GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R Motherboard Review

 GA-EP45-DS3R (rev. 1.0)

Intel^® P45 + ICH10R Chipset

1. Revolution energy saving design with DES Advanced featuring hardware based Dynamic 6-Gear switching
2. Supports 45nm Intel^® Core™ 2 multi-core processors with FSB 1600 MHz
3. Dual channel DDR2 1200 for remarkable system performance
4. 2 PCI-E 2.0 x16 graphic interface with CrossFireX support for ultimate graphics performance
5. Built-in TPM chip with 2048bits encryption to highest level digital data protection
6. 2 Gigabit Ethernet LAN with Teaming functionality
7. Supports Dolby Home Theater^® audio to create a stunning surround sound listening experience.
8. DualBIOS solution gives a multiple security to the system
9. Hardware Overvoltage Control IC Provides more voltage control options on CPU, North bridge and memory
10. Blu-ray playback outputs supported by high quality 106dB SNR ALC889A HD audio

(Note) This motherboard is designed with VRD11.1 power phase, and cannot be compatible with VRD10 designed CPU. Please refer to “CPU Support List” for details.

Based on the new Intel P45 chipset, GA-EP45-DS3R delivers a record setting 1600MHz Front Side Bus for the latest Intel® Core 2™ multi-core processors, including 45nm CPUs. With supporting dual channel DDR2 up to 1200MHz. GA-EP45-DS3R is equipped to support ATI CrossFireX™ Technology with dual PCI Express 2.0 x8 interfaces, delivering double the PCI Express bandwidth of 5 Gbit/s for the ultimate in extreme gaming performance. GA-EP45-DS3R also delivers several advanced GIGABYTE innovations including the DES Advanced, Ultra Durable 2, Ultra TPM design which provide optimized power savings, ultra cooling and ultra secure data protection.
		Smaller, Faster and More Efficient GA-EP45-DS3R motherboards paired with Intel 45nm CPUs deliver the very best platform for multitasking, multimedia and high performance gaming. Not only do GIGABYTE’s latest motherboards based on Intel Eaglelake chipsets all support Intel’s new generation, 45nm multi-core processors.
		Dual Channel DDR2 1200 Experience the advanced technology of DDR2 1200 memory, featuring faster speeds and higher data bandwidth, which delivers superior performance for the most demanding applications. * Please refer “Memory Support List” for memory support information
		PCI-E 2.0 Graphic Interface PCI-E 2.0 doubles the bus standard’s bandwidth from 2.5 Gbit/s to 5 Gbit/s, meaning a x32 connector can transfer data at up to 16 GB/s in each direction. PCIe 2.0 also features improvements to the point-to-point data transfer protocol and its software architecture.
		ATI CrossFireX With support for ATI CrossFireX, GIGABYTE pushes the envelope once again by delivering highly optimized performance and flexibility demanded by power users and extreme gaming enthusiasts. Designed to provide unmatched multi-GPU support with dual PCI Express connectivity, the GA-EP45-DS3R allows users to take advantage of the ultra smooth 3D rendering, blazing-fast frame rates and enhanced visual quality possible with a dual graphics card solution. Attention: When attempting to enable ATI CrossfireX Technology on this board. In case of unable to get Crossfire Technology working normally, please make sure to use ATI graphic cards that have hardware Crossfire bridge. (Please refer to ATI official website for more Crossfire Technology supporting details: ( http://ati.amd.com/technology/crossfire/charts.html)
		Dolby Home Theater® – Enjoy a Rich Home Theater Surround Sound Experience Dolby Home Theater places listeners in the middle of the action, giving their PCs a powerful set of tools to deliver a cinema-style experience in vivid surround sound. Delivers vivid surround sound for music, movies, and games, using two to eight speakers or any set of headphones Designed to automatically deliver the best possible listening experience
		Dynamic Energy Saver Advanced GIGABYTE Dynamic Energy Saver Advanced provides better energy saving capabilities and enhanced system performance. GIGABYTE Dynamic Energy Saver Advanced is the world’s only motherboard energy saving technology with hardware-based Dynamic 6-Gear* Switching. With support for VRD 11.1, GIGABYTE’s DES Advanced allows the motherboard to switch to 1 Gear phase switching during idle, allowing for a dramatic increase in power savings. GIGABYTE has also retooled Dynamic Energy Saver to allow overclockers to experience the benefits of multi-gear power phase switching while overclocking, providing ultra stable, ultra smooth overclocking performance. * The 6-Gear feature may vary by model. Gear 1 phase switching requires 45nm processors with PSI signal enabled.
		Ultra Durable 2 -Designed with Top Quality Highly Efficient Components Ultra Cooling – Low RDS(on) MOSFET Design Low RDS(on) MOSFETs specially designed to produce lower switching resistance for faster electric current charging and discharging. .. more Low Power Loss – Ferrite Core Choke Design Ferrite core chokes comprised of a compound of iron oxide and other metal elements whose properties hold energy much longer than common iron core at high frequency… more Longer Life – All-Solid Capacitor Design Solid capacitors contain a solid organic polymer, while electrolytic capacitors use a common liquid electrolyte, hence, the terms solid capacitor versus electrolytic capacitors… more
		Ultra TPM – Industry’s highest level of data Security via onboard TPM Maximum level of data protection with 2048 bit encryption Security, manageability and flexibility that surpasses software-based encryption Portable User Key to protect data when away from your system Additional backup of user key in BIOS in case of misplaced key ……TPM Configuration Procedure After creating the password(s) and key(s) associated the TPM, be sure to store them in a secure location and back them up. Loss of the password(s) or the key(s) will render the files encrypted via the TPM unable to be cracked or read. Though the TPM delivers the latest data security technology, it does not guarantee data integrity or give hardware protection. GIGABYTE is not liable for loss of encrypted data as a result of hardware damage. (Note)If you want to uninstall the Ultra TPM utility, be sure to insert the USB flash drive containing the TPM key into your computer before the uninstallation.
		High Velocity 2X Bandwidth Boost The Dual LAN with Teaming functionality enabled allows 2 single connections to act as 1 single connection for 2x Bandwidth, improving overall throughput. Prevents network downtime by transferring the workload from a failed port to a working port. Receive Side Scaling balances the network traffic load evenly between 2 CPU cores in order to improve performance. Adjusts power consumption automatically according to your LAN cable lengths, up to 10% power savings. (Note) To enable Teaming or Bonding (IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation) feature, it is required the connected network switch or router device supports 802.3.ad LACP function. Please refer to your network switch or router device manual for further details.
		Hardware Overvoltage Control ICs Hardware Overvoltage Control ICs which provide more voltage control options than before for the CPU North Bridge and memory. The overvoltage controllers also provide hardware linear real-time voltage control. In addition, Hardware Overvoltage Controller ICs also allow for much finer voltage control, allowing power users to adjust voltage in as little increments as 20mV for better overclocking performance.
		EasyTune6 GIGABYTE has completely redesigned EasyTune6 from the ground up to make it easier than ever to manage and monitor your hardware resources as well as tweak your system settings in order to achieve maximum system performance. Whether you are an overclocking enthusiast, or a computer novice, EasyTune6 provides the tools you need to quickly and effortlessly fine tune your system
		DualBIOS™ – Patented Dual Hardware BIOS Protection DualBIOS™ is a GIGABYTE patented technology that automatically recovers BIOS data when main BIOS has crashed or failed. Featuring 2 physical BIOS ROMs integrated onboard, GIGABYTE DualBIOS™ allows quick and seamless recovery from BIOS damage or failure due to viruses or improper BIOS updating.