X-bit labs

DFI LanParty UT RDX200 CF-DR Mainboard on ATI Radeon Xpress 200 CrossFire Chipset (page 18)

Category: Mainboards

by Ilya Gavrichenkov

[ 01/20/2006 | 07:14 PM ]

Conclusion

In conclusion I have to admit that DFI LanParty UT RDX200 CF-DR mainboard didn’t manage to change our opinion about the ATI Radeon Xpress 200 chipset. It yields to NVIDIA nForce4 chipset family in many aspects, which certainly affects the quality of mainboards based on it.

DFI LanParty UT RDX200 CF-DR could turn into a really terrific platform: it supports CrossFire technology, and its overclocking friendly features are truly admirable. However, it is really hard to build a good house if the foundation is shaky. We believe ATI is the one to blame here, because their South Bridge leaves a lot to be desired. Slow USB 2.0 and PCI busses and a relatively outdated Serial ATA controller can scare away quite a few users. So, looks like DFI LanParty UT RDX200 CF-DR may have rally hard times.

I have to add that this mainboard is quite expensive, and this price doesn’t seem justified to us: neither by the specs, nor by the performance. So, I think some of the ATI and DFI fans may be disappointed.

Highs:

• ATI CrossFire technology support;
• Outstanding overclocking-friendly features and excellent overclocking potential;
• Rich list of memory settings;
• High-quality High Definition Audio solution.

Lows:

• High price;
• Unimplemented Cool’n’Quiet support;
• Slow USB 2.0 and PCI busses;
• Outdated Serial ATA controllers without NCQ and Serial ATA-II support;
• Not very high performance;
• Not very rich accessories bundle.