Got this board several weeks ago before going to attend Gigabyte P35 OC Competition in Beijing, and makes some short review couple a days ago

Gigabyte GA-X38-DQ6 Photo






Physically, this board is very similar with GA-P35-DQ6 Rev.1.1, due to reviewers suggestion and some overclocker's advice, Gigabyte decide to use smaller heatsink to cover the northbridge chip.





The layout and the placement of choke and mosfet also a little bit different. Gigabyte put it in one row to make more space around the CPU socket.





Two PCI Express slot working at x16 native, just like Intel claim about PCI-E 2.0 specs. Also you can see two slot PCI for your expansion card like TV-Tuner card, or Sound card.




Beside silentpipe2 cooling, Gigabyte implemented Crazy Cool 2 cooling to make sure silent and efficient cooling progress. But frankly speaking, i think this is only a marketting gimmick from Gigabyte . Sadly, Gigabyte still make the crazycool covering the back of the CPU socket and northbridge chipset in one plate. So, when you try removing the Crazycool (sometimes it need when you using HSF with backplate or DI/LN2 container), you must using the screw (provide by Gigabyte) to make sure heatsink on the northbridge tight securely. I found X38 very sensitive with heat, and cause unstability system even in default condition.









This post has been edited by Lodewijk: Sep 28 2007, 09:11 PM

Many changes Gigabyte made in BIOS setting, especially PChealth setting. Now, we can see the real condition for vcore, vdimm, +12 volt etc. But still, Gigabyte using their "unique and annoying" CTRL + F1 trick to hidden some option, and this time the most option you need for overclocking and tweaking already appear without CTRL+F1 trick.




Full BIOS Screenshot

Interesting ! Gigabyte offering manual strapping in many memory divider, make sure you pay attention for the marking alphabet after strapping frequency. Also you will see some information at the right side of BIOS menu regarding this setting.

Many and many option for tweaking and fine tuning voltage offering. I must admit, Gigabyte concern about suggestions and advice from reviewers and overclocker's. They already did a good job with GA-X38-DQ6.

My testing specification :



Processor Intel Core2 Quad Extreme QX6850 (thanks to Bhinneka Computer)
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-X38-DQ6 (F4A BIOS)
Graphic Card NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTX 768 MB
Memory Kingston HyperX PC8500 2 GB Kit
HDD Western Digital Caviar WD2500KS
PSU Gigabyte 550 Watt ODIN GT Series
HSF Thermalright Ultra Extreme with thermaltake smart fan (2700 rpm)

Chipset Information





Default Condition Result

All result no tweaks, FSB 333 Mhz x 9 with memory running at 1066 (533 MHz) CL 5-5-5-15.

Super PI 32M





3DMARK 2006





3DMARK 2005




3DMARK 2003





3DMARK 2001




Everest Cache & Memory Benchmark




PCMARK 2005




X264 Benchmark

Overclocking Experience

Overclocked Setting :

FSB 423 MHz x 9
Memory 564 MHz CL5-5-5-15

Too bad, CPU-Z can't recognize the memory freq.

GA-X38-DQ6 have a strange vcore setting. Example, if you set vcore 1.525 in the BIOS, the real vcore will be 1.472 (reads from Everest Sensor, PCHealth and CPU-Z), it means the vcore drop around 0.052 volt from the setting you set in BIOS.

For vdroop, i make a testing with x264 benchmark and Everest sensor log in the background, so i can get the real condition of vcore.



From the result above, you can the the fluctuation is around 0.05 volt, quite big gap but i didn't use the vFSB option in BIOS so far. vFSB option acting like voltage damper in ASUS board, decrease the vdroop. So, for this testing with vFSB, i'll post later.

For you, who like to overclock using the software, beside EasyTune Pro 5 from Gigabyte, you can use SetFSB.




Benchmark Result for 3.8 GHz (423x0)

Super PI 32M




3DMARK 2006



3DMARK 2005



3DMARK 2003



Cache & Memory Benchmark Everest



PCMark 2005



X264 Benchmark




Indeed, X38 more faster than P35, but not signicant. I can hit 6K CPU Score on 3DMARK 2006 with 3.8 Ghz total clock and not tight timing setting. One thing i discover, X38 chipset not like too many volt, in my experience 1.55 is the best for X38, above that you only get unstability in the system and sometimes it can freeze in BIOS.

Default vs Overclocking Performance Table



Will keep you update with the new BIOS (if available)


PS : sorry for my bad english

another great board from gigabyte..

GIgabyte DQ6 all of them are notable for the vdroop

heck the 965pdq6 was the same around 0.05v
and the current 680 goes a step further with 0.0625v...

kekek i guess thats y u dont see them in world records

This post has been edited by cstkl1: Sep 28 2007, 09:26 PM

Yes, all mobo have vdroop. But like i mentioned before, i didn't use vFSB option in BIOS. I got 0.03 vdroop after set the vFSB to 0.35. I'll attach the screenshot soon.

Nice review!

Wow, look at all those chokes all lined up in one row! Lazy to find out, how many phases does this mobo have?

And how high should the vFSB be before the vdroop actually drops less? Is a vFSB of +0.35v a bit high for 24/7?

This post has been edited by kmarc: Sep 28 2007, 11:20 PM

world record? hmm do u think those world record holder runs the board out of the box? they mod everything they can to ensure everything is at its optimal setting..

so to break a record, it's not just about a motherboard

and stop taking 680i board as reference coz we know only a 680i board is consider a very good board out there.. the others are crappy with tons of problem and unsolve issues..

eh...
dude i did have gigabyte p35dq6 for a week before i sold it off... it has some problems with my raid., foxconn p35 mars.. review unit , and a gigabyte 965dq6..
sometimes irenic i wonder what the hell u thinking... of course all the world records mobos are modded... y no one bothering with so called gigabyte...
ure a fan is it... anyway go back to ure team KOC and play far far away
so like.. errr it was any reference to the 680..sishh just to gigabyte... i find them having large vdroops on stock clocks
look at that.. how much its going to help... bios set at 1.52 report min 1.42 max 1.47sishh... go gigabyte and this wasnt the first time ive seen this.

This post has been edited by cstkl1: Sep 29 2007, 03:58 AM

for me i don't care about vdroop on bios set & idle
most important is when u load ur system

right on bro

and the droop is bad...
kekeke

1.47 to 1.42... ish...
and thats after the droop from bios 1.525 to 1.47...

one word.. insane.

then am i not being honest about gigabyte 680i also included in "not-so-good" mobo? issit shows that i'm a fan?

u know lots of boards got problems .. gigabyte has their own prob, so does asus or msi or abit.. even DFI also got lots of problem. the best thing for u is to choose board that has problem that less meaningful to u..

for eg, like me i'm not using any raid so i think the p35t is so far so good to me.. for my usage. maybe not others who uses raid. it's personal reference and we've got to respect it

i remember during p35 earlier day, people that havent try giga p35 and asus p5k simply say asus p5k very damn good.. that gigabyte is crap.. but when they tried it, they found another problem..

it's not like we can say... "i'm using striker extreme.. the world record holder also using this board.. so i can b a record holder too"

i wrote based on my experience on using 4 different brands and models of p35 boards.. not just gigabyte boards.. honestly why u bought all gigabyte boards ? 965p, p35 dq6, then 680 dq6.. eventhough u seems to see it as problematic and not so good board? that's a really fan boy i think

i'm a gigabyte fan to have p35t, abit ip35, & asus p5k3 lying in my room

p/s- no offence, but i think u're quite sensitive aren't u? suddenly talk about KOC team like they are related to my post above.. neway it's up to us whether we want to oc or play anywhere we like.. blame me if u want.. it's not related to the team.

sorry. but i think the problem here started when u start to show ur greatness by saying the board is crap like the previous one.. cant u be more open minded.. try it first or see more review on it first?

it's like noob old people saying "haiyaa u use amd ka? can cook egg maa..." .. lol

well yeah.. as long as the voltage options can push so high so it shouldnt b a prob..

This post has been edited by irenic: Sep 29 2007, 06:16 AM

they were all free and the n680dq6 happened during desperation...

owh ok.. good for u .. to have free stuffs.. neway just forget it.. let's be open minded and back to the topic...

wonder how hi the mobo can oc...benny, any result? or still tweaking?

oh nice bios offering.... when i saw in the tweaktown bios screen it look like an ordinary P35 bios screen which will lead to a lot of disappointments

btw thx benny for sharing out the info....
i wonder when all other brand mobo will come

This post has been edited by sup3rfly: Sep 29 2007, 07:49 AM

i guess crossfire result will be released soon

yups.. too bad only 1 board available now.. hard to compare to each other.. normally gigabyte release its board the earliest.. and dfi the last..

i wanna DFI again but they always come late.... make me wanna jump ship to asus already

Wah guys....going OT here already....

Anyway...do you guys know whats Vdroop actually....it has been discussed before....

Voltage set in bios and whats shown in windows doesn't really count as droop....

it's the drop of voltage during load rite?

Yes....droop is voltage difference between load and idle.

well the differences of vcore between bios and windows is not consider as vdroop....its more like a vcore inaccuracy to me....to get the exact vdroop its better to measure with a DMM on the mobo itself....u will see 3 different values usually..... bios, windows and DMM....DMM should be the most accurate ones.... and vdropp is measured during the fluctuation of idle and load....so u may wanna make 2 times of DMM reading...once during idle and once more during load...
thats my 2 cents correct if i m wrong

yes....you are right...software apps is just not the right choice to read voltages. Therefore i always use a DMM...meassure it directly on the mobo itself...and of course, get a reliable DMM. Just ignore the voltage set in bios for now. Measure the voltage in windows at idle and load....then u will see the droop.

This post has been edited by extremeocer: Sep 29 2007, 08:51 AM

it seems 99.9% of a P35DQ6 clone version eyy

layout look like P35DQ6 but bios is a lil different with more options....
dont like the ctrl+F1 function tho... very troublesome....sometime i tend to forget to set..

yeappo
the bios is different. but refer to review..
wtf CTRL + F1 again?

Wah, just back from low yat plaza yesterday, and saw 1 gigabyte GA-X38-DQ6 from ALL IT Hypermarket.

Now u guy already have do so many things on this board.

I saw a Fatal1ty champion Aluminum casing (forget the product code) selling at ALL IT Hypermarket with RM1,799. Is that crazy too? LOL.

Forget that casing, it's just a marketing gimmick. That casing won't make your system fly. lol

sorry ure right its the correct terminology..

the bios reading is not inaccurate.. its the difference of reading from the voltage from the PWM to the I/O sensors on the CPU pin
hence different reading from PWM to I/O

vdroop is the difference in load vs idle...

the problem with such bios readings is.. its going to get worst as u volt higher and it will hit a limit.

the best way to read the vcore is via CPU proc Pin...

This post has been edited by cstkl1: Sep 29 2007, 02:20 PM

read via the cpu proc pin?....true but unlikely....just read from the caps or chokes....

i think the second board with x38 will be asus maximus eta next week...

well its actually from the caps.... its around the cpu socket but somehow i m not sure which is the correct one...need sifus to point it out

then DFI beat all the oc king mobo later on

Wowww...good review...
especially from newbie...

FYI Mr. Benny is not a newbie....if i remember correctly he start OC since 5 - 10 yrs ago...spoken to him during singapore competition... cant remember how long already

newbie pulak.
seems to me ure the newbie

jetkiat, you might want to google for the TS at Indo website. Then you will know who is him.. Haha..

Certainly not newbie.

hahaha...i dun know lah...bcoz the joined day mah...ehheheheh
soli all taiko here...


This post has been edited by jetkiat: Sep 30 2007, 03:32 PM

lol...
iirc his previous nick was Benny Lodewijk but somehow he got banned for dunno what reason....he himself also dunno why...

DS4 heat pipe?
but it still have crazy cool which killed all the backplate hsf.

Vdroop condition after vFSB max (+0.35)



You can see vdroop decrease from 0.05 w/o vFSB to 0.03 after maximize the vFSB option in BIOS. Interesting to know how to mod vFSB to decrease more vroop or even make it flat ??

PERFORMANCE ENHANCED MEMORY OPTION ANALYSIS

In BIOS, you can see Performance Enhanced Memory option in the sub menu MIT. There's 3 options : Standard, Turbo and Extreme.
Take a look the performance differentiation with this 3 options below. Same setting for CPU, Memory speed and timing.


Everest Memory and Cache Benchmark

Performance Enhanced Memory = Standard



Performance Enhanced Memory = Turbo



Performance Enhanced Memory = Extreme



Extreme is the fastest performance, now playing with PI 8 M

Performance Enhanced Memory = Standard



Performance Enhanced Memory = Turbo



Performance Enhanced Memory = Extreme



Again, extreme option gives the maximum performance... I thought this option related to FSB strapping, so if you want to keep 266 strapping, you can set the Performance Enhanced Memory Option to Extreme, it will gives you the maximum performance but limited in FSB speed.

This post has been edited by Lodewijk: Sep 30 2007, 08:58 PM

weird...i did a test on DS3P but i see like no diff...even 32m spi... lol

yeah i tested it too on Gigabyte P35 and no diff... maybe Gigabyte just implemented it on X38.

well actually for p35t got difference.. but not with p35..

errr actually have to agree with irenic on this..

there was a difference when was tested on 1333 cl5

which available today search for it at LYP. 2 units only AFAIK
but price is bit expensive compare to DQ6

that one is maximus formula isnt it...i luv maximus extreme...the NB Fusion block looks nicer than formula and also the SB also looks bigger and maybe more effective...good for those with WC loop, can leave the heatpipe intact as well as watercooled the NB but since the formula is already cost nearly 1k, then the extreme might be higher thou especially with limited number of stock in LYP...surely kena sembelih one

which shop??

must be czone.

well it doesnt matter what's the speed.. with p35t, changing from standard to turbo ( @ the same ram speed & timing) will give u higher performance.. it can be proved by running sandra..

how big is the performance gap between the three?standard, turbo and extreme...what this setting does actually...tighten up some of the mem setting?if it does, then memset is the way to go for the the p35 vanilla...

This post has been edited by remysix: Oct 3 2007, 05:38 AM

dude i think u better do more testing...

i tried it.. only with low latency there was an improvement

u mean his tag kar...?

very nicely packed mobo, same as the old 965, 35dq6... well, almost (if not all) mobo has vdroop, i dun think ther's any production mobo dat has cured the vdroop issue... price is good too around rm1k... irenic & cstkl, u guys mean the diff between p35tds3p n p35tds4 or p35dq6??? me kinda lost lar...

look so cool man...