Introduction

Last month we took our first look at the nForce 680i LT specs, what Nvidia is calling the affordable option to 680i SLI chipset. While we did not get the chance to test a board due to limited samples, we certainly liked the idea of the 680i LT. It has a number of features we wanted to see implemented in the 650 chipset, as there is quite a big step between the 650i SLI and 680i SLI.

680i LT is the bridge that everyone has been looking for. Its design implements the most important feature we wanted to see, full-speed SLI, with two PCI Express x16 slots running at full x16 speeds, one running off the SPP and one off the MCP. The 680i LT lacks the extra 8 lanes that a full fledged 680i SLI has for a physics engine setup, however, there are ways around this, as even the latest hardware dedicated card from Ageia only requires a PCI slot, so a single PCI Express x1 slot should give these cards all they need.

Also there are a few changes in the SPP such as reduced support for SLI-Ready memory. Rather than 1200MHz memory, only 800MHz is guaranteed to work on this chipset, and its not expected to overclock as high as the full powered 680i SLI.

Today we have got our hands on the first, we hope, of many 680i LT boards. This one comes from DFI, who has really put its all into the product. So let us take a look and see if it is worthy of your dollars. It comes under the famous LANParty name, so we are expecting quite a lot.