Gigabyte F2A88XM-DS2 Motherboard Review

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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