Conclusion
We are happy to report that we did not uncover any serious weaknesses in our tests. A decision to purchase and use any of these four boards is therefore likely to be unproblematic. Those looking for the highest performance with maximum features should opt for the Asus P5AD2, which we chose as our reference from the benchmark results. Unfortunately, it is also extremely expensive.
Incidentally, receiving BIOS updates that can completely change performance relationships at a stroke is an all too common occurrence for us. For this reason, we continue to recommend that you do not rely too greatly on the benchmark results but concentrate rather on the specifications and how they meet your particular needs.
You will quickly realize that manufacturers often try to create a niche market for each of their new products by designing these to appeal to specific customer groups.
For example, Biostar has designed its board for the advanced user and offers a total of four Gigabit Ethernet ports as well as numerous connection options - a specification that will be at home with most network scenarios.
DFI has designed its product to appeal to gamers, overclockers and case modders. No wonder then, that the 925X-T2 is easily the "coolest" board in this review. Its range of accessories met with a positive response, particularly the carrying strap, which you will no doubt find indispensable as you take your machine from one LAN party to another.
Epox has targeted PC users who want to keep abreast of the latest technologies by regularly upgrading their computer one stage at a time. This is evident from the DDR1 memory, the four PCI slots and the additional UltraATA/133 controller and built-in graphics. The latter will suffice until the funds become available for a separate graphics card along the lines of an ATI Radeon X800 or NVIDIA GeForce 6800.
As far as the processor is concerned, we would certainly advise against choosing a fast model, as the huge increase in heat you get with these models is not worth the small amount of extra performance they deliver. Nowadays, 2.8 GHz to 3.2 GHz is certainly fast enough.
