AMD 790GX Chipset Explored & Reviewed

“Our final words then. I really tend to have a soft spot for this mainboard. It's all about value, and fact is that for 139 USD you'll receive an extraordinary amount of features and performance. Though the pricing would be far better at 125 USD, which we'll believe it'll be in e-tial. The Black series from ECS will guarantee you a mainboard with good looks and additionally some niche extra's. The extra's being dual GigE Ethernet, microswitches, dual PCIe x16 graphics ports, integrated HDMI, good dark aesthetics, 8-channel sound .. and so on. And I'll let you in on a secret, ever since last week my main work PC is now based on a 790GX mother-board with Phenom X4 9950 (review soon), due to the sheer speed and features versus amazing power efficiency.”

“In the past, I've always been very optimistic about the AMD product releases, but this time I'm not entirely convinced. Yes, the IGP is very handy for HTPC's and yes, the 3D performance is the best we've seen yet of an IGP, but in the newest games, you will have to downgrade the resolution and eye-candy to get a playable game. The HD 3300 is good for those who play games just for fun and have no interest in image quality and although I personally don't mind playing at lower resolutions, I do mind having to use a resolution of 800x600 or even worse. When I have the time, I will try to find a good overclocking 790GX motherboard and see if overclocking the IGP to a core speed of 900+MHz helps or not.”

“In the overall scheme of things though, the 790GX is a pretty compelling product. It certainly does everything it promises, and the product I was able to test was solid and packed with overclocking features. Integrated performance is again top shelf, and the added benefit of Avivo HD is a real one. It certainly is a cost effective enthusiast board with the added benefit of ACC.

AMD did not hit a homerun with this product, but they certainly have cemented their lineup with unique and interesting products. As I said, it’s hard to not like the 790GX even though the price point is a bit higher than most would like.”

“The AOD790GX/128M is the first motherboard with onboard graphics I've had in a very long time. Even without a discreet video card, there are some respectable graphics. Throw in a lower-end video card, and see much more than you'd expect.

The board has all of the features you'd expect from a much more expensive motherboard, as ASRock boards always do. There is stuff here for everyone, gamers, overclockers, and general enthusiasts. This board does not have to be the platform for merely an economy rig, but would do just fine for a much higher-end rig.”