nForce 4 SLI Motherboard Round-Up

Gigabyte GA-K8NXP-SLI: Specification & Bundle

The first motherboard we've got on tap for you today is Gigabyte's K8NXP-SLI.  Gigabyte loaded this motherboard up with such a comprehensive list of integrated peripherals, and included so many extras, that they have to ship it in two boxes.  The main package folds open to reveal a list of features and awards, and each side holds its own box; one is for the motherboard itself and the other is for all of the cables, manuals, software, and accessories included with the K8NXP-SLI.

   

Specifications of the Gigabyte GA-K8NXP-SLI
Tons O' Fun

Processor
_Socket 939 supports AMD Athlon64 / 64 FX

Chipset
_NVIDIA nForce4 SLI MCPs (media and communication processors)
_Super I/O: ITE IT8712 chip

Integrated peripherals
_Silicon Image sil 3114 controller
_T.I. IEEE1394b controller
_Marvell 8053 Gigabit Ethernet controller
_CICADA8201 Gigabit LAN PHY chip
_Realtek ALC850 Audio AC'97 Codec

Memory
_Type: Dual channel DDR400 / 333/ 266 (184pin)
_Max capacity: Up to 4GB by 4 DIMM slots

Internal I/O Connectors
_8 x Serial ATA connector (4 X Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s)
_2 x UDMA ATA 133/100/66 Bus Master IDE connectors
_1 x FDD connector
_3 x USB 2.0/1.1 connectors (supports 6 ports)
_2 x IEEE 1394b connectors (supports 3 ports)
_3 x cooling fan pin headers
_CD in

Expansion Slots
_2 x PCI-Express X 16 slot, supports two PCI-Express interface
_Graphics cards with SLI mode
_2 x PCI-Express X 1 slots
_2 x PCI slots (PCI 2.3 compliant)

H/W Monitoring
_System health status auto-detect and report by BIOS
_Hardware detecting and reporting for case open, CPU voltage, and fan speed

Rear Panel I/O
_4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
_2 x RJ45 ports
_Audio (4 x Line-out / 1 x Line-in / 1 x MIC) connector
_Coaxial S/PDIF input/ output function
_PS/2 Keyboard / Mouse
_1 x COM port
_1 x LPT

CPU/AGP/DIMM setting
_CPU HT / Multiplier / Vcore Voltage adjustable via BIOS
_PCI-ExpessX16 Voltage / Clock adjustable via BIOS
_DIMM Voltage / Clock adjustable via BIOS

Power
_ATX power connector and ATX 12V connector
_Power-off by Windows 98 / Me / 2000 / XP shut down and switch

Form Factor
_ATX form factor
_30.5 x 24.4 cm

BIOS
_2 X 4M bit flash ROM
_Award BIOS

Other Features
_NVIDIA SLI multi-GPU support
_Dual Power System (DPS)
_802.11g compatible Wireless adapter
_Support NVIDIA Firewall
_Norton Internet Security
_Download Center
_Xpress Installation
_Xpress Recovery
_Q-Flash
_@BIOS


   

   

 

Gigabyte shipped a very complete assortment of manuals, cables, brackets and accessories with the K8NXP-SLI.  Gigabyte included a pair of driver/utility CDs, a detailed hardware installation guide and a quick reference pamphlet, along with two fairly large user's manuals that outline the motherboard's main features, clearly explain how to fully utilize K8NXP-SLI's RAID functions, and also explain how to use the bundled wireless 802.11g LAN card.  The RAID manual is a welcome addition because this board has multiple RAID controllers and has the ability to set up RAID arrays across both the SATA and PATA controllers.  With this added layer of complexity, having a manual to reference while configuring an array is a definite plus.  There were also a total of eight SATA cables, four Molex-to-SATA power adapters, a floppy cable, and an 80-Wire IDE cable included with this board, along with a custom I/O shield and three additional case brackets.  The case brackets give users access to an additional four USB connectors and four FireWire connectors. There was also an SLI connector included with the board, and Gigabyte's proprietary DPS (Dual Power System) riser card.  The DPS riser card upgrades the K8NXP-SLI to a 6-Phase power array, which should help with stability in extreme circumstances where a 3-Phase array may be stressed beyond its normal limits.


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