Introduction
Since the launch of the NVIDIA nForce 2 chipset last year we have been inundated with different series of motherboards which use the IGP/MCP siliocn. There is no doubt that the nForce II chipset represented a huge step forward in performance for AMD clad motherboards. The EPoX 8RDA+ has made a name for itself as one of the best performing socket A motherboards. Its performance and reliability is excellent and the board is still most sort after by overclockers and general users alike. The 8RDA+ has not sold on features as it does not supported RAID or SATA, but as a result its aggressive pricing at sub £100 and its overclockability.
The big question is. How could EPoX improve on such a good board? – Well the latest evolution, the 8RGA+ does not seem to be a great improvement, but merely the addition of on board graphics…. Or is it?
Speak to anyone that is serious about overclocking their AMD processor and they will generally advice you to start with an EPoX 8RDA+. Most of the 8RDA boards from EPoX were hitting 200MHz FSB. As the 8RDA+ automatically unlocks the processor’s multiplier and DDR 3500 ram has become readily available people soon worked out that higher FSB speeds were only being blocked by the ability of the Northbridge. Some bright spark decided to produce a voltage modification for the Northbridge and suddenly we saw that FSB speeds of 220 MHz + were common place. Modifying the voltage on a motherboard is not done without significant risk however, as many people have also found to their cost. That’s where the new EPOX 8RGA+ comes in, because not only does it have on board graphics, it also features the latest Northbridge revision and bios controlled Northbridge voltage control. Now let the FSB wars begin.
