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Review: DFI LANPARTY 925X-T2

by Tarinder Sandhu on 24 March 2005, 00:00

Tags: DFI (TPE:2397)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qa3c

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Thoughts

A number of factors take away from the present attractiveness of 900-series boards. Lacklustre performance at stock speeds is highlighted by comparatively poor performance against AMD's Athlon 64 setups. Overclocking potential, in the main, is significantly lower than present S478-based Springdale/Canterwood models, and there's not a whole lot of choice in compliant graphics cards and memory modules. That said, there is promise if and when Intel decides to boost core logic speeds.

That's what DFI's LANPARTY 925X-T2 is up against if evaluated with respect to the so-called bigger performance picture. Previous LANPARTY boards have shone by taking the best parts of a core logic and augmenting it with carefully chosen extras, often creating the must-have motherboard. The intrinsic problem facing the £160 925X-T2, though, is from competitors who have caught up DFI in both features and bundle. ASUS' 900-series boards are a case in point. They out-specify the 925X-T2 in almost every area and the P5GD2 (i915P) Premium, priced at £135, matches Alderwood performance and offers extra goodies to boot.

There's plenty of decent 900-series boards doing the rounds right now, and DFI's 925X-T2 is decent. The problem is, as far as I can see, that other manufacturers now offer a better overall package at similar price levels.



The Good

CMOS Reloaded is always a nice touch
Classy packaging and decent bundle
Clean layout

The Not So Good

Mediocre performance when viewed from a platform point of view.
Unexciting overclocking potential.
A touch lightweight on non-logic-driven features.
The competition is intense and impressive.
Lightweight documentation on a premium board.