XFX nForce 630i GeForce 7150 Motherboard

Performance Summary: XFX's nForce 630i GeForce 7150 motherboard, the MG-630I-7159, performed in line with our expectations for the most part. In most benchmarks, it performed as well as the nForce 650i chipset (when the GeForce 8800 GT was installed). The main exception to this showed up in memory performance, which is due to the MG-630I-7159's single-channel memory architecture. We found the onboard graphics performance to be acceptable overall, but the GeForce 7150's power is not meant for intense gaming, as the benchmarks showed.
 

As we mentioned towards the beginning of this article, we wondered if the MG-630I-7159 would be a good HTPC motherboard when it first hit the lab.  And after spending some time with it, we definitely think this motherboard would be a great candidate for an Intel-based HTPC. 

Although we wish the memory and onboard graphics performance were better, we were pleased with the features and overall experience that the MG-630I-7159 provided. XFX went beyond the absolute basics that we typically find on an entry-level board by adding the onboard power and reset switches, the diagnostic LED error reporter, and eSATA. Additionally, the BIOS offers a decent set of overclocking and tweaking options. We were also pleasantly surprised to see three video output options, which included HDMI.

For an entry-level motherboard, we feel the MG-630I-7159 offers a strong feature set, and it is worth its current $90 street price. The bundle isn't very exciting, but that is to be expected of an entry-level product liks this. Plus, the basic bundle helps keep the price down. If you want good gaming performance, all you have to do is add a mid-range discreet graphics card, and all of the sudden, this entry-level board becomes a decent gaming platform.