Time has finally come for us here at NordicHardware to post our Canterwood roundup. This article has taken an awful long time to complete due to the fact that this far this article has brought us nothing but trouble. Defective memories, crashed discs and so forth – just about everything that could go wrong went wrong. It’s a good thing that we are such a positive bunch that not even the national debt of Sweden could make us loose our focus and that is why, even though the whole world seemed to be against us, we did not give up.

Time has finally
come for us here at NordicHardware to post our Canterwood roundup. This article
has taken an awful long time to complete due to the fact that this far this
article has brought us nothing but trouble. Defective memories, crashed discs
and so forth – just about everything that could go wrong went wrong. It’s
a good thing that we are such a positive bunch that not even the national
debt of Sweden could make us loose our focus and that is why, even though
the whole world seemed to be against us, we did not give up. The fruits of
our labour is a tidy little review of no less than six Pentium 4 motherboards
all constructed around the Canterwoodchipset. From time to time these boards
differ from each other but basically they offer the same features, i.e. 800MHz
FSB support, Dual Channel DDR400 and lots of other features. More on this
on the following page where we will give you a humble introduction to this
chipset. But first, let’s meet the candidates:

ABIT IC7, ABIT IC7-G, DFI 875Pro Lanparty, EPoX EP-4PCA3, Gigabyte GA-8IK1100
and finally MSI 875P Neo-FIS2R.

Before we look closer at these boards we’ll give you a brief introduction
to the i875P chipset.


The introduction
of Intel’s 875P chipset means that a lot of the functions that earlier were
controlled by circuits from third party manufacturers are now integrated in
the chipset. These functions are mainly controlled by the very interesting
southbridge 82801E(B/R) which we will return to in just a moment. The new
northbridge 82875P does actually not differ very much from Granite Bay’s northbridge,
which was launched already in autumn.

The major difference is that the northbridge now got support for 800MHz FSB
processors and Dual Channel DDR333/400. In the optimal situation, where you
got a 800MHz FSB processor together with two DDR400 memory modules, you would
at least theoretically get an impressive 6.4GB/s memory bandwidth. Of course
the AGP 8x support is available here too, which Intel first launched officially
with Granite Bay. To increase the performance even more, Intel has equipped
their Canterwood with something that is called Performance Acceleration Technology,
PAT.

This technology together with tighter timings on the north bridge is what
is going to give the chipset an advantage over the cheaper Springdale chipset,
which in other ways is almost identical. One other major difference is that
Canterwood supports ECC memories, which is a major factor in professional
coherence’s. Below you can see a schedule over the chipset’s structure and
features.

As
you can see in the figure above, it is the earlier mentioned southbridge named
ICH5(R) which handles the peripheral equipment. ICH5 exists in two versions
where an R in the end of the label indicates that the southbridge, except
its two channel S-ATA support, also got support for S-ATA RAID. The ICH5R
version of the circuit will therefore be a little more expensive thus we will
most likely not see it on low priced motherboards.

Furthermore the new southbridge has also support for 6 channel sound (AC97)
and up to 8 USB 2.0 ports. Even a 10/100 NIC is controlled by the southbridge,
but as we soon will see some manufacturers have not settled for this and therefore
equipped their boards with GigabitLAN instead, which is supported by the northbridge.

Intel’s Gigabit solution is rather costly for the manufacturers and therefore
they have chosen to use a cheaper third party version for this. You can of
course find hyperthreading this time also and considering the approaching
mass launch of HT processors, the technology will soon be quite common even
for the consumers who are concerned about prices. i875P is really an impressive
chipset.
The changes are not unexpected but the fact that they have managed to squeeze
in so much functionality in the chipset makes Intel well worth some praise.
The integration is very welcome through the consumer’s point of view because
you get more for your money and extra cards become almost superfluous, as
long it’s not about special cards for video editing or similar.

That’s the end of the theoretical class and it is time to see how the manufacturers
have implemented the chipset. First we take a look at ABIT’s IC7-G.


ABIT
IC7-G
: Specifications

Motherboard
chipset :
Intel
875P (MCH) + 82801ER (ICH5R)
Processor
support :

Intel
Pentium 4/Celeron Socket-478, 533/800 MHz FSB

Memory
support:
4xDIMM
333/400MHz DDR (MAX 4GB)
Integrated
graphics circuit:
AGP:
1x
AGP 8X
PCI:
5 x 32-bit bus master PCI
IDE
controller:
4
units, ATA 100/66/33
RAID
controller:
SATA
controller:
2x
150MB/s via the south bridge with RAID 0 support, 2x 150MB/s via Silicon
Image circuit (RAID 0/1)
Networks
circuit :
Intel
GigabitLAN
Audio
circuit :
integrated
in south bridge, AC97 Codec+S/PDIF in/out on the back panel
FireWire
(IEEE-1394):
1x
on the back panel, 2x via bracket
USB
2.0:
4
external ports, 2 internal connections for 2 port’s brackets, totally
up to 8 ports
Price:
~
2000 SEK (Exchange
rates
)

As we can see
from the compilation above the IC7-G is packed to the brim with features offered
by Intel’s new chipset and it doesn’t stop there. This board is supposed to
be ABIT’s flagship, at least until the release of a MAX3-board, but for the
time being there is a lot of "hush-hush" regarding the prospective
follow-up of the praised IT7-MAX2.
The icing on the cake is that ABIT has equipped the board with Intel’s own
GigabitLAN-circuit that are of very high quality, but is also expensive and
this, of course, jacks up the price quite a bit. IC7-G is, however, available
in a less expensive variant called IC7 where the GigabitLAN-chip is removed
along with the extra S-ATA-controller. This takes the price down to somewhere
in the neighborhood of 1500 SEK, a considerably lower price.

Price
and Accessibility

Since IC7-G is
a more extravagant version of the IC7 the price is substantially higher. In
comparison to ABiTs most prominent competitors like ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI,
we see that this price is without doubt in parity with the prices of the other
manufacturers. If you want to have a Canterwood-board with all available features
you will have to be prepared to cough up about 2000 SEK. A pretty hefty price
but "if you want the ultimate you’ll have to pay the ultimate price".
The availability of the IC7-G is very good.
The board is listed at all of ABIT’s retailers in Sweden so if you are a potential
buyer you need not feel worried about availability, if the retailers run out
of boards new ones will once again stock their shelves in a week or so.
The price is still a considerable amount higher than for example the IC7 model
and not to speak of the Springdale-based boards on the market. This is one
of the reasons no topscore is given, but then again, that’s noting we expect
of a Canterwood board.

Price/Accessibility
We
compare price with equal products and also accessibility among swedish
retailers.


 

Accessories
and features

The first thing
that comes to mind when you open the box is that ABIT has gone through a great
deal of trouble to pack its contents properly. The days when accessories where
thoughtlessly crammed into the box are gone. Instead ABIT has packed every
accessory in small, separate boxes and these days perfect order rules the
motherboard boxing.

The physical accessories in this package consists of a rounded ATA100-cable,
one rounded floppycable, two S-ATA-cables with matching powersupply-connectors,
one P-ATA->S-ATA converter and a bracket with two Firewire- and two USB-ports.
Including the USB- and Firewire connections on the back of the board we get
at total of six USB 2.0-ports and three Firewireports. If you want to use
the remaining two USB-ports supported by the board, you will have to acquire
an additional two-port-bracket. Naturally a manual is included, a quick setup
guide and drivers for the board.
The included software package is in traditional ABIT-spirit very thin and
consists of Winbonds Hardware Monitor for temperature-monitoring, Adobe Acrobat
Reader, DirectX 9 and a Low Format Utility used for thorough formats. Personally
I’m not bothered at all by the spartan software bundle, I actually welcome
it since bundled software seldom is worth unpacking. For those of us that
are hung up on appearances a small bonus remains to be accounted for. ABIT
namely tossed in a sweet casebadge in silver-steer components. The advantages
of this will become clear in the next section where we go head to head with
the layout.


Perfectly organized

Manual

Cables

When it comes
to integrated features the IC7-G is more than sufficiently equipped. Lets
begin with the ’G’ that represents Intels own GigabitLAN solution. A costly
and gruesomely nice network-solution that furthermore has it’s own software
to monitor the connections to the network circuit. S-ATA hard drives will
feel right at home with this board since there are a total of four S-ATA ports
with RAID support. Two of these ports are handled by the southbridge and are
only equipped to handle RAID 0 but the remaining two, that are controlled
by a Silicon Image circuit, deliver both RAID 0 and RAID 1.
Together with the two P-ATA100 channels this makes it possible to connect
up to eight hard drives and this leaves plenty of space for future upgrades.
The audio circuit is now integrated in the southbridge and provide audio in
6 channels with the help of the AC97 codec. This solution actually produces
very nice sound and will do for everyone except the hardcore audionuts. Mounted
on the back of the board we find optical S/PDID in and out connections, a
parallel port and even a COM-port. Here we also find four USB 2.0-ports, one
Firewireport and the network connector.
The bracket we mentioned earlier gives us two additional USB-ports and two
extra Firewireports. The fact that ABIT has put USB- and Firewireports on
the same bracket is a clever move since it would have been a real bummer if
you had to use two bracket spaces in order to get additional connection possibilities.
IC7-G is in terms of functionality a masterpiece that provides the user with
the ability to connect most peripheral equipment. I have mixed feelings before
the lack of additional P-ATA-ports. Personally I would have loved to see another
P-ATA-channel but on the other hand the connection possibilities are so capable
that one more channel probably would probably have felt like overkill. All
and all the IC7-G board is rich in features and thanks to the new southbridge
the board is spared from any extra surface-mounted steercomponents. The advantages
of this will become clear in the next section where we bout the layout.

In all we think
that ABIT has made a killer job with the IC7-G when it comes to features.
The aspect of the accessories could be improved a bit. Keeping the price in
mind and pondering the fact that this board is the company’s flagship we would
want to have seen at least two rounded ATA100-cables and one ATA->S-ATA
converter more. This could assuredly be considered to be trivialities but
it could give the board an additional boost. Anyway, the final score is bound
to be quite high so the staff over at ABIT probably don’t have to worry about
their jobs just yet.

 

Accessories/Features
We
look at the amount and usefulness of included accessories and integrated
features.



ABIT
IC7
: Specifications

Motherboard
chipset :
Intel
875P (MCH) + 82801ER (ICH5R)
Processor
support :

Intel
Pentium 4/Celeron Socket-478, 533/667/800 MHz FSB

Memory
support:
4xDIMM
333/400MHz DDR (MAX 4GB)
Integrated
graphics circuit:
AGP:
1x
AGP 8X
PCI:
5 x 32-bit bus master PCI
IDE
controller:
4
units, ATA 100/66/33
RAID
controller:
SATA
controller:
2x
150MB/s via the southbridge with RAID 0 support
Networks
circuit :
Audio
circuit :
Integrated
in the southbridge, AC97 Codec+S/PDIF I/O on the backpanel
FireWire
(IEEE-1394):
1x
at the backpanel, 2x via bracket
USB
2.0:
4
external ports, 2 internal connections for 2 port brackets, totally
up to 8 ports
Price:
~
1400 SEK (Exchange
rates
)

IC7 differs from
IC7-G in several ways. IC7 is almost 600 SEK cheaper. Of course this has a
reason. IC7 has for an example not GigabitLAN or any integrated NIC at all.
Also the Silicon Image S-ATA controller is missing. Also the accessories are
fewer which we’ll find out soon.

Price
and Availability

The price is
without doubt the boards biggest advantage. A Canterwood board for a such
a low price must be very attractive. There are only one board in this roundup
which is even near IC7’s price, the question is if there are any better "budget-alternatives".
Today there are Spingdale based boards for about 1000 SEK, even if they have
more or less no features at all the price is very attractive. When it comes
to availability it is the same thing here as for the IC7-G, very good.
Great job ABIT!

Price/Availability
We
compare the price to equal products and even the accessibility among retailers.


 

Accessories
and Features

IC7 is packed
in the same well thought sort of way as its big brother, IC7-G. The only difference
between those two is the P-ATA->S-ATA converter with belonging power supply.















Accessories IC7

When it comes
to integrated features the two boards are identical except for two details
mentioned earlier. IC7 does not have any NIC and offers only two S-ATA ports
which is controlled of the southbridge (RAID 0 support). The total lack of
NIC’s and support for only two S-ATA and two IDE channels lowers the grade
a lot. The accessories for IC7 has the same disadvantages as IC7-G. It gets
even more boring because IC7 does not have any P-ATA->S-ATA converter.
This forces an end-user with many IDE drives to buy converters or a separate
controller-card. Accessories/Features is shortly not IC7’s strong side, the
major disadvantage is the lack of a NIC.

Accessories/Features
We
look at the amount and usefulness for included accessories and integrated
features.



Both
IC7 and IC7-G are manufactured on a black PCB which we recognize from the
IT7-Max2 motherboards. As the boards don’t differ especially much concerning
design and layout, we have chosen to put together this and the BIOS section
of the review, since otherwise we would get two pages of repetitions. The
pictures below are taken of both IC7-G and IC7, which is why you’ll sometimes
see and sometimes miss a G.

Let’s start with
the two big differences between the boards before we move on to the things
they have in common. IC7-G has an Intel GigabitLAN network circuit while IC7
completely lacks networks circuits. This is without doubt quite a drastic
step and we think that ABIT could have implemented some cheaper 10/100 variety
instead of completely ignoring a networks circuit on the IC7. Difference number
two is that IC7-G apart from the two S-ATA-ports, enabled by the southbridge,
also has a Silicon Image controller circuit, which gives the user two more
S-ATA ports with RAID(0/1) support. On the picture below you’ll see where
the controller circuit is situated and also the two S-ATA ports which it controls.















Silicon Image controller circuit + S-ATA 3&4

The base is well
situated and there is a nice amount of space to work in. The 12V contact which
we have complained a great deal about in reviews of other boards has finally
been moved and is now situated just next to the DIMM spot number one. This
makes it much easier to reach the contact and does not risk the 12V cable
getting stuck in the cooling fan anymore. Furthermore it is pretty much easier
to pull the cables as the ATX-contact is also situated next to the DIMM spots.
The sideways situated IDE contacts we first saw on BH7 returns in IC7.IC7-G.

The AGP spot
differs a bit from earlier types as the constructors have chosen to skip the
AGP-lock completely this time. Instead of a usual AGP spot they have placed
a AGP Pro-slot. Thanks for this, the most current-devouring graphics boards
can be used together with ABIT’s Canterwood board. The northbridge is cooled
by an active cooler. The sound level won’t be a problem, since it is kept
low. On the picture furthest to the right, you can see the new southbridge
which controls most of the integrated functions.

The PCI spots
are five, which gives a good amount of expansion possibilities. If you buy
a IC7, one is for example already set off for the networks card. There is
certainly not any lack of Firewire or USB neither. On the picture in the middle
you’ll see the internal connections for these and on the picture furthest
to the right you’ll see the back panel’s contacts for this. Totally three
Firewire-ports and eight USB 2.0 can be connected. ABIT also offers optical
entrances and exits. The picture to the right below is taken of IC7, which
is why you can’t see any network socket. This has apparently been pasted over
with a silvery sticker.


5xPCI


USB+Firewire


IC7=No
LAN

The motherboard
layout on this board is actually really good. There is absolutely nothing bad
situated, I find nothing but well placed components. That the most stuff has
been integrated in the south bridge makes life easier for ABIT’s technicians
and a bit more fun for us users. The 12V contact could have been placed better
perhaps, but to complain about this seems like finding faults where there
are none. IC7(-G) is designed for the final user in mind and this has to result
a top grade.

Layout/design
We
look at the physical but also aesthetical design of the board. User friendliness
is a very important factor.



It’s not
much that differs between the two IC7 boards’ BIOS either, hence we made the
choice to combine this section as well. The BIOS is of course a Phoenix Award
BIOS as always with ABIT. The most of you also recognize the main menu, and
you ought to know that it’s chiefly under the SoftMenu heading that we can
find the real candy.


Soft Menu

Here we can find
the most important options for overclocking of the system and CPU, except
for the memory settings of course. The FSB may as usual be set manually with
1 MHz intervals between 100 to 412 MHz, which is simply more than enough.
However, the motherboard needs to be flashed with the latest BIOS version,
since the default BIOS has a limit of approximately 300. The CPU voltage options
are like they should be – 1,535V-1.90V with 0.025V intervals should probably
make voltage modding a redundancy.
Regarding the voltage to the memory, it isn’t very impressive. 2.5V-2.8V is
something of a disappointment, especially since certain memory modules as
the ones from GeIL likes higher voltages. Hopefully, this will be corrected
in the next version of the BIOS. The AGP voltage can also be increased and
the values for this are 1.5-1.65 with 0.05 intervals. The memory ratio is
dependent of the bus speed of the CPU, but naturally DDR400 is the fastest
although it requires a 800 MHz FSB CPU.
If a 533 MHz FSB processor is used, DDR400 cannot be utilized and DDR333 must
be used in return, which on the other hand is more than adequate for such
a CPU. And of course, we’re solely talking about Dual Channel DDR. Last but
not least, we have the AGP/PCI clock frequencies. An array of options can
be set for these or simply just be locked. If we choose to fix the frequencies
for these, we can also specify at which speed they will be locked. 66-96 MHz
is optional, but for the sake of stability we recommend locking them around
66 MHz, at least until we’ve found the optimal configuration for the system.


Overclocking

Below is a tiny
table of the most important settings.

BIOS
settings:
FSB
frequency:
100-412MHz (1MHz intervals)
Multiplier
setting:
AGP
frequency:
Lockable
and definable between 66-96MHz
CPU
voltage:
1.525V-1.90V i 0.025V intervals
DIMM
voltage:
2.5V
– 2.8V i 0.05V intervals
AGP
voltage:
1.5V
– 1.65V (0.05V intervals)

In the Advanced
Chipset Features section we have the ability to set memory preferences. The
fastest timings are 2-5-2-2, whilst the slowest are 3-8-4-4, of which the
latter is extremely dawdling and hardly desirable. Beyond that, the section
looks like they generally do and it has the standard options for AGP Aperture,
AGP 4x/8x and so on. Temperature and voltage monitoring is located in the
PC Health section. It is also possible to set a limit, which imply that the
computer will automatically shut down if the CPU reaches the stated temperature.
The integrated features aren’t few and have thus been placed in a separate
section with sub-menus, in which optimizations and configurations of the different
features can be done with ease.


Advanced Chipset Features

PC Health

OnChip PCI Device

ABIT has once again delivered a horribly good BIOS that features everything
you could possibly want. The only complaint we have is actually that the memory
voltage should be able to go even higher. This is hopefully something we’ll
see in a future BIOS version. This fact made it quite hard to decide which grade
to set, but since BIOS isn’t perfect, we unfortunately can’t give a perfect
grade either.

BIOS/Settings
We
look at the layout of the BIOS and the settings at hand, both for ordinary
use and overclocking.


 

Overclocking

The two IC7 boards turned out to be excellent overclockers,
just as we suspected. The same goes for our 2.4 GHz CPU that shocked us quite
well with its overclocking ability. Since the limitations in the overclocking
was represented by the CPU in both cases, we chose combine this section too.
Both boards clocked equal with same pleasant stability and performance. Check
out the results below.

Almost
one GHz for free. Talk about a processor worth its price! To achieve this
result, we raised the CPU voltage to 1.65V and the memory voltage to 2.8V.
The AGP/PCI clock was of course locked and the memory ratio was set to 5:4.
Lastly, we had to tune in the memory at a tad more generous timings so it
could handle the higher speed. The settings were 2.5-3-6-3 and the whole speed
Dual Channel DDR. Of course, we also ran a couple of benchmarks in the overclocked
condition, but those are to be seen in the end of this review.
The impatient can always use the navigation menu to go there instantly.280
MHz FSB is only a little portion of what the IC7/IC7-G has to give (both boards
clocked equal). We managed to boot even higher, although 280 MHz FSB was the
highest speed out CPU could handle and still retain its stability, without
raising the voltage or use a more advanced cooling solution. The cooler we
used in this test was a Speeze Pantherstream, primarily because of its ease-of-use.
There’s no doubt that both of ABITs Canterwood boards would have taken the
processor a step further with a better cooler.

It
has been awhile since we had this much fun when overclocking a motherboard.
In most cases, it takes a couple of hours or so, an uncountable number of
reboots and perhaps a little bit of CMOS resetting too. But not with IC7/IC7-G.
ABITs SoftMenu and superb motherboard design make life easier for us overclockers.
The only thing we can think of as an impediment is that the slightly low memory
voltage can cause some minor problems regarding the optimal overclocking for
the memory bus. Other than that, we haven’t got any complaints.

Overclocking
Here
we evaluate the mainboards theoretic overclocking potential by the means
of practical tests.



DFI
Lanparty Pro875
: Specifications

Motherboard
chipset :
Intel
875P (MCH) + 82801ER (ICH5R)
Processor
support :
Intel
Pentium 4/Celeron Socket-478, 533/667/800 MHz FSB
Memory
support:
4xDIMM
333/400MHz DDR (MAX 4GB)
Integrated
graphics circuit:
AGP:
1x
AGP 8X
PCI:
5 x 32-bit bus master PCI
IDE
controller:
4
units, ATA 100/66/33
RAID
controller:
HighPoint
372N RAID controller, support for RAID0, 0+1,1 and 1.5
SATA
controller:
2
x S-ATA via southbridge, support for RAID0
Networks
circuit :
Intel
GigabitLAN
Audio
circuit :
6
channel integrated via southbridge, S/PDIF bracket included
FireWire
(IEEE-1394):
USB
2.0:
4
ports on the backpanel + 2 ports via FrontX panel, possibility to
get 2 extra port with an extra bracket
Price:
~
2200 SEK (Exchange rates)

The third motherboard
comes from the manufacturer DFI, which has provided us with a board from
their Lanparty series. The concept of Lanparty signifies, precisely as the
name indicates, that the boards are meant to be desirable for consumers who
likes to show off their computers at LANs or other events. To attain this,
a vast amount of effort has been put on the design and accessories. We’ll
get back to this later. Our motherboard is DFI’s Lanparty board for Intel
processors, but the company is also offering boards intended for AMD CPUs
(among other things based on the KT400A chipset). Regarding the specifications,
they don’t differ much from ABIT’s IC7-G. The main divergence is that DFI
is equipped with a P-ATA RAID controller. This is nothing new and we’ve
seen it many times before, but this time the controller is somewhat special
since it supports RAID1.5. This function allows an imitation of RAID0+1
with only two harddrives, which otherwise requires four (of which two of
the disks are backing up what is written on the disks in the RAID0 array).
So what does a Lanparty motherboard cost compared to other Canterwood boards?

Price
and Accessibility

The price tag
on DFI’s Lanparty is somewhat higher than for ABIT’s IC7-G. This gives the
board a terribly high price, but if you’re looking for a true flagship with
Intel’s GigabitLAN and a maximum of features, you have to be prepared to
pay for it too. The availability for DFI’s Lanparty boards is really good
and all the Swedish retailers have it in stock. The grade gets a tad lower
than for ABIT’s IC7-G because of the relatively big difference in price.

Price/Accessibility
We
compare price with equal products and also accessibility among retailers.


 

Accessories
and features

As the name
indicates, the intended buyers are habitual LAN visitors and modding enthusiasts,
which is clearly visible by judging from the bundled accessories. The fact
that the board is delivered with a whopping amount of extras is concluded
already on the size of the box. When opened up, we can see that DFI cared
to present the accessories in a tasteful and practical manner. Just like
with ABIT, everything is nicely wrapped up in separate boxes. The software
is slightly more extensive than with ABIT though; In addition to necessary
drivers, fullversions of InterVideo Wincinema (WinDVD+WinRip), MacAffe Virusscan
and Winbond Hardware Monitor can be found along with a compact disc with
a small press kit. On the image of the CDs, a Lanparty sticker and a case
badge are also observable.


Prim and proper


Manual etc.


Cords and brackets

In terms of
cables, there are a lot of them enclosed with the Lanparty package. We are
given two S-ATA cables with belonging power cords, one S/PDIF bracket, one
gameport bracket, 2 pcs of rounded ATA133 cables, which reacts on UV light
and at last a 5.25" front panel with connectors for headphones, microphone
and two extra USB ports. The greatest surprise was probably the enclosed
sling which makes carrying around the computer a breeze. I have one myself,
although from the GearGrip manufacturer (the two products are exactly the
same) and I have to admit that it has made all transports of the computer
much easier, particularly since my case is about the largest you can find
these days.


Rounded UV cables


FrontX panel


Carrying case

The FrontX panel is also a nice affair with all of its features,
but unfortunately it isn’t very appreciably attractive aesthetically. The
rounded cables on the other hand are both functional and good-looking and
we praise DFI for their choice of including two IDE cables instead of one,
like ABIT. To conclude, we give you a wealth of photos of how the board is
looking in UV light. Thank God these pictures already were included on the
PR CD-ROM, so I won’t have to take pains by photographing this beauty myself

Regarding features
and accessories, DFI has really managed to patch together a smashing package.
Not only is it very extensive, but above all, everything’s presented in
such a tasteful way. Along with a fairly large window and some UV lightning,
the Lanparty board will spruce up any super-modded case. Physical accessories
come in abundance and we have everything we’d like, and a tad more. If we
really are to find any flaws, we find the lack of a P-ATA->S-ATA converter
disappointing. The hardware features that the board is offering are great
and far from few. The fact that the board has been equipped with an extra
P-ATA RAID controller comes in handy for those who still have a lot of P-ATA
units. The RAID 1.5 function is also an extremely nice bonus. However, DFI’s
board lacks Firewire, which is a pity on otherwise such a complete package.
Except for the lack of Firewire and the P-ATA->S-ATA converter, this
packages is still by far the most impressive we’ve seen in a long time.
The integrated features aboard the board are also terribly good and almost
perfect.

Accessories/Features
We
look at the amount and usability for integrated features and enclosed
accessories.


DFI’s
mainboard is also manufactured on a black PCB but to enhance its aesthetic
qualities they have colored all its larger contacts orange. I personally
though it looked nice, however Undac for example though it looked hideous.

The holder
is located pretty good so there’s alot of space around it on all sides,
except above it where there are a bunch of capacitors. However this should
not be a problem. The 12V contact is located exactly as on the ABIT board.
Not much to criticize there. The ATX contact is located next to the corner
besides the DIMM places. This is good because now the large ATX cable
can’t do that much harm.

The northbridge
on the board doesn’t have an active cooler, instead it has a rather large
passive heatsink. This is more than enough however it may affect the overclocking.
The southbridge is exactly as on the ABIT ICH5R and therefore it supports
SATA RAID0.


LAN


US

As for the AGP places and the memory banks we can easily
establish that there is nothing to complain on.
Here we have plenty of space even for the largest graphic cards. DFIs
AGP lock separates itself from the ones we are used to. Personally I think
that DFIs alternative is better although AGP locks are generally troublesome.

On the picture in the middle we se the connections to
the S-ATA ports, the floppy contact and the two IDE channels which is
run be Highpoints 372N RAID controller. This controller is somewhat different
compared to to RAID0, RAID0+1 and RAID1 since it has support for RAID1.5
which is equivalent to RAID0+1 but with only two harddrives instead of
four.

DFI has probably
glanced a little on ABITs MAX mainboard when they designed the Lanparty
board. For instance it also has Power and Reset switches mounted directly
on the PCB .Something we reviewers and of course fault-localizers will
have most use of.
If you haven’t had enough of all the integrated features one can build
the system further since DFI gives us five PCI places to fill. On the
I/O-panel there are the normal ports; USB, LAN, PS/2 and so on. No ports
for Firewire though. How they could skip ports for Firewire on a so otherwise
complete system is a riddle for me. Oh well, time to summarize everything.

What can
I say? The layout on DFI Lanparty is really really good. It is in the
same class as ABIT, so the grade should be the same right?

Layout/Design
We
have considered the physical but also the esthetical aspects of the
board’s design. User-friendliness is also an important factor.