SUMMARY: Mike takes a close look at the EPoX 9NDA3+ Socket 939 motherboard today which is based around nVidia's nForce3 Ultra chipset. The motherboard makes use of an AGP port instead of the newer PCI-Express version which makes it a good option for users wanting to keep their old yet workable AGP graphics card and upgrade to the new Socket 939 Athlon 64 platform. Read on as we compare the EPoX 9NDA3+ against other solutions in its league and work out which is best for your needs as a gamer.
Though slow in coming, the Socket 939 motherboards are finally making it to store shelves around the world. While there are newer models coming out utilizing the new PCI-Express video ports, many just arent ready to take that path yet. Some want to make sure the standard becomes a normal part of computing, others cant yet justify the cost of having to go out and buy a new PCI-E video board when they still have a perfectly serviceable one in their current system. Whatever the reason, the folks at EPoX have put together an Athlon-64 board that still makes use of AGP graphics.
For those who have been building for a while, you will certainly recognize the EPoX name. They have long been a friend to the enthusiast community with their motherboards that are designed to take full advantage of a full spectrum of overclocking settings. They also have a reputation of being very stable even under stress, but as always we only say this in passing. A past history is great but we need to see if this new product can keep up the tradition after weighing its own merits.
So kick back and take a trip into the realm of the EPoX 9NDA3+ as we look into its features and its performance numbers.
