I am a PC technician by career, so I have a lot of experience with various motherboards and system equipment. This is by far my favorite motherboard for low/mid builds, and I will use it faithfully in my builds until it becomes outdated. I initially ordered this Gigabyte motherboard to use in my personal PC build along with the FX-4300 and Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 ti, and I have been continuously pleased with this reliable and easy-to-use product. The motherboard has operated seamlessly through several hardware changes, two OS reloads, and a complete system transfer to a new PC case.
Hardware:
This motherboard is extremely durable and doesn't bend easily. I have swapped out several different GPUs, RAM sticks, and CPUs, and even moved the motherboard to a new PC case, and there isn't a hint of wear or tear on the motherboard. The ports on the motherboard are fairly standard, with 2 USB 3.0 ports, 4 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, DVI, and VGA. I haven't experienced any issues with ports becoming loose or unresponsive.
BIOS:
the BIOS of this motherboard is very intuitive and easy to navigate. The BIOS accurately displays the temp of the CPU, and there are a multitude of useful features that will come in handy for overclockers and control enthusiasts.
Software:
The chipset installed seamlessly from the CD and I haven't experienced compatibility issues in regards to USB devices or internal hardware. Plug-and-play compliant devices are able to properly retrieve drivers, with the exception of using an Xbox 360 Controller through a USB 3.0 port. I have not had an opportunity to test other controllers, but the Xbox 360 Controller will not work through the USB 3.0 ports on this motherboard.
Utilities:
This motherboard has tons of useful features, especially if you're interested in overclocking or maintaining control over temperatures or clock speeds. There are health utilities in the BIOS which are useful for keeping track of hardware health (I haven't had any components fail, so I don't know how accurate these readings are), and even cautionary utilities that will alert you if the CPU or other components are getting too hot. When using programs such as HWMonitor or Speedfan, there are 3 unlabeled temperatures pertaining to motherboard components that always display as too warm or hot. I have not been able to find any information about these 3
components, so the readings are either false or irrelevant. These unknown temps are not necessarily cause for concern, but it's worth mentioning anyways.
BREAKDOWN
Pros: Intuitive BIOS, useful utilities, and durable design.
Cons: Potential USB 3.0 device identification issues, unlabeled temperatures in 3rd-party sensor programs.
I have been pleasantly surprised with this motherboard, and would recommend it for almost any build. It works
flawlessly for my personal gaming/media build, and its low cost and ease-of-use make it a reasonable choice for gamers, enthusiasts, seasoned builders, and even those who are new at building PCs. You'll be hard pressed to find a better motherboard in this price range.
| Processor | athlon |
|---|---|
| Memory Speed | 1333 MHz |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 6 |
