• Back to the review (Intel 845G Integrated Graphics Core and its Competitors (SiS 650, VIA P4M266, VIA KM266, NVIDIA nForce 420-D and 415-D)

• i845G chipset

Unlike all other boards on this chipset this one comes with an ADD card. We have tested a preproduction sample.

Accessories:

• Package: a standard design;
• Documentation: a user manual in English;
• Cables: 1 ATA66/100/133, and 1 FDD;
• Bracket with COM and Game ports;
• ADD card with DVI, Composite and S-Video TV-Out;

• Reader for Smart and Secure Digital/Memory Stick cards;
• CD with software including:
• drivers;
• system monitoring utility;
• Boostek (changes FSB frequency from Windows);
• Software for the smart-card reader;
• DirectX 8.1.

The layout is generally good: only audio-ins are located between the PCI slots. It can be difficult to reach some jumpers when the board is already installed. Their functions are shown on the textolite.

The 3-channel switching voltage regulator incorporates 9 capacitors of 2200 uF and several less capacious ones.

The following controllers are integrated:

• audio controller based on the Avance Logic ALC650 AC'97 codec with connectors for front audio-outs and SPDIF;
• network controller based on the Realtek RTL8100BL chip supporting 10BaseT/ 100BaseTX.

Thanks to the Winbond W83L518D I/O controller the board supports (and has connectors for) readers of smart and SD/MS cards.

Non-unsoldered connectors: none.

The system monitoring is supported by the Winbond W83627HF-AW chip. What is controlled:

• processor voltage (+1.5, +3.3, +5 and +/-12 V), VBAT and +5V Standby;
• speed of 3 fans;
• temperatures of the processor (a built-in sensor) and the board (a built-in sensor).

There are 2 connectors for adjustable connection of fans and 1 for non-adjustable connection.

Brief characteristics of the board: memory slots - 2 DDR SDRAM; expansion slots - AGP/ 6 PCI/ CNR; I/O ports - 2 COM/ LPT/ 2 PS/2/ 6 USB 2.0; dimensions - 305x245 mm.

Adjustment can be carried out with:

jumpers and switches	Jumper to clear up the CMOS
	Jumper to choose a FSB frequency		100/133 MHz
	Jumper to start up computer with a PS/2 keyboard
	Jumper to turn on computer with a USB keyboard
	Jumper to choose Standby voltage on the PCI slots		3.3V or for expansion cards which do not comply with the PCI 2.2 standard
	Jumper to choose a mode of the 6th USB port		USB on CNR/ USB onboard
BIOS based on the 6.00PG version from Phoenix-Award	Setup of memory timings	+	CAS Latency, Active to Precharge Delay, RAS to CAS Delay, RAS Precharge
	Setup of memory frequency	+	Auto, DDR200, DDR266 è DDR333 (DDR333 only at FSB=133 MHz set with the jumper)
	Setup of AGP bus	+
	Setup of PCI bus	-
	Changeable scaler of AGP and PCI buses	-
	Manual assignment of interrupts	+
	Changeable FSB frequency	+	100-200 MHz in 1 MHz steps
	Changeable CPU multiplier	+	x8-x50
	Changeable core voltage	+	1.1-1.85V in 0.025V steps
	Changeable memory voltage	-
	Changeable chipset voltage	-
	Changeable AGP bus voltage	-

We used the latest available version of the BIOS of 17/05/2002.

The board will be primarily interesting for home users who do not play much, - it allows creating a real media combo device with a great number of functions, but it implies that a user will deal exactly with the ADD card supplied, not with a game video accelerator.

Test results:

• Back to the review (Intel 845G Integrated Graphics Core and its Competitors (SiS 650, VIA P4M266, VIA KM266, NVIDIA nForce 420-D and 415-D)
• 9 Intel 845G and 1 VIA P4X266A Mainboards Roundup

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