DFI announces gaming board for Intel's Pentium-M processors

Hayward (CA) - DFI claims its new green motherboard for Intel's Pentium-M notebook processor, formerly code-named Dothan, does not only work more power-efficient, but also can outperform traditional desktop processors systems.

Targeting primarily the "energy-conscious" crowd among enthusiasts, the firm's existing LANPartyUT series of motherboards has been extended with the model 855GME-MGF. The board is based on the standard micro ATX form factor and supports socket 479 Pentium M and Celeron M processors with 90nm Dothan or the preceding 130nm Banias core.

The board is built-around Intel's 855GME/6300 ESB and can be equipped with low latency DDR333 memory and AGP 4X graphic cards. It can be operated "virtually fan less" and therefore is suited for applications such as small home servers, home theater PCs, or gaming systems, according to DFI.

DFI claims that a Pentium-M processor overclocked to 2.8 GHz outperformed an Athlon 64 4000+ system in a Doom 3 640x480 LQ benchmark by more than ten percent. A regular 2 GHz Dothan chip outpaced a Pentium 4 3.6 GHz, while a tested Celeron-M-based system nearly achieved the same performance as a Pentium 4 3.2 GHz system.

The board will go on sale on November 8, according to DFI.