The P45 chipset from Intel is a very successful replacement for the P35 chipset that preceded it. The Gigabyte EP45-DS4 has a few issues but none that are showstoppers or enough to warrant actual complaint. The fact that the board supports FSB1600MHz CPUs out of the box is a definite plus. Older CPUs that are no longer produced, but that a user might want to use on this board, are not supported and need to look for another board.
Beyond a few small snags the Gigabyte EP45 has some very nice features and is widely available online. Gigabyte has released a full slate of P45 motherboards including the EP45-DQ6, the EP45-DS4, the EP45-DS5 and more. Across the board performance was ok, and as expected from a P45 chipset motherboard, with performance equal mostly within the separate run parameters of other motherboards in this caliber. The Gigabyte EP45-DS4R is a good solid motherboard; it’s just not enough out of the ordinary to make it stand out amongst its peers as a leader of the pack and that’s usually what garnishes awards.
