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Canyon 9I6GM-L (i865G) Mainboard



Boards in the mATX format have very similar functionality as they are usually used for budget systems, and a piece of textolite of such size doesn't foster imagination. We had a preproduction sample and can't affirm that production models will also have a minimal set of accessories. 




The layout is not convenient but the problem of finding space for all components is more important in microATX boards. It can be difficult to reach some jumpers when the board is already installed. Their functions are indicated on the PCB. The 3-phase switching voltage regulator incorporates 11 capacitors of 1500 uF. There is also a voltage regulator of the AGP bus (one 1800 uF). 

The board measures 245x200 mm (microATX). 

No wasted space for components that didn't get included in the final design. The red LED indicates that power is supplied to the memory modules. System monitoring is supported by Winbond W83627HF-AW chip. It controls: 

    • processor, AGP bus voltages, +3.3, +5 and +-12 V, VBAT and +5 V Standby
    • rotation speed of 3 fans; 
    • temperatures of the processor (built-in sensor) and the board (built-in sensor) 

Ports & connectors onboard

  • Socket 478 with preinstalled CPU cooler holder;
  • 2 slots for DDR SDRAM DIMM;
  • AGP slot (not Pro, with a retention clip);
  • 3 PCI slots (32bit, 33MHz);
  • Power supply connectors (ATX and 4pin for 12V);
  • FDD;
  • 2 IDE (Parallel ATA) - on chipset;
  • 2 Serial ATA - on chipset;
  • 2 connectors for brackets with USB (2.0) ports;
  • Connector for Game port;
  • Connector for a second serial port;
  • Connector for a standard IR module;
  • Connector for audio-out from CD/DVD drive;
  • S/PDIF;
  • Wake-On-LAN;
  • 3 connectors for fans (2 with rotation control).

Rear panel (left to right, in units)




  • PS/2 ports for keyboard & mouse;
  • COM port (1), VGA, LPT;
  • 2 USB (2.0);
  • 2 USB (2.0) & 1 RJ-45 (Ethernet);
  • 3 audio connectors: Mic In, Line In, Speaker Out.

Accessories




  • Package of the standard design (common for all Canyon products); 
  • Cables: 1 SATA (without power supply adapters), 1 ATA66/100/133 and FDD;
  • CD with software:
    • drivers;
    • user manual in PDF;
    • Adobe Acrobat Reader;
    • several system monitoring utilities;
    • McAfee VirusScan Online.

Integrated controllers

  • audio controller based on the C-Media CMI9739A AC'97 codec; 5.1 audio system supported, front audio-outs and S/PDIF connector provided;
  • network controller based on the Realtek RTL8101L chip supporting 10/100 Base-T (Fast Ethernet);
  • Integrated video (by means of i865G chipset).

Settings

jumpers and switches Jumper to clear the CMOS  
Jumpers setting the basic CPU clock Auto/100/133/166/200 MHz
BIOS based on Phoenix AwardBIOS 6.00PG  Setup of memory timings + CAS Latency, RAS Precharge, RAS to CAS Delay, Active to Precharge Delay
Setup of memory frequency + Auto, 266, 320, 400 MHz (at FSB 800 MHz)
Setup of AGP bus -  
Setup of PCI bus -  
AGP/PCI frequency setup + AGP(PCIx2) = Auto, 66-76 MHz in 0.6-0.7MHz steps
PCI IRQ manual assignment +  
FSB frequency setup + 100-255 MHz in 1MHz steps
CPU clock ratio + x8-x50
CPU voltage control -  
DIMM voltage control -  
NB voltage control -  
AGP voltage control -  

We used the BIOS of 03.04.03 as the latest available version. 

Summary

This is a typical budget model demonstrating low performance and functionality, a scarce set of components and no signs of overclocking tools, but maybe its low price justifies it. 

Test results: 

 

Dmitry Mayorov (destrax@ixbt.com)
 

Vladimir Rybnikov (puree@ixbt.com

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