Gigabyte F2A88XM-DS2 Motherboard Review

1. Introduction2. Gigabyte F2A88XM-DS2: Packaging and Bundle3. Gigabyte F2A88XM-DS2; Layout and Features4. Testing Methodology and Overclocking5. Synthetic: PCMark 86. Synthetic: 3DMark7. Synthetic: 3Dmark 118. Synthetic: 3DMark Vantage9. Synthetic: SiSoft Sandra 201310. Synthetic: Cinebench R11.511. Synthetic: Cinebench R1512. Synthetic: Super Pi13. Real World: MKV Playback14. Real World: Media Encoding15. Gaming: Battlefield 416. Gaming: Call of Duty Black Ops 217. Gaming: DiRT Showdown18. Technical: Power Consumption19. Closing Thoughts20. View All Pages

The Gigabyte F2A88XM-DS2 motherboard is a very interesting product, especially when factoring in the modest £47 asking price.

Although Gigabyte have stripped back heavily on features, the F2A88XM-DS2 still delivers fantastic overclocking performance.  We were able to achieve a noteworthy 4.5 GHz final clock speed, which is as good as we have managed with this chip using other, more expensive motherboards.

Gigabyte have chosen to use a black colour scheme which looks great and should fit in nicely with most configurations.  The F2A88XM-DS2 features an unusual form factor which is technically micro-ATX, but it is actually more compact.  This makes it ideal for use in compact cases.

The main drawback of this motherboard for us is the lack of an HDMI port.  With an HDMI connector, it would make a great option for those looking to build a basic home theatre PC or multimedia PC.  Gigabyte have also cut back on the other I/O connections, although these aren't likely to be as problematic for most people.

At a price of £47 from Overclockers UK and £46.99 from YOYOTech, we feel that the Gigabyte F2A88XM-DS2 offers great value for money.  It is ideal for those users looking to build a basic multimedia PC on a budget. In fact, if it featured an HDMI connection it would achieve our most coveted ‘Must Have' award.

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Pros:

• Great value.
• Black colour scheme.
• Impressive overclocking performance.

Cons:

• No HDMI connection.

KitGuru says: An impressive motherboard with surprisingly good overclocking capabilities. At £47 it proves difficult to ignore.

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