PCB Design and Features

DFI LanParty UT NF590 SLI-M2R/G is slightly different from the reference design developed for nForce 590 SLI chipset, therefore, we cannot even design where we should start.

The PCB components layout taken from the mainboard user?s manual will be very helpful in explaining the major components location on the PCB:

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Small aluminum heatsinks like those that are usually placed on top of MOSFET transistors are scattered all over the PCB. In the upper left corner, the usual location, there is only one group that seems to be responsible for the memory power supply:

And another two groups of components protected with small aluminum heatsinks are in the very center of the PCB, next to the PCI-E x16 connectors:

The tallest aluminum heatsink on the PCB is located in the upper right corner, next to the 24-pin and 8-pin power supply connectors:

I suppose that the elements it covers also belong to the mainboard?s power circuitry, namely to the digital processor voltage regulator. These could be the notorious ceramic SMT capacitors, because there is a five-phase power inductor - CPL-5-50 chip from Cooper Electronic - next to them. The size of this heatsink is absolutely justified: it heats up a lot during work.