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Gigabyte GA-MA790GP-UD4H Review

Date: 2009-7-4

[Abstract]
   IntroductionThere is sufficient anecdotal evidence and hard numbers to show that AMD is gradually clawing its way back in the CPU stakes. Part of the reason probably has to do with its Phenom I...

[Content] PCDigitalMobileGame

Conclusion

As our benchmarks here have shown, the differences between DDR2 and DDR3 memory are really not that significant, especially when we're talking about real life situations where it's even harder to quantify than in a controlled environment like synthetic benchmarks. So if you have been wondering whether to upgrade to an AM2+ or AM3 board for the Phenom II, our advice is to go for whichever fits your budget.

Since the Phenom II can fit into either type of boards, it's unlikely to matter for users who are not into overclocking or high-end setups. The Gigabyte MA790GP-UD4H we saw today is an example of a well-made AM2+ board that can compete with the best AM3 equivalents. Besides the Ultra Durable 3 feature and some minor changes, it's essentially similar to another of Gigabyte's 790GX motherboard, the DS4H version.

Gigabyte GA-MA790GP-UD4H Review
It may lack some of the frills of Gigabyte's higher end models but the important features are there.

Features are as expected on a mainstream AMD 790GX motherboard, with the lack of eSATA the only obvious failing for a modern motherboard. Gigabyte's proprietary technologies and software tools, whether you find it useful or not, are included too. We do have high marks for how the board responds to a failed boot due to improper BIOS settings.

It's also not too shabby when it comes to overclocking, with the highest bus speed that we have managed for this class of AMD motherboards. Our complaint here would be the less than ideal layout on this board, with some ports in potentially inaccessible areas of the board.

Finally, at US$119, it is a far cry from the prices that you'll be expected to fork out for enthusiast grade motherboards but a check with online retailers showed AM3 motherboards to be going for a similar range of prices, with at most ten dollars difference between this Gigabyte board and other AM3 boards. In which case, it boils down to whether you're willing to stump up the price difference for DDR3 memory. In short, it weakens the proposition of this motherboard, since we believe there's a group of DIY consumers who are likely to go for the newer technology (DDR3) given similar motherboard prices. By itself, it's a decent motherboard with features and convenience to match but we would have hoped for a more attractive price point.





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