Final Thoughts And Conclusion
So what did we think of these boards? Its really a mixed bag.
First off, the layout of the boards are ok. Both have the nagging and annoying issue of having the 20 pin power connector right in the middle of the board, but other than that, there is no other issue.
The bundles are mediocre for the ConRoe1333-eSATA2 to nearly non-existent for the ConRoe1333-D667. Not that you get much more than that these days, but it just feels like something is lacking when you open the box up.
The performance of the boards need to talked about individually. The 1333-D667 is a so-so board in this area. it is not going to impress anyone, but it will get the job done for the intended consumer, which is the budget and HTPC builder. The 1333-eSATA2 on the other hand just surprised us to death with its ability to outscore many of the other boards that are represented in our scores. Once again, what makes it even more surprising is the fact that it does it with only having the ability to run at ddr667 speeds.
Overclocking sucked on both boards. Can't say it any plainer than that. It was almost non-existent, so do not bother buying either board if that is something you are looking to do. Overclocking is neutered due to the lack of voltage options in the BIOS. Could that be fixed? Likely. Will it be? Likely not.
So, with that all out of the way, the last area is pricing. The 1333-D667 will come in at right around $60. The 1333-eSATA2 is not on the net yet, but looking at comparable boards from ASRock, I am betting the price will be right at $90-100. These prices are not bad at all. The D667 board is certainly aggressively priced and makes for a very inexpensive build. The eSATA2 board is also priced nice, considering that it is able to run Crossfire. So overall, pricing is good.
Legit Bottom Line: ASRock has released two boards here that really are not earth shattering in performance or features. They will appeal to the budget builder, and if that is you, than take a look at these. If it is not you... keep looking.
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