Gigabyte GA-P31-DS3L

HD Tach RW/3 & 7-Zip Archiving

Different motherboards use different chipsets for SATA controllers, so these tests are a good way to see how one board will compare to another. The first test is synthetic, using HD Tach RW/3, while the File Compression is real world, which involves compressing a 4GB folder (4,809 files) using 7-Zip.

The differences are so minute here, that they are almost moot. Our P31-DS3L had the slowest scores of them all, but the differences are painfully small.

Half-Life 2: Episode Two

One game that needs no introduction, Half-Life 2: Episode Two was a proper sequel to Episode One, although the duration in which people had to wait between the two was a little questionable. Luckily for fans though, Episode Two proved to be more of what we love. It was a win/win. Introduced with this version were achievements as well, which let you know how much of a fan you really are.

We are using the Silo level for our testing. During our game play, we shoot down a total of three striders (their locations are identical with each run, since we are running a saved game file) and a barn is blown to smithereens. Pure win!

The ultimate gaming motherboard isn’t the P31-DS3L, but once again, the differences between them are minimal.

F.E.A.R.

FEAR first hit our PCs in fall of 2005. When it did, it proved to almost everyone just how badly our computers needed upgrading. It was one of the first games to truly benefit from having 2GB of RAM installed, but of course also a massive graphics card. Even today, running a high-resolution FEAR is a visual treat.

The third level is our destination today, which begins us out beside two friends who send me off through various buildings, kicking some ass en route. I am unsure where the final destination is, as I’ve never explored that far, but throughout our five-minute game play we encounter four enemies, outdoor and indoor areas and even have a strange horror sequence occur.

The results were consistent, but the board will still not let you down where gaming is concerned. It’s slower than the others, but I’d be hard-pressed to see someone notice a difference while immersed in their favorite game.