Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This motherboard is based on the Intel G31 chipset paired along with the ICH7 southbridge. The problem is that both chips are manufactured using now-old process technology and run hot compared to newer chipsets. Both chips are heatsinked but are not fan cooled (probably for cost reasons). In operation in a warm room (ambient temp 30 deg C) both chips reach temperatures that are uncomfortable to touch. This is especially true for the southbridge chip, which is located near the PCI slots. The choosen heatsink for the southbridge chip seems to be inadequate to dissipate heat produced during operation - the heatsink fins don't really extend high enough to allow sufficient cooling. This is probably a design decision so the heatsink doesn't interfere with the PCIe x16 retention clip or PCI slots, but comes at the expense of cooling. The interesting thing here is that the E2180 Pentium Dual-Core CPU I'm using remains cool, but the chipset runs hot!
I have had one motherboard fail after a few months use, presumably due to overheating - I suspect the southbridge chip has partially unsoldered itself.
For my other motherboard (I bought 2 of these) I learnt from experience and added two cooling fans - one 40mm fan (glued onto the northbridge heatsink using silicone) and a 50mm fan glued to the bottom of the PC case to cool the southbridge. Although it's too early to tell, I believe this will definitely increase the lifespan of the motherboard.
If you live in a cool climate then this overheating issue may not be as pronounced, however I think it's something to be aware of in order to extend the life of your system. In any case I *strongly recommend* adding chipset cooling fans as I have done.
Aside from the above this motherboard has good features for an "ordinary" user. There are better (read:expensive) motherboards if you're a diehard gamer or overclocker, but if you need to build a cheap system for a family member or friend this is great for the price. (Yeah it's integrated video but there is a PCIe x16 slot so you can still add a graphics card, like a cheap Radeon R4350 for example).
Click Here to see more reviews about: Gigabyte GA-G31M-S2L - Motherboard - micro ATX - LGA775 Socket - iG31 - Gigabit Ethernet - onboard graphics - HD Audio (6-channel)
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