Epox EP-4SDA+
Board Revision:
BIOS Version:
The EP-4SDA+ ran our test processor (Pentium 4 2 GHz) at a whopping 2093 MHz, which is clearly over the top! Still, the factory-overclocking did not bring any advantages, and this board ends up "only" in the middle of the pack. This is pretty clear evidence that high clock speeds alone do not automatically make a fast system. Here, there's quite a bit of space for optimization - usually, a BIOS update should correct this.
Without a doubt, this board has potential. There are 6 PCI slots, 3 DIMM sockets and an AC97 sound system, plus an IDE RAID controller from HighPoint. You also get Epox's debug system which consists of a two-digit display that indicates the system state during the entire boot process. For example, if the system hangs during the memory test, you will be able to read the hex code and look it up in a table included in the box. This kind of troubleshooting is both efficient and elegant.
Epox includes an AGP card lock, which is useful for those who occasionally need to transport the computer. The layout is elaborate, though not perfect. Having all four IDE ports at one place saves space on the board, but makes it difficult to attach all four cables. At the lower edge of this board is the floppy cable. This might look odd, but it makes it easy to put the cable behind the motherboard.
