The Epox EP-5P945 Pro motherboard has three 32-bit PCI, two PCI Express x1 slots and two PCI Express x16 videocard slot (in black). The front panel audio header is to the left of the PCI slots. It's used for cases that support front panel audio jacks.

The Port 80 diagnostics card has long been a standard feature of Epox motherboards, and the alpha-numeric codes it spits out are a favourite with enthusiasts and overclockers alike. If the PC stalls, the corresponding two digit port 80 code can be looked up in a chart at the back of the user manual to discover what the problem is. The four Serial ATA, IDE and floppy drive connectors are all located in an excellent position, out of the way of the other system devices. Don't put that manual away just yet, you'll need it when connecting the front I/O header.

Up to 4GB of DDR2-667/533/400 memory can be installed on the EP-5P945 Pro motherboard. The Intel 945P Northbridge generates a moderate amount of heat and can be cooled with a passive aluminum heatsink.

Space around the CPU socket is a bit tight due to the close proximity of the power connectors and Northbridge heatsink. You won't have any problems with coolers that are similar in size as the stock heatsink but after market or larger models may run into trouble. The Intel 945P Express chipset supports all current Socket 775 processors on the market along with the capabilities of running 533/800/1066 MHz FSBs.

There is plenty of space between the PCI Express x16 slots that you can install videocards with larger heatsinks. It's important to note, if you decide to take advantage of the dual videocard option, you must move the two sets of jumpers next to the PCI Express x1 slots to divert those PCI Express lanes to the second videocard.

Up next we'll be putting the Epox EP-5P945 Pro motherboard through a couple rounds of gaming and office oriented benchmarks, but first PCSTATS we toss our hat into the overclocking ring and see where this motherboard takes us...