Gigabyte GA-8IPE1000 i865PE Motherboard Review
I have to
admit, getting a Pentium4 motherboard based on the Intel i865PE chipset
really does offer a lot of value for the buck. I suppose it's not surprising then
that the demand for Springdale motherboards is pretty solid these days, in spite of
attempts by SiS, and now VIA, to undermine it with more economical chipsets like the
655FX and PT880. In this review, PCstats tests out a new i865PE-based motherboard from Gigabyte, called
the GA-8IPE1000 Pro2.
The GA-8IPE1000
Pro2 is Gigabyte's first motherboard with 'CIA' technology (CPU Intelligent Accelerator) which is very similar to MSI's
'dynamic overclocking functions' found in the 865PE Neo2-FIS2R. We'll delve into that
a bit more later in the review.
The GA-8IPE1000 Pro2 is PAT enabled with
it's special MIB (Memory Intelligent Booster), and as you'll see in the
benchmarks the board is indeed very speedy! The board itself is lean on the accessories just
how most enthusiasts like it.
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Gigabyte GA-8IPE1000 Pro2 |
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| Includes: |
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Ultra/133 Cables, 2x Serial ATA Cables, FDD Cable, 2x
Serial ATA Power Cables, Driver CD, I/O Back Plate, Users
Manual
Brackets: Audio
Bracket, USB/IEEE 1394 Bracket |
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The only
real onboard options (ie. items not already included on the southbridge) are
Intel CSA Gigabit LAN, IEEE 1394, 5.1 channel audio and of course
Gigabyte's standard dual BIOS'. There is native Serial
ATA support thanks to the Intel ICH5 Southbridge, but seeing as that all i865/i875 chipsets support
it, we no longer consider it an extra feature. The board is pretty expandable with
its five PCI slots and lone 8x AGP port.
The
GA-8IPE1000 Pro2 features a concise set of capabilities,
but in this way Gigabyte saves you money and allows you to select what devices you
want in your PC instead of integrating them. For instance, if you're not going to
use RAID why spend the money on that feature?
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