Gigabyte GA-MA780GM-S2H review

A powerful video motherboard solution

Gigabyte GA-MA7780GM-S2H
Packed with a stunning array of HD video connections, this Gigabyte motherboard is a budget gem

TechRadar Verdict

A great motherboard to spend your money on

Pros

  • +

    Bargain price

  • +

    Plenty of video ports

  • +

    HD compatible

Cons

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It's a relief to see a new AMD product that's bang on target.

We speak, of course, of the 780G chipset. It really is the killer home cinema solution that we've been waiting for.

Good with video

The best bits are the UVD video decode engine and the comprehensive array of video outputs.

The former ensures that CPU load remains at around 50 per cent, when decoding a full 1080p AVC stream. And that's with a 2.5GHz dual-core Athlon 64 chip.

Add in HDMI, DVI ports and HDCP, and you have the first integrated solution that delivers on the HD home cinema concept.

The fact that it's dirt cheap in this form is a real bonus. Indeed, it's probably possible to build a full Blu-ray-capable media PC using this board as a base for under £300. Incredible, really.

The TechRadar hive mind. The Megazord. The Voltron. When our powers combine, we become 'TECHRADAR TEAM'. You'll usually see this author name when the entire team has collaborated on a project or an article, whether that's a run-down ranking of our favorite Marvel films, or a round-up of all the coolest things we've collectively seen at annual tech shows like CES and MWC. We are one.

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