Get the "good" version!
Written: Nov 02 '00 (Updated Feb 02 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: It works...
Cons: ...with almost nothing it promised
The Bottom Line: I found out from someone who emailed me, this is a GA-7ZX-1 board I have. Please be sure you don't end up with that version.
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| seether166's Full Review: Gigabyte GA-7ZX Motherboard |
I bought this board because it was the only one I could find and I needed it now. My original board had failed me (Abit KT7, see review here: http://www.epinions.com/cmd-review-1018-FB9ABA4-3A016ABB-prod2) and I couldn’t find another Socket A motherboard at CompUSA.
When I started reading the manual, I thought that this board might be something cool. It had a few innovative features I liked. It had an Audio Modem Riser card for instance. This turned out not to be so cool when I realized I couldn’t find a modem to fit that if I wanted to. There don’t appear to be many in existence.
This was rather secondary to the fact that I realized I had gotten the vanilla version of this board. Unlike the product description Epinions has on their site, it didn’t have half the stuff. For instance, although the jacks for the sound input/outputs are there, the actually Creative chipset is missing. Physically missing from the board.
Moreover, the boasted the dual BIOS thing which certainly has potential. This would eliminate the possibility of a virus destroying your computer (from a BIOS perspective). It could also make upgrading your BIOS a safe affair with the ability to store your old BIOS in the secondary BIOS. Of course, woulda, coulda, shoulda…none of this was possibly with my vanilla board. Once again, the second physical BIOS chip was missing from the board.
To add further annoyance, the ISA slot they showed, didn’t exist.
I don’t really have anything good to say about this board. It did assemble without trouble, and runs fine. Noting truly amazing about it though. I am not a fan of the American Megatrends BIOS because I am used to Abit’s Softmenu, but, it is still competent.
My warning would be this, if you buy the board, be sure you have all the goods on the board, otherwise it makes for a very plain board. Granted, at this stage in the game, consumers have very little to choose from in the way of Socket A motherboards.
*** Update (12/21/2K). Well, I may have been overly hard on this board. A nice reader took the time to email me and point out I clearly have teh 7zm, not the 7zx. I looked at the box again though, and it does SAY it is a 7zx. I would guess the computer store I bought it from mixed up the boxes or something. Beats me.
*** Update (2/2/2K). Somehow this has been the most popular review I've ever written. I suppose its kind of a shame because honestly its not one of my better ones. However, the reason I can't re-do it is because I no longer have this motherboard. This leads my into another point...I have gotten several emails from people asking for tech support. I have no problems trying, and in every case I have sent back my best guesses for them. So, if you are going to email me with questions on this board...I probably don't know. I just used this board for a computer I built my dad. I don't mind the questions though, and if you email me I'll certainly reply one way or the other. Thanks to all.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
seether166
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Member: Wes
Location: Syracuse, NY
Reviews written: 69
Trusted by: 12 members
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