14 DAY TRIAL // Gigabyte has stealthily introduced a mid-range motherboard designed for central processing units (CPUs) from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).
The new platform from Gigabyte features the AM3+ CPU socket and is part of the Ultra Durable 4 Classic series.
It bears the name of GA-970A-DS3 and, though its price is still shrouded in mystery, it is fairly obvious that the item isn't gunning for rich people.
While the AM3+ socket ensures a wide support for CPUs, the existence of just two PCI Express x16 slots is a clean giveaway of the board's mainstream status, especially since the second slot works in x4 mode (the AMD 970 chipset is used).
The product also comes with three PCI Express x1 and a pair of legacy PCI slots.
The one element that stands out is the Dual BIOS technology (has a second BIOS that recovers data if the first BIOS fails or crashes, due to overclocking or whatever else).
Moving on, Gigabyte implemented six SATA 6.0 Gbps ports, along with 12 USB 2.0 connectors (six ports on the back panel and six more via pin headers).
Speaking of the back panel, one will find a pair of PS/2 outputs, Gigabit Ethernet, three audio jacks (5.1 channel analogue) and, courtesy of an Etron host controller, USB 3.0 ports as well.
Gigabyte doesn't seem to have yet reached the point where it starts shipping this new product.
When it does, though, it will be the sort of thing that the majority of prospective buyers will be looking for.
Though not as mighty as all the high-end gear that so often gets reviewed and eulogized, it is precisely what most people afford. It also bears noting that most people aren't really going to bother with overclocking either.
All things considered, the Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3 may be a hint that, since AMD has decided to pay less attention to the high-end market, its motherboard partners are doing the same.