Hardware Review: Sapphire PURE Hybrid CrossFire 780G Innovation MB

Source : Modders-Inc.com/American Freak

Check out the Sapphire PURE Hybrid CrossFire 780G Innovation Motherboard.
This Mainboard can give you blistering performance for your multimedia needs, plus the ability to play the latest Direct X 10 games? And as a bonus you can install a second card to gain CrossFireX for your games.

Inside the box you receive a few items to help with the ease of the install into your preferred case. You get an IDE cable, SATA cable, the install CD, and a rear IO plate. A nicely detailed user manual is also included to help answer any of your questions that may arise. Normally you get a manual with a few pages about the BIOS and what the settings represent, the this book has 19 pages dedicate to helping you get the most out of the BIOS. (this following the footsteps of their video card packaging you are given plenty of information about the contents insides).

PURE Hybrid CrossFire 780G Innovation MB
There are few true revolutions in the PC industry. Sapphire PURE Hybrid CrossFire 780G PI-AM2RS780G inside the AMD 780G+SB700 Chipset is a revolution. With the AMD 780G IGP Chipset, all the barriers have been broken. This is the first AMD chipset to integrate a powerful DirectX®10 graphics core powered by ATI Radeon™ HD3200 graphics. The first AMD chipset that enables everyday computer users to play the latest games with no extra graphics card. The first MB that delivers a total HD cinematic experience. And it also a good MB that powers a green PC.

Chipset: AMD® 780G + SB700
Processor: Support AMD® AM2/AM2+ CPU
DirectX ® 10 Gaming
ATI Hybrid CrossFire HD3200 Graphics
Full HD Experience
Ultimate Green PC
HT3.0 support
DDRII DIMM up to 8GB 800MHz
Dual Channel Internal Video output: DVI-D(HDMI) + VGA

PI-AM2RS780G - Hybrid CrossFire 780G

Socket AM2 64-bit AMD Athlon™ 64 Processor with HyperTransport™ Technology
AMD64, a revolutionary technology allowing the processor to run 32-bit applications at full speed while enabling a new generation of powerful 64-bit software applications. HyperTransport™ technology can increase overall system performance by removing I/O bottlenecks, increasing system bandwidth, and reducing system latency.

AMD 780G Chipset: Backbone of Hybrid CrossFire Technology Performance Platform
AMD 780G chipset based PCs feature the latest PCI-Express™ 2.0 bus technology and deliver high performance support for AMD’s new Hybrid CrossFireX™, allowing the combination of features or raw horse power from both the on board graphics and compatible add in PCI-E graphics boards, for the ultimate High-Def entertainment experience. Low latency architecture coupled with one of the industry’s most advanced core-logic solutions deliver qualified performance and the latest technologies — PCI-Express 2.0, secure high-speed networking, high-performance storage — and ensures that your PC stays ready for the latest games, future applications and next-generation PC specifications

AMD SB700 Southbridge Chipset
AMD SB700 Southbridge offers the most advanced technologies and superior performance compared to any other chipset platform solution for AMD desktop applications. With superior performance and broad-based connectivity, SB700 is rich in all the latest advanced features such as support for 10 x USB 2.0 ports and 8-Channel audio. Designed for the fastest Windows Vista experience, it features new disk controller technologies that ensure fast file access while providing encryption for data security. AMD SB700 is designed with advanced power management allowing for low power consumption and energy efficient platforms.

Pro Magic Plus System Recovery Software Embedded
Restore important data immediately, allowing your system to be operated in a safer environment. This amazing software allows you to restore the data to the same state as any specific time point you wish. Moreover, it combines several other functions such as anti-virus, backup software, uninstall software, multi-boot manager etc. to completely satisfy your system protection needs. Worry no more about new virus’s or system failure!

Debug Port: The Professional Hardware Diagnosis System
The embedded Hardware Debug Port offers you a real-time visual health check for your system. No more being driven crazy by unknown system failures and no more time wasted in the diagnosis of failure. The embedded Debug Port will help you to focus your attention exactly were it is needed, therefore minimizing down time for your system.

CPU Vcore 7-Shift
The CPU core voltage is adjustable in 13 steps for precise control of hardware over-clocking, maximizing computer performance.

When we pull the motherboard out of the bag we instantly see that Sapphire continued their red color scheme to this new motherboard. The striking red color really gets you to notice it, but it also allows the other on board features to standout and I think this helps the novice system builder identify unfamiliar items. Being a micro-ATX motherboard you of course know it is going to small. With my trusty plastic US standard ruler I came up with the following sizes of 8 5/8 inches (22cm) along the top and bottom lengths with 9 3/4 inches (24.5cm) for the IO ports and power supply connection sides. Placing the driver install CD on top the Sapphire PURE Hybrid CrossFire 780G Innovation MB you get a sense on how small the board really is.

OK let's take the CD off and start looking more closely at the board. The layout is close to your standard ATX layout, but it is just more compact. All the chipsets that need to cooled are equipped with a heat sink without the support of fans. This is typically done for situations were a quieter operation is need such as a desktop PC or a HTPC (Home Theater PC). The stock cooling fan for the CPU should be able to help circulate the air around, but I am not sure that it alone with be sufficient enough if you intend to push the limits of the board inside a small case.

Jumping over to the expansion slots we see we are given the options of two PCI slots and a single PCI-e x16 graphics slot which can deliver up to 8Gbytes a second of bandwidth at full speed. You can either use a single card here or you can use it in conjunction with the IGP (Intergraded Graphics Processor) to enjoy the available high performance Hybrid Graphics function. Just to the right of the PCI-e slot we see the passive heat sink for the AMD 780G North Bridge chip. The heat sink is a decent size and should do a well job on helping to keep the chip with it operating range.

Here we can see were the AMD SB700 South Bridge chip, battery, SATA connections and code display all live in harmony. Right off the bat we see that you can connect 6 SATA 3.0 devices to the board. Enough to put a DVD reader and 5 drives for plenty of storage space for a HTPC setup. The SB700 will also allow you to do a RAID configuration in either RAID 0, 1, 10. On top of that it can also be used to support a total of 14 USB ports with 12 of them being USB 2.0 and the remaining ports are 1.1. The addition of the code display is always a great way to help diagnose a problem, but in an under sight they left out the any reference to them in the user's manual. Hopefully this will corrected in some later downloadable manuals.

The DDR2 memory controller provides the motherboard with 200MHz/333MHz/400MHz memory clock frequency for dual channel DDR2 533 / DDR2 667 / DDR2 800 DDR2 Module up to 8.0GB. The slots are colored coded to help make sure that you get them in the correct places for dual channel mode. A floppy drive and single IDE connection is provide in case you still want to use older drives. The power supply connection is 24 pin compatible.

Ah the AMD 780G chip show it face to us. This chipset incorporates the HD 3200 Graphics that is DirectX10.0 complaint 2D/3D graphics processor , Maximum DAC frequency of 400 MHz Resolution up to 2560x1600 , refresh rate up to 85MHz. This is the first AMD chipset to integrate a DirectX10 graphics core powered by ATI Graphics. This enables everyday computer users to play the latest games with no extra graphics card. Plus it is the first AMD chipset that delivers a full HD cinematic experience.Also in the 780G chipset you get the ATI Hybrid CrossFire X. Uh. what? OK let me explain...as I said the motherboard comes with a built video processor, but with the ATI Hybrid feature you can add another card into the PCI-e slot and have a CrossFire solution for very little money. Not only does is open the door for you to be able to play some of your favorite games with CrossFire enabled, but with a few clicks and a reboot you can have up to four monitors connected to your system for everyday tasks!

This is the first time a manufacturer has used a current graphics core directly into an IGP setup. In the past most of the GPU's designed for IGP based products have used the "toned down" versions of an early GPU. Package this with the SB700 chipset and AMD has pulled the average consumer market out of Intel's hands and captured the market.

Here is a closer look on how the chipsets work together.

Hybrid CrossFireX and what it is

Based on ATI CrossFireX™ multi-GPU technology, ATI Hybrid CrossFireX™ takes your gaming experience to the next level, in a Windows Vista® environment. ATI Hybrid CrossFireX boosts PC performance by enabling the AMD 780 Chipset’s integrated graphics processor and a discrete GPU (ATI Radeon™ HD 2400 Series2, ATI Radeon™ HD 3400 Series or ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3400 Series) to operate simultaneously with combined output to a single display.

Hmm, sounds cool but what is the difference between CrossFireX and Hybrid CrossFireX?

ATI CrossFireX™ enables two or more discrete graphics processors to work together to improve system performance in both Windows XP and Windows Vista. While the ATI Hybrid CrossFireX specifically refers to the ability to boost system performance by allowing a second graphics processor and an integrated graphics processor to work simultaneously in a Windows Vista environment.

Oh OK, that's cool! So I will just install in my 3870 for some serious fun. Not so fast, sure it would be great to be able to drop in a HD3870 with the IGP, but it just not going to compatible. Below is a chart that will help you match up the right cards.

Along with the Hybrid CrossFireX you get ATI SurroundView. ATI Hybrid Graphics technology enables ATI SurroundView which allows support for 4 independent monitors when an applicable integrated graphics processor is combined with a second graphics processor. 4 monitors would be a day traders delight, a spreadsheet wizards dream, web designer answered prayer, a .... you get the idea.

The I/O port side has lots of stuff happen here. And starting from the left we have the normal PS/2 Mouse (Green) and Keyboard (Purple) ports. Then we have two video options for either a VGA or DVI display. Both of these work with the onboard video. A set of USB ports are next then a Gigabit LAN and some more USB ports. And finally we see the embedded Azalia 8-channel HD Audio CODEC which is fully compatible with the Sound Blaster Pro standards that offers you the home cinema feature.