*Edited: Read our very own review here at http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=6&id=1509

Taipei, Taiwan April 6^th, 2005 - GIGABYTE Technology, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, VGA cards and other computing hardware solutions, today introduced the new i-DNA series of motherboards with the launch of the GA-8N-SLI Royal mainboard, the world’s first high-performance SLI solution for the Intel Pentium 4 platform. By combining Performance DNA with Security DNA, GIGABYTE i-DNA motherboards provide Natural Intelligence for the digital lifestyle and afford users with a choice of platforms that was previously not available to them.

Featuring the highly anticipated NVIDIA nForce 4 SLI Intel Edition chipset, the GA-8N-SLI Royal supports multiple GPU applications that harness the power and functionality of two SLI-ready PCI Express graphics cards or the legendary GIGABYTE GV-3D1 Dual GPU VGA card. With support for the latest 1066MHz FSB LGA775 Intel Pentium 4 Processors and DDR-2 667 memory, the GA-8N-SLI Royal allows for maximum bandwidth between the North Bridge and other components where bottlenecks are most prone to occur. GIGABYTE GA-8N-SLI Royal has undergone extensive testing at the Corsair Testing labs and has passed Memory Certification with DDR2 675 Ultra Low Latency memory.  For the user, this means that when they combine the GIGABYTE GA-8N-SLI Royal with Corsair's TWIN2X1024A-5400UL memory, they are assured of compatibility as well as faster overall performance for this NVIDIA 'Recommended' platform." stated Richard Hashim, Manager of Distribution of Corsair Memory.

Ushering in a new era of Natural Intelligence from industry leading GIGABYTE i-DNA motherboards, the GA-8N-SLI Royal comes with the CPU Intelligent Accelerator 2 (CIA 2) and Memory Intelligent Booster 2 (MIB 2) that deliver optimal performance with unequalled ease of use for PC gaming enthusiasts who enjoy pushing their systems to the limits. GIGABYTE Natural Intelligence also includes additional system security features with the Universal Plus Dual Power System (U-Plus D.P.S.) that not only helps to extend the lifespan of power modules by keeping them cooler, but also increases overall system reliability by being able to continue to operate even when one transistor has blown. This feature helps to enhance data protection and data accessing, particularly for power users who place extreme demands on their PSUs.

With support for SATA II, the GA-8N-SLI Royal boasts blistering 3Gb/s hard disk drive data transfer speeds with 100% compatibility with the latest software utilities and operating systems. Highly advanced NVIDIA RAID technology allows RAID 0 (Striping), RAID 1 (Mirroring), RAID 0+1 (Striping and Mirroring), and RAID 5 (Parity RAID) multi-disk designs to be created by the user depending on their preference for protection or performance. The RAID 5 function supports drive roaming capability that enables drives from one controller to be removed to another without losing data and sports a familiar Windows®-based utility for ease of use.

The GA-8N-SLI Royal also features the latest in high-speed connectivity with Dual Gigabit Ethernet for simultaneous WAN and LAN connection speeds of up to 1,000 Mb/s as well as onboard Firewire (IEEE1394b) and USB 2.0 capabilities. To round off the extensive networking capabilities of this board, GIGABYTE bundles the GN-BTD02 Bluetooth wireless USB adapter that enables compatibility with Bluetooth consumer products such as mobile phones, printers, PDAs, cameras and headsets for the ultimate versatility around the home or office.

Focusing on secure connectivity, the GA-8N-SLI Royal combines NV Firewall & Norton Internet Security to deliver solid protection against hackers, viruses, and privacy infringements without sacrificing system performance. The NVIDIA ActiveArmor hardware engine reduces the workload on the CPU during demanding security operations, leaving valuable CPU resources to continue with other tasks. Complimenting the exceptional hardware package, GIGABYTE Shieldware adds eight unique software feature to the mix that are easy to use and focused on making computing simple, straightforward, and safe. These include Download Center, C.I.A.2, M.I.B.2, S.O.S., M.I.T., and Xpress3 for safe recovery and backups.

•          Supports Intel Pentium 4 processor (LGA 775)
•          NVIDIA nForce 4 SLI Intel Edition/MCP04 chipset
•          2 x PCI-Express x 16 slot
•          2 x PCI-Express slot, 2 x PCI slot
•          Dual channel DDRII 667 with 4 DIMMs (up to 4GB)
•          Universal-plus Dual Power System (U-Plus DPS)
•          Dual Gigabit LAN
•          4 x Serial ATA II (MCP04 controller)
•          2 x Serial ATA II (Promise controller )
•          3 x Parallel ATA
•          3 x IEEE1394b ports (T.I. solution)
•          10 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
•          High-quality 8-channel AC'97 audio
•          DualBIOS

Unique Features:

CIA2, MIB2, MIT, SOS, Xpress Install, Xpress Recovery, Smart FAN, EasyTune5, and the bundled Bluetooth USB (GN-BTD02) wireless adapter.

About GIGABYTE

GIGA-BYTE Technology Co., Ltd. was established in 1986 and has earned a global reputation for its outstanding achievements in the motherboard industry by upholding the concepts of innovation, quality and reliability. Over the years, GIGABYTE has won recognition and numerous awards, including the Golden Brains Prize, the Taiwan National Award of Excellence for achieving a 100% winning rate for products submitted over the past eight consecutive years, and the Taiwan National Quality Award.  GIGABYTE is dedicated to providing total customer satisfaction -from product concept and design, to mass production, all the way to integration. GIGABYTE’s ever expanding product family of motherboards, graphics cards, PC peripherals, Desktop/Notebook PCs, plus wireless networking and servers, represents a complete computing solution. The spirit of “Upgrade Your Life” at GIGABYTE is clearly reflected through its commitment to researching newer technologies as well as ensuring product quality. Now and in the future, GIGABYTE will continue to follow its vision of becoming the most valuable provider of computing solutions in the world.  For more information about GIGABYTE, please visit its official website at: http://www.gigabyte.com.tw