XFX GeForce 9300 mATX motherboard (MI-9300-7AS9)

KeymaN

Gawd
Joined
Jul 9, 2008
Messages
672
any [H] member got a taste of this board yet?
or found any reviews? all i google was a japanese site that sells it and of coz our lovely newegg... i m kinda interested in this board because (ya ya ya they are stupid but whatever:p)... first it is a matx board with a decent IGP the GeForce 9300 and it is a BLACK BOARD (even the PCB)!!! with a little bit of green!!! it kinda fit the theme i wanna do to my matx build... :D
but however... is this a good board... that is a question... because this is pretty new and it is a nForce board afterall... dunno would it be as good as the P5E-VM HDMI or P5Q-EM when comes overall performance (beside the IGP @_@)
 
http://xfxforce.com/en-us/products/motherboards/GeForceseries/GeForce® 9300.aspx
XFXGeForce93002354x312.jpg]

added pic & link
what i see so far is that the differences between this board and the ASUS one are
that it is not all 100% solid stat capacitors(i suppose that doesn that make too much different)...
removed IDE and floppy port (which i like personally because i dont use them at all anymore)...
and right now i havent spot other big differences yet...
hope i can get some reviews on this board soon XD
 
Is that only 3 phases I see?
 
nope it is 4 phase look carefully there is one next to the weirdly placed 4pin connecter :( or the heatpipe
 
I thought I would find the answers here, guess not. I looked at the XFX as well as Gigabyte and Asus. I ruled out the Gigabyte as it has too much of what I don't need (legacy stuff). The Asus P5E-VM also has PATA floppy and PS/2 but it got better reviews then the Gigabyte (which has a 9400 which is what 2fps faster). This board only has what I need, and nothing more. I will be using a Ultra X3 (modular 600w) PSU with only the cables I need. None of the PCI slots will be used (unless I go WiFi). I will have 8 gigs of OCZ and a Q8200 with 1333FSB. My HTPC case of choice is a half hight Thermaltake Mozart SX 70001. With a clean MoBo and without the extra cables, there will be plenty of air flow. Hard drives are an OCZ 64gb solid State and 1.5 TB SATA HD to hold all the (personaly owned) movies "backed up" (for personal use) from the Pioneer Bluray to my Mitsubishi 73" DLP.

I was going to do a PS3 but I think this was a better choice. I can always add one later down the line I guess. :D
 
I thought I would share the deals being almost Xmas ;)

  • XFX 9300 MoBo - Buy $114 (Saved $15 + free ship)
  • Ultra X3 PSU - J& R music (Amazon and Buy will get from them also) Saved > $30
  • Mozart SX 7001 case - Buy (think I got the last though) Saved > $30 + free ship
  • ...if sold out next best is Overstock - Save $20 + free ship
  • OCZ PC6400 Platinum ($10/gig) TigerD with $50 rebate
  • OCZ 64gb Solid State drive $75 ($100 rebate) TigerD
  • Seagate Baracuda 1.5 TB $140 + $10 heat sink (save $20) or Hitachi 1TB -$30 rebate
  • Fry's Pioneer Bluray $150 - $50 instant
I used TigerD and saved over Egghead because no CA tax and $2 ship (under certain weight). I also searched for coupon discount codes for Amazon and Buy as well as super saver free shipping options. Oh and buy dot calm, not worst buy. HoHoHo :D
 
Have you tried overclocking it, for example to FSB 1600? That'd give you a nice quadcore @ 2.8GHZ. I'm interested in replacing my g33m-ds2r with a more recent board.
 
I have been kinda wanting a new motherboard but I think I may just wait until i7 comes around to micro ATX and buy all new stuff instead.
 
I have been kinda wanting a new motherboard but I think I may just wait until i7 comes around to micro ATX and buy all new stuff instead.

Maybe. But Intel plans to have a different socket for mainstream Nehalem so we might have to wait some time for it to appear in a mATX board. Unless DFI puts a X58 chipset on a mATX board.
 
I remember seeing a slide where it mentioned a DFI LP Jr as having the X58 platform on this board. I imagine that'll be out in around 6 months or so, but I don't plan on getting more upgrades for another year or so anyway.
 
really nice looking board. I'm one of those people who buy boards because how they look rather then how they perform :rolleyes:

Great deal to have a backup GPU and phy-X card
 
I agree that it's a cool-looking board. The heat pipe and the brand (XFX) would suggest that it is OC-friendly. But is it? I'd really like some feedback on it before making a decision.

Anyone?
 
Sorry, been buying it in peices and only with parts on sale. I still need the MS 8000 keyboard & mouse. I ended up getting the Intel Q9300 instead becuase it was on sale (micro center) at a local store and was cheaper then the Q6600, allthough I found it bundled with a game. I remember games given free by ATI and they are allways limited play and not the full version, so I didn't miss out on that.

I received my X3 600w PSU and thought it was overkill but reading the manual it shows 85% only at 300w and goes down to 75% at 600w. I'm guessing i'm at 200w and if I upgrade the video with one that requires a power connection then i'd still only be at 300w. So i'm happy with my choice. The only drawback on the modular setup is the cables are flat and block more air then round. So I guess it's a toss up (less flat cables or more round cables).

I also recev my 2.5 to 3.5" box from buywee.com and have researched the tweeks needed for the SSD drive. I love the board. The Sata II connectors are grouped on one solid mount. A bad thing is it is where the HD tray is. I can use the bottom three easily by removing the tray. If you need the other three, right angle cable may work but haven't tried them. I only need three.

I had issues with the OEM Intel fan. I've read people knocking baord rating becuase of this. The problem is the fan. I would get 3 push pins down and everytime I do the 4th the first one pops out. I found a Crossbow mount plate to replace the stupid pins which also bow the board. It has lttle feet and a plastic cover so it's not flat and no issues shorting the board by touching multiple circuit pins. I was going to get a Thermaltake Blue Orb II but it's massive. The diameter is 140mm so this is the best solution. I will update more when it's up and running.
 
does the 9300/9400 series have good onboard audio that matches creative or asus sound cards?
 
The sound card is not part of the NB/SB chipset itself AFAIK. So onboard sound pretty much depends on what the mobo manufacturer picks. And I doubt that it's as good as discrete sound cards...
 
It has onboard 8 channel HD audio. I have yet to finish the build, so I can't comment on the quality yet but my case has a HD audio connection and it does have HDMI. I was not able to see my SDD all weekend and traced it down to my icy box. I have installed Vista 64 this morning and will work on it some more during the week. Still waiting for HDMI cables.

Something I picked up and will try out is hybrid SLI. By adding a 8500 card it will link with the onboard video chip and still use the onboard HDMI connection for output. I'm dissapointed that I can't pair it with another 9500 though.

Here is a pick of the kit I got. I was not able to use the brackets as I was afraid of one corner rubbing one of the electronic parts on the board. There not really beeded anyhow. The kit is meant for a fanless heat sink. I cut off the plastic push clips from the Intel fan.. I took apart the spring loaded screws from the brackets and used washers instead. I still used the X bracket under the board. It mounted easily, is flush, the board is flat and not bowed and cools and works perfectly now.
v2_kit_b.jpg


The board does mention overclocking ablility and has a menu for it but it does not plug in the numbers for you as far as I can tell. There was an overview in the pdf manual on the cd.
 
Any feedback since mid December ?

Can you tell us what kind of onboard audio chip has been chosen by XFX ? Is it some Realtek one ?
 
I would also like to hear more about your experience with this board. I've been on the hunt for a good mATX for a while now, and this looks like a proper contender. I especially like how there's basically nothing behind and to the left of the PCI-E port, leaving good space for a dedicated graphics card. Well, there's the battery -- but where is the CMOS jumper located? Also, how high are the heat sinks near the CPU socket? It looks like they possibly could get in the way of my Zalman cnps7700.

In any case, it looks very slick, especially without that legacy stuff.

Edit: By the way, did you guys notice that it sports, and I quote, "Silent But Deadly" cooling? I mean, that's just awesome :D

Edit2: Found some more info here. Interesting quotes:

X-Mod said:
Pretty amazing board for $280. Not a lot of overclocking options but im not much of one so it doesnt bother me.

X-Mod said:
There isnt a lot of space for the cpu cooler so the Zalman heatsinks dont fit.

The bit about the Zalman heatsinks sucks, because I was hoping to keep mine, and I don't really know what else to put in my Antec Fusion case :/
Anyone know any good alternatives not higher than, like, 7 cm?
 
actually is there any [H] member in the forum has own this board yet?
i actually like the color in this board more than the P5E-VM HDMI
but then again so far the P5E-VM HDMI seems to be the best mATX board around
but if this baby here can allow me to overclock a Q9300/X3320 from 2.5 to 3.0 without too much trouble
i might consider this board as it fits my color theme for my build
 
I got tired of waiting and ordered the Asus P5N7A-VM instead; it's got good reviews and I like its layout. It's newer than the P5E, so it's got more features, but it's also less tested. Here's hoping there'll be no nasty surprises :p
 
well itz no one's fault that no one has to do a review or have to own this
i mean who wanna be a lab rat? lol
anywayz hoping i m not the lab rat tho lol
 
Probably buying one next week. I just saw them at MicroCenter, but wasn't prepared to spontaneously spend $150 for it. (They also have the eVGA full-ATX version, but I'm a SFF enthusiast. :))
 
please update us as soon as u get ur mobo
cuz i have a few questions for ya ;)
especially using 1066 RAMs
 
And can't get the sound through hdmi running.

There was also an issue with Antec Fusion Remote case regarding the sata slot orientation - sata cables are not plugged in vertically and so I had to drill the case.....
 
Can anyone with this board please re-post that pdf manual that came with the board?

Thanks.
 
How well does the stock chipset / onboard gpu heatpipe heatsink do on this board? The stock heatsink on the Gigabyte GeForce 9400 board is horrible.
 
Not to go off topic but how well of an Ocer is the Gigabyte 9400??? NE reviews have not mentioned anythng on it.

Also there are other 9300 boards out there but have not found much info on them in the forums here. Is there a decent one that OCs well?

Been a while since I've been here and it seems the SFF has not moved much since then...

I have the Asus fave HDMI but wouldn't mind haveing a much better integrated video solution...
 
ive bought a xfx 9300 m-atx.

had it now for 2 months,

running a q6600 and 4gb corsair (2X2), windows 7, watercooled.
I use the mobo for a media center,
runs 1080p fine, on the integrated graphics card, no lag with windows.

I have not overclocked anything, as its not needed.
i dont play games on it either.
No i have not used the hybrid sly either, so no idea if it works.

What i like about the card:
Drivers, just use the nvidia drivers, no need to go to the manufacturer site, like the slow asus site.
You can actually use the onboard graphics unlike many other.
i Love the 2 pci slots for tv cards, i would have liked a third one , but then im pretty sure most people would rather use the pciex 16x.

Bad about the card:
The SATA slots, they point towards the back, this is annoying as i had a water pump there, which means i had to drill holes somewhere else. :( , apart from that its perfect.

ive had 2 asus m-atx hdmi mobo, that was one of the worst motherboards i ever had. very unstable, and everytime i filled all the ram slots it tends to burn out after a few weeks.
Even when i had the mobo watercooled.

Ive only had this card for a little while, but i totally recommend it.
Even though i only use the card for a media center, it does the job

i know this is an old post, but i was looking for reviews and user opinions myself and could find very few. Hope this helps.
 
actually i m glad that you dig this back up and share ur experience of the board!
cuz i had hard time deciding before whether or not if i should get this mobo for my parents to use or as a HTPC but looks like u just helped me out there ;)
 
I've just bought this mobo for my gf's new computer... her HP craptop is dying a slow and painful death and she really wants to be able to play WoW again (right now she has to run in lowest-of-low everything and it still gets like 10 fps!). I'm planning to have her use the onboard graphics until I've saved enough to buy myself a shiny new card, at which point she can have my trusty 8800 GT 512 that will easily blow away WoW and pretty much anything else she might want to play. I've never bought a micro ATX board before (or put together a uATX system), but I wanted to get something small and (hopefully) quiet. Pairing this with an E8400 and 4GB of DDR2-800, should be decently fast.

It's arriving next week. I'll try to remember to check back and report after it's been running for a bit.
 
Sorry about the lack of replies. I actually just had it sitting collecting dust. I opened a ticket with Nvidia and they helped me for a few weeks then just ignored me completely. I still have a ticket open with XFX. The problem with "all" boards with Nvidia digital audio chipsets is the audio does not pass through HDMI. I've found this true with Asus, Gigabyte and even older Abit boards. More then likely it's Microsoft trying to get rid of the competition (business as usual) since they are sleeping with Intel. It would be nice to see Nvidia CPU and Linux as an alternative.

I have added a 8500GT Fatality board in Hybrid SLI. I beleive it only adds about 15-25% of boost depending on what you are running. Not much of a benefit, but I got it cheap, it fits and I intended to use the onbaord HDMI connection and stay within a lower budget. Also with a half hight case and using a riser card a double size video card may have heat (too close to board) or fitment issues.

There are no issues with the onboard video and blu-ray. I had went around it in the beginning by connecting my computer speakers tot he front headphone jack.

I have not tried overclocking but it seems simple enough. The pdf manual shows a jumper then in the BIOS you can leave everything on auto (unless you want to tweak yourself).
 
Has anyone gotten the eSATA hotplug function to work in this motherboard?

I have one of these:
nst-d100ufs-4.jpg



It's connected to the eSATA port on the back. When I insert a hard drive then power the dock on, nothing happens.

Vista x64 and Windows 7 x64 do not see the drive UNTIL I reboot the computer. I have set the SATA controller to AHCI mode in the BIOS prior to installing either OS.

I've installed the latest nForce 730i motherboard / chipset drivers.
 
Replies:
I have not tried sata hot plug or Esata.
I posted a review on one of the previus pages.
Yes, I have audio through HDMI now. XFX replaced my board (again) and it runs excellent in Win7 x64 Pro. I added a 2tb backup drive (internal). Also, I just ordered a mini Thermaltake orb. I may be pushing the diameter as it may touch but it will touch the heat sink and not the PSU. I will post how it fits. I ordered it because the air comming out feels pretty hot. Maybe it's the 2tb drive. I will look for a variable spped case fan as well. I replaced the orange fans with silencers, which are quiet but less air flow.
 
I realize this thread is a bit old, but I too was looking for info on this board and found very little. I decided to purchase the board and have been very happy with it. Here are some observations:

9300 heatsink is actually pretty tall and looks like it may get in the way of wide CPU coolers. I'm using stock intel cooler though and there is plenty of room.

SATA connectors are edge facing so it may not work in some cases. A few non compatible cases are mentioned in the newegg.com reviews for this board. I'm using a Silverstone Sugo SG02 and it fits great.

I just tried the overclock features and I must say that with a few keystrokes, I got my self a modest, but effective, overclock. A Q9400 with stock cooler, running @ 2.8Ghz (stock is 2.66) temps are in the low 50 C range running Prime95. It wasn't stable at 2.9 but my RAM probably sucks. There are plenty of manual adjustments for advanced overclocking, so you can get down to the nitty gritty. There is a Clear CMOS button on the backplate of the board. Very handy for OCin' stuff.

I tried the hybrid SLI with a GTX 470... LOL. Don't bother. I wanted to use the 9300 for PhysX, but it seems to waste more resources than its worth with little to negative performance boost. Nvidia recommends pairing with a 9500 PCIe card. I had to try tho. But srsly, the GTX470 has CUDA cores to spare. And PhysX doesn't have enough support in games to matter anyway.

MSG me if you want info from the manual PDF. XFX makes you register your product in order to obtain them. This makes the buying decision difficult. What's up XFX?

I got my board for $89 at newegg.com. I was basically looking to build something around the GTX470 with minimal investment. Something I could play with and try out Fermi. The vid card cost more than the case, power supply and mobo. Such is life... :cool:
 
In order to overclock with this board, you need to move a jumper that sits just next to the digital display for debug codes. This is at the end of the PCIe/PCI slot. A double slot PCIe card will obstruct the jumper, so switch it out before installing a card there.

cheers
 
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