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Despite a bit of
a delay at the release of the nForce2 chipset, nVidia appears to have learned their lessons well
and have not made the same mistakes twice.
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The Epox 8RGA+
| epox 8rga+
motherboard |
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Ships with the
following:
- IDE ATA66/100
Cable
- FDD Cable
- Driver CD
- User Manual
- Quick Install
Guide
- Rear I/O Back
Panel
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| Brackets: |
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Game Port
Bracket
IEEE 1394
Bracket |
There's only so many times we can talk about the same
motherboard.... as you no doubt noticed, the 8RGA+ looks almost identical to the
Epox's own 8RDA+ and the FIC AU11. The feature set between the motherboards are
the same (10/100 LAN, 5.1 audio, IEEE 1394) but this time the 8RGA+ has an
integrated GeForce4 MX as well.
As you
probably noticed in the rear I/O picture the 8RGA+ sports dual 15 pin analog monitor connectors! We're
talking about dual monitors here baby! The Epox 8RGA+ is the only motherboard on the market that
has this very cool option.
We were happy to see that Epox decided to put a heatsink on
the MCP southbridge. It's a shame that they kept the same Northbridge cooling
though, that's the first thing overclockers will be replacing. To help keep
things a bit more stable, Epox decided to add the ATX12V power connector to the
motherboard. This seems to be optional though as we ran the 8RGA+ with no
problems with only the main ATX power connector plugged in. Please keep in mind,
your mileage may vary and you may find that you need to use the ATX12V to keep
your system stable.
Like dual BIOS's, every manufacturer should equip their
motherboards with Port 80 diagnostics cards. I don't mind paying the price
premium for such a handy tool! Nowadays when I test a motherboard without a Port 80 card, I seem to get frustrated
easier. I guess the Port 80 spoiled me too much. =)
In terms of overclocking the 8RGA+ is one of the best. Epox
build upon the 8RDA+ and adds VDD adjustments (up to 2.0V) with the
8RGA+!
The Epox 8RGA+ is a bit on the expensive side at $135 CDN ($100 US) but you're sure to be
happy if you get the motherboard!
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