★ CPU: AMD & AMD3+ ★ Type: Gigabyte 970A-DS3P rev 1.0 ★ MEMORY: x4 1.5v DDR3 ★ AUDIO: Realtek ALC887 ★ LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbit As a IT specialist, that specializes in hardware by trade I have had a lot of experience with various motherboards and equipment and one brand that really is a top notch brand is Gigabyte, even their laptops are great but today I am going to review this motherboard. I will be going through the specifics and a simplistic overview of the motherboard itself and tell you why I recommend this board even in 2018. I have been using this particular board for just under two years I have been highly pleased with its reliability and its features. One of the key things is how surprisingly sturdy the board is, coming in at 30.5cm x 21.5cm I have swapped and interchanged so many RAM cards, graphics cards and throughout the time not a single bend or issue with it. As far as layout goes it is an easy board to understand, AM3+ compatible processor for AMD CPU's, x4 DIMM slots allow for a ton load of RAM to utilize and it packs x6 SATA ready connections to run all the drives you want. The BIOS itself is even easier to navigate, a duel UEFI bios, showcases every bit of information you would need for the newbie and the seasoned user, including the ability to overclock and monitor temperatures and clock frequencies. Easy to manage boot priorities make it super easy and simple to priorities which drives you want to boot first. Compatibility aspect of the board, as I mentioned it supports AM3+ processors, specifically the AMD Opteron, Sempron, Phenom II X3, Athlon II X2, Phenom II X2, Athlon II X4, Athlon II X3, Athlon II, Phenom II X4, Phenom II X6 & FX series processors. The board supports x4 240-pin (1.5 V) DDR3 DIMM slots, at a maximum of 32GB's, compatible with 1600 MHz, 1333 MHz, 1066 MHz, 1866 MHz, 2000 MHz RAM cards, x1 PCIe 2.0 x16 connectivity, x1 PCIe 2.0 x4 mode & 3x PCIe 2.0 x1 slots & lastly x2 PCI connectibity slots. Boasting x6 USB 2.0 & x2 USB 3.0 ports. A couple of other neat little features include the Humidity Protection component of the board itself, humidity as we know can play havoc on a motherboard's circuitry. GIGABYTE's Glass Fabric PCB design helps protect against electrical shorts due to humidity by reducing the gaps in spacing between PCB filaments. The only negative about this specific board of its time and today, is the limit to just AMD processors & a limitation on RAM. Overall its a great mid range board but as all things in IT, it is now considered an OLDIE but in my view, a GOLDIE. Pros: ★ Many SATA connections, support for powerful AMD3+ CPU's. Cons: ★ 32GB DDR3 Limit, Few USB 3.0 ports, AMD CPU compatibility ONLY. Highly Recommend: 7/10
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