GIGABYTE M57SLI-S4 Motherboard Review :: GIGABYTE M57SLI-S4 Layout

Layout of the board in regards to the power connections is perfect. The 24-pin ATX connector is located on the bottom of the board next to the IDE connections. The 4-pin power connection is on the top of the board. These positions allows the user to snake the cord directly from the PSU to the board, and do not impede airflow.

24-pin power

4-pin power

CPU Socket area

FP connectors

The CPU area is pretty free of obstructions with one obvious exception. The AVC heat sink we use for AMD testing fit on the Socket with plenty of room to spare. One thing, the first memory stick is directly next to the CPU cooler. Memory removal and insertion is not hindered by this positioning.

USB Headers

North Bridge HS

FP Audio

EZ Plug

MOSFETS

One other pet peeve of mine on motherboard layouts is the placement of the floppy drive connector on the clear far bottom side of the board. This forces the Floppy drive cable to go over the video card. The memory is clear of the video card, making memory removal and insertion a snap. Up to 10 USB devices are supported on the board via its three brackets. Two additional IEEE-1394 Firewire ports are also supported.