DFI LanParty UT CFX3200-DR

We were somewhat impressed with the design and layout of the DFI LANPARTY UT CFX3200-DR. The use of yellow on the various slots, a dark PCB, and orange on two of the DIMM slots, gives the board a very unique look that is instantly recognizable.

Taking a closer look Lots of little features to be found

The motherboard's layout is generally good and we had no clearance issues to speak of when installing our reference hardware. We should also note that the fan used on the Southbridge chip is hardly audible, which can be a selling point for some.

We're glad to see that DFI has included two 1x PCI-E slots on their board, as more and more companies are starting to offer their components in PCI-E flavor. As PCI is still alive and kicking, DFI has also outfitted the LANPARTY UT CFX3200-DR three PCI slots. Another major selling point of this board are the 8 available on-board SATA ports, which support various RAID arrays through the Southbridge and Silicon Image controllers.

As for the included package contents, we're sure enthusiasts will find plenty to be pleased about. Gone are the flat IDE cables, as DFI has included two yellow round IDE cables and one round floppy cable. For SATA use, you will find four SATA data cables, as well as two serial ATA power adapters. For software, a RAID driver disk is included, and also a utility CD that contains all the necessary drivers to get the board up and running properly within Windows. A comprehensive user's manual is included, as well as a quick installation guide. Finally, DFI has included a Karajan audio module that can be plugged in to enable the on-board audio. We like the inclusion of this module, as it gives users the option remove the on-board audio codec in favor of a dedicated sound card, and moving the audio chip to a separate riser should also decrease the amount of electrical noise transmitted through the various outputs.