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BFG Tech 590 SLI Motherboard Review |
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BFGRAN590S… or Something |
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February 26, 2007 |
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By Josh Walrath |
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Of course the first thing one thinks of with BFG is video cards. So why exactly are they venturing into the realm of motherboards? Well, considering it is never really good to rely on one product (think NVIDIA with the GeForce FX series), diversifying a product lineup is supposed to lead to more predictable sales. But one does not want to diversify too much. BFG certainly is not interested in pursuing products like wireless routers, but rather want to stay in the same vein as their primary business. Motherboards and video cards have a lot in common, so it makes sense that BFG would be interested in that marketplace. BFG has dipped into the motherboard market before, with one of their first big products being the nForce 4 Ultra. The board was essentially identical to the Chaintech VNF4 Ultra, but built to BFG’s specifications. They have also recently introduced their nForce 680i board which is based on the NVIDIA reference design. Today we will be looking at their nForce 590 SLI based board with the catchy name of BFGRAN590S. BFG’s board is also based on NVIDIA’s reference design for that chipset. As such Foxconn produces the board for BFG. This should not come as a surprise, as BFG does not run its own SMT lines. Instead they outsource production to a handful of companies, but they specify the different components that will end up comprising the board. These components can include higher grade capacitors, VRMs, and other surface mount components that can directly affect the quality and lifespan of the product. In every way except the stickers, the BFGRAN590S is identical to the equally unwieldy named Foxconn C51XEM2AA-8EKRS2H. So why exactly would a user want to buy a BFG branded board that is identical to the Foxconn? There are several very good, and very compelling reasons. Price. Currently the BFG board retails for $159.99 US at most major retailers. Add onto that the $50 mail in rebate and a 590 SLI board for $109.99 is quite appealing. Warranty. BFG offers a 3 year warranty on the board, which is above average for the industry. Most motherboards come with a 1 year warranty (or less). Not only does the user get a 3 year warranty, but they also receive 24/7 phone support in the US. Inside the box itself is a note that says not to return the board to the retailer it was bought from, but to directly contact BFG. BFG’s tech support is one of the best around.
The first layer of goods includes the SLI bridge, rounded cables, Serial/USB/Firewire headers, and the manual and software. Bundle. Video Studio 9 SE and a full version of Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter make for a pretty impressive bundle for a motherboard. In fact, it is nearly unheard of to have anything other than the driver CD and some shareware applications. BFG also provides a driver CD with a recent version of nTune, which works hand in hand with the BFGRAN590S. They also include some extras such as BFG wallpapers and whatnot. Considering BFG bundles about $40 of software with the motherboard, its value is very impressive. The Box The BFG motherboard box is pretty plain; there are no stylized people or spaceships running around on the cover. So it is a bit of a change from the standard cover art we see with motherboards. The box itself is very sturdy and solid with a good product description on the back. Inside the box we see that BFG did not skimp one bit on the bundled cables. It has no less than 6 SATA cables (with the nice bent neck design), 1 serial port, 2 firewire ports, 4 USB ports, 3 molex-to-SATA power cables, a rounded floppy cable, a rounded IDE cable, the SLI bridge, and the ATX backplate. It also comes with two BFG case stickers, the manual, driver CD, Video Studio SE, and Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. This is a pretty hefty bundle as compared to most other products, especially those in the $109 range!
Under the first layer of swag are the SATA and power cables, as well as the ATX backplate. The box has a cardboard spacer between the bundle and the motherboard, which keeps the cables organized and separated. It also adds another layer of protection for the board itself. The board is wrapped in anti-static wrap, and placed on top of a thick, pink cushion to help protect the board. BFG seriously could not do much more within reason to protect the board during shipping. When the user picks up the box and opens it, they are struck by the sheer amount of stuff BFG has included. Users will walk away with great satisfaction that they have gotten their money’s worth. The manual is also well laid out, has plenty of information about setup, BIOS tweaking, and software installation. It is not War and Peace, but it is certainly more pleasant to read.
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Copyright 1999-2007 PenStar Systems, LLC. |
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