- NVIDIA GeForce 9400
- Core 2 Quad / Core 2 Extreme / Core 2 Duo
- DDR2 800
Couldn't Be Any Easier
02/16/2009
This review is from: GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9400 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Pros:
This has been the first time with me setting up an LGA 775 machine before, so it was a little different. The board layout was a little crowded, but quite clean and easy to work with, with an abundance of connections. Many things were easily labeled, including the front panel headers, which I've found on some boards to have no other indications except color markings.
The board appears perfect for a media center, complete with audio through the HDMI port (selected through the BIOS), however I don't use the built-in audio or video for my machine. The abundance of connections does make this board perfect for a first-time machine builder, however, especially with Intel's heatsink setup.
I use this machine as my main workhorse, including gaming, and it easily outperforms my old 939. Most microATX boards aren't too suited for this task, due to the clutter of components and heat buildup, but this board has kept quite cool under pressure.
Cons:
Not much I can say that're wrong, but there are definitely a couple things I would like if they were a little different. The board is a little cluttered, as I've said before. While all of the SATA connections are right next to each other, it can become a little difficult to connect cables when all of them are in use.
Depending on what goes in the bottom PCI slot, there's a possibility of blocking all of the bottom headers (USB, Floppy, and possibly 1394). Usually I do the wiring at the end once all of my components are in, but this time I had to pull a couple out in order to even connect. TV tuners especially may make accessing the headers difficult.
Other than that, not
Overall Review:
UPS, as always, is on the ball. Shipping was quite prompt, and I was able to get everything up and running the same day. The Windows 7 beta runs silky smooth as well, definitely up to par with XP.
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- Jason D.
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Verified Owner
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Owned For:
1 day to 1 week
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