Features-wise, the board is equipped with a PCIe x16 slot, 6 SATA II ports, GbE, USB etc. There are also a lot of overclocking options available in the BIOS. One of the interesting option is the GPU CLK which can be tuned from BIOS. We actually set it to 900MHz (up to 1023MHz can be selected). This allowed us to overclock the GPU core to boost the GPU performance. Although we managed to get into VISTA with max NB voltage set, it is rather unstable at even 1GHz.  With Sideport enabled, it boost the performance even further. So far, J&W is the only manufacturer that implemented this on it's 780G board.

As for CPU overclocking, the BIOS do have options to set the HTT (200~400MHz), multiplier, async memory settings and voltage options. Unfortunately, the voltage and frequency range seems to be quite limited. On top of that, we aren't able to overclock the CPU unless we increase the multiplier to 16x and HT set to 200MHz. Due to a possible BIOS bug, setting any CPU Frequency beyond 200MHz doesn't o/c it at all, it always default back to 200MHz X multiplier. See gallery for more information. Other than that, the layout of the BIOS options is commendable. It is very clear cut. You can easily find the various options under the various pull down menus.

In terms of expansion, J&W has put in a lot more than the Jetway we reviewed before. It has HDMI , D-SUB, DVI-D all on board. There is also a DEBUG LED which I feel is oddly placed at the back panel. The lack of PS/2 mouse port is somewhat disappointing as we will have to use a USB port for the mouse.

In conclusion, J&W has dished out a board that gave outstanding integrated graphics performance and yet provide a all in one solution for HTPC users. As the chipset supports Hybrid CrossFire, we will have to wait for the driver to be able to tap the power of IGP+Discrete. If you intend to build a HTPC capable of playing back Blu-Ray/HD-DVD in H.264/VC-1, this board paired with a X2 5000+ should be sufficient for all your playback needs without the need to purchase an additional graphics card.

Discuss

Pros

• Excellent Image quality
• Low CPU Utilization when playing back VC-1
• HDMI, D-SUB, DVI-D interfaces all on board
• Future Hybrid CrossFire support
• Side port

Cons

• Debug LED at back panel
• PS/2 Mouse port not available
• BIOS bug

Ratings

Here are my ratings out of 10.