Item: EPoX 8RDA+ nForce2
Author: Tarinder Sandhu

Conclusion

The EPoX 8RDA+ nForce2 has clearly been designed to appeal to those of us who simply want a motherboard based on the fastest Socket A chipset at a reasonable price. By not catering for RAID in any form, and not providing the additional S/PDFIF add-on card, it appears as if EPoX have sought to get a motherboard out to market quickly.

That's not to say that the 8RDA+ skimps on features. That would be inherently difficult if you're using the impressive MCP-T Southbridge. Offering 6 USB2.0 ports (of which all are usable on the 8RDA+), Firewire, ATA133, great sound, and impressive LAN, it's more feature-packed than competing chipsets. The excellent debug LED can be considered as a worthwhile feature.

The layout also receives praise. EPoX have retained the all-important mounting holes and included the full gamut of 6-PCI slots. 3 usable fan headers will appeal to those that take their cooling a little more seriously. I can also appreciate the inclusion of a passive Northbridge cooler. Most of us are looking for quieter solutions.

Although the shipping and subsequent BIOS didn't allow us to unlock our XP2400, a newer BIOS is rumoured to do so. Simply unlock your processor either by hardware or BIOS update, add a couple of high-performance DDR modules, run them synchronously at a high FSB, and watch it fly. The ample voltage manipulation on offer should allow you to get the most out of the chipset. The stock performance was comparable to the previously tested ABIT NF7-S nForce2 motherboard.

Some may bemoan the fact that the 8RDA+ doesn't support RAID in any format, and others may criticise its lack of a bundled S/PDIF feature, but at an online price of around £100, it represents good value. Add in the performance and stability of the nForce2 chipset, and you have what is a very competent solution.

Highs