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Motherboards

Rampage III Formula Intel X58, ROG performance without breaking the bank?

Subject: Motherboards | April 22, 2011 - 06:38 PM |
Tagged:

At a mere $299 the Rampage III Formula Intel X58 board is actually a mid-range ROG part, the Extreme version will run you an extra $80.  The question that Think Computers wanted to answer is simple, is there anything on the Formula that makes it worth the extra dough compared to a non-ROG board?  By the time they were finished with the board they were sold on it.

TC_rampageIII.jpg

"ASUS’s top tier line of products is the Republic of Gamers line of products otherwise known as ROG. If you are purchasing an ROG product you know you are getting the best of the best and something that is going to last you a long time. With any line it is broken up into segments, Extreme being the highest, Formula being in the middle and Gene at the lower end. Today we will be taking a look at the Rampage III Formula board and from the name we know it sits in the middle. This is an Intel X58 board that has many of the features of its more expensive brother the Rampage III Extreme for a more reasonable price. Let’s take a look and see if this board is perfect for your next build!"

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

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Source: Think Computers

Trimming the fluff and leaving the functional; the MSI 890FXA-GD65

Subject: Motherboards | April 15, 2011 - 03:14 PM |
Tagged: SB850, msi, amd, am3, 890fx

[H]ard|OCP offers a second opinion on the Socket AM3 motherboard that Josh enjoyed so much, the MSI 890FXA-GD65.  This board differs significantly from other economy class motherboards because MSI redesigned it from the ground up instead of just cutting off pieces from a more expensive model.   

Drop by for a look at [H]'s testing results.

H_msi_890fxagd65.jpg

"With LGA1155 boards being all the rage, it’s easy to forget about those who are using the AM3 platform. We rectify that by taking a long [H]ard look at the MSI 890FXA-GD65. A simple and very basic design that makes up for its lack of features in many ways. For around $130 it may be just what the OC Genie ordered."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Intel rolls their own X58 motherboard

Subject: Motherboards | April 1, 2011 - 02:33 PM |
Tagged:

If you are shopping for an Intel branded board; not an Intel based board but a board actually branded as Intel, then you are likely shopping for parts for a new server.  Skulltrail is an example of a board branded as Intel that did gain some attention from the enthusiast segment, but that was quite a while ago.  New to the market is the Intel DX58SO2 LGA 1366 X58 and it underwent some tough scrutiny at [H]ard|OCP.  There were issues and disappointments but in the end they concluded "

Source: [H]ard|OCP

A last grasp at the perfect MSI 890FX board

Subject: Motherboards | March 24, 2011 - 01:08 PM |
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The new MSI 890FXA-GD65 represents perhaps the last of the AM3 boards from MSI and so they did a good job of ensuring the motherboard takes advantage of the newest features.  They've included their Military Class II ICs and capacitors, eight USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports at the rear and support for up to six SATA 6Gb/s devices as well as overclocking friendly placement of the DIMM slots and an extra PCIe 6 pin power connector.  They did trim some extras, IDE connectors, front panel USB 3.0, Bluetooth and the OC dial were removed which keeps the price reasonable but doesn't sacrifice any important features.  Check out Hi Tech Legion's review here.

"The MSI 890FXA-GD65 motherboard is a low cost option for value-minded enthusiasts. The 890FXA- GD65 is part of MSI’s gaming series of motherboards, featuring Military Class II high quality components and high overclockability. The MSI 890FXA-GD65 supports all the latest AM3 processors and has two PCIE x16 slots for AMD CrossFireX. Despite being a budget 890FX board, the MSI 890FXA-GD65 is rife with connectivity options, with eight USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports at the rear and support for up to six SATA 6Gb/s devices."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

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Source: Hi Tech Legion

Low priced 880G/SB850 motherboards

Subject: Motherboards | March 17, 2011 - 12:14 PM |
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Well, we might still be anxiously awaiting Socket AM3+ boards to arrive, anyone looking for a minor upgrade to their AMD system is probably looking to 880 chipset motherboard prices falling.  Hardware Canucks have two possibilities for you, the M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 and the M4A88TD-M/USB3 both around $100 and offering some nice new features, obviously including USB 3.   Drop by Hardware Canucks for a look.

"AMD has made it a point of marketing to concentrate upon adding value to certain price segments and their supporting motherboard manufacturers have really caught on. Today we will be taking a look at two products which take this mantra to heart: the sub-$110 ASUS M4A88TD-M/USB3 and M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3. Both use the 880G/SB850 chipset combination and are looking to offer consumers a broad range of features for a budget friendly price."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

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Source: Hardware Canucks

ASUS P8P67 Deluxe, for advanced and basic overclockers both

Subject: Motherboards | March 9, 2011 - 03:33 PM |
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Now that the channel is once again receiving SandyBridge boards, [H]ard|OCP took the opportunity to release their review of the ASUS P8P67 Deluxe.  As the name implies this is not a barebones motherboard, the Deluxe sports everything from Bluetooth support, UEFI, USB 3.0, SATA 6G as far as hardware goes, to a long list of ASUS features to improve your experience.  It came away with a Silver Award, partly due to the solidity of the overclocking software for those who do not want to do it manually.

"ASUS has a ton of P8P67 variants. Some are light on features, some aren’t. The P8P67 Deluxe is certainly anything but light on features but how does it perform? How does it stack up in the sea of recent P67 Express based boards?"

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

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Source: [H]ard|OCP

ASUS Launches Updated P67/H67 B3 Revision Motherboards

Subject: Motherboards | March 7, 2011 - 02:49 PM |
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Fremont, CA (March 7, 2011) - ASUS is excited to announce availability of its highly acclaimed and award winning series of P67 and H67 B3 revision motherboards that have garnered critical praise from technical media outlets, industry veterans and users alike. Since the launch of Intel’s 2nd Generation Core (Sandy Bridge) Processors, ASUS has led the industry in performance, reliability, ensured functionality and superior features with its supporting motherboards. This impressive track record continues with the B3 revision motherboards that features Intel’s latest update to its 6 Series (Cougar Point) chipset. Besides the B3 revision update, ASUS provides the latest in digital power design and delivery with its DIGI+VRM design, the latest UEFI design with advanced support for new hardware features, industry leading I/O connectivity options, and superior monitoring and user control capabilities in the new AI Suite II software package.

ASUS Dual Intelligent Processors 2 with DIGI+VRM - Setting a new standard of digital power design and power delivery
Consumers and technology media have welcomed the latest innovations in ASUS’ P67-based motherboards since their launch, and B3 revision models are set to continue this trend. One of the biggest attractions has been the second-generation Dual Intelligent Processors 2 architecture with ASUS’ exclusive DIGI+ VRM power delivery system. This exclusive ASUS architecture offers revolutionary digital CPU voltage regulation for improved reliability, stability and performance not available with yesterday’s analog technology.

These new motherboards also feature Dual Intelligent Processors 2 technology, which consists of twin embedded co-processors that ensure optimized energy consumption and enhanced performance controls not available in other motherboards. Consisting of the Energy Processing Unit (EPU) and TurboV Processing Unit (TPU), this unique technology delivers a potent combination of streamlined system-wide energy consumption and enhanced PC performance.

The DIGI+ VRM design sets a new standard in digital power management. DIGI+ VRM replaces analog voltage regulator module (VRM) controllers with a digital programmable microprocessor that fully integrates Intel’s VRD 12 CPU power delivery system to eliminate digital-analog conversion used on competing P67 motherboards with outdated analog power delivery systems. Since it is designed with 2nd generation Intel® Core™ processors in mind, DIGI+ VRM improves PC performance from the ground up, increasing overclocking capabilities while improving power efficiency, system stability and reliability.

AiSuite II with DIGI+ VRM Controls – Putting easy to use yet advanced hardware level controls and monitoring into users hands
The Digi+ VRM provides leading performance in regards to power delivery, transient response, temperature and flexibility for adjustment. This gives users an unprecedented amount of control over the fine-tuning of their PC. Overclocking is simple, easy and stable with the dynamic real-time Auto Tune overclock mode in AiSuite II. Enthusiasts can fine tune their systems using advanced controls in AiSuite II that include five fine-tuning modes offering increased precision for loadline, CPU current, VRM frequency, power-phase and duty control settings. Enhanced digital controls allow users to make extremely precise adjustments for increased efficiency and overclocking potential compared to analog solutions. The degree of flexibility and reliability offered by AiSuite II gives users access to a new standard of control and monitoring and ensures ASUS P8P67 series motherboards are the ideal platform for the 2nd generation Intel® Core™ processors.

UEFI Bios Replacement - User-friendly, intuitive graphic interface
The exclusive ASUS UEFI BIOS provides users with an industry leading intuitive graphical interface for control over both basic and advanced BIOS settings with mouse or keyboard input. Changing system settings becomes more accessible and much easier than with traditional text-based BIOS versions, as consumers can choose between different levels of tuning, from EZ Mode for basic settings, monitoring and boot device selection to advanced mode all for extensive adjustment and customization of performance board level parameters.

Industry leading I/O Connectivity – BT GO! Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and Intel LAN
BT GO! is another ASUS exclusive feature, combining seven Bluetooth modes in one easy to use interface within the award winning AiSuite II. With consumers operating more and more wireless devices, especially smart phones and tablets that require seamless integration via their PC’s, ASUS has crafted BT GO! to meet this demand right on the motherboard; no additional adapters required. BT GO! is a hardware based Bluetooth 2.1+EDR controller that offers advanced functionality within AiSuite II like BT Net (internet sharing), Music Player/Streaming, Folder/Contact Sync and also offers general peripheral connectivity for mice, keyboards or headsets speakers. In addition to BT GO!, USB3 and additional SATA6G ports ASUS is also implements the native Intel Gigabit Ethernet controller on select P8P67 Series of motherboards. The Intel controller distinguishes itself with superior throughput, large packet performance and reduces CPU utilization; lastly its software support for varied applications and environments is unmatched within the industry. These implementations continue to show why ASUS is at the forefront of the industry in providing leading I/O connectivity options on its motherboard.

Source: ASUS

A non-mobile Zacate for the HTPC fan

Subject: Motherboards | March 2, 2011 - 12:19 PM |
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Ryan investigated MSI's E350IA-E45 AMD Brazos Fusion APU Platform, one of the first non-mobile implementations of the Zacate platform.  Outputs on the mini-ITX board include 8-channel audio with optical and coaxial connections, VGA and HDMI which supports streaming uncompressed audio to a high-end receiver, a single Gigabit NIC (no inbuilt wireless), a single PS2 port, six USB 2.0 ports and two USB 3.0 ports.  It also sports a cooling fan that was Ryan's favourite part of the whole system. 

Check out the full review.

 

"The MSI E350IA-E45 mini-ITX Fusion APU motherboard is our first experience with a desktop form factor iteration of AMD's latest CPU technology and we came away very impressed by the implementation. The board is low cost yet offers features that will prevent your system from being outdated quickly like support for SATA 6.0 Gb/s storage and USB 3.0 devices. With relatively low power consumption and performance that beats the best that Intel's Atom can throw at it, the MSI E350IA-E45 is a fantastic option for consumer looking for a mini-ITX system."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

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Source: PC Perspective

The ECS HDC-I AMD Fusion Mini-ITX Solution

Subject: Motherboards | February 23, 2011 - 09:52 PM |
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Taipei, Taiwan, Feb. 18th, 2011- Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) releases the latest motherboard HDC-I with built-in the newest AMD E-350 dual-core APU and E-240 single-core APU powered by AMD Hudson M-1 chipset; also, E-350/E-240 APU combining the RadeonTM HD6310 graphics inside enable users to experience more breathtaking home theater moment with less power consumed which would only be under 22watts (TDP). ECS HDC-I uses all solid capacitor for better quality and longer durability.

Source: ECS

ECS bring Lucid's Hydra and SandyBridge together

Subject: Motherboards | February 22, 2011 - 06:47 PM |
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Steve had a chance to review the ECS P67H2-A which features Lucid Hydra Core Technology allowing multiple GPUs from different vendors to work together.  It will also allow those SandyBridge board with onboard graphics to have the best of both worlds by combining the on chip GPU and a discreet GPU and letting both do what they do best.  It will come at a premium compared to other P67 boards but you will get your money's worth as you will see when you read the full review.

Source: PC Perspective

AMD's Fusion arrives

Subject: Motherboards | February 15, 2011 - 03:08 PM |
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Over at SPCR you can get a look at the Asus E35M1-M Pro and it's permanently attached E-350 APU, a dual core 1.6 GHz CPU with a Radeon HD 6310 GPU and a UEFI BIOS.  Priced to compete with Atom and Nano systems it is tested to see how it performs in a variety of tasks, the most important of which are the video playback tests.  From the tests we see that Zacate
is not really going to change the face of HTPCs as it performs on par with ION but strug

Source: Silent PC Review

Sick of SandyBridge? Don't forget X58s like the Sapphire PURE Black X58

Subject: Motherboards | February 10, 2011 - 05:16 PM |
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Even if you could buy a P67 or H67 board, they are not the high performance versions of the new chipset, that hasn't arrived yet.  In the meantime, don't forget about the feature rich X58 board for the powerful LGA1366 chips still available.   Sapphire has just released a new model to the market which Modders-Inc had a chance to review.  It is well laid out, beautifully designed and sports a lot of features ... except SLI support strangely.

Source: Modders-Inc

How to contact ASUS about the P67 series chipset recall

Subject: Motherboards | February 8, 2011 - 11:23 AM |
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ASUS has finalized initial internal discussions outlining our strategy and process to fully support our customers for the replacement or refund of products containing the affected Intel 6 Series support chipset. In addition, we have created a dedicated website that outlines our response, describes options for the return or refund of products and a workaround solution for current owners of these products.

Source: ASUS

Intel Provides Update on Support Chip Design Issue

Subject: Motherboards | February 7, 2011 - 04:58 PM |
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SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 7, 2011 – On January 31, 2011, Intel disclosed a design issue with a support chip, the Intel 6 Series Chipset that has the potential to impact certain PC system configurations. Intel subsequently initiated extensive discussions with computer makers about this topic. Both Intel and its customers are focused on delivering the highest quality PC systems based on Intel 2nd Generation Core Processors.

Source: Intel Press Room

MSI North America Responds to Intel 6 Series Chipset Issue With Replacement or Upgrades for Affected

Subject: Motherboards | February 3, 2011 - 06:32 PM |
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CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. – Feb. 3, 2011 – MSI Computer Corp., a
leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions,
today announced that it has stopped shipments in North America of
Sandy Bridge products following Intel’s announcement of a design issue
in the recently released Intel® 6 Series chipset.

Source: MSI

GIGABYTE retrieve announcement for Intel 6-series B2 stepping based motherboards

Subject: Motherboards | February 3, 2011 - 03:21 PM |
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GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY has received an official announcement from Intel
indicating the Intel 6-Series chipset design error and has implemented
a silicon fix. Please see this link for more information:

As the No.1 motherboard manufacturer, GIGABYTE will make its best
effort to recall boards that were built on the mentioned chipsets from
our distributors with minimum disruptions.

Source: GIGABYTE Technology

The sub-$200 P67's are here, ASUS vs Gigabyte

Subject: Motherboards | January 27, 2011 - 04:11 PM |
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AnandTech has found two SandyBridge boards for under $200, the ASUS P8P67 Pro and the Gigabyte P67A-UD4.  The ASUS board sports an implementation of UEFI while the Gigabyte uses a modified BIOS to handle large capacity drives.  The ASUS board also packs on overclocking features and a USB 3.0 bracket, making the

Source: AnandTech

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