Gigabyte GA-EP45 DS5  Motherboard (with TPM) Manufacturer Gigabyte Category Motherboard Socket Socket 775 LGA Chipset Intel P45 - DDR2 Editor Winston Chim Share    digg this! "...The Gigabyte GA-EP45 DS5 has all the innovative features found on their high-end motherboards with the added bonus of the onboard TPM security feature. "

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Gigabyte introduces their EP45 DS5 motherboard with added TPM ... giving extra security to both mainstream and business users.

INTRODUCTION

Security has always been an important issue for many businesses in the I.T. industry, but it's become more so in recent times. Reports of high-tech criminals conducting corporate espionage, data manipulation and even stealing data from PCs. This is not fiction, and believe it or not ... these things do happen in real life, but are rarely reported because of its sensitivity. So what do we do? Well, to help us combat this problem, manufacturers have been busy working with developers to introduce new and innovative security techniques. One of these new security techniques include the TMP (Trusted Platform Module). Here's a little blurb taken from the TMP Group website.

"The Trusted Computing Group (TCG) is a not-for-profit organization formed to develop, define, and promote open standards for hardware-enabled trusted computing and security technologies, including hardware building blocks and software interfaces, across multiple platforms, peripherals, and devices. TCG specifications will enable more secure computing environments without compromising functional integrity, privacy, or individual rights. The primary goal is to help users protect their information assets (data, passwords, keys, etc.) from compromise due to external software attack and physical theft."

TPM is nothing new. It was first introduced during 2007, but it's only now that manufacturers have decided to include it into their products. Again, Gigabyte was one of the first to implement this

In this review we'll be taking a look at the Gigabyte GA-EP45 DS5 motherboard. This motherboard is vitually identical to utilises Intel's latest P45 chipset along with their new ICH10R southbridge ... not only does it support the higher 1600 FSB, but also DDR2 ram upto 1200Mhz. It's aimed at the higher-end mainstream market suitable for users of all types including power and business users. What makes this particular motherboard a little different, is the included TPM chip which adds extra security. Gigabyte calls this new feature ... Ultra Secure, which is another addition to their "Ultra" series of features. Just like their other EP45 motherboards, Gigabyte also incorporated several innovative features, these include their much talked about DES (dynamic energy saver) with 6-gears, for massive energy saving. There's also the Ultra Durable 2 for excellent stability and longevity, by using 100% Japanese made solid capacitors, Low RDS(on) MOSFETs, Ferrite Core Chokes, and a 2-Power phases for northbridge and memory. 

 

One of the main differences between Gigabyte's DS4 and DS5, is that the DS4 has 3 PCIe slots (2x16, 1x4), while the DS5 only has 2 PCIe slots (2x16). And like all P45 motherboards, when Crossfire mode is engaged, the x16 PCIe slots drops down to run at x8. The DS5 features Gigabyte's Silentpipe chipset cooler and does an adequate job of cooling the chipset. While the diagnostic LEDs adds extra functionality and it's a welcome bonus ... Other great features include the internal power-on, reset and clear CMOS switches. It's a great feature for any budding enthusiast, especially after a failed overclocking attempt.

I was asked by Gigabyte to use their latest BIOS while testing the DS5. When asked why, they said it would improve stability and also there would be some performance improvements. This is what I did ... and what a surprise it was. All I could say was that, I was pleasantly surprised with some of the results I managed to get during our benchmarks.

We'll be testing the Gigabyte GA-EP45 DS5 with our trusted old Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ default 2.4Ghz, OCZ DDR2-1066 SLI-Ready 2Gb Kit, a Radeon HD3870 512MB DDR4, PC Power & Cooling Turbo Cool 860W PSU and a 24" Samsung Syncmaster 245B LCD monitor, running Windows Vista with native DX10.

Ok, let's not waste any more time and take a closer look at Gigabyte GA-EP45 DS5 motherboard.