ASRock is definitely moving to the mainstream market with the ConRoeXFire-eSATA2. This model supports up to 4 slots of DDR2-533/667 modules. The chipset used supports all series of Intel LGA775 CPUs including the highest end Intel Core2 Duo Extreme (Conroe), the X6800 that runs clks 2.93GHz (1066FSB). Other processors supported are the the LGA 775 for Intel^® Dual Core Pentium^® D / Pentium^® 4 / Celeron^® D, supporting Core™ 2 Duo Desktop (Conroe), Presler and Cedar Mill processors, FSB 1066/800/533 MHz, it also support Hyper-Threading Technology + EM64T CPU. The board also untied overclocking features allowing you to boost the performance by increase the FSB without affecting the PCI and PCIe bus speed.

This board is also VISTA Ready and comes with HDA 8ch audio using ALC888 codec. The board also comes with a HDMI_SPDIF connector which allows audio to be output through a HDMI graphics card. Using the ICH7R south bridge, 4 x Serial ATAII 3.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10, RAID 5 and Intel^® Matrix Storage), NCQ, AHCI and "Hot Plug" functions. There are also 2 x eSerial ATAII 3.0 Gb/s connectors (shared with 2 SATAII ports) and support "Hot Plug" function. On top of that, the board supports 1394 (with external bracket) and Gigabit Ethernet.

As its model name indicates, it supports the ATi CrossFire. ASRock has made it possible for you to run CrossFire on a 945P chipset. The only thing to note is that the 2nd PCIex16 slot actually runs at 4x. Thus, if you run CrossFire on this board, it will be in a Dual 4x configuration. High end graphics cards performance might be hampered.

Compared to the 975X board from ASUS and another ASRock's board 775Dual-VSTA based on the PT880Pro/8237 chipset, this board's performance is impressive. In fact, the results shows that it is not far off when compared tot he 975X board running at 1MHz higher than its default 266MHz. In fact, in one of the tests, it even overtook the ASUS Board by just a tiny bit.

Just like any ASR ock board, the package comes with 4 SATA cables, more than enough for you to cable up for eSATA found at the back of the panel. A bracket is also given for connecting the USB ports and Firewire port. The multilingual manual is a plus for many users in Europe. Compared the the 775Dual-VSTA, this board will be a better choice if you already own a PCIe card and DDR2 module. If you own a X1600XT card, it is time to get another and run CrossFire on it for better graphics performance.

The board has some basic overclocking features with adjustments of the CPUCLK, ASync settings, ram timing adjustments. You can check the gallery for more details. Although we are using a ES, the BIOS has the multiplier locked,  we can o/c the board to 300MH z FSB x 11.

Update : We have also prepared a Vmod guide for Vcore, Vdimm and Vchipset modification for those who are interested to make it go higher.

Overall, we did not have any issues with the board pairing it up with the highest end processor and graphics card we have on hand. This board is definitely a choice for the performance users who needs the processing power of the Core 2 Duo. Video editors will definitely love the 1394 port and external eSATA enclosures can be fitted for easy data transfers. GbE might also come useful if you are into LAN gaming. It is definitely a recommended choice for those going for ray tracing, HD, video editing, gaming.  Check pricing link below.

Pricing from various vendors >>>

$82.99 at Newegg.com

Pricing

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Pros

• 8 USB 2.0 ports
• Core 2 Duo support
• Surround video
• ATi CrossFire
• 1394
• SATA II
• GbE

Cons

• PCIe x4
• Overclocking options
• Chasis fan connector too close to Soft powersw

Ratings

Here are my ratings out of 10 stars.

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