![](../../reviews/images/k7_dragon/thumbs/giga_logo.gif)
THE GIGABYTE 7DXR'S BIOS:
The 7DXR's BIOS is also
based on the common AWARD variety...
![](../../reviews/images/giga_7dxr/thumbs/1bios_adv_featu.jpg)
![](../../reviews/images/giga_7dxr/thumbs/1bios_oc.jpg)
![](../../reviews/images/giga_7dxr/thumbs/1bios_standard.jpg)
If you click through these
BIOS pics, you'll notice the 7DXR's BIOS is also very
complete, considering most of the overclocking is
accomplished by adjusting on-board DIP switches.
You can adjust the FSB within the BIOS though, by
simply typing the desired FSB (middle, far right).
There is also precise control over memory timing
adjustments, allowing users to eek every last ounce of
performance from their RAM.
![](../images/icons/setup.gif) |
Layout and Quality |
Solid As A Rock... |
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THE 7DXR'S LAYOUT:
We also gave
the Gigabyte 7DXR a thorough physical inspection...
![](../../reviews/images/giga_7dxr/thumbs/1south_bridge.jpg)
Gigabyte chose to include
active cooling on the Northbridge as well, but they
mounted the heatsink / fan combo with very strong thermal
tape. The thermal tape was so strong that we didn't
remove the cooler out of fear that we may damage the
AMD-761 Northbridge beneath it! This board also uses
a VIA Southbridge, but this time it's the 686B.
![](../../reviews/images/giga_7dxr/thumbs/1agp_pro_power.jpg)
The 7DXR also has above
average on-board sound. Mounted at the corner of the
board, a Creative Labs CT5880 chip is visible. There
is nothing unusual to report with regard to the external
case connectors, but mounted next to the AGP Pro slot is
something we haven't seen before, a standard 4-Pin power
supply connector. We have seen auxiliary power
connectors for AGP Pro slots before, but they are usually
the square ATX 12V type.
![](../../reviews/images/giga_7dxr/thumbs/1socket.jpg)
The Floppy and on-board IDE
connectors are well placed at the edge of the board, and
the 7DXR is also equipped with 5 PCI slots. Visible
in the center of the Socket is a thermal probe which is
useful to the overclocker who doesn't want to cook their
CPU.
![](../../reviews/images/giga_7dxr/thumbs/1raid_chip.jpg)
One thing we didn't like is
that the RAID connectors are mounted perpendicular to the
edge of the board. Mounting these connectors this
way makes it tough keep the IDE cables neat. Also notice
the "Dual BIOS" in the above pic. Gigabyte's Dual
BIOS is great feature. The days of a bad flash ruining
your rig, or a virus wreaking havoc are over. Should
there be any trouble, the Backup BIOS can be used to get
you up and running.
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Overclocking and Some Numbers...
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