Thoughts, HEXUS.awards & HEXUS.right2reply
Motherboards are intrinsically boring. Their primary role is to act as a conduit for the other parts of a system; the base on which everything is built upon. Refreshes come and go, and each new iteration of chipset sees some feature integrated into a bridge, be it PCI-Express or SATA2. Other chipset makers then follow suit and status quo is quickly re-established. That's why it was a pleasant surprise to see one of the largest motherboard produces, Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) attempt to do something totally different with the PF88 Extreme.ECS took on the challenge of designing a single motherboard that could accommodate the latest platforms without the need for swapping boards over. The solution that ECS came up with, in respect of catering for both LGA775 and S939 chipsets, is a novel one. Through the use of a proprietory interface, Elite Bus, and a separate add-in SIMA card, a user is able to change over from the PF88 Extreme's default LGA775 layout to S939 in a matter of minutes. On a technical level, it's accomplished by using a single, on-board southbridge that can be set to communicate with either northbridge, onboard or SIMA-attached. ECS also plans to introduce SIMA cards for AMD's S754 and Intel Pentium 4 CPUs, for extra platform flexibility.
Breaking down the PF88 Extreme's attributes into manageable sections, the default configuration, sans SIMA card, provides for a competent SiS chipset-powered PCI-Express (single card) Intel LGA775-based system. All the features one would expect are thrown in, including 4 DDR2 DIMM slots, on-chip SATA, discrete SATA2, FireWire 1394a, 8-channel sound (non-HD, sadly), Gigabit LAN, and a bundle that reflects the board's deluxe nature. ECS' aggressive pricing ensures that the PF88 Extreme will retail for around £65 inc. VAT, and whilst the performance isn't quite up to i925XE standards and the BIOS could do with greater levels of adjustment, it's competent enough given the package's street price.
Evaluating the PF88 Extreme in ignorance of its multi-platform support is missing the entire point of the board, really. Adding in the ~£30 A9S SIMA card, any choice of S939 CPU, and a couple of decent stick of DDR1 memory transforms the PF88 into a high-performing AMD motherboard. The BIOS is lacking, certainly, and 2 DIMM slots may not be ideal for all, but at least it opens up the way for you, the user, to experiment with the other side without having to install a new motherboard. It won't appeal to the die-hard enthusiast interesting in pushing components to the absolute limit, but system integrators should immediately recognise the value inherent in a fast turnaround of platforms. The one blot on ECS' multi-platform vision is the need to re-install or 'rescue' Windows XP when changing from Intel to AMD setups.
I've been pleasantly surprised by the ease of switching between Intel- and AMD-based systems. With this initial release, it would perhaps have been prudent for ECS to run with DDR1 memory throughout, mimimising the upgrade/sideways cost of moving to AMD's S939 CPUs, via the optional SIMA card. I'd also like to see greater levels of BIOS adjustment, thereby pandering to the needs of the enthusiast, and a slight PCB re-design, with a single switch, rather than 20-odd jumpers, for enabling the SIMA card would be nice.
ECS has brought something very new to the table - a motherboard that carries a number of modern features and one that opens up the way for multi-CPU support. In the oft-boring, stagnant world of motherboard design, the ECS ELITEGROUP PF88 Extreme is a breath of very fresh air.
HEXUS Awards
HEXUS Right2Reply
ECS has provided us with the following .right2reply response.
ECS ELITEGROUP would like to thank HEXUS.net for their thorough review and the feedback on the ECS PF88 Extreme and SIMA card.
As the reviewed version of the board is a pre-production sample ECS aims to have all the points discussed in this review resolved with the release of the retail version.
ECS feels that the PF88 is a technological statement which will provide its customers with an interesting and exciting upgrade path that is no longer limited by the competitive stance of the processor manufacturers.
Andrew Tseng,
Marketing and Business Project Manager,
ECS (UK)
