Final Thoughts And Conclusion

So, what do we think about this board?  Let's take a look at several things:

First off, the performance of the board is just outstanding at default settings!  This board really flies, especially when compared to the P35 boards that are represented in our test results.  It is hard to believe that it performs so well up against the newer P35 boards, but the truth is, it blew them away in much of our testing. It just goes to show what can be done with a mature chipset like the Intel P965 Express!  Not only is this chipset rock solid it also performs with the best of the new chipsets.

The layout is leaves us with nothing bad to say, but we sure wish that the 20-pin power connector would be placed toward the edge of the board. 

Overclocking is not bad... if you don't expect much.  Previous experience has shown us that the 965 boards are really good overclockers, but it not the case here as the AsRock 4Core1333-Viiv motherboard was not designed for overclocking.  This one could have been a bit more overclocking friendly, but the BIOS lacked  voltage adjustment.  Overlcocking could have set this board apart from others, and given buyers a reason to stay with an older chipset because of its performance and reliability.  But that did not happen here.

That leaves us with price.  The price of the board is right around $100-$115 if you can find the board.  For that price, there are a few P35 boards that you can get that will offer some of the latest technology and a newer southbridge chipset, at an even cheaper price, that will overclock just as good if not better.

Legit Bottom Line:  ASRock has a great performing board in the 4Core1333-Viiv... at stock settings.  This board is just a little to late to the game to be a serious contender in an already over-crowded market.

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