nForce2 6-way Motherboard Roundup - December 2002

Epox 8RDA+ Rev. 0.3: Basic Features

Epox brings a nice combination of features to the table with their first NVIDIA-based motherboard, the Epox 8RDA+ based on the nForce2 SPP North Bridge and MCP-T South Bridge.

The onboard LAN controller is powered by Realtek's RTL8201BL, which is also found on ABIT and ASUS's nForce2 motherboards. Once again, the 8201BL is the physical layer for the nForce Ethernet MAC in the MCP-T. EPoX did not include a second PHY to take advantage of the integrated 3Com MAC so there is only one 10/100 port on the motherboard.

Like most of the other nForce2 boards, EPoX uses the ALC650 AC'97 codec to take advantage of the nForce APU. Remember that the nForce2 APU only acts as a DSP, final sound quality is still greatly determined by the DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) in the ALC650 AC'97 codec.

The 8RDA+ I/O configuration is fairly standard for a high-end desktop motherboard. Included are two PS/2 ports, two serial ports, one parallel port, four rear USB 2.0 ports, one LAN port, and three 1/8' jacks, which are driven by the onboard sound. No rear FireWire unfortunately, but there's definitely a couple onboard FireWire headers.

This is yet another nForce2 motherboard that lacks any significant IDE support. Though having Primary and Secondary IDE connectors supporting two channels each is acceptable for even the power user, there will be some that desire more than "just" four drives. Alas, there are no IDE RAID connectors, so four IDE drives are all you're going to get. Interestingly enough Epox bundles two rounded (and blue) IDE cables for you. They measure 60cm in length and should be quite useful in freeing up clutter and air flow inside your computer case.

The MCP-T South Bridge supports USB 2.0, six USB 2.0 ports altogether. There's only one USB 2.0 header that you can use, but the four rear USB 2.0 ports should suffice for most. Epox does include a two-port USB bracket if the rear USB ports aren't enough.

Onboard FireWire support is powered by Realtek's RTL8801B controller, which dictates the data sent to the IEEE 1394a data path integrated into the MCP-T. There are two onboard FireWire headers that you can use as well as a bundled two-port FireWire bracket. In total, this board supports a max of two FireWire ports.