes for the user.

The wildcard is that DFI is proceeding forward with their uATX 790GX board and a retail kit arrives tomorrow (actually for sale now). The ES sample was just fantastic actually, at least in terms of a 790GX based board.

I just finished testing the new version of AOD (2.1.4) and several bugs have been addressed. Still working with the board suppliers to ensure full compatibility with the application.

What is it about the Gigabyte and Foxconn that you like over the other boards?

Think you'll have to wait until the Anandtech article next week.

Love to read it!

WRT AOD, maybe the new version will fix the incompatibility with RAIDXpert, at least on my Biostar/Vista system.

I also discovered what one of my problems with my Vista install might have been: bad PATA HDD. I discovered this when I went to clone the Vista install to a larger PATA HDD. Discwizrd kept on reporting that it couldn't read sectors from the larger PATA HDD. The larger PATA HDD was the drive I had originally attempted to install Vista on.

I had to revert to a tried and true nV6150 MB: I didn't have a spare SATA CD for Discwizard: the 790GX didn't have enough PATA ports and Discwizard refused to boot from a USB CD drive on the 790GX.

There is something to be said for mature technology...

Isn't that what I said - :D

Most of the headache of HTPC can be taken away by just following K.I.S.S

Sorry about your board though, I am still getting a 790GX, more than likely the MSI board, something sexy about 1GB of Sideport Memory and Heat Tubes for cooling the Southbridge.

I'm just curious how well it works with modern games, Hybrid Crossfire with the upcoming HD4450. But I might go with the Gigabyte because I won't have to change the back plate on the case, its the same as other Gigabyte boards.

I don't need to start collecting "parts" but if I'm not careful, I'll have -

HD4670 512MB

(2) HD4670 1GB (For Crossfire on the 790GX)

HD4450 512MB for Hybrid Crossfire with 790GX

That is unless some web site beats me too it, then I can save $50..lol

Once I get the board, the HD4670's 1Gb's, the HD4670 512mb is for sale, still a new card, a few bucks less than a fresh one, should go quickly...

Isn't that what I said - :D

Most of the headache of HTPC can be taken away by just following K.I.S.S

Sorry about your board though, I am still getting a 790GX, more than likely the MSI board, something sexy about 1GB of Sideport Memory and Heat Tubes for cooling the Southbridge.



The only issue high on the priority list is getting the system to rebuild the RAID-5 array. I haven't had the time or inclination to poke into why the system is not rebuilding the RAID 5 array after my test. Maybe I should create a new thread for that issue. Since RAID 5 is new to AMD I expect that very few people have tried to rebuild a RAID 5 array yet.

Regarding mature "world leading" products from the leader in X86 development, I upgraded the BIOS in my Intel DP35DP MB over the weekend. It took two attempts.

The first attempt was using Intel's Windows utility, which is red flagged as the most popular method of upgrading the BIOS. I was impressed (in a jaundiced way) by all the automatic mumbo-jumbo the Intel utility did which concluded with "BIOS upgraded succesfully".

Alas, reality revealed that the BIOS was still last year's, no matter what Intel's Windoze utility claimed. SO I downloaded the ISO image method of upgrading the BIOS, burnt a CD, etc. The 2nd method worked.

Regarding AMD further, AOD still doesn't work with RAIDXPert installed, but I haven't putzed with it more.

Here's the new AMD roadmap for Q4.
http://www.chw.net/foro/roadmap-de-procesadores-amd-para-el-2008-a-t183507.html

Also, new Radeon 4670 next week?
http://www.amdzone.com/index.php/news/video-cards/52-video-cards/10338-radeon-4670-and-4650-next-week

The 65W X3 Phenoms will appranetly be available @ price unknown.

65W is a 30W savings compare to the current 95W X3 I own.

Here's AMD's web listing:

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_15331_15332%5E15347,00.html

The egg has dropped the ATX Biostar 790GX MB another 10 USD. This brings it down to what I paid for my mATX Gigabyte 780G ~5 months ago.

The Gigabyte does NOT have a rear panel SPDIF: you'd have to make a cable or buy something to connect to the internal SPDIF header.

Both my Gigabyte 780G and Biostar 790GX are STILL working.

New Network driver available on Gigabyte site as well as a new bios (F2A, so it might be a beta). This adds a new CPU ID that I haven't heard about. A Phenom 9950 with 125W (not 140W).

The Gigabyte is an excellent board, one of our favorite 790GX boards, but it you just need basic functionality and do not plan on heavy overclocking, the Biostar board cannot be beat for the price.

The Gigabyte is an excellent board, one of our favorite 790GX boards, but it you just need basic functionality and do not plan on heavy overclocking, the Biostar board cannot be beat for the price.

Not yet. A co-worker bought one last week. He seesm happy w/ his purchase.

WRT my Biosatr, I actually got some tech support from them regarding the RAIDXpert RAID managment program. It didn't fix the induced problem, but I was impressed that people somepalce in Asia configured and rebuilt a RAID array based upon my E-mail.

I fixed the induced problem by buying another HDD for the RAID5 array and told RAIDXpert to rebuild using the new dirve. It worked!

So, since I still had the original "thid" drive connected, I told RAIDXpert to migrate from a THREE drive RAID5 array to aFOUR drive RAID5 aray.

It's working so far: it's up to 10%. The features of AMD/Promise Tech's RAIDXpert are superior to the nV "Media Shield" I have on this AMD NV platform I'm typing on...

Does the 790G support 8-channel LPCM over HDMI? That was a big shortfall of the 780G, that I thought was fixed with the 790G, but I can't tell from the specs.

Am I missing something? Is there a 780G/790G that also supports 8-channel LPCM over HDMI?

Does the 790G support 8-channel LPCM over HDMI? That was a big shortfall of the 780G, that I thought was fixed with the 790G, but I can't tell from the specs.

Am I missing something? Is there a 780G/790G that also supports 8-channel LPCM over HDMI?
No, 790GX supports only stereo LPCM/DD/DTS over HDMI, just like 780G. Perhaps that's the main reason why 790GX is so unpopular in this forum (780G is just enough for S/PDIF folks).

No, 790GX supports only stereo LPCM/DD/DTS over HDMI, just like 780G. Perhaps that's the main reason why 790GX is so unpopular in this forum (780G is just enough for S/PDIF folks).

Yes, the 790GX is basically a faster clocked 780G that OEMs are required to add sideport memory to. And you can split the x16 PCIe port into TWO X8 PCIe ports.

I just plugged a 3470 into the Primary PCIe port so that I can drive two VGA monitors. A Catalyst Xfire configuration dialog came up. I told it "Cancel". I just want two VGA outs (have THREE now): don't care about Xfire.

The RAIDXpert I mentioned earlier is really a function of the SB750, not the 790GX...

I have the Gigabyte 790GX motherboard. I'm not getting dual screen to work properly. I've got one small LCD monitor connected with VGA and one plasma connected with HDMI. If start the PC with only the LCD (which I normally use) and then switch on the plasma (extended screen), I get no picture on the plasma screen. It seems like I've to start the PC with both screen turned on to get dualscreen to work. I'm using Vista 32, I haven't tried XP yet.

Are anyone familiar with this problem? Appreciate any help.