Albatron K8SLI

Board Layout:

Pulling the K8SLI motherboard out of the anti-static bag, its coloring scheme was certainly mixed throughout the motherboard from red PCI Express x16 slots to lime green DDR slots. It was our consensus that the motherboard was laid out appropriately although there are definitely a few areas that could be improved upon for an easier installation. Starting above the four DDR-400 slots that run horizontally along the motherboard, at the very top is the floppy disk connector. We are not incredibly fond of having the FDD connector at the top of the motherboard, as the connector is rarely used and we would have preferred if the 24-pin ATX power connector location were to be switched with the FDD connector. If they were to be switched, it would be most logical as the main power connector would have a shorter run with PSUs that are most often mounted above the motherboard, and the FDD connector would be placed closer to the area where floppy disk drives are most often mounted in a traditional chassis. Even so, this is only a small hiccup in the design and should not cause much worry. As the motherboard measures in at 293 x 198 mm, it is skinnier than most ATX motherboards on the market meanwhile its DDR slots almost meet the rear I/O panel. In the nook between the system memory and rear of the motherboard is a Winbond Super I/O controller. The actual part number is W83627HF-AW. Also near this controller is a 3-pin CPU fan header. Next up, moving our way down the motherboard, is the previously mentioned 24-pin ATX power connection. This interface is positioned vertically along the side of the PCB, and is not recommended for use with a 20-pin PSU. Surrounded by the system memory, 24-pin connector, Chipset heatsink, and a wealth of power circuitry is the AMD Socket 939 area. Surrounding the actual CPU area, it is relatively free of any major obstructions, although some aftermarket solutions may have difficulties with the active Chipset heatsink coming in too close or with the system memory, if you are running DDR like Corsair's XMS XPERT series that has a relatively large area. Almost coming in contact with the Socket 939 retention frame is the 4-pin ATX +12V connector.