The Micro P45

When one talks about mATX motherboards, it's almost a given that the motherboard comes with integrated graphics. The reason being that these motherboards are usually found in entry-level systems where cost is a major concern. Then there are the more niche applications for mATX PCs, like your home theater PC (HTPC), where size becomes the priority. However, given the low-power, low-noise requirements of these HTPCs, integrated graphics is always handy, especially since enthusiasts are usually not playing the latest PC games on these machines.

That just leaves a very, very niche scenario where one would need a mATX board without an option for integrated graphics - LAN gaming machines, or to be more specific, portable LAN PCs. For those LAN party enthusiasts who lug their own systems to such game gatherings, DFI has just the right solution with a mATX motherboard built around Intel's mainstream P45 chipset, the new LANParty JR P45-T2RS. It's the first Intel P45 motherboard that's in such modest dimensions and by now, we believe you should have a pretty good idea why.

DFI has simply cut down the number of expansion slots to ensure that this boards fits the microATX form factor.

Before we check whether this board manages to keep up with its ATX sized rivals, the following contents were found in our retail package:-

• 2 x SATA data cables
  
• 1 x SATA power converter cable
  
• 1 x 80-conductor Ultra ATA data cable
  
• 1 x floppy drive data cable
  
• RAID driver diskette
  
• I/O shield
  
• Driver CD
  
• User manual
  
• Auto Boost System Installation Guide