Nvidia launches cut-down 680 chipset

NVIDIA HAS UPDATED its line of motherboard chipsets today with a hybrid mid-range model dubbed the 680LT.

The 680i has been a favourite with enthusiasts since its release, combining Conroe support with SLI and oodles of overclocking features. It has certainly done better than the aborted 590 for Intel non-product.

However, that performance doesn't come cheap - typically gamers have been looking at buying a motherboard upwards of £150 / $250 to get the good stuff. The 650 chipset was designed to be low-end, but is so crippled as to be almost useless.

Those looking for a reasonably priced setup, then, have been flocking to Intel's own 965 chipset, making for an all-Intel pairing when it comes to core logic. But, obviously, the Green Team has had a product in the wings to fill that gap, and the 680 LT is it.

From the looks of the reviews appearing on the net, the LT is not a bad compromise. Overclocking is good, pricing is reasonable but it lacks some features (including that third PCI-Express full-length slot) and has sub-par cooling. Not exactly a home run for the Nvidians, but better than letting Intel dominate a sector of the market, we suspect.

To give a flavour of the inter-wibble reaction, here's our Franken-Review, cobbled together from the excellent peeps at TechReport, HotHardware and bit-tech.

Features
"Nvidia has succeeded in creating a more affordable motherboard design with the nForce 680i LT SLI, but they've had to perform relatively major surgery to get the board under $200." "Removing the third PCI Express x16 slot was right, as this slot is largely un-used at this point in time. In addition, Dual GigE support and a diagnostic POST code error reported (while useful), aren't frequently used items."

Overclocking
"We managed an outright 474MHz FSB in Windows and a still awesome 464MHz FSB fully prime stable." "After dropping the CPU multiplier to 6X, we were able to push the board to a stable front-side bus speed of 480MHz—just short of the 490MHz we achieved with the nForce 680i SLI reference design."

Noise
"The LT's active chipset coolers are easily the board's most disappointing features. Intricate arrays of heatpipes and passive coolers are all the rage these days, and although we don't insist on an ornate cooling apparatus, a $200 motherboard should at the very least offer quiet chipset cooling." "The board is probably too loud for those seeking a quiet PC, although we will say that most gamers won't mind the additional noise due to the board's lowered price point."

Pricing
"It has the makings of a killer chipset, with a price and performance point to suit those who are looking at Intel P965 boards but are longing for proper SLI support. The nForce 680i LT SLI might still be more expensive though, seeing as the average price of P965 motherboards is less than the MSRP of the nForce 680i LT SLI." "We think Nvidia will sell them in bunches. However, the price point and feature set may cannibalize sales of both the 680i and 650i SLI chipsets in the process."

Conclusions
"Overall the nForce 680i LT SLI is a winner, but the EVGA reference design is certainly a wait and see." "The platform simply has a great mix of features, overclockability, and an attractive price point." "In the end, then, the nForce 680i LT SLI turns out to be a bit of a disappointment. The board's performance may stand up to that of other $200 offerings, but its features do not. Perhaps the LT stands for Lesser Technology." µ