Radical Motherboards

PCs are highly flexible configurable devices. It is anyway, why we love 'em all. But there are limits to what you can achieve. And most of them are choosing the motherboard, which means clear, the goal is of paramount importance. Identify yourself what you want from your PC and make sure you use a motherboard with.

In this month, we selected the trio motherboard to use the three pairs of popular models: Small form factor systems with capacity Overclocking HTPC rigs and high-end multi-GPU gaming Monster.

Before us on the boards in question, the fundamental question that AMD or Intel? In fact, for the moment, it is often not much of a nasty dilemma: the weakness of most of the AMD product line. We did it before, but it is difficult to be bad news for the entire PC industry, however, for AMD Intel honest.

If necessary the 45nm shrink of AMD Phenom, the processors of the family is not the fracture, expect that Intel prices. At this time, if performance is a priority, the AMD chips are more open, even more favorable at the end of the spectrum. But raise issues of energy, and Form-Factor HTPC in the mixture and it is another story.

For HTPC-centric category, we used a brand new AMD cards compatible with the latest and most modern, integrated chips, the GeForce 8200M NVIDIA and AMD 780G. If it is an Intel-powered alternative to the vicinity of these two young people from the Form-Factor PC media competence, we still have to see.

Palit N78S and the Gigabyte GA-MA780GM-S2H are micro-ATX with all mothers want passive cooling and new processors DirectX 10 integrated nature. Because they are our first two of a new idea of multi-GPU graphics rendering NVIDIA and AMD, the so-called "Hybrid SLI and Hybrid Crossfire means.

The basic idea behind these two is the coupling of the motherboard GPU integrated into a discrete graphics card. But the details rather than to give them different proposals.

Couple Up

The two solutions to increase the effectiveness of additional graphics card, using the Multi-GPU mode with integrated graphics. According to two NVIDIA and AMD, the result is a more powerful low-end graphics cards. In practice, it is too complex and inefficient way to barely acceptable 3D performance, but we will. Hybrid Crossfire capabilities more or less firm. The attraction of the two, by far, is Hybrid SLI, represented by the Palit N78S and NVIDIA GeForce 8200M chipset. This is because Hybrid SLI of Cape same as a measure of energy saving high performance PC. In this scenario, the user enters a powerful, but very strong and sticky and the onboard graphics card GPU integrated Windows.

There is no need to restart or swap the monitor cable. Connect your monitor to the motherboard-Video-Out Port and NVIDIA software drivers do the rest for you. Including the power supply fully-In Add-GPU and its fan. Answers, eh? Hybrid graphics DirectX 10 is not the only common characteristic. These plaques also honor the sport, the first integrated chipset to allow for full hardware acceleration for all three major video codec VC-1, AVC and MPEG2. In both cases, courtesy of the latest video drivers from NVIDIA 2D and AMD, known as PureVideo HD and UVD. That is exactly what you need, of course, to ensure smooth playback of full 1080p Blu-ray.

Home HD-motherboard

If these two home theater-centric maps are very similar, there is not much between P35 coupling, we have for the Overclocking Showdown. In fact, Intel P35, the weapon of choice, if the pure speed that you want. Note that always the case with the arrival of NVIDIA's protzigen new 790i, a chipset, we had assumed could not overthrow the P35 chipset from its position, the king of overclockers.

It is not uncommon for P35 Hit-bus speeds over 500 MHz without the need of achievement and poor optimization of the north bridge voltage. In addition, the latest Intel x48 chipset to run more of puff pastry around 475MHz. In this context, attention to detail and execution are separated from MSI P35 Platinum Asus is trustworthy P5K3 Deluxe.

But what about high-end motherboard design at the base of the multi-GPU-Performance-PC? Until recently, the loot was a bit thin. Intel X38 and x48 chips are really beautiful things with regard to performance. But with the decision on the NVIDIA SLI-barrier to its own chipsets (not from our point of view), X38 and x48 do not support AMD CrossFire platform competition. This means that fans SLI was forced to leave with a little under NVIDIA 680i or 780i option. But no more. NVIDIA is back on form with the 790i. It is very tight, a competition for the best price. If that is the theory behind all these discs, as in the silicon?

Perhaps most fascinating is the compatible motherboards AMD Micro-ATX torque. Together with a low voltage dual-core Athlon 64 processor provide spectacular performance. The two plates are spitting in the course of 100 watts of CPU load and at idle 50 watts mark.

This is a complete system with 2 GB of RAM, hard drive and optical drive. This corresponds to less than a quarter of the consumption at a high-end quad-core rig. It is also very discreet, as the operation for a perfect home theater investment is less impressive performance of its advocates well-DX10 integrated graphics processors, 3D mode, at least. Are capable of something remotely similar experience game. And honestly, neither the packing enough grunt for dual GPU hybrid option for all attractive.

Where it is already interesting competition for home theater of competence. And this you must click on the gigabytes, thanks to the HDMI connection and driver fully supports basic 2D acceleration. Add in a low-voltage AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core and you have a motherboard and CPU Combo HD at full capacity for only $ L80.

As for the overclocker's P35 boards, there is usually a one way street. A result is an impressive 520MHz bus speed to take on all Intel-compatible motherboards. The fact that the Asus P5K3 Deluxe achieved without tension, they can make tweaks for overclocking easy to use platform. You can be sure to get the most out of a processor with this motherboard.

Our only doubt concerns the fact that it is a DDR3 motherboard. In theory the highest clock speed DDR3 memory should be a blessing for overclocking. In practice, a couple of quality memory DIMMs work only DD2 Tine. Factor in energy prices quite ridiculous, DDR3, keys and benefits simply not vote.

Performance per pound

All sheets that only the big ticket x48 and 790i coupling MSI and Asus are. There is no doubt the new Striker II Extreme Asus is a sickeningly, which is desirable. Whatever the property of their BIOS-packed, for equipment and reset button and the North Bridge-front radiator plumbed for water, the stench of the quality, class, and above all costs.

The NVIDIA 790i SLI chipset, the platform bang up to date, DDR3 PCI-Express and good care, and human dignity Overclocking Headroom. Thus, even as it is, but it simply can not represent an almost $ 450th Especially if it is less than Oomph Overclocking Asus own sub-$ l50 Intel P35 Board. The advantage of the performance, the 790i chip is too thin for a difference in the real world too.

The loot is on the MSI x48 platinum. It is a thin, strong Board say at a reasonable price. Yes, it has lock AMD CrossFire platform in the form of multi-GPU support. But NVIDIA is the purchaser's interest for its own selfish desires to maximize revenue from the SLI chipsets, the perfect multi-GPU platform is simply not possible.