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Summary

This is a summary review of the Gigabyte K8NXP-SLI motherboard.  For the full review, with all our detailed layout, features and performance analysis, click on to our Expert review pages. 

The Gigabyte K8NXP-SLI is the second motherboard we have reviewed based on the NVIDIA nForce4 SLI chipset.  This chipset is so far unique in that it offers support for use of two PCI Express GPUs.

The Gigabyte K8NXP-SLI Mainboard

The Gigabyte motherboard we are reviewing not only offers support for the new SLI technology from NVIDIA, but it also includes a lot of features that high end users would also be looking for.  There are a total of eight Serial ATA connectors, two IDE channels for up to 4 IDE devices with RAID across them all.  Gigabyte has included two Gigabit networking connections as well as an additional PCI wireless network card that supports 802.11b/g networks.  8-channel audio is supplied by a Realtek codec too.  Cables and headers are included to take advantage of all the features that Gigabyte has included so you won't have to search around for an extra SATA cable when you get that new OEM drive. 

A unique feature to Gigabyte is the inclusion of something call the DPS, or Dual Power System.  This device supposedly gives the motherboard support for a 6-phase power system; that means a more stable system for you.  If you are an overclocker, this is another benefit for you as well.

If you want more information on the layout of the board, or the features that are included with it, please read our full, detailed review of the motherboard as well. 

Now, let's have a look at a few benchmarks comparing the Gigabyte board to the previous SLI-based Asus motherboard we reviewed.

As you can see from these results, the Gigabyte motherboard performed very well, beating out the Asus A8N-SLI in the majority of our tests.  The performance gaps were small, however, so the performance alone is not a reason to chose one board over another at this point. 

I did have a couple of minor issues with the board that are more complex, so I'll save the space here and point you toward the full review for a discussion on those matters.  Overall though, I was very impressed with the motherboard and found that Gigabyte has done a great job getting another SLI option out to buyers on the verge of making their purchase.  For having outstanding performance, a terrific feature list and advanced BIOS optoins all enthusiasts would love, the Gigabyte K8NXP-SLI gets the PC Perspective Silver Award!

Click here for the Detailed Review