Asus M2A-VM HDMI (AMD 690G)

ASUS takes a break from its barrage of Intel P965 motherboard SKUs over the past few months to focus on AMD's new chipset, but unlike Sapphire, ASUS does what they do best, and that's to specialize. Instead of one board to fit every usage model, ASUS has two variants of the AMD 690G: The no-frills M2A-VM for the more business minded and the entertainment focused M2A-VM HDMI. Both boards are essentially designed on the same PCB; the only difference being that the latter features additional FireWire support as well as being bundled with additional audio and video connectors. In this review, we take a look at what the M2A-VM HDMI has to offer.

PCMark05's results on the other hand, were more favorable to the ASUS M2A-VM HDMI than SYSmark was. The board tied with the Sapphire board in the CPU subsystem performance scores, and while its memory performance fell below the Sapphire Pure Innovation HDMI, the ASUS still managed to outdo the ECS. Lastly, we see that all three boards share similar HDD performance numbers.

In our Sapphire Pure Innovation HDMI review, we mentioned about the versatility of the AMD 690G chipset, on how its features can be configured for the home theater generation or purely for business. ASUS is one of the manufacturers we know that would make use of this and develop specific products to cater to the different sectors. However, is it worth the trouble of pushing out two product lines for a mainstream chipset such as the AMD 690G? The M2A-VM HDMI is definitely the more interesting of the two, but its single defining feature is an add-on module that would probably work on either board. Together, the connection options on the ASUS M2A-VM HDMI are able to match the Sapphire board, but connectivity comes at a premium. The regular M2A-VM retails for around US$70 today, while the M2A-VM HDMI averages about US$20 more - just for the extra HDMI module and added FireWire connectivity.

The motherboard itself is a very well packaged product, and we've come to expect no less from ASUS. They've done a great job with its design and layout, avoiding potential cable, expansion and heat problems that might arise in the smaller micro ATX form factor. The Northbridge does tend to get very warm under load however, but the board seems to take things in stride. We did not encounter any compatibility or stability issues with the M2A-VM HDMI, even under heavy benchmarking loops. While the high-end motherboard market has been evangelizing the use of newer materials such as solid capacitors and digital PWM circuitry, the M2A-VM HDMI does it the old school way, and we're quite happy that it works just as well. The only gripe we have against the M2A-VM HDMI is the lack of proper 8-channel analog audio jacks, which puts the regular PC users at a disadvantage.

We were a little disappointed at first that ASUS did not include any memory tweaking options for the board, but since performance and overclocking isn't its main attraction, we let the matter slide. At the very least, ASUS does allow some rudimentary voltage and overclocking to take place. Performance-wise, the M2A-VM HDMI managed to be consistent across our benchmarks, though the Sapphire Pure Innovation HDMI takes the top spot in every test. Of course, when you benchmark a board that is designed to run at stock configurations (ASUS M2A-VM HDMI) with one that has a comprehensive tweaking BIOS (Sapphire Pure Innovation HDMI), there will be an expected gap between the two.

Comparisons with the Sapphire Pure Innovation HDMI will likely the be topic of the day when it comes to AMD 690G motherboards and while Sapphire may have stolen the thunder from larger motherboard manufacturers, the ASUS M2A-VM HDMI is still a very well designed and well implemented motherboard for its target market as an OEM or home entertainment platform.

Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R

This week Intel launched a new core logic set that will support the upcoming Penryn processors and promising DDR3 SDRAM. Today we would like to introduce to you one of the first mainboards based on this chipset that appears to be a very promising platform. Read more in our new article!

The launch of new processor family based on Core micro-architecture that keeps expanding into different market segments strengthened Intel’s positions even more. This CPU is currently extremely popular, which is not surprising at all as it offers the today’s best combination of consumer features. Trying to secure its leading position and increase the company’s influence in the processor market Intel continues growing the processor family releasing new CPU models aimed at lower as well as upper market segments.


As we have seen, the manufacturer has paid special attention to inexpensive processor models lately. The price of the youngest Core 2 Duo solutions has dropped down to $100 range, and hence pushed away the competitors quite noticeably.

However at the same time Intel certainly doesn’t forget about its high-performance solutions either. This summer we should welcome dual-core Core 2 Duo processors and quad-core Core 2 Extreme processors working at higher clock speeds and supporting faster processor bus – 1333MHz Quad Pumped Bus.
Of course, the increase in the bus frequency of Intel’s flagship processors requires Intel to make sure that the proper infrastructure is there. And first of all, it implies the launch of the new core logic sets as the existing LGA775 chipsets, i975X and iP965, officially support only 1067MHz Quad Pumped Bus. No wonder, that the new chipsets from this family start appearing in the market already; Intel P35 and integrated Intel G33 have already been launched.

As for the supported memory types, Gigabyte engineers decided not to introduce the innovative DDR3 interface in their GA-P35-DS3R mainboard. At this time, this is a totally justified solution, because this memory is not available in retail yet. Even when it starts selling its price will evidently be higher than that of DDR2 SDRAM, even though there will be no evident performance advantages at the time and the only factor affecting the price will be the fact that it is a new product.

As a result, Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R features four traditional DDR2 SDRAM slots, like many other mainboards on older iP965 and i975X chipsets. Like many other mainboards, our hero can perform at its best with dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM. Therefore, DIMM slots on the mainboard PCB are color-coded, indicating how the module pairs should be installed for maximum performance.

As for additional controllers, the mainboard has a network chip and a chip ensuring Parallel ATA channel and two additional Serial ATA channels implementation. Gigabyte engineers chose PCI Express x1 Gigabit LAN controller from Realtek – RTL 8111B. The addiotnal ATA controller is a PCI Express x1 Gigabyte SATA2 chip. It provides the board with a Parallel ATA-133 channel, because the chipset doesn’t support Parallel ATA interface. However, besides PATA, this chip also supports two Serial ATA-300 channels that can also be utilized for the best.

So, the board ends up having 8 Serial ATA channels (with NCQ support and 3Gbit/s data transfer rate): 6 of these ports are connected to ICH9R and the remaining 2 – to the external controller chip. Both, the integrated ICH9R ATA controller as well as Gigabyte SATA2 chip, allow creating RAID 0 and 1 arrays. ICH9R also supports RAID 0+1 and 5 arrays and Matrix Storage Technology.

I would like to give Gigabyte engineers kudos for eSATA interface implementation. Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R doesn’t have the corresponding ports on the rear panel, as we would see in most cases, but it features two ports laid out on a separate bracket included with the board.

As for the expansion slots, Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R offers a pretty god list of them. besides the PCI Express x16 graphics card slot, the mainboard also carries three PCI Express x1 slots (one of them may be blocked by the graphics card cooling system), and three PCI slots. Unfortunately, Gigabyte engineers decided not to equip their mainboard with a second PCI Express x16 slot physically connected to the PCI x4 bus. It means that this mainboard is not compatible with ATI Crossfire technology.

As for the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R mainboard that we have reviewed today, it is one of the first solutions on the new Intel P35 chipset to appear in the market and certainly deserves your attention. It is a good alternative to iP965 based mainboards. It supports widespread DDR2 SDRAM, but at the same time offers better consumer features and specifications. Moreover, Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R did very well in our CPU overclocking tests and performed at a very high level in nominal work mode.

However, as we have already mentioned this mainboard still has some frustrating drawbacks, such as limited memory overclocking and not the ultimate performance level with FSB set above the nominal. Hopefully Gigabyte engineers will take our comments into account when working on new mainboard revisions and modifications.

Summing up let me once again list all the cons and pros of the new Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R mainboard.

MSI P35 Platinum (Intel P35)

MSI is one of the top tier motherboard manufacturers in the consumer PC industry, but there is no mistaking 2006 as the year that ASUS and Gigabyte took most of the limelight. Gigabyte's marketing machine pushed the whole solid capacitor design into high gear while ASUS flooded the market with specialized target focus motherboard models such as the TeleSky and Republic of Gamers. Both manufacturers also drew a lot of attention with an announced alliance (which didn't last), but most importantly, they made exciting motherboards that kept the market fresh. MSI on the other hand, was focusing more on their graphics card business.

The P35 Platinum is based on the P35 and ICH9R chipset combination, which gives the board AHCI SATA and RAID capabilities in addition to its regular features. MSI makes use of the eSATA feature of the Southbridge though and uses two ports as dedicated eSATA connectors in the rear panel, leaving only four ports to be used as internal HDD connectors. As the ICH9R also does not have any IDE support, MSI uses a Marvell 88SE6111 controller to make up for one Ultra ATA port and one extra SATA 3.0Gbps port.

There is one Gigabit LAN port onboard powered by a Marvell 88E8111B PHY and two FireWire-400 ports via a VIA VT6308P controller. The most interesting component here is the use of the Realtek ALC888T HD Audio CODEC, instead of the standard ALC888 we saw in the preview. You see, the ALC888T has a special VoIP switching functionality that can automatically switch between VoIP and PSTN connectivity in event of a power failure. This of course requires some kind of VoIP add-on card, a handset and a phone line to take advantage of since the board doesn't have one built-in. MSI will actually be introducing such an add-on card very soon that works with Skype, called the SkyTel, but we have an impression that the SkyTel card will have its own audio chip, so how it interfaces with the ALC888T has to be seen.

For enthusiasts, the P35 Platinum comes with a total of six onboard fan connectors, an quick CMOS clear button and a small row of Debug LEDs. MSI has in the past made use of their D-Bracket debug system, which is still a component of the board, but this new row of LEDs are so much more useful. You can check out the row of mini debug LEDs just next to the blue SATA connector on the PCB.

Most of the components you find on the P35 Platinum isn't all to different from any other high-end P965 board you can get today, as the P35 chipset doesn't really add any new component count to its repertoire, but MSI did make use of the eSATA port multiplier for the board, and while it does reduce the internal SATA capabilities, the board will provide an extensive range of plug-and-play external high-speed connections. The improved audio chipset used in the retail motherboard also opens up possibilities of additional functionality of the board when the SkyTel add-on card comes out. We also like how MSI provides six USB 2.0 ports by default, but the chunky rear panel is really quite hideous (but then again, that's basically our only rant with the board).

Performance-wise, the P35 Platinum's results from our benchmarking run turned out pretty well. While we weren't expecting any phenomenal scores from the new P35 chipset, it did surprise us quite a bit with a very strong SYSmark 2004 performance. Overall, the P35 Platinum proved to be quite consistently better than a reference P965 and able to keep up with the NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI. With lower chipset TDPs, we had expected better overclocking potential from the P35 Platinum, but 470MHz isn't exactly shabby, considering that 1333MHz (333MHz) FSB is being hyped as the next big thing. You can go way beyond that point with simple air cooling.

Although this is the first Intel P35 motherboard we've reviewed, the MSI P35 Platinum proves to be a very well built and well rounded motherboard. MSI plays to the strengths of the chipset and delivers a solid entry into the market. If you aren't planning of a total overhaul of your PC, DDR2 is still here to stay for a while yet. With dropping prices, setting up a 4GB or higher capacity rig isn't so hard anymore and boards like the P35 Platinum will probably let you extend the life of your memory for another year or so. Of course, if you really must have only the latest and greatest, the one factor that remains to be seen is how the DDR3 variant (MSI P35 Platinum D3) would fare in comparison, but that is another board for another day.

eVGA 122-CK-NF66-A1 nForcke 650i

The 680i SLI motherboards were launched with a tremendous public relations effort by NVIDIA back in November. There was a lot of hype, speculation, and fanfare surrounding NVIDIA's latest chipset for the Intel market, and it promised an incredible array of features and impressive performance for the enthusiast. At the time of launch we were promised the mid to low range 650i SLI and Ultra chipsets would be shipping shortly to flesh out NVIDIA's Intel portfolio. NVIDIA had plans to truly compete against Intel, VIA, ATI, and SIS in the majority of Intel market sectors within a very short period of time after having some limited success earlier in 2006 with the C19A chipset.

However, all of this planning seemed to unravel as the weeks progressed after the 680i launch. It seemed as if NVIDIA's resources were concentrated on fixing issues with the 680i chipset instead of forging ahead with their new product plans. Over the course of the past few months we finally saw the 650i SLI launched in a very reserved manner, followed by the 680i LT launch that offered a cost reduced alternative to the 680i chipset. While these releases offered additional choices in the mid to upper range performance sectors, we still did not know how well or even if NVIDIA would compete in the budget sector.

All of the chipsets offer support for the latest Intel Socket 775 based processors along with official 1333FSB speeds for the upcoming 1333FSB based CPUs. The 650i SLI and 650i Ultra chipsets are based on the same 650i SPP and utilize the nF430 MCP. The only differentiator between the two is how this SPP/MCP combination is implemented on a board with the 650i SLI offering SLI operation at 8x8 compared to the single x16 slot on the 650i Ultra.

Other differences between the chipsets center on the features that the 680i offers that are not available on the 650i. These features include two additional USB 2.0 ports, two additional SATA ports, an additional Gigabit Ethernet port, Dual-Net technology, and EPP memory support. Otherwise, depending upon BIOS tuning, the performance of the chipsets is very similar across a wide range of applications, with overclocking capabilities being slightly more pronounced on the 680i chipset. In our testing we have found that the other chipsets also offer very good overclocking capabilities with SLI performance basically being equal at common resolutions on supported chipsets.

The overclocking aspects of the board are terrific considering the price point and with the asynchronous memory capability you can really push the FSB while retaining budget priced DDR2-800 memory in the system. This is one area where NVIDIA has an advantage over Intel in this price sector as the P965 boards are generally limited to 400FSB and less than stellar memory performance. We typically found that 4-4-4-12 1T or 4-4-3-10 2T timings at DDR2-800 offered a nice balance between memory price considerations and performance on this board.

We feel like the EVGA 650i Ultra offers a high degree of quality, performance. This board is certainly not perfect nor is it designed for everyone but it offers almost the perfect package in an Intel market sector that has not had anything real interesting to talk about for a long time. We are left wondering why NVIDIA chose the silent path to introduce this chipset when it's obvious they really have something interesting to discuss this time around.