GIGABYTE GA-8I945GMH-RH VIIV Motherboard Review :: GA-8I945GMH-RH Layout

GIGABYTE decided to use a mini-ATX form factor for their new board. This forces the manufacturer to make layout decisions that wouldn't make sense on a Med-ATX board. The memory slots are under the PCI Express x16 slot, meaning the video card blocks one DIMM slot from easy removal and replacement. It's a decent compromise on layout.

Mini-ATX form Factor

4-pin power connector

The 24-pin ATX connector is located on the bottom of the motherboard next to the IDE connector. The CPU area is very clean, meaning after-market cooling systems can be placed on the board without difficulty. The 4-pin power connector is on the very top of the board, allowing easy access from the power supply.

USB headers

Firewire headers

ITE8712F-A

NB heat sink

In addition to the four onboard USB 2.0 ports, GIGABYTE decided to include headers for 2 additional USB brackets, bringing the maximum on the board to 8. The packaging included 0 additional USB brackets, meaning a separate purchase for more USB ports. Two IEEE-1394 headers are also present. There is an ITE8712F-A chip on the board to control the CPU Temperature.

Front Panel I/O

Intel chip

ICS

CPU Fan header

The North Bridge has a heat sink covering it, meaning there isn't active cooling on the board. The Front Panel I/O headers are clearly labeled for easy installation of the connection wires. GIGABYTE includes Write Protection for their BIOS. Simply insert a jumper cap over the appropriate jumpers and the BIOS can't be written over. Excellent features are to be found on this board.

Discuss This Article