Review Albatron K8SLI Mainboard

Sigmund Freud would most certainly call Albatron’s outer packaging, manly. Sporting a double barreled tank on a forest camo pattern, Albatron’s marketing people have come up with some truly unique eye grabbing appeal. Within the packaging we find our Albatron K8SLI board and a fairly light complement of extras. These include a user manual and quick reference installation guide, SLI bridge, Backup BIOS Module, one SATA cable, a SATA power adapter, IDE ribbon cables, I/O adapter plate and driver CD. Not that I was expecting a fat game bundle but while the essentials are most certainly included, the overall extra goodies seem slim.

The Board

As noted earlier, the Albatron K8SLI is a very compact board. This compactness doesn’t make much difference in the realm of practicality but it does make for a cleaner, neater appearance. The first thing you will notice on K8SLI, are the four DIMM slots positioned at the top of the board. This placement allows for a more narrow overall product. Each DIMM is capable of handling up to a gig stick of memory per slot as well as supporting dual channel. Just atop the DIMMS, is the FDD connector. I’ve seen some weird placement of mainboard components before but this one nearly tops the list. I don’t see this as a negative aspect of the K8SLI, as floppy drives are all but dead, hence my styling it ‘weird’ but still acceptable.

The processor socket is centrally placed as you would expect. A row of capacitors lines its edge on the I/O side. These capacitors don’t look to be any hindrance to the installation of an aftermarket cooler. In our testing we found no clearance issues with the few aftermarket AMD coolers we had on the shelf.

Along the right edge of the board we find all our cable connection points positioned admirably. As many of you know, I’m big about keeping cable clutter to an absolute minimum. Cable connections along the edge of a board is the best way to keep things as neat and clean as possible. Starting at the top edge moving down, we find the 24-pin ATX power connector, two IDE channels, four SATA posts and the front panel connectors at the very bottom. Positioning of the two internal USB connections just forward of the SATA posts shows a conscious effort on the part of Albatron for neat cable placement.

Motherboard > GIGABYTE GA-8SIMLH S.478 DDR

Features:
1. Socket 478 for Intel® new 0.13 micron-process Pentium® 4 processor
2. Supports FSB 533/400 MHz
3. Features integrated real 256bit graphics engine
4. Supports high performance DDR333 memory
5. Provides 6 high speed USB2.0 ports
6. Supports Ultra ATA 133/100 IDE devices
7. Integrated Ethernet 10/100Mb Network Connection
8. Integrated AC97 audio

CPU

1. Socket 478 for Intel® Pentium® 4 processor
2. Supports Hyper Threading Technology (version 3.0)

Chipset

1. North bridge: SiS651 IGUI Host Memory Controller
2. South bridge: SiS962L MuTIOL® Media I/O
3. REALTEK RTL8100L LAN chip
4. Super I/O: Winbond 83697HF

Front Side Bus

1. 533/400 MHz
Memory

1. Type: DDR333(PC2700)/DDR266(PC2100) - 184pin
2. Max capacity: Up to 2GB by 2 DIMM slots

Internal I/O Connectors

1. 2 x UDMA ATA 133/100/66 Bus Master IDE ports
2. 2 x USB2.0 connectors (4 ports by cable)
3. 1 x FDD port

Expansion Slots

1. 1 x AGP slot (4x/2x-AGP 2.0 compliant)
2. 3 x PCI slots (PCI 2.2 compliant)

Back Panel Connectors

1. 1 x VGA port
2. 2 x USB 2.0 ports
3. 1 x RJ45 LAN port
4. PS/2 Keyboard / Mouse
5. Audio (1 x Line-in / 1 x Line-out / 1 x Mic) connector
6. 1 x COM port
7. 1 x Game/Midi port

CPU/AGP/DIMM setting

1. CPU FSB adjustable (1MHz-linear) via BIOS
2. Multiplier adjustable via BIOS

Form Factor

1. Micro-ATX form factor, 4 layers PCB (24.4 x 21.1 cm)

H/W Monitoring

1. System health status auto-detect and report by BIOS
2. Hardware detecting and reporting for Case open and CPU and System fan speed

BIOS

1. 2M bit flash ROM, enhanced ACPI feature for PC98/Win98/Win2000/Me/CE/XP compliance, Green, PnP, DMI, INT13 (>8.4GB) and Anti-Virus functions
2. IDE#1~#2, SCSI, LS120, ZIP and CD-ROM bootable

Other Features

1. Suspend to RAM (STR)
2. Supports USB KB / MS wake up from S3
3. Poly fuse for keyboard over-current protection

Bundle Software

1. @BIOSâ„¢, Easy Tuneâ„¢ 4, Q-Flashâ„¢, GMCâ„¢
2. Norton Internet Security
3. GIGABYTE Windows Utility Manager

Driver

1. SiS 651 VGA driver
2. REALTEK LAN driver
3. SiS 7012 Audio Driver (version 2.0)
4. REALTEK Sound Driver (version 2.1 and after)

Motherboard > Gigabyte Micro ATX Motherboards Socket 370 GA-6IEML

1. Socket 370 for Intel and other compatible processors
2. 66/100/133 MHz FSB
3. AUTO detect CPU voltage
1. Intel 815E AGPset
2. iTE IT8712F-A I/O and health chip
3. Realtek ALC201A AC97 codec
4. Intel 82562ET LAN chip
1. 2 x Ultra DMA 33/66/100 IDE ports on board
2. 1 x FDD, 2 x COM (1 by cable), 1 x LPT, PS/2 Keyboard, PS/2 Mouse on board
3. 1 x VGA (DB15), 1 x Joystick, 1 x Line-in, 1 x Line-out, 1 x MIC on board
4. 4 x USB ports (2 front by optional cable and 2 rear by on-board connector)
5. IrDA header, front audio header, SPDIF header and SCR header
6. RJ45 LAN port

Motherboard > Gigabyte GA-945GCM-S2C

Specification
Gigabyte GA-945GCM-S2C
Model
Gigabyte GA-945GCM-S2C
Socket
Socket 775 Motherboard
CPU
Support for an Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme processor/ Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor/Intel® Pentium® D processor/ Intel® Pentium® 4 processor/ Intel® Celeron® processor in the LGA 775 package (Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest CPU support list.) Support for Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology L2 cache varies with CPU
Chipset
North Bridge: Intel® 945GC Express Chipset South Bridge: Intel® ICH7
Memory
2 x 1.8V DDR2 DIMM sockets supporting up to 2 GB of system memory
Dual channel memory architecture
Support for DDR2 667/533/400 MHz memory modules

FSB
(1333)/1066/800/533 MHz FSB
Bios
1 x 4 Mbit flash
Use of licensed AWARD BIOS
PnP 1.0a, DMI 2.0, SM BIOS 2.3, ACPI 1.0b
Back Panel I/O Ports
1 x PS/2 Keyboard
1 x PS/2 Mouse
1 x parallel port
1 x D-Sub
1 x serial port
1 x RJ-45 LAN Connector
4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
3 x audio jacks (Line In/Line Out/Microphone)
Internal I/O Connectors
1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector
1 x 4-pin ATX 12V power connector
1 x floppy disk drive connector
1 x IDE connector
4 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors
1 x CPU fan header
1 x system fan header
1 x front panel header
1 x front panel audio header
1 x CD In connector
1 x S/PDIF Out header
2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
1 x chassis intrusion header
1 x power LED header
I/O Controller
iTE IT8718 chip
Expansion Slots
1 x PCI-E X16
1 x PCI-E X1
2 x PCI
Storage
South Bridge
1 x IDE connector supporting ATA-100/66/33 and up to 2 IDE devices 4 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors supporting up to 4 SATA 3Gb/s devices
LAN
RTL 8101E chip (10/100 Mbit)
Audio
Realtek ALC662 codec
High Definition Audio
2/4/5.1-channel
Support for S/PDIF Out
Support for CD In
Onboard Video
Integrated in the North Bridge
USB
Integrated in the South Bridge
Up to 8 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (4 on the back panel, 4 via the USB brackets connected to the internal USB headers)
Unique Features
Support for @BIOS
Support for Download Center
Support for Q-Flash
Support for EasyTune
Support for Xpress Install
Support for Xpress Recovery2
Support for Virtual Dual BIOS
Bundle Software
Norton Internet Security (OEM version)
Micro ATX Motherboard Form Factor
24.4cm x 19.3cm

Core 2 Extreme, ATX, Max 8GB DDR2 Motherboard

The ASUS P5E series combines powerful performance with great energy efficiency. This Intel X38 chipset motherboard supports DDR2 8000MHz dual-channel memory architecture and Dual PCI Express 2.0 x16 lanes for doubled graphics speed and bandwidth. With the embedded ASUS EPU (Energy Processing Unit), the power supply is digitally monitored and fine-tuned with improved VR responses in heavy or light loadings. Working together with AI Gear 3, it automatically provides power for higher performance or saves energy when running low intensity applications – attaining the best possible power efficiency and energy savings to help save the environment.

AI Lifestyle Series motherboards bring lifestyle and personal computing together. They provide you better system performance to enjoy graphic-intensive games and applications. The cutting-edge audio feature dramatically enhances the quality of voice signal. Thoughtful design allows you to set up your system easily. To create a peaceful environment, several new and improved innovations are included to reduce noise and temperature. Don´t change your way of life for a computer. Instead let the ASUS Lifestyle Series improve the quality of your life.

GeForce 6100, Athlon 64 X2 Motherboard

M2N-MX SE Plus supports the latest AM2+ CPUs with better overclocking capabilities and less power consumption. It provides extremely high performances and shortened data access times by supporting for 2000 / 1600 MT/s HyperTransport Bus, dual-channel un-buffered DDR2 1066 memory support and AMD Cool ´n´ Quiet! Technology.
The NVIDIA GeForce 6100 GPU Northbridge supports Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0, NVIDIA PureVideo Technology with unprecedented integrated video quality, and PCI Express interface. The NVIDIA nForce 430 MCP delivers NVIDIA MediaShield storage management technology allowing easy RAID configuration (RAID 0, RAID 1) for Serial ATA 3Gb/s.

NForce570Ultra, Athlon64 X2 Smprn, 2000MHz, Max8GB Motherboard

AI Lifestyle Series motherboards bring lifestyle and personal computing together. They provide better system performance for graphics-intensive applications such as 3D games and deliver cutting-edge audio features that dramatically enhance the quality of voice signal. Thoughtful design further allows quick and easy system setup. To create a peaceful environment, several new and improved innovations are included to reduce noise and temperature. Don't change your way of life for a computer. Instead let the ASUS AI Lifestyle Series improve the quality of your life.

Process of replacing the motherboard

The process of replacing the motherboard began with removing the old motherboard. Now it's time to compare the old motherboard with the replacement motherboard to see how the physically match. I've pulled the I/O core shield out of the back of the case, and I've placed it on the I/O core of the old motherboard. You can see (if the flash isn't blinding you:-) that the old I/O core didn't have a game port or integrated sound, which the new motherboard supports. New motherboards should always ship with their own I/O shield, but with a second-hand replacement like we're using here, you have to make due. Fortunately, the old I/O shield has punch-outs in the proper locations.

Important motherboard connection

To make the most important motherboard connection first, and that's the power switch. It's normally labeled "PW SW" or "Power SW" and the motherboard will be labeled with "PW SW", "P-ON" "PW" or something similarly cryptic. You won't hurt anything if you attach the power switch to the wrong connector in the block, but you won't get the PC to turn on either. I went ahead and connected the rest of the front panel leads to the motherboard, but you really don't need to. Nobody uses reset switches or keyboard locks anymore, most motherboards have a built in piezoelectric speaker, and who cares about LED's.

A PROBLEM MOTHERBOARD

1. CLOCK that won't keep correct time. >>Be sure to check/change the battery.
2. CMOS that won't hold configuration information. >>Again, check/change the battery.
Note about batteries and CMOS: in theory, CMOS should retain configuration information even if the system battery is removed or dies. In practice, some systems rely on the battery to hold this information. On these systems, a machine that is not powered-up for a week or two may report improper BIOS configuration. To check this kind of system, change the battery, power-up and run the system for several hours. If the CMOS is working, the information should be retained with the system off for more than 24 hours.

Check motherboard manufacturers

If manufacturers combine the motherboard CPU and the PC motherboard, this can save you money. Most customers like the motherboard-CPU combo because it saves them money and time. Don't overlook sales on dual-core processor motherboards (computer motherboards industrial strength). Sometimes these can be a steal, especially since companies are always looking for faster processing speeds.
Look at individual motherboard manufacturers' websites for their PC motherboards. To become more familiar with motherboard manufacturers, look at AnandTech's website. AnandTech covers every motherboard you can think of. Find additional motherboard information at Tom's Hardware. They will have photos of the motherboard, and go into depth on each feature. They also will give you the pros and cons of motherboard bundles, such as: Is it smart to have audio and video integrated on the motherboard or is it better to purchase these items separately?

Choosing motherboard Guide

Choosing motherboard distributors requires sifting through their claims and services. Many claim to offer excellent customer service and technical support, but when problems arise, you need to be able to contact customer service or technical support easily. The distributor's ability to solve your problems is also crucial.
Try talking and dealing directly with motherboard manufacturers rather than distributors. High-quality motherboard manufacturers such as Asus and MSI want you to be their partners to increase their market share. In return, their assistance should help increase your profits. Go with a reputable motherboard manufacturer because it will strive to:
1. Produce reliable PC motherboards.
2. Hire qualified technical support personnel who can answer your motherboard questions.
3. Promote good sales on motherboard bundles.

Motherboard>EVGA nForce 780i SLI Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Processor 2.40GHz OEM

3-Way NVIDIA SLI Takes Extreme Gaming To A Whole New Level
Extreme gaming just got a whole lot better. Bring your competition to its knees with the powerful combination of an SLI-Ready NVIDIA nForce® motherboard and multiple GeForce® graphics cards. Now with support for three GeForce 8800 GTX or Ultra GPUs operating in 3-way SLI, you can crank up the image quality settings, maximize your resolution, and tilt the scales in your favor with up to a 2.8X performance hike over a single-card rig.

EVGA nforce 780i SLI Motherboard CPU Bundle
If you want to build a system that’s great for gaming, imaging, 3D, video, entertainment, photos and graphics then you’ll want to start with EVGA’s new nForce 780i SLI Socket 775 motherboard. Based on the NV IDIA nForce 780i SLI chipset, this powerhouse ATX platform is designed for Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Core 2 Quad, Intel Core 2 Duo, Pentium EE, and Pentium processors with up to 1333MHz FSB. The EVGA nForce 780 SLI supports up to 8GB of dual-channel DDR2 533/667/800/1200MHz SLI-ready memory, PCIe x16/x1, PCI 2.1, SATA2, RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5, & JBOD, 7.1-channel HD audio, Gigabit LAN, USB 2.0, and FireWire 1394A. Make no mistake about it – this is a high-powered, high-performance platform that will make your graphics come alive with scintillating realism. Gamers, video buffs, and extreme PC freaks are going to love this motherboard. For intelligent innovation, the logical choice is EVGA. Order the EVGA nForce 780i SLI Socket 775 motherboard today and be prepared to build a system that won’t just exceed your expectations, it will obliterate them!

Motherboard>Asus P5K3 Deluxe Intel Socket 775

Specifications
Form Factor: ATX
Processor Speed: Q6600 / 2.40GHz
Processor Interface: Socket 775
Processor Interface: Socket 775
Processors Supported: Intel 05A
Intel 05B
Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel 06B, Intel Core 2 Quad, Intel Celeron D 4XX, Intel Pentium Dual Core

Processor Class: Core 2 Quad
Additional Technologies: Vista Ready
CrossFire Ready
Intel Quad Core Ready, Intel Fast Memory Access, 45nm Multi-Core Support
Processor Core: Kentsfield
Front Side Bus: 800MHz
1066MHz
1333MHz (by Asus Technology)
Cache Size: 8MB L2
Bus Speed: 1066MHz
Additional Technologies: Enhanced Halt State
Intel® EM64T
Intel® Speedstep® Technology
Intel® Thermal Monitor 2
Quad-Core
Intel® Virtualization
Execute Disable Bit
Architecture: 65 nm
Wattage: 95W
Core Stepping: G0
Fan: Not Included
Northbridge: Intel P35
Southbridge: Intel ICH9R
Number of Slots: 4
Number of Pins: 240-Pin
Maximum Memory Supported: 8GB - 64bit
Memory Supported: Dual Channel Supported
800MHz DDR3
1066MHz DDR3
1333MHz DDR3
Channels: 8 Channels
Audio Chipset: Realtek ALC888B
Supported Devices: 2
Hard Drive Types: UDMA/133
UDMA/100
UDMA/66
USB Version: 2.0
USB Data Transfer Rates: 480Mbps
LAN Type: 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit
54Mbps Wireless
Port Type: Omni-Directional Antenna
2 x RJ-45
PCI Slots: 3
PCI Express X1 Slots: 2
PCI Express X4 Slots: 1
PCI Express X16 Slots: 1
PS/2 Keyboard Connectors: 1
USB Ports: 10
FireWire Ports: 1 - 1394a
LAN Ports: 2
Audio Out Jacks: 1
Line In Jacks: 1
Microphone Jacks: 1
Center Audio Jacks: 1
Subwoofer Audio Out Jacks: 1
CD-In Headers: 1
IDE Headers: 1
FDD Headers: 1
Serial ATA Headers: 6
2 - External
ATX Power Connectors: 1 24-Pin Connector
PC Power Connectors: 2 - 4 Pin
Fan Connectors: 1 x Power
1 x CPU
4 x Chassis
S/PDIF Connectors: 1 - Optical, 1 - Coaxial
Length: 12.000 in. (30.48 cm)
Width: 9.600 in. (24.5 cm)
Asus P5K3 Deluxe Intel Socket 775 Motherboard
The P5K3 series of motherboards provide four outstanding features for the user. The Deluxe version of the motherboard has built-in native DDR3 1333 support and is able to overclock with an ultra high frequency to achieve DDR3 1840. These ASUS motherboards still provide you with quiet thermal solutions - which contain the 8 phase power design, Stack Cool 2 and the Heat Pipe Design functions. They also come with the newest AI Gear 2 to save up to 50% of CPU power usage. Complementing all these features are ASUS´s innovative tools - AI Slot Detector; allowing the user to conveniently install the computer. The P5K3/P5K series decreases temperature, provides stable overclocking, lowers noise levels and saves the most electricity.
Socket
This motherboard features a Socket 775 design. The Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) style socket makes it easy to install and upgrade your processor.
Chipset
The P5K Deluxe motherboard is based on the Intel P35 Northbridge chipset and the Intel ICH9R Southbridge chipset. It supports Intel Core 2 Quad. Core 2 Extereme. Core 2 Duo, Pentium D , Pentium Extreme Edition and Pentium 4 LGA775 Processors, with 800/1066/1333MHz Front Side Bus support.
Memory Expansion
The P5K Deluxe provides 4 DIMM sockets using Dual Channel 240-pin DDR3 with a total capacity of up to 8GB-64bit. You can install DDR3 667/800/1066MHz Memory. (Tuned by ASUS Super Memspeed Technology, this motherboard natively supports up to DDR3 1066MHz)
PCI Express Support
The P5K Deluxe fully supports PCI Express, the latest I/O interconnect technology that speeds up the PCI bus. PCI Express features point-to-point serial interconnections between devices and allows higher clockspeeds by carrying data in packets. This high-speed interface is software compatible with existing PCI specifications.

Processor and the socket

Processor sockets are keyed to prevent improper installation. Notice in the picture on the right that both the processor and the socket have two corners without pins. This is to prevent the processor from being installed the wrong way. Modern processor sockets are of ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) design. If the processor is aligned properly with the socket, gravity alone should cause it to drop right in. You should never need to use force to insert a modern processor. Never, never, never.

Connect the ATX power connector To Motherboard

Connect the ATX power connector from the power supply to the motherboard. Do this now. If you forget about it and later fire up your computer while the ATX connector is not connected to anything, then you will fry your computer's power supply.

On Pentium 4 and most other high-powered computers, you will also have to connect the P4 connector to the motherboard. You may also have to connect power to some high-end video cards and certain other components.

Installing the Motherboard Standoffs

The standoffs are screwed or inserted into the chassis, and the mobo in turn is attached to the standoffs through the mounting holes in the motherboard. This creates a small space that prevents the back of the motherboard from shorting out against the metal case.

Don't be surprised if your motherboard has "extra" holes for which there are no corresponding holes in the case. This is normal. Very few cases and motherboards will match exactly. As long as you use all the mounting holes that do match, you'll be fine. (And there's no charge for the extra holes.)

Standoffs should NOT be inserted into any "extra" holes, however. Standoffs installed in holes on the case that have no corresponding holes in the motherboard can cause the motherboard to short out. And don't over-tighten them. Hand-tight plus a smidgen is enough.

Installing the motherboard

Before actually installing the motherboard, read the motherboard manual (it's that paper thing that came in the box) to make sure absolutely sure that it is compatible with the processor and RAM that you will be using and that the jumper settings, if any, are correct.

Most modern motherboards have a "jumper-free" option that can be selected (usually by setting a jumper, amusingly enough) that will allow you to control the motherboard settings from the keyboard during CMOS setup.

MSI P6N Diamond Motherboard

• 11.96 in. (L) x 9.61 in. (W); ATX
• 4 DIMMs w/ DDR2 800+ up to 8GB
• 4 PCI-E 16X (operating with dual modes: 8X + 8X + 16X + 8X or 16X + 16X + 8X); 1 PCI-E X1; 2 PCI; 10 USB
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme HD 7.1 CH Audio
• Dual Gb LAN; IEEE 1394, RAID (0, 1, 0+1& 5); SATAII; ATA133; eSATA RAID
• Live Update; Dual Corecell; MSI Dual CoreCenter; DOT

Motherboard for Intel Core 2 Quad

ECS G33T-M2 motherboard features the Intel® G33 and ICH9 chipsets, which deliver outstanding performance to support Intel latest Wolfdale, Yorkfield, Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo processors, and dual-channel DDR2 memory up to 800MHz. Additionally, within high definition audio and PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet, G33T-M2 enables enhanced audio performance and faster connecting experience. G33T-M2 supports Intel 45nm Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad processors.