X-bit labs

DFI LANPARTY PRO875B Mainboard on i875P Chipset Review

Category: Mainboards

by Ilya Gavrichenkov

[ 12/21/2003 | 04:08 PM ]

DFI Company has been very aggressive promoting its mainboards lately. Therefore we decided to review one of their recent solutions - the new LANPARTY mainboard on i875P chipset for Pentium 4 processors. Compared with the predecessor, this mainboard boasts the new CMOS Reloaded technology. Let’s find out what it is capable of.

Table of contents:

• Specification
  
• Closer Look
  
• PCB Design
  
• BIOS and Overclocking
  
• CMOS Reloaded
  
• Performance
  
• Conclusion
  

Mainboard manufacturers spent the entire year 2003 groping for a niche where they could rake in more profit. Some of them embraced the concept of the small form-factor PC, others added graphics cards to their product lists or switched to a more aggressive marketing stance. DFI belongs to the latter group; the company decided to boost its sales by rolling out the LANPARTY mainboard family that is sharply outlined as family of products for extreme gamers. The financial results of this approach are yet to be summed up, but the LANPARTY series has surely brought some publicity to the company itself.

Besides their rich functionality and high performance, LANPARTY mainboards are distinguishable for their stylish appearance (you can proudly showcase them in a windowed system case) and original accessories. Is it enough to win the customer’s heart? Let’s find it out. Today, we would like to offer you a review of one more mainboard from DFI, the freshly-announced LANPARTY PRO875B.

Specification

DFI LANPARTY PRO875B is in fact nothing more but a slightly improved LANPARTY PRO875, released a little earlier. The new version differs from the old one mainly in the exclusive CMOS Reloaded technology. Besides that, the LANPARTY PRO875B features redesigned CPU and memory power circuits as well as a renewed audio tract.

This should be said first: LANPARTY mainboard family includes not cheap products. Due to their advanced capabilities, rich accessories and overall “pomp”, the price of the LANPARTY PRO875B nearly hits the $200 mark.

So what does the user get for this money, besides the mainboard itself? Well, in fact the bundle is not that small at all:

• 2 CD disks and a floppy with drivers and utilities and InterVideo WinCinema;
• 2 round aerodynamic ATA/100-ATA/133 cables and 1 aerodynamic FDD cable;
• 2 SerialATA cables;
• Power cable for two Serial ATA HDDs;
• I/O shield (a bracket for the back panel of the system case);
• User’s manual;
• Pack of thermal paste;
• FrontX panel for the 5” bay with two audio mini-jacks (microphone and headphones), two USB ports, and D-LED diagnostics system;
• PC Transpo bag for carrying your computer around;
• Sticker and shield with the LANPARTY logo.

This list doesn’t include a USB bracket for the back panel, to my regret. As a result, two of the eight USB ports available in the LANPARTY PRO875B remain unattached to the respective connectors if the system case itself has no USB ports.

The “LANPARTY” brand suggests you use this mainboard at those LAN parties, which are get-togethers of dedicated gamers. That’s why the accessories include a handy bag for you to carry your PC. The mainboard itself, as well as the aerodynamic cables, are neon-colored and shine in ultraviolet light. This looks really cool.