EPOX – EPoX 8RDA3+ Rev. 2.0 Motherboard Review

HWZone.co.il reviews the new EPoX 8RDA3+ Revision 2.0 motherboard (nForce2 S chipset) and rates it 8/10. EPoX say IDE RAID will be added in the next version of the board (Rev. 3) – as well as in the 8RDA6+ (with MCP-S?) due to be released in 2 months.

What EPoX did is take the first revision and improved it so much they almost re-built the board, here are some of the changes made:
• The entire voltage regulation array (MOSFETs, capacitors and coils) has been replaced to provide much higher voltage accuracy. According to EPoX, the board is almost 10 times more stable than Rev. 1.0, which gives us – Overclockers - better chances of achieving higher clockspeeds :)
• The MOSFET array was replaced with advanced 0.13 micron chips, which means they produce less heat and thus become more stable and accurate.
• The PCB version has been updated and the internal wires enlarged to provide for larger current throughput with as little interference as possible.
• SerialATA and IDE connectors have been coated with gold, for better electricity conduction.
• The SerialATA controller was updated with a newer one, and high bus SATA issues were resolved.

Today the EPoX 8RDA3+ is considered one of the best motherboards there are for overclockers and I think it certainly deserves this title. While its performance is more or less average, it still stands out and provides impressive results even in the not-so ideal conditions (and that is a serious understatement). If we look at the various features the board offers and combine them with its low price, we get a motherboard that addressed pretty much every home user in the best way.

[HW]Zone
EPoX 8RDA3+ Rev. 2 nForce2