GIGABYTE GA-M78SM-S2H AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 8200 HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

Pros: Works with Ubuntu Linux. Integrated HDMI works in Linux. Integrated audio works in Linux. Integrated Lan works in Linux. So, for a MYTH build this works very well.

Cons: Analog Audio contains a little bit of static.

Overall Review: I can't tell you how I got it working in Linux, according to the Product Review Guidelines, but if you are handy with troubleshooting you will be able to get it working well in Linux. Just remember it will take some work as this board is new.

Pros: Low power. HDMI Audio. Linux compatibility. VDPAU hardware video acceleration.

Cons: Had to update the version of alsa so that hdmi audio would work

Overall Review: With Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex and an updated alsa, everything is working great.

Pros: Good all in one board. Has rear panel Coaxial S/PDIF output (not optical as Newegg had documented). I have overclocked my 4600+ X2 windsor 3.0 and it runs under 50C at only 1.3V and stable. PowerDVD 7.3 works well. I could only achieve 1080p with BluRay's after overclocking. I have no visual artifacts or choppy video after overclocking.

Cons: The HDMI audio driver does not initialize properly when doing streaming movies or audio and causes nothing but static. I have contacted Gigabyte and they said they will provide a fix to the driver. If you want Analog 7.1 output you need to purchase a HD audio rear panel connector or run the cable from the front of the case.

Overall Review: Decent, but still needs better drivers for audio and video. Hopefully this will be addressed in the near future.

Pros: Features, speed, price, size.

Cons: Nvidia RAID a little problematic. I have a 500GBx2 RAID0 and the RAID BIOS doesn't recognize the RAID on a cold boot. I have to restart again to get the RAID back on line. It looks like it doesn't wait long enough for hard drives to spin up so it doesn't detect them in time and times out. I'll have to try this with some other drives but I don't have a pair handy, but it could be some issue with the HDs.

Overall Review: Very nice little mobo if it wasn't for the RAID problems. I use this with Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor 3.0GHz for HTPC build. I haven't try the HDMI since my TV doesn't have one, so I'm using DVI for now.

Pros: This Board was so easy to install, It doesn't matter if you are using xp home or pro, or even windows vista. Just make sure you do a fresh install. You will have no problems if you know what you are doing. I paired this board with OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 with an AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Brisbane 2.7GHz and a Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive and to power this unit I have an A-Power Pure Black 580W 20+4-pin ATX PSU w/SATA. This is my personal system for business.

Cons: None

Overall Review: I also built another computer using this same Gigabyte board for one of my clients. She is so excited and loves the way her new pc performs! I usually use MSI, But they have done me dirty in the past. One of their boards out of the many that I bought caught fire and they only wanted to replace the board, not the whole system. I wanted to try something different, and Gigabyte has earned my respect!

Pros: Lots of features, DVI + HDMI. 6 SATA ports, etc

Cons: Compatibility with linux. You need the latest distributions to get 100% working drivers. Ubuntu 8.04 worked 95% of the time, but had distorted audio. Ubuntu 8.10 beta works flawlessly.

Pros: Good solid Board from Gigabyte. medium settings for Oc'ing in bios. 400x2 clocked to 3.1 ghz with the stock HSF. Has On board HDMI and built in Geforce 8200 chipset

Cons: Onboard Video would make computer BSOD with Aero on. I turned settings on Vista to basic, the computer seemed fine. Then, tried to run 3d mark and BSOD'd again. Flashed bios, updated new Nvidia beta drivers and still no good. Evenutually led me to the local pc store for a seperate 8500gt. The machine runs like a dream now.

Overall Review: I'm sure it's a driver fix either Gigabyte or Nvidia will need to release to fix the BSOD problem. Once I put the seperate card in, the Machine is extremely stable again and I can feel the Gigabyte Quality I've come to love over the years. Client is happy with the build. Nice and zippy budget compy GA-M78SM-S2H, WD 320 hdd, 2 gb ddr800, microatx case, lite on DVDRW optical, 8500gt, Vista ult 64 bit.

Pros: It does HDMI Output, and is a speedy setup.

Cons: There are some compatibility issues you should be aware of, namely vista aero.... if enabled, your system will hang. Add a video card, and the issue goes away.

Overall Review: The driver xpress install was a great idea... makes new installs a breeze