Intel DX58SO2

Intel DX58SO2 Review

Using the words “Intel motherboard” and “enthusiast” in the same sentence is like the old oxymoron “military intelligence.” It just doesn’t ring true. Intel’s reputation might finally be on the mend with its new DX58SO2, or “Smackover 2,” which makes huge leaps over its predecessor, the DX58SO. First up: the SATA ports. The original DX58SO had SATA ports that pointed straight up. That’s an epic fail if you plan to run multiple GPUs. The DX58SO2 fixes that by placing all eight ports at right angles. Perhaps the biggest problem with the original Smackover was its paltry four slots for memory instead of the customary six slots that all the other enthusiast boards had at the time. We’re happy to report that this new version sports the requisite six. But that’s not all of the improvements. SLI, CrossFireX, and even tri-SLI are now supported out of the box. Furthermore, the original board required several wacky power connectors for multi-GPU configurations, and the overall placement of everything was strange. The Smackover 2 has none of that. The only thing to complain about is the placement of the x16 PCI-E slots. If you run two GPUs (most commonly in the form of dual videocards), you block access to the sole PCI slot.