Multi Question about drivers / model numbers

[vekna]

Hey Foz,

Have a few questions. On an Asus A8N-SLI Premium: which platform drivers should I use. There are 4 choices on Nvidia.com
nForce4 430/410
nForce4 AMD
nForce4 AMD/Intel x16
nForce4 Professional

Nvidia Video Cards:
Have any idea what each number means in model numbers for eVGA?
Examples:
256-P2-N529-AX
256-P2-N527-AX
The 29 and 27 are the only different numbers.

Last question is about GPU vs. Ram clock speeds.
Is one way better than the other in the following example:
470Mhz CORE 1200Mhz RAM vs. 450Mhz CORE 1250Mhz RAM

[Lord_Vyper]

Hey Foz,

Have a few questions. On an Asus A8N-SLI Premium: which platform drivers should I use. There are 4 choices on Nvidia.com
nForce4 430/410
nForce4 AMD
nForce4 AMD/Intel x16
nForce4 Professional

430/410 is for specific Intel processor lines, I think.
AMD is for AMD, for both 32 & 64 bit processors.
AMD/Intel x16 is for Intel's 64 bit extensions, or 32 bit AMD.
Pro is for 64 bit servers.

Use nForce4 AMD.

Nvidia Video Cards:
Have any idea what each number means in model numbers for eVGA?
Examples:
256-P2-N529-AX
256-P2-N527-AX
The 29 and 27 are the only different numbers.

2 different video cards.
*27* looks like a VIVO edition, and is clocked a bit lower/slower then the *29* one.
Last question is about GPU vs. Ram clock speeds.
Is one way better than the other in the following example:
470Mhz CORE 1200Mhz RAM vs. 450Mhz CORE 1250Mhz RAM
Theres not really going to be an appreciable difference between these.

[Fozzik]

nForce4 430/410
- This driver is for the new integrated video versions of the Nforce chipset. The 430/410 refers to the model number of the south bridge on the chipset. The Northbridge on these chipsets is either the 6150 or the 6100. This isn't the chipset you've got, so this one's not for you.

nForce4 AMD
- This is the driver set for your motherboard. Be careful what you install from the set, though. Some people have had issues with the Nvidia Firewall/network tools and the SMBus driver. You might want to leave those off.

nForce4 AMD/Intel x16
- These are for the newer version of the Nforce4 chipset which features two full 16 lane PCI-Express slots. Not for you.

nForce4 Professional
- These are for the professional chipsets from Nvidia... the ones that go in servers and workstations and support Opteron processors. These are a completely different platform, but Nvidia was nice enough to make it as confusing as possible by calling it "Nforce4" just like the rest. Anyway, not for you.

The difference between those two cards is mostly just their clock speeds. One is what eVGA calls their "KO" edition of the card (529). The other is a regular version of the card, except that it includes the large heatsink like the KO.

They call the big heatsink the "ACS3" cooling system...which both of these cards have. It looks like the bundles are slightly different, the KO(529) comes with a video breakout box and the other card (527) comes with a video out cable. You've probably noticed the clock speed difference already -
KO edition (529) - 490 core, 1300 memory
ACS3 edition (527) - 470 core, 1200 memory

For your last question, just using your example, I would go with the higher GPU clock. Neither of those overclocks will make a noticeable difference, I don't think (they are both about a 4% overclock).

The KO card carries a very large price premium, I don't know whether it's worth it. It is a pretty decent overclock of the memory compared to the ACS3... it may even be a noticeable difference...but it's a lot of money to pay.

Honestly, I'd skip both those cards and go with this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814150105) one. It has the same high clock speeds as the eVGA KO edition, but it's much cheaper. Plus, XFX gives you a double lifetime warranty. :D