Conclusion
DFI may not be a name that you're currently au fait with, but it seems as if they know how to produce a stable and relatively feature-rich motherboard. The E7205, or Granite Bay in internet parlance, is a comparatively complex chipset due to its support for dual-channel DDR, so it's surprising that a relatively unknown motherboard manufacturer (in this country) is one of the very first out of the blocks with a full retail offering.
The DFI NB80-EA, to give it its full title, is a reassuring motherboard in many ways. There's no frilly extras, no signature features, but it does exactly what it says on the box. There were no installation problems, and no problems in the week or so that it was benchmarked and scrutinised. Dual-DDR, by its very nature, is a fast solution, and the DFI ties the previously tested MSI in the speed and stability stakes.
Dual-channel DDR, in the guise of Intel's 'Granite Bay' chipset, looks likely to be manufactured and marketed by the larger first-tier motherboard manufacturers only. That's why it's nice to see a relative minnow produce and market a strong and viable alternative. Inherently expensive, but rather quick, the DFI NB80-EA is a fine example of an emerging technology.
Should you buy it now or wait for SiS and VIA's solutions ?. We'll only be able to answer that in hindsight once the aforementioned two bring their dual-channel P4 solutions to the market. If you want a DDR-based motherboard that can rival PC1066 / RIMM 4200 RAMBUS, and you want it right now, the DFI is worthy of considerable consideration.
Highs
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Extremely stable, even with harsh memory timings
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A decent feature set including dual RAID
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Impressive performance whichever way you look at it
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Should be cheaper than first-tier manufacturers' offerings
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The fastest DDR-based P4 platform currently available
Lows
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The gain in performance from, say, the i845PE is only highlighted in benchmarks
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Inherently expensive chipset
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Would have liked some DDR voltage adjustment
Overall rating - 8/10.
