DDR2 memory support

The motherboard supports DDR2 memory which features data transfer rates of 667 MHz or 533 MHz to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of the latest 3D graphics, multimedia, and Internet applications. The dual-channel DDR2 architecture doubles the bandwidth of your system memory to boost system performance, eliminating bottlenecks with peak bandwidths of up to 10.7 GB/s. See pages 1-17 to 1-20 for details.

Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s technology and SATA on the go

This motherboard supports the next-generation hard drives based on the Serial ATA (SATA) 3Gb/s storage specification, delivering enhanced scalability and doubling the bus bandwidth for high-speed data retrieval and saves. See pages 1-30, and 2-19 for details.

PCI Express™ i nterface

The motherboard fully supports PCI Express, the latest I/O interconnect technology that speeds up the PCI bus. PCI Express features pointto­point serial interconnections between devices and allows higher clockspeeds by carrying data in packets. This high speed interface is software compatible with existing PCI specifications. See pages 1-23 and 1-24 for details.

Hi gh Defi ni ti on Audi o

The onboard 6-channel High Definition audio CODEC enables high-quality ADI AD1986A audio CODEC, which automatically detects and identifies what types of peripherals are plugged into the audio I/O jacks and notifies users of inappropriate connection. See page 1-27 for details.

S/PDIF di gi tal sound ready

The motherboard supports the S/PDIF technology through the S/PDIF interfaces on the rear panel and at midboard. The S/PDIF technology turns your computer into a high-end entertainment system with digital connectivity to powerful audio and speaker systems. See page 1-28 for details.

USB 2.0 technol ogy

The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 specification, dramatically increasing the connection speed from the

12 Mbps bandwidth on USB 1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is backward compatible with USB 1.1. See pages 1-24 and 1-31 for details.

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Chapter 1: Product introduction