EVGA - NForce 680i SLI Motherboard Update

[jonnyGURU]

From EVGA:

Some EVGA customers using the EVGA nForce 680i SLI motherboard have reported experiencing disconnect or write error issues with SATA disk drives. To address this, we have worked with NVIDIA to release a BIOS update for this motherboard that eliminates this bug.

EVGA and NVIDIA strongly recommend that all customers upgrade their motherboards to this new BIOS, regardless of whether or not they have experienced this bug. For the best interest of your customers it is also recommended that you email blast your customer base who purchased the EVGA part# 122-CK-NF68-xx, notifying them of the below “hotfix” and encourage them to upgrade the BIOS, which is as simple as clicking the “Check System Now” link below and running the utility.

This NVIDIA hotfix will automatically check your system to determine if an update is required. If an update is required, it will prompt you to install the hotfix, and upon completion it will shutdown your system. The hotfix will preserve all of your current computer settings, and will likely improve your system stability.

This update is related to SATA disk drives and system instability. System instability is observed in the following ways (not a complete list):

• Random application shutdown
• Corrupted boot drive
• “Blue screen of death”
• Corrupt data

This update will improve system stability and prevent future stability issues related to SATA disk drives on those systems requiring this hotfix.

Step 1: Check System Now to determine if your system requires this hotfix.

Step 2: Click Here for instructions on how to use this utility

Thank you for your support

[MrWicked1968]

I'm beginning to wonder if evga is as good as we are led to believe. my 7600gs was a good card, but suffered from incredibly poor cooling. the problems with their 7900GT lineup is well documented, and now this.

I know we can't expect perfection, but it's not like evga is being run by some lone teenager in his garage.

[syne_24]

I dont really think it was completely EVGA at fault with this SATA issue since all they really did was repackaged NV's reference design and put their names on it. As matter of fact if you peel off the sticker on the board it will say Nvidia on it (I did it out of curiousity)

Anyways, reseller who use the same reference design such as BFG or Biostar will suffer the same problem. Yea they probably should have done thorough testing before release instead of relying on Nvidia's behalf. But they are not in the same pool as Asus and Abit who have the resource to do their own version of the 680i. Therefore, they will have to rely on NV to fix these problems, and hopefully it will get done right.

[ianm2]

hmmm well I think there are many things in computers that are just released for the sake of it, to get them out early, too early.

Not enough r and d, not enough testing, just to cash in, then problems show up, and joe public has to pick up the pieces.

Parts should only be released when and only when they have been fully researched, developed, tested, implemented correctly.

Or am I being naive?

[jonnyGURU]

I wonder if it's just the selection of parts used.

I've been using the EVGA 680i board since day one with a pair of WD SATA drives in RAID and haven't had any problems. The only reason I installed the beta BIOS was because I thought it would help me with Vista.