MODTHEBOX would like to thank Jeff from Frogtuning
for sending the DFI LanParty NFII Ultra B Motherboard for review.
Introduction:
Many companies have begun incorporating consumer preferences, consequently leading to highly successful products.
Motherboard manufacturers have been catering to the performance users needs by implementing additional features
such as new in-depth BIOS settings and increased voltages to allow overclockers to squeeze out the theoretical
maximum of today’s hardware. Given the recent release of the Athlon 64, the nForce II platform still remains the
dominant choice for majority of users. The lack of manufacturing of the nForce II platform allows for an easier
process of selecting the top offerings to build a system upon. Feature rich motherboards offer a great solution
for a variety of machines and also simplify and decrease system build times by eliminating common add on cards.
Established in 1981, DFI offers a complete line-up of advanced motherboards as well as graphics solutions and
Applied Computing Platforms. Today in MTB Labs, we will be evaluating the DFI LanParty NFII Ultra B Motherboard.
Specifications:
The DFI LanParty NFII Ultra B Motherboard is currently DFI’s prestige model being offered based upon the nForce II
Ultra 400 chipset. Highlights such as Serial ATA RAID, 5.1 Sound Storm audio, Dual LAN, USB 2.0, IEEE1394, Dual
Channel DDR 400, UV reactive components and CMOS Reloaded allow for a feature rich motherboard. The LanParty NFII Ultra
B is specifically targeted towards gamers and bundles an extensive amount of accessories. Here are some specifications
taken directly from the Frogtuning and DFI websites:
DFI LanParty NFII Ultra B Motherboard - Key Specifications
Supports dual channel memory interface
Supports up to 3GB memory (unbuffered DIMM)
Supports PC1600 (DDR200), PC2100 (DDR266), PC2700 (DDR333) and PC3200 (DDR400) DDR SDRAM DIMM, 2.5V type
Three 184-pin DDR SDRAM DIMM sockets
BIOS
Award BIOS, Windows® 95/98/2000/ME/XP Plug and Play compatible
Genie BIOS provides: CPU/DRAM/AGP overclocking and CPU/AGP/DRAM/Chipset overvoltage
4Mbit flash memory
CMOS Reloaded
Power Management
Supports ACPI STR (Suspend to RAM) function
Wake-On-Events include: Wake-On-PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse, Wake-On-USB, Wake-On-Ring (external modem), Wake-On-LAN,
RTC timer to power-on the system
AC power failure recovery
Hardware Monitors
Monitors CPU/system temperature
Monitors ±12V/5V/3.3V/VBAT(V)/5VSB(V) voltages
Monitors CPU/chassis fan speed
Read back capability that displays temperature, voltage and fan speed
CPU Temperature Protection function monitors CPU temperature during system boot-up
Audio
Realtek ALC650 AC'97 2.2 S/PDIF extension compliant codec
Supports Microsoft® DirectSound/DirectSound 3D
AC’97 supported with full duplex, independent sample rate converter for audio recording and playback
S/PDIF-in/out interface
6-channel audio output
LAN
nVIDIA® nForce2 MCP-T and ICS1893 Phy
Full duplex support at both 10 and 100 Mbps
Realtek RTL8110S Gigabit LAN
Full duplex support at 10, 100 and 1000 Mbps
PCI IDE
Supports ATA/33, ATA/66, ATA/100 and ATA/133 hard drives
UDMA Modes 3, 4, 5 and 6 Enhanced IDE (data transfer rate up to 133MB/sec.)
SATA IDE with RAID
Silicon Image Sil3114 PCI to Serial ATA controller
Supports four SATA (Serial ATA) interfaces which are compliant with SATA 1.0 specification (1.5Gbps interface)
Supports RAID 0 and RAID 1
IEEE 1394
nVIDIA® nForce2 MCP-T and Agere FW803 Phy chips
Supports three 100/200/400 Mb/sec ports
AGP
Supports AGP 8x up to 2132MB/sec. and AGP 4x up to 1066MB/sec. bandwidth for 3D graphics applications
Rear Panel I/O Ports
1 x PS/2 mouse port
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x DB-9 serial port
1 x DB-25 parallel port
4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
2 x RJ45 LAN ports
2 x S/PDIF RCA jacks (S/PDIF-in and S/PDIF-out)
3 x Audio jacks: line-out, line-in and mic-in
2 x Audio jacks for center/bass and rear out
I/O Connectors
1 x Connector for 2 additional external USB 2.0/1.1 ports
3 x Connectors for 3 external IEEE 1394 ports
1 x Front audio connector for external line-out and mic-in jacks
2 x Internal audio connectors (AUX-in and CD-in)
1 x S/PDIF connector for optical cable connection
1 x Connector for IrDA interface
4 x Serial ATA connectors
2 x IDE connectors
1 x Floppy connector
2 x ATX power supply connectors
3 x Fan connectors for CPU fan, chassis fan and 2nd fan
4 x Diagnostic LEDs
1 x Diagnostic LED connector for external 4 diagnostic LEDs display
EZ touch switches (power switch and reset switch)
Expansion Slots
1 x AGP slot that supports 8x/4x AGP
5 PCI slots
PCB
4 layers, ATX form factor
30.5cm (12") x 24.5cm (9.64")
NVIDIA nForce 2 400/Ultra Chipset Overview At A Glance
The NVIDIA nForce 2 400 Ultra chipset revolutionizes traditional motherboard architectures through a
series highly of integrated platform processors. Similar to the North and South Bridge, the NVIDIA nForce
2 Ultra uses platform processors such as Integrated Graphics Processor (IGP – only on selected models),
System Platform Processor (SPP) and the Media Communications Processor (MCP) and Media Communications
Processor Turbo (MCP-T) for maximum system performance, connectivity, audio functionality and efficiency.
Here is a brief overview:
SPP - System Platform Processor:
The System Platform Processor (SPP) is equivalent in function to the Northbridge technology. The nForce 2
400 Ultra SPP supports the latest 200 Front Side Bus AMD Athlon XP processors and below. Two independent
Dual DDR 400 64-Bit memory controllers operate concurrently to deliver an impressive 6.4GB per second of
memory bandwidth, double of that found on other DDR 400 based chipsets.
IGP - Integrated Graphics Processor:
The second-generation Integrated Graphics Processor (IGP) features of an onboard NVIDIA GeForce 4 MX 440
paired with an 8X AGP port. Similar to the SPP (Northbridge Technology), the IGP utilizes the same Dual
64-Bit memory architecture with the only difference of an onboard NVIDIA GeForce 4 MX 440, which can be
easily disabled.
MCP, MCP-T – Media and Communications Processor/Turbo:
The Media and Communications Processor - Turbo (MCP-T) is equivalent in function to the Southbridge Technology.
The nForce 2 MCP-T is responsible for handling the bulk of the Digital Media Gateway functions which
include the IEEE 1394a/Firewire, USB 2.0, LAN, Ultra ATA 133 communication along with the integrated
Audio Processing unit for real-time Dolby Digital 3D (AC3) encoding.
Click image for larger view
Click image for larger view
The DFI LanParty NFII Ultra B Motherboard ships in a colorful oversized retail box with a LAN Party
atmosphere illustration gracing the front. The LanParty and DFI logos are clearly marked on all sides
of the package. Extensive product specifications and highlights are located at the rear of the package. Unlike
standard motherboard bundles, the necessary accessories have been divided into 4 smaller retail boxes,
which consist of a FrontX module, PC Transpo system, Rounded IDE Cables and an accessory package.
The entire bundle includes of the following items:
DFI LanParty NF11 Ultra B Motherboard
Users Manual
Quick Installation guide
2 x Serial ATA data cables
Serial ATA power cable
Card edge bracket with two IEEE 1394 ports
1 x Round IDE cable
1 x Round FDD cable
PC Transpo kit
FrontX device
ATX I/O Shield
Thermal paste
LanParty sticker
Case badge
5 x Jumper caps
Raid driver diskette
Mainboard utility CD
WinDVD/WinRIP CD
Click image for larger view
Click image for larger view
The accessory package contains an ATX I/O back plate, two serial ATA cables, a serial ATA "Y" power splitter
and an additional dual IEEE 1394 plate. A set of rounded IDE and floppy cables are also included in a separate
box. A large pull tab labels the Master, Slave, and System portions of the cable and promotes easier removal.
The shielded IDE and Floppy cables are UV reactive and measure 18" in length. Unfortunately, only a single dual
device IDE cable is included instead of two.
