DFI LanParty NFII Ultra Rev B Motherboard Review

Over the past year we have seen quite a few nForce 2 based motherboards starting with the first NF2 and then later a NF2 Ultra 400 designed for increased processor support. Performance differences between the chipsets are marginal at best due in part to the limitations of the AthlonXP processor. Many of these limitations will go away once the "Hammer" line becomes mainstream but until then there are plenty of inexpensive AlthonXP's just waiting to be pushed to the limits.

As we have seen in the past when it comes to performance of nVidia based products it really doesn't matter what brand you buy since they all are about the same. Knowing this how are you to know what one to choose? When it comes to motherboards it is really important to choose a board that comes with the features that you want, has a nice layout, and is priced within your budget. For some color is a big consideration especially if you are looking to match a current system and/or layout.

For this review we have one of the newest and most unique nForce2 motherboards in the DFI LanParty series. The new board from DFI features the latest nForce2 Ultra 400 chipset from nVidia and is by far one of the most unique nForce2 motherboards that I have ever seen. This review will concentrate mostly on what makes the board unique though will also touch on overclocking and how similar the different versions of the nForce2 chipset are.

The area above the AGP slot on most motherboards is typically fairly congested. To help free up some space the processor socket was moved from the center of the board to the left near the ATX connector, the power and memory slots were spread apart and the remaining drive connectors are situated inline along he edge of the board.