EPoX EP-9U1697-GLi: ULi M1697 Goes Mainstream

Basic Features: EPoX EP-9U1697 GLi

Specification	Epox EP-9U1697 GLi
CPU Interface	939-Pin Socket supporting AMD Athlon 64 / 64FX / 64X2
Chipset	ULi M1697 - Single Chip Solution
Bus Speeds	200MHz ~ 500MHz in 1MHz increments
CPU Clock Multiplier	Auto, 5x ~ 12x (4000+) in 1x increments, max multiplier dependent upon CPU utilized
Memory Speeds	Auto, 100 MHz, 133MHz, 160MHz, 200MHz, 218 MHz, 240MHz
PCI Bus Speeds	Async with HT frequencies, Disabled
PCI Express Bus Speeds	Async with HT frequencies, Disabled
HT Multipliers	Auto, 200MHz, 400MHZ, 600MHz, 800MHz, 1000MHz
HT Link Speed	Auto, 8-bit, 16-bit, 4-bit, 2-bit
Core Voltage	Auto, -0.200V to +0.250V (in 0.025V increments), (max voltage dependent upon CPU)
DRAM Voltage	Auto, +0.00V to +0.70V, (in 0.10V increments)
Chipset Voltage	Auto, +0.00V to +0.30V, (in 0.10V increments)
Memory Slots	(4) x DIMM, max. 4GB, DDR 400/333, non-ECC, un-buffered memory, Dual Channel Operation supported
Expansion Slots	(2) x PCI-E x16 (first slot operates in 1x16 mode, both slots in 2x8 mode) (1) x PCI-E x1 (3) x PCI 2.3
Onboard SATA	ULi M1697: (4) x SATA II
Onboard IDE	ULi M1697: (2) x UltraDMA 133/100/66/33
SATA/IDE RAID	ULi M1697: (4) x SATA II RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5
Onboard USB 2.0	(8) USB2.0 ports (four ports, two headers for four more ports)
Onboard LAN	Realtek RTL8201CL PCI 10/100Mb/s Ethernet LAN - PHY
Onboard Audio	Realtek ALC-655, 5.1 channel capable AC97 2.3 Audio Codec
Power Connectors	24-pin ATX 4-pin ATX 12V
Back Panel I/O Ports	1 x PS/2 Keyboard 1 x PS/2 Mouse 1 x Parallel (ECP/EPP) 1 x Serial (COM1) 1 x Audio I/O Panel 1 x RJ45 LAN 1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Out 4 x USB 2.0
Other Features	Thunder Probe - Windows based Monitoring Program Magic Flash - Windows based BIOS Flash Utility Magic Screen - Windows based Bootup Screen Design Program CP80P - Post Port Debug LED EZ Button - On-board Power and Reset Button
BIOS	Award 1.0 (2/06/06)

The EPoX EP-9U1697 GLi is a value-based performance board targeted towards the AMD enthusiast user. The board ships with an accessory package that includes the standard assortment of IDE/SATA cables and power connectors. Epox also includes an extensive driver CD along with desktop utilities. Of special note is Epox's Thunder Probe windows based utility that allows for full temperature monitoring and control of the CPU and system fans. Epox also includes the Thunder Flash set of utilities for automatic retrieval and updates to the latest BIOS, BIOS recovery, and boot-up screen customization. More information about the Thunder Flash system can be located here.

This is the Main BIOS Setup Utility section, which displays the change configuration categories available on the board.

This is the Advanced Chipset Features section that contains the subcategories for the DRAM, PCI-E, Power, and HTT configuration sections.

The Power BIOS configuration section allows you to set individual parameters manually for voltage, multipliers, and chipset frequency settings. The range of features available for change is extensive for an entry-level performance board.

The CPU Clock ratio can be adjusted from the Power BIOS section as well as the Memory Clock ratio. The BIOS allows for an Auto setting that will set the memory clock ratio based upon the SPD settings or you can adjust the memory timings manually. We typically found in our testing that the system would adjust the memory clock ratio based on the conservative side if left on Auto.

The Memory Clock settings are extensive on this board with the Auto setting providing an adjusted ratio dependent upon the SPD settings and bus speeds. We discovered in our testing that the Auto selection would typically adhere to the SPD setting no matter the memory clock ratio or HTT settings. We found it best to set the memory manually based on your system settings and memory capability.