TheTechLounge - Recent Articles: Hardware: Motherboards

Gigabyte GA-P31-DS3L Motherboard

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:32:23 -0500

Gigabyte is a solid company. They're at the top of my list, it would seem, so picking a current-generation entry-level motherboard without integrated graphics narrows things down to about half a dozen options, with the GA-P31-DS3L at the front. But is that really enough to base a decision on? Well, if you're reading this, then Jesus, of course not. Here's what to expect: OK performance, dull layout, and Ultra Durability! After a trip to the bench, this board indeed gets a nod for being better than the other P31 motherboards. Here's what that means.

ASUS P5K-E WiFi-AP Motherboard

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:30:57 -0600

You wouldn't know by looking, but Intel's a little new at the chipset business. It's not that they haven't been doing it for decades, but just that they've never made a business out of it. Until recently. Intel's 975X did well; i965 blew doors off hinges. And, though it's a little long in the technospheric tooth, i965's footprint is almost too big to fill. Without presuming that its successor, P35, is shiny and better, I've tested what looks like a crowd-pleaser: Asus' P5K-E WiFi-AP. For less than $150, it's priced right where everyone can reach it, and comes with the right amount of flash to nab attention from the rest.

Gigabyte GA-MA69GM-S2H AMD Motherboard

Mon, 3 Dec 2007 14:46:53 -0600

AMD's 690 chipset doesn't stop turning heads. The way it was introduced, as a low-priced alternative to Intel, with budget trim and no enthusiast options, belittled its raucous performance. It looked like a stopgap, especially since AMD had little to do with its design and released it as a last foray before the new AMD could re-group. It's not likely that even ATI expected the chipset to be the thin edge of the wedge. 690's ripples keep on growing. As it turns out, people seem to like motherboards with complete multimedia support, great onboard graphics, insignificant power envelopes, unparalleled performance, and low prices. Gigabyte's GA-MA69GM-S2H is the best example of a 690G motherboard to-date. This motherboard is going to win an Editor's Choice award. And that's a tough one to get. Everything has to work just right: The device needs to be designed and constructed well, with options that defy predictions, the best layout, and the vaulted ability to please everyone, even enthusiasts.

MSI K9AGM2-FIH AMD Motherboard

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:47:55 -0600

The K9AGM2-FIH is still a decent-performing, good-looking motherboard, but, in the end, it breaks no ground and makes mistakes that cause its mundanity. It serves as an example for what not to do by a company that has so often done things better than the rest.

Onboard Video Acceleration: ATi Vs. Intel Vs. nVidia

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 07:10:03 -0500

Every major chipset manufacturer has chipsets with onboard video. Since ATi's added Avivo to their motherboards, the pot has been stirred. So the question begs asking... of Intel, NVIDIA and ATI, whose chipset delivers the best video acceleration performance?

AMD 690 Chipset

Thu, 1 Mar 2007 12:04:55 -0600

AMD has officially announced their first in-house chipset, RS690. In the form of 690V, we take an ASUS board for a spin against the long-standing nVidia competition: MCP61. Can the new chipset hold its own, or is it destined for relative obscurity?

BFG nForce 4 Ultra Motherboard

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 11:58:00 -0600

Wouldn't it be nice to buy a BFG motherboard to go along with that BFG video card? But BFG doesn't make motherboards, do they? Why yes, they do! BFG sells a single motherboard model based on the NVIDIA nForce 4 Ultra series chipset. This single model thing is certainly odd for a company that lists so many different video card options on their product list, but hey, it's their first shot at this, so give "�em a break. This board is perfect for BFG to cut its teeth on and get a foot in the door of the motherboard market.

ATI Crossfire Xpress 3200 (RD580) Technology Preview

Wed, 1 Mar 2006 03:56:15 -0600

Today we will be talking about ATI's Crossfire Xpress 3200 (RD580) chipset. In the most basic terms, it's a dual x16 solution "� but it's much more than RD480 with dual x16 PCIe. RD580 was designed from the ground up and promises to bring real performance benefits through the use of "true"� dual x16 PCIe slots. ATI is also boasting superior overclockability, in terms of both headroom and tweakability.

ECS KN1 SLI Extreme Motherboard

Tue, 7 Feb 2006 01:50:26 -0600

ECS' newest mainstream venture is their "�Extreme' line of motherboards that sport all the features you would expect from a top-of-the-line gaming system. The board I will be covering today is the KN1 SLI Extreme and, as the name would suggest, it is a SLI capable board with the nForce 4 Ultra SLI chipset and a few unique features not found on other boards. But is it EXTREME?

VIA’s New Chipsets: PT880, PT894, PT894 Pro

Mon, 31 Jan 2005 11:55:40 -0600

The chipsets that make up the PT series represent the first real alternatives to Intel's chipsets for the Pentium 4 platform and aim to ease the transition to PCI-Express and DDR-II. VIA's new PT chipsets include the PT880 Pro, the PT894 and the PT894 Pro.

Chaintech SUMMIT SKT600 Motherboard

Thu, 29 Jul 2004 12:35:23 -0500

Are you one of those people who choose the plain black coffee over the double-shot-grande-latte-skim-no-whip? Would you rather drive the dependable Accord over some flashy hot-rod? If your practicality also extends to the realm of motherboards, then the Chaintech SKT600 may just be the right board for you.

DFI LanParty NForce II Ultra Revision B

Fri, 23 Jul 2004 00:11:30 -0500

DFI wowed us with the LanParty NFII Ultra and now they have released an updated version. Read along for the full report on the good, the bad and the truly ugly as we see how this latest incarnation of one of our favorite boards performs. LAN and tech support problems updated July 31, 2004.

ABIT IC7 MAX3 (875P)

Tue, 22 Jun 2004 13:53:58 -0500

Lately Abit seems to be stepping things up a bit. They are producing some very high-end motherboards targeting the overclocking and gamer crowd. One such board is the IC7-Max3 that I have with me to look at today.

Albatron PX865PE Lite Pro i848P

Fri, 14 May 2004 16:12:31 -0500

The Albatron PX865PE Lite Pro is a low cost Pentium4 platform. Yet, at the same time it boasts robust overclocking functionality. Can this board play with the big dogs that cost twice as much?

DFI LanParty Pro 875 Revision B

Mon, 10 May 2004 23:46:14 -0500

The LanParty PRO875B packs the power of the Intel 875P chipset with "�Performance Enhancement Technology' and dual channel DDR. Does the PRO875B's performance live up to its appearance or does it simply sputter like an overpowered weed-eater?