Chipset g31 characteristics. Chipsets. Board specifications
The diversity of Intel's chipset portfolio is difficult to understand, as some features overlap from model to model. Choosing a higher model number will not necessarily give you a more advanced chipset. So, for example, the G35 provides more advanced graphics, but does not support DDR memory 3 and does not work with the newer ICH9 southbridge like the G33 does. However, the Intel G31 chipset is actually a chipset entry level and consumes minimal energy.
The G31 falls into the category of mass-market desktop chipsets designed for "core computing." It means that this set The system logic is completely unsuitable for high-end systems and does not support any advanced functions. The G31 chipset was designed to be a cost-effective option for the average user. Therefore, it is aimed at processors such as Core 2, Pentium Dual Core or similar Celeron processors based on the Core 2 microarchitecture.
The G31 chipset is limited to 4GB of memory, while the G33 and G35 support up to 8GB. The low-end chipset only supports dual-channel DDR2-800 memory (although this is not a disadvantage compared to DDR3) and works with an ICH7 southbridge instead of an ICH8, ICH9 or ICH10. As a result, the G31 supports only four SATA/300 ports, but provides two more UltraATA/100 channels, while newer chipsets support either one legacy ATA channel or none at all. The G31 with the ICH7 southbridge provides eight USB 2.0 ports, HD audio, traditional PCI slots, and just a 100Mbps network controller. If you need a faster Ethernet connection, then look for a motherboard that comes with a PCIe network controller to provide Gigabit Ethernet. Both motherboards presented in our review are exactly like this. And finally, although the G31 chipset has one x16 slot PCI Express to upgrade, it is not compatible with PCI Express 2.0.
Although FSB1066 was originally specified, all current G31 motherboards we've reviewed also support FSB1333 processors. Both of our motherboards support all Core 2 processors, including Core 2 Quad processors. Incredibly, even the three-phase voltage regulator on the Foxconn G31 motherboard is quite enough to run the Core 2 Quad Q9550, if you decide to abandon the dual-core processor in favor of a quad-core one.
GMA3100 graphics core
Integrated graphics solutions will not provide the same performance and features as decent 3D graphics cards such as Radeon HD4850/4870 and Nvidia GeForce 260/280. Even "massive" video cards on GPUs GeForce 9600GT vastly superior to integrated solutions. However, we decided to stick with integrated graphics to keep power consumption as low as possible.
The G31 chipset contains an integrated Intel GMA3100 graphics core, based on the GMA3000 core. This is the same graphics core that Intel first used in the 965 line of chipsets (called GMA X3000), and although the G965 supports pixel shaders 3.0, the G31, G33, Q35 chipsets are limited to the SM 2.0 model, which means support for DirectX 9.0c. However, this is sufficient for all Aero interface functions in the operating room. Windows system Vista. Motherboards with the G31 chipset typically have one analogue D-SUB15 display output, and sometimes a digital DVI output. Because GMA3100 is not suitable for HTPC ( home cinema), motherboards are not equipped with HDMI outputs; You shouldn't expect two digital outputs from such boards either.
CPU Intel Core 2 Duo came out in late summer 2006 and created a sensation. Suddenly AMD processors The Athlon 64 X2 beat out a product that provided better performance while consuming less power. Launched with a clock speed of 2.66 GHz (2.93 GHz for the expensive Extreme version), the Core 2 Duo maintained its excellent status for more than two years.
The first update was to increase the processor bus frequency from FSB1066 to FSB1333 in the summer of 2007 with the release of the P35 platform and slightly modified processors. The second modification is the FSB1600 frequency in high-end models and a change in the technological process from 65 nm to 45 nm. All Core 2 Duo E7000, E8000, and Core 2 Quad Q8000 and Q9000 processors are based on 45nm Wolfdale cores. Quad-core Yorkfield processors use two Wolfdale crystals.
Wolfdale processors have improved over time; The most recent modification was the introduction of the M0 stepping, which reduced processor power consumption at idle compared to L steppings. We looked for a suitable processor that would use the latest stepping and found a Core 2 Duo E7200 with only 3 MB L2 cache instead of 6 MB . Of course, the reduced capacity of the L2 cache is another opportunity to reduce power consumption, which we did not fail to take advantage of.
Currently, the E7000 line consists of only two models: the E7300 with a clock frequency of 2.66 GHz and the E7200 with a frequency of 2.53 GHz. Both models are based on the Wolfdale core, but have only 3 MB of L2 cache and a reduced frequency system bus FSB1066 (for comparison: all Core 2 Duo E8000 processors have FSB1333 and 6 MB L2 cache). The E7000 line does not support either Virtualization Technology (VT) or Trusted Execution Technology (TXT); For our purposes, this is not a problem, since both technologies are irrelevant for users of "mainstream" desktops. Reduced L2 cache capacity combined with reduced clock frequencies makes this processor an excellent choice for a highly power efficient computer, as you'll see in our testing. Despite the declared thermal package of 65 W, the Core 2 Duo E7200 consumes energy much less than this ceiling.
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The chipset is an important component of the computer because it contains all the important interfaces and largely determines the set of functions of the system.
For example, everyone modern chipsets contain many interfaces for expansion cards (PCI Express or PCI), a dual-channel memory controller (on the Intel platform), several USB controllers 2.0 (two ports per controller), HD Audio controller, gigabit network controllers and modern Serial ATA drive controllers with four to six ports. Some chipsets also contain remote control controllers.
Intel G31 Express Chipset
The Intel G31 chipset is an entry-level chipset and consumes minimal power. The G31 falls into the category of mass-market desktop chipsets designed for "core computing." This means that this set of system logic is completely unsuitable for high-end systems and does not support any advanced functions. The G31 chipset was designed to be a cost-effective option for the average user. Therefore, it is aimed at processors such as Core 2, Pentium Dual Core or similar Celeron processors based on the Core 2 microarchitecture.
The G31 chipset is limited to 4GB of memory, while the G33 and G35 support up to 8GB. The low-end chipset only supports dual-channel DDR2-800 memory (although this is not a disadvantage compared to DDR3) and works with an ICH7 southbridge instead of an ICH8, ICH9 or ICH10. As a result, the G31 supports only four SATA/300 ports, but provides two more UltraATA/100 channels, while newer chipsets support either one legacy ATA channel or none at all. The G31 with the ICH7 southbridge provides eight USB 2.0 ports, HD audio, traditional PCI slots, and just a 100Mbps network controller. If you need a faster Ethernet connection, then look for a motherboard that comes with a PCIe network controller to provide Gigabit Ethernet. And finally, although the G31 chipset has one x16 PCI Express slot for upgrade, it is not compatible with PCI Express 2.0.
Motherboards with the G31 chipset typically have one analogue D-SUB15 display output, and sometimes a digital DVI output. Since the GMA3100 is not suitable for HTPC (home theater), motherboards are not equipped with HDMI outputs; You shouldn't expect two digital outputs from such boards either.
The G31 chipset doesn't have a single feature that makes it special. It doesn't support DirectX 10, doesn't offer 3D performance that would be useful for gaming, and is limited to 4GB of memory. However, all these limitations are not so critical for a basic PC for everyday work. The G31 chipset is cheap, supports all Core 2 processors, including quad-core models, and accepts any high-end graphics card, so it's almost as suitable for gamers as a high-end chipset. It was motherboard manufacturers who turned the G31 from a mass market loser into a chipset for efficient platforms.
What is the difference between north and south bridges for INTEL and AMD
In the case of Intel, the chipset is represented by a north bridge, which is located next to the processor and is “responsible” for all high-speed devices (processor, video card, RAM), and a south bridge, which coordinates the work and connects low-speed interfaces (hard drive, audio, PCI slots, USB, etc.). The bridges are also interconnected using various bus implementations, such as VIA's V-Link.
IN AMD platform there is only one chipset, since the memory controller is built into the processor itself, and the connection peripheral devices assigned to an analogue of PCI-E - the proprietary Hyper Transport bus.
History of Intel chipsets
Quite a few Intel chipsets have been released in recent years. We decided to summarize the data in a table reflecting the most important stages in the development of chipsets with separate graphics, starting with the first SDRAM chipsets for the Pentium 4 (2001).
| Chipset | Intel 845 | Intel 865/875 | Intel 915/925 | Intel 945/955/975 | Intel 965 |
| release date | 2001 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
| Codename | Brookdale | Springdale/Canterwood | Grantsdale/ Alderwood | Lakeport/Glenwood | Broadwater |
| Socket | 478 | 478 | LGA775 | LGA775 | LGA775 |
| Processor support | Pentium 4, Celeron | Pentium 4, Celeron | Pentium 4, Celeron | Pentium 4, Pentium D, Celeron D | Core 2, Pentium 4, Pentium D, Celeron D |
| Processor generation | 130nm Northwood | 130nm Northwood, 90nm Prescott | 90nm Prescott | 90nm Prescott, Smithfield | 90nm Prescott, Smithfield, 65nm Conroe |
| FSB frequency | FSB400, FSB533 | FSB533, FSB800 | FSB533, FSB800 | FSB533, FSB800, FSB1066 | FSB533, FSB800, FSB1066 |
| Memory controller | PC133 SDRAM, DDR266 | Dual DDR333, DDR400 | Dual DDR400, DDR2-533 | Dual DDR2-667 | Dual DDR2-800 |
| GUI | AGP 4X | AGP 8X | PCI Express x16 | PCI Express x16 | PCI Express x16 |
| Max. Memory | 2 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| South Bridge | ICp (82801BA), ICp (82801DB) - 421 contacts | ICp (82801EB) - 460 pins | ICH6 (82801FB) - 652 pins | ICH7 (82801GB) - 652 pins | ICH8 (82801HB) - 652 pins |
| Number of USB ports | 4x USB / 6x USB 2.0 | 8x USB 2.0 | 8x USB 2.0 | 8x USB 2.0 | 8x USB 2.0 |
| UltraATA/100 | 2 channels | 2 channels | 2 channels | 1 channel | |
| RAID support | No | RAID 0 | RAID 0, 1 (ICH6-R) | RAID 0, 1.5 (ICH6-7) | RAID 0, 1.5 (ICH8-R) |
| Serial ATA | No | 2x Serial ATA/150 | 4x Serial ATA/150 | 4x Serial ATA/300 | 6x Serial ATA/300 |
| Sound | AC97 2.1 | AC97 2.3 | HD Audio | HD Audio | HD Audio |
| Net | Via PCI | Via CSA or PCI interface | Via PCI Express | Via PCI Express | Built-in 1 Gbit/s |
| Model options | 845D (DDR memory), 845G/GL (with graphics), 845G, GE, PE, GV (DDR333) | 865G (with graphics), 865PE (FSB800), 848P (single memory channel), 865GV (with graphics only) | 915G (with graphics), 915PL (max 2GB DDR400), 915GL (max DDR400 with graphics), 915GV (graphics only), 910GL (FSB533 and graphics only), 925XE (FSB1066) | 945G (with graphics), 945PL (max FSB800), 945GL (max FSB800 with graphics), 945GZ (max FSB800 and graphics only) | G965 (with graphics), Q965 (with graphics, control) |
The chipsets that came out after the 915 and 925 didn't have any revolutionary features, but they were still better than the previous models. The 925XE was the first chipset to support the FSB1066 bus (physical frequency 266 MHz), which was required for the first Pentium 4 Extreme Edition processors. The 945 and 955 (Lakeport and Glenwood) increased the DDR2 memory frequency to 333 MHz (DDR2-667), and the ICH7 added two more PCI Express lanes (six instead of four), and the SATA controller was updated to Serial ATA/300. RAID support is now enabled and RAID array 5, but Intel abandoned two legacy UltraATA/100 interfaces. Dual-core Pentium D processors required a 945 or 955 chipset.
ICH8 became the current south bridge for the 965 (Broadwater) chipset line, which, together with the 975X, became the foundation for the advancement of processors Intel Core 2. The 965 chipset lost the UltraATA controller, and the AC97 interface was removed in favor of HD Audio solutions (which can be called a standard today). ICH8 supports SATA 2.5, including external SATA ports(eSATA), and contains a Gigabit Ethernet controller. The basic ICH8 model supports four SATA ports, but the ICH8-R RAID version supports six.
Each generation of chipsets has a number of models that use the integrated graphics core, using part of the RAM for the frame buffer. The 915G and 910G chipsets use the GMA900 graphics core with four pixel pipelines operating at 300 MHz, supporting MPEG2 and DirectX 9 hardware decoding. The 945G chipset had an updated graphics core, the GMA950 frequency increased to 400 MHz, but it never received full Shader support Model 3 (DirectX 9.0c). But the GMA950 at least supports HD video. Finally, the 965 line has a GMA3000 graphics core, with eight programmable pipelines, which runs at 667 MHz when running video or graphics calculations.
Intel P45 chipsets
The P35 (Bear Lake) line was replaced by the P45 line, codenamed Eaglelake. New line chipsets consists of four different models(two of them with integrated graphics) and brings the PCI Express 2.0 standard to the mass market.
New P45 chipset features: Supports PCI Express 2.0 graphics, effectively doubling the throughput of each PCI Express lane from 250 MB/s to 500 MB/s per lane (one way). However, to benefit from higher bandwidth, the PCI Express 2.0 interface requires a PCIe 2.0-compatible expansion card (such as a graphics card).
PCI Express 2.0 requires more power, so the P45 chipset is less power efficient than its predecessor, even though the P45 is manufactured on Intel's 65nm process.
The P45 is Intel's first mainstream chipset to support 16GB of memory, while the P35 is limited to 8GB.
Block diagram of the Intel P45 Express chipset
All P45 chipset motherboards have the following features.
- Whole family support Core processors 2, including Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Extreme on 45nm and 65nm process technology, Pentium Dual Core and, as a rule, Celeron.
- Supports ATI CrossfireX configurations with multiple graphics cards.
- PCI Express 2.0, up to two slots physically capable of supporting x16 cards, but on eight lanes each.
- Additional PCI Express 1.0 slots.
- Six Serial ATA 3 Gbps ports.
- Gigabit Ethernet with different PHY chips.
- RAID 0 and 1 (to support RAID 5 you need an ICH10R south bridge).
- AHCI SATA 3 Gb/s with Native Command Queuing (support optical drives SATA and hot swap).
- eSATA interface (if available): all SATA connectors can be displayed on back panel motherboard and use it as eSATA.
- High Definition Audio (HD Audio): From a P45 chipset motherboard, you can expect at least a simple audio codec that will handle all the audio processing using the CPU.
- The boards do not support Windows 98 and Windows ME
3x line chipsets (Bearlake)
The 3x (Bearlake) line of chipsets consists of four variants: G33, G35, P35 and X38. All chipsets continue to use the 775-pin Intel Land Grid Array socket (LGA775).
Note the new ICH9 south bridge. If the south bridges ICH6, ICH7 and ICH8 were packaged in a BGA package with 652 contacts, then ICH9 is packaged in a 676-pin Ball Grid Array package, and the south bridge contains 4.6 million transistors and is manufactured using a 130 nm process technology. Although there are more transistors than in ICH8, the thermal package is still 4 W. The ICH9 provides six full-featured Serial ATA/300 ports with NCQ (Native Command Queuing), and also supports eSATA and port multipliers that allow up to four SATA devices to be connected to a single SATA port. We found that the USB 2.0 and RAID performance of the ICH9 south bridge is superior to the ICH8 and ICH7.
Thus, if a motherboard with a 965 chipset supports VRM 11, it will technically be possible to install 45nm processors on it. VRM 11 programs the power lines using 8-bit voltage IDs (VIDs), which give a step size of 0.00625 V. The minimum operating voltage is no longer 0.8375 V (as in the VRM 10 specification), it has been reduced to 0.5 V VRM 11 also allows the load to be divided into more phases, and the lines support so-called dual edge modulation, which allows stabilizers to send multiple pulses to transistors using capacitors smaller capacity. The goal is not only to reduce voltage steps and lower operating voltage for 45nm processors, but also to ensure sufficient power at different voltage levels, which can change frequently. All this is carried out together with a more stringent specification of the voltage slew level.
Used from older versions to resolve conflicts regarding PATA support.
Specifications
The system bus of the G31 chipset, called QPB 800, operates at a frequency of 1066 megahertz. This device is capable of supporting dual-channel operational data stream mode with a frequency of up to 800 megahertz. Maximum volume random access memory is four gigabytes. The G31 chipset type is not designed to work with servers, so it is called pseudo-synchronous.
In terms of integrated graphics, the GMA 3100 provides good quality images and supports DirectX version 9.
The data transfer rate between bridges is two gigabytes per second, that is, one gigabyte per second goes out in one direction.
The chipset is capable of supporting four SerialATA channels, which, according to the characteristics of the G31 chipset, means the ability to connect four hard drives that will operate in SATA 300 mode. The last designation demonstrates the data transfer speed within the system, that is maximum speed will reach 300 megabytes per second.
As far as power consumption is concerned, there is nothing to worry about since motherboards based on the G31 chipset are budget ones and do not come with advanced features.
Supported processors
Motherboards with the G31 chipset support processors based on the Core 2 Duo microarchitecture with a processor bus frequency of no more than 1066 megahertz. working with this chipset is about 50 watts. The chipset also works with Pentium and Celeron processors, but only with support for socket 775.
Overclocking potential
For the example of overclocking the G31 chipset, we took the G31 as a basis. To use the board's memory settings, you need to go to the overclocking section, which is called Fox Central Control Unit. After this, you need to select the optimal frequency, that is, the highest. The higher the operating frequency, the higher the productivity. Having selected the highest value, you need to look at the system monitoring section. The temperature of the current state of the entire system will be displayed there.
Now you can go directly to overclocking, and to do this you need to go to the Fox Central Control Unit section. By choosing the maximum value, you can see the performance gain. The G31 chipset is capable of overclocking the processor from 333 to a stable 600 megahertz.
Example of a motherboard with this chipset
As an example of a motherboard, a microATX format model from Asus is presented. This device is capable of working with both dual-core processors and quad-core representatives of the Intel Core 2 and Quad Core series. The motherboard has a P5KPL-AM 775 socket, which means that only 45-nanometer processors will fit.
The universal system bus operating at frequencies of 800, 1066, 1333 and 1600 megahertz can support DDR2 RAM up to 1066 megahertz in operation.
To unlock the full potential of the processors running on this motherboard, you can overclock the system bus to 1600 megahertz.
It is known that working with applications that use 3D graphics, was more productive; the motherboard had two slots for RAM. The motherboard can support dual-channel data flow with a frequency of up to 1066 megahertz, which will increase the speed of demanding applications.
To implement and reproduce modern at that time computer games PCI architecture has been improved. Now this bus is called PCI Express. Four times larger throughput Lets you enjoy every second of 3D gaming.
Also, the motherboard running on the G31 chipset supports high-quality audio, additional settings for BIOS from the manufacturer, controller for system cooling, which optimizes its operation.
Conclusion
The choice of a motherboard running on a specific chipset determines the choice of all other equipment. Thanks to the chipset, the capabilities of the entire system change: the number of supported processors, the frequencies of components, the parameters of the integrated GPU, energy consumption and much more.
Depending on the chipset, you can guess how powerful the system will be and what its overclocking potential will be. The choice is yours.
Motherboards based on the G31 chipset are budget and are not designed for server manipulation and other advanced functions. This version of the motherboard is ideal for an average user, that is, for working with simple applications, surfing websites and running not too demanding games.
Different manufacturers add many additional functions to their motherboards, for example, such as monitoring power consumption or restoring BIOS program settings.
The 775th socket is far from new. Over the entire period of its existence, a huge number of motherboards have been released, it is simply impossible to list them all. It will probably be much easier to indicate which motherboard chipsets have support for Intel Xeon server processors. In simple terms, you should find out which chipset is installed on your motherboard in order to understand whether Intel Xeon will want to run on it or not.
Purchase
All the necessary hardware was purchased from our “narrow-eyed friends” on the Internet site https://ru.aliexpress.com at “ridiculous” prices (). Also used THIS CASHBACK SERVICE , which allowed additional savings of up to 15%.
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Compatibility table
Below is a small but quite comprehensive table on chipset compatibility and Xeon processors LGA771.
| Intel Xeon, which is compatible with the chipset | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motherboard chipset | Xeon 5xxx | Xeon 3xxx | Intel 45nm | Intel 65nm |
| P45, P43, P35, P31, P965 G45, G43, G41, G35, G33, G31 nForce 790i, 780i, 740i, 630i GeForce 9400, 9300 |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Q45, Q43, Q35, Q33 X48, X38 |
No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| nForce 680i and 650i | Yes | Yes | Possibly (need to check) | Yes |
| Vidia 680i | |
| nVidia 650i | Compatible with all 771 Xeon's |
| nVidia 780i | Compatible with all 771 Xeon's |
| nVidia 790i | Compatible with all 771 Xeon's |
| P35 | Compatible with all 771 Xeon's |
| P45 | Compatible with all 771 Xeon's |
| G31 | Compatible with all 771 Xeon's |
| G41 | Compatible with all 771 Xeon's |
| X38 | |
| X48 | Compatible with X33 series Xeons only |
Well, one more table. If you are confident that the motherboard is fully compatible with the chipsets listed in the left half of the table, you can safely select the processors listed on the right side.
During the installation process, you need to pay attention to the fact that in the vast majority of cases you have to update the BIOS and flash it, taking into account the following:
The 5xxx series are all Intel Xeons whose model numbers end with 5xxx. They can be combined with motherboards that support one or two physical central chips.
Problems may arise with Intel motherboards. Problems very rarely arise with motherboards from MSI, Gigabyte, ASUS. This may be caused by Intel motherboards having their own BIOS, which is practically impossible to manually flash.
Nforce 680i and 650i chipsets from Nvidia official version do not work with 45nm processors. It all depends on luck. Some motherboards with these chipsets were compatible and functioned normally with 45nm Xeon with 4 cores, but some were not. To find out how it will be for you, see the list of boards that have successfully passed testing.
Zeon's power and system bus frequency must be supported by your computer's motherboard.
The Intel G31 chipset is designed to create low-cost office computers. Motherboards built on its basis usually have the MicroATX form factor and basic expansion capabilities. The integrated graphics core Intel GMA 3100 is designed exclusively for working with office applications, as well as simple 3D programs. We also note that budget boards do not have overclocking functions, and the few exceptions to this rule are not popular with computer enthusiasts.
In our today's review we will take a look at two boards based on the Intel G31 chipset. One of them is manufactured by Foxconn, which has a fairly strong position in the budget sector. The second board was developed by abit, whose products have almost completely disappeared from store shelves. And, sad as it may be, most likely, abit I-G31 is the last board of the once famous company.
Specifications
| abit I-G31 | Foxconn G31MG-S | |
| CPU | - Intel Pentium 4 (Prescott (2M)/Gallatin/CedarMill) with bus frequency 1066/800 MHz
- Dual-core Intel Pentium D / EE (Smithfield/Presler) with bus frequency 1066/800 MHz - Intel Celeron-D (Conroe-L/Prescott) with bus frequency 800 MHz - Support for Intel Core 2 Duo (Kentsfield (4 cores), Conroe/Allendale (2 cores)) with bus frequency 1066/800 MHz - Support for Intel Yorkfield, Wolfdale with bus frequency 1333/1066/800 MHz - Socket LGA775 connector - Support for processors with HyperThreading technology |
|
| Chipset | - Intel G31 North Bridge (GMCH)
- Intel ICH7 Southbridge - Communication between bridges: DMI |
|
| System memory | - Two 240-pin DDR2 SDRAM DIMM slots
- Maximum memory 4 GB - DDR2 667/800 memory type supported - Dual channel memory access possible |
|
| Graphic arts | - One PCI Express x16 slot
- Built-in Intel GMA 3100 graphics core |
|
| Expansion options | - Two 32-bit PCI Bus Master slots
- One PCI Express x1 slot - Built-in High Definition Audio 5.1 sound |
- Two 32-bit PCI Bus Master slots
- One PCI Express x1 slot - Eight USB 2.0 ports (4 built-in + 4 additional) - Built-in High Definition Audio 7.1 sound - Gigabit Ethernet network controller |
| Overclocking options | - | - Change the FSB frequency from (200) 333 to 600 MHz in 1 MHz steps
- Change the voltage on the processor, memory |
| Disk subsystem | - 1 channel UltraDMA133/100/66/33 Bus Master IDE (ICH7; supporting up to 2 ATAPI devices)
- Support for SerialATA II protocol (4 channels - ICH7) - Support LS-120/ZIP/ATAPI CD-ROM |
|
| BIOS | - 4 Mbit Flash ROM - Award BIOS Phoenix with Enhanced ACPI, DMI, Green, PnP Features and Trend Chip Away Virus support |
|
| Miscellaneous | - One port for FDD, ports for PS/2 mouse and keyboard||
| Power management | - Wake from modem, mouse, keyboard, network, timer and USB
- Primary 24-pin ATX power connector - Additional 4-pin power connector |
|
| Monitoring | - Monitoring CPU temperature, system temperature, PWM, voltage monitoring, rotation speed of three fans||
| Size | - ATX form factor, 244x210 mm (9.62" x 8.27") | - ATX form factor, 240x208 mm (9.6" x 8.2") |
Boxes
Foxconn Packaging Design:
We received the Foxconn product in a completely serial version, but the abit board came to our laboratory in a test version - only the board itself in the package, therefore, we will not be able to evaluate its configuration.
Equipment Foxconn G31MG-S
Complete set Foxconn boards The G31MG-S isn't exactly rich, but for a $45 product it has all the necessary components.
Boards
Developing a budget product limits engineers to fairly strict limits, so motherboards of this type have exactly the same characteristics as competing products. This can be clearly seen from the tested motherboards: Both development teams were given the task of “creating a board based on the G31 chipset for less than $50.” The result is almost identical boards:
To cool the northbridge, massive radiators are installed on the boards:
They are necessary, among other things, because in " north bridge"The GMA 3100 graphics core is built-in, which increases the overall level of heat dissipation. It should be noted that the Foxconn model also has a radiator installed on the south bridge, and abit saved on this detail.
The boards have two 240-pin DIMM sockets for DDR2 memory modules, and the maximum amount of supported memory is 4 GB.
Each board has one PCI slot Express x16, one PCI Express x1 and a pair of PCI.
Now let's talk about expansion options. Both boards have four SerialATA II channels, but the ability to create RAID arrays is not provided. The fact is that the boards use one of the cheapest versions of the ICH7 south bridge.
Here we note that the “south bridge” ensures the operation of one ParallelATA channel. Next, both boards have eight USB 2.0 ports. The port configuration is the same for both boards: four ports on the rear panel and four additional ones. Now - a few words about the High Definition Audio sound subsystem. The abit board has the Realtek ALC662 (5.1) codec installed, and the Foxconn board has the ALC888 (7.1) codec. Both boards have high-speed network interfaces - the abit board has a Realtek RTL8111C controller, and the Foxconn board has an RTL8111B controller.
The Foxconn G31MG-S motherboard is equipped with one COM and one LPT port, while the abit I-G31 board does not support these interfaces.
BIOS
The BIOS of the boards is based on the Award version BIOS Phoenix.
The main memory settings of the Foxconn board are in the overclocking section ("Fox Central Control Unit"), and the abit memory settings are in the "Advanced Chipset Features" section:
An important parameter that affects performance is the memory frequency setting.
Now let's look at the system monitoring sections.
Both boards display the current processor and system temperatures (abit also determines the PWM temperature), as well as operating voltages. The boards determine fan rotation speeds (Abit - three, Foxconn - two) and have the function of adjusting the rotation speed of the processor fan depending on the CPU temperature. On the Foxconn board this technology is traditionally called Smart Fan, and on abit - FanEQ:
The boards provide the user with access to all the latest Intel technologies.
Moreover, on the Foxconn board, energy saving settings are placed in a separate section (“Green System Mode”)
The boards also allow you to adjust the amount of memory allocated to the needs of the built-in graphics core.
Overclocking and stability
Before moving on to overclocking, let's look at power converters. PWM board abit I-G31 has three-phase circuit, in which two capacitors with a capacity of 820 μF are installed, four with a capacity of 680 μF and another four with a capacity of 1000 μF. The power supply module of the Foxconn board also has a three-phase design, in which six capacitors with a capacity of 820 μF and three with a capacity of 330 μF are installed.
On the Foxconn board, all overclocking functions are concentrated in the "Fox Central Control Unit" section:
Moreover, there are relatively few functions, and they are scattered across numerous subsections.
As for the abit board, its BIOS does not have any overclocking functions at all.
However, the overclocking capabilities of the Foxconn board have little practical effect. In particular, the maximum stable FSB frequency is 350 MHz.