Paired with the launch of the 9800 GX2 is the 790i SLI chipset.  Unlike the update from the 680i to the 780i, we actually have a new northbridge.  The southbridge is still the 570 MCP, although it has learned a new trick.  The brand new northbridge brings DDR3 support, up to 2000MHz and support for Intel’s new 1600Mhz FSB.  Lowered memory latencies and 32 lanes of PCI Express 2.0 have helped this board unseat the X48 as the top chipset for performance.  See what else is new over at The Tech Report.

“Unlike its predecessor, the nForce 790i SLI has an all-new north bridge chip bristling with 32 lanes of bandwidth-rich PCIe 2.0 goodness. Within it also lies Nvidia’s first DDR3 memory controller, which has been carefully tweaked with Penryn in mind. The 790i has native support for 1600MHz front-side bus speeds, too. And, of course, everything comes neatly packaged on a fresh motherboard design tuned for overclocking and packed with ESA functionality.

This is Nvidia’s answer to the X48 Express—the very flagship of Intel’s chipset aristocracy—leading us to a heavyweight bout for high-priced bragging rights and technical superiority. Keep reading to see if Nvidia has managed to unseat the incumbent.”

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