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Gigabyte GA-P35-DQ6 Review
[Abstract]
IntroductionWhen Intel first launched their P965 (Broadwater) chipset, the first motherboard we managed to get our hands on was the Gigabyte GA-965P-DQ6, an over-engineered motherboard with a v...
[Content] PCDigitalMobileGame
Features
Since it has been a while since our preview of the GA-P35-DQ6, we'll do a quick refresh of its features. You can still access our original preview here though. The Gigabyte GA-P35-DQ6 follows the tradition of its predecessors of being the most feature-filled board in Gigabyte's lineup. As one of Gigabyte's new Ultra Durable 2 motherboards, the GA-P35-DQ6 will feature Ferrite chokes and Low RDS(on) MOSFETs in addition to its full solid capacitor design just like the rest of the family (see review of GA-P35-DS3R and GA-P35C-DS3R for details).
The 6-Quad technologies haven't really changed over time and the GA-P35-DQ6 still carries the same features that was in the original GA-965P-DQ6, if only slightly modified. Of the six 'Quad' features, only two are proper features that stands out from the competition. The first on the list is its famous 12-phase PWM design. While this has not been changed at all, it is now been coupled with Ferrite chokes and Low RDS(on) MOSFETs, making the GA-P35-DQ6 one of the most reliable boards in the market for extreme overclocking and high-power processor support.
Gigabyte 'DQ6' boards still the only 12-phase PWM around. |
The second feature is more if a visual experience. Gigabyte's original Quad Cooling heat-pipe design was really just a regular (nondescript by today's standards) low profile, four-piece heat-pipe that covered the chipsets and MOSFETs. It also featured an additional heatsink on back of the motherboard called Crazy Cool. The Quad Cooling design on the new GA-P35-DQ6 on the other hand can only be described as a hotel construction replica. Maybe we'll see a automobile replica in the next version, or perhaps Gigabyte is starting a trend with motherboard coolers similar to topiary (MSI's new Circu-Pipe resembles a roller coaster track as well).
Full view of the GA-P35-DQ6 cooling system. |
MSI has a roller coaster, Gigabyte constructs a hotel. |
New Crazy Cool back panel. |
Regardless, this thing is 'huge', with plenty of pipes running all over. Surprisingly though, there is no longer an extra pipe that feeds the Crazy Cool plate at the back. Despite the size and complexity of the new Silent-Pipe design, its performance on the GA-P35-DQ6 is regular at best. Some might consider it good, but the P35 chipset in general has been known to be a lot cooler than the P965 and the additional size of the cooler just seems to go to waste. Impressive, but MSI's slim Circu-Pipe does the job just as well, if not better. On a side note, Gigabyte has actually released a Rev. 1.1 version of their P35 DQ6 boards and while we do not have the actual changes, it does seem that they're using smaller, less elaborate cooling.
GA-P35-DQ6 Rev. 1.1 stock picture from Gigabyte shows a different and smaller Silent-Pipe design. |
When it comes to features, the GA-P35-DQ6 is rather a simple board, just like its predecessor. Unlike the over-the-top approach that Gigabyte went with for their NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI DQ6 board (GA-N680SLI-DQ6), the GA-P35-DQ6 plays well with the strengths of the chipset and does not crowd itself with too many components. In this, the board only has one Gigabit LAN port (Realtek RTL8111B), one FireWire controller (Texas Instruments TSB43AB23) and one additional storage controller to provide the needed IDE port and two extra SATA 3.0Gbps ports (Gigabyte SATA2). As usual, this is a relabeled JMicron JMB363 chip. Like the GA-P35-DS3R, the DQ6 also features the Realtek ALC889A HD Audio CODEC. While not exactly the X-Fi onboard like MSI, the ALC889A is the newest high-end audio chip from Realtek that supports DTS Connect and Full Rate Audio from HD sources like HD DVD and Blu-ray.
Layout
The Gigabyte GA-P35-DQ6 has a pretty clean layout design when you look at an empty board. Components are sectioned out and well-spaced apart. However, the huge cooler may get in the way, especially when Gigabyte wants to go for a full 7-slot expansion layout. Note, that this is no longer a problem if you have a Rev. 1.1 board that has a smaller cooler. There may also be a potential problem if you're gunning for a Crossfire configuration with full length cards. The main SATA ports are positioned below the second PCIe x16 slot.
Seven expansion slots and as expected of a high-end board, there are dual PCIe x16 for CrossFire compatibility and multi-GPU setups. |
SATA ports just below the second PCIe x16 slot may pose an issue if you utilize a dual GPU setup. |
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