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Abit AN78GS Motherboard

Author:	Justin Washick
Date:	2008.09.26
Topic:	Motherboards
Provider:	Abit
Manufacturer:	Abit

Introduction:

Packaging:

The packaging is that which you can normally expect when unpacking your shiny new motherboard. It is without cushioning but snug, with the contents organized to avoid a lot of movement during shipping. The box itself presents attractive artwork that could easily catch a consumer's eye while sitting on the shelf.

Contents	Motherboard Unveiled

Included with the motherboard are a driver CD, two SATA cables, a power adapter to convert a Molex style connector to a SATA power plug, an IDE cable, case plate, and the standard manual. The power adapter and IDE cable are pleasant to see included, only because there is a lot of legacy equipment that continues to be serviceable, such as my IDE-based optical drive.

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Specifications:
	4 Phase OC-PWMs - Longer service life, greater stability The 4- phase PWM layout provides sufficient power and great stability for AM2+/AM2 CPU and offers higher over-clocking potential
	Memory - More voltage stability with higher quality capacitors With the high quality capacitors, this additional 1 phase PWM can enhance the voltage stability delivered to DDR2 memory modules.
	abit Silent OTES - Black Edition! Keep it cool & quiet! Through this unique abit engirneered Silent-OTES heat-pipe design, heat generated by the chipset can be efficiently and noiselessly dissipated.
	CPU AMD AM2+/ AM2 Processor using Hyper Transport™ Technology for up to 5200MT/s * AM2+ running HT3.0 5200MT/s * AM2 running HT1.0 2000MT/s AMD Cool 'n' Quiet Technology
	Chipset NVIDIA GeForce 8200 chipset
	Memory 4 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support max. memory capacity 8GB Supports Dual channel DDR2 1066/ 800/ 667 Un-buffered ECC/ Non-ECC memory *DDR2 1066 is supported by CPU AM2+ only
	Graphics Integrated GeForce 8 series graphics DirectX 10 with Shader Model 4.0 support NVIDIA® Hybrid SLI technology NVIDIA® PureVideo HD with hardware H.264, VC1, and MPEG4 video decode NVIDIA®  nView® multi-display technology capability, with two independent display controllers for the CRT, HDMI/DVI interfaces
	Audio On board 7.1 CH HD Audio CODEC
	Expension Slots 1 x PCI-E X16 (PCI Express 2.0) 2 x PCI-E X1 3 x PCI
	LAN On board GbE LAN
	Internal I/O 1 x Floppy Port supports up to 2.88MB 1 x Ultra DMA 133/ 100/ 66/ 33 IDE Connector 4 x USB2.0 header (support 8 ports) 6 x SATA 3Gb/s connector
	Back Panel 1 x PS/2 Keyboard 1 x HDMI, 1 x VGA, 1 x DVI 1 x RCA out 4 x USB2.0, 1 x RJ-45 LAN Connector 7.1 CH HD Audio connector (Front, Line-in, MIC-in, Center/Subwoofer, Surround, Read Surround)
	Serial SATA 6 x SATA 3Gb/s Supports SATA RAID 0/ 1/ 0+1/5 and JBOD
	Form Factor ATX form factor 305x220 mm
	RoHS 100% lead-free process and RoHS compliant
	abit SoftMenu™ The original jumperless motherboard design allows for CPU setting changes completely through the BIOS. For GigaOverclocking! Boost your PC's Performance by up to 50%. Convenient and easy-to-use fine tuning from within a self-explanatory BIOS menu.
	abit EQ The abit EQ is a self-diagnostic system that protects PC hardware by monitoring voltages, CPU & system fans speed, and CPU/system temperature. With new generation abit EQ interface, you are going to have a yet more user-friendly experience.

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A Closer Look:

CPU and Sink installed	PCI ports

Video card installed	RAM installed

Exterior ports

The case plate is a snug fit with the motherboard ports and does not allow the USB ports to easily slide in, but it is not difficult to work around this. Additionally, I don't have any tools to snip off the tabs that originally blocked the LAN and HDMI ports, thus I left them folded up.

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BIOS:

Defaults	Changing to User Define

Settings can be changed	Increasing CPU voltage

The above images show the process of pressing "Enter" at CPU Operating Speed and at Voltages Control, which allows you to change to the User Define option. It's at this point that you can set your own values to get the most out of your hardware.

I only have an image of the CPU Core Voltage screen, but the principles will be similar for all aspects. Within this section, you do not have have to know the voltage at which the CPU is currently running and need only ramp up gradually (for this section, adding 0.025V incrementally) from the default until you've reached a stable point at which you are comfortable. And as always, be cautious.

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Conclusion:

There are several aspects to this motherboard that are appealing to the consumer. The SoftMenu allows for intuitive overclocking and combined with the Hybrid SLI capability and other added features, this is a solid motherboard for the power-user on a budget.

Overall, the AN78GS is a good option for those who want a solid foundation for an up-to-date system. It is affordable and the Hybrid SLI capability helps to provide the added benefit of not paying for an onboard chip set that would otherwise become moot if you also bought a new graphics cards. By getting a supported graphics card, you can get your desired graphics performance without spending as much as many other consumers. Priced at around $100, this is a good choice to build a solid system.

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