ECS PF4 Deluxe

If you remember Computex 2004, you'll more than likely remember ECS's LGA775 designs. PEG16X and AGP slots, along with DDR-II and DDR-I slots, on the same board? That's them.

Given that showing and the fact we've never covered an ECS mainboard product at HEXUS before, snagging their latest wares was something I was keen to do. Duly snagged, the first in a triplet of ECS mainboard reviews covers their P4F Deluxe, a packed LGA775 design that implements the core of Intel's new platform, without breaking the bank. Here's a snippet.

At just under £105 including dreaded V.A.T in the U.K., it's the same price as an ABIT AG8 and significantly less than the DDR-II toting ABIT AA8 DuraMAX, with better performance, features and a better bundle. That's not all. It's nearly £50 cheaper than ASUS's DDR-II Grantsdale board which has a comparable feature set. Providing you've got no trouble investing in DDR-II memory, the ECS PF4 Deluxe looks to be the best LGA775 mainboard we've yet tested at HEXUS, by quite a distance.

Check out the full review here.

Rys

ECS have always made incredibly cheap motherboards, branded as ECS, Elite or PCChips. I have owned a couple, and they were both cheap in both senses of the word (i.e. low cost and somewhat flimsy), but both are still working fine. I do remember, however, reading a website (can't find it on Google any more, though) from a small Australian system builder that hated ECS mobos with a passion, based on their problems with returns, misleading marketing information, and the amount of corner-cutting used in manufacture.

Maybe they've got their act together now, though?

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Originally Posted by oyster

... based on their problems with returns, misleading marketing information, and the amount of corner-cutting used in manufacture.

Maybe they've got their act together now, though?

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Yes ECS really gave themselves a bad rep through the way they went about producing boards cheeply and it really didn't do them any good. The new stratagy of ECS is to change all this and make a name for themselves with there enthusiast range while maintaining, as far as possible, there trademark value.

Another board to keep in mind is the KV2 (AMD 939PIN) board, which is also turning heads.

i don't think their trademark HAS value. even skoda's efforts haven't saved them from years of jokes. even if they're using the ecs brand for good now, i'm not sure it's enough to sway the hearts & minds of those who've been burnt (in cases literally) with pcchips.

Speaking of which, the KV2 is next on my list mainboard list :) The article should be live end of this week, or the start of next, all going well.

As far as perceptions of quality with their boards, I'm nothing but impressed so far, from the three mainboards I have at the moment. Some hiccups with an early PF4 sample, but they were fixed in the retail revision I reviewed.

Good stuff methinks.

Rys

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Originally Posted by directhex

i don't think their trademark HAS value. even skoda's efforts haven't saved them from years of jokes. even if they're using the ecs brand for good now, i'm not sure it's enough to sway the hearts & minds of those who've been burnt (in cases literally) with pcchips.

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Everyone has put out crap at some point, even the mighty manufacturers that never seem to put a foot wrong.

Public perception of Skoda certainly has changed, at least in this country, and it's for the better. I'd buy a Skoda.

There's no reason why ECS can't turn it round in a similar fashion with some well-received products and some positive experiences from the brave that dare to try them (as well they should).

I'd buy an ECS mainboard too.

Rys

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rys

Everyone has put out crap at some point, even the mighty manufacturers that never seem to put a foot wrong.

Public perception of Skoda certainly has changed, at least in this country, and it's for the better. I'd buy a Skoda.

There's no reason why ECS can't turn it round in a similar fashion with some well-received products and some positive experiences from the brave that dare to try them (as well they should).

I'd buy an ECS mainboard too.

Rys

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Not sure I'd buy a Skoda, I do agree that they are not so bad these days ... being as there VWs with different body work same as SEAT ... but thats due to the fact I would rather not be seen driving around in one :p that said my friend had one as a courtesy car and it was dead nice, shame he couldn't have de-badged it and kept it LoL.

As for ECS boards, I’ve never had much of an opinion, or at least not a good one, of ECS in the past, and yes! I work for them!

I actually wrote a report to the MD during my induction period outlining why I thought ECS was doing so bad in the enthusiast market and was quite harsh, it kinda turned into an essay on how rubish I thought ECS was, don’t believe in mollycoddling! supprised I still have a job! LMAO :eek:

But I have to say these boards really stand out and show there is change on the way for ECS.

And as for PCChips ... :Oops:
Not sure there's much to say there except there not really associated with ECS in the same way as in the boards are completely different these days, kind of like Asus and Asrock ;)

My boss keeps trying to get me to buy an ECS board and although im a bit of an Asus (mbo) nutt I recon the KV2 may sway me. recon I could push it to keep up with most anything out there. Or I may wait cos there's some stuff in the pipe (can't say what, thou its fairly obvious where they'll go next!) that is even more interesting. :rockon:

Well, I'm thinking of buying an Athlon 64, so if anyone wants to send me a ECS KV2 (hint! hint!), I'll be happy to post my experiences on this board and elsewhere... ;)

I am sure there are lots of retailers who would love to send you a board in return for your CC details ;)

I have 2 ECS KV2's, god only knows why i bought them, bios is screwy, flash to the latest version and you have no control over the sis sata controller, flash it to a lower version board hangs at post, shove a network card in disable onboard lan and windows xp does not install, all this board is good for is to wipe your arse if you run out of toilet paper, KV1 is just as bad, scrapping these boards off and getting some decent gigabyte stuff.