Gigabyte GA-8KNXP Ultra: Top Class At A Top Price, Continued
This manufacturer sets standards in design with its high-quality packaging and clear illustrations.
A unique feature is the extra pluggable voltage controller DPS2, which should especially appeal to overclocking fans. There is a three-phase controller on the board - when combined with the additional module DPS2, a six-phase controller is produced, or even a dual three-phase controller, if required.
Compared to the last test, the jumper has been removed on the module for parallel and backup mode. This function is now available in the BIOS. Six-phase operation is recommended for high-current loads. The temperature of the CPU fan is regulated by the Smart fan and can be adjusted via the BIOS. Other features worth mentioning are the traditional dual BIOS, ICH5 RAID and IDE RAID. To relieve the data traffic on the Southbridge, Gigabyte has connected the Gigabit LAN using CSA technology.
Additional voltage converter for six-phase operation.
Another point about the BIOS: the extended settings for overclocking are only available with the key combination CTRL + F1. In spite of having the highest density of components in the test field, the purchaser of this mega board must do without a FireWire (IEEE1394). In the end there was no room left for this. Our experiences with the GA-8KNXP were not always positive. Considerable problems arose with the AGP, so that some 3D benchmarks were not executable. A manufacturer's BIOS update remedied this deficiency in the course of the test.
View of the connections.
