Gigabyte, a manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards has announced the release of the GA-MA790FXT-UD5P, the brand’s first AMD “Dragon Platform” qualified motherboard fitted with next generation AMD AM3 Phenom II processor support.

Sportting the new AMD AM3 socket, the Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P allows users to elevate their rig beyond the standard limits with support for the highest performing ever 45nm AMD Phenom II processors. Featuring HyperTransport 3.0 and integrated DDR3 memory controller, the GA-MA&90FXT-UD5P is the first motherboard to reach memory speeds of up to 1666+MHz (OC) for blazing fast memory access for today’s latest applications and games with greater energy efficiency. Built with top-notch high-performance engineering, it also features the highest quality 8+2 CPU VRM power phase design, able to handle the power demands from 140W CPUs with ease.

No performance platform would be complete without the very latest in graphics technologies and the Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P doesn’t disappoint. Equipped with the AMD 790FX North Bridge, it offers Dual x16 PCI-E 2.0 graphics interfaces to deliver the latest ATI CrossFireX support for the ultimate gaming platform. Plugging in dual graphics cards also enables support for up to four monitors, ideal for users wanting to boost their productivity by maximizing their multi-tasking capabilities.

Getting the most performance out of your system has never been easier as the Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P delivers AMD OverDrive support, allowing high-end users the ability to fully customize and monitor the performance and settings of their system. In addition, high-end performance junkies will love the latest EC AOD-ACC Embedded Controller, which allows AMD Phenom II Black Edition CPUs to be overclocked using the AMD OverDrive utility further than what was previously possible.

Advanced connectivity options are keys to any high end system, and the Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P delivers with a combined total of up to 10 SATA 2.0 device support. In addition to the six SATA 2.0 (3Gb/s) ports from the SB750 (with RAID 0, 1, 5, 10, and JBOD support), the Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P provides an additional four SATA 2.0 ports through the onboard JMicron controller (JM363 & JM322 with RAID 0, 1, and JBOD support), enabling GIGABYTE’s Smart Backup technology which allows users to connect up to four SATA 2.0 devices for effortless hardware-based RAID data protection on-the-fly. The GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P also features Dual Gigabit LAN connections with Teaming, which allows two single connections to act as a single connection for twice the bandwidth to improve overall throughput.

Other Unique Gigabyte Features
The Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P is yet another example of GIGABYTE engineering at its finest with its revolutionary Gigabyte Ultra Durable 3 design, featuring 2 ounces of copper for both the Power and Ground layers which dramatically lowers system temperature by delivering a more efficient spreading of heat from critical areas of the motherboard such as the CPU power zone throughout the entire PCB. Gigabyte’s Ultra Durable 3 also lowers the PCB impedance by 50%, which helps to reduce electrical waste and further lowers component temperatures. A 2oz Copper layer design also provides improved signal quality and lower EMI (Electromagnetic Interference), providing better system stability and allowing for greater margins for overclocking.

Low RDS(on) MOSFETs are specially designed to produce lower switching resistance for faster electric current charging and discharging.

Ferrite Core Choke Design - Low Power Loss
Ferrite core chokes comprised of a compound of iron oxide and other metal elements whose properties hold energy much longer than common iron core at high frequency.

All-Solid Capacitor Design - Longer Life
Solid capacitors contain a solid organic polymer, while electrolytic capacitors use a common liquid electrolyte, hence, the terms solid capacitor versus electrolytic capacitors.

Easy Energy Saver
Gigabyte now makes it even easier for users to take advantage of power savings with the new Gigabyte Easy Energy Saver. Featuring an advanced proprietary software design, Gigabyte Easy Energy Saver is able to dynamically adjust CPU power depending on workload, delivering just the right amount of power needed for the task.

Dolby Home Theater - Enjoy a Rich Home Theater Surround Sound Experience
Dolby Home Theater places listeners in the middle of the action, giving their PCs a powerful set of tools to deliver a cinema-style experience in vivid surround sound. It delivers vivid surround sound for music, movies, and games, using two to eight speakers or any set of headphones. It’s designed to automatically deliver the best possible listening experience.

Smart Backup - Plug & Play Hardware RAID
Gigabyte’s Smart Backup allows users to connect up to four Serial ATA devices for effortless RAID data protection. Dual onboard RAID controller chips automatically configure RAID setup without user intervention, making it easier than ever for users to enjoy enhanced data transfer performance, low CPU utilization, real-time backup on-the-fly and protection against HDD failure.

DualBIOS - Patented Dual Hardware BIOS Protection
DualBIOS is a Gigabyte patented technology that automatically recovers BIOS data when main BIOS has crashed or failed. Featuring 2 physical BIOS ROMs integrated onboard, Gigabyte DualBIOS allows quick and seamless recovery from BIOS damage or failure due to viruses or improper BIOS updating.

Two Gigabit LAN through Teaming
Teaming functionality enabled allows two single connections to act as a single connection for twice the bandwidth, improving overall throughput with lower CPU utilization. It prevents network downtime by transferring the workload from a failed port to a working port. Receive Side Scaling balances the network traffic load evenly between 2 CPU cores in order to improve performance. Power consumption is also automatically adjusted according to your LAN cable lengths, up to 10% power savings.

EasyTune6
Gigabyte has completely redesigned EasyTune6 from the ground up to make it easier than ever to manage and monitor your hardware resources as well as tweak your system settings in order to achieve maximum system performance. Whether you are an overclocking enthusiast, or a computer novice, EasyTune6 provides the tools you need to quickly and effortlessly fine tune your system.

Onboard Quick Switches
Onboard Power, Clear CMOS and Reset buttons allow for quick and easy tweaking for power users working in an in chassis environment.

March 15, 2009

Motherboard-On-the-Go
By Billy Joe I. Allardo
Published in the November 2008 print edition of PC World Philippines

Asus P5Q3 Deluxe wi-Fi-AP @n
www.lenovo.com/ph

Nope, the image is not a misprint. The Asus P5Q3 Deluxe initially looks like the Asus P5Q Premium we had last September due to its same copper heatsink design and the layout of the expansion slots. Based on Intel’s P45 Northbridge chipset, the Asus P5Q3 Deluxe is actually beefier than the other aforementioned Asus motherboard. It offers the same support for dual- and quad-core Intel LGA775 processors with bus speeds of 1600MHz, but this board can support up to 16GB of 1600/1333/1066/800MHz DDR3 memory.

1600/1333/1066/800MHz DDR3 memory. The Southbridge Intel ICH10R chip can oversee up to six Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s devices with RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 configurations. On the other hand, a Marvell 88SE6121 manages the Parallel ATA header and the lone external Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s port. A Silicon Image SIL5723 supports two more Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s, but enhances it with a unique technology that allows immediate backups and boosted file transfers.

What makes Asus P5Q3 Deluxe a little bit more special is its wireless capability, as it comes with an embedded WiFi card. All you need to do is to screw in the pair of the bundled antennas, and upload the needed driver from the utility CD. The built-in WiFi card is compatible with the draft 802.11n standard, making it capable of connecting up to 300Mbps, yet it is backwards compatible with earlier 802.11g/b standards. The setup is straightforward, and it also allows for switching between client and access point modes.

It has a dual Gigabit Ethernet port for network purposes. As for connectivity, the rear I/O ports features six USB hubs with Firewire and external Serial ATA ports.

Like most Asus motherboards lately, the board comes equipped with Express Gate, a Linux-based operating system (OS) that allows immediate use without having to wait for the main OS to boot up. After filling up the necessary network parameters, you can browse the Internet using a Mozilla Firefox-based browser, view stored images, and create or answer e-mails or instant messages. I find Express Gate useful for doing quick tasks.

Perhaps the most overlooked feature of the Asus P5Q3 Deluxe is its layout, designed to maximize power distribution by lessening heat emission at the same time, thus stabilizing the system while prolonging the integrity of each attached component. The heatsink zigzags in between the parts that radiate the most heat, coupled by choice capacitors and transistors that aim to provide a stable performance under intense heat generated from long PC uptimes.

I find the Asus P5Q3 Deluxe as a full-featured motherboard that can figure in a number of specific themes. The performance chipset can serve as the backbone of a high-end PC, armed with a top-end processor, a set of brawny graphics cards, with a lot of memory. It can also serve as the central computer of a network hub. Its embedded Wi-Fi card enables it to be the main access point to which other wireless devices will hook up to.

In addition, the Express Gate utility provides on-the-go ability, giving you the opportunity to pour over e-mails, instant messages, and the latest news before heading out.

March 3, 2009

MSI P45-8D Memory Lover
By Billy Joe I. Allardo
Published in the December 2008-January 2009 print edition of PC World Philippines

P8,950
www.msi.com.tw

It is normal to see eight memory modules on a server motherboard, as its likely environment requires a high memory count to meet the demands of number-crunching processes. With this in mind, eight DIMM slots on a desktop board can be quite rare.

The MSI P45-8D Memory Lover does. It literally stays true to its name by having eight pastel colored memory slots on it, giving it the ability to handle up to four DDR2 or four DDR3 memory types. Of course, you could not plop the said types altogether as both run at different speeds, but you can run four at a time though, with the slots evenly divided between the two aforementioned types. The board can support up to 16GB 1066/800/667MHz DDR2 or 8GB 1600/1333/1066/800 DDR3.

The Memory Lover can prop dual- and quad-core Intel LGA775 processors with a front side bus of up to 1600MHz as well as single-core LGA775-based Celeron units. Managing its Northbridge devices is an Intel P45 chip while the Southbridge is controlled by an Intel ICH10R that can run up to eight Serial ATA 3Gb/s devices with RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 configurations.

In spite of the excessive memory options, the Memory Lover sorely lacks the facility to expand. It only has one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot, that goes along with a solitary PCI-E x1 and three PCI slots. The single PCI-E x16 slot automatically takes away the possibility of employing a multi-GPU setup for a more powerful approach to graphics-intensive applications.

It would have been nice if the board also has an embedded graphics chip, to further exploit its memory capacity and save some money in the process. The mentioned items could have benefited from the proprietary technologies that MSI added that includes the solid-state capacitors and shielded chokes for better power handling and a built-in overclocking switch that enables direct system tweaking with preset settings.

The MSI P45-8D Memory Lover could have been great, if it had maximized the potential of its memory capacity and the Intel P45 chip. Yet it finds a specific niche among people who currently prefer using the prevalent DDR2 memory, but would likely switch to the faster DDR3 type once the price drops.