G1975X-Turbo Specs:

Processor
LGA775 Intel® Pentium® D / Pentium® 4 processor
Supports 1066/800/533MHz FSB
Intel 975X chipset

Chipset
- Northbridge: Intel® 975X Express Chipset
- Southbridge: Intel®ICH7R
- T.I IEEE 1394 Controller
- Gigabit Ethernet Controller
- Creative Sound Blaster Live 24-bit Audio controller

Memory
-Type: Dual channel DDR2 533/667/888/1066**-240pin
- Max capacity: Up to 8GB by 4 DIMM slots

Internal I/O Connectors
- 4 X Serial ATA 3Gb/s connectors
- 1 X UDMA ATA 100/66/33 connector
- 1 X FDD connector
- 1 X IEEE 1394 connector (support 2 ports)
- 3 X USB 2.0/1.1 connectors (support 6 ports)
- 1 X audio pin header (support 7.1-ch)
- 1 X S/PDIF In/Out pin header
- 3 X Cooling fan pin headers

Expansion Slots
- 2 x PCI Express X16 slot
- 2 x PCI Express X4 slots
- 2 x PCI slots

Rear Panel I/O
- 2 X USB 2.0/1.1 ports
- 1 X RJ45 port
- PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse
- Audio (1x Line-in/ 1x Line-out/ 1x Mic) connector

Form Factor
- ATX form factor
- 305 x 244mm
- H/W Monitoring
- System health status auto-detect and report by BIOS
- Hardware detecting and reporting for case open, CPU voltage, and fan speed
BIOS
- 2 x 4Mb flash ROM, Award BIOS

Other Features
- Multi-GPU support
- C.R.S. (CMOS Reload Switch)
- Norton Internet Security
- Xpress"! Installation
- Xpress"! Recovery 2
- C.I.A. 2 (CPU Intelligent Accelerator 2)
- M.I.B. 2 (Memory Intelligent Booster 2)
- EasyTune"! 5
- Download Center

Onboard Sound and Devices



On-board sound has been a series of disappointments to me since AOpen teased audiophile/PC-enthusiasts the world over when the company incorporated true audiophile grade circuitry onto several motherboard models including their AK79-G Tube. They were the first (and last) attempting to reach millions of audiophiles whom spend half their time on the PC the other half in thei listenting rooms, by utilizing a vacuum-tube output driver stage in on-board sound circtuitry. Integrating circuitry sporting Vishay resistors, WIMA / Multicap Capacitors, Cardas and Kimber audiophile cables equated to the best sound ever heard from a PC (speakers were the weak link for most). AOpen discontinued the line, no doubt production costs must have broken company records (no pun intentded) and today's $300 motherboards were simply unacceptable back then.

Gigabyte has been slightly more conservative in their on-board sound; however, their repeated use of the Creative Sound Blaster Live is still a step above most. This is apropos for surround (aka Games), unfortunately most people incorrectly associate surround sound with quality sound. How they could simplify their lives if they found a simple high quality stereo (2-channel) sound-system mated to high quality monitors such as those built by M-Audio StudioPro-4. Such high quality transducers would put the term "sound-stage" and "palpable imaging" into several million vocabularies. Nonetheless given Gamers predilection for surround Gigabyte is right on target.



In the previous section we discussed Gigabyte's "Turbo" (-Jet) technology, utilizing plastic inverted half-pipes to direct air-flow over processor power-circuitry, the North Bridge heatsink and DIMM slots (memory) simultaneously. The design is the most extensive active cooling solution we've seen from Gigabyte and marks the first in a series. Below we see DIMM placement takes advantage of the Turbo technology.



Moving on and over we see the passive copper heatsink on the ICH7R South Bridge, four S-ATA connectors, GigaATA 3Gb controller chip, as well as USB 1/2/Green (-S3 wake) and the IDE-2 connector.



The front panel connector is clearly marked and color coded for those having to make connections while the motherboard is mounted in the case.



S-ATA RAID and IDE are shared among the GigaATA S-ATA controller chip.



LAN function are delegated to the Broadcom BCM5789KFB NetLink™ Gigabit Ethernet Controller with PCI Express.