Features of the DFI LANParty NF590 SLI-M2R/G

The size is nothing new - it is the full ATX layout which all enthusiast boards now use. DFI has done a magnificent job on working out where the best placement for the connectors should be placed.

The 24-pin power and 8-pin CPU power connectors are located at the top right of the board behind a large heatsink that cools the input voltage regulators. Below this is a single IDE and 2 SATA ports. The IDE is controlled by the nVidia Southbridge and the top 2 SATA ports are powered by a Silicon Image 3132 controller chip just below the SATA ports. Just below this is the FDD connector and the 6 SATA ports controlled by the nVidia Southbridge. These ports are angled 90 degrees to the board to reduce cable clutter as much as physically possible - all in the aid of improving air flow. All of these ports are UV reactive also, when placed under a black light they will glow.

The CPU layout is also extremely clean. The CPU is given power from 5 phases to keep the unit nice and stable under overclocked conditions. The retention mechanism also is UV reactive. DFI places the DDR-2 DIMM sockets between the I/O ports and the CPU, which is the opposite side to most boards, being that the CPU itself controls the memory interface; it doesn't matter if it's to the left, right or above - it's all the same.

The rear I/O is setup quite like a lot of the LANParty boards that DFI produces. The biggest note is the large gap between the SPDIF ports and the USB towers. This is there the audio module plugs into if you intend to use it. If you want to use a discrete sound card, it is better to leave it out.

Now we get to the last part of the board before we get into the BIOS and testing. This is the expansion slots as well as the additional features that DFI packs in. There are 2 PCI Express x16 slots on the board for full-speed SLI as well as support for Dual 7950GX2 cards for Quad SLI. The top slot is routed through the Northbridge, the lower is controlled through the Southbridge. Below the first PCI Express 16 slot is a single PCI Express x1 slot. Below that is a PCI Express x8 slot that can accommodate any PCI Express cards on the market apart from a graphics card.