The Nforce 630i / 7000 series chipset from Nvidia no longer incites as much excitement in the reviewer as it did a month ago. With releases from Palit, Emaxx, and a host of other motherboard manufacturers, the buyer is faced with the enviable task of comparing and determining the best among the choices arrayed in the market. Which would you choose if the chipset is all but identical in all of the releases?

                                             You'd expect a high end motherboard in a box like this.
 

PC motherboards are no different from other consumer items in the sense that they are also marketed to image conscious individuals who see the cover first before moving on to savor the text inside a book. With XFX’s 7100 motherboard ( curiously, unnamed aside from the chipset numbers – nForce 630i), we see a good example of this good packaging that may be the key facto in pulling in the customers and having them choose the XFX brand over its competitors. So just what is so different with XFX’s version of the Nvidia 630i / 7100 combo?

                                             The inner box.

Before anything else, let’s explore the similarities of this motherboard to others using the same chipset: there is of course Nvidia’s graphics-centric 7100 Northbridge that boasts of multiple connectivity options with standouts like HDMI with HDCP compatibility, DVI-D for direct digital out to LCDs and TVs, as well as the standard VGA connector. The motherboard is designed for Intel socket 775 processors, including 45nm parts soon to be released by the chip giant. A 1333MHz FSB and support for DDR2 800MHz over two slots is pretty standard, except for the fact that XFX specifically pointed out its overclocking potential on its packaging.

                                             Small premium details abound in an otherwise ordinary looking board.

Connectivity options are also run-of-the-mill for this particular chipset, with internal upgrade options headlined by a single PCI-E x16 slot, attended by two legacy PCI and a single PCI-E x1 slot. A small surprise await at the rear panel, where a single external SATA connector peeks out from beneath two of the four rear USB connectors. Gigabit LAN, 8-channel sound connectors, PS/2 connectors and an SPDIF out rounds off that area of the board. Four SATA connectors grace the lower right corner of the board, along with USB headers giving an additional 6 USB slots (total of 10), with a single IDE and floppy connector higher up.

                                             An HDMI and e-SATA connector livens up the rear panel.

There are some surprising extras on this board though, namely a two-character on-board diagnostic LED, on-board power and reset buttons, a larger than average northbridge heatsink and a curiously misplaced extra SATA connector near the CPU socket and just behind the rear panel. But most surprising is the classy box and packaging that the whole thing came in –using their familiar black-and-green motif, XFX pulled off a high-class look in what’s essentially a mid-level product. Lettering for the main features are embossed for added impact, and notable features are spelled out clearly and neatly. When opened, a lime-green inner box with the XFX logo is revealed. An extra thick piece of foam lies under the board. The motherboard itself looks quite plain after the flashy packaging, but small details like the logo on the heatsink, the aforementioned on-board LCD, consistent color coding (dark green PCB and totally black connectors) all contribute to a distinct air of quality for this product. Coupled with a small envelope containing the larger than average manual and the installer CD, plus black power and data connectors, the whole package is a cut above the rest, at least when it comes to initial impressions.

                                             Some more unexpected extras: LED indicator and on-board power/reset buttons.

It’s true that none of the above mentioned will make the motherboard run significantly faster than its brethren, but this motherboard no doubt will catch your eye and won’t let go until you see if the contents live up to its appearances. With XFX’s reputation as an “extreme” brand, this is an expectation that’s as good as fulfilled. Such attention to detail in the packaging translates to good quality on the product as well. Like the smashingly beautiful model who can also talk about market trends and high calculus, this model will suck you in with its looks and packaging, but will keep you there with its performance and extras.

                                             Note the color-coordinated cables and the envelope for the manual and CD.
 

Look out for our review  in an upcoming issue of HWM! More pictures to follow.

                                             Stange location for a SATA connector.

                                              Northbridge heatsink looks like an aftermarket part.

                                              A goodly collection of solid capacitors.