IGP GA-MA790GP-DS4H Motherboard

- GIGABYTE Announces Ultimate IGP GA-MA790GP-DS4H Motherboard -
- Featuring DDR3 Side Port Memory and Outstanding Overclocking Performance



Taipei, Taiwan, August 6, 2008 – GIGABYTE UNITED INC., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards today announce the launch of the GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-DS4H, further cementing GIGABYTE’s leadership position for the AMD AM2+ platform by enabling a new generation of motherboards which push the boundaries of integrated graphics performance and overclocking potential.

Based on the newly released AMD 790GX chipset with onboard ATI Radeon™ HD 3300 graphics core, the GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-DS4H features 128MB of onboard DDR3 1333MHz SidePort Memory, allowing dedicated memory access for the integrated graphics for an added boost of up to 10~15% in graphics performance. In combination with the SidePort Memory, the onboard graphics is able to be overclocked above 1000MHz, allowing users to maximize their graphics performance and achieve 3DMARK06 scores of 2800+* and beyond.

In addition to supporting DirectX 10, Shader Model 4.0 and OpenGL2.0 3D gaming technology through its ATI Radeon™ HD 3300 IGP, the GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-DS4H provides a PCI-E 2.0 x16 to support the ground breaking ATI Hybrid Graphics technology, allowing users to combine the power of their integrated ATI Radeon® HD 3300 graphics core by adding an additional discrete graphics card. Also, it provides an additional PCI-E 2.0 x16 graphics interface to support ATI CrossfireX™ technology, running x8 and x8 bandwidth, for enhanced productivity and gaming performance.

source : http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/News/Motherboard/News_List.aspx?NewsID=1407

X58 Series Motherboards

- GIGABYTE Unwraps Latest X58 Series Motherboards for the Intel® Core i7 Processors -
-- The Next Leap in Computing Evolution is Here



Taipei, Taiwan, October 31, 2008 – GIGABYTE, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards today is pleased to announce their upcoming high performance X58 Series motherboards, the GA-EX58-EXTREME and GA-EX58-UD5 designed from the ground up to unleash the awesome power of Intel’s new Core i7 processors. Equipped with a host of new features including the new QPI interface, 3 channel DDR3 support, 3 Way SLI™ and CrossFireX™ support, Ultra Durable 3 technology and the industry’s most extensive range of overclocking features, the GIGABYTE X58 Series is bringing excitement back into the high performance motherboard industry.

The GIGABYTE X58 Series was designed specifically to take advantage of the raw power of the next generation Intel® Core i7 processors and the Intel® X58 Express chipset, whose new evolution in computing architecture is able to deliver an amazing performance break through from past processor generations. Replacing the Front Side Bus is the new Quick Path Interconnect, or QPI, whose 25.6 GB/sec transfer rate (double the bandwidth of the 1600MHz FSB) eliminates the communication bottleneck between the processor and chipset.

The Intel® Core i7 processors also feature an integrated memory controller inside the processor die and support 192bit 3-channel DDR3 memory that delivers a 50% memory bandwidth enhancement and lower memory latency for incredibly fast memory access. Additionally, the GIGABYTE X58 Series features Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, which is able to power down idle processor cores and dynamically reroute the power to the active cores for significant performance boosts, and at the same time, maintain greater energy efficiency.

For more information about the GIGABYTE X58 Series motherboards, please visit: http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Default.aspx

GIGABYTE Introduces Latest AMD Ultra Durable 3 Classic Motherboard Technology

Taipei, Taiwan, January 09, 2009 – GIGABYTE Technologies INC., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards today is pleased to introduce their revolutionary Ultra Durable 3 Classic technology, featuring ounces of copper for both the Power and Ground layers to a dramatically lower system temperature, improved energy efficiency and enhanced stability for overclocking on a wide range of current AMD motherboards.

GIGABYTE once again leads the motherboard industry for the highest quality, most innovative motherboard design with the launch of their latest Ultra Durable 3 Classic technology. Equipped on the latest GIGABYTE AMD chipset-based solutions including the AMD 790GX, 790X, 780G and 770, GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 Classic motherboards feature double the amount of copper for the Power and Ground layers of the PCB. Most traditional motherboard designs utilize a single ounce of copper for each layer, whereas GIGABYTE’s ultra Durable 3 motherboards feature 2 ounces per layer.

Benefits of 2 oz Copper design
Doubling the amount of copper provides a more effective thermal cooling solution by delivering a more efficient spreading of heat from critical areas of the motherboard such as the CPU power zone throughout the entire PCB. In fact, GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 Classic motherboards are able to deliver up to 50°C cooler working temperatures than traditional motherboards.

In addition, doubling the amount of copper lowers the PCB impedance by 50%. Impedance is a measure of how much the circuit impedes the flow of current. The less the flow of current is impeded, the less amount of energy is wasted. For GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 Classic motherboards, this means total PCB electrical waste is reduced by 50%, which also means less heat is generated. 2 ounces of copper also provides improved signal quality and lower EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) providing better system stability and allowing for greater margins for overclocking.

50,000 Hour Japanese Solid Capacitors
GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 Classic motherboards are equipped with solid capacitors developed by leading Japanese manufacturers. With an average lifespan of 50,000 hours, these solid capacitors provide the stability, reliability and longevity essential to meet the meet the power needs of high-end processors and other components running today’s most demanding applications and games.

Native DDR2 1200+ Memory Support
Delivering native support for DDR2 memory up to 1200+MHz, GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 Classic motherboards allow users to take advantage of higher memory performance to run consumption to run the even the most memory intensive applications such as high-definition video and 3D visualization with ease.

Easy Energy Saver
GIGABYTE now makes it even easier for users to take advantage of power savings with the new GIGABYTE Easy Energy Saver. Featuring an advanced proprietary software design, GIGABYTE Easy Energy Saver is able to dynamically adjust CPU power depending on workload, delivering just the right amount of power needed for the task.

Patented Dual Hardware BIOS Protection
GIGABYTE DualBIOS™ feature two physical BIOS ROMS mounted onto the motherboard. One chip acts as your "Main" BIOS, or the BIOS your system primarily uses during boot up. The second chip acts as a "Backup" BIOS and has the factory default BIOS version on it. If your "Main" BIOS happens to fail or stops functioning, the "Backup" will automatically take over on your next system boot with little or no down time.

AMD® AM3/AM2+ 45nm Processor Support
GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 Classic motherboards also deliver an easy upgrade path for users wanting to take advantage of AMD’s latest 45nm process technology enhancements including higher core clocks with greater energy efficiency over past generations, integrated DDR2/DDR3 memory controller (DDR3 memory support for AM3 processors and AM3 designed motherboards only), HyperTransport 3.0 and C1E enhanced power savings.

For additional information on the GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 Classic motherboards, please visit the GIGABYTE website at:
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Default.aspx

source : www.tbreak.com

ASUS P5K3 Deluxe WiFi-AP Intel P35 Motherboard

ASUS P5K3 Deluxe Motherboard

Market forecasts predict DDR3 memory poised to replace its predecessor DDR2 as the main volume product this year. Already aware of this, memory chip manufacturers like Micron Technology, Samsung Semiconductor, Hynix Semiconductor and Qimonda have begun tooling up for mass production. As a result we should finally start to see the dizzying prices of DDR3 come down - being affordable will no doubt help to spur adoption in the market. With price drops looming, many will be looking for quality motherboards suitable for high-speed DDR3. With this in mind Benchmark Reviews thought it would be of interest to examine one of the more mature DDR3 based motherboard offerings on the market today; the ASUS P5K3 Deluxe Wi-Fi-AP Motherboard based on the Intel P35 chipset.

The ASUS P5K3 Deluxe Motherboard with Intel's 82-P35 Express Memory Controller Hub (MCH) is the first motherboard built to officially support DDR3-1066. For the P5K3 Deluxe however, ASUS has managed improve upon this by building in native DDR3-1333 support. With high-speed DDR3 and ASUS overclocking tools, the P5K3 Deluxe able to overclock to an ultra high frequency achieving DDR3-2000.

With that said, let's take a look at the many features of ASUS' first P35 based DDR3 motherboard: The P5K3 Deluxe Wi-Fi AP.

The ASUS P5K3 Deluxe Wi-Fi-AP P35 Motherboard is among the top of ASUS' lineup built around Intel's P35 Express chipset. Considered an overclockers board the P5K3 Deluxe features a base FSB of 667MHz, native support for DDR3 SDRAM operating in Dual Channel mode at 1333MHz, and is CrossFire ready with support for dual PCI Express (PCIe) based x16 graphics cards. With so many features built into it the P5K3 Deluxe is blatantly a design intended for enthusiasts. However, its innovation and ease of use should make it appealing to even first time buyers.

ASUS establishes the P5K3 as a "Deluxe" motherboard by offering the following integrated features:
#Support for LGA775 Intel Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo, including 1333/1066/800FSB and
45nm processors
#Supports up to 8GB of dual channel DDR3 800, 1066 and 1333MHz FSB, using four
240-pin, 1.5V DDR3 DIMMs
#Two PCI Express x16 slots (Blue = x16, Black = x4)
#Two PCI Express x1 slots
#Three 32-bit v2.3 Master PCI bus slots (support 3.3v/5v PCI bus interface)
#One IDE port via JMicron JMB363 IC
#Six SATA 3Gbps ports supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5 or JBOD
#ADI SoundMax ADI1988B High-Definition audio codec supporting 7.1 channel surround
sound up to 32-bit/192KHz
#Two Gigabit Ethernet, one PCI-Express provided by the Marvell 88E8056-NNC1 chipset
and another PCI provided by RealTek RTL8110SC
#Agere FW3227 (FW322 07) IEEE1394a Firewire IC supplying two ports (one on the rear
I/O, one through motherboard pins
#JMB363 IC supplying one PATA port and two 3Gbps eSATA devices
#Realtek RTL8187L Wireless 802.11g integrated USB adapter

source : benchmarkreviews.com

Gigabyte GA-X48T-DQ6 DES X48 DDR3 Motherboard

Gigabyte GA-X48T-DQ6

Motherboards are at the heart of every computer, and their importance is central to stable system operation. No matter if you are a low-demand office worker who plugs away on letters or spreadsheets or if you are a high-performance hardware enthusiast who demands extreme frame rates from your video games, one component alone will determine your ability: the motherboard.

Because so much, nay, everything rides on the system mainboard, you must make certain that your livelihood is based on a solid and dependable foundation. Gigabyte isn't a new name to the industry, and for years now they have offered some of the most reliable and stable motherboard sold. In fact, over the past year there really only seemed to be two realistic options for motherboard manufacturer's when you shopped for new hardware; and Gigabyte was one of them. In this article Benchmark Reviews challenges our reigning champion against the Gigabyte GA-X48T-DQ6 Ultra Durable 2 DES motherboard.

Intel has been busy with one chipset release right on the heels of another. Since June 2007 when Intel first introduced the P35 chipset, it would take less than three months before it was succeeded by the X38 chipset for enthusiasts. Both shared the same Bearlake codename, as well as the same ICH9 Southbridge chipset, and on most accounts they were practically the same motherboard. The incentive to experience the X38 chipset was based on a 1600MHz front side bus added to the new compatibility with PCI-Express 2.0, which increases video bandwidth to 5 GBps. Then, just barely a month later, Intel announced specifications for their X48 chipset.

At the time of this writing (February 2008), Intel has still not officially lifted the embargo of their X48 chipset. In fact, despite the release of motherboards such as Gigabyte's GA-X48T-DQ6, they have postponed the launch because of unsold X38 quantities. It seems almost by design that Intel has done to motherboard manufacturers exactly that they did when they pushed DDR3 onto memory makers; they have systematically weakened the manufacturer's position in the market my consuming unnecessary product development resources. This could almost rival the effect Windows Vista has had on top-tier OEM's by Microsoft's forceful deployment. But this is a whole other discussion for another article.

If there's one thing my experience has taught me, it's that Gigabyte knows how to deliver product longevity and system stability. Unlike Tyan, which briefly made it's way to the desktop sector before pulling back to the more familiar server back-plane foundation, Gigabyte has been successful on both front. At the Super Computing 2007 event last year, Gigabyte was already on top of the industry with several cutting-edge server platforms. Now they are back with the bleeding-edge GA-X48T-DQ6 Ultra Durable 2 DES motherboard in this performance review.

source : benchmarkreviews.com

ASUS Striker II NSE nForce 790i SLI Motherboard

ASUS Striker II NSE Motherboard

When Benchmark Reviews visited with NVIDIA at the 2008 CES and first learned that Triple- Quad- and Hybrid-SLI Technology was going to be possible with the nForce 790i SLI chipset, I was curious just how well this news would be received by enthusiasts. After all, America was in a recession whether the government was willing to admit it or not, and this was going to be NVIDIA's crown-jewel product offering with a royal price tag.

My skepticism also took into consideration the drought of high-profile video games for the PC platform. Among the very short list of titles that could possibly benefit from the multi-card SLI arrays was Crysis, which was already playable so long as higher post-processing effects were turned down. It seemed like bad timing all the way around, similar to Solid State Drives and DDR3. Great ideas; but not the greatest launch environments.

Months later, on 18 March 2008 NVIDIA launched the GeForce 9800 GX2, making Quad-SLI a reality. Although there were no new games capable of taxing this powerful new graphics card, there wasn't much hesitation from the gaming community to test the performance. Having seen the GeForce 9800 GTX 512MB video card launch a few days prior, the birth of three new SLI orientations had become official. The remaining question would then become whether or not gamers and enthusiasts would create a worthwhile demand.

More than anything else, the new NVIDIA nForce 790i Ultra SLI chipset is designed for next‐generation processor technologies, and supports 3‐way SLI, Quad SLI, DDR3 with EPP 2, PCI Express 2.0, 1600 FSB CPUs, and the meticulous hardware control via the Enthusiast System Architecture (ESA).

The ASUS Striker II NSE nForce 790i SLI motherboard provides true triple PCIe 2.0/16x lanes with support for 3‐Way SLI and Quad SLI. It includes 60 PCI Express lanes and 10 links, six SATA ports, one eSATA port, 10 USB, and two Gigabit Ethernet NVIDIA MAC, ATA‐133 interface, two PCI slots, and HD audio. Impressive right?

The Ultimate Gaming/Overclocking Platform

ASUS labels its Republic of Gamers category to consist of nothing less than the best of the best. ASUS ROG products offer the best hardware engineering, the fastest performance, the most innovating ideas, and ASUS encourages the best gamers to join in. Here's what ASUS says about their elite offering:

In the Republic of Gamers, mercy rules are only for the weak, and bragging rights means everything. We believe in making statements and we excel in competitions. If your character matches our trait, then join the elite club, make your presence felt, in the Republic of Gamers.

source : benchmarkreviews.com

Gigabyte GA-EP45T-EXTREME P45 Motherboard

Gigabyte GA-EP45T-EXTREME

There are two kinds of computer enthusiasts in this world: those with a personal connection to the system motherboard, and those who simply refer to the part as a computer mainboard. For overclockers, the relationship with a well-designed motherboard can mean love or hate, and no two parts are alike. The motherboard is, after all, the foundation of every computer, and the importance is central to stable system operation. No matter if you are a low-demand office worker who plugs away on letters or spreadsheets every day or if you are a high-performance hardware enthusiast who demands extreme frame rates from your video games, one component alone will determine your ability: the motherboard.

So it is because absolutely everything rides on the system mainboard that you must make certain your livelihood is based on a solid and dependable investment. Gigabyte isn't a new name to the industry, and for years now they have offered some of the most reliable and stable motherboard sold. In fact, over the past year there really only seemed to be two realistic options for motherboard manufacturer's when you shopped for new hardware; and Gigabyte was one of them. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests the Gigabyte GA-EP45T-EXTREME P45 Ultra-Durable 2 DES motherboard against our harsh overclocking demands.

If there's one thing my experience has taught me, it's that Gigabyte knows how to deliver product longevity and system stability. Unlike Tyan, which briefly made it's way to the desktop sector before pulling back to the more familiar server back-plane foundation, Gigabyte has been successful on both product fronts. At the Super Computing 2007 event last year, Gigabyte was already on top of the industry with several cutting-edge server platforms. Now they are back with yet another bleeding-edge product based on the Intel P45 Express chipset.

The motherboard industry isn't very far off from the graphics card industry. The connection I make here is that there are very few major innovations by chipset manufacturers; only noticiable changes. Because of this, consumers have been the victim of an ever-quickening product launch rythm that rarely changes the landscape. This isn't going to change anytime soon, as it has been common practive by chip makers for many years already, so your best choice is to pick the best solution to fit your expected needs into the next two years.

source : benchmarkreviews.com

ASUS P5E64 WS Pro X38 Motherboard

ASUS P5E64 WS Pro

As predicted for this year, the dizzying high prices of DDR3 have finally dropped to within reason- even edging into that of DDR2's price point. The reason for such drastic price drops is that chip makers like Micron, Samsung, Hynix, and Qimonda are currently in full swing mass production of DDR3 DRAM - increasing supply and beating demand. This excess in inventory of DDR3 means a steady supply affordable and readily available chips that have helped to spur such rapid market adoption, evident with over fifty different motherboards currently on the market that support this memory standard.

Further DDR3 price drops are expected to continue into the fourth quarter and means many will be looking for quality motherboards suitable for high-speed DDR3. That being the case Benchmark Reviews thought it would be of interest to examine one of the more mature DDR3 based motherboard offerings on the market today; the ASUS P5E64 WS Professional Motherboard based on Intel's 3 series X38 Express Chipset with support for unheard of "Quad" graphics.

ASUS, as is their tradition, has created a unique motherboard in regards to the P5E64 WS Pro, with support for four (4) PCI-e x16 slots (two at x16 full-speed and two at x4 speed). While traditional motherboards built with Intel's 82-X38 Express Memory Controller Hub (MCH) allow for two full-speed PCI-e lanes at x16 directly from the MCH (an additional sixteen lanes compared to the P35 and 975X MCH) and only one x16 (x4) slot from the ICH9R Southbridge. The P5E64 WS Pro adds an additional PCI-e x16 (x4) slot courtesy of an integrated PCI-e bridge-chip for a total of four (4) PCI-e slots. Paired with the X38 Chipset's native support of DDR3 1333MHz and ASUS AI tools clear the way for some impressive overclocking.

Among the top of ASUS' lineup the ASUS P5E64 WS Pro Motherboard is built around Intel's X38 Express chipset. Termed a "workstation" board by ASUS, the P5E64 WS Pro features a base FSB of 667MHz, with native support for DDR3 SDRAM operating in Dual Channel mode at 1333MHz, and is CrossFireX ready with support for up to four (4) PCI Express (PCI-e) based x16 graphics cards - "Quad" CrossFireX. With so many features built into it the P5E64 WS Pro is blatantly a design intended for enthusiasts. However, its innovation and ease of use should make it appealing to even first time buyers.

ASUS establishes the P5E64 WS Pro as a "Workstation" motherboard by offering the following integrated features:

*Support for LGA775 Intel Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo, including 1333/1066/800FSB
and 45nm processors
*Supports up to 8GB of dual channel DDR3 800, 1066 and 1333MHz FSB, using four
240-pin, 1.5V DDR3 DIMMs
*Four (4) PCI Express x16 slots (Two Blue = x16, Two Black = x4)
*G.P. Diagnosis Card (POST Code Readout) - Bundled
*ASUS Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) card support
*One PCI Express x1 slot
*Two 32-bit v2.2 Master PCI bus slots (support 3.3v/5v PCI bus interface)
*One IDE port via Marvell 88E8056 IC
*Eight SATA 3Gbps ports supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5 or JBOD
*Two e-SATA via Marvell 88E8056 IC
*ADI SoundMax ADI1988B High-Definition audio codec supporting 7.1 channel
surround sound up to 32-bit/192KHz
*Two Gigabit Ethernet, one PCI-Express provided by the Marvell 88E8056-NNC1
chipset and another over PCI provided by Marvell 88E8001
*Twelve USB 2.0, six on the rear I/O, four internal via motherboard pin-out
*VIA Fire IIM VT6308P/S 1394 Host Controller IEEE1394a Firewire IC supplying two
ports (one on the rear I/O, one through motherboard pin-out)

source : benchmarkreviews.com

ASUS P6T Deluxe OC Palm Edition X58 Motherboard

ASUS P6T X58 Deluxe OC Palm

Have you ever heard the term: "We don't play; we went to private school because they didn't have recess!"? The term while somewhat colloquial in origin refers to individuals and/or corporate entities that have an extremely strong and impressive work ethic that yields a profound end result. We at Benchmark Reviews have often felt that a term of this type would be analogous with computer component manufacturers such as ASUS. A perfect example of what we are talking about was the recent launch of the Intel i7 processor family coupled with motherboards utilizing the Intel X58 chipset. While some manufacturers were able to meet or in some cases even beat the launch date with a single motherboard that supported this new technology, ASUS had four similar yet different boards essentially ready for unveiling well before the launch date. Pretty impressive we'd say!

After a very extensive testing phase, Benchmark Reviews will today present its findings with regard to the ASUS P6T Deluxe X58 motherboard. Before getting into the meat of our review there are a few facts about the versions of this board that we'd like to share. The ASUS P6T Deluxe X58 motherboard actually comes in two editions: 1) The P6T Deluxe edition which includes the motherboard and a bevy of accessories; and 2) The P6T Deluxe OC Palm edition which includes all of the items from the Deluxe edition plus the OC Palm device. With the ASUS OC Palm device which is a small side monitor, you can perform overclocking functions; and monitor system temperatures and fan speeds. The OC Palm also supports the Yahoo! Widgets feature for online displays of real-time info like weather, stock prices and web-mail alerts.

We should clarify that P6T Deluxe edition and the P6T OC Palm edition were considered as one product of the four that ASUS had ready for prime time on launch day. Our review today will encompass not only the features of the P6T Deluxe but those that the OC Palm monitoring interface brings to the table.

source : benchmarkreviews.com

Gigabyte GA-EX58-EXTREME Core i7 Motherboard

Gigabyte GA-EX58-EXTREME

The GA-EX58-EXTREME is the latest high performance X58-Express Series motherboard from GIGABYTE, designed from the ground up to unleash the awesome power of Intel's new Core i7 processors. Equipped with a host of new features including the new QPI interface, 3-channel DDR3 support, 3-Way SLI and CrossFireX support, Ultra Durable 3 technology and the industry's most extensive range of overclocking features, the EX58-EXTREME is bringing excitement back into the high performance motherboard industry. In this article, Benchmark Reviews compares the EX58-EXTREME to Intel's DX58SO Smackover and last-generations X48T-DQ6 motherboards.

The EX58-EXTREME was designed specifically to take advantage of the raw power of the next generation Intel Core i7 processors and the Intel X58 Express chipset, whose new evolution in computing architecture is able to deliver an amazing performance break through from past processor generations. Replacing the Front Side Bus is the new Quick Path Interconnect, or QPI, whose 25.6 GB/sec transfer rate (double the bandwidth of the 1600MHz FSB) eliminates the communication bottleneck between the processor and chipset.

Intel's Core i7 processors also feature an integrated memory controller inside the processor die and support 192-bit 3-channel DDR3 memory that delivers a 50% memory bandwidth enhancement and lower memory latency for incredibly fast memory access. Additionally, The EX58-EXTREME features Intel Turbo Boost Technology, which is able to power down idle processor cores and dynamically reroute the power to the active cores for significant performance boosts, and at the same time, maintain greater energy efficiency.

source : benchmarkreviews.com

Intel DX58SO Smackover X58 Motherboard

Up until January, 2006 if you were to ask any computer enthusiast their opinion of an Intel motherboard you would here something like this: Intel makes a highly reliable and extremely durable motherboard that will be there long after others have died. The true enthusiast would go on to say that the only reason they didn't own an Intel motherboard was that the features included in the BIOS were minimalist at best and they could not be overclocked. This all changed for the better with the release of the Intel's D975XBX "Badaxe" motherboard in January, 2006. For the first time in Intel's history they had recognized the enthusiast community by releasing a motherboard that was not only reliable but had a highly feature laden BIOS that allowed this board to run with the big dogs.

While the DX975BX board was Intel's first enthusiast level motherboard, it was certainly not to be their last. In late October, 2006 Intel released the big brother of the "Badaxe" the D975XBX2 deemed the "Badaxe II" which took their enthusiast level feature set a few steps further. This trend towards officially recognizing the enthusiast community was finally set in stone when the term "overclock" actually began to appear in some of Intel's official publications. Heretofore if you you were smart enough to overclock a motherboard built by Intel you could kiss your warranty goodbye as you had officially violated an edict firmly established by Intel's support team. So much for the history lesson, let's fast forward to November, 2008 and the release of Intel's i7 series of processor and their X58 chipset that supported it.

The i7 series of processors accompanied by an enthusiast grade motherboard utilizing the X58 chipset were one of the most highly anticipated product releases since the Core 2 Duo. At the time of the launch Intel introduced their DX58SO motherboard affectionately nicknamed the "Smackover". The DX58SO motherboard is without a doubt the most feature laden endeavor that Intel has undertaken to date. It is not only slanted towards the the serious overclocker but it provides a bevy of BIOS related features that could easily take take Intel's latest product to the next level of performance.

We at Benchmark Reviews have had a review sample of the Intel DX58SO for just over a month now that we have used as our reference board for all of our reviews covering the i7 family of processors as this product series had the highest interest amongst our readers. Even though we have used volumes of test data acquired from the DX58SO and repeatedly talked about the features this motherboard had to offer, we have been remiss in officially reviewing this product. Today we intend to make amends and officially give the the Intel DX58SO "Smackover" X58 Motherboard its due time in the spotlight.

source : benchmarkreviews.com

ECS Announces A780GM-A Ultra Black Series Motherboard

Published 26 October 2008

Taipei, Taiwan, Oct 23, 2008 – Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), the world’s leading motherboard, graphics card, barebone system and notebook manufacturer, is proud to introduce a brand new motherboard, ECS A780GM-A Ultra, providing unbelievable performance as well as plenty of great features for gamers. Based on AMD 780G and SB750 chipsets, ECS A780GM-A Ultra supports the latest AMD Phenom™ Quad-Core processors as well as ATI Hybrid Graphics Technology which delivers amazing performance to meet gamers’ needs. Well designed cooling solution, 5 phase power design, and the feature of all solid capacitors are all included in this board that offers not just a solution of evolution, but eventually a solution of optimization in every way.

Leveraging the 5 phase power design, the feature of all solid capacitors as well as the specifically designed cooling solution, ECS A780GM-A Ultra is capable to support 140W processors or even up to 160W processors in the future and will provide better durability, stability, and lower working temperature. Featuring the exclusive ECS M.I.B.（Motherboard Intelligent BIOS) overclocking utility which integrates all options of overclocking into a single page in the BIOS, the A780GM-A Ultra motherboard provides the most convenient way for gamers to adjust the clock/ voltage settings of CPU and memory. In addition, the motherboard also incorporates ECS Easy Button（Onboard Power Button & Reset Button）to provide great flexibility and convenience for users while building up or testing/tweaking their systems. Four fan headers is a plus as well which allows users to install up to four fans in their systems.

With the integrated ATI Radeon® HD 3200 graphics engine, ECS A780GM-A Ultra delivers not only tremendous graphics performance but also the ultimate quality of image clarity and colors. In addition, the support for ATI Hybrid Graphics Technology realizes a highly scalable graphics solution for users. When an add-on graphics card is installed, ATI Hybrid Graphics Technology will bring additional performance increase up to 1.75X by enabling the power of both integrated graphics core and the add-on graphics card simultaneously. Supported by the latest SB750 Southbridge, AMD OverDrive™ Technology allows gamers to tweak their system to get additional performance.

ECS A780GM-A Ultra is perfect for gamers as well as users looking for a solution capable of digital home entertainment. For more information on the exciting new A780GM-A Ultra Black Series motherboard, contact your local ECS sales agent today.

source : www.tbreak.com

Modular Power Supplies: The Reality of the Resistance

Jon Gerow · 08-10-2006

Modular power supplies have become very popular as of late. A modular power supply is different from a typical PC power supply in that it has cables that can be plugged in as the user needs them. By giving the user the ability to only have the cables they need plugged into the power supply, with no additional, unused cables, the user can have less clutter inside their computer case, and as a bonus, have improved air-flow.
Some companies have refused to manufacture modular power supplies and have even taken the effort to spread fud (fear, uncertainty and doubt) over the very concept of modular power supply connectors.
The argument? The resistance of the modular interface reduces the performance of the power supply, because resistance causes voltages to drop. No doubt any modular connection causes resistance. Nobody's denying that. But how much does the resistance of the modular connectors effect the voltage delivered to your peripherals?
To find this out, we're going to use a power supply load tester to put a static load on a number of power supplies: both modular and non-modular. We're going to apply different loads (from no load to 11A) to a particular connector on the power supplies (the PCI-e six pin seems like a good choice), and then use a DMM (digital multi-meter) to measure the voltages.
The voltages will be measured at four different points when testing the modular power supplies. First, the voltage will be measured at the point where the wire from the power supply's main circuit board (main PCB) meets the modular interfaces circuit board (modular PCB.) Second, voltages will be measured at the modular connector, where one would plug the modular cable into the power supply. Third, voltages will be measured at the connector and the load. Fourth and finally, voltage will be measured at the load itself, at the very end of the connector where you would have your motherboard, peripheral, video card, etc. plugged in.
The standard, non-modular power supplies will have their voltages measured at three points. The main PCB, the connector at the load and at the load.
The first thing I want to do is show you my DMM. A good DMM is important for any computer technician. And once you have a good DMM, you'll find yourself using it for everything! Automotive, household, etc.
Mine is a Uni-Trend UT204. I bought it when I was over in Taiwan. It's very accurate at 0.8% and has an excellent resolution (measures as low as 0.1mV).
Since I'm going to need two places to the left of the decimal point, my readings are only going to be 10mV accurate (.01V.)

Source : Motherboards.org

ECS launches first Socket AM3 motherboard

By Hilbert Hagedoorn, December 24, 2008 - 4:54 AM

ECS today releases their A790GXM-AD3 motherboard, which is Socket AM3 ready, and thus 45nm Phenom II + DDR3 memory ready.
ECS today releases the A790GXM-AD3 Black Series motherboard disclosing the extraordinary gaming performance of AMD’s latest Dragon platform. Supporting the latest AMD Phenom™ II processors, ATI CrossFireX™ technology, and the dual channel DDR3 memory architecture, ECS A790GXM-AD3 unleashes the full potential of hardware components that gamers are always eager for. With its upscale capability, the A790GXM-AD3 motherboard brings a spectacular gaming platform delivering the irrefutable performance to satisfy the gaming desire of extreme gamers.
Inheriting the advantages of AMD 790GX chipset, the A790GXM-AD3 Black Series motherboard incorporates the support for the latest 45nm AMD Phenom™ II processors to deliver the next generation computing capabilities. In addition, ECS A790GXM-AD3 comes with the feature of dual channel memory architecture that supports DDR3 1333MHz memory up to the capacity of 32GB which is capable to provide faster data throughput for memory-intensive applications. To meet hardcore overclockers’ requirements, the latest exclusive BIOS utility, M.I.B. II, is included to provide various detailed tweaking options. Paired with AMD SB750 south bridge controller supporting the function of ACC (Advanced Clock Calibration), ECS A790GXM-AD3 allows users to push the overall system performance to another higher scale. As the key factors that eventually decide the stability while overclocking, the 5 phase power design

Sopurce : www.guru3d.com

Asrock ALIVENF6P-VSTA Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

Memory Type: DDR2, DIMM - Graphics Card Interface: PCI, PCI Express, PCI Express x1, PCI Express x16

SpecificationMfr Part Number: ALIVENF6P-VSTA CPU: Socket AM2 Support AMD Phenom X4 / X2, Athlon 64FX / 64X2 / X2 / 64 and Sempron processors; AMD LIVE! Ready; Supports Untied Overclocking Technology; Supports Hyper-Transport Technology; FSB 1000MHz (2.0 GT/s) Chipset: nVidia GeForce 6150SE & nForce 430 Memory: 2x 240pin DDR2-800/667/533 DIMMs, Dual Channel, Non-ECC Un-buffered, Max Capacity 4GB Slots: 1x PCI-Express x16 Slot; 1x PCI-Express x1 Slot; 2x PCI Slots IDE/SATA: 1x ATA-133 Channel; 4x SATA2 Ports, Support RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5, JBOD Audio: High Definition Audio Video: Integrated nVidia GeForce6-class graphics, DX9.0 VGA, Pixel Shader 3.0, Max Shared Memory 256MB LAN: Realtek RTL8201CL 10/100Mbps Ethernet Controller Ports: 10x USB 2.0 Ports (4 rear, 6 by headers); 2x PS/2 Ports; 1x Serial Header; 1x Parallel Port; 1x VGA Port; 1x HDMI_SPDIF Header; 1x RJ45 LAN Port; 1x WiFi/E Header Power Connector: 1x 24pin Main Power; 1x 4pin CPU Power Form Factor: Micro ATX, 9.6 x 7.7 inch / 24.4 x 19.6 cm Package: Retail

Part #: ALiveNF6P-VSTA
Sellers Found: 4
Available Since: Feb 13, 2008
Lowest Price: $44.95

Source : motherboards.nextag.com