Seven 650i SLI Motherboards Compared

BIOS And Overclocking

The Fatal1ty FP-IN9 SLI supports an extreme range of CPU core voltage levels far beyond anything needed to reach a processor's maximum potential. The DRAM selections are a little more conservative but still high enough to reach beyond the stability limits of most memory. The FSB frequency selection also goes well beyond chipset capabilities. Exceeding the need is never a bad thing, so long as owners overclock responsibly.

The Fatal1ty FP-IN9 SLI was completely stable at this processor's previously-discovered 3460 MHz limit at 1.50V, and went further to an acceptable 408 MHz bus (FSB1616) by dropping its multiplier to 6x. Remembering that our pre-retail E6700 doesn't have the same FSB capabilities of modern samples, we were still hoping to reach at least 450 MHz bus clock.

Accessories

The Fatal1ty FP-IN9 SLI includes nearly every internal cable the builder might use, except for a second ATA133 cable. Abit even includes a floppy cable, though the board's floppy connector position means the company obviously doesn't expect you to use it.

With no support for serial or parallel ports the lack of any breakout cables isn't surprising. The front panel bays of most cases are adequate for using up the front panel audio and two internal USB connections.

Prices for the Abit Fatal1ty FP-IN9 SLI start at around $130.