With the excellent features inherited from previous ASRock products, the Intel 945P-based ASRock ConRoeXFire-eSATA2 motherboard delivers a simple but easy to digest upgrade path for the consumers looking to upgrade to a Core 2 Duo processor, and also Intel’s vaunted lineup of LGA 775 processors. With more than a few feature enhancements on ASRock's part, this budget Core 2 ready motherboard is just what the doctor ordered.
This feature-rich board includes a standard PCI Express x 16 slot in addition to an AGI Express slot for the installation of a 2nd PCI Express x 16 graphics card, or other PCI Express x4/x1 interface cards. 4 SATA 3Gb/s connectors with Intel Matrix Storage Technology and RAID support are provided by the ICH7R with 2 additional external SATA 3Gb/s connectors (eSATAII) included to satisfy even the most hardcore of storage demands. ASRock also incorporates Gigabit LAN, IEEE 1394 headers and 8-channel HD Audio into this motherboard to deliver an unparalleled digital experience.
Intel 945P+ICH7R ChipsetThe Intel 945P Express Chipset delivers outstanding system performance through high-bandwidth interfaces such as dual-channel DDR2 memory, 1066/800 MHz system bus and a PCI Express x16 graphics slot. In addition, the ICH7R provides PCI Express x4/x1 I/O ports, next generation Serial ATA with Intel Matrix Storage Technology and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 connectivity for the ultimate flexibility and expandability.
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor SupportThis motherboard supports the next-generation LGA 775 Intel Core 2 Duo (Conroe) processors. Utilizing Intel's brand-new Core microarchitecture technology, the Intel Core 2 Duo processors are considered some of the most powerful and energy efficient CPUs in the world.
ATI CrossFire Technology SupportWith the additional AGI Express slot, the ConRoeXFire-eSATA2 supports a second PCI Express x16 graphics card and allows ATI CrossFire multi VPU technology to be enabled on two CrossFire-ready graphics card.
SATA 3Gb/s with External ConnectorThe ConRoeXFire-eSATA2 is SATA 3Gb/s ready - the super fast data transfer standard has been applied to all four internal SATA connectors as well as the two easy-access external connectors on the rear I/O panel with "Hot Plug" functionality.
HDMI Interface ReadyThe ConRoeXFire-eSATA2 is designed with the exciting new HDMI_SPDIF header to provide S/PDIF audio output to a separate HDMI video card which in turn allows the system to connect to external HDMI Digital TVs, projectors or LCD devices.
Pros: IEEE-1394 (Firewire), PCI-E gigabit LAN, dual graphics including Crossfire, Conroe support, 4 DDR2 RAM slots, and on-board 7.1 audio for under $100? Sign me up! Has a 20-pin ATX power connector and 4-pin auxiliary ATX power connector, so you can use an older power supply that doesn't have the more modern 24-pin and/or 8-pin connectors.
Cons: AMI BIOS is terrible; offers few configurable options and very poor overclocking support. You can't adjust your Vcore at *all*. Spotty documentation doesn't have any descriptions of BIOS settings, but lots of info on setting up RAID. Has hard 300 MHz FSB wall, so a terrible overclocking board. Review at vr-zone.com has more details, but what they *don't* tell you is that for CPUs reporting 133 MHz (e.g. the very popular Pentium 805 D) this wall pops up at a mere 150 MHz FSB! Definitely not the board for anyone looking to overclock an 805 D. No rear IEEE-1394 port; you need to use a bracket in a PCI slot. (Not an issue for me since I'm not using the second PCI-E slot.)
Overall Review: Fantastic feature set and price point for anyone looking to run at stock speeds or a mild overclock. Most definitely not an overclocker's board due to low FSB overclock capabilities.